Serra Verde Express

Yesterday we took a ride on the Serra Verde Express, the tourist train that runs from Curitiba across the coastal mountains, descending from 900m to almost sea level near the coast. We crossed 60+ bridges and went through 13 tunnels. It was a three hour tour to remember as we watched the vegetation and felt the climate change as we went.

We arrived in the small town of Morretes, which was an important trading post for the Portuguese as they took goods up the river from the coast toward Curitiba. We "enjoyed" a typical meal of "Barreado," a sort of beef stew thickened with manioc flour and eaten with rice and bananas. There was also plenty of fried fish and fried shrimp, also typical of the area.

After lunch we got on a bus to the small town of Antonina, which was an important Portuguese port on the Bay of Parana, feeding goods up river to Morretes, and further by mule to Curitiba. The sea breeze was lovely and the colorful houses were charming. In typical Portuguese colonial fashion, many of the shutters were on the inside of the windows to demonstrate ones wealth at being able to afford glass. Also, in a town tradition, a ceramic plaque at the front door lists the name of the family's favorite song so that the once-a-month roaming orchestra can play it!

We returned via van across a winding cobbled mountain road, known as the Estrada Graciosa, arriving back to our home-away-from-home in Curitiba, our familiar Betania, in time for dinner. We are already enjoying ourselves here, catching up with old friends and seeing familiar faces.

Boys love trains.

Girls love trains too.

Crossing the Sao Joao Bridge on the Serra Verde Express.
Awesome gorge in the mountains!

Kiddos in front of the cross at the church in Morretes.

This is where we had "Barreado" for lunch.

Luana found some friends at the craft market in Morretes!

The small river town of Morretes.

Kiddos in Antonina.

The colorful colonial architecture of Antonina on the Bay of Parana.

Our home-away-from-home in Curitiba, Betania! We're in the same rooms as we were 1.5 years ago!

One Year Ago...

One year ago today we were spending our last day in Rio de Janeiro, enjoying a few final hours of the warm sun and warm people that we had fallen in love with in our six week journey in Brazil. With a bittersweet anticipation, we prepared our hearts, minds, and suitcases for the journey from Brazil to the United States--the longest journey, both figuratively and literally, our children had ever in their life undertaken.

It is hard to comprehend all the changes that have happened over the past year, but I do admit one thing for sure, this has been the quickest, most wonderful, most challenging year of our lives.

Happy anniversary, my loves!

Carnaval in Brazil

This week was Carnaval in Brazil and all around the world.  I don't want to get into the religious, theological or moral questions that are always raised when a Christian talks about the event.  I just want to ask the Lord to hasten the day of our Brazilian Celebration, for we know that being united with our children will be as joyful an occasion as Carnaval is to so many Brazilians.  The colors, the smiles, the zeal.  I already feel the joy of meeting our children, and I can hardly wait to experience it fully.  

Courts are closed in Brazil for Carnaval, so we're hoping for news shortly after.

Brazilian Consulate

To make all our documents presentable to the Brazilian courts, they had to be legalized by the Brazilian Consulate in NYC.  Documents had to be dropped off by 1pm, so after having them apostilled in Hartford, I sped south again on the highway, picked up James on a street corner where he was waiting for me, and headed down to New York.  We arrived in the city with enough time, parked the car, and scampered a few blocks to the consulate.  Security officers in the building gave us these very flattering ID cards and sent us up to the consular offices.

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We signed in and received a number (I think "L" stands for Legalization) and sat down for about 32 seconds before we were called up to the window.  We handed over the documents, took our receipt and agreed to return the next day between 3 and 4 pm to pick up the documents.  

THE NEXT DAY... 12/21/08

We repeated the trip, but this time by train.  Kim had a day off school because of snow, and the rails seemed safer than the roads.  The consulate is only a few blocks from Grand Central Station, so we schlepped (not scampered) through the slushy, sloppy mess, hurrying to arrive on time.  We got our flattering ID cards...

...signed in and got a number and didn't even have time to sit down in a chair before our number was called.  Hand over receipt, watch clerk thumb through a tall stack of papers, pull ours out, attempt to thank clerk in Portuguese, and head back out the door.  Done.  

I really think this was the most smooth and efficient part of the whole adoption process so far.  

Delivery

Well, two of my good friends delivered their babies this week, and we did some delivering of our own.  

Here's James holding all three copies of our dossier on the train to NYC on December 19.  Notice the blizzard outside his window.  While beautiful snow was falling in CT, slush and slop were puddling up the streets of New York.  We covered and guarded our papers to keep our little family safe from the storm.

Here I am at Kinko's after photocopying the documents we picked up from the consulate.  We tucked them all into an overnight delivery box and mailed them off to AWAA.  The sweet clerk at Kinko's noticed the address on the box and wished us Happy Holidays and, "good luck with your adoption!"  

Now we're down to the last few hurdles before we can be a family!  The hurdles that remain are:

1. AWAA reviews our dossier
2. The translator translates everything to Portuguese (should take a week)
3. The dossier goes to Brazil and we wait for Brazil to approve as prospective adoptive parents
4. The Brazilian court matches us with waiting children
5. We travel, co-habitate with our kids for 30 days in the state where they live, and finalize the adoption in a Brazilian court
6. Then we come home and start figuring out what it looks like to be a family of 4!

Feels like a Miracle

Well, it feels like I've been on the phone all day long, but I think our USCIS crisis is averted.  The agency sent us a description of the Brazil-specific requirements and the social worker sent us an addendum answering all the "deficiencies" USCIS pointed out. 

I even got an email from USCIS:

if all areas are covered in the addendum [and we think they are] this would make the case Hague compliant according to the regulations and would be approvable.

What I think that means is that we're all set, and they should approve us very soon!  This feels monumental, but I've decided that nothing else in this process will be monumental until we get on an airplane to Brazil.  I can't let my heart get all tangled up in disappointments about paperwork.  It's a distraction.  We’ll celebrate our milestones, but no more counting down days to something that isn’t meeting our kids.  Too much heartbreak.

 

Deficiencies

Got an email from USCIS today: 

I have reviewed your case and below are the home study deficiencies, which will need to be addressed in the addendum home study. 

We'll just have to get on that, now won't we?  Here's the rest of it: 

History of Abuse or Violence as an Offender:  In reviewing your home study, we have identified that it does not include evidence that the home study preparerasked the applicant, spouse, and any additional adult household member whether they have a history of the following:  substance abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse, or family violence, whether it be in the US or abroad even if such history did not result in arrest or conviction. This information must be documented in the home study.   In addition, please notate the applicant’s and/or any household member’s responses to the direct questions.  Please note that a single offense may constitute a history. If there is a history, the home study should also include the following information:

1. The dates of each arrest or conviction or history of substance abuse, sexual abuse or child abuse, and/or family violence; or,

2.  If not resulting in an arrest, the date or time period (if occurring over an extended period of time) of each occurrence and

3.  Details including any mitigating circumstances about each incident.

Each statement must be signed, under penalty of perjury, by the person to whom the incident relates.

 

Criminal History:  In reviewing your home study, we have identified that it does not include evidence that the home study preparer has inquired about any criminal history of the applicant, spouse, and adult household members.  Any criminal history must be detailed in the home study. If criminal history does not exist, this should be noted in the home study as well.

 

Country Specific Requirements: In reviewing your home study, we have identified that it does not include a statement of the facts relevant to the applicant’s eligibility for adoption in the indicated Convention country, in light of the specific requirements of that country. Please include this in your home study.

 

I hope this information helps. Once the revisions are complete please forward an electronic version to me for preview before sending the original out to the address below:

 

Department of Homeland Security

Oh, it helps.  Thanks Homeland Security.  

Really, since the last sad post, I've been encouraged by so many faithful friends, and am not feeling half as desperate as I was when I wrote it.  Sure, this is discouraging, but I've decided to go back to not waiting... just spending time preparing.  Counting down to anything builds up expectations that can't give us security the way continuing to Hope in the Lord does.  We're praying that this addendum can get written and submitted QUICKLY nonetheless.  I've asked the social worker if she can meet with us Monday.  Should be a quick interview seeing as the answers to all the above questions are straightforward and simple.

One other encouraging note--the email was sent at 1pm on Saturday.  They're working overtime!  That is good news.

Names

I like Brazilian names.  Almost every one I hear sounds sweet and beautiful in my ear looks like candy to my eye.  As so many of my friends are getting ready to have babies in the next few months, names are on my mind.  It's the question everyone asks--do you have a name picked out?  We continue to wonder what our children's names are.  

When the mind starts wandering into prayerful daydreams of our children and what they do each day as we wait so far from them, it's easy to wonder what their friends call out to them during games of soccer or tag.  It's easy to wonder how it will feel to whisper their names as we tuck them into bed at night or how it will feel to see their faces and read their names for the first time.  

I love to read this list and feel like I know their names.  They just sound so melodic to me.

Girls’ Names

Adriana	Jovita	Elsa	Quixada
Agacia	Juana	Elvera	Raquel
Aidia	Juanetta	Elvira	Renata
Aislara	Juanisha	Elvita	Rica
Alameda	Juanita	Elzineia	Ricarda
Alandra	Julia	Ema	Rocio
Alanza	Kaba	Emesta	Roderiga
Alazne	Kachiri	Emilia	Roldana
Aldonza	Kaiala	Engracia	Romana
Alegria	Katryny	Enrica	Rufina
Alejandra	Kay	Enriqua	Sanderlei
Alejandrina	Laura	Erendira	Selena
Aliane	Lia	Fabiana	Senalda
Ana	Ligia	Faqueza	Senna
Andira	Linez	Fe	Senobia
Aparecida	Luciana	Felepita	Senona
Arika	Lucina	Felicita	Serafina
Aurinha	Ludimilia	Fernanda	Serena
Beatrisa	Luisa	Flavia	Sevilla
Beatriz	Marcela	Genoveva	Shoshana
Belen	Marguarita	Gerarda	Sibelia
Belinda	Mariana	Ginessa	Sierra
Benita	Mirelli	Giselli	Silvia
Bernicia	Monique	Gitana	Simona
Bethania	Monize	Gloria	Sintia
Blanca	Nade	Gracia	Socorro
Carolina	Nalda	Graciana	Solana
Cassia	Nana	Graciela	Soledad
Celia	Narcisa	Gregoria	Soledada
Celina	Natalia	Guillermina	Stefania
Claudenize	Natividad	Iara	Suelita
Claudia	Nelia	Idoia	Susana
Cristiana	Nelida	Idolina	Teresa
Damita	Nerea	Idonia	Teresita
Dani	Neta	Iemanja	Trella
Deiene	Neva	Ignacia	Ula
Deina	Nevada	Igone	Ursulina
Delcine	Nicanora	Iracema	Valencia
Delmara	Nicolasa	Irasema	Verdad
Denisa	Odete	Iris	Veta
Desideria	Orquidia	Isadora	Vicenta
Dionisa	Paciencia	Isaurides	Viviane
Dita	Palmira	Jacarei	Xalbadora
Dolores	Paloma	Janaina	Xalvadora
Dolorita	Pascuala	Jasone	Xandra
Domenica	Pastora	Javiera	Xaviera
Dominga	Patricia	Jimena	Xevera
Dona	Paula	Jisa	Xeveria
Dorbeta	Pauleta	Joana	Xhana
Dorotea	Pia	Joaquina	Yanamarie
Drina	Piedad	Jordana	Yesenia
Duena	Pilar	Jorgelina	Yoana
Dulce	Placida	Josefa	Yolanda
Dulcina	Priscila	Josefina	Zaina
Edeli	Pura	Josilene	Zamora
Eliana	Pureza	Josune	Zandra
Elena	Purisima	Jovana	Zanetta
Elina	Quela	Jovena	Zanita
Elisa	Querida	Jovina	Zelia
Eloisa	Quinta

Boys’ Names

Adhmar	Jose	Felix	Reymundo
Adilson	Keris	Ferdinando	Reynaldo
Adolfo	Laurencio	Fermin	Ricardo
Adriano	Leandro	Fernando	Riel
Agustin	Leon	Fido	Rio
Alano	Leonardo	Filipo	Romano
Alanzo	Leonel	Flavio	Ronaldo
Alarico	Leonides	Florentino	Rosario
Alberto	Leopoldo	Florinio	Ruben
Alejandro	Lisandro	Fonzo	Rudi
Alexildo	Lonzo	Francisco	Rudolfo
Alfonso	Lorenzo	Franco	Rudy
Alonzo	Lucas	Gilberto	Rufio
Aluino	Luciano	Gustavo	Sancho
Alvar	Lucero	Galtero	Santiago
Alvaro	Luciano	Gaspar	Santos
Alverio	Lucio	German	Saturnin
Amadeo	Luis	Geronimo	Saul
Amado	Mapi	Gervasio	Sebastiano
Arlindo	Marcio	Gervaso	Segundo
Bartoli	Marcos	Gil	Selmo
Bartolo	Matheus	Gilberto	Sencio
Bartolome	Mauro	Gregorio	Senon
Basilio	Mayara	Gualterio	Serafin
Bastian	Miguel	Guido	Sevastian
Blas	Natalio	Halturen	Silvanio
Bruno	Natanael	Hamilton	Silvano
Caio	Nataniel	Heribert	Silvio
Cassiano	Nemesio	Heriberto	Siro
Cedro	Nestor	Hernan	Teodoro
Cenon	Nestorio	Hernandez	Teyo
Cesar	Nicanor	Hernando	Thiago
Cesario	Nicolas	Hilario	Thyrso
Cesaro	Niguel	Hildson	Timo
Chan	Noe	Homero	Timoteo
Charro	Norberto	Honorato	Tito
Che	Normando	Horado	Tobias
Chemo	Octavio	Huberto	Toli
Chico	Oduvaldo	Hugo	Tomas
Ciceron	Oliverio	Humberto	Tonio
Cidro	Oranjinho	Iago	Toro
Cirilo	Orlan	Ignacio	Turi
Danilo	Pascual	Ignado	Ulises
Denilson	Patricio	Ignazio	Urbano
Diego	Patrico	Ilhem	Valentin
Dinho	Paulino	Inocencio	Vicente
Dino	Paulo	Jabuti	Victor
Djavan	Pedro	Jacobo	Victoriano
Domenico	Placido	Jago	Victorino
Domingo	Platon	Jaime	Victorio
Donato	Ponce	Jair	Uluiru
Donzel	Porfirio	Jairo	Vitor
Duardo	Porfiro	Javier	Wanadi
Duarte	Reinaldo	Javiero	Wanderlino
Edson	Rogerio	Jax	Xalbador
Edvaldo	Ramon	Jeremias	Xalvador
Eduardo	Ramone	Jerico	Xavier
Efrain	Raoul	Jeronimo	Ximenes
Fausto	Raul	Joao	Yago
Federico	Renaldo	Joaquin	Yoaquin
Feliciano	Renato	Jonas	Yulius
Felipe	Rey	Jorge	Zacarias
			Zenob

The latest in waiting

Waiting is all the rage.  All the cool kids are doing it.  You should give it a try.  

While I was waiting today, since I didn't have anything of note in my mailbox (except a birthday card for my darling husband!) I decided to call the USCIS Hague Adoption helpline to find out what's the latest on our nearly 100-day application process.  Here's the news:

*Our case has been assigned to an adjudication officer.

*The sweet woman who answered the phone asked me, "Would you like to speak with the officer assigned to your case?"   "Um, yeah!" quoth I, just as I did when James asked me to marry him--as if there was any other option in my mind!

*I got her name and left her a voicemail.  Let's see if she calls back!  

And now I'm waiting again.  Seriously, it's an up and coming fad.  You really should jump on the bandwagon before it fills up.  :o)

Still...

Well 90 days have come and gone and I'm told by a lovely gentleman at the Hague Adoption Convention customer service center that we're "one of the next several dozen cases to be looked at by an officer."  While this information was somewhat less that helpful, the 800 number I called to get this tidbit of pseudoinformation has real live people on the other end and they are quite willing to help in any way they can.  If you call the general USCIS customer service number, you get someone who tells you that if your application is less than 180 days old, they can't look at your file.  They also tell you that the only ones who can tell you about your case are the people at the field office your application was submitted to--and no, they don't have the field office's phone number, and the number listed on the field office's website is the same one that can't tell you anything unless you call the field office.  

The USCIS Hague Adoption customer service number, on the other hand, is answered by  people who are perfectly willing to look at one's file and answer as many questions as you can throw at them.  In case anyone who reads this is adopting internationally and is waiting for USCIS approval, this contact information has been very helpful:  nbc.hague@dhs.gov or 1-877-424-8374.  They service anyone who has filed an I-800 or I-800A.  I found it here, on the USCIS website under the "adoptions" heading. 

In the meantime, I guess we're still waiting.  Maybe before Thanksgiving.

The countdown

I've told myself from the very beginning of this process that countdowns were dangerous and could only serve to distract me from what's real and eternal and to disappoint me when (not if) things don't go as planned.  I've been thankful many times that my heart has not been tied up in expectations and timelines and I think God has planted such a hope in our hearts that we continue to be confident in His plan for our family and positive about the outcome of this long adoption process.

Even so, you've read the title of this post, and you're wondering what the countdown could possibly be all about.  I'm allowing myself this one countdown indulgence.  The processing time for USCIS to approve I-800 applications is 90 days.  One friendly gentleman at their customer service center said it's usually 75 to 90 days.  While I'm still fully aware that the notice we get from USCIS could be a request for more information and documentation, rather than an approval right away, the 90th day is this Wednesday! (I know because I counted 3 times to be sure.)  That means that I'm hoping (reeealy hoping) that we'll get some good news in the mail this coming week.  It also means that I've checked for mail twice today.  

After we are approved by USCIS, I promise I will not be counting days on my calendar any more until we know the day when we are going to get on a plane to meet our children in Brazil.  I'll get re-focused on God's perfect timing and I'll spend more time praying for my children than checking my mailbox.  Maybe I'll even stop telling myself we're waiting to adopt.  I resent the word waiting almost as much as I resent little adoption countdown tickers.  I'll stop waiting, and keep on living, preparing, reading, praying and hoping.

After we get the letter.  

Clarity

We had a great conference call today with our family coordinator at AWAA, Ryan, and our contact at Limiar, Luciana.  There was one main question we wanted to have answered:  what will the process look like once our dossier is finally submitted to Brazil.  Here's what we've learned:

• Once our USCIS approval finally arrives, the translation process will take about a week.
• Our dossier will be sent to several different Brazilian states where we will be approved by the State Judiciary Commission of Adoption (CEJA) of each state.  Luciana says this step usually takes about 3 months. 
• Then once we're approved, the courts look for a referral for us that matches our requests (a 2-child sibling group age 6 and under).  This could be a couple months or a year, depending on available children and the other families on the waiting list.  We're told that requesting siblings is favorable, and being flexible with our age range would make our application even more favorable--and make the process go quicker.  This is the most unpredictable part of the process.
• Limiar has access to information about waiting children (most of whom are older than the range we're requesting right now.)  Luciana will share this information with us within the preferences we give her.  Meaning, if we are open to considering larger sibling groups or older children, she will pass those referrals on to us to consider.  She stressed that we are the only ones who can discern whether a a specific child is our son or daughter.  There is no pressure or obligation when we review a referral.
• If we identified our children through Limiar prior to the court identifying them for us, the process would change a bit.  Not sure on the details there.
• Either way we go about it, once we accept a referral, we will have to request the Brazilian court's approval with a petition to adopt our children.  We would also begin the process of applying for our travel visas.  This could be only a few weeks after accepting a referral.  
• Limiar and AWAA will walk us through what documents need to travel with us when we go to Brazil.

One mindset has really been changed--my attitude about referrals.  I've always imagined the moment we received a referral as the magical moment when God would reveal who our children are.  It seems like, in this process, a referral is more of an opportunity to seek God's will for our family.  

There are some pros and cons about this new understanding.  On the PRO side, every time we've seen names or lists of available children, I've been driven to my knees to pray for them and their situations. On the CON side, my heart breaks every time I see the names and stories of children who have lived their lives without a family. On the 2 occasions we have seen the names of waiting sibling groups in Brazil, we have been brokenhearted, but sure that God wanted us to keep waiting for the children He's picked for us.  

Tonight we have a serious conversation about whether we want to keep waiting and let the courts send us a referral, or whether we want to flex some of our expectations and start taking a look at some of the waiting children.  

What it feels like

My friend Julia is one smart cookie.  I always enjoy her perspective on things.  She's an out of the box, colorful, fashion designing, eco-conscious, astrophysicist, soon-to-be mother of 2.  I've been wishing a lot lately that I'd gotten to spend more time with her while she was here in New Haven--she's recently moved away.  

In a recent comment, she asked,

I've wondered what it felt like to prepare for motherhood when you're growing your family through adoption... It's always great to hear your perspectives.

Her comment has made me think a little more carefully about what I write here.  Often, I write to chronicle the process of growing our family through adoption, but I don't always take the time to talk about what it's like on the inside of my head.  Truth is, adoption probably makes up more than 50% of my thoughts every day and at least that fraction of our conversations at home.  It's also true that many of those thoughts and conversations are about practical details--I'll copy the birth certificates if you can get them notarized at work, then I'll pick them up and mail them off.  Or else they're dreams of the future--When the kids are home, won't it be great to speak Portuguese with them, or take them to this or that museum, or travel here or there?  

Since this is the only growing-into-motherhood process I have experienced, I have nothing to compare it to, it seems perfectly normal to me, and therefore Julia's question is not an easy one to answer.  I've read a bunch of books, talked with professionals in the field and people who have been through it on the parent end and on the child end.  I've taken an online course on international adoption.  As a couple, we've talked about issues of language, culture, naming, discipline, school, work and faith.  Even so, we're sure we have no idea what life on the other side of that miraculous moment will look like.  We don't even know how old our children will be.  How can we know how to prepare?  Sometimes it feels like we're walking in the dark toward the edge of something unknown.  All we know is that this question-filled darkness is peaceful and we're sure that the newness on the other side is something that we will drink up and learn to navigate step by step.  

I think that when getting ready to be a parent, one's mind can never be prepared, but you know you're ready when you're heart is prepared.  

Does it sound like we're prepared?  

Fingerprints

We're moving right along.  We received our Fingerprint Appointment Notice from USCIS today--September 16.  My heart floods with joy every time there is evidence progress toward our beloveds.  Getting fingerprinted is somewhat bothersome since we must both appear in Hartford, at 2pm, on a work day, when we know that the USCIS has our fingerprints on file since just over a year ago, and we've already paid the hefty fingerprinting fee once before.  But the hassle doesn't even feel like a bother since it's what we must do to (someday soon) become mother and father to our precious children.  Easy.  In fact, the more of these little tasks we accomplish, the nearer we are and the more anticipation we feel.  James mentioned the the other day how his arms and heart ache to hold our children.  That reality is closer than it has ever been.  

Tonight at our Tuesday night small group meeting we began our Bible study with an ice-breaker question as usual.  This week's was, "If you could have dinner with any person living in the World today, who would it be?"  As I fumbled to pull out a compelling celebrity name, Christina rescued me from my floundering and came up with an answer that saw straight to my heart--my children.  Not a singer, a politician, an actor or talk-show host.  Nope.  The people I most desire to sit around a table with are probably 4500 miles from New Haven, but couldn't be nearer to my heart because they are my babies.  There's nothing I desire more than to have them close enough to share a meal with.  

As I begin a new school year this week, I have the continual impression that this is the school year during which everything will change for our family.  Lord willing, this will be the year we become parents.  Though the wait has been long (and may be longer still), I am encouraged in my heart and by so many friends, that the time has never been nearer.  We feel like we've been waiting for our children forever.  Indeed, it has been around 3 years since we started on this journey with dreams and questions and plans.  (That's a long pregnancy!)  But we are not weary yet.  We have just enough patience to get us through to the next milestone and enough hope to keep going no matter what.  

Praying

Well, all our paperwork has been sent off to be Apostille Certified in Hartford and we are waiting for USCIS to approve our application to bring our 2 Brazilian children home to the US.  These are not the last steps in the process by far, but it means that we've mostly done our part and it is basically up to other people now to get our kiddos home to us.   You'd think by reading my last post that I would be experiencing a bit of anxiety about letting it all go like that, but truly I feel freed to begin thinking more about our children.  I've been mostly praying about process for the past several weeks or months, and now I just can't get my mind off the children.  Finding out their names, seeing their little faces, knowing where they've been living and what they are like.  The anticipation of the long flight to Brazil.  Meeting them and hugging them for the first time.  Snuggling up with books together.   Exploring Brazil together.  Cooking, eating, laughing, praying, playing and resting together.  Feeling our way through the newness during our 6-week stay in Brazil.  And coming home.  Home as a family.

So many people are praying for our children.  Our parents (the grandparents!), our church, our friends, our small group.  So many people all across the country praying for our children.  

• We are praying that God will be sustaining them and preparing them to be a part of our family. 
  
• We are praying that they will hear about the Lord from their infancy so that their hearts will be ripe to know and love Him.  (Also praying for their caretakers' role in this.)
  
• We are praying that they learn to love and trust each other and their caretakers and that they will be able to transfer that trust to their new parents.  
  
• Finally, we are praying that they stay healthy and well-fed.  

• OK, we're also praying that God will work miraculously to bring them home SOON.  (In the year 2008.)
  

If you've joined us in prayer for our children, why don't you leave a little message for our kids (now that I have the comment section open on the blog) letting them know you've been praying for them too.  Feel free to send your prayin' friends here to leave a comment too.  

I have been blessed in my life to be aware of the many saints lifting up prayers on my behalf and I am convinced that the sum of those prayers is the reason I can say I know and trust Christ.  Those are powerful words and I want our children (when they read this someday) to be assured that they were held in love and prayer from long before we knew their names.  So, leave them a comment to let them know you're praying for them.

This fall, we are planning to send out a call for prayers for the children with a special project based on a Chinese tradition of creating a "Quilt of 100 Good Wishes."  I think we will create a "Quilt of 100 Prayers" and ask for participation from our friends and family.  Keep an eye out for an announcement about that project.

Our Best Friends (for a while)

We're at that place again where documents are a large part of our lives.  Documents come to us, they get notarized they travel out again to get Apostille Certified, they arrive at our home, the go back out again to the Brazilian Consulate in NYC to be legalized, (I just found out about that last layer of legalization!) and when they return home to us again we photocopy everything and send them off to Brazil to be translated.  That's a lot of traveling!  

Whenever I drop off a courier envelope (like the I-800A application we sent to USCIS on Friday), I feel as though it takes great faith in the courier service to release that important package--so much rides on those pieces of paper.  I remind myself every time I hand over an envelope or drop a package in a mail slot that I am not releasing control... because I am not IN control.  As much as sometimes I wish I were able to control every part of this process, I am glad it's up to God and not me (or the courier service).  It's hard to let go, and nothing reminds me of that more than when I loosen my tight little grip on an envelope full of documents that carry the weight of our family and hand them to the worker behind the counter at the Post Office.  

Lord, thank you for being in control of our family.  You will build a family that is far better than I could ever dream on my own.  I pray that we will bring you glory during this process and as a family.  Keep your hands on our documents as they travel from desk to desk, and whisper in the ear of each one who touches them so that they know you are there.  Lord, we want to see you glorified each step of the way.  Thank you for using us.

Learning Portuguese

One of the things we are doing to prepare ourselves for parenthood is learning our children's language.  (Should help to make things a little easier at home, don't you think?)  Knowing Spanish has been a big advantage so far in my studies, but I will not get by just leaning on my Spanish.  

Rosetta Stone has been a great fit for us and I've been impressed with the way the lessons are structured to give little bits of language at a time, but in a way that is usable.  Being able to form sentences and express thoughts in a new language builds confidence and motivation.  I'm having so much fun!  However, even when it gets hard or repetitive, or when I get tired, learning Portuguese has been a great way to keep focused on my children and the miracles God keeps working to bring them home to us.  This exercise feels like a very concrete and very practical way to get myself ready to be a mom.

The last lesson I did taught family words:  mãe, pai, irmao, irmã, te amo, amigo, casa (mom, dad, brother, sister, I love you, friend, house).  I also found this list of Portuguese phrases for new adoptive parents, this online Portuguese-English-Portuguese Dictionary.  

Very practical indeed.

The Big Picture--Romans 5:17

I've been sensing some urgency to get it together lately.  Thinking about our children coming home is a joyful thought, but it also shines light on all the areas of my life that are not the kind of model I want to be for my children.  God's using this waiting time to refine us in a lot of ways.  I've been making an effort to spend more time in His Word, and He has been blessing me there.  Most recently, I came to Romans 5:17.  

For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

I've been focusing so much on God's specific provision for me personally in this instant in my life that I almost took my eyes off of His "abundant provision of grace and the gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS" in Jesus Christ!  The reason that God is able to give me grace in the little things (like finances, or circumstances, or particular blessings like that) is that He has already given the extravagant gift of righteousness through Christ.  Because of Christ, when God looks at me, he doesn't see (and in His justice have to punish) the sin-sick mess that I am.  He sees (and rewards) the perfection of Christ.  And He offers the same to our kids, and the people who are caring for them right now, and each person who handles our dossier documents, and anyone who might happen to read this blog.  

Who could be grumpy about "paperchasing" with a big picture like that?

Document List

We are officially gathering documents to build a new dossier.  I'd originally thought it would be super-easy since, well, we've done this before and we already have many of the documents on the list.  Turns out it will require a little more legwork than I originally thought.  Here's the official list of documents we're hoping to gather before the end of the month.

1. Statement letter regarding Brazilian Adoption (a template to fill out)
   
2. Birth Certificates (we must order new ones from AL and NJ)
   
3. Marriage Certificate (we must order a new one from PA)
   
4. General Physical Examination Form (our doctor is an adoptive dad and has agreed to meet with us, do some new blood work, and complete the form based on last year's physical)
   
5. Proof of medical insurance (may be a challenge getting the insurance company to notarize a letter for us)
6. Document stating that family knows adoption is free of charge in Brazil (another template)
7. Proof of residence (a notarized letter on City Hall letterhead, the people at the assessor's office yesterday were not interested in notarization or letterhead.  I've contacted our alderman)
8. Financial information (a form to fill out with all our assets and liabilities) 
9. Proof of income (letters from our employers)
10. Home study (being updated as we speak)
11. Police department record (requires a drive to Middletown to get fingerprinted)
12. USCIS approval (we request approval by completing the I-800A form and submitting it with a copy of our homestudy)
13. Psychological exam (the psychologist that did our psychological evaluation for El Salvador is updating the report for us)
14. Agency post-adoption agreement (a form signed by Catholic Charities and AWAA)
15. Photocopies of passports (no problem)
16. Photo pages (photos of the outside of our house, all its rooms, portraits of us and photos of family life)

Sixteen.  Not so bad.  A small price to pay for all the joy that is to come. 

Perfect Provision

When we made the decision to follow God's lead from El Salvador to Brazil, our family coordinator at AWAA let us know that there was some risk involved.  There was the risk of time that comes with not knowing exactly how long this new program will take before our children are home with us.  There was a financial risk that comes with switching from one program to another and having to update documentation and agree to a new set of costs.  He wanted to be sure that we were aware of the risks and were willing to accept them along with all the other unknowns involved in being a pilot family.  We were.  We knew that God had all the time in His hands and that His timing would be perfect.  We also knew that if He called us to adopt our children from Brazil, He would make a way.  

He is making a way and is once again blessing us to see his hand as it works for His glory and the benefit of our family.

After talking through all of the expenses associated with the Brazil adoption program with Ryan (the family coordinator) yesterday, we discovered that all of the fees we've paid to AWAA for our El Salvador adoption would indeed be transferred to the Brazil program... (here's where it gets good)... leaving us with a $1200 credit so far.  That means that when we submit our updated dossier this summer, we will only have $600 to contribute at that time. 

Today when I checked the mail, I had 2 paychecks from work.  One was for some part time hours I'd done a while back (and had forgotten about), and the other was my first summer paycheck.  Since teachers are 10-month employees, the district allows us to stretch our pay over 12 months, but does not continue to take out union dues and insurance fees.  That means that summer paychecks are always a little nicer.  

Between the two checks, God provided just exactly enough to cover the $600 program fee and the payment to our social worker for updating our homestudy.  

The point of this story is not a lesson in personal financial management or budgeting, but one about God's great grace.  He continues to open our eyes to the ways that he continually provides for us and cares for us.  What is $600 to the Lord of the Universe?  But to us, this miniscule blessing is enormous because it shows us that God is faithful and that He will bring our children to us, and that He is taking care of them even now.  

There will still be international and in-country expenses when we accept a referral and travel to Brazil, but God has already provided a grant from Shaohannah's Hope (which will pay about half of the international fee), and we are sure that He will continue to provide what we need to bring our children home.

He has it all in His hands.  

He always has.