Flying Leg

I first saw him literally "flying" down the aisle at City Mart, the only "foriegn-like" grocery store chain in Yangon, Burma.  He had a hop to him, a swing of one leg, a determined look, looking straight ahead, aiming for that particular product he was focusing on.  "Wow!" I thought, "wonder which family he's from?"  If a person saw another whitey that looked like a new comer, they were targets...like a magnet they would draw us other whitey's to them, curious with why they are in Burma and for how long.  I looked down the aisle to where he had come from and there was a lady, with long blonde hair surrounded by four kids, African?  Man, my curiosity was now reaching its peak....did he belong to her?  Later, they were all checking out at the cashier, yes they were together and come to think of it, I think I had seen her before at the end of our lane where we lived.

Later that week, Steve, myself and my kids were introduced to the most wackiest, wonderful family we have ever, I mean ever come across.  Alex (aka "flying leg") was one of 12 in their family...10 kids and their parents, all adopted from different countries.  Their dad is a ex-Vietnam vet who had lost his legs in an explosion and was now in a wheel-chair.  Each child had a special need, physically or mentally, and it made for some wild adventures.  Alex has lost his lower leg, below his knee, so he has a metal leg and hard plastic foot that our guys found so much fun stomping on and laughing as he howled in false pain.  Josiah, the oldest has hands and feets that are like pincers but that has not stopped him from getting honors in highschool and a scholarship in a university in Texas.  Nicolai, Valentina, Faith, Edwin, Yannah, the twins and now 1 1/2 yr old Jedidiah (Thai baby...an adoption-in-progress)   from 20 years old down to 1 years, this family lives and breathes kids, homeschooling, orphanages all in Chaing Mai, Thailand.  They needed to leave Myanmar because of the tremendous expense for visas for all those passports but we'd keep visiting them in Thailand when we'd need to go get our own visas. 

I just talked to Alex on the phone last night.  Nicolai and him are going to start their jobs soon (in Virginia), living on their own and enjoying "State-side" time, after so many years in Africa and Asia.  He's still flying, excited about this next stage in life and having so many friends around the world.  I'm glad we are still part of their wild and wacky family, he said as he was about to hang up, "we love you'all so much, you are so much part of our family" (with his U.S. southern drawl).  We love you too, Flying Leg and embrace you'all as a huge wild and wacky family that likes to dream big while serving the least of these.