A Whole Year Later....

I apologize for being gone so long.  A lot has happened since my last post.  I was very angry then.  And hurt.  I've been planning to blog for about a month now, but I just haven't gotten around to it.  This is past due.

Less than a month after my last post, Chris and I began a process of healing.  However, we didn't know it at the time.  Chris was coaching a new AAU team.  Our original team was graduating high school, and Chris had a few kids who were high school juniors who needed a team.  Two of those boys were Ade and John Paul.  Those of you who are close to us know those names.  If you don't know those names, then keep reading.

Immediately, Chris and I felt attached to Ade and John Paul.  They played high school basketball with one of the team members from our original team.  Ade is from Nigeria and John Paul is from Saint Lucia.  We met them in March, and they started confiding in us about some of the unbelievable things that were happening to them.  Instead of going into details, just trust me that they were living in less than desirable living conditions.  We offered for them to live with us, and we'd help them find a new school.  They took our offer, and we became an instant family.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to find the boys a school nearby, even though my husband and I called around and interviewed with multiple schools.  The local schools weren't qualified to accept foreign students.  So, Chris found a school in Indiana.  Since they've been gone, we have been able to bring them home and go on college visits, but we really miss having them at home. 

Chris and I have fallen in love with these boys as if they were our own.  The last year hasn't been the easiest thing for us, but these boys have made me feel like a mother, which is something I've wanted for a long time.  I can't wait to bring them home in June before they move into college. 

I am forever grateful for their parents who felt compelled to send them to school in America so they could bring me such happiness.  I hope I get to meet their parents one day and tell them what amazing young men they raised.  There have been a few parenting moments that haven't been easy, but I wouldn't change anything about the past year with them.  There have been some very awesome parenting moments too!

This is surely not the life I planned for myself, but I have grown so much in the Lord over the past year.  He has helped me see wonderful qualities in these 2 boys that I would love to see in my own children.  I am terribly proud of them and can't wait to see them graduate next week.  I am so happy for them and love them more than I ever could've imagined I could love someone else's children.