Well, it's that time! We spent the whole day packing and getting ready to leave Curitiba. We will be headed to the airport at 7:45am tomorrow. We will be going to Rio for 4 days to get the visas for the new Dunn 5. Then it's home to Hotlanta! Man, I can't believe we made it. MJ and I were talking this morning and it really hasn't been that bad. Sure there have been times where we thought, "what in the world are we doing?" But for the most part it hasn't been that bad ( just really boring, doing the same things over and over). I guess it's like the whole childbirth thing where the mother doesn't remember the pain after it's over for the joy of the new baby. I did get to do something really cool today though. This definitely made my day. If you know me personally, you know that I am a huge MMA fan (that's mixed martial arts, you know...UFC, IFL, Pride, etc.). Well there is a world famous gym right here in Curitiba called Chute Boxe Academy. It is where Wanderli Silva (my favorite fighter), The Rua's and several other world champions from the UFC and Pride FC train. Now that may not mean much to you but to but to any fan it's a BIG deal. Well, I was able to meet and get my picture with Zito, who corners and trains all these guys! That was worth the trip to Curitiba in and of itself... plus 5 kids on top of that? Wow, I hit the jackpot!
It was weird. Earlier today, we were saying all of our goodbyes to all of the staff and to some of the residents, throughout the day, and I actually got a little bit misty eyed a few times. These people are very kind and gracious. They have been very good to my entire family. One of the ladies even baked a cake for us today. Thank you Betania and CCI staff.
In case you didn't know this, my mother-in-law and my father-in-law were just here in Brazil last year with MJ's sister and her family adopting 4 children. They really wanted to go back to the orphanage that my two neices were at to bring gifts and to take pictures. So, my in-laws, Matthew and Maryssa went late this afternoon to visit. After talking to them when they got back, I'm glad I didn't go. I don't think I could have handled it emotionally. If you scroll back up to all the pictures I posted on today's blog you will see why. These kids are so cute! There isn't any way that you could look into their eyes and not want to do something to help them. There are 15 children in this particular orphanage. There was a sibling group of two children ages 3 and 1 that had just been put into the orphanage last week. Maryssa told me that the 3 year old just sat there and cried wanting her mother. When it was time to leave Maryssa told me that there was a little boy who sat next to her and pointed at her and said, "I want to be in your family." Maryssa said, "it just broke her heart." How can this kind of thing happen? It's definitetly not fair. These kids didn't ask to be abandoned... or born into a family where the parents neglect them to the point where the State has to step in to save them. You say, "well Jim, that's just the way the world is." That's true, but there are an awful lot of Christians in the world also. It's time we step up and make a difference rather than just say, "that's just the way the world is," don't you think? MJ talked to a guy before we left the States who works for an organization called One Church One Child. He told her that if only one family from every church in America would adopt one child... that we could totally eliminate the foster care system in America. I didn't say every family in each church would need to adopt one child... just one family in each church! That's pretty amazing... and it could be done. All it takes is someone willing to say, here I am Lord, send me. THIS... is true religion. We love you guys. Please continue to pray for us. We'll talk to you from Rio tomorrow!
Love ya,
the Dunn 10
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