The difference of a year...

• On June 18, 2012 , we saw "Rissa's" picture on http://wonderfulwaitingkids.com/  We sent an inquiry to Lifeline to ask about this child.  At that time, we only asked for her date of birth because as a family we had "decided" we did not want to adopt a child with a May birthday.  (ha ha!)
• On June 22, 2012, we realized that we could not get this child out of our heads, so we asked for more information.
• On June 28, 2012, Rissa was featured on the "waiting children" e-mail from Lifeline.  Through prayer, we decided 
• not to put a hold on her--trusting that God would hold her for us if she were our daughter, and
• that we would prayerfully consider her for a week.
• On July 2, 2012 we asked a couple of more questions about Rissa.  For us, the most important question was "Does she want to be adopted and move to the United States?"
• On July 4, 2012, before we received a response to our questions, we couldn't stand waiting any longer and initiated the process to adopt our daughter.  We knew she was ours and we trusted God for the responses to our questions.
• On July 16, 2012 we received the answer...she was open to adoption from the US and she "wants to be adopted so badly."

And now, one year later...

• She has parents and four sisters.
• She continues to blossom and grow.  
• She is very silly--which fits our family perfectly.
• She is thoughtful.  Here is just one glimpse:  Davina really likes pork.  I really do not.  In fact, because I am the cook of our family, I would estimate that I have cooked pork a total of 10 times in our 24 year marriage...until the last month in which my numbers have drastically increased.  Last night Davina wanted pork, and I told her I would fix pork for her and would thaw out chicken for me.  She told me that she had found a recipe for Coca-cola chicken (she also knows I love Coca-cola) and she said she would fix chicken for me and I could fix the pork for her.  We worked in the kitchen side by side making dinner for the family.  It was so wonderful.  And the chicken was delicious!!  I think the pork was o.k., too.
• She is open to spiritual things.  She is reading her Bible with Todd and independently.
• She tells us she loves us...usually in response to one of us (even her sisters) saying it to her, but increasingly, she says it spontaneously.  It sounds beautiful.  :)

Ahhh...the difference of a year.