The Sol Train

Thanks a lot, Francis Chan!

2012-02-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the sweet experience of taking my Safe Families child to visit her newborn brother in the hospital. It was fun watching her two-year old self interacting with her new brother for the first time and seeing her reunite with her mother for a precious visit.

I wondered if she would have a very difficult time coming back home with me after seeing her mom today, but everything went really well. I could just really feel God's presence. Except not so much when I got lost driving out of the city...

Ended up having a REALLY long night with the little one though. She spiked a fever in the night and refused Tylenol- even when I resorted to telling her it was Cinderella candy!

Last night I was supposed go to see Francis Chan at Moody Bible Institute. When I realized I wouldn't be able to leave all the kiddos with a sitter (Casey had to work), I was really disappointed to have to cancel my plans. I LOVE Francis Chan! Plus we celebrating this amazing friend's birthday. Plus, we were "pre-kicking off" our 7 adventure.

My disappointment was quelled when I heard God whisper, "but Erika, you are living Crazy Love tonight". Then I KNEW I was right where I was supposed to be.

If you haven't read either of the books I mentioned, and you are ready to have your safe, tidy, Christian world ROCKED, check them out.

Crazy Love, by Francis Chan
7, by Jen Hatmaker

L.A.P.S. of Love

2012-02-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember last Valentine's Day when Therese and Evelea's fourth grade class raised money for Therese's former school.

This year we are very excited because it will be the fourth and fifth graders working together. LAPS stands for "Let's All Provide Supplies". The students get sponsors to support them as they walk laps around the school gym on Valentine's Day.

Here is the breakdown of how much various supplies would cost in Burkina:

School Uniforms: $7.50 per child
School Supplies: $8 per child
Textbooks: $28 per student
School desk: $75
Equip and run a classroom for one year, including teacher salary and lunch for the children: $5000

Did you know that the literacy rate in Burkina Faso is approximately 12%? or that only 10% of girls can be found in the secondary education (6th-8th grade) programs?

If you'd like to see a video that depicts life in Burkina, and specifically at Therese's school, watch this:

If you are interested in helping the Sheltering Wings orphanage school, in Yako, Burkina Faso, please email me at esolgos@gmail.com

So excited to see what our kids can do!

Amazing Grace

2012-02-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I've never liked that song. I know this statement just made some of you doubt my salvation, but it's true. But let me explain...

When I was little, a lot of my relatives died. I attended quite a few funerals. Three of my grandparents died before I was ten. A common thread to these funerals? That's right, Amazing Grace. So I grew up associating Amazing Grace with death and funeral homes.

I did change my tune about this song when I learned of its origin and the great William Wilberforce and the incredible conversion of John Newton, a former slave trader.

But this blog post was never intended to be about the song.

It's about a book.

I can't tell you how my heart broke when Sitota came home from school today. She told me that kids were telling her that she "won't get picked to be Rapunzel (in the 2nd grade musical) because she is black and that would be too ugly".

Yuck. I could barely type those words.

I immediately called to mind a great book we've checked out from the library quite a few times, though not recently. It's called Amazing Grace, by Mary Hoffman.

It tells the story of a girl named Grace, who wants to play Peter Pan in the school play, and is told she can't, by her classmates. Praise God for her strong grandmother who takes her to see a ballet featuring a African-American woman and, of course, encourages her to go for the role.

You better believe Casey brought it home from the library tonight! And rest assured, it is already checked out of my Amazon cart!

I want Sitota to know that skin color DOES NOT preclude her from doing ANYTHING. Now if the rest of society would just cooperate...

And between you and me, I think we all know the real amazing grace here, is that I haven't beat up those kids up yet.

Failure is not an option, but what is failure?

2012-01-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

Friday was Evelea's birthday.

On Friday morning, I picked up our newest Safe Families child, and on Friday evening, I drove him back the case worker.

Epic Fail, right?

After whole-heartily agreeing to host this precious boy with special needs, I quickly realized this little one's behaviors were far beyond the scope of my ability to handle. Not an easy thing for me to admit. I had a lot of tears over this little one's desperate situation and my inability to help him.

Oh, Satan got on that one good. He whispered lies to me like "how could you put your own children at risk like that?" and "so you actually thought you were good at this kind of thing?". And "you messed up your own daughter's birthday!" "Think of all the people you let down". Yuck.

But when I received this poem from Evelea, how could I possibly have thought for a moment that I had failed?

I promise you it will be okay,
but I know you wanted Andreas to stay.
God will bring another little child
into our love-filled home,
one to temporarily be
our family's very own.

I know this really can't replace
that adorable little boy, Andreas.
But he was just too much for us to handle,
we couldn't even light a candle!

But as terrible as this may seem,
think of it as a sort of dream.
In Heaven,
this won't have to be,
No Safe Families, or special needs.

Until then, God will pull us through,
just keep on going with all the good work you do.

No birthdays were ruined! No one failed!

In fact, my honesty about this little one's needs made it possible for him to get the kind of care he actually requires. We all learned lessons about telling the truth, seeking help, and loving everyone- even if its for just a few hours. And I learned to show some grace to myself.

I am learning how to show grace to myself.

Thank you, Evelea Grace. And Happy 11th Birthday.

7- Are You In?

2012-01-19T19:18:00.001-08:00

I am almost done reading a book that is rocking my world. It is 7 by Jen Hatmaker. The book focuses on fasting in seven areas of excess in our lives. Media, food, possessions, clothes, stress, waste and shopping. We reduce in these areas, so that we can have more of God in our lives.

I am not one for gimmicks or formulas, so the premise of this book was off-putting to me at first. But then I started reading it at the recommendation of a friend and I haven't been the same since. I have never read a book that has caused me to laugh so much or want to throw up so much. Ms. Hatmaker is hilarious and hard-hitting. She puts into words so much of what I have felt these past few years and her candor has given me the push I need to act on what I know is true.

I am accepting the challenge to battle this excess in my life, and I'd love for you to join me. If you live locally, contact me, because we're going to be having a party to kick-off the challenge of these next seven months!

Hooping it Up, Solgos Style!

2012-01-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

You are never going to believe this, but Therese hula hooped for FIVE HOURS straight yesterday.

Yes, you read that right.

Previously, she had hula hooped for over an hour at a time, so when I left the house yesterday to pick up our babysitter and she was an hour into hula hooping, I was amazed but not totally shocked. When I returned from picking up the sitter and she was still going, I was mighty impressed.

However, when we got back from dinner and she was STILL GOING, I couldn't believe it! She ate pizza, played the Wii, and brushed her teeth, all while hooping it up. Who knows how long she would have gone if we had not made her try and put her jammies on while hula hooping!

Evelea looked up how you get in the Guinness Book of World Records and apparently you have to be fourteen years old to enter- what a rip off!

Therese really wants her friends in Yako, Burkina Faso to get some hula hoops, so if any one is making a trip there soon, we'll be contacting you!

Martin Mick, Jr.

2012-01-16T07:04:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, Carter, my son.

How you made me laugh when you asked me, "Mommy, I just don't get why Abraham Lincoln shotted Martin Mick, Jr.!"

After a brief review of the history of civil rights in our country (a shockingly dismal and embarrassing history), I realized a few things. My son cannot grasp how a GOOD man could get shot. In his world of superheroes, the bad guys always lose and the good guys always win.

How can a good man get shot to death?

I don't understand either.

I am really grateful that we observe the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. This weekend our house has been filled with amazing discussions about civil rights, we read the Rosa Parks story, and even Evelea's school for her dolls included lesson plans revolving around the good work of Dr. King.

Casey and I even drank I Have a Bean coffee from this organization that provides employment for ex-cons on the path to a new life!

I'd like to leave you with the words to a song that I find to be especially powerful in the light of the freedom that Martin Luther King, Jr. died so that we could enjoy. This song can be found on the Odes Project cd collection. They are collections of songs written by the early Christian church put to modern music.

Rise Up! (Ode 8)

©Schreiner/The Odes Project

You who sometimes were brought so low, Rise up, RISE UP
You who were in silence: now raise your voice , Rise up, RISE UP
You that were despised be lifted up, Rise up, RISE UP
For the right hand of the Lord is with you right now Rise up, RISE UP
Open your hearts, All you who are saved, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER
Through all generations, abiding in His love, IN THE NAME OF THE SON
Now and forever, Let your love abound, IN THE NAME OF THE SPIRIT
For the right hand of the Lord is with you right now Rise up, RISE UP

Chorus:
Christ in us, this wondrous mystery
Christ in us, from age to age
Christ in us, the hope of glory
For You have sealed us in your name

You who sometimes were brought so low, stand tall, RISE UP
You who were in silence: may you shout for joy, RISE UP
You who were despised may you be lifted up, RISE UP
For the right hand of the Lord is with you right now Rise up, RISE UP

It's a New Year

2012-01-09T06:36:00.001-08:00

As you may remember, I am not a New Year's resolution type gal. Goals freak me out. Resolutions make me want to rebel. But the thought of being left out of the New Year, Fresh Start world leaves me feeling a little lonely and hum-drum.

A couple years ago, I started picking one word to focus on for the new year. In 2010, it was HOPE. In 2011, I chose PEACE. Through the year, I looked up every verse in the Bible pertaining to these words. I used them in my decision-making process. In deciding between Plan A or Plan B, which would bring me more HOPE? or more PEACE?

So this year, my word is GENEROSITY. This will come as no surprise to my church family as we are about to embark on a four-week, church-wide study on this topic. I am captivated by the idea that generosity has relatively little to do with the amount of money one gives. It is more about humbling yourself to give like Christ gave- his whole life.

It is Jesus washing the disciple's feet.

Gordon MacDonald teaches:

"As God sacrificed His Son, so we follow and give even those things that are most precious to us in our personal worlds: our time, our convenience, our creature comforts."

Do you have a word of the year? If you do, I'd love to hear it!

The Christmas Spirit

2011-12-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

I admit it took me awhile to get into the Christmas spirit this year, but the last two days have finally found me in the sweet spot of the joy and excitement of the season.On Thursday, Evelea and Therese made their acting debut in their school musical. The both were amazing and the evening ended with a little snow in the air that was truly magical!

On Friday, all the kids poured out the elementary school with shouts of joy, glittered ornaments tucked into backpacks, and white elephant gifts on display. In all the exuberant hustle and bustle, there is Carter, shuffling along, muttering, "one more day". "What little buddy?", I questioned, "Sweetie, today is it! The last day of school before Christmas break!". You should have seen the boy's face light up! How he missed that it was it was the last day, I can't fathom, but it sure made me smile!And last night Casey and I wrapped the presents. Here is a picture of my favorite one. It is the kid's present for Jesus.

I cannot wait to see what they select!Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! May God fill your heart with joy and peace as you ponder the greatest gift of all- Immanuel, God with Us.

Let Heaven and Nature Sing!

2011-12-21T08:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a few media items that will be sure to bless your socks off!A MUST download, right?! Wow.Here are some precious Burkinabe children singing. They live in the same orphanage Therese did. If you'd like to sponsor one of these sweeties, let me know and I'll happily get you information!There, now my heart feels ready for Christmas.

One YEAR Home!

2011-12-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

From Africa to Aurora: A Hearts Content from Brian Powers on Vimeo.

I cannot believe it has been one year since Therese united with our whole family on American soil! One year ago today she met her father, and sister and brother for the first time. Wow. Thank you, Jesus!

Safe Families Update

2011-12-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

Ever have a day that changes every ten minutes? You think your day is heading one way, then it abruptly heads in another direction, oops, something changes again and again.

That was yesterday. Okay, that has been everyday for the past two weeks!

Yesterday, I brought our Safe Families baby to the hospital for his pre-op appointment for his surgery on Monday. They decided to admit him for observation of his cough to see if he is strong enough for surgery.

This marks the official end of our time with our little guy. When he leaves the hospital, post-surgery or otherwise, he will go home with his mom.

We ran out of nursing hours and our home health medical supplier will no longer deliver supplies to us because the baby was not "residing in his home state".

His mom is very gracious and welcomed us to visit in the hospital anytime and even invited us to her high school graduation. I know our families will stay connected and that gives me a lot of peace.

Last night I took the kids out to dinner to begin processing our experience with Safe Families and, in particular, this baby. I asked them to rate the total experience 1-10. 1 being miserable, the entire time, and 10 was fabulous, every minute.

The kids gave replies like 1000, 1,000,000, and infinity. They said they only way they are okay with Baby J leaving, is knowing someone else will be coming.

LOVE. THEIR. PRECIOUS. HEARTS.

It's going to take me a little more processing time and about two weeks of sleeping through the night again before I'm ready to do this again, but we will do this again!

Can't wait to meet whoever God has in store for our family next!

This Mother's Heart

2011-12-09T06:11:00.001-08:00

This Christmas season I am thinking a lot about babies, and mothers, and mothers of special babies. I'm thinking about Mary, and the things she pondered in her heart.

Our Safe Families baby, is having a heart cath today, to check his measurements for the open heart procedure he will have on December 19th. He is a little weaker now than he was before. He has had two viruses and requires oxygen continually since he came down with the first virus. After he recovers from his surgery on the 19th, he will go home with his mother.

Time with our children is precious. Their physical and spiritual hearts are fragile and their futures are unknown.

But our children's hearts can be bought, won, and eternally secure.

Am I reaching my children's hearts?

Yes, I give the medicine. 3 of out of the 5 children in my home right now require daily heart medications. I wouldn't go a day without giving the labetalol or the aspirin, but do I speak truth and love and grace into their hearts each day? Do I see them growing in kindness, patience and gentleness? Is my discipline firm and grace-filled? Do they know how they are treasured by the Most High and by me?

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

This Christmas season, I, too, am pondering and treasuring.

"And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. " Luke 2:40

Lord, grow my children to be strong, wise, and grace-filled. Help me to minster right to their hearts. Help me to treasure what you treasure. Be with me as I ponder the wonder of it all.

Amen!

2011-12-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.

I love this prayer and hope it resonates with you as well.

Happy Birthday, Therese!

2011-12-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

This fact astounds me, one year ago I hadn't yet met my daughter.

Two and a half years ago, I got an email from a friend, Rona, who had information about a little girl in need of an urgent adoption. The description said something about a girl about nine years old with a heart defect that could not be fixed in her country. That is about all we knew.

That same day, I emailed the information to Casey, so "he could pray for her". Hee hee. I think he knew by that I meant pray about adopting her. But he didn't receive the email before he left work.

That same day, Casey was listening to John Piper talk about how God is pleased when we take risks with our faith. Casey walked through the door, almost visibly shaken, saying he felt we needed to take a risk with our faith now, and he was ready to adopt again.

I wasted no time showing Casey the email. He said "that's her, yes, let's adopt her".

But she is nine years old, is that too old? How serious is this heart defect? What country is she from again? Are we qualified to adopt from there? How much will it cost? How will Evelea feel about being replaced as the oldest? What if she dies before we can adopt her, or after we adopt her?

We decided to keep pursuing until God shut the door. He didn't.

About 18 months later, we brought home our daughter. She had lifesaving heart surgery three months later.

Today, Therese is the song in our home. Her laugh is the loudest. Her dance moves are unrivaled. Her smile the most infectious. She is hard working and modest. She is bold with her faith.

She is healed, cherished, rescued, adored and ours.

Happy 11th Birthday, Therese!

More than I Can Handle

2011-11-30T06:48:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks have been hard- emotionally and physically. It's the season we're in. It's the season we've asked for.

At times I've questioned if what we are doing is worth it, if perhaps it is too draining, too taxing on my children. Does Jesus really want us to be doing this? To be this tired? Doesn't he want us to be happy and well rested?

My flesh cries out yes! Jesus would want me to balanced and whole. He wants me to be happy.

But something else, someONE else is crying out inside me, too.

Isn't it when you fill empty, but you reach out anyway, isn't that the moment when the sacrifice begins? And isn't God pleased when we give sacrificially, not just skimming off the top of our overflow?

And what about suffering? Oh my. Aren't we called to suffer along side Jesus? I'm afraid I don't even know what that looks like! I'm not sure I've truly experienced it, let alone counted it as joy!

Phillipians 1:29

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also suffer for him."

And then my mind turns to our missionary friends and I am appalled at what I define as my personal suffering for Christ!

No matter how tough my day has been, I have a comfortable bed to sleep in, medical care available 24 hours a day and within a short drive, a Starbucks to drive-through, a church with endless resources and countless other conveniences at my disposal.

I recently read a book that is truly one of the best books I have ever read. As soon as I finished it, I began to read it to my kids. It is called, Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis. Watch this video and you will get a glimpse into why I love this young woman's heart so much.

This is an excerpt from Katie's book. I want my heart to look like Katie's. Actually, I want my heart to look like Jesus's heart, the Erika version.

"I have learned to accept it, even ask for it, this "more than I can handle". Because in these times,God shows Himself victorious. He reminds me that all of this life requires more of Him and less of me. God does give us more than we can handle. Not maliciously, but intentionally, in love, that His glory may be displayed, that we may have no doubt of who is in control, that people may see His grace and faithfulness shining through out lives.

And as I surrender these situations to Him, watch him take over and do the impossible, I am filled with joy and peace- so much more than I can handle."

A Perfect Cause

2011-11-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to post about this great opportunity! How would you like to help three incredibly great causes at once?

These bracelets cost $3.

$1 goes to benefit girls rescued in Nepal from human trafficking. These girls also make the bracelets.

$1 goes to Ruth's orphanage, Les Ailes de Refuge. This is Therese's former orphanage in Yako, Burkina Faso. You can follow Ruth's blog here.

$1 goes to an orphanage in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This is the former home to Little Matheny, a sweet three year old boy, who is blind, and recently joined his forever family. Read about his amazing story here.

Can you think of a better cause? If you would like to place an order, send an email to Cami at camiwarning@gmail.com

A Bad Christmas Letter

2011-11-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid today's post might read a little bit like a bad Christmas letter, you know the one about Aunt Lou's bunion surgery and Uncle's Leo's valve replacement?

But alas, what is the Solgos family without a huge packet that comes from Blue Cross bi-monthly?

All silliness aside, our sweet Safe Families baby, is in the hospital. He has a virus. For a healthy child, a virus is a drag, but something easily fought and won. For Baby J, he needs to be in the hospital. He is on oxygen and needs regular suctioning. I know the hospital is where he needs to be to recover physically, and I am trusting that God will provide for his emotional needs as well.

Carter had his cardiology appointment yesterday. You can imagine the logistical nightmare of getting Carter to his appointment on the north side of Chicago while Baby J's hospital is on the way east side. No stress there! Carter and Daddy had a long day with echos, EKGs and x-rays of his pacemaker, but a good report ensued. Praise God! This mama could not have handled any complications yesterday!

Tomorrow, Carter has his EEG to check for seizure activity. This means he stays up late tonight, and I wake him early tomorrow, so that he can fall asleep during his test. He is brilliant at this and I admire his ability to fall asleep in the clinic reclining chair (can they not spring for a bed?).

In the spirit of this sounding like a bad Christmas letter, I cannot resist the final piece of Solgos medical news. Next Friday, I get to have a tube put in my ear. Yup, even though I have four kids, none who have required tubes, I need to get a tube in my ear at age 36.

The End.

5 Little Pumpkins

2011-10-31T06:37:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!

David

2011-10-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

As we approach the one year mark of our trip to Burkina Faso to adopt Therese, I can't help but reflect on the many ways she has changed and grown our family for the better. The ways she has been physically healed and flourished in every way. But that is another post.

You see, my heart is still there. That place where the children go bed with no mother or father to tuck them in at night. There, where their is no one to listen to their deepest fears and biggest dreams. Where the future is bleak for these little ones with no one to protect them, love them, encourage them.

David is one of these precious Burkinable children. He is nine years old. Doctors are not sure how much vision David has, but currently he is being denied education because of his vision difference. David has no family to advocate a better future for him. A future he deserves. If you know anyone who might like to adopt David, please contact me and I'd be happy to get more information for you.

Baby Trumps Blog

2011-10-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time to blog lately, but with a four-month old in the house, baby trumps blog any day!

If you don't want to feel really sorry for me, don't look at this picture:

No, not the orange counter tops, Silly.

Did you see the missing "On" button on my coffee maker? Um, yeah. Broken as could be! This means I have to set the "Delay Brew" option each time I want to make some coffee. I know people have bigger problems than this, but this mama needs her coffee these days more than ever!

With the demise of my "on" button, I couldn't help but notice that the handle has been broken on my toaster for years now, and the knob fell off the crock pot, too. Last winter we received notice that our furnace was on it's final leg as well. I guess we are experiencing the winter of our appliances in this 13th year of our marriage.

Yes, this season our bodies are tired and our appliances are wearing out; but our hearts, our minds and our souls are being renewed day by day. A few months ago, a friend sent me this verse. I suppose he thought it applied to our family, and while I hesitate to put myself in this category, I won't deny that His word is true because we have so much evidence in our lives:

"and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:10-11

Yes, we are tired. It is the good kind of tired. The kind of tired that feels good because you are spending yourself on behalf of others and for the Lord.

And our needs are being met. Abundantly so. People from church have given us delicious meals, provided us with baby clothes and diapers. Many are praying.

A few weeks ago someone (we still don't know who), gave us a furnace. I'm not even kidding. They heard we needed one and they set it up for us to have one installed. I'm still not over the shock.

Can you imagine my face as I get a phone call like this:

Furnace Man: "Uh, ma'am, this is So and So from ________Heating and Cooling. Do you need a furnace?

Me (silently): Wow, this guy is good! and what timing! I do need a furnace...

Me (aloud): "Um, yes, actually, we do."

Furnace Man: "Okay, because I have an order to install a furnace for you."

Me: "Um..., what?"

Furnace Man: "I know it is strange, but somebody wants me to come out for an estimate and wants me to give the bill to them."

Me: "You are not kidding me, right?"

Furnace Man: "I am not totally sure its not a joke either, but I don't think it is".

Me: "Okay, come on out!".

So don't be afraid to say "yes" to God. God is still good. He still provides. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He supplies what you need at the perfect time.

We are living proof.

A Perfect Gift

2011-10-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

What if you could save one of these little girls and revolutionize her life? What if you could lead her from poverty and malnutrition and give her a life of love and nurture?

That sad little girl on the far left is our Sitota, before we adopted her.

Her name means "a gift from God". And that is exactly what she is, a perfect gift.

This is Sitota today.

age 7

Recently, I received a disturbing email. It is about the conditions in some of the Ethiopian orphanages. You see, adoptions have slowed way down in Ethiopia over the past year. This means a decrease in funds for the orphanages at a time when the price of food has skyrocketed.

Just five years ago, Sitota was in one of those orphanages. I cannot imagine her being hungry, cold and alone. It is unthinkable to me. It is unthinkable to let that happen to other children. If you would like to make a donation to provide immediate relief to Sitota's former orphanage, you can do so by clicking here.

"Anyone who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, God will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17

Together for Adoption

2011-10-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

If you have a heart for orphan care, internationally, or right here in our city, please consider attending this incredible conference.

It is extremely budget friendly, $15 and that includes the book, Adopted for Life, by Russell Moore, and lunch!

The Together for Adoption web page says this about the conference:

"On Saturday, November 12th, at Park Community Church, Together for Adoption Chicago is offering a one-day event on regional adoption, fostercare, and global orphan care. Our hope is that you’ll leave with a unique sense of God’s adopting love for you and a heart and desire to love and care for the orphan."

How great does that sound? Hope to see you there!

Hard Day's Night

2011-10-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day we had nursing care in our home for Baby J.

It was great to have the freedom to go pick up the kids from school and get them to their activities without having to take Baby J out in the cold, and invest some one on one time with the big kids. I did miss our snuggle time, though!

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about having a third party in our home today. Kinda hard to imagine going about our regular day whilst having a third party with front row seats to our daily life.

It's kind of like when you bring a friend to church for the first time, and you start to see your church more objectively and more critically. Would she be appalled by the stacks of paper on the buffet? Would she think it was gross that we toss diapers in the kitchen garbage? Wow, I never realized how loudly my kids laugh, is that cute or obnoxious? Would she document the lack of nutrition in the kid's after school snack?

Alas, pride has a way of slinking away when you really need help. Turns out our nurse is great. Totally laid back, easy to talk to, or not talk to. Just like when you find that great hair stylist who knows you well enough to chat you up a little, and then let's you relax into the experience.

Grateful. Tired. Filled up. Good Night.

Until tomorrow.

Don't Adopt

2011-10-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

Outstanding post by Russell Moore:

http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/10/12/dont-adopt/

If you are an adoptive parent or are thinking about adoption, Moore's book, Adopted for Life is a must read!

Whoa, Baby!

2011-10-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am writing this post while just recovering from the state of shock I've been in since little baby J came home on Monday. Our little man has a lot of needs. A lot.

Hopefully next week we will begin some at home nursing care which will ease our load. This sweet baby is on continuous feeds, a truckload of meds, needs wound care, glucose checks, nebulizer treatments and pulse-ox spot checks. Oh, and we need to weigh him naked everyday and the exact same time (that is SO easy).

Needless to say that this little baby has rocked our world.

Did I mention we can't allow him to cry for more than ten minutes or we need to call the doctor?

Besides a crazy lot of work, this baby has brought the JOY!

While reading a bedtime book last night, one of the questions was "what is your favorite thing to do?". Therese answered that her favorite thing is taking care of sick babies.

Carter is relishing his big brother role. He has now started to eat the crust of his sandwich because he "is big now and a real big brother". Carter knows this baby isn't staying, but he will always be his big brother anyhow!

Sitota's heart breaks for this baby. It makes her sad to see his feeding tube and his medicine. Bless her tender heart! But that compassion fuels her to help and she loves pushing his IV pole for me.

At bed time last night, Evelea said, "Mommy, can you believe baby J has only been with us one day?". I looked at her with disbelief as it feels like that one day had been a week!

Casey has been the rock these past 48 hours. He kicked his organizational skills into high gear pre-measuring all the meds into labeled containers for each 24 hour period and pre-measuring formula (this is not a regular formula mix). He loves this baby and wants to give him the best we have.

And my family and friends! I've had two neighborhood nurse friends come to help me change the dressing on his wound and trouble shoot the feeding pump. We've had meals, groceries, rides to AWANA and school, and an extra set of hands to hold the baby while I shower. All desperately needed.

This is the body of Christ in action. All of for one little life. All glory to God forever and ever.

Safe Families Update

2011-10-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like our new baby will be joining us on Friday!!!!

We are very excited and I am thrilled that he can begin to enjoy a "normal" life. I am also a little intimidated by all the care this little one needs. But that is what God is for, right?

I learned infant CPR today and how to replace his g-tube should it pull out (please, no!). I also learned some wound care for his incision (its having a little trouble healing). I met a few of the doctors and nurse practioners involved in his care. I am expecting a rather large delivery of medical supplies to our home tomorrow.

I suppose this would be one of those nights where I think, "what have I done?". But I am reminding myself that if God called me to do this, He will also equip me.

Philippians 4:13

"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me."

Better Late than Never!

2011-10-04T13:37:00.001-07:00

Happy 7th Birthday, Carter!

I think Evelea said it best in the birthday card she made for Carter:

"Happy Birthday! Seven years of life and love. You're as strong as a superhero, as brave as a Jedi Knight, and yet as cuddly and sweet as a tiger baby. I love every single part of you."

Heart Ache

2011-09-26T15:52:00.001-07:00

Well, our little Safe Families baby is still in the hospital and sadly, developed a set-back today. During what should have been an easy procedure of inserting a picc-line (a fancy iv) for his anti-biotics, his heart rate plummeted and they had to do CPR. He is now stable, but back on the respirator. Sigh.

My heart is all over the place these days. I try to visit him whenever I can, yet I need to be there for my kids, too. What a strange balance. He is not mine, yet I feel responsible for him and I love him. I can't stand the thought of him being alone in the hospital room. When Carter was in the hospital, we were so blessed because we never had to leave him. Ever. Casey or I was there 24 hours a day.

To be honest I feel a little sad all the time. I do take solace knowing that I am doing what I can for this little pumpkin, but it doesn't feel like enough. I know I need to place him in my Father's hands and trust God to have his way here.

Stop Child Trafficking

2011-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of our weekend was that Casey ran his first 5K.

This is pretty blog-worthy stuff considering how un-athletic our family was up until recently. The addition of two African princesses with some serious athleticism upped our family's jock quota significantly. Now, Casey is going all sporty on me with this new running gig.

Casey raised around $400 for a great cause- a group called, Stop Child Trafficking Now. UNICEF reports that child trafficking is the fastest growing crime industry in the world and that there are over 2 million child slaves in the world today. Casey ran in honor of his sister, Christy (aka Tooey, aka 2E), who turned 30- years old on the day of the race, and is an advocate of freedom for victims of trafficking.

Happy Birthday, Christy!

Operation World

2011-09-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, inspired by David Platt's exhortation in Radical, we decided to pray for every nation this year.

So far, this discipline has served to spice up our meal time conversation, bring awareness of world issues to our children, heighten our geography skills and bless the entire world. Not too bad, huh?

We use the book, Operation World, which gives facts about each nation as well identifies specific prayers needs. After we finish praying, we put a tiny star sticker on the country.

Tonight, we ate an Ethiopian meal for dinner- doro wat. This, of course, inspired us to pray for Ethiopia- the great land where Sitota was born.

Here is Sitota enjoying every last drop of her beloved doro wat...

Embracing the Bitter and the Sweet

2011-09-15T18:31:00.001-07:00

I had to go back and check the date on my last blog post. One week ago. Really? Only one week?

I know one week is a long time to let the blog go, but I feel like it has been ages since I wrote last. I think its because my soul has aged about a year or two or five in the past week.

Our Safe Families baby boy had his surgery today (Norwood Procedure). It was done by the same doctor who did Carter's and Therese's surgery. He is doing well so far.

This baby is now etched into my heart forever. I know God planned long ago that I would mother this boy for whatever period of time we will have him. I know this boy will return to his mother, exactly as it should be.

But where does this leave my heart, exactly?

I can't love him less in an effort to protect my heart, that is for certain. I am part of a web board for parents who have adopted from Ethiopia. Several of these mothers are also foster mothers. They gave me the precious advice to go ahead and fall in love. They admonished me that I would not look back on this experience and wish I had loved less, so go ahead and love to the fullest capacity.

But how does one love like this knowing what is coming? It feels like the opposite of adoption! Instead of waiting for a time and loving for a lifetime, I only get to love for a short time.

This kind of love is bound to leave a scar.

"He said 'Love...as I have loved you'. We cannot love too much"

Amy Carmichael

The Heartbeat Goes On

2011-09-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

I had an AMAZING and ANOINTED day today.

Today, Casey and I were able to meet our safe family baby and his mom and grandma. I cannot stress enough how God-ordained our meeting was. You see this is a special baby. This is a heart baby. We met at the hospital where this sweet little guy has been living for all of his life minus 1.5 days. He has a serious heart defect. He has already had one surgery and will have another next week. And at least two more after that.

The baby's mom is a good mom. A young mom with a lot on her plate. She is doing a good job with this baby, but she needs help. Enter us. We are going to try to support these young parents as they face the biggest trial of their lives. We are going to love on this baby together as God allows.

The plan for now is that he will have surgery on Thursday and will need at minimum 10 days to recover. We will take him home with us when he is ready. We will get to visit him and his family during his hospitalization.

Can you imagine what a gift God is giving us to allow us to walk side by side with this precious mom and her child? We really know so much of what she is going through, only we had support. And now we can offer some to her.

I Corinthians 1: 3-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Meeting Therese

2011-09-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share this video with you. It captures me, my daughter and my MIL meeting Therese for the first time.I love how she literally walks out of darkness and into the light.

Pierre

2011-08-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

This is Pierre.

When you read his story, you will see how urgent it is that he finds a home.

Born: 27 May, 2003

Pierre is not in school. He is deaf. The orphanage where he has been placed does not have the means to send him to a special school for the deaf. (There has not been any actual testing done on Pierre's hearing but the orphanage workers feel that he does have some hearing.)

Pierre gets along well with all of the children in the orphanage and with the care-givers. His best friend is called Apollinaire and they are the same age. They spend lots of time together. They communicate with simple hand signs. Like all of the children in the home, Pierre is looked after by care-taker and has received some pre-school level training. He can say a few words in French and he can count.

Pierre is in good health. He has not been hospitalized for any illness since coming the to orphanage.

His story is that a woman left Pierre with some children at the side of the road, saying that she was going to go and repair her bike. This woman left and did not come back for him. After waiting a long time, Pierre was taken to the police and was placed the next day at a local orphanage (26 May, 2008).

In the three years that Pierre has been in the orphanage no one has called or come by to inquire about him.

Conclusion of the home study is that his status is that of an abandoned child and that adoption is the only route for him to have a family.

Now, with Real Pictures! I think!

2011-08-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

At times like these, I wish I were more technology savvy! I apologize!

I went back and updated the former posts so you can hopefully see the pictures now. I could see the pictures all along, so I didn't realize the problem immediately.

Please, feel free to share these pictures and stories with your friends. Even if they are not interested in adoption, maybe they will commit to pray for these precious children until they find a home? I'll keep you updated here if any of these children get adopted. What happy news that will be!

If you would like to help an orphan or vulnerable child, please consider sponsoring a child. A few months ago I posted about a few students in Burkina Faso who were in desperate need of sponsorship. One of the children did get sponsored, but the other child is still waiting. You can read more about sponsorship here. It is the girl in the red and white shirt that is still waiting.

Naomi

2011-08-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

Born: 2002

Naomi was found in the bush a couple of days after her birth. No trace of her parents or family were found. She was admitted to an orphanage has grown up there. At the time of this writing, she is 9 years old.

Naomi is in good health. According to the care-takers at the orphanage, she never complains and she gets along with all of the children in the orphanage and also with the children at school.

Naomi is in the 3^rd grade this year (2011-2012).

Naomi has been declared an abandoned child and desperately needs a family.

If you know someone who might be interested in adopting this sweet girl, please share this blog post with them.

Marie

2011-08-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

As you can see, Marie has albinism.

This condition makes her an outcast in her society, not to mention how difficult it is for her to remain out of the sun in her climate. She was born in 2002 and was placed in the orphanage in 2003. This line from her home study breaks my heart:

Since she was placed in the orphanage (June 19, 2003) no one from either family has visited Marie or asked about her well-being.

Please pray that Marie will find a family who will love and cherish her.

John

2011-08-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is John.
He is a child waiting for adoption in Burkina Faso.

After the crowd from an evangelism campaign dispersed, a local pastor found John, a small boy of about 4 years old. The pastor took the boy home with him thinking that he had been separated from his parents and that his parents would return looking for him. A few days later, the pastor took John to Social Action asking for help. On April 27, 2007 John came to live at the orphanage.

Upon arriving at the orphanage it was discovered that John was epileptic and he had several seizures. For some time after each seizure, John was not able to talk or to respond to the care-takers. John is now taking medicine for the seizures and it is rare that he has one.

At the beginning of his time at the orphanage, John did not talk. It was thought that maybe he was deaf. But, as the seizures stopped and as he adjusted to his new surroundings John started talking. He speaks Mooré, the local dialect and he understands and speaks a little in French.

The orphanage workers say that John is shy around adults but that he loves to play with the other children. He is kind to the other children. When there is a disagreement or a fight, John withdraws and comes out again when he has calmed down. When another boy is pushing him around, John will fight back and try to defend himself, even sometimes when the older boy is bigger than he is.

John has not been sent to school for 2 reasons. At first it was because it was thought that he was deaf. The second reason, according to the director, is because the orphanage does not have the funds to send the children to school.

The orphanage care-takers feel that John is completely normal physically and mentally and said that he is very rarely even sick with malaria or a cold.

Please pray that John will find a loving home.

Wendy

2011-08-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Over the next few days, I'm going to be posting about several children from Burkina Faso who are available for adoption. These are some older children in desperate need of a family.

If you have any questions about adopting an older child or what an adoption from Burkina Faso entails, please don't hesitate to ask me. I'd love to help you.

This is Wendy.

Wendy was found as a newborn, abandoned in the bush in 2001. She was taken to an orphanage where she has grown up.

Initially, the orphanage made an investigation to find Wendy's parents and extended family but no one was found to claim the child.

In October, 2010 another extensive search was made in the area and again no family was found.

Wendy is desperately in need of an adoptive family. At the time of this writing, August, 2011, she is 10 years old. She was in the third grade this past school year (2010-2011). In February, 2011, Wendy had an accident and broke her left leg. The director of the orphanage, sent her to a large city nearby where she could get good medical care and she lived there with one of the director's family members. Because of her broken leg, Wendy was not able to finish the school year and will need to re-do the third grade this year (2011-2012).

40 Day Fast

2011-08-25T06:44:00.001-07:00

This is from a friend of mine. I am humbled by his devotion.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

My name is Jesse Resch. I have been married to my loving wife Melissa for sixteen years and we have three beautiful kids. We've been believers for eleven years and have witnessed God's mercy, grace and love poured out on our lives many times over. As I've grown deeper in my relationship with Jesus, I have felt Him prompting me to focus less on myself and more on others.

Over the last three months God has been challenging me to step out and help those around me. When I learned that over 30,000 kids in the last ninety days have died due to starvation in East Africa, I knew I could not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others simply because they are so far away. Since they are near to God, they should be near to me! If it were my kids dying of starvation, I'd want someone to help.

Hunger - a strong or compelling desire.

Hungry - having a strong desire or need for food.

Starve - to die or be in process of perishing from lack of food or nourishment, severe hunger.

As you read this, tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters in the Horn of Africa have already succumb to starvation in what is being called the world’s worst famine in over twenty years. The reports coming out of Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya are dire. Exhausted, rail-thin, mothers are entering refugee camps in Kenya carrying children dead from starvation. Many children are being left behind because their mothers are too weak to carry them any further. The devastating drought compounded by war, neglect, and inflated food prices pose a challenge that cannot be solved by human efforts alone.

Through God’s grace and mercy, I will participate in the suffering of our brothers and sisters by going without food for forty days. I realize I cannot do this in my own strength, to be honest, if I could I would be doing an injustice to my God and His people. That is why I am coming to you.

The goal during this forty day fast is two-fold:

1. To raise awareness to the extreme situation in Eastern Africa and have God’s people begin to pray for this region and for God to bring relief and resources to the suffering.

2. To raise funds. I will be partnering with Samaritan’s Purse (www.samaritanspurse.org) to bring needed resources to hurting and hungry people.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?...And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:6,7,10

I will be fasting from September 1 through October 10, and I invite you to participate in any of the following ways:

Pray. You can choose a day during the week leading up to my fast and/or a day during the fast to pray for me as well as for Africa.
Fast. You can choose a day to fast along with me, joining in the suffering of the saints.
Give. You can choose to give, whatever amount you can. According to Samaritan’s Purse, just $7 can furnish a week’s worth of dinners, and for $35, SP can deliver enough food to sustain a family for about a month. Any amount would be a blessing.

Melissa and I have asked our friend, Beth Corcoran, to handle all of the logistics of "Hunger for the Hungry" so that I may focus on the fast. Beth will be happy to answer any questions or comments you might have (elisabethcorcoran@mchsi.com).

If you choose to pray or fast, please let her know which date, so she can set up a calendar.

If you choose to give, please let her know the amount for record-keeping, write the check directly to Samaritan’s Purse, write “Hunger for the Hungry” in the memo line, and mail it to SP, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000. All gifts will be tax deductible.

I believe that with the help of God ordinary men and women can do extraordinarythings. Will you join me?

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

In Him,

Jesse Resch

A Child Waits

2011-08-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

This next post is hard for me to write because it feels like I am offering up a piece of my heart. But if I keep this piece to myself, it could only be called selfish.

When I was in Burkina Faso adopting Therese, I met a boy.

This boy captured my heart with his sweet nature and his searching eyes and his life story. He was Therese's best friend. He cried when we left the orphanage. I thought it was because he would miss Therese so much. But he was actually crying because he wants a family so badly.

I wept as we pulled away and promised God I would do what I could to find him a family. I wish we could be his family and it is hard for me to understand why God seems to be shutting the door for us to adopt him.

If you think you might know a family who could love and cherish this boy, please contact me and I can give you all the information I have.

"But You see the trouble and the distress, and You will do something. The poor can count on You and so can orphans." Psalm 10:14

All Aboard!

2011-08-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

The Solgos family is about to embark on a new adventure. Yes, the Sol Train is charting a new course these days, but the destination remains the same.

Pure Religion. James 1:27.

As of Monday, August 22nd, we are an official Safe Family. I couldn't be more excited about this new adventure. Safe Families is a Christian organization that places kids in homes temporarily while the biological parent tends to a major crisis in her life (i.e., homelessness, rehab, domestic violence). This is not foster care. The parent places their child voluntarily and temporarily. The host family volunteers their time and home.

The goal is that the child returns to his family. The hope is that the host family may mentor the bio parent to guide them through their crisis. This is very exciting to me. What an incredible way to meet practical needs and share the love of Christ!

A friend from church had this as her facebook status yesterday and it spoke to me deeply as we begin this new adventure:

God rarely asks me to do something I’m self-equipped for or

comfortable with. He just asks me to obey.

Thanks, Chrissy!

Of course we'd love to adopt internationally again or even domestically someday, but in the confines of our current house, that may not be possible. There is a square footage requirement for DCFS that says we are running a little small. Apparently special needs children now count as two children- ugh. This is really sad for me. You can fit as many biological kids into a house as you see fit, but apparently adopted kids need more space? Can you sense my frustration?

Once upon a time I was nervous about the fact that we would have three girls sharing a room. But a few trips to the third world erased that fear. My girls would be just fine in their cozy, purple bedroom. Not to mention when one girl is gone on a sleep-over, the others are crying because their room is too lonely.

So, as we get ready to make room for another sweet child in this family, I'll leave you Toby Mac fans with a little chorus, "when love is in the house, the house is packed"!

'Twas the Night Before

2011-08-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

'Twas the night before 5th, 2nd and 1st grade...

Ahhh.

8:15pm and the kids are in bed.

Yes!

Tomorrow's clothes are laid out, backpacks at the ready, camera on the table, and I know what contents of the lunchboxes will be.

Check.

Can you tell that this mama is just fine with the kids starting school tomorrow? Sure, I've been plenty reflective over the last few days, reminiscing over the physical and emotional growth of my children this summer. I cannot believe I will have all four kids in school all day this year! Sure, I've suffered mom guilt over realizing we didn't spend enough time practicing reading over the summer, and I only busted out the math fact flashcards a pathetically few times.

But, we did spend LOTS of quality time together. We made some serious memories together this summer! I'll take that over academic success any day.

I know I'll be choking back the tears as I wave those goodbyes from the playground tomorrow, but this mama is ready for a little time off. A second cup of coffee, a walk around the lake, a magazine (gasp!)- and then I'll be scooting off to the school to scoop up my kids and hear about everything I missed about their day.

Because while I am READY for a break, those kids are the best part of my day. I just need a little morning to my self so I can fully appreciate them again :)

Happy Back to School!

I'll leave you with one of my favorite memories of this summer, Sitota eating her birthday cake while hula-hooping, cause that's how she rolls.

What God Joins Together

2011-08-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the pleasure of having our friend, Elizabeth, over for a visit. Well, it was a visit for me, but mostly work for her! She kindly offered to braid the girl's hair and she turned them into stunning beauties.

I am so grateful to know Elizabeth. She is a great role model for my girls. She grew up in Burkina Faso and has now lived in Chicago for 20 years. She recently graduated with her Master's in Nursing and will soon be a Nurse Practioner. On a return trip to Burkina, she met Therese when Therese was living in the orphanage and was captivated by this outgoing, fun-loving girl with a heart defect. Elizabeth also grew up with a heart defect, so she can relate to Therese on many levels.

We are so blessed to know Elizabeth. I love how God puts just the right people into our lives!

Another fun thing is that Elizabeth still remembers quite a bit of Moore, Therese's native language. A few weeks ago Therese told us that she has a Moore name; Telato. Burkinable girls are often given a name that indicates what day of the week they were born. Therese could not remember which day Telato was- and now we know! Drumroll, please... Tuesday! I love having this insight into her early years.

My beautiful Tuesday!

Cutie-Patooty!

Even Evelea gets in on the hair braiding!

It's Not Okay AND It's Personal

2011-08-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

I read this statistic from the UN in the paper this morning and I can't get over it:

Drought and famine in Somalia have killed more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 in the last 90 days in southern Somalia alone.

This famine is real, friends.

This report is from Food for the Hungry:

3.5 million Kenyans are without a stable supply of food
4.5 million Ethiopians and 3.2 million Somalians require humanitarian assistance.
Drought is increasing child malnutrition and school drop-out rates.

I have been sharing with my kids a little bit about what is going on in East Africa. They haven't seen one picture and they don't know the statistics or just how bad this famine is, but their first reactions are to give. Sitota especially keeps finding dollars hidden in her various coin purses and hidden places and giving them to me to donate. I think she has given every bit of money she has. I am humbled by her generosity. Evelea and Therese can't wait for our next Feed My Starving Children packing session on Monday.

To my kids, this famine is real. 3/4 of my kids have been to Africa, or have lived there. It is not just happening far away. They can imagine it, they can relate to it. They wonder if our sponsored child in Ethiopia is okay. When Therese saw a picture of a little boy who was suffering the effects of starvation, she said, "oh, that looks like Luc when he first came to Mama Ruth" (her orphanage director).

As grown-ups, we can be jaded about the world's problems, shrugging them off as the fault of poor government systems and corruption. While there is truth to that, it does not excuse us from not helping. Maybe you cannot personally relate to this current crisis or have become numb to the many tragedies befalling our world this past year. I urge you to not become complacent.

Find a way to make it personal.

It's Not Okay

2011-08-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

So we are home from the conference now. It went pretty much like I thought it would. I learned a lot and met a lot of fantastic people.

After the first night of the conference, I had a very intense and disturbing dream. Apparently my heart had been very deeply effected by the gathering of all these sweet children who did not ask to be born with this gene mutation, but choose to live life to fullest anyway. It was so lovely to see these children in this safe, protective environment of the conference filled with loving families and caring doctors; yet my dream was a reminder of the cruel way the world chews up it's most vulnerable citizens.

It seems my heart is breaking every which way I turn these days.

My sister-in-law and her family came for a visit this past week. We were able to spend some precious time together and got to visit some of the trendy, fun spots in our area. While standing in The Chocolate Kitchen, I was amazed at my ability to at once appreciate the artistic quality of these beautiful chocolate creations and be sickened by the reality that while I can take the time to marvel at these intricate delicacies, there are mothers in Somalia getting their arm width measured to see if they qualify for nutritional rations.

I know this can seem depressing. However, I am not suggesting we all sit around and feel guilty about all that we have while others starve. I am suggesting that we share what we have been given with others. We can do something about the suffering of others. Sometimes we think that if we get too near the suffering of others, we will be too depressed and feel guilty all the time. This is not true! In fact, when we spend ourselves on the behalf of others, we will feel better than we ever have!

Listen to these words from Isaiah 58:10

"and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and become like the noonday."

There are so many ways we can help the hungry and the oppressed. Here are a few:

Feed My Starving Children

World Vision

Samaritan's Purse

I am going to leave you with a few photos. Not to induce guilt, but to motivate you to pray, and then give.

Conference Time

2011-07-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am kind of dreading, and kind of looking forward to, the events of this weekend. Beginning Thursday evening, we will be attending the Noonan Syndrome Conference 2011 in Chicago.

Our son, Carter, was diagnosed with Noonan Syndrome when he was about 24 hours old. In the immediate hours after Carter was born, we were blissfully ignorant that anything was wrong with Carter. It wasn't until the pediatrician did her rounds that morning that Carter's heart murmur was first detected. I was all by myself when my sweet little baby was whisked away because something was wrong with his heart. (Casey had stepped out to get breakfast or something). You can imagine my shock. We quickly learned after his echo-cardiogram that he had pulmonary stenosis.

With this diagnosis in hand, the geneticist was called. She was a gracious, helpful and kind woman, but all I could hear ringing in my ears were words like "dysmorphic features, webbed neck, low-set ears, concave sternum" and "Noonan Syndrome". She warned us against researching this on the internet just yet. She wisely counseled us to just focus on our baby and not go wild with worry.

Carter looked perfect to me. This mama saw nothing dysmorphic about her baby.

Okay.

We successfully waited until we got home, and then Casey hopped online. I couldn't look at all the information just yet. All I needed to know was, would Carter die from this and would it be so noticeable that he would be made fun of by other kids? Sweet relief passed over me as Casey relayed that he could have a normal life span, but he could not reassure me that he wouldn't be made fun of.

We attended our first conference when Carter was nine months old. The conference was a swirling blend of emotions for me. Carter had not yet been touched by many of the issues others were discussing. Would Carter have those same scary symptoms some day, or was he "milder"? We met adults who never even knew they had the NS until they were adults- their lives relatively untouched by the syndrome. There were teachers, a doctor and business owners all with NS. There were others to whom the more challenging aspects of NS had not been as kind.

Which camp would Carter fall into?

At the conference, we were able to meet Dr. Noonan, the amazing cardiologist who first identified Noonan Syndrome as a distinct syndrome (it had formerly been confused with Turner Syndrome). She actually held Carter and confirmed what we already knew, Carter had Noonan Syndrome. I knew it, but it still hurt.

Today, I embrace the challenge, but it still knocks the wind out of me sometimes.

Carter is six now. He has had six heart surgeries. He has a pacemaker. He has seizures. He wears SMOs. He has physical therapy at school and extra after school. He has occupational therapy and speech therapy. He has a bleeding disorder. He has a teacher's aide. He wears glasses and hearing aids. He is quite short for his age. He has life-threatening food allergies. He didn't start walking until he was three (anyone remember how adorable he was with his walker? how utterly proud he was? how about before that when he scooted everywhere on his bum? adorable!). He has hyper cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia issues. He looks more like the kids on the Noonan Syndrome website than his own family.

Having Noonan Syndrome has been no blip on Carter's radar.

To this year's conference, I go as a much wiser mom. I am wiser because of the experiences I have gained raising Carter. Medical experiences- oh yes! I know more about cardiology than I ever, ever wanted to know. I have also gained a much deeper, more compelling, wisdom. You see, I know what a miracle looks like. I know what sacrificial love feels like. I know the brokenness of not being able to fix my baby. I know the awe of watching a doctor save my child's life. I know the gratitude I have for my friends who saved my sanity, my husband who held my head up, and my family who called out to God when I did not have the words.

I will go and I will learn new things that will help me parent Carter better. I will share my stories with parents who get it. I will cry because it hurts to have to be there. I will laugh with these sweet children because they are laughing despite it all. I will be inspired by the adults who didn't give up. I will hug a doctor because of the sacrifice she makes for our children.

And, I will return home as grateful as ever for my boy, because he is Carter, and he is perfect to me.

A Divine Appointment

2011-07-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of our vacation was a divine appointment with a sister in Christ whom I had not met before. We met at the top of one of the Warren Dunes when we offered to take pictures of each other's families. Of course we were drawn to each other because one of her children was adopted, and of course she noticed our family couldn't not have been formed merely by birth.

In the way that can only happen between women, our conversation moved immediately to deep matters of the heart. She shared something so beautiful with me, I pray it will never leave my heart. She told me about her struggle with infertility and how God moved their hearts towards adoption. In the weeks following her husband's return from China to pick up their little one, she gave birth!

She shared how many people asked her if they would stop their adoption process once they found out they were pregnant. Her response, "no! that would be like an abortion!". I don't know that she actually shared that verbally with anyone, but that is how she felt in her heart!

She shared how the verses of Isaiah 58:6-12 have taken on a new depth and richness. These verses talk about when you spend yourself on behalf of the poor, your healing will quickly appear. She knows that when she and her husband heeded God's call to take care of the widow and the orphan, she was healed. She knew it wasn't simply a matter of, youknowifyoudecidetoadoptyouwillrelaxandgetpregnant. She placed her whole hope in God, obeyed his precious call, and she was healed.

I know this is not every woman's experience and I do not believe adoption is the prescription for infertility. I do know God heals in all kinds of ways. Our adoption journey did not start from the desert of infertility, but through this divine appointment on the top of a sand dune, I began to see the ways God has healed me, changed me, grown me through our two adoptions.

I am beyond grateful to my God who heals both parent and child when he weaves family together through adoption.

We're Back!

2011-07-17T20:40:00.001-07:00

Thanks, Sheli and Beth for filling in for me while I was gone. You two bring me so much joy and I continue to stand in awe of the God who drew us to each other.

We had a GREAT trip. Everyone stayed healthy, we had great weather and lots of bonding time. I came up with about a million things to blog about while we were gone, but for today, I'll just have to leave you with some pictures that express our time together.

lessons not yet learned

2011-07-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

i think of myself as a pretty strong cookie ( as strong as a cookie could be). so when we decided to embark on the adoption roller coaster and by roller coaster i mean the highest high and the lowest low i thought i could handle it. i was quickly proven wrong. i tend to forget how much i hate roller coasters. like i would rather eat gum off the sidewalk than go on a roller coaster. but we as a family prayed about this. sought advice of amazing friends and we knew we were meant to bring home two more little ones from east africa. and then we got on the roller coaster. let me tell you this is a rough one. some days we love it. we love to tell people the story of how God brought us here. we love to share the mission of amazing organizations like project hopeful, ahope, samaritans purse and world vision. we love to hear our children pray at night that their brother and sister feel the love of Jesus around them.
and then the roller coaster gets rough. like i want to puke from too much cotton candy rough. we see others get babies come home. we see courts close. we see others complain. we see friends wait years for a word of their child. we see adoptions fall through. we hear the racism from those around us. i read too many blogs of families united. i read too many facebook updates and adoption time lines and compare.
and then i realize. this is our roller coaster. not anyone elses. no need to compare. no need to puke. no need to worry. God has it. He has always had it. and i need to learn these lessons.
lessons on not reading all the blogs. lessons on not comparing. lessons on praying. lessons of being on my knees for the children here and there. lessons on being a witness to those around me. lessons on being willing to stay on the roller coaster.
http://shelimassie.blogspot.com

Intertwined (another one from Beth)...

2011-07-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

My friendship with Erika is a tale of good things coming out of bad things. It’s also a story of our lives being slightly intertwined since before actually meeting each other. I moved to Aurora on the heels of a broken engagement, not knowing a soul. Fast forward a few years, I was going to a great church, I was married, and had just had my first baby. Our first babysitter for Sara was a sweet teenage boy in the youth group we were leading, who turned out (I found out recently) to have had a crush on Erika back when they were in elementary and middle school respectively. Small world, right?

It gets better. I wrote a book about ten years ago and the book cover photo was taken in a local backyard. The backyard of a friend of Erika’s mom. Erika’s mom bought my book, just because of the cover being shot in her friend’s backyard, and gave it to Erika who was a new mom and living in Minnesota at the time. So, Erika read my book before knowing me in person.

Move ahead again, and Erika and her husband find themselves visiting the church I had been attending for about eight years by that point. I saw them the first time they visited, and fearing they were too cool for our congregation – and that therefore they would leave – I walked across the aisle, introduced myself, and then introduced them to the pastor, hoping to lock them in, so to speak. At that point, she didn’t know it was me, and I didn’t know she’d read my book.

A few weeks later, I invited her and her family over for dinner, and while eating, she told me that she had read my book already. I believe I said, “Wow…you know way more about me than I know about you…” and we laughed. She went on to tell me that she was signed up for one of my talks at the upcoming Hearts at Home convention.

We’ve gone on to live so much of life together in the past ten years. Jesus has intertwined our hearts in ways we never would have imagined had someone told us the day we met all that was ahead for us. I may have ended up here because of a broken heart but I am beyond grateful for Erika and ten years of knowing her and having her be one of the truest, most constant people in my life ever.

Now you can really come home, E…

http://elisabethcorcoran.blogspot.com

yet another friend,,,,,

2011-07-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

so while erika is beaching it up......she trusted me to write on her blog. ok maybe not so much trusted as just gave in to my begging. whatever the reasoning i am pleased with the outcome.
this week marks a pinnacle moment in our relationship. you see i am not a forever friend of erika. i don't remember her in braces. i never rocked out to rem with her when they were cool ( although they never stopped being cool). i wasn't even a member of her fashion forward wedding party. i regretfully never even got to be prego with her. nope. nada. none of it.
you see we met at church. boring right? stop yawning and just hear me out. you see i approached her. i am sure you expect me to say i probably approached her because of her adorable family, her gorgeous smile...nope. she had cute hair. that's it. she had adorable hollywood chic hair and i wanted to selfishly know where she got it cut. that is how shallow our relationship started.
that was almost five years ago. and things never looked the same.
i am doing a bible study right now " seeking a heart like His" -beth moore ( or as i like to call her bff) and one of the points she makes is ..."maybe you are not where you want to be but you are not where you used to be".
and wow i am so not where i used to be. you see five years ago this is where i was...
*new church( hated being there)
*left church i loved ( all my support was there)
*prego with fourth child( big fat whale and depression that was going to swallow me)
*fulltime job ( added more stress than one human should ever have to have)
* new house ( ok . new to us. but built over 100 years ago and that is always fun)
* no sense of community( lonely. so sad. and did i mention lonely?)
*begging my husband to switch jobs ( i am a michigan girl....love the beach...)
and now its five long years later...
* new church...is home. love everything about it. couldn't imagine my life without it. and i met erika there....
*not prego ( thank you Jesus...but we are adopting two more kiddos from east africa...call me crazy...that makes six. yep six little mouths to feed, love, hold, kiss.....
*working at home. writing. ( and loving every minute of it)
* community? i have the most amazing. loving. changing the world because of Jesus kind of friends. i have been to africa with them. served the hurting and the poor with them. i have a group of women in my life that i adore and love more every day...
*husband at same job ( and its ok. its really ok. God wants us here)

so although i am not where i want to be (africa- that's a whole other story) i am not where i used to be. and although i still struggle with the loneliness and my kids not all being in the same country right now. i know that i will not be where i am now five years from now. and i thank Jesus every day for that.
and i thank Him for the adorable girl that came into my life five years ago....
and anyday that she's like to come back from the beach....
http://shelimassieblogspot.com

Guest Post from Erika's friend, Beth

2011-07-11T09:34:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading Let Your Life Speak, and in it, author Parker Palmer says, “The Spirit continues to call me and many others to more openness and vulnerability, more shared humanity and mutual healing, even - and perhaps especially - when the subject is so difficult that words seem to fail.”

When I was a little girl, I thought friendship was about matching your outfits and sharing your dolls and sleepovers and how many notes you got stuck in your locker by the end of the day. I also used to think of friendship as a luxury, an add-on. Great if you have it, but no big deal if you don’t.

I’m not a little girl anymore, and I no longer have little girl problems. And because of that, my view of friendship has shifted and changed and enlarged and, at the same time, taken on a very narrow focus. I’m not just looking for someone to play with, someone to share clothes with…though that’s all good and fine. My life now requires something more out of my friendships. I am a woman who is looking to build a family around me, a family of my choosing. And I am stunned and amazed and humbled to say that I have.

The women in my life - Erika included – are my sisters. They are my home. The harder life gets – mine and my friends – the deeper we go together. The better life gets - all of ours – the more there is for us all to celebrate. In the dark, they hold my hand and point me back to the Light.

Life would not simply be boring without my friendships, it would be poor and shallow. I would be weaker than God wants and needs me to be. I would have no one to share my stories with, my triumphs, my hard lessons learned, my faith questions and faith revelations. And of course, my clothes.

Much love to my girls. And Erika, you can come home now.

http://elisabethcorcoran.blogspot.com/

I'm Outta Here!

2011-07-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today I am a guest blogger at the We Are Grafted In site. This site has been an invaluable resource to me as an adoptive parent and I know you will love it too!

I will be leaving the blog-o-sphere for week while my family and I GO ON VACATION! This is our first ever "normal" family vacation as our last one was a trip to Disney with Make a Wish (how cool was that?). Michigan- here we come!

In place, I am leaving you something even better! You will get to hear from two of my best friends. I am excited for you as these two ladies are rocking mamas with hearts full of Jesus- so check back!

Fireworks

2011-07-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Can I tell you how much fun it was to take Therese to see her very first fireworks display?!

She was squealing and laughing and kicking her feet.

She said, "Look, God is doing this! He is coming out to us!"

And that line caused fireworks to explode in my heart.

Love Never Fails

2011-06-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

This summer I am doing a life-changing study called Created to Connect by Dr. Karen Purvis. This guide helps adoptive parents better connect with their children. The goal of the study is "to empower you to become a healer for your child, and in so doing, rediscover the joy in parenting" (Purvis, 2010).

Joy in parenting? I'm in.

It can be challenging to parent a child who has come from a difficult past. It is hard to see past the child's behavior and address the hurt places. This guide helps you do just that.

Sounds good, right?

This morning I was challenged to take a well known passage from the Bible (you might recognize it from your wedding) and apply it to my child. Even if you are not an adoptive parent, you would do well to apply this passage to all of your relationships.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

-I Corinthians 13:4-8

If you are a local adoptive/foster parent friend, we will be offering this study at church beginning in August. Come and learn with me! If you are not local, you can download this guide for free or for a small fee have it mailed to you.

Yuckiness

2011-06-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Just about everyday I think about going vegetarian for several reasons. It is definitely a more budget friendly diet and because the source of most of the meat in this country is horrid. What holds me back, is that we already have so many dietary restrictions in this house (one of us is diary free, one gluten/dairy/soy free, one gluten/dairy free and one is nut-free), it is mind boggling to add another limitation.

However, when I heard this news story today, I think I'll be on a bit of a vegetarian spree:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/28/national/main20075261.shtml

That is just yucky.

What I Want to Say, But I Won't, Hopefully

2011-06-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

So my dear, sweet husband has been gone for a week in Nicaragua. He helped lead a group of 27 high schoolers doing a kid's camp, street evangelism, restoring a school and visiting a refugee camp. He is coming home in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. I can't wait.

I think I read in a marriage book somewhere that it does not build into your marriage to greet your husband at the door with a litany of what went wrong during your day (or week). I mean, it's not like he went on vacation, while you were home slaving away.

So, dear blog readers, do mind if I vent a little to you all, and save my husband the rampage?

Hi Honey! How was your week? Great? Okay, good. We prayed for you everyday. Wanna hear about my week? It was great, too. Let's see, it rained every day, so that was kinda hard. We even sat in the basement one night past the kid's bedtime because of tornado sirens. The kids wanted to sleep with me every night so I wouldn't be lonely, which was sweet, but kinda cut into my chick flick watching time. Did I mention it rained a lot? Evelea said "it's like summer is terribly ill or something". The girl's running club was canceled every night. I had a super bad headache for 48 hours, I thought Therese had malaria and everyone's allergies acted up. Sorry you had to miss Sitota's birthday, Father's Day and our anniversary. Really, though, your trip was good?

Phew, I think I got it all out. Thanks, guys!

Romans 7:18

The Message (MSG)

^17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

What I really want to tell my husband is how proud I am of the good work he did this week. How it was a privilege to sacrifice a bit on the home front for the greater good of the kingdom. That actually, having him out on the mission field on our anniversary, fulfills the mission statement for our marriage and I can't think of a better place for him to be on that day.

How my sin nature fights to get in the way and destroy the message I actually want to convey!

Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief.

Proverbs 21:23

Only with God's help can I speak those life-giving words I want to say! My prayer today is that I hold my tongue and only speak His words. I'll let you know how it goes!

Be An Abolitionist

2011-06-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the great opportunity to reunite with Ruth, director of Therese's former orphanage.

We met in Springfield, IL, did some sight-seeing and got all caught-up on each other's lives. Therese got to get news about her friends in Yako and got to show off her new hair.

If you've ever traveled to Springfield, you may have had the opportunity to visit the Lincoln Museum. What an experience!

It was really powerful to stand in this museum with my two brown skinned children and two white skinned children and wonder what Mr. Lincoln would have thought about my family. Would he have been amazed that such a family could ever exist in the United States of America?

My brain was swirling as I listened to Ruth tell me stories about how women are treated in Burkina Faso and how few opportunities they have. I couldn't help but think that life wasn't much different a mere 200 years ago in America for your average slave woman, or any woman.

It depressed me to think of these precious women enduring lives with no rights and no real hope. On the other hand, it invigorated me to think that this can change, and it doesn't have to take a civil war or even a great president. You and I can make that change happen. You and I can help give women a hope and future.

Go to the Sheltering Wings website and get information on sponsoring a child or a widow. You, too, can be an abolitionist.

Is Your Soul Thirsty?

2011-06-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

If you are in need of a little refreshment for your soul, can I recommend a Morning with Jesus?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending one of these sessions. Book yourself a spot for when the kids are back in school! They are led by a good friend of mine and she is allowing me to post her information on my blog today:

You are invited to

A Morning with Jesus

If you are looking for a morning away from your regular routine

specifically to focus on your relationship with God,

consider a guided retreat.

~at my home*~

Simple breakfast provided.

Bring Bible, notebook, pen.

9am Continental Breakfast

9:15 Brief message

9:45 Small group discussion

10:15 Solitude time

11:30 Small group prayer

12:00 Dismiss

You are invited to join me on one of the following dates, each with a different focus:

September 8: Tending Your Soul

October 6: Lessons Learned in the Fire

November 3: Gratitude

December 1: Preparing our Hearts for Christmas

Space is limited to eight women at each session, so claim your spot soon!

$30 per person, or pay what you’re able.

Contact me with any questions or to make your reservation at elisabethcorcoran@mchsi.com.

*Address and directions provided closer to the retreat date.

Hair

2011-06-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hair is a big deal.

To me personally, not so much. I am a pretty low maintenance gal, although I am sporting a pretty cute style right now thanks so much to the very talented Hannah Carpenter! A barista at Starbucks told me that I look funky, without trying too hard. Quite the compliment I thought!

Hair in the African-American world is a huge deal. That your daughter's hair is well-groomed and well-styled signifies your care for her. If you would like to be better educated in the world of African hair care and the battle between natural hair and chemically processed hair, watch the hilarious documentary called Good Hair with Chris Rock. I got quite the education watching that one!

I think since the first day I met Therese, six months ago, and everyday since, she has made it clear that she wants to grow her hair and get it braided. Keep in mind that her hair was shaved almost to the scalp when we met. It needed to be at least a few inches long so that she could get her extensions put in. Everyday, multiple times a day, for the last 8-12 weeks, I have had to ooh and ahh over just how long her hair was getting. I actually think commenting on the length of Therese's hair is her love language!

In seeking out ways that I can become closer to my daughter and enhance our attachment, I realize that if hair is a big deal to my daughter, it better be a big deal to me.

I have gone to the the ends of the earth to make my daughter's good hair dreams come true. There is nothing this mama won't do- and that includes going outside my comfort zone and into a downtown park to get an estimate on my daughter's hair. Oh yeah. I had to meet a hairstylist in a park! I met the woman's cousin at a park who recommended her to me and then I had to meet the stylist herself at another park to get the estimate. That is me, breaking down cultural barriers, people.

Well, last Friday, Therese's dream came true!

That is one happy girl!

She sat still for 3.5 hours getting her hair done without one complaint or tear (and it hurts!).

As her mother, I am trying to help her walk the fine line of enjoying her beauty and knowing where true beauty comes from. She was loved no less in her "before" state. On the other hand, when you look good, your true beauty can shine through a little more clearly.

I may be paraphrasing a bit here, but I think Spiderman said it best: "With great beauty comes great responsibility!".

Bumper Crop

2011-06-01T12:40:00.001-07:00

I recently read this post from a fellow blogger and dear friend about how, shall we say, "unbecoming" it is when parents brag non-stop about their kid's accomplishments. I totally get that that is wrong, but it's okay to brag about your vegetable garden, right?

Last year I planted my first vegetable garden. I refused to stress about soil Ph, what kind of compost to use, etc. Casey dug the beds, we added a few bags of good dirt and planted the seeds according to the seed packets (does anyone but me find those directions on the seed packet a little confusing? I have to read them like six times...).

Anywhooo... here are some pictures of our first garden's bounty! We did great! Casey and I got downright corny about our "bumper crop", a phrase we like to bellow loudly while inspecting the fruit of our labor.

Today, the girls and I planted this year's garden. A little late in the season, but we had quite the rainy spring. So excited to see what this year's garden holds!

Congratulations, Carter Bear!

2011-05-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

My baby graduated from kindergarten today. Oh my heart!

This little boy who has struggled so...

Today, you'd never know.

The tears, the prayers, the heartache

Today you see

The triumph, the joy, the victory!

Big Talks

2011-05-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

I've been wondering when it would happen. I think it is starting now. I think I have seen the very tippy top of the iceberg of Therese's grieving.

Last night my sweet Therese poured forth story after story about her life in Yako. These were not pleasant stories. These are the rip your heart out, no child should have witnessed, or seen stories like this. Three hours worth of stories and I got the impression there are so many more.

Therese told me that she is tired of feeling sad all the time (you would never know she feels sad at all from how she behaves). She knows that here, in America, we "talk talk talk and cry" when we are sad, but not in Yako. She said she wants to cry, but she "doesn't can't" (I love that phrase of hers!).

I reassured her that she will cry when she is ready. I told her that God gave us a way to get the sad out of our hearts, namely crying, and retelling our story. I told her that God will do amazingly wonderful things with those sad stories of hers.

Therese told me it is better to adopt a baby, because babies do not have so many sad stories as a girl who is ten. I told her that I wanted a ten year old girl and I am here to listen to her stories. I find her stories, even the sad ones, to be precious. I treasure her stories and I will help her remember the ones she wants to remember and to use the difficult ones for good. I want my ten year old girl, hard stories included, because she would not be Therese without those hard stories.

More importantly, I know a Savior who specializes in hard stories and He redeems them all if you let Him. Therese knows Him too, and many of her stories include God saving her from harm or revealing something to her that helped her save some one else.

I admit I woke up this morning feeling a little sick and incredibly daunted by the task of raising this sweet girl with too many hard stories. Lord, can I do this? His answer to me was a gentle, "No, you can't, but I CAN. Come to me and I will pour out wisdom straight from my heart".

Okay, Lord, we will do this together. You lead. I will follow.

My New Candy Pick

2011-05-18T06:27:00.000-07:00

I really love candy. Really love it. Usually my candy preferences aren't quite this gauche, but I am loving this stuff! Don't judge me until you try it!

Here's the kicker- after I polished off a bag of this yummy stuff, Casey came home from Walgreens with a special treat just for me. You guessed it- a box of Hot Tamales. I almost threw up on his shoe.

H.O.P.E.

2011-05-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

A message from Evelea:

H.O.P.E.

Help Our People Eat

My name is Evelea and I am 10 years old. I'm starting H.O.P.E. because our people need to eat. All over the world people are starving and dying. They need our help, and I want to make a difference by donating money to organizations like Feed My Starving Children and Samaritan's Purse. I hope H.O.P.E. becomes real someday.

God has called my heart to Africa. My two sisters, Therese and Sitota are African. Therese is from Burkina Faso and Sitota is from Ethiopia. I want to be a missionary when I grow up and serve even more people. H.O.P.E. is starting small, but getting bigger.

I am selling friendship bracelets that I am making with my sisters to raise money for my cause. They are $1. I can make any color for you, but some of my favorite combinations are: Think Pink, African Summer Sunrise, True Blue and Berry Smoothie.

I am serving three times this summer at Feed My Starving Children. I will bring them the money I make when I go there.

Each bracelet I sell will cover the cost of four meals! Order today!

No Skunks Allowed!

2011-05-09T19:14:00.001-07:00

I have a GREAT Carter story to share with you.

On Friday, I took Carter to McDonald's before physical therapy. As we are walking in, he notices the sign indicating the standard restaurant "rules" that you must wear shoes, a shirt and that no dogs are allowed. He looked at each picture carefully, taking in the meaning. Then he looked right at me and said, "No dogs? I think it should be no skunks cause them is sooo stinky!".

How great is that?

On a less fun note, I took my Carter boy to the neurologist today (cause we can't get enough Lutheran General these days!). The results of his last EEG showed that his seizure type has changed from partial complex to generalized seizures. One is not better or worse than the other, but it does mean he will need to continue taking seizure medication and we may be changing it to better suit this new type of seizure.

My heart bursts with love for this boy!

Bonding in the Kitchen

2011-05-06T11:18:00.001-07:00

Therese and I had a lot of fun making "to" the other day (pronounced "toe"). "To" is a national dish of Burkina Faso. It is a bit like a doughy cream of wheat that you dip into sauce with your fingers. "To" can be made with corn or millet flour (we used millet). The sauce was tomato sauce with onions, carrots and green peppers. I was a little nervous it wouldn't turn out like the real thing, but Therese was very happy with the results. Actually, we all ate it and most of us even enjoyed it.

One of the benefits of adopting an older child is that they can teach you so much! I love learning to cook new foods and I think Therese enjoyed being on the teaching end. Cooking together is a great way for us to bond as mother and daughter.

Post-Op

2011-05-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Just returned from Lutheran General where we received a great post-op report on our Therese! The cardiologist even said that her heart condition would not even be detectable to most clinicians using a stethoscope at this time! Wow. Even her blood pressures are acceptable (she is taking three medicines to keep it that way), so that is great.

She will return in early June to check kidney function and to take another look at her heart.

I cannot thank you all enough for all your prayers and kind words. We are so thrilled to be on this end of the surgery and to witness Therese returning to full health!

I Am a Disciple

2011-04-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

Watch this video and hear my hottie husband tell our adoption story to our church family:

I Am a Disciple - Casey Solgos from Christ Community Church Video on Vimeo.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

The Lord is risen! Happy Easter, friends!

This weekend, Beacon News did a great article about Therese and our family. It focuses on new life- the new life Therese is experiencing, the new life we have in our family and the new life we experience in Christ alone. Enjoy it here:

http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/4935852-417/new-life-for----therese.html

To read about how you can share new life with those in need and about the boy who has captured our hearts, read From the Storyteller here:

http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/4965710-417/changing-the-world-one-child-at-a-time.html

Pictures!

2011-04-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone was in high spirits as we waited for surgery to begin. Evelea and Therese graced us with a beautiful rendition of the books of the bible song, sung while pinching their noses.
Things got a little more serious as we went over final details with the anesthesiologist. We prayed together as a family and then sent her off with the surgical team. Saying that final goodbye and placing the final kiss on my daughter before she was wheeled out of sight is hard stuff. But I thanked God for the privelege of being in that time and place.

Our girl a few hours after surgery. Her blood pressure was so high, we weren't allowed to talk to her or touch her because the stimulation would be too dangerous.

I think Therese's face here shows you exactly how she was feeling! This was the day after the surgery and the nurses made her sit up for an hour. Plus, she had to blow bubbles in order to re-inflate her left lung which partially collapsed during surgery. Therese felt pretty crummy all day.

I can't say enough good things about the Child Life staff at the hospital. Therese watched cooking shows non-stop on the tv in her room. When I told the Child Life people that Therese like to cook, they brought in a convection oven and we baked cookies! They knew her favorite color is orange, so they brought an orange pillow case and an orange blanket. A young man even brought her a djembe she could play.

We are so grateful for so many things! First of all, the Lord led us to make the right decision regarding which kind of surgery she needed. We almost tried fixing this with a catheter, but the surgeon said her artery was almost 100% closed and there was no way a balloon would have fit through. We are so grateful for our surgical team!

We are grateful that God brought Therese to America when He did! Someday I'd like to write a post about all the steps it took to get her here. I just learned today that someone had even contacted Oprah to see if she could get her to America for surgery! No doubt Therese was the most popular orphan in Burkina Faso- so many around the world love this girl! It astounds me to hear the stories of so many people who have met Therese through the years before we even had a clue she'd be our daughter. We are so grateful and humbled by your love for this girl.

We are so grateful to our friends and family for the meals, phone calls, prayer support, school transportation, etc. We could not do this without you!

You might remember at Christmas time our newspaper did a report on our family's adoption story. Well, this Easter weekend, we'll be featured again. Our Beacon News photographer shot us every step of this journey- even inside the operating room! He kindly offered to show me those pictures, I declined. Tomorrow the editor of the paper is coming to interview me- yikes! As I tend to get a little nervous for any type of public speaking and I don't particually love being photographed after days of not showering at the hospital, part of me wants to decline doing this story. But, as the photographer pointed out to me, I do want to share our story. So, I'll do my part and trust God with the outcome, just like always.

Home Sweet Home

2011-04-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Therese is home and doing well!

I am so sorry I haven't been able post- but I couldn't get access to my blog at the hospital. I will post more later about our experience and post a few pictures.

For now, we are happy to be home and very tired. We are figuring out how to use the blood pressure monitor and the new medications and making jillions of follow-up appointments.

Thank you all for your love and prayers!

Therese's "New" Heart

2011-04-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

(hey everyone...it's me, Casey, filling in for Erika tonight. Disappointing, I know. I'm sure you'll still get the gist of today's events--just without all the gooey, motherly details. Sorry for the letdown.)

As I sit down to write this, I find myself feeling satisfied. It might be because I've just scraped the bottom of a bowl of delicious beef stew that was provided by a dear friend. Or it might just be that I've had the privilege of seeing a miracle occur today.

Today, I saw a beautiful little girl with deep brown skin sleep contentedly on crisp white linens. Today, a beautiful little girl with a broken heart, who came into my home from halfway around the world, is resting whole-heartedly by the side of her mother, feeling blood surge through her entire body--from her full, smiling lips to her little-piggy toes--for the first time in her life.

The Lord blessed us with his presence today. Despite a late Tuesday night (during which, I must add, little-big-sister Evelea won 2nd place for the fourth grade in the district-wide math bowl), the children scrambled out of bed with smiles. Okay, no one will believe they actually "scrambled" (after all, it's a weekday...and we all know that kids only "scramble" out of bed one time each week: Saturday mornings), but they did ooze out of bed, into their clothes, to and from the breakfast table, then into their car seats with SMILES on their faces.

So, we arrived to the hospital on time and the Lord (and a few friends--thanks for that) met us there. Therese was joyful and entertaining in the pre-op waiting room. She joked and smiled the entire hour-and-a-half wait. She was cracking up the nurses (and probably irritating not too few cranky old men) as she sang the books of the Bible through a pinched nose, gleefully popped bubbles with her little-big-sis, and cuddled into mommy's lap in a versed-induced stupor. She said "Amen" after we anointed her with oil and prayed for her safety and health. And then Therese blew us away with the firm look of resolve on her face as she was wheeled away, hand-in-hand with a nurse into whose hands we have placed the lives of children now multiple times.

And the surgery proceeded on schedule, without incident, and without complication. We thank God for the mercy he lavished on us today; we thank you for interceding on our behalf. We learned that the occlusion was almost complete (so severe, in fact, that the catheter procedure that we were considering would definitely not have worked--so, again, thank you to those of you who helped pray us through all that decision-making; God's sovereignty was all over this situation) and that the repair was done exactly the way they would have wanted it. And then we watched as her post-op blood pressure stabilized and she dozed peacefully under a bright orange blanket.

When I left the hospital tonight around 7, Therese was still profoundly tired; she awakens only momentarily, but she has been communicative (in English!). No one is concerned about this, and we're not surprised (she reacted similarly following her anesthetized MRI). It could be a long night for Erika, though, especially if Therese finally wakes up very early tomorrow morning. Pray for her--for both of them--in this regard. And pray, also, for Therese's physical endurance: she has been telling us that she is hungry, but she will not be allowed to eat until later in the day on Thursday.

Thank you, dear friends, for your love, support, and prayers. We couldn't be doing this without you or without our God who is, indeed!, MIGHTY TO SAVE.

Blessings.

Casey

Surgery Day Specifics

2011-04-11T13:42:00.001-07:00

Today was Therese's pre-op visit to the hospital. She did a GREAT job enduring two blood tests, a chest x-ray, and visiting with the doctors and nurses. The Child Life staff were wonderful and gave her so many activities to do in the hospital that Therese said "it is like Christmas!".

We found out that her blood pressure is now significantly higher than our last appointment (explaining the worsening of her symptoms!). Her pressures were 210/107. In a normal child her weight and height, her blood pressure should be about 98/59. Yikes! And to think she is on two blood pressure medications already! It is time to fix this heart!

Surgery will begin at 10am on Wednesday. We will arrive at Lutheran General at 9am. They expect the surgery will last 2.5 hours. Most likely she will stay in the hospital for 3-5 days depending on her blood pressure.

Carter came down with a fever on Sunday and has been staying with Casey at my mom's house. Please pray that he feels better and that no one else gets sick, especially Therese.

We are feeling positive and looking forward to getting all this behind us.

I'll keep you posted!

What Does Love Look Like?

2011-04-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

Tensions are beginning to mount in anticipation of Therese's upcoming surgery.

I had a gut-wrenching, yet precious, conversation with Evelea yesterday. She asked me what was the worst thing that could happen during surgery. Before I could answer, she choked out, "well, I guess I know the worst thing". My heart sank and we had a few tears. I reassured her of the expertise of the surgeon and of the need to do the surgery in the first place. Evelea told me that she really doesn't think Therese would die, because God has not prepared her for that, and she just knows He would prepare her for something like that.

Whoa.

Therese has been expressing a mixture of excitement and fear about the surgery. She notifies everyone we encounter of the surgery date- April 13! She is counting down the days- five more! She must have told me six times this evening that she is scared. She also wants the doctor to take a picture of her heart.

Now that surgery is upon us, I am faced with some intrusive thoughts like "why in the world are we doing this again?. Why would we willingly walk down this risky road? Why did we invite this stress into our lives and worse- our kid's lives? How could we do this to them?"

I think I know why.

Because this is what love looks like.

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

I Corinthians 13:7-8b

Because if the roles were reversed, and I couldn't care for my child anymore, and she was left alone, and was sick, I would want someone to help her.

Because we have been blessed so much in this life, how could we withhold a blessing from someone else?

When Casey and I got married, we picked a Bible verse as our mission statement for our marriage:

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48b

Because we know we have been given so very much and we are compelled to share it.

Because I don't want to be the kind of person who sees pain and walks away.

Because I want my kids to be the kind of people who understand what is important in life and have seen what the body of Christ looks like. I want them to say yes to God and be used by God.

Because I don't want my kids to be afraid of pain. I want to them to go near, and persevere, and bring the comfort and love they have been given.

Because I want to see a miracle.

"When I am afraid,

I will trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust;

I will not be afraid."

Psalm 56: 10

Change in Plans

2011-04-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Well, Therese's surgery date has been moved up to April 13th. Since we have been on Spring Break visiting Casey's family in OH, Therese has had a very difficult time going up and down the stairs and has an increase in the pain in her legs. Our cardiology team said we should not wait any longer, and got us the next available date.

Let the prayers begin!

Heart Update

2011-03-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

The decision has been made! Therese will have open heart surgery on May 11th to correct her heart defect- coarctation of the aorta. It will be done at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL by Dr. Ilbawi.

Casey and I had to go through a laborious decision making process to determine what method should be used to correct her heart defect, which surgeon and which hospital. How crazy is it that PARENTS have to make these life altering decisions? In the end, we will be at the same hospital that has time and again saved Carter's life and with the same surgeon. We are comfortable there and have great relationships with the staff. We are so grateful to have such wonderful medical care available to us and we are thrilled to share it with Therese.

"Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me." Psalm 30:2

My prayer this morning is for Therese's birth mother. For a woman who had a child she could not keep. I feel such a glorious obligation to her. I want her to know that her prayers are being answered. How many times did she cry out for her daughter to be healed? How many times did she wish for help that did not come?

We can not imagine how God is answering our prayers, the cries of our hearts. We may not see it, but He is moving. We may only hear silence, but He is orchestrating. I think of the work He started in my heart long ago, in order to bring me to say, "yes" to adopting this girl. I am in awe of His plan. He HEARS us! He ANSWERS prayer! He USES us!

Make a Difference

2011-03-22T19:04:00.001-07:00

These girls are so valuable, but do they know it?

Asseta (above) is 14 years old. She a young teen living in Burkina Faso with her uncle's family. Her home does not have electricity or running water. When she is not in school, she helps in her family's peanut and millet fields.

Micheline (below) is also 14 years old. Micheline lives with her grandmother and she hasn't seen her parents since age four.

Both girls attend the same school my daughter, Therese, used to attend before we adopted her. Both girls need sponsors so that they can keep attending school.

Would you consider sponsoring one of these precious girls? Your sponsorship of $35 per month would provide basic food, clothing, medical care and educational needs. You will able to exchange letters with your sponsored child. This exchange will help your sponsored child to know that she is loved and valued and provide her with hope for her future.

If one of these girls touches your heart, please let me know and I'd be happy to send you more information. If you are interested in sponsoring a child in another part of the world, check out the Compassion International widget on the right side of my blog. Child sponsorships are vital to breaking the cycle of poverty. Be a part of it!

Blog Business

2011-03-19T09:59:00.001-07:00

A few of my sweet readers, okay, maybe just my mom, have asked if they can get my blog posts through email. Well, now you can! Mom, scroll down past the cute pictures of my "followers" and click on the thing that says follow by email.

Love you!

3 Months Home, Part II

2011-03-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

I truly can't believe that three months have passed since our time in Burkina Faso. I think this is my favorite picture from our trip. These precious sisters bonded right from the start. They are walking to church- to worship the Lord together. The same Lord, who from the time He laid the foundations of the earth, knew that someday, they would be sisters.

Can you tell they swapped dresses that morning?

A sister is a gift to the heart,

a friend to the spirit,

a golden thread to the meaning of life.

-Isadora James

3 Months Home

2011-03-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

Praise God- Therese has been home for 3 months! I hope you can read this sweet note Therese wrote one night when she was supposed to be sleeping (but I don't mind a bit!).

"God sets the lonely in families."

Psalm 68:6a

Oh yes, He does!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

What I'm Reading

2011-03-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

I love to read. I have a habit of reading about 6-10 non-fiction books at any given time, and usually one fiction book, as well. I wish I could concentrate on just one thing at a time, but why fight against who I am? In fact, I am looking for a good work of fiction right now. If you have any recommendations, I'm listening.

One book that I highly recommend to any married person is Paul David Tripp's, What Did You Expect?

Forgive the cheesy cover, because it is full of wisdom for any marriage. Even if you are not currently struggling in your marriage, I still whole heartedly recommend this to you. It will challenge you in all your relationships.

The biggest idea I've taken away from the book so far is to view my husband's shortcomings as opportunities to minister to him. My normal response to any fault of my husband's is to only see how it inconveniences me. But to choose to give up my selfishness and instead focus on not only forgiving him, but helping him through it, is frankly, revolutionary!

We are Grafted In

2011-03-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Today I have the privilege to be a guest blogger at We Are Grafted In. If you are an adoptive parent or considering becoming one, you would benefit by reading the stories you will find there. You may already have read my post, The Pout, but stop by and check out all the other great postings!

Fun Friday!

2011-03-11T06:21:00.002-08:00

Cousin It?

Tina Turner?

It's hard to believe if we hadn't adopted, we would have missed all this!

Hope Springs

2011-03-07T06:16:00.000-08:00

Every Spring since I can remember, my mom and I have been on the lookout for the first robin of the season. When that first robin is spotted, we write the date on our calendar and call each other with the good news. Usually, we see our first robin between March 3-12th. That first robin symbolizes hope. Hope of Spring. Hope of New Life. A glorious fresh start.

Around mid-February, I had experienced several disappointments, some small, one large. I was having trouble shaking that feeling of disappointment and I know that if you let disappointment sink into your soul, it quickly turns to bitterness and despair. I reflected on this quote:

The many contradictions in our lives - such as being home while feeling homeless, being busy while feeling bored, being popular while feeling lonely, being believers while feeling many doubts - can frustrate, irritate, and even discourage us. They make us feel that we are never fully present. Every door that opens for us makes us see how many more doors are closed. But there is another response. These same contradictions can bring us into touch with a deeper longing for the fulfillment of a desire that lives beneath all desires and that only God can satisfy. Contradictions, thus understood, create the friction that can help us move toward God.

Henri J. M. Nouwen
from "Bread for the Journey"

I needed God to remind of me of his grace, his very specific grace for me. I asked him to fill up the hurting areas of my heart with his love. And then I dared to ask him for a tangible sign of his love for me. I felt very conflicted asking for this because I do already know that he loves me and he has already shown me in so many beautiful ways. How could I dare ask for more?

A few minutes after praying this prayer, I ran out my back door and was off to my women's Bible study. As I stepped off the back stoop I was startled when 12 robins flew out of the nearby snow covered bushes! 12! robins! on February 15th!

God is interested in our healing. He never disappoints. He can teach is how to live fully in the face of life's disappointments. He even cares about our joy factor. He cares for us.

I Peter 5:7

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Take that, Syndrome!

2011-02-25T14:23:00.001-08:00

My brain is mush. Really, I shouldn't be blogging in this state.

Sometimes, parenting a child with special needs doesn't feel that special. Sometimes it is just plain hard and really, really tiring.

To clarify, everything about Carter is wonderful. Everything about Noonan Syndrome, is not. You know the bad guy on The Incredibles? His name is Syndrome. Some days it kind of hurts my feelings that the bad guy's name is Syndrome, but today it makes sense to me.

What is bringing on all of this emotion? A week filled with Syndrome-related crudiness. On Monday, Carter got fitted for new SMOs (orthotics for his sweet little crooked little feet). For some reason, I am out of sorts the week of Carter getting new SMOs. Why, you say, it's no big deal compared to his heart problems and life threatening allergies! Well, guess what? It is a big deal. It is a big deal that it is hard for him to walk. It is a big deal that he watches his classmates jump off the slide at the park. It is a big deal that at age six he would prefer a stroller to walking any distance and he can't play on the soccer team and he cries because his legs hurt.

Today, Carter went to the eye doctor because his physical therapist noticed he has a lazy eye. I thought I'd be the proactive mom and get this checked out even though I was sure everything was fine. Well, guess what? It wasn't fine. He is legally blind (and worse in the non-lazy eye) and has no depth perception and needs surgery to correct the lazy eye and even that won't fix it because of the shape of his skull making his eyes not able to line up. Not so much what I was expecting to hear.

You might think "how did she not know he couldn't see?". One answer- kids are great at over-compensating so she wouldn't know. Another answer- she's been a little busy between the seizures, hearing aids, orthotics, pacemaker, endocrinology visits, immune system suppression issues, physical therapy, OT, PT, asthma, IEP meetings and allergy stuff.

If you know me at all, you know I am crazy in love with Carter (who isn't?). Most days I handle all the syndrome stuff in stride and there are weeks it hardly affects us. Most days I rise to the challenge of it all and even take pride in showing other people how truly great life is with a child with special needs in your life. But in the spirit of authenticity, I needed you to know that I have hard days, too.

And you know the amazing part? Carter is rarely down. And when he is, he is over it quickly. And when I see that smile, especially the one that comes after the storm, I know I can smile, too.

And you know what else? Carter is WAY more Dash than Syndrome.

LAPS of Love Update

2011-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Freeman Fourth Graders and Teachers!

You made LAPS of Love a huge success! Together, these students raised $2100. That will go a long way to further the education of students in Burkina Faso. More than that, you showed students in need that you care about them and that they are worthy of an education.

Radical

2011-02-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

If this video doesn't get your heart pumping, nothing will!

Radical by David Platt from Taylor Robinson on Vimeo.

Adoption Low- THE POUT

2011-02-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

THE POUT has descended.

Are you an adoptive parent? Then you KNOW what I am talking about. I don't think I've ever met an adoptive parent who has not encountered THE POUT.

For those of you unfamiliar with THE POUT, let me attempt to describe it.

What THE POUT looks like:

Child presents with mouth firmly shut with lower lip protruding. Often, arms are crossed. Head, may be down on tabletop or cocked to the side. Eyes emitting either look of death at parent, or oddly vacant with zero eye contact. In younger children, tummy may be pushed forward. In tween, hands on hips, hips forward, or arms crossed, hips forward. Feet are firmly planted to the floor.

Origin:

Child's expectation of how adoptive parent should or should not respond to their desire (desire may be spoken or unspoken) has not been met in part, or in full.

What THE POUT is meant to communicate:

You brought me all the way from _________ (fill in country of origin) for THIS?

Psychological effect on the adoptive parent:

Irritability, helplessness, loss of rationality. THE POUT may cause all prior adoption training to go out the window.

Suggested Treatment:

During seasons of chronic POUTing, primary caregiver must take regular breaks for times of refreshment with whatever fills you up, i.e., coffee with friends, exercise, Bible study. It also helps if you can find the humor in the midst of a particularly potent POUT. Find a friend who knows the POUT and can talk you down. You may not want to hear this, but if you take the time to find out what is fueling THE POUT, you will, in time, eliminate THE POUT. Remember, there is more to THE POUT than meets the eye. It represents something- grief, loss of control, fear, etc. Good news- THE POUT is NOT fatal to child or parent (though at times it feels like it might be!).

Heart Update

2011-02-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

After consulting with several cardiologists, it looks like Therese's heart will be fixed via open-heart surgery. We had hoped the coarctation could be fixed through a catheter procedure, but after careful evaluation, that does not seem to be the way to go. Using the catheter would require two or more procedures and still might not fix the problem. We like the idea of fixing the problem once and for all, which should be the case if we go the open-heart route.

We will most likely hear from the surgeon this week, set up the consultation and get a date on the books for the procedure. Therese will have the same surgeon as Carter had for his surgeries, but the surgery will occur at Hope Children's Hospital (part of Christ Hospital) instead of Lutheran General. We were looking forward to seeing our old buddies at Lutheran and taking comfort that we know that hospital like the back of our hand, but Hope is where they do this particular surgery.

We don't know yet if Therese's surgery will be in February, but that would be another cool heart connection if that turns out to be the case. You see, four years ago this Valentine's Day, we brought Carter home from the hospital for the last time after six heart surgeries.

Four years ago I would have NEVER predicted that this Valentine's Day we would be celebrating four hospital free years (for heart surgery reasons anyway!), but also LAPS of Love. My two fourth grade daughters and their classmates walking the school yard together to raise money for a new classroom and supplies in Burkina Faso. SO much has happened in these four years. The number of our children has doubled, as well as the size of our hearts!

L.A.P.S. of Love

2011-02-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

I couldn't be more excited to share this news with you!

The Fourth Grade students at Freeman School will be celebrating Valentine's Day by sharing their love with students in Burkina Faso, West Africa, by hosting L.A.P.S. for Love. L.A.P.S. for Love stands for Let's All Provide Supplies. The students will be walking four laps around their school yard to raise funds to build another classroom to Therese's former school in Yako, Burkina Faso.

Some items they are hoping to provide include:

A desk shared by two students- $16

Text book containing math, reading, science and history- $24

Temporary wall made of Seiko (woven grass)- $100

Teacher salary for one month- $120

You can sponsor a student per lap, or a flat out donation. If you'd like to contribute, leave a comment on my blog or email me at esolgos@gmail.com

The children in the photo are Therese's former classmates. Let's show them that we care!

Note: Parents of Freeman fourth graders- don't worry, you didn't miss anything. You'll be getting all the info soon!

A Wild and Crazy Family

2011-02-01T06:40:00.001-08:00

How fun is this? Taught my girl to knit! She picked the orange- nice and cheery for this time of year!

They Get It

2011-01-31T08:28:00.000-08:00

Evelea turned ten last week. For her party, she decided to invite her friends to a packing session at Feed My Starving Children. Together with the other volunteers, they packed enough meals to feed 30 children for a whole year. Amazing!

When I tucked Evelea in bed that night, she said, "Mommy, I get it, I think we live so we can help others live". We proceeded to have an incredible discussion about her plans to spread this message to her world. I LOVE this girl. I am amazed, and yet not, because I know her life is fully surrendered to Christ and that is what happens with a fully surrendered heart.

I have no words to express how I felt watching Therese enthusiastically pack meals that will feed children who are desperate, just like she once was. It was holy ground. Holy.

EASY Activism

2011-01-19T07:33:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Starbucks offers a re-loadable gift card that every time you use it, 5 Cents goes to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa?

Now, of course it would be better to forgo your latte and just donate that $4 directly to a cause that fights AIDS, but let's face it, we all crave a latte once in awhile. Plus, when you register your gift card online, you get free soy milk and/or flavor shots when you order your beverage- how cool is that?

Engage promo

2011-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Lifesong Update

2011-01-17T06:55:00.001-08:00

William from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

Six year-old William once asked his mother, “Why do other children walk on the bottoms of their feet? Why am I like this? What did you do to me?” When she told him that it was God who did it, not her, William said, “Then please tell God to fix me.”
William was born with clubfoot, affecting both of his feet. If William had been born in America this common deformity would have been easily fixed when he was still a baby. But in Zambia it’s a different story. In Zambia, where the resources are few and the funds are even fewer, healing is only a distant dream.

Last February Lifesong Zambia coordinator, Dru Smith wrote about William in her newsletter. When Wendy in Illinois heard his story she was prompted to act. After a thorough investigation she discovered CURE Clubfoot International, which had a clinic in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia! In April William was fitted for casts (first in a series of 3) and then had corrective surgery on his right foot in June and his left foot in September (the video was taken in September just before his second surgery).
God used His people to “fix” William. Today William can walk! Soon he will be strong enough to return to school, play with the other children, and be able to do many of the simple tasks we take for granted!

Through this journey the Lifesong staff has been able to help not only William, but his family as well. William’s brother, Bright, and cousin, Gift, have both been enrolled at Lifesong school. In addition his father, Victor, who was unemployeed now works in the Lifesong gardens! We’re so thankful our God is the master at doing “abundantly and immeasurably more” than we even think to ask!

*Find out more about Blogging for Orphans here.

Therese's Homecoming Video

2011-01-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a video that the Beacon News photographer, Brian Powers, made of our family's adoption "homecoming story":

From Africa to Aurora from Brian Powers on Vimeo.