Please visit if you have the chance!

It's not your typical Father's Day activity, but today we drove about an hour to see the World Vision Experience. Please, if you have the chance, visit the exhibit. It's free, self-paced, and you need about 20-30 min. per experience you see. (I went through two, and would have loved to see the others.) This is what the website says about it:

The World Vision Experience is an interactive, walk-through exhibit that will transport you into the heart of Africa--and the life of a child affected by the AIDS crisis. The exhibit combines a stirring audio tour with captivating photography to give you a whole new perspective on the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time.

We were not going to take Elizabeth in because there were some situations not being appropriate for children, but none of that was in the photos. It was all in the personal audio players, so she didn't hear it. We explained bits to her as we walked through. I know that she is not at point where she can understand it all, but I'm glad she was able to have a little more understanding of how children in other parts of the world live. David and I have been trying to learn a lot about HIV/AIDS, and this experience just really helps to bring the situations to life more than images on the t.v. or internet can.

A Lot on My Mind

Tonight, I don’t think I’m going to be getting much sleep. Even if I do, my eyes are going to be red and puffy in the morning. There are so many things on my mind.

Today is Jose’s birthday (well it'll be the 29th in Guatemala in a couple hours). He’s turning 2. When we first started this process, we were pretty sure he would be home with us by this point. I know now that, even without the document issues, that would have been nigh impossible in the current atmosphere in Guatemala—especially since he has a Mixco birth certificate. But it still hurts thinking of what “should” have been. We didn’t send anything down, and I feel guilty about that. We haven’t heard anything about him in several months, so I’m not even sure if he is still with his foster mom or somewhere else. I think we might get a little birthday cake and sing to him. Of course, we’ll pray for him and all those involved in his life.

I know God is touching my heart with so many things right now…clean water, HIV, famine, orphans, widows, Red Letters, sacrificial giving, our adoption, friends' adoptions…I don’t know what to do with it all. But I’m praying He will not let me become complacent. He will stir my heart until I know and follow His lead.