My turn now...

OK, I guess it's my turn. She insisted I write something on her blog. And I probably won't be doing this often, because let's be honest: most of you see me all the time. However, Katie thought some of you might wanna read a couple quick thoughts from my perspective, so here goes...

Right now I'm sitting on the patio on the roof of Katie's apartment at over 6,000 ft. above sea level, at the foot of an enormous volcano, Agua. We've come to call it Mt. Doom though, because we're nerdy, and it looks like a dragon should live there. It's a sunny day (it's ALWAYS a sunny day here), and Eliot is sitting at my feet talking on his new cell from that Lisa put in his first Easter basket. Although Katie and I are pretty sure he just said, "Hi dada," it's obvious that he's talking to Bob Seibel, because all he's saying into the phone is "bob bob bob." The fajitas from my birthday lunch are still happily sitting in my belly and the sound of busy Latin America is all around. All that to say, pretty stinking cool place to write a blog entry. So what the heck do I write about?

It's my birthday. I'm not saying that because I want a present. I'm saying it because my birthday is April 9, which means Katie has celebrated Christmas, New Year's, her birthday, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and now my birthday, all right here in Antigua. Unbelievable. Many of you often ask me, "so how long has she been down there?" Well, she's missed the entire baseball offseason, college bowl games, the NFL playoffs, Super Bowl and March Madness. She was here for Spring Training and Opening Day. Get it? 4 1/2 months.

Although this may seem like complaining, here's what I'm driving at... you're reading this because you love Katie Mohr and care what's going on in her world. So if I wanted you to read something in her blog right now it would be this: I wish you guys could understand Katie's life down here. And I wish you could see how amazing she is.

Katie estimates that if she came home within the next month that she would probably have about 700 pictures from her trip. And if you looked at every one and heard the story behind it I'm convinced you wouldn't get it. Talk to any of the other 4 women that have visited her here and you'll see. They could talk for hours and still feel like they're at a loss for words, that somehow they just can't explain what it's like. This may give you a glimpse, though: Katie knows this town as well as anyone. She knows dozens of American foster moms down here (and their baby's names). She has a church where they know her and Eliot. Shop owners and waiters know her and Eliot. During the Easter parades we kept running into people who knew her and Eliot. Today in the town square a little merchant girl and her mother came up and she and Katie just started chatting like old friends. Beth said Katie had locals asking her for directions. Her cell phone rings all the time. It's pretty bazarre. She's in a foreign country, a crazy culture, speaking a foreign language, being a first-time mom... a SINGLE mom. And she's amazing at it all. And she just went downstairs to bake me a birthday cake as if we're just chilling at our house. Yup, she's made quite a life down here. This is a tiny, tiny snapshot. I wish I could describe it.

I guess I needed to write this mostly for myself; so I can look at this and remember how proud I am of her. It really is amazing. With all the things that there are to complain about, as difficult as this process has been, with setbacks in the adoption, and having not seen anything or anyone familiar for almost 5 months now, she's embraced this situation and taken it head-on. Yes, it's been very hard. She can't even look at the dogs on web cam without crying. But if you could see the day to day strength that the Lord has graced her with you'd be blown away. I don't think very many people could do this. I really don't think many people could do this and still stand firm in their faith (and yell at their husband for not reading his Bible today). And you should see her with this little guy. Man, does he love her to death (maybe that's for a different blog). I don't even think she realizes it all, but one thing is certain: The Lord is carrying her. I wish you could all see what I see down here.

Sorry I'm so long-winded.

When you pray for Katie Mohr, don't feel sorry for her. Yes, please pray that she and El will come home soon. Pray for continued strength and encouragement. Pray for her heart, which faces hard questions and misses friends, family and church. But also thank God for the way that He has carried her through the toughest season of her life in such a way that myself and the other women who have seen her in action down here just stand in awe. Maybe someday you can all come down with us on a family vacation and Katie can show you around....