Atlanta

Wow, thanks for all the comments about the adoption. I knew this had been a long process, but I calculated the whole thing out the other day and it has been four years and four months since we started. Can you believe that? Plus, I'm more nervous about this homestudy than I was about the first one. What's up with that?

It has something to do with our rental home. It's not horrible, by any means, but it does have its issues. Our neighbors on one side smoke pot and lately have taken to playing their music very loudly. They have four children and her 22 year-old brother living with them. They also profess to be pagans. On the other side is a single woman and her four children with two different fathers. Her ex-husband was abusive and has taken to abducting (yes, taking them without legal permission) the children lately. This evening the two of them had a blow-out fight in the parking lot about money. They started the fight when he came to pick up the children (so they were present) and then he came back without the children, but with his mother, to finish it. I was very worried he was going to hurt her, but she went into the house before anything could happen.

She is a Christian and I believe God is working in her life to deal with everything that is happening. She comes over and hangs out with me sometimes, and her children LOVE playing with Sam (inside and outside my home). The other family is a bit more distant, but I have been able to make a connection with them as well.

Needless to say, there is a lot going on and I need a bit of a break from it, which is why Sam and I are driving to Atlanta tomorrow to hang with my aunt and her family. We'll stay until Tuesday. I believe it will pass the time without Bill being here a little faster.

The great news of the day is two-fold. One - the contract on the house is signed! We have a close-date of July 15th. Yeah!! Two - an adoption agency based out of Greensboro has agreed to do a partial (updated) homestudy for us! They seem very helpful, even with our unusual circumstances.

Bill is in Indonesia today - Bali, to be exact. They are doing an Operation Christmas Child (OCC)distribution! He is excited about it - because he finally gets to see the impoverished children receiving the tangible love of Christ up close. All of you who packed shoeboxes for OCC - I am going to have some awesome pictures for you to see the children who receive your boxes.

We're off early tomorrow morning.