Day 20 (Part II): A Visit with Libia

I know, two posts in one day. What can I say. It was a big day!

It's official. She is a Ryle! (Actually, she is currently Luisa Joy Ryle Sumrall per the Colombian custom of two last names, but we will drop the Sumrall once home). We have a birth certificate listing us as her parents to prove it.

I guess today should feel like a huge deal, but I was telling Philip just now that it is somewhat anti-climactic for me. I guess I have felt like her mother for quite a while now, so having it on paper (though quite a big deal legally) doesn't change anything for me.

It might also be that today felt like a normal day for me and the little girls. We took our new friends (the adoptive family that arrived last night) to the market this morning and then came home and had lunch. Magnolia took Philip to sign the paper at the courthouse and meet the judge while I stayed at the apartment with Caroline and Luisa during naptime.

However, even if Sentencia doesn't feel life-changing, it DOES mean that we will be headed home soon! We will get Luisa's passport tomorrow and fly to Bogota on Wednesday. There, we will see the embassy doctor, have a TB test administered and then read two days later, and then get her visa once she is all checked out. It will be about a week-long process.

Tonight we were honored to have over some very special guests for dinner.  Magnolia (our facilitator), Trudy (our lawyer), and Libia and Diego (a Chiquitines volunteer and her husband) came to the apartment for vegetable beef soup and lime pie.  Libia, who is a retired nurse, has dedicated herself for the past two years to working extensively with Luisa in her therapies. She came to Chuiquitines once a week to work with Luisa and other children there. She and Luisa share a very special bond. When Libia would arrive every Monday, the caregivers would say, "Luisa, look! Your mami is here!" and Luisa would light up with excitement. We were told on our first trip to Chiquitines that everyone referred to Libia as Luisa's Colombian mommy. We couldn't be more grateful to Libia for the love and care that she has given Luisa that past two years. There is no doubt in our minds that the ease with which our bonding with Luisa has happened is due in large part to the bond that she and Luisa shared.

James 1:27 mandates that we, as part of the body of Christ, care for orphans and widows. Our family has been called to fulfill this mandate in part by bringing Luisa into our family. We feel that more Christian families should consider stepping up to fill this role.  However, of the approximately 145 million orphans in the world, only a small percentage is adoptable.  The large majority will spend their lives in orphanages, institutions, foster care, or on the streets.  There are so many other aspects to orphan care than just adoption.  If you are a believer, please determine where you factor in to the orphan crisis.  I am so thankful that Libia is playing the part that she is for the orphans at Chiquitines.