Family...

On May 9, 2001 Our family adopted a 17 year old named Jose Lyman.  We had known him since he was 14. He is Hispanic and  has gorgeous blue eyes!  He was orphaned in Mexico from the time he was 3 months old and adopted and was living in abusive home so he ran when he was around 9 years old.  He ended up crossing the border into the United States, but didn't realize it.  He said he recalled it being amazing and that people spoke differently than he and was so fascinated he just kept walking not realizing what he had done, but soon it became dark and he was hungry and the coins he had in his pocket wouldn't work to buy food.   Unfortunately this was the start of learning how to survive on the streets, desserts, oceans and mountains for Jose. He doesn't like talking about his pasts because of the horrible reminder it is and it is something he is not proud of.  I know their are many details about his early life that I as his mom will never know and never understand how a little boy at only the age of 9 could have lived the way he had to just to survive.  At age 14 he found his way into Utah not knowing where he was.  He was picked up and put into my hubby's program.  His Judge saw something special in him and so did my husband.  Jose was placed with us and excelled in everything he touched he graduated high school with a 3.7, lettered in Wrestling, graduated Seminary and attended University of Utah.  Jose has a very special spirit and was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and served an LDS mission.  Somewhere in the middle of all of this our family fell in love with him! We adopted him and was sealed in the temple as an eternal family.  It's not always been an easy task being Jose's mom he suffers from Reactive Attachment Disorder also known as RAD and other disorders, so as you can imagine it is hard for him to trust anyone.  The hardest thing for him is that even after being adopted he couldn't become a citizen of the United States even after many attorney's, Judges, letters to Senators etc.  He as never been able to experience TRUE freedoms and now after 11 years of being Jose's mom they want to deport him and take him away from the only family he has.  Right now as I write he is sitting in a Jail cell to await his fate.  I ask myself how can our country be so cruel this is just a little boy who was lost through the cracks of the system and now has a brother and sisters that are trying to understand but really their hearts are breaking. Jose is not perfect, but none of us are. He has suffered so much that today I pray that he can find some kind of comfort where he is at and that we will get through this as a family because that is what we do!  He is my son and will forever be no matter where he has to live!  I also pray for a miracle that he gets to come home and truly start living his life.  Yesterday was his birthday and he turned 30 years old.  Happy Birthday Jose and know your family loves you and prays for you everyday.