About the picture below and more......

It is hard to describe what a difficult transition back to the land of plenty this has been. Please do not misunderstand.....I know we have orphans, poor and helpless right here in my little speck of the world........but I miss being a part of these childrens' daily lives. I am grateful that I live in the USA.......still I hope to go back.

TaraTip is a child that I hope I always remember to pray for....I think of her and the other children. I think (now that it is a 12 hr difference in time) that when I am waking up it is their afternoon .....I get up @ 4am for work days. I think as I am having dinner; they are at school...it is the start of "tomorrow" (they are ahead of us), what things are they learning?......I picture the 2 orphanages and the kids in them.......coloring, making beaded bracelets, playing with the Matchbox cars we gave them, playing with the dogs, the girls in Thailand weaving purses.....the boys in Thailand cleaning up the brush on the land they live....making it a safer place.....the older children in the Cambodia orphanage helping the younger by dishing out dinner for them...... quite warming thoughts.

Here is what I hope.....and this is a selfish thought.....I hope Taratip remembers me too....I hope I get to see her again....but I hope that somehow we have touched each others' lives....I hope she will come to know that in addition to the awesome God that loves and provides for her that there is a woman in Columbus, Ohio that thinks of her, prays for her, wonders what she will look like as she grows, what will her personality be?.....what will her interests be?........will she stay in Thailand her whole life? Will I ever see her again? I hope she is safe and grows strong..........this must be what a parent feels. I am not sure if I will ever be a parent or not....I want to adopt, it has been a calling on my heart for years now......I also want to have a child of our own.....I believe it will be part of our future (me and Gary). This little one has moved my heart and I love it!

Of course I cannot forget the picture of Sok Heang that is on my fridge......every day I see her. She is such a bright little girl......and full of spunk! I remember her standing there as we were leaving.....she was wearing the red dress that my sister had sent over.....a lot of the girls were wearing the clothes Jodi had sent...and some I had purchased. It was such a sweet blessing that they had been dressed in the clothes I brought. I want to hug them all again.

Me and TaraTip......what a reminder.......