We serve a GREAT God!

Anyone who has adopted can tell you how emotional the journey can be.  It is not for the feint at heart. The running joke in adoption circles is this: "You know you're adopting when..." and then you fill in the blank with something that broke down in your house, on your car... something unexpected happens that cost you a lot of money or you get negative comments about adoption from friends, family and complete strangers.  Sure many of these things happen to people every day, but when you are adopting, working so hard towards a goal and you hit a stumbling block, it hurts!  Almost no adoption process goes smooth, but let me tell you folks, we serve a GREAT God and adoption is worth it!

I have several friends that are in the adoption process now and I was talking to one of them today about the financial aspect of adoption.  They asked me if I ever worried about not being able to come up with enough money in time.  My answer: Almost every single day!  But I then was able to share some of our experiences with our adoption of Claudia that prove how incredible God is and that He does provide.

Being new to adoption, and not personally knowing anyone who had recently adopted, we were naive when we began our journey to Claudia.  We were originally led to believe that the adoption process would take about 6 months or so.  (Insert hysterical laughter here).  You see, often when you talk adoption with an agency they give you the timeline for adoption once you have submitted your dossier.  In order to submit your dossier you first must have a home study completed, accepted by your adoption agency and sent to the US government for approval.  During this process you will likely have to be fingerprinted at least twice and wait for your background checks to return (from every state you have ever lived in).  Once your home study is complete you can start getting your paperwork ready for your dossier.  This includes medical exams, marriage licences, birth certificates and any number of other documents the country would like you to send them.  Once you have all of your documents notarized, certified and Apostilled, you send them to your agency for review and if everything is in order, they ship that off to the country you are hoping to adopt from.  If you are lucky, this is when your timeline starts.  This process differs slightly for different countries, but this has been our experience and that of many other people we have met through adoption. 

So...  needless to say, we expected Claudia to be home several months sooner than she was.  We were disappointed for a while at how long the process was taking but we kept moving forward and in January 2013, we got to meet Claudia for the first time and she was home on Valentine's Day 2013.  Call me crazy, but during our adoption I was in the middle of nursing school, pursuing my RN license.  Had Claudia come home when we had originally planned, it is very likely that I would have had to take a year off from school to be with her for bonding.  If I had taken a year off, I would not be an RN right now, I would not be working as an RN, would not be making money AND we would NOT have been able to start another adoption at this time.

God is good!

God has perfect timing.  When we travelled to meet Claudia, I was on winter break from school.  I had almost a month off from school and spent two weeks getting to know my daughter.  I got to spend more time with her than I would have if I was in the middle of a semester and I did not have to miss a single day of school!

God is good!

God provides, Jehovah Jireh.  In December we got the call that we could meet Claudia in early January.  As elated as we were to be nearing the end of this part of our journey we were several thousand dollars short of having enough money to complete the adoption.  Thankfully we were able to apply for a personal loan and were approved.  We were a couple of days away from signing for the loan (it happened to be around the holidays so the bank was closed for a few days) when I received an email and Facebook message that changed EVERYTHING.  A very excited member of the staff at Reece's Rainbow who works with the grants told me on Christmas Eve than an anonymous donation of $8000!  It was just enough to complete our adoption!  God has perfect timing!  If we had not received that donation and had taken the loan, we would still be paying that off and would not have been able to pursue Chance.

I believe that God has called us to something great and that if we are obedient to His calling, that He will provide for us.  I am not saying it will be easy, we know better, but with God on our side, no matter what happens we will push forward until He closes doors.

I would like these stories to bring you encouragement.  When you are struggling please remember that God has a purpose for each and every one of us.  We may not see it at the time, we may not even know the purpose of certain events in our lifetime. But God uses our life events, good and bad, to mold and shape us for His purpose.  He does not make bad things happen to us, He gives us free will to do what we please and we suffer the consequences of our own actions.  No matter what we have done, if we seek to do God's will, He will forgive us and He can use our past for His purpose.  God can turn our past struggles into something good.  We serve a great God.

Because of the events of our adoption of her:

 

 

 

We are now able to persue him:

 

http://reecesrainbow.org/69430/sponsorvanhalle-2

Metcha Day

One year ago yesterday (January 11th) we met Claudia for the first time. It was an incredible and emotional day. Our awesome translator/hotel owner Patrice drove us to the ICBF office in Pasto, Colombia. We passed armed guards on the way in.

Jason and I had a meeting with the social worker, psychologist and a few other people. We were asked several questions about why we wanted to adopt and learned about Claudia's routine. We also learned that she was the last of several kids with SN's to be adopted. Everyone there was very excited for Claudia to be getting a family. I got a little teary eyed a couple of times during the meeting, knowing she was behind the door in the room next to us!

When it was finally time for them to bring her in, they had us stand up and told us that she would be handed to me first. In came our little chubby girl in the outfit we had sent for her. They handed her to me... Off went my glasses, onto the floor, my hair was quickly pulled and I got smacked a few times. Claudia looked at me like: "Who are you and why are you trying to hold me? I don't LIKE to be held." She was handed to Jason, who admittedly had not held many children in his life. Off went his glasses. She REALLY did not like to be held, especially by strangers! She was give her doll which she promptly threw on the floor. Claudia was placed on the floor to play so we could watch and interact with her. She was not happy, that is until they brought out the potato chips! They opened a bag of chips and she settled down quite a bit. She even offered Jason and myself some once or twice. Every tie I tried to touch her, she recoiled. It was clear, this was NOT going to be easy.

Don't believe the rumors that people with Down syndrome are always happy and loving. They are people, they have a full range emotions just like you and I. Claudia was not happy to see us, she was not a cuddly love bug.

We were scared.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a video of part of our meeting, please don't mind my ridiculous facial expressions, it was a bit overwhelming.  The thoughts going through my mind... well, you can see me putting on my best smile although I was terrified at that moment!   You will also see Claudia pulling away from my touch, and giving me the stink eye! 

 

 

 

 I don't think she had her nap that day, she fell asleep in my arms in the car on the ride back to the hotel, despite the VERY bumpy ride. 

We put her down for a nap when we got back to the hotel and she slept well.  We later took her to the store to buy some food and diapers, it was pretty uneventful but she liked the stroller and loved the bumpy ride.  We opted to do dinner in our room so we could work on bonding.  We were told at the meeting that she could feed herself... they failed to tell us she could not use utensils and makes a huge mess when she eats!  She loved dinner though and we got some real smiles out of her.  Yep, she loves to eat (then and now)!

 

 Bed time was not easy, she cried quite a bit, not as much the first night as the next several.  She was grieving the loss of her foster family, of the only life she had known for 3 years.  Now she was stuck with strangers that really did not speak her language at all and did not always know her wants and needs.

 

 

 

Something curious to note, she came to us with her hair in two small french braids with nothing to hold them in except a TON of hair product.  Needless to say, getting her hair brushed out that first night was not an easy task.

 

These stories and pictures were all from one year ago yesterday.  It is hard to believe it has already been a year since we met her, but at times it feels like it has been much longer.  Claudia has made such great progress in this past year.

 

Smiles!

Pretend Play!

 

Cuddling with mommy when feeling sick!

Interactive play!

HUGS!

 

While we celebrate her one year Metcha Day, I can't help but wonder how her foster family is feeling.  Claudia lived with them for 3 years, almost to the day.  I know that they loved her.  I thank them for caring for her to the best of their abilities.  I hope that they are happy for her finally having a forever family.

 

 

 

We look forward to providing Chance with this same love and pray that he is being cared for in his orphanage.  Orphanage life can be much more difficult than living in a foster home.  Pray for his safety, that he is being loved on, and that our process will be quick and smooth.  Thank you all!



http://reecesrainbow.org/69430/sponsorvanhalle-2

Origami Owl

As some of you already know, I have recently become an Independent Designer (ID) for Origami Owl.  I started this to help raise funds for our adoption of Chance.  When we are fully funded or when Chance comes home, I would like to use my profits to help other families who are adopting.

So what is Origami Owl?  No, it is not paper origami!  Origami Owl has a line of unique jewelry, they are mostly known for their Living Lockets.  A Living Locket is a locket that tells your story.  The lockets come in 3 sizes and we now have a heart shaped locket as well!  Within each locket you place charms of the things that mean the most to you.  You can change them whenever you would like.  There are hundreds of ways to customize your locket with charms, face plates, dangles and chains.  There are also charm bracelets with lockets on them available.  The products from Origami Owl make great gifts.  I became an ID with Origami Owl because I actually enjoy their product and wear it myself, I would not join a company if I did not stand behind them.

Origami Owl recently started their Valentine's Day campaign with some new and some limited edition items.  Below are just some of the ideas of what a locket can look like.  Some of the limited edition items are selling fast and in order to purchase them you may have to check the site often as they may be listed as sold out.  If you would like to make a purchase and help us raise some funds toward our adoption of Chance, use this link: www.Origami4Orphans.OrigamiOwl.com

 

 

www.Origami4Orphans.OrigamiOwl.com

 

Please consider sharing my link this with your friends and coworkers, every order makes a difference. 

A New Year, New Focus

My heart feels very strongly for orphans, as you should know by now.  I am just one person and certainly cannot bring them all home.  There are some children that I feel drawn to more than others, for example Claudia and Chance.  I believe that they are both meant to be our children and we are working hard to bring Chance home.  There is another child however that I feel very drawn to as well, her Reece's Rainbow name is Anjelica. 

It is not possible for Jason and I to be Anjelica's parents at this time or for the foreseeable future.  You see, her country requires at least one year between adoptions or the birth of a biological child.  Chance will not be home for another year and a half or so, which would mean that IF we were meant to be Anjelica's parents, she would be waiting in an orphanage for two and a half more years before we could even submit paperwork for her.  No child should have to wait that long.  This is why I feel that I am meant to advocate for her and find her a family!

About Anjelica, from her Reece's Rainbow profile:
(Found here http://reecesrainbow.org/4348/anjelica)

Girl, Born 2003

Anjelica was half-orphaned by her mother who died of heart attack. She was then cared for by her maternal grandmother who later died due to old age. With the latter’s death, the custody of Anjelica went to her maternal grandmother’s brother and sister-in-law, who subsequently referred her to the orphanage considering that they are also old with no sufficient income. While at the orphanage Anjelica’s father appeared and signed the deed of voluntary commitment relinquishing Anjelica to the care of the state. Anjelica’s father claimed incapability to provide for the child’s needs.In 2007, Anjelica was diagnosed with congenital heart disease and ventricular septal defect. She also had TB in the same year. She was also as born with Down syndrome.

Anjelica is undernourished and is continually provided with Pediasure milk twice a day to supplement her food intake and improve her weight. She measures 85 centimeters in height and weighs 9.2 kilograms. Due to her congenital heart disease-ventricular septal defect, Anjelica takes lanoxin, aldactone, and furosemide.

At her age she can sit, stand alone for several minutes and make 3 to 5 steps without assistance. She can walk sideways holding on to the rails but most of the time she prefers to crawl than walk. She can hold objects and make actions like clapping, waving good-bye, and do flying kisses to familiar persons. She knows her name and understands simple instructions. She can also feed herself with snacks and drinks in a training cup without assistance. She can say bi-syllable words and uses body language or gestures to communicate what she wants. She easily cries if she does not get what she wants but is easily pacified. She is not yet toilet trained and needs assistance from her caregivers.

Anjelica enjoys and dances to music. She also loves playing with toys and participates in the activities provided by her caregivers. She is also comfortable even with strangers. Anjelica was referred to the Philippine Heart Center and is still under observation by her pediatric-cardiologist.

• One trip of 7 days
• Married couples must be married for a minimum of 3 years
• Singles accepted with special approval from the country
• Must be 45 years old or younger
• Other children at home OK

I would like to first point out a few things.  This information is a few years old so she is likely larger than what is stated here.  We can only speculate on her current condition, she may have had heart surgery by now, could be walking, talking...  I don't know but I am trying to get updated information on her.  Based on this information, she is getting adequate care.  The Philippine Heart Center is a large cardiac center and from what I have read, they do good work there.  She is also getting supplemental feedings to help nourish her.  I hope that these interventions have worked wonders for her.  She had an undiagnosed heart condition for about 4 years, this likely greatly affected her growth during her first 4 years of life.

 

I have seen a picture of Anjelica, it is an older picture but she is adorable.  Unfortunately I am unable to share her picture due to her countries policies.  You can however inquire about her through Reece's Rainbow and get more information from her agency.

 

Poor Anjelica has been listed with Reece's Rainbow for a few years, it makes me so sad because this is the first time I have noticed her.  The children that do not have photos are rarely noticed.  Anjelica was on the Angel Tree this year which is why I took notice of her.  She currently has a grant of $1106.90 available.

 

A few other things that I have learned about her country's requirements: There must be at least one year between adoptions or the birth of a child before you can submit paperwork to adopt a child from her county, which is located in Southeast Asia. The following is a list of further requirements found HERE:

Citizenship: One adoptive parent must be a US citizen.

Age: Adoptive parents must be at least 27 years of age; there must be at least 16 years, but no more than 45 years, difference between the younger adoptive parent and child.

Marriage Status: Married couples are eligible to adopt if they have been married at least three years; single men and women are eligible to adopt children 9 to 15 years old. No more than two divorces are allowed.

Previous Children: Families with three or more children in the home are not eligible to adopt a child younger than 6 years of age; families must wait one year from the birth or adoption of a child before filing for adoption from the Philippines.

Education: Both parents must have high school diplomas; high school equivalent is acceptable.

Health: Medical and psychological conditions or history that disqualify a parent from adopting from the Philippines include:

• BMI over 35
• Complicated Diabetes and/or Metabolic Syndrome
• history of cancer
• major organ transplant
• stroke, myocardial infarction, and/or having a pacemaker
• degenerative muscle disorders
• auto-immune disorders
• any condition that will impede caring for a child.
• psychiatric disorders
• mood or major depressive disorders
• anxiety disorders
• substance abuse disorders
• sexual disorders

Religious Affiliation: Parent(s) must demonstrate a relationship of at least 5 years with a religious or spiritual organization.

Income: You must make at least $40,000 annually in order to be eligible to adopt. (Some sources say that you must only fulfill the USCIS requirements)

Criminal History: Applicants with a criminal history of child abuse, violence or domestic violence are not eligible to adopt.

Please also note that you would need an International Homestudy done by a Hague accredited agency and would need to also meet the requirements of your adoption agency.

 

If you would like to join me, please do what you can to advocate, share her story and if you are able, donate to her grant fund so that it will be easier for her family to commit to her.  You can make a donation directly to her account here: http://reecesrainbow.org/4348/anjelica 

I would love to find Anjelica a home this year! 

Claudia's First Christmas Home

I have a few different blog posts in mind to post in the coming days, but for now here are some pics of Claudia's first Christmas home :)