Home and Family

Andrew will be home six weeks on Saturday. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. Mark and I were talking the other day about how much Andrew has changed. He's not the boy that came home. He's finding his place in our family. That takes time and I think he is doing it a lot faster than I originally thought.

Coming from living in an orphanage to living in a home with a family is so different. (He just came in while I was writing this and told me to let you all know that "Mickschls are best forever family!") When he first got here he was still in orphan mode. Now he's becoming a brother and a son. What does that look like? How do I do it? He watches the other kids and then adds his own personality and spin on it.

I could write a lot of things that have gone on in the last six weeks. Some good and some not so good. But Andrew is learning. He's learning that speaking the truth is better than a lie. He's learning that when you obey your parents it is for your own benefit. When you steal something, it makes you a weak person. He's learning that this family loves and accepts him unconditionally. He's learning to trust. He's learning to love us back. We are family and there is nothing in the world like having a family.

Andrew gets kisses and hugs. He gets prayed over at night. He has a mama that kisses his boo boos. (Yes, I have kissed his ouchies.) He is finding out that when he does something wrong, mom and dad will correct him, but they love him no matter what.

To hear him talk about the orphanage and how the kids there told him that if he was adopted by us, "They will cut you up and sell your body parts" but he came with us anyway. I asked him, "If they said these horrible things, why did you come?" His response, "I know people. You are good people." That's the prayers of all of you!

Has the last six weeks been easy? No. But it has been rewarding! To see how far he has come! Thank you, Lord, for Andrew my son!