Adoptions, Names, and Water

Today is a jumble of things. Forgive the lack of flow (:

Last week Friday, I got to experience my first adoption ceremony. I wish I had written about it that day so all the images and feelings were still vivid in my mind, but the day came and went and days kept coming and going without me having the time or energy to sit down and blog. So I will do my best to give it the justice it deserves...

I went into the chapel not knowing what to expect, but incredibly excited and joy-filled at what the day meant for this sibling set going to Canada. As the seats began to fill, I think our hearts did too. The Bo Me started the ceremony in song, and the joy and worship that filled the room was so thick you could taste it. The story of the children was told, their housemother spoke about them and gave the charge to the parents to grow them up in The Lord, and Bryan charged their oldest son to look out for his two new siblings. As they signed the final documents, the room was filled once again with the most worshipful praise, and the verse in my mind that kept running over and over again comes from Zephaniah 3:17, a verse about the redemption of God's children, Israel. 

The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

What a beautiful image! In seeing the joy these parents had in bringing their children home, it was as if I got a taste of what that first moment in heaven will look like: finally home, finally able to see our Father whom we have been waiting so long for, entering with joy as the heavenly hosts welcome you home with songs of great praise. 

We prayed a blessing over the family and enjoyed some tea and sweets, and the whole day my heart was so full. I cannot wait for the day when I get to see my Father. We are familiar with the adoption part of our faith, that God bought us with the blood of Christ to share in His inheritance, but to see it so closely made it so much more real. This family waited for 5 years to get their children, and with adoration they held them closely in their arms. Our Heavenly Father is waiting too, and when the time is right, we are going to be scooped up in His loving arms where He will rejoice over us with gladness, quiet us with His love, and sing joyfully over us, our mighty God who saved us. Mm. I cannot wait for that day!!

Two big things happened for me this week. I got my first compliment, and I got my Sesotho name from my housemothers! This culture is not one to praise you to your face. Though they will tell others how much they appreciate you, it is not often that they will actually tell you personally. So on Wednesday, as I was finishing up in my house and making sure all the babes had gotten their water, one of my housemothers said, "Ausi Grace, you are doing such good work here. Thank you for all you do. God bless you!" Though it was short, it meant the world to me! It is so rare to be complimented, and my heart swooned when she told me I was doing well. 

On Thursday, I got my Sesotho name (: My Bo Me talked between themselves and said, "You will be Ausi Relebohile, 'we are grateful'." As silly as it may sound, it felt like parents choosing a name when you are born, except that I got to be there and understand what was happening! It was a very warm moment for me to be named by my mamas, and to know that they chose a name fitting to how they saw me!

On Wednesday, we also welcomed a new volunteer, Brittany! She will be here for six months and is from West Michigan, so it is fun to make connections and play a little Dutch bingo. I am so excited for her to see and experience all that BG has to offer. She has already been a joy to have on campus (:

Our water was off for the past few days... We have a reserve tank, but it leaked and within the first day, we lost a third of our supply. The tank should last for ten days, but that was certainly not going to be happening at the rate we were losing water. So we flushed our toilet with pond water and a bucket, washed way too many dishes in filthy, cold, leftover sink water, and went without showers. It stunk in more ways than one. But this morning we got water back!! We don't know how long that will be for, so we have been told to remain conservative in our water usage, but it felt SO good to take a shower after four days of greasy hair and sticky skin. (There is so much that gets on you when you work with 60+ kids, a shower was SUCH a relief) So we would love prayers that our water stays and they get all the problems fixed, as this may only be temporary. It is not just us, but a very large portion of the community, so it is really detrimental for those who don't have any back up. Thanks!!

My friends, God is good. He is a God of redemption, a God of blessing, a God of provision, and a God whose mercies truly are new every morning. Each day is another opportunity to be in fellowship with Him, regardless of where you are. So seize each moment. Though circumstances may not be the best, your God is incapable of truly letting you down. Be still in His presence today. Drink fully from the living water of our Lord.