Today, I spoke with Sayfou...
Today, President's Day, at 10:30 in the morning, I called the Dixville orphanage. Since Liberia is 5 hours ahead of East Coast time, I was hoping the children would be out of school. A woman answered the phone. "Hallooo?"
"Hello?" I answered.
"Hallooo?"
"Hello?" I repeated. "Is this the Dixville orphanage?"
"Yes," she answered, after a second's delay.
"May I speak with Sayfou and Matterline Toe?" I asked.
"Call back in ten minutes!" she boomed.
"Okay," and I hung up. I guess she didn't want me hanging on the phone while she went to get them. So I patiently waited for ten minutes... then twelve and thirteen, just to make sure.
I dialed the number again. "Hallooo?" the same woman answered.
"May I speak with Sayfou Toe?" I asked.
"Here's Matterline!" she said, and a second later I heard a small "Hello? Mom Angel? May I speak with my sister Angel?" and I tried to explain that I was not Mom Angel, but a friend of Mom Angel and I knew her sister Angel and we lived in the same town and went to the same church...
Silence. I think I used too many words. I was nervous. After a moment, a boy came on the phone. "Hello?"
"Sayfou?"
"Yes, Mom."
I took a deep breath. "My name is Mama Ellen. I am a friend of Mom Angel. But I am Mama Ellen and I want to adopt you and your sister Matterline."
"OK," he responded, but I didn't think he quite understood me.
"Did you get a package from me? With letters?"
"No," he said.
So he really had NO IDEA who I was! I started again, from scratch. "Sayfou, my name is Mama Ellen. Me and my husband Dave want to adopt you and Matterline. We live in Charlotte. We go to the same church as Dan and Angel Rutledge. We know your sister, Angel. Do you understand?"
"Yes," he said.
"We want to be your forever family, Sayfou. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," he said, and I could hear him begin to cry. Of course that made me begin to cry.
"Sayfou, I love you. We are going to bring you home to America soon. Do you understand?"
Through tears, he said, "I love you, Mom."
"We know Matterline is sick."
"Yes."
"We are trying to get medicine to her. You do not have to worry about her. Your Dad Dave and I are going to take care of you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Wait patiently for the packages from us, okay?"
"Pictures?" he asked.
"Yes, we have pictures of us and gifts in there for you and Matterline. Wait for them, okay?"
"Okay, Mom."
"I'll talk with you soon. I love you Sayfou. Bye."
"Bye." Click.
I hung up the phone and just sat in silence. He sounded so small, but he's carrying the weight of the world... his world, which is his two biological sisters and all his "brothers and sisters" in the orphanage. What else can I do for them now, but wait? I feel so helpless. Liberia's government has put adoptions on hold. Do the Dixville kids even know that? President Bush is supposedly making Liberia his last stop on his 5-nation Africa tour. Will the topic of adoption come up as he speaks with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf? She has visited Dixville, as has her son. Will she give verbal support for Americans continuing to adopt Liberian children? My prayer is this: Let it be so. God, You work in powerful and mysterious ways. Bring my children home, I humbly ask, in your Son's precious Name. Amen. Oh, and may they receive the packages from us via Cece Kofi soon.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Hallooo?"
"Hello?" I repeated. "Is this the Dixville orphanage?"
"Yes," she answered, after a second's delay.
"May I speak with Sayfou and Matterline Toe?" I asked.
"Call back in ten minutes!" she boomed.
"Okay," and I hung up. I guess she didn't want me hanging on the phone while she went to get them. So I patiently waited for ten minutes... then twelve and thirteen, just to make sure.
I dialed the number again. "Hallooo?" the same woman answered.
"May I speak with Sayfou Toe?" I asked.
"Here's Matterline!" she said, and a second later I heard a small "Hello? Mom Angel? May I speak with my sister Angel?" and I tried to explain that I was not Mom Angel, but a friend of Mom Angel and I knew her sister Angel and we lived in the same town and went to the same church...
Silence. I think I used too many words. I was nervous. After a moment, a boy came on the phone. "Hello?"
"Sayfou?"
"Yes, Mom."
I took a deep breath. "My name is Mama Ellen. I am a friend of Mom Angel. But I am Mama Ellen and I want to adopt you and your sister Matterline."
"OK," he responded, but I didn't think he quite understood me.
"Did you get a package from me? With letters?"
"No," he said.
So he really had NO IDEA who I was! I started again, from scratch. "Sayfou, my name is Mama Ellen. Me and my husband Dave want to adopt you and Matterline. We live in Charlotte. We go to the same church as Dan and Angel Rutledge. We know your sister, Angel. Do you understand?"
"Yes," he said.
"We want to be your forever family, Sayfou. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," he said, and I could hear him begin to cry. Of course that made me begin to cry.
"Sayfou, I love you. We are going to bring you home to America soon. Do you understand?"
Through tears, he said, "I love you, Mom."
"We know Matterline is sick."
"Yes."
"We are trying to get medicine to her. You do not have to worry about her. Your Dad Dave and I are going to take care of you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Wait patiently for the packages from us, okay?"
"Pictures?" he asked.
"Yes, we have pictures of us and gifts in there for you and Matterline. Wait for them, okay?"
"Okay, Mom."
"I'll talk with you soon. I love you Sayfou. Bye."
"Bye." Click.
I hung up the phone and just sat in silence. He sounded so small, but he's carrying the weight of the world... his world, which is his two biological sisters and all his "brothers and sisters" in the orphanage. What else can I do for them now, but wait? I feel so helpless. Liberia's government has put adoptions on hold. Do the Dixville kids even know that? President Bush is supposedly making Liberia his last stop on his 5-nation Africa tour. Will the topic of adoption come up as he speaks with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf? She has visited Dixville, as has her son. Will she give verbal support for Americans continuing to adopt Liberian children? My prayer is this: Let it be so. God, You work in powerful and mysterious ways. Bring my children home, I humbly ask, in your Son's precious Name. Amen. Oh, and may they receive the packages from us via Cece Kofi soon.
Ellen,
You know I have been stalking your blog...
Getting on my knees now for all of you.
Lord, Hear our prayers for Matterline and for Sayfou.
With so much Love,
Rebecca
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Ellen,
I've been stalking your blog, too. I'm so excited to hear you got to speak with Sayfour and Matterline. I loved your letter. I know they will treasure it while they wait. I'll be praying they get their package soon and especially that they will be able to come home soon!
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I could hardly see the page by the time I got to the end of this post Ellen - I am overcome with the wonder of our amazing God. I praise Him for all He is doing in building your family and pray a hedge of protection around those sweet children as they wait and dare to hope. Love to all of you!
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Hi Ellen,
I am enjoying taking this trip with you. I pray God's hand of mercy fall faithfully on your precious children, that He move swiftly to bring you ALL together soon.
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Ellen, I was crying as I was reading this, you know that whole spiritual gift of tears thing, and Thomas walked in and asked me why I was crying. So I told him the story of you talking to your son for the first time (they already knew about the adoption)...and bless his SOUL...he said..."I think I'm going to cry. I bet he is so happy God let HER be his mommy, she's the best story teller EVER!" I just hugged him and told him I was happy God let you be Sayfou and Matterline's mommy too. May God SPEED this process along.
Amy
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Dave and Ellen,
We feel our hearts knit with yours in this process that should be filled with heart and hope, but instead is filled with BUREAUCRACY!!! My heart goes to you and to your children who wait, patiently, bearing so many things. I trust that God's timing, His purpose, His hand, His plan, His mercy, and His grace will be PERFECT and SUFFICIENT for you, for Christy and Abbey, and for Sayfou and Matterline. I can't believe you got to speak to them. Were their voices as you'd imagined? What a journey!
I know that we will all look back and count the miracles in their journey home to you. We'll pray them in.
Love, Jen
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I just had the most awesome cry. Cry of joy. Cry for all children who need a forever family. Cry for Angel who is being given the special gift of a forever family and her own biological family within reach. Cry to God for His loving touch. Cry for out leader who cares about children everywhere. Cry for two souls far away who know that God loves and cares for them.
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