The Adoption Story

How God intertwined the paths of two very sick little girls and a family living to serve God and how his grace brought them to where they are today. Robin can remember the exact moment that, unknown to her, her world would never be the same. She told me that she was scraping rocks around the outside of their concrete home in rural Kenya when her husband Cary came out and told her that he needed to talk to her. Their stories became one on June 23^rd, 2011 and from that day neither of their lives would be the same. All of their lives could’ve turned out dramatically different. One may have been cut short while the other, if she survived, would live in poverty for the rest of her life. Every time someone asks Robin about their adoption adventure her eyes fill with tears when she talks about how these little girls have blessed her life and changed her heart for the better. She tells me frequently that she could not imagine her life without them and although it has been a difficult process she wouldn’t want it any other way. Two years after their lives intersected for the first time they are waiting to hear if their adoption case will be approved and these sweet girls will be a part of their forever family. In the meantime, they are just taking it one day at a time.

As I am writing this Kenzy and Kacey are chasing after my little sister, Lydia, growling, squealing and laughing. Their little voices can be heard throughout the whole house. They are both at the age where a toddler begins to transform into a little person. These girls are so full of life and energy. Just like any other toddler they spend their days running outside, riding their scooters, exploring and getting dirty, playing with their Polly Pockets and snuggle with their mama. These girls and this family is a living and thriving testimony of God’s love and promises. Two years ago no one would be able to imagine what their lives look like today. It brings tears to my eyes to think about where these girls would be and what their lives would look like if God did not intervene.

Kacey and Kenzy may look similar to you at first, but they are becoming two very different people. They both could live off of Pringles if their mama would let them. They both are great snugglers. Throughout their day they tend to take a quick snuggle break and just hop into the lap of whoever is closest. If you were to just meet these girls and they hopped into your lap you might claim that they are trying to pinch you, but I promise they aren’t intending to hurt you. One of their little things they do to comfort themselves is find the fattiest part of your body and pinch it between their fingers. They both love to wear dresses just like a princess and if all their favorite dresses are in the laundry they love just running naked.

Kacey is very articulate and verbal. She is able to verbalize what her wants and needs are, and she will interpret for her sister. She will tell you what exactly her sister needs or wants even if Kenzy doesn’t say anything. She uses her words to be protective of someone who she thinks is getting hurt. One day I had Lydia walking on my back in order to crack it and Kacey tried to push her off telling her to get off her Aunt Hannah. She is very protective of her sister and mama and always watching out for them. Kacey is a thinker. She thinks things through before she does them and will think through whatever you say to her. She is more outgoing than Kenzy although both will most likely latch onto your leg about 10 minutes after you meet them.

Kenzy is smaller in size than Kacey probably because she was a little sicker. She is a combination of mischief and happy-go-lucky with a free spirit. She repays her sisters protection with attempts to get under her skin. She is always getting into something and never fails to make a mess when she eats a meal, even though she usually just eats rice because she refuses to eat much else. If you are saying something she doesn’t want to hear she will “Shh” you and cover your mouth with her hand. Although she does try to get under her sister’s skin she is still very protective of her. If you are yelling at Kacey or if she feels like Kacey is hurt she will try and intervene. Although she is not as verbal as Kacey if she wants something she will let you know.

Both girls have touched my hearts in very unique ways and I am so thankful that God let our paths intersect.

“None of our lives will ever be the same, no matter how this turns out.” –Robin Nail

While Robin was in her home with the two girls when they  first entered into her life and they began considering adoption she said to herself, “The choices we make over these next few months will determine whether or not these girls will be fetching water and sticks every day or driving a mini-van through a drive-thru in 30 years.”

There is such a big contrast between our daily lives in the states and the lives of Kenyans. You could’ve been born anywhere-Nepal, Peru, Kenya. You could be facing any number of challenges in your life- starvation, abandonment, unemployment, anything. I know I say this often but I feel like I don’t have words to describe how good we actually have it in the United States- one of the richest countries in the world.

It all started with a chicken pooping all over the floor of the car…

Kacey at 15 months

Kacey and Kenzy first entered into Robin and Cary’s life at 15 months old on the 23^rd of June in 2011.  Kacey weighed less than 8lbs and Kenzy weighed no more than 4lbs. Neither of the girls had hair, both were severely malnourished, and both were diagnosed with failure to thrive. Kacey had 4 teeth and Kenzy had 2. In case you are unfamiliar with child development, at 15 months children should have a full set of teeth. Kenzy was severely dehydrated, had pneumonia, and had sores on in the inside of her mouth as well as one on her lip that flies swarmed around. Kenzy was very close to death.

Kenzy at 15 months

When their grandmother dropped them off she claimed she would be back for them in two weeks. She told Robin and Cary that the father was unknown since the mother had been in a large city when she got pregnant. Their mother had died of malaria when the girls were just 3 months old. The grandmother already had trouble keeping herself fed and was left with two 3 month old babies to feed and no source of income. After the girls had been with Robin and Cary for a couple weeks the grandmother had given them a chicken. In Africa, livestock is a sign of wealth, giving away one her chickens was a pretty big deal. Robin has a vivid image in her head of her holding Kenzy in the car while the chicken pooped all of the floor. It was just one of the moments in the midst of chaos that you just have to throw back your head and giggle at everyday life living in Africa.

After three weeks Robin and Cary went to find the grandmother and that is when she told them that she couldn’t care for them. She told them that the girls would die on her.

In August 2011, they brought the girls and their family to talk to the District Children’s Officer about the situation. The DCO was not supportive of Robin and Cary adopting the girls at all, despite the evidence of extremely poor health conditions due to living with the grandmother with no resources or assistance. Robin and Cary explained to the family that they needed to be able to come and go to Kenya since as missionaries they would need to go back to US periodically and fundraise.  The family was very supportive of the Nail Family adopting them, but the adoption system in Kenya is difficult at best.

By September 2011, Cary had returned to the states with their daughter, Katie, to raise support while Robin stayed in Kenya with the girls. For the first few months she lived in Migori (village they were serving in and village the girls were from) by herself with the babies. Life was hard. If it didn’t rain they didn’t have water. They had to call a taxi to get into town to get any kind of supplies, but if it rained the roads were too bad to drive into town. Also, being a muzungu (white visitor) traveling alone with two babies was not safe. Robin was blessed with the opportunity to move to Tenwek Mission Hospital around Thanksgiving of 2011, where Cary would be volunteering when he returned.

Cary returned from the states mid-December 2011 and that same month they traveled to visit the grandmother with a translator (also close friend) Leila, they asked the grandmother and the translator both if they would be open to travel to America with them. When they went to immigration (which was an all-day ordeal), they spent the weeks before on top of all day filling out paper work and talking to many different people. At the end of the day the grandmother was asked to go into the interview room with just the two girls. The girls did not appreciate being separated from their mother and cried until they were reunited, because to them this elderly woman was a stranger. They told the man in charge that they were attempting to raise awareness as to how many grandmothers are faced with this situation and challenge to raise their grandchildren with little to no support or income. Robin would truly like to raise awareness of this situation. In the village where Robin in Cary served, Migori, it seems as if there is a whole generation missing due to AIDS. This generation is not only missing in Kenya, but all over Africa there are children being raised by the grandparents due to the AIDS epidemic. After weeks of paperwork and interviews, many headaches, and the long process of getting the grandmother’s birth certificate they were all denied passports. The Lord had closed that door on them, but we serve a God of relentless love and provision and he would soon open another door. 

By the end of January Robin realized that they were going to have to choose a different route. She was given no other option other than return to the states (while Cary stayed in Kenya with the girls) to complete an international adoption home study. She told me that this was probably one of the hardest things she had every done in her whole life, leave the girls at such a young age. On their flight back they flew through Ethiopia and on that flight were dozens of families that had just completed the adoption process. As much joy as she felt for these new forever families she felt her heart in her stomach as she longed to be with her babies. Her daughter flew back with her and told her, “You can cry until we get to Washington, but then you have to get it together.” Robin wrote Joshua 1:9 onto her heart by repeating to herself over and over again on the flight home.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

By February 7, 2012 she had an address and a job and was able to fill out all the adoption papers that same evening. She continued working and trying to stay busy in the states while their home study was being completed. Meanwhile Cary was also keeping himself busy working at Tenwek hospital and being with the two girls that were almost 2 by now. In May, Cary got a phone call from a Pastor in their village who told him a representative from their adoption agency was there to talk to the grandmother. According to the Pastor and another good friend of theirs, this social worker who the international adoption agency had hired, was trying to talk the grandmother and other family members out of giving the twins up and attempted to guilt trip her. Their pastor told Cary, “She is evil” since he had been in some of the meetings.

They thought they had passed this speed bump on April 4^th, 2012 when their uncle signed them off as a representative of the family. Unfortunately the agency in Kenya claimed they would not accept this because he was not the right family member to be signing off on them- they needed the grandmother’s brother in law (brother to the deceased husband) to sign off as a representative of the family. In mid-July of 2012 they received a letter that they were to report to court to surrender the girls. When Robin heard this she panicked, quit her job, and immediately hopped on a plane back to Kenya. At this point in time she didn't know how much time she had left with her daughters. When Robin got to Kenya, Cary returned to the states to save money for the adoption just to be secure with finances since they did not know what the future would hold as far as welcoming two little girls into their forever family and the cost of completing an international adoption. After lots of grief they finally attended this meeting in early August of 2012, where they were told that they were supposed to surrender the girls.

Robin packed a bag for her girls and left her house that morning not knowing if she would be returning with them. During the whole meeting, with tears flowing, Robin just kept thinking to herself, “I am going to lose these girls today.” The DCO was in attendance and was still very against the adoption. He told the family that the American family would adopt these girls, take them to America, and you will never see them again. After a lot of conversation and heartache the family left the room to discuss the decision. They came back in and said, “We want Robin and Cary to adopt them.” The family signed the girls off but Robin and Cary did not get legal custody. Where does that leave these girls if their adoption isn’t approved? Robin believes it will be approved but until they hear an official answer she has chosen to trust in the Lord and enjoy the time she has with the girls. 

“It will be a miracle if this adoption is approved, but I serve a God with unfailing love and I believe in miracles.” -Robin

After the family signed over the girls they had to fill out and resubmit all their adoption papers, they had to be re-stamped and notarized all over again and their home study was reviewed for the first time in October 2012. If you know someone who has gone through an international adoption process or even a domestic one you understand what a headache all the paperwork is and what it is like to work through the process with people from a different culture that have a very different perception of time. If you didn't know someone before, now you do. I couldn't  even if I tried, explain all the details and road blocks they faced during the adoption process. They were met with many silly, insignificant obstacles as the future lives of these girls were just dangling. By Christmas 2012, they had all their paperwork submitted and finalized and they finally were able to submit their dossier in January of 2013. Since January they have been playing the waiting game while Robin lives life in Kenya with the girls and Cary is back in the states working to save money. As you can imagine this is hard on both of them, but what else can they do?

Their case was supposed to be heard soon after they submitted their dossier. They would find out the final decision a few weeks after the court heard their case. Unfortunately, there were complications (as usual.) They dropped off their dossier in January, but the court didn't receive their payment until after the February meeting. (The committee only meets monthly) Then when the March meeting rolled around in the middle of the month they were backed up so their case hearing was postponed again. When April rolled around and they were anticipating their case to be heard another difficulty arose. Apparently the adoption agency they were using in the states had let its license expire with Kenya, so before their case could be heard the agency had to renew their license. This added on another month. Supposedly their case has been heard this month, June 2013, but they will not be given an official answer for the next couple weeks. Throughout this whole process Robin, Cary, and their family have had no other option but to trust the Lord and gives their worries and stress to him. They have been faithfully serving Him throughout this whole process.

Kacey (left) and Kenzy just a few weeks after being in the care of the Nail family
Already looking happier and healthier!!
July 2011

Please lift them up in your prayers over the next few weeks as they await a final decision and find out if these sweet little girls will be a part of this special family forever. These girls have been such a blessing to me, the Bemm family and especially Robin, Cary and their family. The story of how God saved their lives and entrusted them into the hands of these missionaries has forever touched my heart. Following their story through their adoption process and how faithfully they have trusted the Lord has encouraged me to not rely on my own strength and my own will, but to trust in God’s strength to withhold me and His plan for my life.

Understanding international adoption and the Hague Convention:

This is an international agreement to safeguard inter-country adoptions. The Hague Adoption Convention applies to all adoptions between the United States and the other counties that have joined it. It aims to prevent the abduction, sale of, or traffic in children, and it works to ensure that inter-country adoptions are in the best interests of children. Under this convention families may not pre-know or hand pick the children they plan to adopt. That is part of the reason Robin and Cary’s adoption process has been so tedious. While the purpose of this treaty has been to prevent child trafficking, unfortunately it has had some negative side effects on countries who have joined it. Many countries have added ten years to the adoption process leaving many children stuck in orphanages until they age out of the program. When children are left to age out of the program this often leads to very high rates of prostitution, drug hustle, and unemployment.

I hope you will keep these sweet girls and their family in your daily prayers and I will keep you posted on the final decision. Their hopeful that the rest of the adoption will go smoothly and their case will be approved. Their short term plan is to hopefully be home by Christmas and spend a year or two in the states stabilizing their family and praying and figuring out their next step.

Kenzy and Kacey lovin on each other

You're never fully dressed without a smile

This is my friend Cici. That is not her real name and I’ve actually only known her for a little more than 24 hours. In the past 24 hours my heart has continuously broken for her and oh how I wish I could intervene in her life in a more permanent and monumental way, but I suppose that is God’s job. I have to keep reminding myself that I cannot save the world, no matter how hard I try, but Jesus will.

My friend Cici is 10 years old and in standard 5. For those of you reading this I am going to assume that you know a 5^th grader or have encountered at least one in your lifetime. Fifth graders often feel on top of the world. Big fish in the little pond and ready to move onto middle school, when I compare my 5^th grade self to Cici’s I want to ask God why? Why was I born into such luxury with so many people around me that love me? How can we have it so good in the states and still want more when there are so many suffering? I certainly was not wealthy, and I grew up in what most may consider a broken home. But my mom tried her best to make sure I had everything I needed and more, and I did. I never went hungry. I went to school, played sports, went to church and not once can I recall thanking God for these blessings while growing up.

I’m so thankful I serve a God who loves me unconditionally despite my faults and failures and forgives me before I even sin.

Okay, now I am going to rewind a little bit.

Yesterday I was lying in my bed snuggling with Ellie (best snuggler ever!!!) and Amy opened my door and told me she had to go up to the hospital to do a rape consult. My stomach dropped a little, but I didn’t really think too hard about it. About an hour later she called and asked if I would like to come sit with the little girl. I hesitantly said yes. I met Cici for the first time when she was sitting on a hospital table with tears of physical and emotional pain streaming down her face undergoing a lumbar puncture procedure. I instinctively took her hand in mine and tried to wipe her tears. When the procedure was over we moved on to go get her medication and two more injections.

I found out that Cici’s teacher brought her into the hospital that day after Cici had confided in her that she had been raped and this was not the first time.  She told us she had been previously treated at some clinic, but who knows what they treated her with. She tested positive for gonorrhea and syphilis. Her mother and grandmother abandoned her, we are assuming a couple months ago. She began staying with a family (most likely a neighbor), and her chore was to go down to the river to get the water. During this time, a man who was known to be a predator throughout the village repeatedly assaulted her. It really frustrates me that this man was a known predator and no one did anything to stop him. I just don't get it. He disappeared about a month ago and has not been seen since. 

After her consult was over I sat on the bench with her while we waited for Amy to get her medication from the pharmacy.  She was very disengaged (naturally) and didn’t talk at all (the language barrier did not help either.) We bought her milk and cookies and she sat there and silently ate. I eventually did get her to smile and even laugh by making funny faces and taking turns bopping each other with the teddy bear I brought. I must say, she has one of the most beautiful smiles I have seen. When she is truly smiling she gets these adorable, big dimples at the tips of her smile. She has been given so many reasons in this life not to smile, but she always finds something. I hope she holds onto that smile for the rest of her life.

I tried to highlight her smile in this picture,
but she is a little camera shy.

We met with a social worker from the hospital where she was going to spend the night. I walked home with tears in my eyes and my heart in my stomach. I fell asleep that night replaying the day and trying to imagine what it would be like to be in her shoes, I couldn’t. My stomach physically hurts when I think about the pain, humiliation and fear she endured.

This afternoon we took her to one of the children’s homes we support, Kinduwa, to stay. She spent the morning at our house just sitting on our porch coloring contently. The midgets colored with her, talked to her, and made her smile. I wish I would’ve gotten a picture, it was honestly such a God moment. He used toddlers to touch her heart, and he used all of them to touch mine. Her smile just melts my heart. And to see her smiling together with them was a blessing from God.

We dropped her off with a bag full of clothes and new shoes, a coloring book, crayons, and a little Bible. As I hugged her one last time I walked away with a heavier heart than I thought possible. To go through what she has, now surrounded by strangers and new faces in a new place.
She is 10 years old. My biggest worry when I was ten years
old was running out of chocolate milk and popcorn.

Cici’s story will always be in my heart and the image of her dimply smile will never leave me.

Sweet little Hannah holding her hand on our
way to her new home.

Cici's new home!

Some of Cici's new brothers and sisters!

Her new view from the hill of hope

I was not surprised when Chuck told me that her story is not uncommon. He has had to testify in court for at least 3 other cases since the beginning of this year, and has encountered and treated numerous other rape victims. These stories continue to become more common not only in Africa, but all over the world.

Anger. Anxiety. Hopelessness. 

That’s how I feel when I think about all the girls and women who are stripped of their dignity and worth through such a heinous and disgusting crime. I continue to ask, “How can God possibly be glorified through something so evil?” Chuck reminded me that his glory isn’t always redeemed in this lifetime. He also reminded me that there are many glories and blessings that are hidden from the human eye. I need to give it to God, and in return He will give me peace.

Lord, I want to just thank you for Cici. Thank you for her ability to smile during a time of so much pain and fear and for the way her smile has touched my life. Thank for you the plan you have for her- plans to prosper her and not to harm her and plans to give her hope and a future. Thank you for the way you knit her together in her mother’s womb. Lord, you know what she is going through and you are with her. You know her fears and anxieties and you will never leave her. I praise you Lord because she is fearfully and wonderfully made. You love her relentlessly and unconditionally. Lord, just be with her as she adjusts to this new life. Allow her to leave the past in the past and to heal completely and fully. Let your mercies just fall on her. Help those around her to just shower your love on her and make her feel welcome. We pray for logistics and the family visit the social worker will be doing next week and that everything would go over smoothly. Lord I pray for the man who assaulted her and many other girls. I pray that he would find you and you would meet him where he is. I pray that you would give Cici the strength to forgive him. I also pray that you would give me strength to forgive and to keep my emotions under control. Allow me to accept the situation and my ability to control the situation. Remind me daily that I can’t save the world and remind me to call on you when my feet begin to slip. I thank you for the opportunity to know Cici and her story and for the impact it has had on my heart and the impact her story will have on others. Be with her tonight Lord and help her sleep peacefully.

Amen.

On the left is Momma Sarah
the orphan director's wife 

You are my sunshine

Esther Gloria is the youngest Bemm child. I have been blessed to witness her personality blossom in the past few months. For a long time she was described as a quiet, bump on the log. Although she still won't miss an opportunity to sit on someone's lap and snuggle, she is much more vocal and has turned into a complete goofball.  She is always singing, she is ticklish all over and has the best belly laugh. She is the definition of Mommy's little helper; and unless she is in cahoots with her brother and sister she is very obedient and loves to make people smile. She is my saving grace between the three midgets always loving on you when you need it most, or disrupting the chaos with a funny comment. We gave her the nickname babushka, because she tends to show some grandma like qualities in the way she walks and talks and how she loves her sleep. Her goofiness comes out in very few words and lots of giggles and is very spontaneous; but her timing is always perfect. At nap time she is always the first one in bed, sometimes even skipping her lunch and going right to sleep (while unfortunately the other two seem to be weening off of naps, yikes!). Esther is our accessory queen. When she is sitting on your lap she will play with your necklace and earrings, ask to braid your hair, and she always has to carry a purse. She loves wearing bracelets, shoes, and she loves to have her nails painted. She changes her shoes about 10 times a day and most of the shoes she wears are not hers and extremely big for her. This causes her to trip and fall multiple times throughout the day which brings about the need for a bandaid whether there is actually blood or not. 

Caught in mid-giggle

Our accessory queen being a total goofball

Ellie is the second youngest. Her real name is Elizabeth Mercy, but we call her Ellie (which is very fitting to the little person she is becoming.) Although she is older than Esther she is much smaller in size. When I think about words to describe Ellie the words spunky, feisty, energetic, mischievous, and smart come to my mind. She is a thinker and a quick learner, always picking up new concepts and ideas. Ellie is full of energy and spunk. She is constantly moving, running, dancing or flipping. When you go to tuck her into bed at night you almost always find her upside doing a headstand. She loves to climb, hang on my back and be flipped upside down. She is a complete monkey. Ellie has a high pitched giggle and is one of the best snugglers I know. She knows exactly how to get under her brother and sister's skin and when caught in the act has a fairly convincing innocent smile. She loves to sneak off to the Kelley's house and play with Baby Hannah's toys all by herself. Although, she loves her alone time she is quite the conversationalist. She just talks and talks and talks, then pauses to take a breath, and then talks some more. When Ellie talks, if it weren't for her squeaky little voice one might assume that it is an adult talking and not a toddler. She has a very large vocabulary for her little three year old self. She also loves to sneak off and usually eat or drink something she is not supposed to. Just the other day we were all outside and Ellie went inside to go to the bathroom. After she was gone for longer than it should take for someone to use the bathroom I went inside to check on her. I found her under the dining room table with her hand in a huge tub of cheese balls and cheese all over her face and fingers. When I asked what she was doing she just smiled at me and took another bite. She is the cheese ball queen. I find that she is the hardest one to reprimand because she is just so cute, even when she cries.

Enjoying some alone time reading a book

The cheeseball queen

Shadrach is the oldest of the midgets. I am forced to adjust to the way a toddler boy shows love as opposed to the girls. When Ellie or Esther want to show me that they love me they usually grab onto my leg or crawl on my lap. Although, Shaddie does this too sometimes, most of time he shows his love with a head butt or a punch in the leg around 7 in the morning. Behind the head butting he has a sweet, tender heart and is constantly looking out for his younger sisters. Shaddie is very protective of Esther and Ellie. He is very animated when he speaks and we are fairly convinced he will be a comedian when he gets older. It's not in just what he says, but also in how he says it and the delivery. He loves to play with trucks, motorcycles and trains just like any other 3 year old boy; but we also often catch him wearing his sister's bathing suits, dresses and asks to have his nails painted. We are convinced he needs another brother to toughen him up. For now, Levi Kelley (the youngest Kelley boy) is assigned to that job. He is very particular and detail oriented. If something is not the way he likes it he voices his     opinion, usually pretty loudly and multiple times. As mentioned before he loves car, specifically riding in our big car. He talks about everyone's car on the compound and always asks to ride in everyones car. He loves sitting in the car, even if we aren't going anywhere. As soon as you get him into the car he is a non-stop jabber jaws. He talks and talks and talks. The WHOLE entire car ride.  But he always smiles at you and tells you he loves you at just the right moment.

Shaddie driving, heaven on earth for him

He wasn't really sure what to do with another boy around
the compound but they are definitely buds now

Hannah is the fourth youngest; we like to call her the tall midget. Hannah is very independent and adventurous; and sometimes these qualities get her into a little bit of trouble. Such as climbing up too high in a tree and getting stuck. Like Ellie, she is full of energy and always on the move. She was a pretty chubby baby but has long since outgrown that. She is now skin and bones and has an impeccable speed for a six year old, which I suppose is a given because she's Kenyan. She has a very compassionate heart. If she sees that someone is upset she immediately feels their pain and tries to comfort them. She doesn't like it when people are sad and certainly hates to see people upset. Not only does she sympathize with people in pain, but also in joy. She has a contagious laugh that echoes throughout the house and even the compound. She loves to share with everyone. Anytime someone gives something to her or shares with her, she turns right around and shares with someone else. She has a sweet tooth just like her mommy; which is evident by the crumbs and wrappers you often find in her bed. She is outgoing and quick to make friends. It seems to me like she is friends with everyone in the neighborhood, no matter who they are. Hannah has a knack for art and math and tends to combine the two. When she does her schoolwork you tend to find more drawings on her paper than answers to math problems. She is very gifted artistically and creative. In the mornings, when mostly everyone is asleep she can be found in the basement do some  craft or another. Being six years old and given her personality she is distracted very easily. After her schoolwork is done she shows up at the house for meal time and bed time. Other than that, we don't see much of her during the day because she is out running around.

Caught at home helping me make bruschetta
A very rare occurrence

Hannah getting ready to decorate the cross
at the sunrise Easter service

One of my favorite pictures ever.
This captures her personality perfectly

Lydia Joy is 12 going on 20. I promise you, she looks older and grows more everyday. She is loud and feisty and loves to cuddle with her younger siblings as well as agitate them. When we were at the beach a month or so ago, I watched her splash and jump through the waves as she galloped along the shoreline. I remember being envious at her ability to be so playful and so in love with life. Lydia is not afraid to be her own person and speak her mind. She has a great imagination and doesn't necessarily like to read, but loves to be read to. She is outgoing, loves to laugh and makes friends easily. She has a caring heart for babies, children and children with special needs. Although she seems feisty at times, she has a way of comforting you and making you feel loved when you need it the most.  She loves to care for people and animals and knows exactly what kind of little actions or things to say that can turn your day upright. As she continues to grow, it has been amazing to watch her discover who she is as a daughter of the King. Along with Hannah and her mom, she has a sweet tooth;and you can tell by the large bags of candy and Cheetohs she has stashed away in her closet. She won't admit to you that she likes school, but you can tell that she does by how hard she tries to do her best in everything. She is strong-willed and determined in everything she sets her mind to. When I watch her ripstick up and down the hallway or make a funny music video, it makes me miss being 12 years old and care free. I pray everyday that as she discovers who she is in Christ and continues to grow that she will never lose her sense of adventure and she would fall even more deeply in love with life and with Jesus. Over the past couple months she has dealt with some very painful deaths. She taught me to find the joy in pain. She showed me that it was okay to cry, but it was also okay to be joyful even in suffering. I witnessed God stretch her and shape her heart as she relied on God for strength instead of herself. Over the past four months she has become my little sister in the way she loves on and also the way she gets under my skin. We bicker at each other, wrestle with each other, nap together, and we love making cookies. She reminds me daily to enjoy each and every moment.

Just one of the many abandoned babies that Lydia has
cared for and loved on>

Being goofy 

 Each one of these kids has touched my heart in a very special and unique way and I cannot possibly imagine my life without them. Thy shine Jesus' light on me daily and remind me what it means to be a child of God. They remind me how blessed I am to be here with them just living life. I dread the day when we will have to be separated by oceans and countries. Fortunately, that day is a long way off but I know it will creep up on me quicker than preferred. I know in my heart, even if it doesn't quite make sense in my head, that when that day comes God will be right beside me holding my hand and assuring me that everything will in fact be okay, because he is my Father and he cares for me (another statement I am continuously discovering new depths of everyday.)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

-Matthew 6:33-34

Here are just a few snapshots of some of the things we do on a daily basis. 

The kids and I love to sit outside in the sun and
have a picnic lunch!

Visit the waterfall and play in the water!

Midgets helping me do dishes... 

Pizza Friday!

Toga Party.. 

One of my personal favorites, feeding the turtles!

  

Playing with home made playdough!

Making brownies for mom on Mother's day!

Taste testing the cookie dough 

Making play dough!

Just being goobers

Going for a swim in our yittle pool

The whole neighborhood found their way into the kitchen
to taste test the cookie dough

Jumping in the bouncy house at another boy's birthday party
Bet you didn't think we had such awesome
birthday parties in Africa

Superheroe sighting at Tenwek
Who the masked men are, we may never know

Okay, just one more introduction... This is Walker (Walker Wookers.) He really belongs to another missionary family on the compound, the Manchesters, but the Bemms have been taking care of him while they're on furlough. He is by far one of my favorite dogs ever (just behind my dogs Rocket and Lola who will always be tied for my absolute favorite.) He is the funniest dog and makes many facial expressions with his cute little eyebrows. A lot of people say he is fat and funny looking but we must remember that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. First of all,  If you can look at that face and tell me he is not one of the most adorable dogs you've ever seen, you're lying through your teeth. Walker loves to go on walks. Every time I go to someone's house he follows along and walks right into the house, inspects it to make sure everything is safe, and then sits at my feet and takes a nap. In the morning when I am running on the treadmill I leave the basement door open and he comes waltzing right in and talks to me. And when I say talks to me, I really mean it. One of our favorite things to do together is sit outside and star gaze at night. Most of the people in the house are usually asleep and I run upstairs and let him out and we go sit in the grass and snuggle. I am definite going to experience some separation anxiety when it's time for me to return to the states and I have to leave him behind. He is my best bud.