We found out that a Liberian woman who works in the orphanage Solomon was adopted from was visiting in the States and was willing to take letters and photos back to relatives.  Liberia's postal system was destroyed along with much of the country's infrastructure during the long years of coups and civil wars. 

We were so thrilled to have this opportunity, so we wrote letters to both Solomon's birth mother as well as Peter's.  I felt so privileged to be able to write these letters. God is so good to allow this bit of contact for all the parents involved.

Solomon wrote this sweet note to his birth mother.

Dear Mom,

How are you? I am fine. I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters. I have a baby brother. His name is Abraham and he is cute.  I miss you. How about you? My mom is great. She has a great sense of humor and I tease her a lot. My dad is great too. He wrestles with me and teaches me things. Please thank Granddad for coming to the orphanage to check on me. I love you. Solomon.

We sent photos in both packages. A couple photos of Peter that are heartbreakingly cute and sweet went to his birth mother. And to Solomon's mother we sent handsome photos of Sol as well as photos of both of the boys for the grandparents. Solomon's mother lives with her father and mother (males are the heads of houses, and her husband is dead), and her parents are also the parents of Peter's mother. So we knew they would appreciate photos of both boys together.

*******************

Dear Cecelia,

How excited I was to find out that we could communicate with you. You do not know how I have desired to speak to the mother of Solomon (Ouseman).  From the time he came into our home, I have felt you were my sister that we shared in loving this little man who is so remarkable.

Solomon was very excited to find out that he could write to you as well.  He has your photo on his bedroom wall.  He has been able to learn to love me while still maintaining his deep love and loyalty toward you.  He is a very remarkable young man. We have so much loved having him in our home. We can’t imagine what life would have been like without having him be a part of us. Thank you so very much for sharing him with us, for trusting him into our care. 

Solomon was very concerned about your health and the health of his granddad and grandmother.  We were sorry we couldn’t tell him more than that his mother was still alive.  We understood that a grandfather had come to the orphanage, but we weren’t sure if it was Solomon’s and Peter’s grandfather, or if it was Peter’s grandfather.  We all very much hope you are all well and healthy.

Solomon is doing very well. He has become a close and vibrant part of our family. Everyone loves him very much. His brothers and sisters find him a loyal and good friend.

Our favorite thing about Solomon is his loud, deep laugh.  Oh, how he laughs.  He makes the rest of us laugh with him, just by hearing his laughter

As you can see by the enclosed photos, Solomon’s eyes are opened. When he first came to live with us, we took him to an eye doctor who said that he could see just fine, even though his eyes were mostly closed.  However, Solomon was not able to learn to read or do math.  After two years of teaching him and finding that he was not able to do the easiest things, we took him to a different doctor.

This doctor said that Solomon was virtually blind.  His eyelashes had grown inward because of the shape of his eyes and were scratching his eyes so badly that he could see only enough to get around, certainly not enough to learn to read.

So Solomon went through a surgery to open his eyes and pull his eyelashes back.  Within a year of that surgery, Solomon went through three grades in his schooling. Usually each grade takes one year. Solomon did three years work in one year. We were very proud of him.  Sol also went thru a surgery to correct the hernia in his tummy, and that went well. 

Solomon can read at a lower level now, but is progressing well. He does very well in math.  He has a good imagination and uses Lego, a toy that is many tiny pieces of plastic blocks that attach together, to make wonderful creations, like special jets and vehicles.  He has a very good mind.

Solomon is in Boy Scouts. This is a group for special young men that teach them how to be good citizens, how to use survival skills, and how to be good, solid young men.  He loves Boy Scouts and hanging out with the other guys. They camp and go sailing and hiking and all kinds of fun things that teach them to be physically strong and morally good.

Solomon’s best friend is our oldest son, Jacob, who is 13.  You can see Jacob sitting right next to Solomon in the photo.  They spend all of their time together, sharing a bedroom and play with each other almost exclusively. Both boys love each other very much.

There is a photo of Solomon with our baby, Abraham.  Solomon loves Abraham. He feeds him and cares for him.  He often says that Abraham looks just like him and laughs just like him.  He identifies with Abraham in a very special way. And Abraham trusts Solomon and lets Solomon care for him.

Solomon is a very hard worker. We can ask him to do anything, and he does it well. He is also very respectful to my husband and me.  He is such a good boy. You obviously raised him very well. Your efforts with Solomon are blessing our family.

Solomon is also affectionate with us. He likes to joke with us and tease us.  He likes it when his dad wrestles with him or when I kiss him all over the face and tickle him.  He teases his sisters constantly, but they love it. They know he is a good young man and that he loves them, so they take his teasing well.

Solomon’s main interests lie in learning about past wars and the generals and soldiers that fought in the wars. He hopes to be a soldier when he grows up.  He very much has a heart that says that bad men can only be put down if good men stand up and fight against them.  He admires our president, President George Bush, because President Bush offered to help Liberia during the difficult times they had. 

Oh, he is a very wonderful young man. We love having him live with us. We are taking very good care of him and teaching him every good thing. We are honored that you entrusted his care to us, and will be forever grateful to you.  We will continue to give him the best that our family and our home have to offer, so that your trust will not be betrayed.

With much affection,

Shurleen Souza

PS Enclosed is $--.--.  We would so much like it if you could use the money to as needed to write us a letter and let us and Solomon know how you are doing and how his grandparents are doing.  We would also like it very much if you could tell us stories of Solomon when he was young and living in Liberia and share with us what kind of little boy he was.

We will understand if the money cannot be used to help you communicate with us and if you must use it for other things.

If you can write to us, please take the letter to the orphanage where Solomon was adopted from, and leave it with Sadie. She will make sure that the next person that goes to the United States takes the letter with them, and they will post it for you when they get here.

You can write to us in care of the adoption agency. The address follows.