After several months in the States, we knew it was time to return to Panama...
From the day we arrived to the day we left, it was 4 months and 2 days. This return brought an end to a very confusing time in our lives. Looking back on it, I think the majority of our confusion was in watching Peter with our extended families and all our friends. He felt so much love, from tons of people. Everywhere we turned, people were just loving on our precious boy. And it was wonderful to see! Of course our friends in Panama do the same thing, but it's a much smaller crowd. In the US, it was just tons of love from every direction. Peter has not really known the love of a family. He learned to accept and cherish the love of parents, but then the extended family was a whole other experience. When he saw the love from everyone in NC - he was hooked. Quite frankly, he didn't want to go back to Panama!!
And why would he? After this new experience of family? Grandparents and uncles pouring out the love, cousins playing with him and fully accepting him, much less all his new friends that he fell in love with there. Not to mention, a back yard to run and play with his doggy Jake; great weather; plus - you name it, you can get it in the States (which is good and bad). Suffice it to say, he was spoiled rotten by the end ;) But like my friend who works with institutionalized children said, "Can you ever really spoil a child enough that has been through what Peter has been through?" So we just let the love pour out and overflow on him. It was a good, healing time for us all.
When we first arrived, my friend told me she thought this was a "Sabbatical" for us, after praying one day. And I think that is exactly what it was. Unfortunately, I was quite a mess during a good portion of it. Trying my best to "plan" or figure out what was coming next. Living out of a suitcase for 4 months with a child at other people's houses, was not so fun all the time. So, after repenting of trying to plan things my way (and many other things!), the Lord renewed us and gave us a sweet last few weeks while in Raleigh. And Peter went from saying he would only go back to Panama for 1 day, to saying (only the day before we left) that he was excited to return! What an answer to prayer that was!!
So, now that we are back, I hope to be more on top of the blog. Ignore that other email several months ago that said we were returning to Panama then. Yeah, didn't happen. But now we are back! And we have lots to share with you all. So stay tuned :)
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