YOU Are The Village

When I saw the Tshirt choices, I immediately connected with the one that says
"We Are The Village". Right away, I thought of who needed them.
I know that there are mixed feelings about the phrase "It Takes A Village" but the
reality is that, in our lives, it HAS taken a village for us and YOU are the village.

In 2017, our family decided to become licensed foster parents in Wyoming.
We had an idea of who would fit best in our family and shared this through the
licensing process. When asked, "are you doing this to adopt?" we confidently
answered "no".

So- who needs a shirt that says "We Are The Village"? Here is my
answer:

To the teachers who have answered e-mails that said "today was a rough morning-
will you please remind our child that we love him/her?" YOU are the village.
To the friends who showed up and painted a bedroom pink, yellow, and teal;
YOU are the village.
To the people who gave us hand-me-downs because we had long ago grown out of
little sizes; YOU are the village.
To the friends who have taken time to listen to our kids; YOU are the village.
To the officers who take time to Shop With A Cop; YOU are the village.
To the teachers who understand that school can be overwhelming; YOU are the village.
To the friends who send Facebook messages; YOU are the village.
To the parents who offer rides to and from events because we can't always be
where we want to be; YOU are the village.
To the babysitters who understand that sometimes a few hours (or days) away
brings LIFE; YOU are the village.
To the ones who showed up in the courtroom and celebrated at the party afterward;
YOU are the village.
To the people who have never met our family, but have heard a prayer request through
friends or family and faithfully prayed; YOU are the village.
To the Sunday School teachers who have loved our kids and have taught them
how much Jesus loves them; YOU are the village.
To the coaches who have patiently taught the rules over and over again; YOU are the village.
To the caseworkers who answer phone calls from us; YOU are the village.
To those who have sent cards of encouragement; YOU are the village.
To the friends who have been there for us in the ups and downs of this journey; YOU are the village.
To the mental health professionals who give so much to our family; YOU are the village.
To the classmates who have been kind; YOU are the village.
To our families who have accepted a new sister, niece, cousin, and granddaughter; YOU are the village.
To the pediatricians who have printed out growth charts of a whole life and whispered,
"because Moms need to know how much their kids have grown"; YOU are the village.
To the principals who have been creative in ways to address behavior and
see the bigger picture; YOU are the village.
To the people who understand that some conversations have both laughter and tears; YOU are the village.
To other foster parents who have said "I understand"; YOU are the village.
To the parents who have told their kids, "she needs a friend"; YOU are the village.
To the lawyers and judge who made this family official; YOU are the village.

So, who did I think of when I saw the shirt that says "We Are The Village"?
All of you who have come together to support, love, encourage, challenge,
and walk with us and from the very bottom of our hearts~ we can't say "Thank You" enough!

~ Jon & Betsy Tengesdal

The link to the Tshirt is HERE (or click on the link that says "Fundraiser"!)