Old Meets New

Thanks again to Nikki for making this a beautiful place to record the many ways God is working to make us a family!

As part of this update, I've opened the blog to comments since many loved-ones support us in prayer and friendship.  

Stay tuned for a brand new look!

Check back soon for a big surprise!  Nikki from Blogs for a Cause is working on a fresh design for our blog!  I'm impressed with the way she is using her skills to fight poverty and make a difference in the world, and I'm sure we'll all be impressed with her creation to be unveiled soon.

My babies deserve a beautiful site to document their journey home, don't you think?

Thanks, Nikki!

Remember this?

Well, here's something cool.  I've been reading some blogs during some of my summer downtime and found a Shaohannah's Hope blog.  Look down to about the middle of the page (November 7) where it says "Bloomfield Blessings!" The slideshow there shows some of the many people who donated to Shaohannah's Hope that night, contributing to the grant we received.  What a nice reminder that God is with us and taking care of us: past, present and future!

 

Adoption Resources

I just finished an 8-hour online course required for all potential international adoptive parents.  I did it in 2 sittings and since my brain is full of information I will never be able to perfectly recall, here are some of the resources cited in that training.  I'll come back to them as each becomes salient, I'm sure, but maybe others who read this blog would like to learn a little more about intercountry adoption as well.  

Suggested reading list

List of web links

Hague Adoption Resources Pamphlet

The course was designed by the National Council for Adoption and was quite comprehensive.   

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.

Milemarker

A year ago today we submitted our dossier to El Salvador.

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.

 

Just missing you

Well, it's starting to settle into our minds that we've really switched programs and that we are now, officially, in uncharted waters.  I really wish I had a due-date now more than ever.  Having gone through this process to switch to Brazil has given us the most firm assurance that we are, at this very moment, in God's plan and in His Will.  Having such a confidence of being a part of God's forever-plan almost makes it harder to wait.  Our children ARE waiting for us just as we are waiting for them.  Knowing that they are most likely out of infancy and even the toddler years has ignited in my heart a real and strong yearning to mother them.  Several of our good friends (Lydia, Kristin and Michelle) often remind me that I am a parent and I do have children (Kristin even went out of her way to wish me a happy Mother's Day last month), but I am missing out on mothering them until they finally come home.  

I know God is still preparing us to be together, and with the new urgency I feel, I have been mindfully preparing myself to parent our children.  We've been reading "Shepherding a Child's Heart," we ordered Rosetta Stone Portuguese, I've talked with my principal about getting my children into my school when we return from Brazil, I've joined a Fitness Boot Camp to try to help myself create some healthy habits, Michelle and I are going to start meeting as Spiritual Sharpening Partners, and we are re-reading the Gospel of John along with our house guest, Su Jeong.

And still I don't feel ready.

Our new social worker, Mary-Beth Dobmeier, met with us to update our homestudy report.  She asked us, "What do you think your life will be like when you arrive home from Brazil with your two children?  How will you do your grocery shopping?"  What she wanted to find out, I think, was if we have done some thinking about how we will manage our everyday lives as parents.  Truly, I have no idea what our life will look like.  At this moment, all I want to do is hold my babies.  Just hold them very tightly and not let go for a long long time.  I want to hold them on my lap and snuggle during a movie or a story or the quiet evening while we learn each other's hearts.  

I don't know what it will be like to go grocery shopping, but I hope it's fun.  I took my two neighbor girls home from Drama Club practice the other day and stopped in the grocery store on the way home because I needed some fruit... and so that I could try it out.   The trip was successful, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to handle it.  But what about if my beloveds wake up with bad dreams, or miss their home country, or express their grief by lashing out in anger, or fall and hurt their little knees, or have trouble in school, or get frustrated about not being able to communicate in our English-speaking world, or don't know how to receive our love?  Will I be able to hug it all away?  How long will it take before being held by mommy or daddy quells the cares and worries and tears?

Being so sure that we are where God wants us makes me feel that we are one step closer to our children.  And it makes me feel a little more impatient.  

And I miss them.

Suitcase musings.

My mind works best in the practical, tangible, feet-on-the-ground sort of realm.  It's hard to think concrete thoughts about our family, our children, or the way our life will be when there are still so many unknowns.  Who are our children?  Where do they live?  How old will they be when they come home with us?  What do they like and dislike?  What has their life been like so far?  What stories will I read them and what stories have they been read?  

With all these practical questions yet to be answered, my mind tends to wander to things like my suitcase.  What will I pack in a suitcase for a 6 week-long trip to meet my children for the first time?  What what size clothes to bring for them?  What toys will they enjoy playing with?  How will we keep them content and occupied on the plane on the long trip home?  These trivial, practical questions are the ones my mind keeps shifting back to.  

It doesn't matter, I tell myself.  The things I bring are not going to make a difference in the lives of my children.  

That realization brings to the foreground many more questions--somewhat harder to grasp ahold of.  How will we communicate with our children?  What will we say?  Will they be excited to meet us?  How long will it be before they love us?  Will they always lean on each other for support and strength, or will they learn to run to us their us for shelter?  How will we experience Brazil together in a meaningful way?  How will we continue to experience being Brazilian once we arrive home?  

The truth is that there is not one question on this page that I know then answer to, and if I did not know that the Lord is in control and that He alone is the creator of both the Universe and our family, I would be petrified.  This is not an easy life that we have chosen.  There are probably at least a thousand more questions that haven't even occured to me yet, and I don't know the answer to those either.  The one answer I have is that God has chosen our children to be a part of our family.  He has chosen us to be a part of their lives.  We will do our best to honor His call to love and parent those He will bring to us so that their lives will one day reflect His Love and Grace.  That will be a gift that cannot be packed into a suitcase.

God's plan does not change

This I know to be true:  God is always moving.  Most often we don't see it, but he doesn't stop orchestrating our lives and all of Creation for His glory just because we look away.  Every so often we can see the shadow of his omnipotent hand moving through our lives in ways that reveal little bits of His glory and little bits of His sovereign plan.  

That's why this is a pivotal post.

We have known for a long time that God has called us to adopt.  For over a year, we have been on a path toward adopting our first child, trusting the Lord would bring us together with our child in His perfect timing.  We have been waiting along with other America World families in the El Salvador program.  That was the right place for us to be, and this week we found out why.  During the past year of waiting, God has grown and shaped us into who He needed us to be in the moment we were presented with the opportunity to switch from the El Salvador program to a brand new one in Brazil.  And we switched.

But God's plan for our family did not change.  It was our hearts that changed.  As of today, we are no longer waiting for a toddler from El Salvador.  No, God has more for our family.  

We are now waiting for two siblings from Brazil!  

We do not know who they are yet, but we are beginning to update all of our paperwork to submit a new dossier to Brazil.   Hopefully, within a year's time, we will be traveling to Brazil for 6 weeks and coming home as a family of 4!  

God is good at abundance, and he is good at preparing us to receive his riches.  His plan never changed.  It was the hearts of His servants that changed.  What a blessing it is to be open to the leading of the Lord.  His plans are perfect!

Unthinkable Tragedy

http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/jim/2008/05/unthinkable-tra.html

AWAA Update

Dear Families,

 

I want to begin by thanking you all for being in prayer with us for Brian’s meeting with the Procurador yesterday.  Brian was blessed to have a Christian translator accompany him to the meeting and they were able to pray together on the way to the Procurador’s office.  During the meeting, Brian expressed that he felt an overwhelming sense of peace that could only come through the power of prayer.  The Procurador also said that he felt a peace about meeting with Brian and a trust to work together to move our families forward faster.  He said that he will personally work on the cases of our nine approved families.  He was not able to give us a time frame, but Brian felt that he was sincere in taking on that responsibility.   

 

Currently, we have 50 plus families registered at OPA.  That means that Alexis (our attorney in ES) has finished processing those dossiers and they are waiting on approval.  Nine of our families are approved and the Procurador is going to be working on those cases.  I will be speaking with and coordinating with Alexis multiple times per week so that I have the most up to date information possible for each family.  The part of the process that seems to be holding up adoptions is the infrequency of the committee meeting.  Brian presented the Procurador with some suggestions and ideas to make that part of the process more efficient.

 

We are hoping to see some movement with our families soon and we will certainly keep you informed!  Again, thank you for your prayers and support! 

 

Blessings,

 

AWAA Update

Dear Families,

 

I want to begin by thanking you all for being in prayer with us for Brian’s meeting with the Procurador yesterday.  Brian was blessed to have a Christian translator accompany him to the meeting and they were able to pray together on the way to the Procurador’s office.  During the meeting, Brian expressed that he felt an overwhelming sense of peace that could only come through the power of prayer.  The Procurador also said that he felt a peace about meeting with Brian and a trust to work together to move our families forward faster.  He said that he will personally work on the cases of our nine approved families.  He was not able to give us a time frame, but Brian felt that he was sincere in taking on that responsibility.   

 

Currently, we have 50 plus families registered at OPA.  That means that Alexis (our attorney in ES) has finished processing those dossiers and they are waiting on approval.  Nine of our families are approved and the Procurador is going to be working on those cases.  I will be speaking with and coordinating with Alexis multiple times per week so that I have the most up to date information possible for each family.  The part of the process that seems to be holding up adoptions is the infrequency of the committee meeting.  Brian presented the Procurador with some suggestions and ideas to make that part of the process more efficient.

 

We are hoping to see some movement with our families soon and we will certainly keep you informed!  Again, thank you for your prayers and support! 

 

Blessings,