and they said we wouldn't make it

I have been blessed with AMAZING friends everywhere we have lived. Friends who quickly go beyond the "wow, the weather today is crazy" surface type conversations. Friends who open up, hold me close, laugh with me and many times at me, put up with my strong personality and fill in when family is far away. Friends who run with me, pray with me, share secrets, hopes and dreams. It is hard to be the new kid on the block, even when you are in your thirties. I have learned to not be offended when it takes awhile to be included and that sometimes to be included you just have to ask. That's how I met Tarah. She had spoken at an adoption class and I ran into her one day at Best Buy. I walked up and said "hey, I hear you host a playgroup and we would love to come." She's been stuck with us ever since = ) Tarah was my travel partner on this last trip to Ethiopia. Some said (being that we are both strong personalities) that it was the end. That this could be the end of the girls' nights, play group and though I don't think we have this much pull - the adoption community in the western states. Okay, I made that last part up but I think you get my drift.

Well, we made it and I would travel again with her in a heartbeat. She held my hand and prayed with me one morning. I had been struggling and she didn't ask she just leaned over and prayed. She hugged Sara's birth mom - she sat in a room while I once again met with Ayelech. She let me be silent the whole ride home and we would exchange silent nods on the long drive back to Addis. Both with tears - hearts changed forever. Never to be the same. She loved on the kids and let me process. She has a heart of gold and man, can the woman braid hair. The song below is again by Sara Groves - I think it fantastically details this journey. We have both seen a lot - our safe American bubble has been burst and we will never be the same. But I think that's how its supposed to be - hearts broken by the world so that we realize where our true joy must come from...

Joy Is In Our Hearts
Sara Groves

we were pressed on every side
full of fear and troubled thoughts
for good reason we carried heavy hearts

it is good to come together
in our friendship to remember
all the reasons hope is in our hearts

hallelujah hallelujah
Christ our joy and strength
hallelujah hallelujah
Christ our joy and strength

now with patience in our suffering
perseverance in our prayers
with good reason this hope is in our hearts

hallelujah hallelujah
Christ our joy and strength
hallelujah hallelujah
Christ our joy and strength

oh we saw the face of Angels
many good things well secured
for good reason this joy is in our hearts

hallelujah hallelujah
Christ our joy and strength
hallelujah hallelujah
Christ our joy and strength

for good reason joy is in our hearts