To the Waiting Families...

I have been receiving emails this week from Rwanda waiting parents. I am so blown away by the response from my last post. Thank you first of all for even reading my ramblings. You put things out here into space and never know if anyone other then your friends and family are listening. I hope that sharing my life in Rwanda is helping you cope with the wait and I guess it is.

One of the major reasons that I wanted to take the huge leap of faith and move to Rwanda was to do just this. I want to be able to be sort of a bridge for waiting families to their children here. I know that when we were waiting for Emma I would have done anything to know where she was and what her life was like. As I said before, it really is a blessing for parents to know where their child is. You can pray so specifically for that child. I hope that I can help you to understand the culture and the people here. That was so important to us when adopting from China. When we landed in Beijing we felt sort of at home because we had read and studied so much about the place and the people. It really felt like the only connection I had to Emma and her birth family during the wait. Sort of my way of trying to understand her birthmom I guess.

I am trying to be that sort of link for you. There are those really dark horrible gut wrenching days when all you want to do is get on a plane and get your baby. You just need some sort of connection to your baby. My desire is to be a comfort to you. Know that there are 3 adoptive mommies loving on your baby every Tuesday afternoon in a dark room with light blue walls and cream colored cribs. We have felt every single thing that you have felt through your wait. We know what you are thinking and understand. Know that we are praying for your child when we hold him and we are praying for you, too. Know that we are cheering them on when they pull themselves up in their cribs, when they stand on a blue mat and try to dance to the music, when they clap and make adorable baby noises. Someone is paying attention. That was hard for me. I don't really know what Emma's life was like. I don't know how much she was paid attention to. I want to be your hands and heart until you arrive to bring your baby home.

And I pray that happens soon.