Without going into a lot of my trip I wanted to post pics of our latest visit with sis. Yes she has a name, Alondra, but we all just call her "sis" around here. Of course each visit is wonderful, exciting, and special! I try to take as many pictures as humanly possible until the kiddos start hollering at me to stop. I don't know how long these visits will last, as we will leave it up to them when they are older, but I know as long as I have any say they'll always be a part of each other's lives. But we never know what tomorrow holds so I try to capture as much as I can. As special as the pictures were before, they became even more special to me after coming home from Guatemala. Driving through Bennett's village, a deep reality (one that I thought I already knew) hit me .. it is a true gift that God has given our family in knowing his sister and being able to spend time with her. Yes he is my son but he does have a past, a story, a birth family, a line and these are things I never want to keep quiet or keep from him. He has a sister and he loves her with all of his heart, and she him. I realize even more how important it is that I keep him part of that story .. you wouldn't start a book at chapter 2. You would miss too much and the rest of the story wouldn't make as much sense. She is part of his chapter 1; a chapter that is riveting, full of love and laughter, a bit confusing and tearful at times, but worth every word, every line, every minute! I love her as much as I do him .. She is my son's sister, how can I not love her completely? It's impossible. For some that might sound confusing or "unfair" to Bennett but I believe that us loving her as we do him is comforting to Bennett. It shows him that we love every part of him. Someone asked me after telling them of my adventure to see Bennett's village, "Why would you want to see that?" Why wouldn't I? It's another connection I have towards him and his birth family. My question is "Who wouldn't want to see where their child first entered the world?" God gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity and as scared as I was it was important for me to go. I still have a hard time talking about it face to face with people but it has also helped "ready" me for the days to come. Knowing that God would have protected him there and He will protect him here just the same.
Until our next visit with sis, I pray protection over my children. I pray God gives them opportunities to SHINE (Share His Incredible News Everywhere), to love, to serve, and to connect even deeper with each other. I pray that Bennett grows closer with Niaka ... which is a relationship he is still a bit confused about and rightly so; "Sis is my sister and Niaka is her sister but Niaka isn't my sister? Huh?" Exactly!
Lord, help us explain that one when the time is right but for now just let them be kids and love one another without boundaries of color, or whose parents are whose, or where so-and-so was born, or distance between them. Just let them keep smiling - because that makes my heart smile!
Honestly, these 2 faces just make my heart dance!
Just a regular brother and sister pickin' on each other. Though usually it's sis, he's just goes along for the ride, happy as a lark!
The 3 most beautiful kids I know - I'm so lucky to have one call me "momma" and the others be in my life!
Bennett Carlos, Niaka, & Alondra
