Our New Family

Another week begins at Refuge Ranch, but with a larger family! We praise and thank the Lord that our new children arrived on Friday with their Grandma. The kids immediately started playing with each other, while Grandma remained very aloof and separated. At about 3 p.m. we began the process of saying goodbye. Grandma did not say much but her tears revealed the great love that she has for the kids. This is the love that has motivated her to do the right thing for the children - allow them to grow up in a two parent home where they will learn about and live in the tangible love of Christ.

The kids' Grandma saying goodbye to Miguel.

The children handled goodbye with surprising resilience. Five year old Carolina broke down a bit after Grandma left, but I enjoyed the opportunity to snuggle with her for a bit.

A few hours later we took this first new picture of the family - all 19 of us!

Back row: Martha (13), Angie (17), Lolis (13), Jocelin (9), Fatima (10), Diana (16), Martita (16)
Middle row: Josiah (9), David (1), Julie, Caleb (6), Ruth (5), Victor, Daniel (3), Fidel (10)
Front row: Ana (4), Miguel (7), Leonardo (9), Carolina (5)

The overwhelming sense this weekend is that the kids were very anxious to have a family and a normal family life. (Did I just say a "normal" family life? We aren't very "normal", but we do have a good family life!) They were all thrilled to sleep in their own bed (except for one year old David who is sleeping with his oldest sister until he gets a bit more adjusted). All five kids had previously shared one bed. The new room addition is not quite ready, so the two older boys are temporarily sharing other bedrooms. Lord willing, the new room will be ready in about two weeks so that Leo and Miguel can move in there and we hope that David will be adjusted by then and can join them in the new bedroom.

Leo and Miguel immediately began calling me Mom; the girls don't know quite what to call me and kind of grunt at me when they need something; David doesn't like me! David will be two next week and his entire world was just turned upside down! Fatima, the eldest, at 10 years old, has acted as the children's mother for quite sometime. So, David prefers to be attached to her, if at all possible. We assumed that it was going to be difficult for her to give up her role as mother, but she has thrown off that responsibility no problem! In fact, she has been getting a bit irritated by David's clinginess and is more than ready to simply be a girl again. David basically cries anytime he sees me come near. He fell down on Saturday and Martha brought him to me to comfort him. Well, bringing him to me only made things worse! Thankfully, last evening he and Carolina and I sat down by the cows and horse awhile together as the sun went down. Then, when I went to read to and pray for David and Fatima at bedtime, David did not cry when I came near him and did not push me away when I touched him. Little by little!

David and I before he realized that I was going to be his Mom!

Update: Tonight David let me touch him and caress his cheek without him crying! I cannot accurately express how difficult, sad, painful it is to have a son, a precious child, that refuses to be comforted by you when you are supposed to be the one to comfort him! It is all in Jesus' time, but... Fatima is torn: she is tired of being mom and more than willingly hands David over, although he doesn't want to be handed over to anybody....especially me! However, she also is torn by hearing David cry when one of us is taking care of him. So, pray for Fatima - she so desperately wants to be a little girl, but doesn't know how to be one, yet doesn't want to be an adult any more either!

Fatima and Diana - new sisters!

Victor and Angie left on an Evangelistic Medical Mission Crusade early Saturday morning. So, they were with our new children for less than 24 hours. I am so thankful that my parents are here during this initial adjust time as our previous 12 children love and feel very comfortable with Grandpa and Grandma, which has helped me be able to concentrate a bit more on the new kids. We all went to church yesterday: Grandpa and Grandma, 16 kids and I! We then went out for tacos afterwards and nearly filled up the restaurant ourselves!

Once again tonight I was pleasantly surprised by the incredible silence and sense of satisfaction of having blessed 16 kids (Angie is on crusade) before they went to bed: bedtime stories with the younger ones, Bible stories with most, prayers of blessing and kisses for all, glasses of water and chocolate milk upon request and even two cool cloths on foreheads! Thank you, Jesus!