Wow, you have grown so much in this last year. Your words, your knowledge, your mind and your body (eek, training bra, I was not ready for you).
You are an incredibly brave young lady. You have entered into a new world and new family and continue to embrace where the Lord has placed you. Your Wednesday night Missionettes teacher told me just this week, "Leila is amazing and so obviously comfortable. Y'all have provided her a wonderfully stable loving home. She's learning to relax and trust and love and make friends and help her family and those things are IMPORTANT." She's exactly right, and as most parents will say, that outside perspective of what's going well is vital.
You have made so many gains in your reading and math these last six months. We are so proud of you. While writing is your least favorite subject, you are enjoying reading more and math is definitely your favorite. Numbers are universal! We are reading through science and history books and learning as we live. We have enjoyed being a part of a homeschool group, and many days I believe homeschool is shaping me more than you. We have had some growing pains and tests in patience, and I'm daily reminded why my coffee with Jesus in the wee hours is my lifeline. Thank you, honey, for helping to sculpt me and weed out the ugly stuff. You kids have a way of doing that!
You are a lover or rice and all things spicy. Cajun seasoning or Old Bay or a spice mixture straight from Niger douses your food as often as possible. Sometimes you are a bit heavy handed and end up sweating and running for a water refill. You are still our pickiest child saying "That's not my favorite" more than I'd like. You reluctantly eat it and after a few times you sometimes end up liking something. You've learned and used your pout face the most at meal time. Once you're doing your own cooking, baby girl, you can eat rice and spice everyday, but for now, you get what Momma makes.
Here are some things you love: your heated blanket, sitting by the fire, listening to Bethel Kids Worship and learning all the dances from their music videos, sleeping, riding the 4 wheeler and driving the golf cart, taking long baths, playing with your American Girl, coloring. Some things you don't link: chores, being hurried, talking with me about puberty, body parts and sex, reading in the car (you get carsick) and being corrected. Man, being corrected is hard! Between hormones and mood swings and just adjusting, we can have some rocky moments.
But right now you are sitting in the back of the car singing and smiling. You are a thoughtful, beautiful young lady, sweet Leila. What a blessing it is to have you as a daughter. Thank you for choosing love, for choosing to be a part of our family life and not isolate yourself. Thank you for being a protective big sister and choosing to let them invade your space (even though you're sometimes reluctant). You jump right into so many experiences with joy and excitement. I love that about you. I love your heart for your friends back in Niger and that you want to keep praying for and helping them. Never forget where you came from and be open to the fact that God may lead you back there to serve and help the least of these. Keep focused on school and growing in your faith so you are ready. They are your people and we are your people. I pray that this fact of being a part of 2 very different cultures will be a blessing and not a burden as you continue to grow and understand the hardships in our world. God is going to use you. I just know it.
We love you forever and for always,
Momma
Here are some pictures from your 11th year!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment