Thursday, June 26, 2008, 8:33 p.m., D.S.T., Nashville, TN~

Dear Jenna Anderson (and Adam)~

It seems so strange:  writing to a member of the same church I go to, yet we've really never met face to face.  I have seen you and your son, am encouraged by how much you care for him; at the same time, you've been observing me.  Now how unusual is that?? 

I am sorry for not introducing myself to you sooner.  It seems that Christ Community Assembly of God is getting bigger all the time:  God is moving, bringing more people into the Kingdom.  Now over 950 people call Christ Community Assembly of God Church home; what's to say our church won't get even bigger once we have revival or "Heaven's Gates And Hell's Flames"?  I'm not surprised that there are members of this church family that I haven't met yet--such as in your case.

In any event, my name's Louisiana Sandusky.  I have been married to my husband, Bill (William) for sixteen years now; we've had a very good marriage (for the most part); I am blessed to have Bill as my husband.  He is so good to me; he treats me like a queen.  We have sixty three children now:  two "homegrown", sixty one adopted, from all nations--China, Russia, Finland, Holland, Germany, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Sri Lanka, Bosnia-Hergezovina, Romania, Malaysia, India, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Africa (Kenya).  They now range in age from seven months to 24 years--and I have over nine grandbabies.

Besides raising our family, both Bill and I work:  we have to in order to provide for our family, pay our bills, cope with the ever-rising fuel and food prices.  I work at a hospital as a nurse; my husband works as a greeter at Wal*Mart.  For the most part we love our jobs; our jobs is what helps pay the bills.  We are fortunate to have employment; so many people don't in this uncertain time in our shaky economic situation.

When we are not working or raising our brood, we go to church, and sometimes on the weekends (or during the summer), we perform as a family music act.  We do anything to bring in extra money; we need it to get whatever the family needs.  Raising a family of our size is astronomically expensive; it is only by God's grace (and the caring of others) that we've been able to pay our bills on time or get whatever we need.

We didn't plan to adopt so many hurting children; however, once we started, it seemed that we couldn't say no.  Once we saw these children's little faces, how could we?? We were smitten on the spot; they, in kind, became ours; the rest, as they say, is history.

I have chronicled our story in several books (you will be able to find them at your favorite local bookstore or I will personally send you copies if you desire).  Our story is one I feel that needs to be told:  too many people don't know "the story behind the story", how our family came into being, how it is to raise so many children, many of them disabled in one way or another.  This is why I wrote the books, to inform, educate, and hopefully inspire more people to adopt children who are "unadoptable" or have some sort of special need, be it physical, mental, emotional, or psychological.

As a RN, I have plenty of medical training.  I can handle all sorts of medical crises or situations.  Nothing really surprises me; I know how to deal with problems ranging from the mundane to the most life-threatening.  It may be scary at times, but I am only doing my job:  saving lives, particularly if the patient happens to be one of my own children.  Then the situation takes on a whole new sense of urgency.

Unfortunately, I have faced death, more than once.  I lost all three of my birth children (two died while still infants; the third died on what would have been his fourth birthday), and I also lost a foster daughter to AIDS.  I still miss them all very much; they live on in my heart, and I will never stop loving (or missing) them.  Losing any loved one is hard; however, when death claims your child, that's the worst feeling, experience any parent can ever face.  You expect to lose someone like your parents or your grandparents--you don't expect to outlive your children.

Some of the situations I have faced would curl your hair if I told you.  This is what I've experienced as a parent, and I think that it's made me stronger, wiser, more in tune to people and their life situations.  I am a better person all around because of the tragedy I've endured in my life.

Well, Jenna, I am going to let you go.  I will write again soon; until then, I will see you at church on Sunday.  Hopefully one of these days I can come up to you (and Adam), have a nice talk.  I'd love to get to know the two of you better; I pray you get to know me too.  I am a very caring, honest, open person, and I always enjoy making new friends.  Take care, and may God bless you and Adam with all that He has to offer!

~Love, your new friend, Louisiana Mayrah Sandusky. :)

P.S.: Write back when you are able to; I'll answer! 

P.P.S.:  I'll tell you more about my children (and Bill) next time.

~Louie. :)