Learning to swim has been such a fun journey to go through with Auden. First, he thought he could fly, let alone swim. It's entirely out of mind how many times he just walked into water over head without an inkling that he wouldn't master it the way he masters everything else: by sheer force. Thanks be to God! he did finally come to understand that it was dangerous...and then for a long time he wouldn't let go of the side of the pool. He would hold his breath under the water and literally swim around...but always holding onto the handrail. Until just a week ago or so, he let go. And he's swimming like a fish now.

I will never forget holding Carl in my arms the day after he was born. He had some kind of apnea episode and was limp and blue. We didn't know if he was going to make it. I was standing outside the hospital thinking about his adoptive parents. It's a terrible thing to be caring for one of GOD's children and to feel them slipping away from you. We knew that God had special plans for him (Jeremiah 29:11), but we didn't know if he was even going to live to see the day his parents would see him for the first time.

We didn't know yet that they were going to be Americans (and not French or Norweg- ian), from the Philippines (and not from India or Ireland), that their names were going to be Joey and Beth.

It was an awful moment, and I prayed the way you do in a panic.





He came through that time, and he's a handsome, winsome one-year- old now. Spending part of this week with Beth and Joey has been a miracle. They are very lucky and very happy.

Beth is a nurse and Joey works with the Homeland Security office in an airport. They're on their way, Saturday, down to visit her family on another island here in the Philippines. We had a very nice time with them and things are going very well with the transition.

After a long wait, Kesha Mae is finally with her mom and dad. Bernard and Nadege are a beautiful couple from France, and already Kesha is very bonded to them.

We warned Bernard that he would have a task ahead of him. Kesha has always preferred to be with women caregivers. But Bernard's winsomeness is overwhelming. Kesha still defaults to Nadege, but already there is a very strong father-and-daughter bond.

Nadege is a psychology student, having just finished her master's degree. She will take some time to focus on Kesha, but intends to practice as a psychologist. Bernard is a fireman (as well as sailor and diving instructor). He has two months off now for their family to grow strong together.

Every blessing their way.