Update

Wow!! God is so good! We have both our new family members! While there is lots of documentation to finish and 10 more days here, it is such a gift to now have Oliver and Kalli in our arms.

Kalli had a very difficult time at first. She cried and screamed for about 30 mins, and has been silent since. Literally no sounds have come out. She is obviously in shock. But she does give us eye contact and touches our hands. She studies our faces intently, but with a bit of a glaze over her eyes. Oliver got the first slight grin out of her last night! He is an AWESOME big brother. He was even hand feeding her last night! Sometimes he speaks to her in Mandarin, which seems to be comforting to her. (I don't know how to make a heart symbol with this tablet, but lots would be inserted here!)

Oliver keeps saying "I so happy!" And "lets go to your home in America." He is doing so well! He is sweet, intelligent, strong-willed and strong in strength. He has, as most 4 yr olds would, already started testing his boundaries with us, but we feel like it actually helps us bond!! He has gone to timeout a few times for hitting, where we sit with him and assure him we love him and don't want him to get in trbl. After 4 mins, we get up, he calms down and rubs his little eyes, says he is sorry, and we give big hugs and kisses. He is very quickly discovering Mommy and Daddy can be trusted to do what we say we will, and that we love him even when he is naughty! He is a beautiful ball of energy, light, and laughter!!!

Kalli is described by her orphanage caretakers as strong-willed and shy.  She seems so gentle.  She follows me around everywhere in the room when she is not in the carrier!! She is a delicate and chunky little sweetheart with dimples in each cheek. We cannot wait to see her smile light up the room, but expect that will take many days.

We also met our niece Sarah, who makes me tear up at the thought of her.  She is an endearing, perfect little girl. Touch is her primary form of communication, so you feel so connected with her very quickly. It is almost as if she lives in her own little world (as she is deaf and has low vision), but as soon as you scoop her up, she pulls you into that world. One of her caregivers says it's like your world slows down - thats perfect! Like it's just you and her. Jon and I kept saying how perfect my sis-in-law and brother and nephews are for her. They truly are her family, and their loving ways are just like hers! God put this beautiful picture together, that is 7000 miles apart!

Please forgive us if you have emailed or messaged and haven't gotten a response.  We have had an incredibly tight schedule, finally getting over jetlag, and internet access and our tablet seem to be unreliable. Emails that we delete reappear days later, and emails appear that weren't previously there. :)

Our precious trio at home are doing well. The girls were very upset the morning we left, but Myley now assures us "shes fine!" Thank you for your prayers and support. We feel them, and have felt God's constant presence and comfort. Sorry this is so long! I likely won't be able to update again except with pictures, so I laid it all out here at 4 am while I could!

Whirlwind Connection

Day 6 of our journey to our children, and if you asked me to describe the experience in one word . . . well, I couldn't.  One word just doesn't suffice.  Triumphant, tragic, challenging, silly, amazing, awkward, exciting, uncomfortable, funny, happy, heartbreaking, exhausting, exhilarating.  Specifically, a whirlwind of emotion!

We have had much difficulty with facebook, blogging, and skyping  We think we have the skyping figured out, and it is such a relief to see the faces of familly at home.

Our schedule has also been go-go-go, with very little time to blog or message anyway!  This may be the only update until we return home, but hopefully I'll be able to manage at least one more.

There is so much to share!!  Today, Oliver is in our arms FOREVER!!!  He is more amazing than we even realized.  He is filling our day with laughter and snuggles.  We taught him how to give an eskimo kiss (nose kiss), and it's already become "our thing".  He is full of light, life, and cuddles.  We are dumbfounded at how wonderful he is.  So spirited and independent, but a good boy who listens and seems already to trust us.  We have even managed to bond through our first temper tantrum!  :)  Bethel did an AMAZING job preparing him for this transition in his life.  We thank God for their work.

Wait until you see the pictures!  The moments frozen in time are spectacular.  I just cannot get things to cooperate to post any of them.

You know how there is always something special when you are holding your own child?  You can hold someone else's child and love them, and see their beauty and precious life.  But when you are holding your own, it just feels . . . more comfortable maybe?  Or probably you are sensing your bond.  As I lay here with him snuggled to my chest, watching his head move ever-so-slightly with each beat of my heart, he feels like mine.  Already!!

One Year Ago . . .

One year ago (May 3, 2013) we began the adoption process. 

Now we are Ch*n@ - bound!!!  How are we feeling? 

Excited!!!!

A little . . . scared,

. . . and anxious.

Also sad . . . 

. . .but happy!!

Don't we all go through a swirl of emotion when we can see change coming and know our lives will forever be different?!

Joy is overflowing knowing we'll soon be meeting our son and our daughter!  For so long, we have wondered about their lives.  Stared at their innocent faces in photos.  Prayed for them.  Dreamt of them.  Longed to be together.

We are a bit paralyzed by sadness as we leave our three amazing children at home for eighteen days.  Folks who have taken this journey before us without Skype are my heroes!  Two things helping me cope with the difficulty of being away from my beloved Grace, my compassionate MJ, and my dynamic Fredster are:  1 - the ability to Skype, and 2 - constant, constant prayer.

May we humbly ask now that you join us in prayer on the days about to unfold?

- Safety and comfort for the three children who are staying at home (ages 9, 5, and 3).  Two of them are starting to have a bit of a difficult time thinking about the time we’ll be apart.  Please pray for God to calm and comfort their little hearts, and keep them safe and healthy while we are away.

- Safety and comfort for Jon and I.  We have never been away from any of our children longer than a week.  We need God’s strength to be without them.  Please pray that our travels are safe and healthy as well.

- Comfort and supernatural understanding for our two new little ones (Oliver 4, Kalli 2).  They are about to be pulled from the only life they have ever known.  Everything will change – from sights and sounds, to smells and touches.  Different language, different environment, different-looking people.  They are accustomed to group life, not family life, and we just pray God works in their hearts and minds to give them an understanding and lack of fear that could only come from him.

- Family and friends at home watching over our kiddos.

- Transition as our family is newly formed.  We pray our newest children are able to deal with their past loss and trauma and find healing in our home, and that our resident children are full of grace and patience as we teach Oliver and Kalli all about family!

 

- God’s blessings upon all the people He has called to help us who responded to His call to care for orphans!!

Did You Know . . . Language Development is Complex? (Series, 2 of ___ )

Our first "Did You Know?" post touched on the fact that our adoptive children will be immersed in a world speaking an entirely different language.  That can be frightening.  It can also be difficult, and have widespread educational impact.

Here is an excerpt from the American Speech Language Hearing Association Division 14 Newsletter -

"The loss of the first language before the new language develops leaves the internationally adopted child in a linguistic and educational limbo.  Unlike the bilingual child who has a strong first language to fall back on, the internationally adopted child suddenly has no communicative language until English develops.  This is a significant issue for older adopted children who need to begin school right away.  Because they are not proficient in English, cognitive and linguistic development is often negatively affected.  Consider this scenario:

 

The typical 6-year-old understands over 20,000 English words.  A 5-year-old adopted from another country would need to learn an average of 54 new words every day in order to fully catch up in language comprehension abilities by age 6.  However, while this child has been playing catch-up, his 6-year-old friends have also added an average of 5,000 words to their vocabulary.  In summary, expecting older children to develop proficient English language skills within one or two years of adoption is unrealistic.  Learning a new language to proficiency takes years."

More info can be found at http://pages.towson.edu/sglennen/index.htm.

Just One

Literally I am sitting in shock as I type this, reflecting on the magnificence of God's provision through just one person.

Last year, we met friends Whitney and Tanner Brown when they began coming to Macedonia Baptist Church.  They are a stunning couple, inside and out, and we were just getting to know them when they felt God's calling to help plant a church.  Through facebook, Whitney and I kept in touch and our friendship has grown. 

Incredibly supportive of our adoptions and fundraisers from the beginning, the Brown's were roused to find an additional opportunity to give.  Whitney has a God-given gift for recognizing others needs and springing into action!  Little did we know, these are qualities that prevail in her close family and friends.

Whitney shared with me her love of inspirational jewelry from a business called The Adopt Shoppe, owned by a woman who desires to help families in the adoption process.  (https://www.etsy.com/shop/theadoptshoppe)  She makes and sells beautiful necklaces and bracelets, then donates profits to adopting families.  Each piece has a beautiful message, proclaiming faith or extolling praises to God.  Her necklaces on etsy literally sell out within minutes!  Seriously, I have tried to purchase them and they disappear from the page before my out-in-the-country-DSL can load my cart!!  Whitney sent me one as a gift that I truly treasure.  She had some in her collection that stirred an idea.  She would host an auction for four-Adopt Shoppe necklaces and give the funds raised to our family adoption expenses!!

Her one-day Instagram auction also received two donations from Bombshell Salon, Spa, and Boutique in Bremen, owned and operated by her cousin Carlee.  True to her giving heart, Whitney also added a massage gift certificate as she is a massage therapist!

The supporters of the auction were largely Whitney's family and friends.  Man, this is a group of GIVING hearts!  I joked that God was using Muhlenberg County folks to teach us about true giving!  In a span of 24 hours, Whitney decided to add TWO more massage gift certificates due to the demand, and raised (drumroll please) . . .

  $1900!!!

ON FOUR NECKLACES, A PEDICURE GIFT CERTIFICATE, THREE MASSAGE GIFT CERTIFICATES, AND A DECORATIVE PLATTER!! 

Do you realize how virtually impossible that is?!  But wait . . .

 

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!  Luke 1:37

Woo-hoo!!  None of these generous folks were forced to participate or begged to bid.  I know they don't want recognition, but it gives us a small chance to display our gratitude, so I am putting their names here:

Whitney & Tanner Brown

Melinda Baize

Jordan & Keila Baize
Debbie Knight

Carlee Knight

Melonie Anderson

Heather Garrett

 

God has seen your actions and generosity, and we pray He blesses you abundantly! 

You are a living example of caring for orphans, and Whitney, you are a shining model

of the difference one person can make!!  THANK YOU!

 

 

To the Reader:  This is just one of many, many miracles we have seen throughout our adoption process.  Please read more of our stories on this blog, and be inspired to help others!