The Rest of the Story

April 6, 2012

We were up at 1 am to get ready for airport ride and now it’s about 4am and we are in the airplane about to take off.  This is the first flight Sue and I are separated on.  We are heading to Turkey for a short lay over and even shorter now because we took off late.  Sue and I are both very excited about the work to do at home and knowing that I am returning with Fox River trip in June so not too hard to leave this time. 

I remember the times when I first came to Kenya and I would be so upset leaving.  I would be so upset crying when we got to the airport knowing I had to leave, not knowing why or what I was to do in Kenya and also not knowing if I would ever be back.  The trips are not cheap to get there and I have to fund raise, collect cans, sacrifice things like haircuts and other things to save what I can to get here every time.   And I never knew if I was coming back or not.  I remember a time after the second trip here leaving rather donate the $3500 every summer to the kids of Kenya than wasting it going back and forth, I just didn’t see any purpose. 

That brings me back to my first trip to Kenya.  After that trip, I knew God was leading me back to what I always wanted to be growing up- a day care worker.  I remember the exact moment in July 2008 sitting on the ground in Bomani playing with the baby class that I was assigned to for the morning.  I was sitting and there were 10 kids – one holding each of my fingers, 5 kids literally sitting on my lap and about 7 more playing with my hair which to them is just crazy looking (they don’t have any blondes in Kenya and most people don’t have much hair at all) and it feels so weriod, and I thought to myself – why would I not want to do this for the rest of my life.  Sit with kids and have fun and teach them.  The brought back my dreams as a child of the same career.  So one month after I returned, I closed my private law office practice and opened a home day care.  The rest, as they say, is history.  I’m still doing that and loving every day of working with the kids and teaching them.   I took the little more expensive route of law school and a few trips to Kenya, but God got me back on track!  

During the fall of 2009, I knew there was something going on with adoption, but I didn’t know what that meant.  Fox River Church had done an adoption event for children in the Philipines that was encouraging people to see the kids that were available for adoption that were getting close to the age where they were too old to be adopted out.  There were a few other ways that adoption had come across my path that month as well.  I have always had adoption as a big part of my life. My late aunt Karen was such an example of adoption.  She had adopted 5 kids over the years and took in many, many more foster children.  I always looked up to her and the work she did.  In fact, in my essay to get into law school, I wrote all about her and how I wanted to be the lawyer that represented children in the courtroom.  (I think that is what got me into law school, because it certainly was not my B- bearly grades in undergrad.)   So I thank my aunt Karen for that.   While in practice, I did represent kids and parents in family actions for many years after law school and loved the work I was doing.  

So in November 2009 and some changes were happening in my business that left me a lot of free time and also wondering if God was leading me back into law or to stay in day care.  I spent all that time praying and praying about why God was sending me to Kenya and back again. After about one month of praying and journaling every afternoon for a few hours, God made the connection for me finally, after what felt like 10 years (which was actually only 1.5 years).   God-filled in the gap that He wanted me to use my law degree, child care field, and undergraduate psychologist degree to reach out to the people and government of Kenya to facilitate adoptions.  I, of course, assumed that meant international adoptions at the time.  I did some random searched on adoption and international adoption and Kenya and then the next summer I asked Pastor Alan if he knew any lawyers that did adoption work and that lead me to someone that lead me to Vicky and then Vicky lead me to Hellen and Hellen had the same vision of making adoptions more prevalent and accepted in Kenya.  

This trip has been the bringing together of a lot of years of work half way around the world, developing so many more relationships, and identifying so needs that can be easily filled.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store next.   One more post tomorrow!   Thank you all for taking the time to read this, it makes it worthwhile.  An extra special thank you to those who have messaged me or called me.  It helps to keep me going and it means more than you will know.   Till tomorrow...