Break Down and a Break Through

The day started with great excitement. We were going to Kwahu, away from the busyness of Accra to visit our children's foster home. Up until this point, we had enjoyed the modern conveniences of air conditioning, hot water, wifi and comfy beds. Quite honestly, I was looking forward to disconnecting from the world, even if it was for a day or two. We had breakfast with our little ones, they ate mostly chicken and fried rice with spicy pepper sauce. I devoured the sweetest watermelon and pineapple I have ever eaten. The coffee was strong and better than any Starbucks!

After a few pit stops in the city and meeting two other families, we packed into our coordinators vehicle and headed toward Kwahu. The traffic was unlike anything I have ever experience before. It seemed as lane markers and speed limits were more like guidelines than rules to live by. It wasn't just vehicles of all shapes and sizes: there were pedestrians carrying anything and everything on top of their heads that we had to maneuver around. If traffic wasn't moving fast enough, someone would drive on the shoulder or make their own dirt road alongside the paved road. Once outside the city though, I relaxed to enjoy the scenery as we drove higher up the mountain and the city became smaller below us. The air was easier to breathe and much cooler and I found a comfortable position to snuggle up with our girl and a sweet 7 year old girl that traveled with us.

It was about half way, when smoke appeared from our coordinator's vehicle. Once he pulled over it was apparent that the vehicle needed repair there and then. The sun began to set as our coordinator was arranging for help.

This is what I love about Ghana: a car breaks down and within minutes there are people from the village bringing oil or bringing supplies to help. It must have looked strange to them to see a car full of luggage, two obrunies (white people) and Ghanaian kids on the side of the road. Our coordinator had to go and make arrangements for us to make it to Kwahu, so Eric and I stayed in the vehicle with the kids, as the sun finally set and it was pitch black outside. The vehicle broke down right in front of a church and there in the darkness, holding my sleeping daughter I had my "break through" moment. It was just God, Ghana and me.

I closed my eyes and just soaked in the sounds of the church choir singing. I chuckled a bit as one of the loudest singers would sing "off key" reminiscent of someone back home. They sang with such conviction and joy in their voices and it made me reflect on our adoption thus far.  I thanked God for the sweet children that were in the vehicle with us, for placing us on this adoption journey and for providing for us every step of the way. I stroked the head of my sleeping little girl, feeling each individual curl in her short hair, her soft cheek pressed against my chest and tears began to slowly flow from my eyes. It was at that moment that I "got it". Nothing about our adoption was a coincidence. God had orchestrated every single detail, even this break down at the side of the road and this was exactly where I was supposed to be. And these children, despite their past hurts and challenges, were meant to be a part of our family. I had a new son and a new daughter

<3 jenni