"SCRIPTURE" by our little Congolese Boy....

Daddy Roger has been working on reading Scripture each night at suppertime. Israel refers to it as "The Black Book."  We've also been doing a Bible story plus a "fun" story, prayers and songs at bedtime. From time to time during the day, I have been using the Scripture to back up our "rules" in our home. Sometimes, it works.....

Tonight, Roger asked the kids what verses they have been working on or remembering in their daily lives. The teenagers were a bit more hesitant but six year old Israel spoke up readily.

"Don't let the Devil down when you're ANGRY!" he proudly "quoted."

There was quite a silence around the table...Israel was soooo happy that he "remembered"....but soon the giggles broke out. He wasn't sure why we were laughing at him and I said, "You make us really happy!" and he was pleased with that response.

Yeah, we did have to help him out a bit and tell him the REAL verse...Ephesians 4:26 "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath..."

He surprised us with the NEXT verse he remembered...in NIV "Ephesians 4:27 "Do not give the Devil a foothold."

We worked on that one last week. I had explained to him what a "foothold" was...like the climbing wall at the park. 15 year old Gideon further explained it as someone trying to get into your house and puts their foot in the door so you can't close it.

Later that "Bible time", Roger asked what we all got from the passage and Israel said, "Don't let the Devil get a foothold in your life or he will show up at your door!" I HOPE I explained that one enough that he no longer worries that the Devil will be showing up anytime soon.....

It's going to take a while for this little "Jewish Congolese" boy to understand....but he's getting there!

Blessings,
Beth

Our Boy Israel!!

For those of you who have been following our adoption story, our little guy is HOME! As I am sure you can imagine, this week has been crazy but great! Not only did we travel to go get Israel, spent three days with him, travel back, get kids ready for the 4H fair, have Roger give the eulogy for a dear friend's funeral, we are also all getting used to each other!

He is absolutely wonderful...just wonderful!
He is a typical six year old little boy but he has been through some terrible terrible things. The first few days he was really concerned that he had to save any money he might find to buy food. I think he is ok with the food supply we have now but he is REALLY concerned with his new Mommy and Daddy dying. In fact, he asked what would happen if we died and I told him that I don't think we are going to die anytime soon and not to worry about it but that IF something were to happen, we have made plans for son Danny and his wife Erin to take care of him. So...he said, "Can I have their phone number in case you die?"

Ok...gotta admit, it WAS funny but it also is a sad thing for him to worry about these things. I told him that the police and fire department would take care of him until Danny and Erin could drive here!

He also said that he is worried that he will have to find yet ANOTHER home and family. I told him "NO WAY!"  But since he doesn't necessarily think the way a child who has not been traumatized would think, I told him that we love him, are committed to him AND we have already painted and decorated his room just for him! (I know that sounds strange to you and me but he hasn't said another thing about it. Sometimes I think that he needs reassurance in lots of different ways...after all, another family said he was "home" too and they gave him up. So I thought that maybe the"We have a  room just for Israel" would be a different approach. After all, no one else ever gave him a room just for him with his favorite things! I thought it was worth a try! It seemed to work!)

Well...he is pretty hungry right now and I have some of his favorite things ready for him.

Oh, I love being a "Mommy" again!!!

Blessings,
Beth

"Get Him" Day!!

We leave first thing Thursday morning (July 12) to drive to northern Wisconsin to pick up our little boy! It's about a ten hour drive from here so by evening we should have our boy! I'm pretty nervous at this point. I hope he will like us! I know that he has spent time with us on a few occasions but leaving with us is a completely different thing!

Keep us in your prayers if you think of it...we should be returning late on Sunday and signing the papers on Monday! ( We were told we were to sign them today but the lawyers changed their minds!)

Blessings,
Beth

More Adoption News!!

We sign the papers on Wednesday....the original adoptive parents sign away their rights and we sign for our rights to adopt Israel. Kind of a bittersweet day, I guess...Great for us...sad for his previous adoptive father who really hates this whole thing.

I talked to our little Israel by phone last week and told him that we were thinking about him ALL the time! He asked, "Why are you thinking about me so much?"

Wow....if he only knew how committed we are to him and are loving him already....I think he just doesn't understand. I don't think he can understand that we love him before he loves us and that we want to be his family and give him all that we can give him....love, security, a home...

I've been thinking about that a lot this weekend. I realize that WE as humans are incapable of understanding the vastness of God's love for us...even before we love HIM....that He would die for us. Amazing. Like Israel, we just don't understand it yet. Hopefully Israel will comprehend our love for him even though we can not fully comprehend God's love for us!

I'll keep you updated...he should be joining us soon!!

Blessings,
Beth