30
Nov

Spread the word

November 30, 2010

Take a look at this family’s generosity this Christmas. 

 If you are in the midst of an adoption (domestic or international) or know someone who is, well then you know how wonderful it is when folks in the adoption community support one another – like a double blessing!  

 They are not only creating a list of fundraising families for folks to puruse, they are also gifting a donation to one particular family who’s name shall be drawn Christmas Eve. 

Although I can’t get their button to open, if you head to their blog, Treasured Pearls, you can read all about it!

Happy Tuesday?

Or in our home, Happy Day 30 on our wait for LOA…

2 Comments
29
Nov

Samuel Update #4 (November)

November 29, 2010

 

We have so so loved interacting with Samuel every Sunday evening.  Sure it makes our hearts ache afterwards, but it is so so worth every moment.  It is possible to fall in love over a long distance relationship.

 

From New Day Foster Home this morning… 

Samuel is 2 Years 9 Months Old.

Samuel’s nanny wrote this update:

Samuel is getting very good at being the older brother to all of his younger siblings. Not only does he not insist on being held, but he also helps to take care of them! When he sees a little one crying, he immediately goes to them and helps wipe their tears. No comforting by Samuel is without a kiss and he gives them with the sweetest affection. We were so excited when we received photos of Samuel’s parents who are going to adopt him soon. Sometimes I ask him, “Samuel, what do you have in your family?” He usually considers for a moment and then says, “Dad and Mom.” I often find him looking at the photo album of his family and, if another child tries to touch it, he clutches it tightly to himself and says, “It’s mine, it’s mine!” We are so excited for him.

3 Comments
25
Nov

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US friends

November 25, 2010

I hope you are enjoying a day filled with family, friends and gratitude.  🙂

And from the New Day blog…

While we were sleeping, a little monkey was learning how to mash potatoes.

“…for Samuel, who’s tender heart always finds a way to make people feel loved.”

How very sweet!

Take a look at their blog for lots of photos and over to their Scrapbook page for full coverage of their Thanksgiving festivities.

3 Comments
10
Nov

hello son

November 10, 2010

It’s taken me days to wrap my mind around what to write.

We waited and waited for this day and I really think that for me, I stuffed down a lot of what I have been feeling about Samuel until Sunday evening. 

I mean, at first in the summer, I couldn’t even believe that I was to be his new Mama.

Then there was the matter of the Canadian approvals.

Then I wondered, would we manage to get our dossier to the CCAA in time?

And then here we were, getting ready to meet our son face to face.

So Sunday night we were so excited.

We realized with the time change we had last Saturday night that our time with him would be an hour earlier.

We prepped the video camera.

We sat down with the kids gathered around us.

And we waited for that first message that asked us to hit the call button.

And then all of a sudden there he was! 

“Hey-yo”, in a sing song voice.

And it was all over.

I can’t speak for Stephen, but I had the biggest case of stage fright.

Like a young girl over her first crush.

This is no longer some abstract idea to me that I can control and keep in an emotional box.

He is no longer just sweet Samuel.

He is my son.

And I ache to have him here with the rest of our herd.

I need to get there.

Someone is missing and suddenly I know it as well as I know anything.

{gulp}

 

 

8 Comments
7
Nov

Samuel’s Warriors

November 7, 2010

Today is Orphan Sunday.

Many churches around North America choose this day to bring awareness to the enormous global Orphan Crisis. 

There are numerous ways that one can help those who wait for families (at least 98 million, although the numbers have been tabulated into the 200 million range by some).

So many options:

  • befriend a foster child, family or foster parent group in your community
  • give financially or in kind
  • sponsor children abroad
  •  help a family bring home their child
  • adopt a child and give them a place to call their forever home

So many ways.

One other way that is not often mentioned directly is all of the behind the scenes work of a secret army of tireless men and women. 

They do not hold earthly weapons.

They do not always congregate in companies and legions.

But they do daily storm the gates of Heaven for those that wait,

the Orphan.

To many of us, the Orphan is a faceless, nameless blur.

A Concept.

An Abstract Idea.

And then sometimes, Someone, a Face, will cross their paths and suddenly that Warrior Heart rises up and we can do nothing but rally and plead for that One. 

That Orphan.

That Child.

These warriors sometimes are seen.

And sometimes they are not.

Sometimes they share their passion with others and let them know that the need is great.

And sometimes they quietly interceed for that Child.

Until Heaven moves.

And that child waits no more.

My son was that One.

He was abandoned.

Placed.

At the gates of a rural civil affairs office.

And then he was Found.

Taken into the care of a Foster Grandmother.

After 18 months, the Director found a new place for him.

A New Day had come.

His photo was posted online.

And many of those same Warriors began to rise up.

Across an ocean Hearts of a Family began to be stirred.

And another Battle was won.

Our Son would wait no more.

So today, on Orphan Sunday, I ask that you consider the ideas to help that I posted above. 

But perhaps more so, I ask you to rise up alongside these quiet Warriors.

Join them and fight.

Plead.

Pray.

Trust.

But do not forget.

Until the One who waits,

becomes None.

 

Once our eyes are opened, we can not pretend we do not know what to do.

God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act.

Proverbs 24:12

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May I, with {MUCH} gratitude, share with you just a few folks off of the long list of Samuel’s Warriors?

These are just a few of the ones that have public blogs.

They have invested finances, time, prayer and much heart in advocating for our little man.

Will you say a pray of thanksgiving for each of them and the many who have contacted us?

Heather

Kim

Molly

April & David

Valerie

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photos courtesy of a very kind former volunteer from ND.  🙂

(Samuel was trying his best to sport the ever present “V” sign with his little fingers.)

 

 

 

1 Comment
5
Nov

5

November 5, 2010

 

That would be FIVE days since our dossier was logged in to the CCAA!!!!!

Yep, we have an LID!

We were DTC on October 5th and our official LID is November 1st.

Ahhhhh, it feels so good to be 5 days in already.

Sort of like for once we are ahead of the game.  😉

Now we are counting down the days until we receive our LOA / LSC document from China that will officially approve our adoption from China’s standpoint.

After that comes our TA or travel approval document which will allow us to get on that plane and meet our boy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Sunday evening at 6 p.m. PST we get to meet our son via Skype.  It will be the first time we will be introduced as Mama and Baba.

Nervous?

Yes.

Excited?

Unbelievably.

If you happen to glance at the clock that evening, will you send up a prayer that the technical side of things works out and that we will have a good first visit?

Thank you!

 

5 Comments
29
Oct

DTC (officially)

October 29, 2010

DTC = Dossier to China

Remember my glee over being DTC last week?  Well, we found out today that our precious pile of papers was actually in no man’s land on someone’s desk at the ministry office here in our province for an extra week.  Our facilitator called the CCAA twice and they had no idea where it was!   Thankfully when I called our provincial adoption agency, they read me my notice of receipt from China and sure enough it actually left Canada on October 25th.  Whew!  Now on to our LOA (Letter of Approval).  Once China issues that fabulous little letter we will be officially approved on all fronts to adopt Samuel.

1 Comment
29
Oct

Samuel Update #4 (October)

October 29, 2010

 

Another wonderful update this morning! 

The wait is becoming, well, a wait. 

Somehow it was easier when we were rushing around with paperwork.

Better focus on my enormous To Do list, because if this adoption is anything like the other two, I know that it will be time to get on that plane and I’ll wonder what I did for all those months of waiting! 

 

Here’s the update:

 

Samuel is 2 Years 8 Months Old.

Samuel’s nanny wrote this update:

Samuel is just brightening as he grows! I always have funny stories to share about him. One afternoon, after a rain shower, Samuel was playing with the other children in the back yard. The slide on the playground was full of rain water and our dog, Tom, was using it as his drinking bowl. When Samuel saw what Tom was doing he quickly slid down the slide and tried to mimic Tom and lick water out of the “bowl”. I stopped him just in time! Samuel’s innocence and simplicity bring joy to everyone and we are certainly blessed to be able to watch him grow.

 

3 Comments
26
Oct

Catching up on an Amazing Day

October 26, 2010

Here’s my effort to catch up on a very full day as quickly as possible…

  • Woke up and saw a pile of photos in my inbox.  Samuel received our package.  He’s such a little guy.  To think it is only the beginning of his long life with us absolutely overwhelms me.  I’m so thankful.
  • Our facilitator called China to see if our LID was issued, and they have not received our dossier as of yet.  In response, they asked for and received our extension (1 month).  Sweet relief.
  • Met with our friend who hosted the Healing Prayer training.  Told her about Garnet’s healing.  Much rejoicing.  My faith was strengthened.
  • Stephen & I met with our kids’ pediatrician.  We’
  • We discussed a variety of concerns we have had with Garnet.  We’ve been waiting for this appointment for many, many months.  We are trying to get help for our busy, optimistic, tender hearted little man.  He heard us out, spoke back to us his own sense, and offered a life line.  We feel so affirmed. 
  • Faith’s birthday is next week.  Stephen & I managed to get out and do a bit of shopping.  We even threw in dinner (Burgers) & a movie (Red).  I remember love & laughter.

(The candy is not  for Samuel!  Just in case you Mamas are concerned.  Haha)

3 Comments
21
Oct

Woooohooooo (Otherwise know as D-T-C!)

October 21, 2010

Update on our Dossier situation…

LOVE our facilitator.

Our dossier to China deadline is October 29th. 

We were delayed a week from what I had calculated (due to the wind being knocked out of us)  and I was told we’d need that extension from the CCAA *for sure*, to buy us a week.

Talked to our facilitator today and he not only,

picked up our Dossier from the Chinese Consulate on Monday,

he also couriered it to our Ministry here in BC the same day!

Our dossier should already be en route to China or even there! 

<BIG HUGE HAPPY GRIN>

Woohoooooo!

They will contact the CCAA on Monday to check and we should know for sure then.  🙂

Now I’m really starting to get excited!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We set out our care package / Introducing Your New Family box to New Day and it is in China now. 

Once it gets delivered, we will begin our weekly Skype sessions with Samuel.

We are due to “meet” him the first Sunday evening after he “meets” us in photos.

Lots of nerves and excitement over that one.

Andrea, Mama to Emma Lael from ND, has given me some great ideas though.

He’ll apparently know a few English preschool songs and she suggested playdough, bubbles, a tea party and things like that. 

I’m so grateful for her tips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lots going on and every day that goes by I am more and more sure that the best place for Samuel is here.

It’s funny, becasue each of my kids has grown in my heart.

Some grew there in an instant.

Some grew there slowly.

Both ways has resulted in roots that are so deeply planted in my heart that they could not be removed. 

N.o.t. E.v.e.r.

Because if anyone ever tried, it would pull my heart into a million pieces, and each piece would only love them more deeply.

They are my children.

All five of them.

And I love them.

 

 

 

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