A blast from the past.....1998

I am SOOOOO glad I scrapbook...because I just checked to verify my date, and I was a whole year off...just a side note before I get started on my story here:)

In 1998, Bruce and I heard through a friend that the Tennessee Baptist Children's home (basically an orphanage of sorts) had a need for visiting families who could take in kids of varying ages for the holidays, spring break, summer holidays, weekends.... and be a mentor and special family to a child who needed someone. Well, having wanted children of our own (and not being able to have them at this point) we wanted to be able to pour our lives into the life of a child in a different way than we were currently doing as church/classroom teachers. So, we began the process of becoming a visiting family. This was really pretty easy because in the summer of 1998 we had finished our adoption paperwork and the children's home accepted that with no qualms.

We were matched with twin 8th grade girls...Keisha and Reisha..two sibilings with an older brother and a younger brother as well as two younger sisters!!! These girls had already been at the home for a while and they continued to live there until after high school graduation.

I, along with my friend, Amanda, drove to Franklin (just south of Nashville, TN) to pick them up before Thanksgiving. They spent a few days with us. It was a little strained at first because we did not know each other and to be honest, we did not know what to do with eighth graders!!! But, the Lord worked it out.

The next year our own family grew with the addition of Abigail, but the girls still kept coming, and they loved Abigail and she grew to love them as well. At times, their siblings would visit...not often, but we did have some time with them every now and then.

Well the relationship continued thru the teen years and thru high school. They came to visit many times. We celebrated birthdays and Christmas and graduations and even a wedding. Both girls are on their own now. Both finished high school (the first ones in their family to do so ever!) and both have done some college work as well. Keisha and Reisha are both independent and last fall, Keisha got married. Right away, she got pregnant and just found out that the baby is a little girl!!!

We are excited....sort of like grandparents...except we're too young..LOL!!!!! Well, maybe not:) Anyway, we are looking forward to her arrival, and also to the opportunity to minister to this young couple as they parent this child and continue growing in their married life.

We are also grateful that God allowed us to minister to these girls in a unique way over the course of several years. Maybe, He will again open up such a door for us.