We've been met with lots of challenges and have been without a computer for a while. We finally broke down and purchased a new one. Not something I wanted to do right now, but it was certainly needed for homework purposes since our old one, 2003 model, contracted a mean old virus and can not be used anymore. I have not been able to access any of my e-mails since late Nov./early Dec. so I had to get a new one of those too.
Oh what to say about our daughter Faith. I knew her name was to be Faith for a reason. Every day I'm reminded of our walk, just by her name. Wow . . it's been a whirlwind, but a good one. You know how tumbleweeds will sit and then a gust of wind gets behind one and blows it all over the place, well that's kinda how it's been with Faith's progress/transition. As I said, everything is in God's timing (we just have to remember that). Faith goes about everything in her own little way, as she should. She's 13 years old and has been raised halfway around the world. She's lived in an orphanage and with two foster families. We all raise our kids differently, I call it investing, and so all our kids turn out differently, right? And they all have their own unique little personalities too. My challenge is giving her her time to grow and change and develop and learn her new family, lifestyle, & school. We live at such a fast pace that sometimes we just have to stop and slow down. If anything, I've learned to stop and slow down through this whole walk and especially now. It takes Faith a while to catch on. But when she does, she's like that tumbleweed, she's on the move and that brain starts working. Let me explain - - we've gone from no self confidence, no independence, and a I can't/ don't know mentality to a willful I can attitude.
Once school started, Faith is in 7th grade but in 6th grade ESL, just where she needs to be, It was hard to even get her out of the bed. We struggled on what to wear (she wanted me to pick it out and would not make a decision) and she dragged through the house (slow, slow), to the van, and out of the van to the bus, onto her bus seat. She would also get up saying "I sick, no school today". (HA) I would say "no fever, yes school today". I'm in contact with her teacher too. Faith has made a few trips to the school nurse. Anyway, I have had to assure her that she's not sick. So far we haven't missed a day of school. We've had to work some things out at school like moving her locker into the 6th grade corridor. I just don't know why kids have to be so stinkin mean. Since we've moved lockers, things are much better. Now, fast forward to today - - Faith picks out her cloths at night for school the next day along with a hair accessory and sometimes jewelry. And I assure her of how cute she looks. And she does look cute!! Her confidence has grown with leaps and bounds. She gets her clothes on, brushes her teeth, eats and is out the door without any incident. What a change? She could barely do simple addition in math and now can add, subtract and knows her multiplication table 1 to 12 and is doing some division. Oh my!!!! And she does it on her own without complaining. That's another post!!
I've had several conversations with Faith. One was around her constantly saying "I can't" and "I don't wanna".
She's learned enough English that we can have a conversation now. Some may not agree to this, but I told her about her adoption story, how we came to adopt her, how it was God's plan, how so many people helped us bring her home and rally behind us, prayer, and how I didn't give up. If I had said "I can't", she would still be in China. Since then, I haven't heard "I can't" anymore. In China she told me she was told she was crazy. And she was saying "I can't" because of her brain. It breaks my heart. She had a brain injury as an infant, sequale. I've explained to her that she's very smart and pointed out everything she has learned so far in such a smart time. Learning takes a lot of work. The sad reason to why she is so behind is her eyesight.
She sees less than 20/50 and 20/70. Once we got her new glasses they still weren't strong enough and we had to go back for an adjustment. Why should a child go 12 years without glasse?. One reason she couldn't learn is because she couldn't see. Since she's had her glasses, she is doing so well. It's amazing what glasses can do. I truly believe she could have gone to regular school in China if she had just had glasses. It will take lots of time, but now she has the opportunity to one day catch up to her peers in school. We're in no hurry. All in His time.
Faith's 13th birthday. She loved the celebration!!!! We did tooo!!
Christmas morning!
Christmas 2012
Em, Faith, Jacob, and Mags with
Biscuit (adopted from our animal shelter)
So when I look at how far Faith has come, I know that its all in God's perfect timing.
All adoptions are different. Transitions are different. No two adoptions are the same.
"there's a time for everything
and a season for every activity under the heavens
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."
Ecclesiastes 3
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