A WOW Moment - July 30th 2020

Yeah I'm sure there's one around here.

So no, it's fine I've got an electron

Oh my glasses, thank you Yeah, I got the book and I was like I better put the glasses on so I can see yeah

I need glasses What are you doing? What are you doing that did nothing that did nothing

I have to move my glasses too guys Wait a minute You can't even see

Oh Let me see your phone camera so I can zoom in okay That's what

I usually do. I know that was this bad He recognized

I looked over we were all we were at miranda's Graduation party.

I look over and he's got his phone camera on the menu and it zoomed in and I was like mickey

Are you are you trying to read the you are? He needs glasses

We have a few people in here so that will work. Um I was always trying to I always try to look up with these on and it makes me nauseous.

Um Good evening, everybody. Welcome to our bible study

Um, i'm mickey you all know the star of mercedes

I wanted to call you jerry the king waller Glad you took the glasses off elvis anyways, um tonight we are uh

At the church we are in The hallmaker's classroom um

Because we have several guests tonight We have um, aisha howard and mickey hall, um

They are not related Well, they are but they're not that's something we're going to talk about later

Um, we also have tara hall. She's behind the camera. I can't see her. She's waving um but uh

Tonight we're actually going to do a study on adoption and The differences in earthly adoption versus um, the biblical adoption um

And Aisha mickey and mercedes all three are adopted tara

Now we know vicky's phone is not put on silent I could have really woke up anyways, they are all adopted

Um And it's something that We all found out about all the same time which aisha and mercedes have known each other for years um, but uh

Anyways So I got with Aisha, well, we got with aisha and talked about doing a study on adoption and Mickey was interested in joining in so, um

What is the scripture that we're going to start out with tonight We're doing ephesians one

Versus five and six mercedes. Will you read the scripture for ephesians one five and six, please?

He predestined us to be adopted through jesus Christ for himself According to his favoring will to the praise of his glorious grace that he favored us in the book within the beloved

Okay, instead of us jumping straight into scripture and going To a biblical sense of adoption i'm actually going to turn this bible study over because i'm i'm not adopted perfectly um

Adopted but considering these three are i'm going to let mercedes take over and um, kind of give her

Backstory Backstory if that's what she wants to call it her history Take it away.

Well, um, I was adopted about six weeks so um

Unlike a lot I didn't have to go through the foster system and all of that.

Um, so I definitely got lucky um But um

The one thing that it taught me early on very early on is that family doesn't have to be blood related

Um I've always known I was adopted for as long as I can remember

My mom told me as soon as I was old enough to understand it. So it's never been a secret um

You know, i've gone through the whole searching of the biological family and all of that. Um got some answers um

You know My family is my family Um, my my mom my grandma all of them

They've never looked at me any differently They've never treated me like I was adopted you know, it was just You're A lot of people a lot of adopted people come with a lot of scar tissue from the process up until you know

They were they were adopted. I got another friend of mine um lives in delaware and He's got quite the story on his adoption

Of this whole, you know process process so but I got like I said six weeks, so I was

I was yeah, I don't remember a time of Not having your mom my mom, you know

So Aisha what's your story? Let's see. So me and my sister were adopted at five and six

Been through a lot of foster homes and Second to last before we officially got adopted.

Um, it was really really really really bad. Um, and then the The state finally sent somebody to come and investigate.

I guess the home or not really sure what their job was But they pulled me and my sister out of there and took us to some

Office building And I remember playing with a little little boy that was there and as we were leaving

The lady was like, oh, yeah, that's your brother. I'm like, wait, what? Okay, okay

Hope to see you again And we stayed with this lady um

Probably for a few months before we got adopted and we knew

When our parents walked in there we were like mommy daddy And never met them in our entire lives, but we just knew that they were our mom and dad

Um, which also made them very happy So we obviously knew

We something was different Um didn't know the word adoption at the time, but our parents are white.

So it's kind of obvious What happened here

Um, but I do remember it wasn't really a I guess it wasn't a popular thing growing up in school because a lot of our

Kids there didn't really know adoption or what that entailed. They just knew of mixed families um, so They so when

I met you then I met your mom Then yeah, maybe possibly your father was black then I met your dad and your dad was white.

Yeah And they said wait a minute, huh? Yeah Because I met my mom because she was um one of the uh resource teachers and slash

I guess therapy. I don't remember exactly what she did. Yeah Um, so it was so funny hearing some of the kids are like, oh,

I bet your dad's like six two Big black dude or whatever.

I'm like, oh, he's this really scrawny white guy with glasses, but sure Can't wait for you to meet him

He came to graduation and you know trying to For years trying to explain to kids like no, but my mom was like, oh, so your dad is black.

No, he's white, too So your mom is me. No, she's she's white There's no mix.

She's white. That's white. Hey, so your grandma's probably black. No, she's white too Because mom is white.

So still white They're like, huh, but your sister and your brother's black, right

Well, we hadn't we hadn't gotten my brother yet So we we were with them for a couple of years before we ended up adding to our family

But yeah, dad came to graduation. I was like and this is my dad and they're like, oh

I was like, yeah, not big not black. Yeah, this is dad um

They I do remember them asking us and we actually uh, I think it was before we adopted my brother

And we I don't know who ended up Telling somebody anyways, the news came to our home and actually interviewed us or my family and Was just asking what it's like for you know, a white couple to adopt two black girls

And of course mom didn't know anything what she was doing with hair had to lotion our skin because we dry

No Like none of that like it was all new And some people were like, well, why didn't she do her research?

What was she researching for she wanted kids and she wanted to love them and give them a home who researches that right?

She's like I want to give somebody a family, you know a home a loving home and That's it

Not much more to it And we'll figure out the rest of them Exactly And you know one thing that my mom did share with me now now, um

Was that the judge actually was? Constantly baggering them like is this what you guys want to do?

Are you sure you want to adopt? You know them and they're like, yeah, and they're like, are you sure?

You sure you want to do this and she's like, yeah, we've already had them for a year. They're ours And you know that really hurt her feelings

Oh, right, yeah So, I mean she already loved us and we probably had a birthday with them and you know did everything christmas thanksgiving so like we were family and you know, just kind of it hurt me to hear that that somebody would question like Yeah Those are her kids.

Those are her babies. Why would you question that like you're trying to take this away Like I don't know if it was just that you know, and that obviously tore up my parents a lot

That you know, they didn't see color when they got us They saw children that needed a loving home and needed parents and that who were going to take care of them

And you know that just kind of right there kind of puts the world view on You know the standard of a traditional family

You know mom dad white with kids black parents with black kids

And you know, it's just kind of sad but now over the years it's so blended and it's just amazing

You know, you know you meet somebody and you're like, oh, hey so -and -so and you meet their family.

You don't instantly like oh Why is it? That's interesting. How did that work?

You meet more people Yeah, and it's crazy because so many obviously besides my case

They look alike they look like family like I would have never known unless they said hey i'm adoptive like oh you are wow

So it's it's it's definitely been a journey but it's it's been a phenomenal journey for sure

So make you what? You're a little bit older than they are. I'm just gonna Put that out there because adoption probably back when you were younger

It probably wasn't what it I didn't say She said

Right, it's probably a little different it was probably different Back then it was probably harder to adopt back years ago

More so than it was when these two girls were going through an adoption process.

Do you see what i'm saying? because back Before they were born. I'll just put it that way um

Things didn't go as Easily in an adoption process

Not that I know of I know, uh, of course it was 1974

A little while back so Yeah, the process

Yeah, of course the process is the most likely change, you know back then it was

Depending on the state and the way different things happen were closed adoptions where? or sealed records or whatever the case might be and Now it's a lot more from what

I understand and reading on it and stuff. It's it's On the how they agree to do it,

I guess if it's going to be open or closed or Like nowadays it's even

Yeah, a family can adopt a child But still be in that child's life from day one

Well working in circuit court all adoptions are under seal They're not closed off But they have to I was speaking for today they have to Go before the judge as permission to go into that file to get information from that file, so Because it does deal with children.

There are there are some states that have legalized the opening of files from not obviously of minors, but of Of legal age adults.

Yeah, they're actually legalizing the opening of those files which for adoptees in search

Of their biological family is huge. Yeah It's huge because it's so hard when your file's sealed up and it's getting more and more common where Adoptees Are searching for You know

Biological family one way or another whether it be another brother or sister or the biological mother

Or father or whatever the case might be It's more and more common and it's like you said too.

It's kind of weird nowadays where you're talking with somebody you're like You just get in conversation about things

All of a sudden you run into other people that were adopted too and you're like, oh, wow Yeah, because you and mercedes realized that or you and mercedes came into contact about the adoption

Both of you being adopted on a mission trip last year Told me that he was when she found out

I was we we exchanged our our stories on the mission trip. Yeah Somebody can tell us what's your story?

Mine's a lot like mercedes where I was real real real little I was four days old when

I left the hospital with my parents basically and You know from a young age

You don't know when you're little And it always was from day one still is now and You know from an age that they figured okay.

Well, maybe he can understand now of how it works or what was going on and you know

That way I was in the loop and never they never held it from me at all ever But wanted to wait till I understood how it you know, what what took place and everything

It was still a mom and dad and i'd bring friends over i'd be like, hey, you know, I thought it was cool at one point Yeah, it's still cool now and I'd take friends and hey, you know, check this out.

I'm adopted They're like, what's that? So we talk about it. They don't know because That's their biological parents that they've been you know and Take some of my friends home.

They're like no you are lying There's no way you're adopted because of looking just the the looking like Mom and dad, you know, they're like there's no way

No way at all. Well, you remember when we've met Um You showed me pictures of your parents

And I was like man, you look just like your mom and you're like, no, I don't I can't and I'm like no you really do and you said

I can't i'm adopted. I'm like, oh No and as years go on, of course, you know

Tara and I got married and we had our own kids So we decided at one point

You know, excuse me, let's uh, see about trying to find

Biological family and it started out with Medical purposes medical reasons to try and see you know, what may be out there what might

We need to look for for our kids and It really kind of turned into be kind of like a long drawn out process in a way and we're finally like we went through She helped and we went through and registered on different websites and we're kind of like, okay, whatever

You know, no big deal and that was probably around Matter of fact that was around 2005 2006.

One of the main reasons because I was about to leave for iraq and that's when we decided hey let's try and You know see what's what the possibilities are and finding some information

And well, I went to school

I think and sure enough one of my team members she was adopted so we got to talking about it there and she's like, oh, yeah,

I just met my biological dad, you know a couple months ago and I'm here at fort jackson and we see each other all the time

I visit um They live close to the area and they were always close in that same area.

Isn't that funny how that works? That's how mine happens too I've known my whole family all kind of rancored

So you have all you all know who your biological parents are Mom, yes birth father.

No, okay, maybe Uh, well after that class that I started decided to start re looking into registering

Because that's what my team member she's like just go re -register again so I didn't think another thing of it came off of a

Week vacation and there was an email sitting in my work email and I was like, wow, this is great I called tara

And it happened to be that my boss at the time his wife was with adoption stuff Long story short. She got us in contact that day and Thought about thought about it.

So I called her tara left three hours later. She comes back home. I'm still talking with my biological mother

He doesn't do that So you found your biological mother?

Well, yeah through that web uh adoption .com adoption .com place Um, what about your biological father?

No Yeah For me, um, so the state of mississippi actually goofed and sent my mom the wrong birth certificate

And it had my biological parents names on it. So she kept those names

And gave them to me when I turned 18 and they were a little bit off a little just a little bit. Um, Their middle names were actually used on the birth certificate, so There's that.

Um But that alone was a huge step in my start in searching because I bypassed a lot of people who

Start from absolutely nothing in their search um last november

Was it november? No last december. Yeah, it's right around christmas time came in contact found out

I have a half sister who's her father um And they used 23andme, um, and so we get to we talk and whatnot and I asked her why are you on here?

She's well trying to figure out more about you know My father and I was like, oh, well,

I know a little bit just from what I'd heard from my biological mother's first cousin

And I tell her all this and she goes I think you're misunderstanding me. He was adopted too and I was like Seriously, so like An answer but at the same time another brick wall um, so but You know,

I think what's cool about both well about you know earthly adoption is

The people that are the parents that adopted us They chose us

You know, I my mom handed me all the paperwork that she had um Going throughout the adoption process.

I was flipping through it on the back of one of them There were other kids names in the ages written down that they were considering And she chose me, you know your mom and dad chose you yours chose you

And just in the same way that they chose us God also chose us and that's the family

I come into right? And chose us and it didn't matter

What our backstory was for our earthly parents or our heavenly father it doesn't matter

They we were chosen um and You know reading ephesians chapter one, especially

Really four five and six Having already having an understanding of earthly adoption and then reading about biblical adoption

It was so easy for me to understand Because I went oh Oh, I know this word.

I know this word. I know how this works since we didn't read four read four Um four is for he chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love

He predestined us to be adopted through jesus christ. So there you go and You know,

I remember hearing my mom. She told me I literally loved you from the minute I laid eyes on you and so You know

She she in love chose me and god in love He chose us um and the other cool thing about adoption is

You know, I mentioned earlier that the saint sent my mom the wrong birth certificate because the way adoption works is

When a child is adopted the birth certificate that they have upon birth

Is null and void and they make a whole new one with the new parents

Names on there and whatever name that those parents chose for that child

Did your did your mom change her name she named me, um,

I didn't have a name. Um Your parents changed no, you already had a name, right?

Yeah, I had my first name I had a full name. I was aisha von shay white

Your parents of course at four days old gave you your name yes Now i'm aisha lynn white.

Yeah, i'm not powered. Wow Howard get it right. Sorry mom You know

You know A new birth certificate being created for us,

I think um And I was thinking about this earlier at work our biblical

New birth certificate for me is second corinthians 5 17 Therefore if anyone is in christ, he is a new creation old things have passed away and look new things have come second corinthians 517

Like for me it hit me and I went that's like our that's like our biblical

Birth certificate because the old us is no longer It is it's null and void it is canceled out

Yeah Yeah, that's that's the best thing about it is everything that happened before It doesn't matter don't even matter

That's like All the stuff that she went through going from foster family to foster family is there

But once you found that loving home, it didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter They were mom and dad regardless So just like all the mess that I did growing up Man, it took me a long time to grow up though But it don't matter

You say you got you got a couple of them, right? Yes, she's got more than a couple

No, it's just Pastor jim, he's on his way

In a nice way I got romans 8.

Well, we won't do 15 through all the way through 39. That's just because So, what are we doing romans 8 well, sorry, uh, we'll just do 12 through 15 number 17

Mercedes Dyslexia queen, uh 12 through 17.

Yeah, so 8 12 through 17 You were at So then brothers we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh for if you live according to the flesh

You're going to die But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live

All those led by god's spirit are god's sons For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into tears, but you received a spirit of adoption by them

We cry out abba father The spirit himself testifies together with our spirit That we are god's children and if children also heirs

God and co -heirs with pride seeing that we suffer with him. Amen may also be glorified with him

Amen That's it That just nailed the pin on the head nail the hammer on the head

What some pins some hammers? What is it hammer now? Thank you

Thank you, i'm sorry y 'all know the words don't come right they don't come out right

Anyway, I also I mean galatians 4 7 galatians Therefore we are no longer in place, but god's child and since we're god's child, we're also which also speaks of the adoption so, um

I'm gonna be a little funny now So asian when you came to whitton you just felt right at home because well, no you didn't at first She said oh

Because I remember when you first started coming You were so quiet Not anymore

You are that's easy just feeling out the room Right, but she just wasn't all excited

More than I was when I first came back Mercedes, I did not want to be a bug in the rug.

Okay You learn to be a bug in the rug well see mickey here knew everybody he's known everybody for years well

Off and on off and on at certain times. Yes. Well, it's more so there were some that I guess because I was quiet as well

That they were like we are scared of this guy right here because he's quiet And we don't know about quiet folks like this guy in military

And Like some a couple of them they I would come that way and they would

Bear a different direction It's funny and that was other places too,

I guess I don't know some now you can't get white guys like I'm just kind of get to know people first before I really share your truth, you know and talk and I spot out all the introverts first.

I'm like, that's the word. Okay. All right. I'm in good company. Let's go

I'm the opposite. Yes, you are Real quick. Have you ever noticed that introverts always have that one extroverted friend?

Oh, I know lucky I get to yeah have two very Well then mickey

You went on a mission trip Mercedes went on the same mission trip

Mercedes got baptized on the mission trip Mickey had a lot of his

Chains and Things holding him back I think were

Uh removed I'll have to is that a good word to use Yeah Felt more like family

Um, mickey got baptized after the mission trip Got his head smacked on the baptism.

Yeah, he did. I still hear that thud too and it's brought up And there's videos

But you know, we love you pastor ben, it's okay. Um, you were just knocking out the old mickey

He was making sure mickey's brain was clear of all bad thoughts

So In the mic too in the microphone But now we are all

We are all you've been baptized here And now we're all

One family in christ, you know, what's cool too is I remember You know when

I have friends find out i'm adopted, you know people will go oh

It's not a bad thing guys You know, and it's the same. Sorry. It was just A side thought popped in my head.

I'm used to it. Yeah but you know i've come across people that you know found out i'm a christian and they go

Oh, it's like no, no, no, no guys. It's not a bad thing. It's good.

It's good Okay, it's wonderful It's a it's a feeling of cleanse and it's a it's a feeling of In all honesty, it just it kind of feels like refreshing it's like being able to You come out of a real smoky room and you step outside.

You can go You can breathe Take all my mask off at the end of the day

All your mask Your layers What am

I gonna do with these people well, I mean mass is a good example Her example is perfect, you know, we can shed the mask that we wore for so many years

You know prior to our salvation and that's probably why it's so easy to breathe at that point because you're like I have to do this

Don't you pretend I want to pretend I don't have to live this way. Don't you worry?

We didn't have a choice of living the way that we were living Because we're living in sin because we didn't know anybody.

We only knew sin. We are we were sin. We are sin. It was a position so Now it's a condition

What? Yeah, you've been listening To the shun words that pastor uses

Well, I hear sure say a lot too true it's stuck Like You did a charson props there

I wasn't you Is there any other scripture that anybody wants to Um Only one more i'll give all the other ones really it has like 12.

I know Well, there's like bits and pieces from different ones that I like well she's no i'm already there

But no go ahead Which was also all in plan a before the foundation of the world before the foundation of the world

I was about to say something to that effect where It's god's plan

God already knows already knows the answer. We may not know and I I know myself and some

I fall back into that humanly way of really Where am I going? What am I supposed to do?

And then sometimes like I stop and think back wait a minute There's a plan. There's a plan for a reason god already knows the answer

And there's a reason for it and we'll know later on Just we just have to be patient.

We just have to be patient and we have to have faith and we have to Put everything

At his feet give it to him and let him take over because We can try all we want to like What mercedes was saying?

Had her mother not adopted her had not everything you've gone through you went through And then mickey had your parents and I stepped up and adopted you in your entire life up until right now today

Not gone the way that it did you may not be sitting right, you know, and when you when you stop and We're super sidetracking, but that's okay when you when you stop and do that Why?

You know when you sit there and go seriously like why? Why No what he was saying, okay

I was listening like it's okay No, just that sitting back and you go

The why doesn't matter because even if we were told the answer why we still wouldn't be as satisfied with that answer because we'd go

Why? Why I said so right, but the why is really

I can't remember. I think it's in jeremiah um I have plans to prosper you not to harm you

That's why That's why That's why yeah

Okay, i'm sorry. Oh, sorry scripture. Yes So back to romance

I have i'm getting there Where is it? Romance, okay nine

That's great. Oh, good job making any relief Um four through well one through three and then four five

So one through five, sorry one through three and then four and five. Oh, I don't wonder five. I told you dyslexia is next to me

I speak the truth in christ. I am not lying. My conscience is testifying to me with the holy spirit

That I have intense sorrow continual anguish in my heart For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the messiah for the benefit of my brother's own flesh and blood

That they are israelites and to them belong The adoption the glory the covenants the giving of the law the temple service and the promises

The ancestors of are theirs and from them by physical descent came the messiah who is god over all praise forever.

Amen Wait, was it one through six? Oh, no.

Okay. I couldn't remember No, no, no, no,

I just couldn't remember if it was oh gotcha gotcha Okay So where does that tie in what you got in your notes there?

So from that I actually googled What adoption? What or what the google translation of adoption

I thought was actually pretty interesting I am reading it off the paper. I won't do or anything else but um, google says

In the blog, uh, he print he She chugged on you

You have my glasses on so we're good There we go

This is per google Okay In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through jesus christ in accordance with his pleasure and will

Under this belief we are all equals in the eyes of god and he has called us worthy

In adoption every child deserves to and is worthy of being a part of a family

Was that like the first yes, I googled adoption and that's what popped up and I was like, oh

Yeah, just just like Ephesians That's what

I was waiting for I was like, oh it's gonna give me, you know, oh

This more of the world Me point of adoption not that instead it gave scriptural a script true

So, um, yeah, that's what I was like, oh, okay, that's what I was waiting for Human description

Biblical biblical definition, it's hot in here.

It is a little warm um It's not because it's probably on here. It's probably because i'm sitting up here with them

There you're hot um Well, all I know is that I'm, very thankful For each one of you um

You may have been through 10 pounds of panties in back, but I thank god that you're here.

I thank him for each one of you um I think that Without This family in that that meets in this building um

All of our adopted brothers and sisters in christ I think all of us would struggle daily

So to all of you out there that Are our brothers and sisters in christ here?

I'll say here at witten on this on this instance because You're the reason why most of us can get up And keep moving especially on this random thursday school me and you were just like We really don't like doing this, but we do it because Of whoever might watch yep.

Yeah Yeah We also have a pastor that would probably call us out if we weren't all probably

We like to call him out when he's late Probably no, he would he would yeah

Guaranteed But again, it's out of love It's kind of good to have a big brother like that though, you know, even though someday he did not

Notice that he didn't quite notice that was actually there. We were staffed. Yeah And he said his entire his staff wasn't in church for me

And all of a sudden people go in. Hey I know right certain Adopted family members.

Okay. Yeah Yeah, he said he was the staff was out of town and i'm looking at mercedes like We're dust

Andrew's standing right behind him But anyways, michelle just walked up, you know

Michelle just went stage Oh, we're done with you pastor, we're not gonna pick at you anymore.

We love you. Yes Mickey I don't understand the pikachu

It's their age Yeah, because i'm older as was stated earlier as She sent it to him

Well you guys Listen, all I can tell y 'all is that for all you that live out of town and Don't live near us.

We really are goofy like this most of the time But the one thing that we do have in common is that love that we have for the lord

And the love that we have for one another um We also though Are like the worst big sisters some of these people at this table could ever have

Like when they throw shoes at the back of your head Make you get out of bed when you don't hear the fuzz on not lunch day

By the way when somebody says hey Let's go to lunch. It's not hey, let's go to lunch you hear lunch and go

This is gonna be lunch And we never knew that until we came to witness we gotta be excited for lunch now we're like Lunch Is See you're not the only one that gets in trouble at lunch

It's another well i'll tell you I went to lunch with mickey and tara and their son a couple weeks ago and it was just a

Nice after church lunch bailey had been baptized. It was lunch and then it turned into lunch and The holy spirit just laid something on my heart that I felt

The need that needed to be discussed And it was something that tara and I because we have been friends for many years

We have been in accountability with each other for many years And things that we have struggled together as wives

Um And I brought it up at lunch and I felt

I mean after it was Bailey got up to leave and I was like, oh no, you're not going anywhere because I got some things

I need to say to you too So he sat back down But after I was done

I felt so much better. It was like Have you ever had I mean, honestly

Honestly has the holy spirit ever laid something on you that he would not get up off. I mean just Would not leave you alone

Because I sat all through lunch thinking I don't need to talk to them about that I can talk to her about that later

I am not going to say anything because that's something tara and I tend to discuss later

And it would not leave me alone to the point of losing sleep For me really?

Yeah Like up till three four o 'clock in the morning because I can't stop But once I got it all the message all typed out and sent slept like a baby

For the next couple hours thought I'd get back up the next morning But I mean so I after we left the restaurant

I did I sent to Marco polo and I told her I said, I am so sorry. I hope

I didn't ruin y 'all's lunch. I hope that I didn't upset anybody with what I said, but it was late on my heart to talk about it and discuss it

And I had to get it off. I had it had to come out or I was not going to be able to Like I would not be settled within my soul so She said no

I think with what was said If it would have come from anybody else it might have been taken differently.

She said but with it coming from you I don't think it was taken in a Harsh or bad way

So there goes and that's what that's this whole thing about family because Tara is part of my family she has been a part of my family for many years and with Mickey being her husband.

I have a lot of concern and love for them so That's just like mercedes.

I haven't known mercedes near as long As i've known tara, but my love for her and her husband and their relationship concerns me because I love them

And this one right here God love her she um She's building and working on a lot of stuff within her personal life and I'm, very proud of her

She is doing an incredible job with keeping her Self together.

Um When I first met Aisha I was kind of like But now

I get her I get her 100 % Knowing Aisha before and seeing Aisha now

Girl, I used to see what she would wear to church. It's changed a lot But I mean just seeing her

I think yeah, yeah so um again for everybody that Attends this church and is a part of this wonderful family we have here.

I thank you um For all you out there that are christians

I thank you too because I thank you For being a part of somebody else's life and I hope that you are there for them like These people are here for me um

If not then You might need to search around and you might need to find you a good family because um

One of these days these people are all we're going to have well These people aren't all we're going to have but these people might be all

I have um It might be all that I trust Because I know where their hearts are and I know where they're at in this book so I'm sorry y 'all

Y 'all saw that anyways Well, you were too far away for me to hit you in the head

No, I was a lot further than that leash Tara But anyways, so if y 'all need a church family, please find one

Make sure that um, it's people that you click with when mercedes first came here She had teal hair and she's had all those tattoos.

She has now she saw some of us and I was not approachable She was not approachable She wasn't very like But But I love her now

So but anyways, I want to thank y 'all For tonight. I want to thank you for taking the time out

To come up here And tell your story um the best part

Of adoption whether it be earthly Or biblically is love is love and i'm gonna go any deeper than that because If I get too deep i'll fall off the bridge so Me and you just suck at swimming.

So I hope the kid can help you Yes, she can't hold her breath underwater and I can't tread water so We're out of the question.

No wonder you thought you were drowning when you got baptized No, that was earlier the week before when

I thought I was gonna go down the slide Yeah Um, so anyways, I thank y 'all very much tara.

Thank you for being here tonight You're welcome. I appreciate you coming and being support

And supporting a disembodied voice that you heard earlier a disembodied voice in the background can't say that There you go.

There you go um, so maybe uh Maybe we'll do another study another time on something else

Y 'all probably got more things in common With me even a bit

Anyways, but thanks for coming. Thanks for being here. I'm, sorry. It's a little warm. You're not you're not new sweating.

Oh, man um Thanks y 'all for coming and joining us tonight. I hope that Maybe there was something that was said here or spoken here or some scripture that we read or Maybe you struggled with being adopted or maybe you were adopted into a family that wasn't as loving as their families um

But know that there is love out there There is love out there um