Reality Check

Wow! What a ride! We haven't been home a week yet and let me tell you, it has been faith stretching to say the least. Jennifer and I are both battling a touch of some stomach ailment, although not too serious. Jennifer got strep the day we came back and has been down and out for most of the past few days. I have been primarily running the house - meals, cleaning, dressing, showers, etc. The boys are adjusting fairly well. They are still getting used to being the only Ethiopians in shouting distance and our bland American food.

Our middle son (at first thought to be the oldest) has really been struggling emotionally. We had a little confrontation with him while in Addis and had a counseling session with his Orphanage counselor. She warned us that he is very emotional and stubborn - she has been VERY right. Nothing we can't handle with the Lord's strength, but it has been another challenge. He is currently curled up in a ball crying his eyes out in his bed for some unknown reason. I am sure that he is dealing with grief and loss - the language barrier is difficult both ways in trying to console and comfort him. I sat on his bed with him for awhile watching the other two play cards and having a good time.

**Update** - While I was typing the above Caleb, Noah's younger brother, came and asked me to come. Noah wanted a t-shirt. While I was in their room I asked the boys again what was wrong with him. They said they didn't know, but Noah spoke up and spouted out something. Caleb said, "Ahhh" and then used hand gestures to show me that Noah was upset because I took away his chips and gave them to the rest of the kids. At lunch Noah had dumped the bags of chips out onto his plate - I took half of them and distributed them to the rest of the kids. So he was pitching a fit about his chips...and nothing more. If he was a normal kid then he would be disciplined for that but I think it is a way of dealing with things. No doubt it was wrong and I tried to explain that to him. He may have told me that just to save face about crying over something else...I have no idea. Anyway, it is things like that they we are dealing with...ah, the joys of parenting.

I will try to post my journal sometime this week...I still do not have our pictures transferred to my computer yet so those are coming also.