Your Spanish is PERFECT!!

Sunday's are becoming my favorite day in Nicaragua. I LOVE going to church at El Canyon - like my last Sunday's blog - it is crazy, fun and inspiring. Today was special to me because Pastor Josue was back from a trip to Germany and he led the service today. He is an amazing man - he always speaks from the heart. He talks about how it doesn't matter where we live, what we have or who we are....we are all God's children. He makes me feel like I am home and completely welcomed.

Pastor Josue is known to cry from time to time (actually it's pretty much every time he gives a sermon) - as I said, he speaks from his heart. As a fellow crier - I completely relate and never let him cry alone. He cried once today and it was when he said he could picture me walking hand in hand with both Martita and Lucie at our home in Virginia. He gets me every time!!!

I saw Pastor Josue last Friday and was so happy to see him. He only speaks Spanish - so our communication is short and to the point!! When I saw him - I had a very good Spanish speaking roll and told him how much he was missed, what was going on with Martita and Lucie and my husband and how we were so looking forward to coming home. At the end of my rampage - I asked him "Me tiendes" - in English "Do you understand what I said?" He smiled and said "Si, su Espanol is perfecto" - My Spanish was perfect!! We both laughed at that.

So on Sunday, Pastor Josue started to tell everyone my story - how I was here to take Martita home and he asked me to come up and talk to the congregation in SPANISH!!! I was shocked and completely unprepared.....who knows if today is a good Spanish speaking day for me or not!! I walked up to the microphone and immediately got emotional and said (in Spanish) "I love the people of Nicaragua - you are so good to me and my family. You are all family to me. I am so happy to be here in the final steps of our adoption. I thank God for making this work and ask that he blesses us all. I wish you all a happy Mother's Day and thank you". Not too bad - right!?! Well, Pastor Josue prayed for us then - with his hand on my shoulder - he asked that we be taken care of - watched over and to give us strength for our entire family - There was a lot more said but I only caught a few words - I thought then, O.K., God must be hearing this!!! And I am so glad I came today!!

We again, served lunch to the community and then I hung out with Maria Jose and all the kids - it was a great day!!

We went to dinner with several of the families from Condo Allyson - as well as Maria Jose, Allyson and William from the orphanage - we went to a restaurant called "Asado" which means "grill" and the food is FABULOUS!! We were all eating and enjoying our time when I overheard Lucie ask our friend Michele (who happens to be a pastor's wife) "Do you like alcohol?" She said "well, not really Lucie" and Lucie replied "My Mom LOVES alcohol"!! Of course, everyone heard and laughed and I really didn't know what to say. I had thoughts of killing my daughter and then again of screaming "don't judge me" but instead said "Well, I savor it, that's for sure" and then Lucie said "Well Mommy you drink beer upstairs every night!!!" Can someone seriously shut this kid up!!! Albeit my daughter has quite the exaggerated version of my drinking patterns in Nicaragua - I do so enjoy a glass of wine or a beer at the end of the day. It is because of HER that I LOVE ALCOHOL!!!!

On the adoption front - the Consejo did not meet in May - so we have two options - this "may" buy us the time we need to get into the next Consejo in early June OR we may be pushed until July!!! Of course, we prefer the first option. So tomorrow, I am back to the grind stone - I will be sitting at Mi Familia to meet with Arle - to convince him to consider us and to beg for another home visit before the Consejo meets - so please, keep us in your prayers that this indeed happens.

I wanted to thank you all for reading my blog - you have no idea how much it means to me to have my loved ones support me from a far - your comments bring such joy to me and without them, I don't think I could keep my positive attitude and to find the blessings in this process. So keep those comments coming and happy reading. Love and Blessings to you all!!