Love

Love really does transcend all else--at least when it's God's love that he puts inside of us.

I just got done with a spontaneous Skype call with my children, their social worker, and my mom. They got to meet their abuela today, and she can't stop gushing. It's precious to see this pure love she already has for them. Ruth and Emmanuel were all smiles. When Ruth told my mom "I am happy" in perfect English--with a huge grin--I'm not sure if the first happy tear came from my mom or from me. We're learning every day that some things will always be priceless.

Texting with Ruth this past hour is another gift beyond price. Whether she's asking about Papi, telling me she loves me, calling me Mami and Mama, asking how soon we're coming, or helping me figure out how to use the emoticons, it's all the perfect conversation. They make me laugh. Smile. Feel protective. Want to burst out of happiness. Want to never forget how incredibly good and faithful God is. THIS is love. This transcends an emotion.

We are so impressed with our kids' social worker and all of the staff at Casa Viva (whom I got to meet via Skype today). They obviously really care about the kids and only want the best for them. THAT is love.

I'm understanding more every day the sacrifice God made in letting go of his son. That is the ultimate love.

I'm in WA with my parents because I'm seeing a doctor here for my foot. Despite the physical trials hitting every day, I am confident that I have experienced and now can give this real love--his real love.

Moving Forward

At the bank signing our acceptance letter

We are about to mail the immigration papers. It is hard to describe how it feels to complete a visa application for your own children...knowing that God has given them a new home--forever. Since Costa Rica requires families to begin the judicial process prior to travel, we might still be here another few months. There is one other family adopting from Costa Rica ahead of us in the process, and they waited about four months from the time they mailed their immigration papers.

But in the meantime we get to email our kids every day, and we'll get to see and hear them again tomorrow on Skype. This is an amazing journey, and God continues to show us the verse that says he does so much more than we could ever think or imagine.

The Gibsons (minus 2)

Our friend Paige just posted some pics she took of me and Barak a few weeks ago, and she told me she can't wait until the next Gibson photo shoot--that it might be a lifetime favorite. The Gibsons: family of four. :)

Life

Yesterday marked two days in a row of Skyping with our children...life is so full. There are moments when I feel like my heart might explode, but it's a happy explosion--like there's too much love to contain. We learned yesterday that Ruth's favorite color is blue, just like her mom. We also learned that her favorite thing is...being with us. That was a moment that will last a lifetime.

We also got to meet the foster dad and talk with both him and his wife for a few minutes. They and their 20-year-old daughter are super special and all obviously love the kids so much. That means the world to us. They are surrounded by really good people--God's people.

On Friday when Barak got to share a few minutes of the Skype call with the leaders and youth on the trip in New York, we received an email shortly after from our good friend Gwen. She wrote, "I have been crying since I saw you two talking to each other and then to see the kids just touched me so deeply.  The verse from proverbs (13) came on my heart... 'Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.'  That's what I feel...a tree of life worth of love and blessing from how God is writing this story."

Gwen, you said it perfectly. We are experiencing a tree of life. God continues to write this story, his story.