Orphanage Celebration

Today was a busy and emotional day. Heather's time with Ana was short yesterday, but she had the whole day today from 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM to bond, connect, love each other. They are sooooo sweet together, MY GIRLS LOL. They giggle, tickle each other, make faces and communicate any way they can to bridge the language barrier. Ana said Heather looks just like her only taller. She already loves Heather, it is so precious to see them together. Ana doesn't leave her side she introduces her to every one as "SISTER". She holds her hand, skips along beside her, hugs her and cuddles her non stop. When she looks into Heather's eyes and says, "Sister, I love you!" Heather melts and her eyes well up with tears. She says she can't believe how much she loves Ana already and how easily her heart melts everytime she looks at her little sister. Today Ana was also showing off the pictures of her brothers: Isaac, Heath, Ryan and Russie. She definately has Isaac connected as a brother (probably because she spoke with him on the phone and loves the pictures of him and Heather together especially the one where him and dad are each kissing Heather on a cheek while she makes a funny face) and now she is starting to get the others. She has a big family to get to know. Explaining who all the brothers, their wives and children are is a bit confusing right now for her.
We left early this morning for a 2 hour drive with Ana, Syvette, Andre, Heather and I to the capital city of the region to apply for Ana's passport. Yesterday and today were both days of completing much paper work and getting docments signed and legalized. We had lunch in the city together after applying for the birth certificate then went to the SDA in Kyvi Rig to get one of the directors to go with us to the orphanage to sign more papers with the director there. After all the paperwork it was time to attend a CELEBRATION. The 16 girls in Ana's group and their tecaher planned a celebration for Ana andSyvette, Heather, the orphanage director and I were the guests of honor. The children had choreographed dances to music, sang songs, gave gifts (I cried as we all received gifts, they have so little but gave so generously to us from their hearts with joy), read journal entries for Ana and said their good byes. We ate lots of food; we purchased pizza, juice and cake for everyone to share. We made toasts,we cried. We purchased cross necklaces for each for the girls and told them that our prayer for their life was that they would find families that love them as much as we do Ana and that I want them to remember everytime they lookmat their cross neckalces that they have a heavenly father that loves them so very much and that He is always with them and will never leave them. It was bitersweet. MANY tears were shed. I rejoice for Ana and her future but my heart aches for the other children. They so very desperately want a family of their own. The longer we are here and the more we get to know everyone the more we learn how the ONLY hope for these children is to find families to adopt them. Graduating at 16 from the orphanage with no family, home, job, place to live and no one to help them get started creates an impossible and dire future for these innocent souls. I wept as they celebrated for Ana knowing how much they long for a family of there own. A place to belong and someone to love them. I wish I could take them all home! The scripture tells us that God's desire is for us to care for the fatherless and the widows AKA the orphans. I am so convicted by this call. My desire is to help other children , not just Ana. We have a wonderful opportunity tomorrow. We have recieved permission to go to the orphanage to meet children who are adoptable, to take pictures of them, gather information and get to know them a little. Then we will be working with David to establish a hosting program in PA for these children to try to find families willing to open their hearts to them. With a program in CA on the west coast and PA on the east coast it is our prayer that more familes will have the opportunity to host a child and consider adoption.