Sweet Portia Girl

This morning I was sitting at my living room table in aquiet house… The best blessing I could ask for. Time to be here and break andrelax and just be by myself.

As I was trying to figure out how to make iMovie work onStacy’s computer (I stink at the whole Mac thing…), Edwin (3yrs) came runninginto the house crying “Portia (5yrs) took my circle!”

I walked out to my porch to find our sweet, full-of-energyenergizer bunny Portia with her bottom lip out and her eyes cast to the ground,holding both a metal circle (who knows what it even came from…) and a littlecloth flower bracelet. Yes, she had Edwin’s “circle,” but she also looked likeshe had a heart full of hurt.

Portia is in the final stages of her adoption process andwill soon be heading HOME to Knoxville, Tennessee where she and a girl fromanother Ghanaian orphanage will be loved with open arms and open hearts. Portialoves her new mom and wants to be there so bad. Originally, the hope was tohave the girls home for Thanksgiving. Mabel, Portia’s new sister, has all herpapers ready to go… But Portia’s have faced complications and she hasn’t gotteneverything she needs. Therefore, it’s a waiting game at this point…

You can see it in Portia’s eyes. You can see it in Portia’sbehavior at school. You can see it in Portia’s heart… She longs to be HOME!

At first, when Edwin and I came out, Portia wouldn’t talk tome… She kept her eyes down and unwillingly sat in my lap until she scooted outonto the ground after about a minute. After she gave me Edwin’s circle and heran away happy as a lamb, Portia eventually gave in… First climbing back up tosit in front of me, and then onto my lap, and then clinging to me… She stillwouldn’t talk, but she didn’t need to.

In this moment, the only thing I wanted to do was sit thereand tell Portia how much she is loved. How loved she is in this place, afterbeing here for two years and being loved so deeply by Autumn and Stacy and theadults and children here… How loved she is by the volunteers, as she seems tocapture the hearts of those who are here for even just a day… How loved she isby God, who has set out such a beautiful plan for her filled with joy andfreedom and a forever family… How loved she is by her new parents, just waitinganxiously to bring her home as soon as the get the go-ahead…

So naturally, I just cried. I couldn’t say a word… I justcried.

Cried out of love for this girl. Cried out of love for allthese children, especially after watching video footage of previous CORM tripsto the Volta region earlier today. Cried out of joy that I am able to be hereand be a part of moments like these.

Eventually Portia started playing with my braid and thenbecame my hair stylist. I would have had a picture, except then “let’s sit inKathy’s house and not leave and then kick her when she tries to pick me up andthen accidentally kick Edwin in the head” became a game from one of the otherkids, so my chance was lost… But let’s just say, Portia may have many gifts,but I don’t know if hair styling is in her future.

However, what is in her future are many things… Joy.Freedom. Hope. Life. LOVE. So, so, so much love. And that is the best thingthat anyone could do for her.