Week 12, Postive Changes

Week 12

If you've been praying for our family, thank you! 

God has answered those prayers.

I've seen so many postive changes this week in Joy's attitude.

It's been wonderful.

Joy is now beginning to learn who a mother is and how a mother is there to love and support her.
She is understanding what a family is and how she fits into it.
I'm thankful to our great God who loves this little girl so much and who is transforming her from
the rough child she was into His princess.

She and Marta are getting along much better this week.  Even though they are exactly the same
height, Joy has started to realize that Marta is only six years old.  She is sharing with Marta and
accepting Marta's handmade cards.

She is always the first child to get up in the mornings.  Details about her life in the orphanage are now
starting to come out because the English is improving.  She was able to tell me that all the
children wake up at 5:00am each morning to get ready to go to school.
She said if they didn't get up when they were told, they would hit us. 
They were given breakfast at the orphange and then theywere at school by 7:30am.


Since she is the first up, she enjoys listening to us (Tom & myself) read our devotional together.
She sits with us on the couch and is a part of our prayer after the devotional reading.

  
This week she has dressed up everyday for school.  Jake decided to do a photo shoot of his sister.
This fashionista knows that we need to get her some different shoes to go with all the dresses.
Her friends at school are being blown away everyday with her new look.

I really don't like getting my picture taken, but Joy was insisting that it was my turn.  This is our box garden
that Tom works so hard in.  He's developing his green thumb.  Right now we have kale and green onions.
And again, I'm including this picture of myself so that you can see that I'm still hanging in there.  People keep saying to me, "I don't see how you're doing it.  I couldn't do it."  Then, I have an open door to share
with them that's it's not my doing, it's God's doing....He's the one who gives me strength.  He's the one who instructs me, even at night while I'm sleeping.  They give me some strange looks, but it's fine with me.

Mom's sweet friend, Miss AA, dropped by this week with some little gifts for the kids. 

Thank you AA for the jewerly, beads and beautiful flowers.

Marta wasn't home, but Jake and Joy made sure to set aside some of the pink

bracelets and necklaces for her! 

I was so proud of them for understanding the concept of sharing and

for thinking of others.

Grace, our oldest, helping Joy get the bracelet on.

Marta, our youngest, is also doing better with having a 2nd big sister.  Please, however, keep her in your

prayers.  Our "big change" is still happening and it will probably continue for at least another 6-9 months.

One thing that Marta and Joy have in common is that they both love Barbie dolls.  This is Marta's

Barbie car.  She decided she needed a car for the girls.  I was really excited to see 1) that she was 

playing by herself and 2) she had decided to use her creative juices.  She has become an inspiration to Jake who now has his own plans for designing his Barbie car.  

Along with her love for Barbie, Marta also has a love for the Splat the Cat.

We've checked out almost all the I Can Read! #1 Splat the Cat books from the Village library.

It's exciting see her figure out the words.  I takes be back to when Grace and Shane were learning how to read.  So again, she is inspiring her new siblings through her love of books.  When they see her reading, they also become interested.  They haven't fallen in love with Splat the Cat, but I know in time

they'll find a character or series that they'll want to hear more about.

And last but not least this week, the report on the boys.  Jake is a helping spirit.  He wants to chop up whatever we need chopping and he wants to "give the flowers a drink" whenever possible.

He has become the translator, sort of.  When Joy can't figure out what to say or how to say what she needs in English, she'll ask him what the word is that she's looking for.  He'll usually be able to assist.  Our handheld translator is now history. 

Shane did well this past Sat in the regional double dutch competition in Florence!  He'll be going to the state meet the first Sat in May!  :)

And we are happy to say that Jake is eating very well.  He's asking for more ice cream after the first bowl is eaten.  The only thing that he doesn't seem to like is quiche.  He's still very skinny, but I know that he's gaining weight.  I can see it in his face.

Many thanks again to those of you who are praying for us.  I'm so thankful that we are almost at the 3 month mark.  It's exciting to know that God is with us each and He'll continue to guide us!