This week has been...   
* Heart-breaking.      
* Wonderful.
* Full of love.
* Exhausting.

  So. Yeah. The reason for most of those emotions is a new little visitor we've had here at the Peterson household since last Sunday. So it's been nearly a week.
 
  Our visitor is baby Mukelo. Or Mumu, as most people lovingly call her.
 
  Mumu is a Swazi baby, who was abandoned by her mother when she was about 6 months old at a hospital in Manzini. She spent four months there, and during that time a ministry colleague of ours in Manzini, Amy McAdams visited her many times in the hospital, loved on her, got to know her, and grew such a big heart for her.
 
  In March of this year, Amy and her family made the huge decision to take Mumu as their foster daughter for however long they felt would be right and what they heard from God.
 
  They've had her in their home with her ever since.
 
  I've always admired Amy so much and the McAdams family for the decision they made in taking Mumu into their home and showing her the love she deserves. Mumu has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects her brain and nervous system. Mumu will never walk, and never talk. But she is the sweetest thing in the whole entire world.
 
  She's two and a half, but she looks like she's about 9 months old. she's absolutely beautiful.
 
  As I said, I've always looked upon Amy and her family with such admiration and respect in regards to their care of Mumu. They love Mumu so very much and care for her so well, and up till now I haven't really had any inclination of what it's like to really care for her.

  So this week has been eye-opening and such an amazing experience. We'll have Mumu until the end of November. The McAdams are home in the States now, for November, December, and a few weeks in January. A couple from Illinois is coming for the month of December to take care of her, and then we'll have her back for those few weeks in January.
  
  I've been so excited these past few weeks to have her, and now that she's here, we're so glad. She definitely, definitely takes a lot of love, and is pretty exhausting, but I'm absolutely loving the experience. I think it's such a cool thing for me to do as a fourteen year old girl, such an amazing preview of what I hope will be future motherhood for me. ;)

  I love dressing her up and feeding her and just plain loving on her. She's a beautiful little person and I love her so, so, so much.
 
  I treasure the opportunity to experience what Amy and the rest of the McAdams' experience each day, and to use what I believe my God-given gifts with children are, to help out a family that I love a lot, and to show love to a baby that I also love a whole lot.
 
  So pray for us please. Pray for energy and strength, and more and more love, and that we would just give this sweet, sweet girl the love and care that she deserves, and for now we'll just keep doing the very best that we can with baby Mumu.
 
  Love you all! Mwah mwah!

Sweet baby girl!