Family 2013

Family 2013
Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The glamor of it all


Guess what? Did you know that some people think adopting is glamorous and oh so exciting. Some folks think it is kinda  like a mini vacation they say.  That those of us going across oceans to adopt these beautiful forgotten babies and children are selfish. Yeah- not so much.  This is a journey. A mission. We have been stretched and grown and twisted and molded into what God has ordained for our lives. We are on a path to give this sweet boy back his life.  To save a little soul. Now it can be exciting, some of the time. Also it is amazing and eye opening and soul stirring. And it is humbling and touching and sweet and spiritual and painful and boring and oh so stressful. Glamorous not so much. Especially in  90 plus heat, so cramped from driving in a car all.day.long that your legs and bottom are numb, while chasing that one elusive paper or signature that holds your future in its tiny little metaphorical hand . That one person who you find yourself praying is in their office, in a good mood, willing to help while you drive another hour in the opposite direction at 120-130 kilometers an hour. With the windows down. So hot.  So thirsty yet afraid or plain unwilling to drink more than a few sips of water for fear the next bathroom you encounter will be yet another squat potty. Yes a squat potty. Some are actually NOT inside. Oh this is 2012 you think! Well not here folks. These people (who are very brave )are still back in another century bless them. No, these bathrooms are out back in the fresh (gag) air in what we know as “out houses” IF you find a bathroom inside it may be a squat potty (which for the innocent out there is  basically a hole in the ground with either some wood or tile around the lovely hole) or it may be an actual toilet bowl! Score!! You  think. Sorry, it may not have a seat which now makes it a TALL squat potty because you DO NOT want to sit down on it. TRUST me.  You will be forced to do a variation of the “squat” while trying to relax enough to umm pee. Not as easy as you think J  If you need to do anything else , well God bless you! I will hold it until I burst! I have been building up my thigh muscles quite a bit using the tall squat potty at the orphanage though. Requires a variation of the ‘squat’ and pushing againse the walls with both hands. Sounds fun no?  But the torture is that the  camp which is 90 minutes away has an actual real toilet! Inside ! With a seat and all !  It’s a game to hold it until we reach the camp part of our outings! Gotta have fun where you can.  I have NOT used the on the floor squat potty yet.   My daughter did and was all kinds of horrified, which I found hilarious! OH don’t forget your toilet paper or tissues!! It is not readily available in bathrooms. Weird right?  We Americans are such prudes ;)  I bet you would like pictures huh? I only have one , of the scary industrial Sleeper train bathroom. Yes it is as cold and gross in person. Just IMAGINE the smell.  No grosser, no grosser yet. Yup THAT gross J I promise to have my husband take the camera in the bathroom with him next time :)
 Thats my foot just in case you think I made this up ;) This train is most likely 50 plus years old. Its a joy really. 12 hours of rocking, creaking, crashing, banging, hitting cow like noises. All. night. long.
The entire bathroom is all kinds of hard metal surfaces so IF you lose your balance while the train is rocking back and forth or slamming forward and backwards, and you fall or hit your head ...well good luck to ya ! Survival of the fittest here folks!
 
More soon!
xoxo

2 comments:

Denise at One Little Starfish said...

I couldn't have said it better. We just arrived home from our first trip. I leave again 6 days for Gotcha day. This was not a vacation. It was a mission and not at all glamorous.

Unknown said...

I feel the need to adopt a kid like the ones you speak about. I wish I could adopt one now. I will when I'm older though. For sure

"...Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows that we know, and holds us responsible to ACT..." Proverbs 24:12

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -(Mahatma Gandhi)