Lessons from a Bike Ride

As I mentioned earlier on, I started this blog after reading those of other families adopting from Guatemala. Two of my favorites are:
hudsonsstory.blogspot.com
adventuresinadoption.blogspot.com
Each of these have posted video of trips to visit their children they are waiting to bring home that are especially moving. I am so excited to meet Ellie and bring her into our family, but these blogs remind me that we will have to go through some tough stuff in order to do that. I am almost relieved that we are only waiting for a referral not waiting to bring a little one home. However, as I told Austin on our bike ride today, life is not always easy and sometimes you have to do the harder things to be challenged to get better. For Austin, those harder things are hills and skinned elbows and for Daniel and I, it will be leaving our daughter in another country (among many others). Austin will gain confidence and independence in riding a two-wheeler, and we will gain a daughter, to be forever part of our family, closeness to each other, and greater depth and maturity in our walk with the Lord.

Passing the Torch

A few weeks ago, my husband's grandfather passed away. It is sad to think of going to Arkansas and not be greeted by him when we arrive at his home. (Though, it has been several years since this happened.) He would always smile at me and call me "Suzy" (as all of the married in women were called). He remembered meeting my family at our wedding and would ask about them. His passing was a blessing, as he had been living in a nursing home for about two years and had declined in health. He missed being at home and doing his "puttering" about the yard and garage. The main reason we rejoice in his death, was the knowledge that he had placed his faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of his sin and in a since had gone home to the best possible place.

As a pastor and grandson, Daniel was asked to preform part of the funeral ceremony. Today, we received a letter in the mail written by his aunt from the all the children of Grandpa Bennett. In it, thanks are mentioned for what Daniel said and help given during the days around the funeral. Also, it explained that the siblings have generously decided to contribute to our adoption effort. I was most touched (to put it lightly...I have cried every time I read it) by the following lines:

"Grandpa would want to have a say in this, one last time, to let you know that he loves you and appreciates all that you are doing in the world...May it be a symbol of the continuity of family and the passing of the torch from Grandpa, upon his homegoing, to this newest member of the Bennett family, at her homecoming. May it be an affirmation that family love extends beyond the boundaries of bloodline and binds us ever and always to one another."

What a blessing the words were to me as one who receives this love, beyond the boundaries of bloodline, and the way I know that Ellie will be loved as well. Furthermore, I am so grateful for extended family that has passed on their faith to those who follow. Our family ties are deeper through our unity in Christ. I praise The Father for the Godly heritage that Daniel and I have and pray for perseverance in our own faith to continue to pass on that heritage to our children.

What's in a Name?

Why are we calling her "Ellie"? Daniel and I have long been fans of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. I became engaged to married to a Bennett while I was reading the book for an English class in college. One of the lesser reasons we liked the name "Austin" was because of this fine author. When Noah was born, we did not know the gender of the baby before hand. This was also the summer that the newest movie version of the book was released. We thought it would be wrong to have the last name "Bennett" and not name a girl Elizabeth. So Elizabeth was the girl name we had for Noah, which obviously went unused. Some friends at church had shortened their daughter named Elizabeth to "Ellie", which I thought was a great nickname and more unusual than other shortenings. After seeking permission to "borrow" the name, Elizabeth (or "Ellie") Bennett was decided on. I think the literal meaning "consecrated to God" was appropriate for this little one that will come into our family by the visible direction of the hand of God. We would possibly like to use her Guatemalan given name for a middle name.

Still Number Six...

I was hopeful that we would have moved up on the list in the last two weeks, but we are still number 6 for a baby girl. In the previous two weeks, we had moved from 10 to 6. I have been trying to be patient and give the agency at least two weeks before I bugged them again, but I only made it 13 days...:)! For now, I am assured that our little Ellie has not been born yet, so we will just keep waiting and praying for her! This is the view from the orphanage.

Why Start ANOTHER Blog?

I started this blog after reading blogs of other mothers further along in the adoption process than we are. They were very helpful for understanding what happens after a referral (getting matched with a specific child) on the Guatemala end. I thought you, our family and friends, would benefit from the more "technical stuff" and possibly feel more deeply connected to the journey. Despite rumors on other blogs, this is not a competition in blogging, as I make no guarantees that you will find this entertaining (as my husband's blog usually is), just hopefully helpful and maybe interesting.