tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65618884045217556052024-03-13T12:27:46.211-06:00 Living Compassionadventures in life, adoption and sponsorshipAutumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-83137508247514310932012-11-18T00:22:00.003-07:002012-11-18T09:50:22.837-07:00A Unique Opportunity!!Have you ever seen the movie titled "End of the Spear"?<br />
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It is a movie centered around missionaries and people native to the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle. The communities featured here are located deep in the jungle, and in the movie they had little or no contact with the outside world.<br />
Even though the movie was set several decades ago, the people in that area are still very........indigenous.<br />
They have been relatively untouched by the outside world, and you can reach them only by way of this: <br />
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and a little of this:<br />
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and they have houses that look like this:<br />
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and travel like this:<br />
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And drink this (there is a local drink made from chewing a part of a plant and spitting it out to let it ferment. That's what you drink. And if it is offered to you and you don't take it, it is offensive):<br />
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and still hunt like this:<br />
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and are beautiful like this:<br />
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Call me crazy, but I didn't think there were too many people left on this Earth that were very isolated. I guess I am just in my little developed nation bubble.<br />
<br />
Well, surprise among surprises, Compassion works with some of these communities in/near the Ecuadorian jungle! Partnering with Compassion's program, missionaries and churches are able to reach the most unreached people, providing them with their basic needs: physical, social, emotional, and cognitive, and they are able to share the love of God with them.<br />
Stealing some quotes from another blog written by a team that has worked with and visited the area (http://benedicks4jesus.blogspot.com/2010/10/jungle-trip-to-copataza.html), you can read that<br />
<br />
<b><i>"The flights into most of the jungle communities are less than 60 minutes, but it is like entering a completely different world. Living in the jungle can be a treacherous proposition. As such, all
indigenous folks team up with their families and close friends, find an
area that has fertile soil, a water supply, and a plentiful supply of
animals for hunting, and form a community. These places are mostly
isolated from the outside world except for maybe a radio and an
airstrip. Depending on the community, little planes may come in and out
a few times a week, bringing in essentials such as toilet paper and
Coca-cola, and carrying out stalks of bananas or other cargo........Because of Compassion International’s influence in Copataza, most of
them already had a pretty firm grasp of the basics of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.....The effectiveness of child sponsorship was very evident in Copataza.
The people there are constantly being reminded of how much Jesus loves
them." </i></b><br />
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By sponsoring one of these children, you provide support, love, letters and prayers to one of these precious children. For me, the thought of my letters going where not many people have gone before is totally mind-boggling! How awesome that I can touch a child that seems so remote with my words (that have to be translated not only to Spanish, but the native tongue, btw). It really is an honor and a special opportunity!<br />
I sponsor 3 children from these jungle communities. So far, I have learned things such as they walk 20-30 minutes every day (except Saturday) to get to the Compassion project. One of the common health problems in their community is snake bites. 2 of my little girls have had their mamas pass away. My little Gina (8) says that when she grows up she wants to be a doctor to help the people of her town because they need it a lot. Also, "I love soda and bread. We don't have these things in my community. We can eat this when my dad goes to the city. I also like lollipops." ;)<br />
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Won't you consider sending your love and the love of God to one of these children today?<br />
Let me introduce you to a few children who are needing wonderful sponsors!<br />
<i>(Please don't mind the boxes around their faces in the photos. That will be fixed soon ;) </i><br />
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<b>Meet Warmas:</b><br />
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Warmas is 12 years old (03/26/2000) and attends EC-261. She lives with
her father, mother and 2 siblings. Her father is sometimes employed as a
farmer and her mother maintains the home. She helps in the kitchen,
runs errands and cleans. She participates in church activities, Bible
class and VBS and is in primary school where her performance is average.
She likes basketball, telling stories, and playing ball games.<br />
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<b>Meet Freddy:</b></div>
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Handsome Freddy is 15 years old (08/06/1997) and attends EC-261. He
lives with his father, mother and 4 siblings. His father is sometimes
employed as a farmer and his mother maintains the home. He carries
water, runs errands and gardens. He participates in church activities
and camp and is in high school where his performance is average. He
likes telling stories, swimming and soccer.<br />
<br />
<b>Meet Ronald:</b> <br />
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Ronald is 10 years old (01/24/2002) and attends EC-261. He lives with
his mother. His mother is sometimes employed as a farmer. He carries
water, gathers firewood and teaches others. He participates in church
activities and is in primary school where his performance is average. He
likes telling stories, soccer, and playing ball games.<br />
<br />
<b>Meet Yanira:</b> <br />
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Yanira is 9 years old (09/18/2003) and attends EC-261. She lives with
her father, mother and 3 siblings. Her father is sometimes employed as a
laborer and her mother maintains the home. She carries water and runs
errands. She participates in church activities and VBS and is in primary
school where her performance is average. She likes jumping rope,
telling stories, and playing ball games.<br />
<br />
<b>Meet Jhon:</b> <br />
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Adorable little Jhon is 5 years old (08/29/2007) and attends EC-261. He
lives with his father, mother and 1 sibling. His father is sometimes
employed as a farmer and his mother maintains the home. He helps by
running errands. He participates in church activities and is in
kindergarten where his performance is average. He likes hide-and-seek
and running.<br />
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<b>Meet Shirley:</b> <br />
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Shirley is 7 years old (04/26/2005) and attends EC-261. She lives with
her father, mother and sibling. Her father is sometimes employed as a
farmer and her mother maintains the home. She helps by running errands.
She participates in church activities and is in kindergarten where her
performance is average. She likes hide-and-seek and running.<br />
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The above children live in the community described above and attend a project deep(er) in the jungle. The following children also live in the same jungle, but appear to live a little closer to the outside world. Many of their needs are the same.<br />
<br />
<b>Meet Benjamin: </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpdun2E6WxafPyDkazHmwHEpa7RoI8iRy4SdYXPpJZ6KzU0FdSuyJNE8hCPtBOgJNobWFERQCTJzWK7Mx4NhqOMx0u1aSwLWoln5ZhWIb4taCyxvhn0FSulN2urnQoEkJBxk91j-CvKg/s1600/EC2650030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpdun2E6WxafPyDkazHmwHEpa7RoI8iRy4SdYXPpJZ6KzU0FdSuyJNE8hCPtBOgJNobWFERQCTJzWK7Mx4NhqOMx0u1aSwLWoln5ZhWIb4taCyxvhn0FSulN2urnQoEkJBxk91j-CvKg/s320/EC2650030.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
Benjamin is 11 years old (05/23/2001) and attends EC-265. He lives with
his father, mother and 2 siblings. His father is sometimes employed as a
laborer and his mother is sometimes employed as a laborer. He makes
beds and runs errands. He participates in church activities, Bible class
and camp and is in primary school where his performance is average. He
likes swimming, walking, and playing ball games.<br />
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<b>Meet Angelo: </b><br />
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Angelo is 10 years old (04/15/2002) and attends EC-265. He lives with
his father, mother and 3 siblings. His father is sometimes employed and
his mother is sometimes employed. He carries water, runs errands and
cares for animals. He participates in church activities, Bible class and
VBS and is in primary school where his performance is average. He likes
soccer, playing with cars, and playing group games. <span style="background-color: yellow;"><i><b>Angelo is a priority child as he has been waiting 240+ days for a sponsor. </b></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<b><span style="background-color: yellow;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></b>
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Meet Skarleth:</span></b><i><b><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br /></b></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXn-Uo6JEiBMsm6EDBBsUYWxTuAfMTNbiCNllj8xI7O6LcTqjyUNxEnYAu9wlVFRPSt_aL4ZTLLMc88K0WD1BB_0LwgskiGnvPsVeT8fUU-xykyrHPA4J_a6PbtZYSy1r8yC40cbGApc/s1600/EC2660298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXn-Uo6JEiBMsm6EDBBsUYWxTuAfMTNbiCNllj8xI7O6LcTqjyUNxEnYAu9wlVFRPSt_aL4ZTLLMc88K0WD1BB_0LwgskiGnvPsVeT8fUU-xykyrHPA4J_a6PbtZYSy1r8yC40cbGApc/s320/EC2660298.JPG" width="215" /></a></div>
Skarleth is 8 years old (02/23/2004) and attends EC-266. She lives with
her father and mother. Her father is sometimes employed as a laborer and
her mother is employed as a laborer. She helps by washing clothes,
running errands, and cleaning. She participates in Bible class and is in
primary school where her performance is average. She likes basketball,
playing with dolls and playing group games.<br />
<br />
<b>Meet Madelaine: </b><br />
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Madelaine is 3 years old (05/31/2009) and attends EC-266. She lives with
her father, mother and sibling. Her father is employed and her mother
maintains the home. She helps by running errands. She participates in
church activities. She is not presently attending school. She likes
playing house, art, and playing with dolls.<br />
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Please let me know if you are interested in sponsoring one of these beautiful children. You can be a light in an unreached place!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>**all of the photos above (other than the children's photos!) are courtesy of google images and are not my work.</i></span>Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-58455990689912393592012-10-05T10:05:00.000-06:002012-10-05T10:05:54.637-06:00ES-816, Jardin de Jesus<br />
The thing that really got me changing up my blog is to start being a better advocate for Compassion. It is huge in my heart and over the next months you will find out why more and more. But first, I want to start out by highlighting various Compassion centers that I have visited in order to give you insight into how the children we sponsor live every day. I hope that I can open your eyes even a little, and have you moved with compassion, even a little, so that you can do more - think more, pray more, sponsor more, give more, advocate more.<br />
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As most of you know, I visit El Salvador often, and consider it my second citizenship! My girls there are a part of my family and I love them so much! One of my favorite student centers is ES-816, Jardin de Jesus student center.<br />
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ES-816 is located near the city of Chalchuapa in El Salvador. It has natural beauty and is located close to a beautiful lake and some ruins!<br />
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It is in a rural area where the majority of homes are made of dirt floors and mud walls, and the average income for a family is <b><i>$50/month</i></b>. When children are sponsored and they attend this center, they receive benefits such as learning about Jesus, medical and dental exams, nutritious meals, hygiene education, special celebrations, spiritual retreats, literacy campaigns, computer classes, sewing and bakery classes and tutoring. They even have access to an impressive library. I have seen all of these things with my own eyes.<br />
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One of my favorite things about this center is the STAFF! The staff are wonderful. They are dedicated, loving, smart, and fun! They love Jesus, love children, and love to laugh. Every time I visit, they take SO MUCH time preparing a program just for ME! They are thoughtful and so fun-loving. </div>
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(she was pretending for me because she knew I was in the military)</div>
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They are creative, and this influences the children to be creative. The staff here are volunteers who spend each and every day loving on and investing in these children. They are the hands and feet of your sponsorship, and I couldn't think of better people to do it. </div>
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The center is beautiful. God is there. The children are happy. Your $38/month goes so very far to help the children reach their God-given potential.</div>
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They look like average, happy children, without much hardship.</div>
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But I want to remind you of where these children come from, and how much your support actually means to them. The following photos are of real houses of sponsored children who attend ES-816. The landscape is beautiful, but behind the natural beauty, there is real poverty.</div>
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The houses ARE made of mud and tin. <b><i>$50/month</i></b> doesn't get you a cozy house in the suburbs. Another thing to remember is that the parents who earn this money work so very hard. Harder than I do, just to earn <b><i>$50/month</i></b>. They are often working all day and all evening and the staff say that they often have to leave the children alone to care for themselves and their siblings. All. Day.</div>
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This is real stuff. Your prayers, your sponsorship is so important to these kids. You can see, just by looking at the photos, what a difference having the Compassion project (and their sponsors!) makes in the lives of these children. I was blown away by the poverty after seeing how beautiful and well cared-for these children are. The staff are so grateful when you care for the children there. They really love the sponsors. God can use you to allow them to hope and dream in the midst of their living situation. And these kids are pretty remarkable.</div>
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The correspondence from this project is good. My child writes very nice letters and I sometimes get extra photos, too! The staff read the letters with the children, and really know about you. I know for a fact that not only do the children pray for you, but the staff does too.</div>
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I have photos and information of children from ES-816 who are waiting for sponsors. They are children who come from this same background. They are waiting for a loving sponsor who will pray for them, write to them, have a relationship with them, and support them. If you choose to sponsor any of these children, I will take a small gift for you next time I visit!!</div>
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This is Alejandra. She is 7 years old. She lives with her mother who is sometimes employed. She is responsible for making beds and cleaning, and enjoys playing house, playing with dolls, and playing ball games. She is in kindergarten where her performance is average.</div>
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This is Vanessa. She is 12 years old. She lives with her father, mother, and sibling. Her father is employed as a laborer. She is responsible for washing clothes, running errands, and cleaning, and she likes singing and playing with dolls. She is in primary school where her performance is average. (I think I have an additional photo of Vanessa from 2009 if you are interested in seeing it!)</div>
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This is Maria. She is 12 years old. She lives with her mother and 2 siblings. Her mother is employed as a seller in the market. She is responsible for caring for children, running errands, and cleaning, and she enjoys playing house and bicycling. She is in primary school where her performance is average.</div>
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This is Christian. He is 10 years old. He lives with his father, mother, and 2 siblings. His father is employed as a seller in the market. He is responsible for running errands and cleaning, and he enjoys art, bicycling, and reading. He is in primary school where his performance is <b><i>above average</i></b>.</div>
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This is Diego. He is 8 years old. He lives with his mother who is sometimes employed as a laborer. He is responsible for running errands, and he enjoys soccer, playing with cars, and running. He is in primary school where is performance is <b><i>above average</i></b>.</div>
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This is Lisbeth. She is 10 years old. She lives with her mother and 2 siblings. Her mother is sometimes employed. She is responsible for gathering firewood, running errands, and cleaning, and she enjoys playing with dolls. She is in primary school where her performance is average.</div>
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Please consider sponsoring one of these beautiful children. You will really be a light in a dark place. God will use you mightily in their lives. Contact me if you want information on any of these children!<br />
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Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-21498535193800143592012-09-24T10:26:00.000-06:002012-09-24T10:26:19.989-06:00ch-ch-ch-Changes<br />
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So I've changed my blog a little bit! To tell you the truth, I never thought I would actually USE it alot after I got home from Bulgaria, but realized it can be a great advocating tool for the things God has placed on my heart. So, here it stays, with some changes (cue music ;).</div>
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I want to use my blog to keep you updated and talk about my new little family and our lives, advocate for adoption, and also child sponsorship. I always figured I had to be in one camp or another - adoption or sponsorship - but now I realize, why not both? So, here goes.</div>
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I promise I will update about Sam soon. But for now you can imagine that he is tiny, cute, funny, smart and almost perfect in every way. You think I'm kidding, but with him I know that God blessed me with a dream child! I can't wait to tell you more.........</div>
Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-64337896840987919362012-07-17T18:46:00.002-06:002012-07-17T18:46:46.844-06:003 months - Finally, an update. Part 1Wow, has it really been that long since we've been home? I guess it has, and I've turned into one of those people I <strike>hated</strike> was annoyed with, when they would come home from picking up their children and never post anything. Yep, that's me. After all of that time asking for prayers and support, I dropped off the face of the internet.<br />
I've tried to make amends by posting lots of stuff on fb, but that's not the same as hearing the cute stories, right? And keeping my family updated, etc, etc.<br />
I could say it is because we've had a lot of adjusting since we've been home, or because I am a new mom, or because I am no longer in the military and was searching for a new job, or that we're moving (aren't those all, like, major life stressors or something??), or all of the kids medical appointments.....<br />
I could say all or some of those things, but the main truth is that I've just felt inadequate. And tired. Mostly tired - no, inadequate. And I didn't care about updates anymore once I was faced with my new reality of single motherhood. But mostly its because I feel totally inadequate, like my head is just above water most days. Not in a bad-mental-health way (don't worry, all of my faculties are fine), but just.....inadequate.<br />
I had several delays in bringing the children home, and I used that time to prepare - read about the parenting styles I respected, going to conferences, studying online, etc. I thought for sure I would be way beyond ready to go with these kids. Uh, no.<br />
I had this ideal situation in my mind, where the kids and I would be at home together all the time, and I would teach them stuff, and we would slog through life together and develop together at a nice pace (don't ask me WHERE I got that idea, seeing as though I'm single and can't stay home). I looked at other adoptive families, who I admire so much, and wanted to be just like them. Well, as it turns out, I'm not. I'm one of "those moms" who ships their kids off to free public school for "someone else" to teach. I hear about some of their daily behavior issues/struggles second hand, since I'm not there. I don't bake. I can barely cook (although I did make perfect eggs today without breaking one!!) - nothing I make is anywhere near "foodie" status and we have fast food and pizza once a week (but never at the same meal LOL). I only have two children and still don't have time to go on pinterest to get recipe ideas and I would NEVER dare take a photo of what I make for dinner and post it on fb! I don't have a beautiful blog with lots of followers. I can't take fancy-pants photos of my beautiful new children with an expensive camera for everyone to see and make life look just dandy with a beautiful lens - most of the time, I use my phone to take pictures (I don't even know how to properly use instagram). I can't even make those warm fuzzy adoption videos of pictures with music in the background to share with you and upload it to youtube, because of the copyright mumbo jumbo (although I do have a video made if anyone has any suggestions). I don't have any advice or life lessons so far. I can't knit, crochet, sew, garden, make clothes or jewelry or teach the kids to be crafty. I am not patient and sometimes get irritated easily, over stuff that is normal kid stuff. I've had to teach myself to be happy to see them oh-so-early in the morning, because I HATE mornings. Did I also mention that I'm not very patient? I don't know how to teach about life lessons or about God when (up until recently) their English has been elementary at best and my Bulgarian is mostly non-existent. I get this anxious feeling like I'm wasting precious time! My daughter had a heart attack when I tried to explain to her that God is always watching over you - her eyes went right to her window like some stalker was out there watching her every move. Fail. I've felt like I've just had a series of fail, fail, fail. Hoping, praying, that something good for them was happening. Or would happen.<br />
And after reading that, some people might ask - why did you ever adopt them? You don't even have a husband! It doesn't seem like you are offering them much. And, that's what I have wondered sometimes, too.<br />
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But, (after all of that) I am happy to say that I can write to you today because I am starting to see the <i>beginning</i> of a light at the end of the tunnel. (That and I took a month off from working before I start my new job ;) I was able to sit back the other day and realize that the kids are doing very well. I have some amazing kids. They have dealt with the adjustment of a family better than I could have hoped, better than some stories I've read. I haven't been bitten, hit, or spit at, and I don't get yelled at (sometimes talked back to ;). I haven't experienced physical tantrums. We only had one "I don't love you" and that was in the first week in Bulgaria. They both came to me ready for a mommy and wanting to have a family. Although not everything is perfect, I know that I am blessed. We pray together and the kids are learning how to pray too. They thank God for everything, from juice and cereal and clothes to "thank you na family happy, thank you listen in school, thank you for everybody happy" - lots of happiness ;) They are gaining weight and growing (well, Sam not so much). They are friendly (but not attaching) to everyone we meet. We are learning and loving and I can also honestly tell you that nothing good that is happening to them is a result of me, but of God (if necessary, refer to the previous paragraph about inadequacy - did you get the picture of how little I know about what I'm doing here??).<br />
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<b>Sofia:</b> Sofia is such a smart girl. At 3 months home, her English is amazing. She says stuff (appropriately) like "I'm just sayin' mom", "I'm going to", "Sam, I'm telling", and is starting to use "he", "she", "him", "her" very well too. She understands almost EVERYTHING and answers (in full paragraphs) questions like "How was your day?" or "What did you do today?". She knows her letters and the sounds and is starting to put together a few letters/words to start reading. She knows colors, numbers (to 100), foods, specific animals. She talks all. the. time. She likes to play with girls and boys equally, but thinks the idea of boys and girls kissing is TOTALLY gross. Hallelujah for that. She is beautiful and skinny and looks adorable in any outfit I buy for her (so thank goodness she thinks kissing is gross). I tell her she is smart and beautiful (but that the most important is what is inside of course), and she says "I know". She even offers up the occasional "I'm so smart", so I told her she should add "and humble, too". She now thinks that's how the saying goes, so when she does something well and I praise her, her response is a smile and a serious "See mama? I'm so smart. And humble, too". Haha, I'm so mean, I know. One day I'll tell her she doesn't have to say the humble part, but for now it makes me laugh, and since she says it so often, I take that opportunity to smile to myself.<br />
Her accent is cute. It's slight. I read another adoptive mom from Bulgaria's blog, and she was describing her daughter's accent, and Sofia's is the same! She can't say the "t" or "th" sound correctly yet, it comes out like a "ch". "Mama, Sam chuch it everyching." "I'm so smart and humble chew." :)<br />
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She is S.T.U.B.B.O.R.N. And pushy. Her personality is so very strong. Her fear reaction/coping mechanism is to become defiant and silent. THIS is where I'm thankful for the reading I've done, because otherwise I would think she is just being naughty, but when it comes down to it, I really know that reaction is out of fear. Mostly fear of not being accepted and losing control of her environment. But I will say that after the "episode" (which is never anything horrific), she always comes to me on her own to talk about it and say "I was scared, mama, so I no talk you". I didn't have to teach her this. She really listens to my correction when we are teaching about right/wrong, and tries to do better the next time. She loves being with me. I know I won't be able to say that in a few years. She wants very much to please and help. Sometimes she wants to help a little TOO much. We are learning that I am the mama, and she can be a kid. And that she doesn't have to help with everything, and that she can play. I have read that children who are adopted/children with trauma backgrounds can emotionally be both an infant and a teenager in the same day, or hour, or minute. This is VERY true with her. Sometimes it is hard for me to recognize what age she is and how to deal with it. And often times, I am not very good at it. I have to remember (sometimes after the fact) that the relationship is what is important, and not me being right (which I often like to be). Its ironic, because I have dreamed for years of having a little girl, of all the things we would do together. I always knew I would LOVE my daughter. I was actually scared about having a son, too, because I don't know much about boys. And especially after I met Sam the first time and saw what a crazy man he was. I was nervous about getting my son. I thought for sure I would be madly in love with my girl, and I would learn how to love my boy. It turns out (as you'll see later), that my adorable son is so very easy to feel love for, while loving Sofia takes more action than feeling on my part, most of the time. I DO love her, and the verb is becoming more and more a heart feeling every day. I know that love is not always a warm fuzzy, but it is starting to feel like she has always been here, and we are getting used to our family.<br />
And now that I've probably bored most of you, I'll take a break and write about Sam tomorrow!!<br />
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<br />Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-66359938557123633502011-11-23T21:27:00.000-07:002011-11-23T21:27:14.805-07:00One Step Closer....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SdAtGOf3vRAyR6y_fQzNTePeGUkWKGcoYdJMCWRdzBa0bY-_zKK4Ii_uQtuGvFYEKmksyiXxPGipZmPoilgQ_dmO-L7v6kc6HwStqW67y9BioxEyctwSOGCL3xkTmEFlteSBmTy8zsQ/s1600/approval+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SdAtGOf3vRAyR6y_fQzNTePeGUkWKGcoYdJMCWRdzBa0bY-_zKK4Ii_uQtuGvFYEKmksyiXxPGipZmPoilgQ_dmO-L7v6kc6HwStqW67y9BioxEyctwSOGCL3xkTmEFlteSBmTy8zsQ/s1600/approval+sign.jpg" /></a></div>Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-24044942020552662102011-11-12T20:38:00.000-07:002011-11-12T20:38:18.650-07:00New Photos and an UpdateI can't believe I've been home for over a month! I hope the rest of the time goes by just as quickly. I am beyond ready for the kids to be here. I thought it was hard to wait <i>before</i> the first visit. But now that I've met them, it is even harder to wait for them to come home. I can't believe I can miss someone so much that I only knew for a week. But I've loved them for over a year. That's a long time to wait.<br />
I've completed all of the second-stage documents that I need to complete, and now I am back to the waiting game. You would think I'd be good at it by now, but I'm not. Now, we wait for a court date. In the meantime, I am super blessed to be able to skype with them about once a week. Most of the time, between the 9 hour time difference and the internet connection being horrible, we only get to see each other for a few minutes, but at least I get to see their faces, and they look forward to seeing me. There is a wonderful caregiver who always takes the time during her shifts to let the children skype with me and give me updates on how they are doing. She is not obligated to do this in any way, so I am super grateful for her efforts. I have learned that Sam is doing great in his special school for the visually impaired, where he stays during the week. He is happy and learning a lot. I also learned that Sofia is daydreaming a lot in school about coming to the US. She asks every day when I am coming back for her. <i>Soon, my precious girl, very soon</i>. But she is also doing well in school and at home. It is so comforting to hear these things. Every waiting child needs to be cared for like this. Well, every child needs a family, but if they have to be waiting.....you know what I mean. I am so grateful for the care my children are getting.<br />
During the skype sessions, we can't speak each others language at all. The only thing we can all say (in both languages) is "I love you". We just stare at each other and say "I love you" over and over :) I also get to see all of the other kids in the group home. They all crowd around the camera being goofy. They call me mama, because that's what my kids say, and they enjoy having someone to talk to. They will have me repeat after them (in Bulgarian) "I love you_____" and will fill in each child's name. They giggle and laugh each time I complete the sentence. Its so fun to talk with all of them, but it breaks my heart. Those kids are so precious. They need someone to go and get them. While I am relieved that they are in a good and safe situation (most orphans are not that lucky), they still need a family. You can tell how much they want to connect with someone and be loved.<br />
Now for the good part! The wonderful caregiver was chatting with me on skype (we copy and paste from google translate, which is not exactly accurate in a conversation but we get the point), and she sent me some photos of Sofia from earlier this summer, right after she moved from the orphanage to the group home. One of the photos I love is of her first day of school. I am so blessed that I get to see a photo of my girl on her very first day of school. I know this is not the norm for most adoptive families and I am so happy I got to see at least one photo of her during this milestone.<br />
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Then I start thinking. When you look at the uncropped version of the photo, you can see some of the kids there, and they each had at least one of their parents with them. My little girl didn't have a parent to take her to her first day of school. But she smiled anyways. Oh, I can't wait until she is with her family, and will have all sorts of firsts that I will be sure to take plenty of photos of.<br />
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This is a photo of her soon after she arrived at the group home. She still has all of her baby teeth!<br />
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And the next 2 are from a trip to the beach. The kids in the group home get to go on field trips in order to be exposed to more things. I can't wait until she can go to the beach with her family!! But isn't she cute? :)<br />
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I have been promised some photos of Sam, so I hope to get those soon and will share them with you! I can't wait until I have more updates to share, especially a court date!Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-26664655627997803372011-10-06T12:10:00.000-06:002011-10-06T12:10:41.941-06:00MamaThey called me mama. It might have been the best thing I have ever heard. Today was the big day where we were able to explain to the children that I am not just a fun American visitor, but a mama who came to love them and take them home.<br />
The day started out with just Sam. Sofia had to go to school to complete her equivalent of an IEP, so she can receive special services in school the next few months she is here, in order to catch her up with her peers (she missed out on a lot while institutionalized). We picked Sam up from the house and headed to the park again. We had a great time. He even asked to go to the "toiletna" :) When I took him to the restroom, he started doing his crazy man thing and flushing the toilet, touching everything, and getting into the garbage can. I took both of his hands firmly in mine, pulled him towards me, looked him in the eye and said "Ne" (no, the only thing I can say). He then immediately calmed down, smiled at me, put his arms around my neck and let me hold him. Aww. Loves. But since his pants were halfway down I set him on the potty and let him go. And even after that, he was a calm little man and allowed me to carry him back to the playground and then he just let me hold him and he put his little head on my shoulder. This happened yesterday too. I can't figure it out. Maybe its a sensory thing? Maybe he likes having limits or being told what he can/cannot do? I don't know yet, but if that's all it takes I'm not complaining, although it will be nice to know what the issue is so we can prevent it all together.<br />
Then for the afternoon visit we picked both of them up at the house and took them to the office, so the social worker could explain to them everything that would happen over the next few months. We all sat around this big table (very formal) to talk, and the kids were given crayons and coloring pictures. Sam can't see well enough to color anything yet, so he scribbled for about 2 seconds then got down and started to play. Sofia's one coloring paper had different depictions of families on it, like a mom and dad, grandparents only, one with lots of kids, and one with a single mom. She was told to color her family. (She had not been told that she had one yet) The other paper had 3 different pictures of families, and Sofia was told to color the one with the happy family.<br />
While the adults were talking, she was coloring. It was all sort of formal and you could tell she was shy and uncertain of what was happening, so she was intently coloring her pictures. When she was almost done with her pictures, the social worker started talking to her and telling her what was going to happen. That sometimes people have children and can't care for them, then someone like me wants those children and chooses them. The SW told her that I have been approved to be their mama, and soon I will be coming to take them home. She started smiling really big and said "yes, yes", but wouldn't quite look at us yet. Then she showed us the pictures she colored, and she had colored the picture of the single mom, and she made it with blonde hair :) She also picked the "correct" happy family, the family sitting on the couch snuggling.<br />
Then the SW asked her if she wanted to see the photo album I prepared. She said yes and came and sat in my lap and we went through it. The first few photos were of me, then of my parents, grandmas, sister/brother, family, then photos of our house. When she first went through it, she would point to the picture and say "Autumn" (that is what she had called me all week) whenever she would see me. The SW would then say, "yes, mama Autumn". We explained to her the rest of the photos. She would look up at me and smile. She saw the photo of her room and smiled really big, and said "this is my room". She was pretty quiet but smiled the entire time. Then we had her get off of my lap, and sat Sam there and went through the album with him. When he got to his bed, he said "that's MY bed. It has a pillow." LOL. He held it up to his little eyes and studied the photos the best he could. Then all of a sudden, Sofia had a change in her expression, like a lightbulb went on. She came over and got in my lap, and started going through the photos again. She opened it and pointed to the photo and said "Mama!". She looked at me and smiled, and just kept saying "Mama" over and over again, then she gave me a hug. She went through the photo book so many times, pointing out everyone, and always made sure she pointed to "Mama". When she came to the kitchen, she said "this is where mama will cook" (oh great!). She would smile and nestle her head into my neck, then start looking at photos again. She pointed out Baba and Dyado (Grandma and Grandpa), and Chucho Mike (uncle mike). She actually said "Aunt" Melissa. When she kept going through the book, she would turn her whole body to face me and just smile so big and lean into me, and I hugged and kissed her. She was talking about how she was going to America and that I was coming back to get her. She was so happy. The whole car ride back to their house, she would call my name - "mama", no longer Autumn. She said it like 50 times. So awesome. She had been telling people over the last few days that she was going to America, but I don't really think she understood that she had a mother until today. She was so happy.<br />
Sam was happy too :) He was smiling while looking at the photos, and was so excited about his bed and pillow. When it was time to go, the SW told him to go over and hold mama's hand, and he walked right over to me with a smile on his face and held my hand :)<br />
We also told them about their new names. Here, it is not common to have a first and middle name, so we explained to them that in America people have 2 names, and we told them what theirs was going to be. Sofia was happy with her name.<br />
So now they know that they have a mama, and a family who wants them. They know that they belong to a family. Tomorrow morning is our last visit, and I will be so sad to leave them, but so ready to return and pick them up!<br />
More photos tomorrow!Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-17662374378842004982011-10-05T13:14:00.000-06:002011-10-05T13:14:54.571-06:00Day 3 craziness!Another good day. I am learning so much about the kids every day, even though we are only together for a few hours. Today I had my first real taste of what it's going to be like when its just me and them (them and I? whatever). I was able to take them to my hotel room for a few hours and play, just the 3 of us. Let me say that it is not going to be easy! We were there for only about 2 hours and I was exhausted at the end. I know all of you parents are thinking, no kidding. Especially the adoptive parents. And I knew it, too. But its one thing to have head knowledge and another thing to have experience. The funny thing is, I have read about this over and over, reading other adoptive parents blogs. And, that's what I was expecting. Not a big shock to me at all. But boy is it different when it is happening right in front of you. I could feel those posts I read come to life. As great as everything is (and it is still GREAT!), my children still have delays, because up until a few months ago they were raised in an institution. I won't use the word "neglect", because I didn't see their previous circumstances, but they are definitely behind in their development due to lack of stimulation and I was able to see that a few times today.<br />
The kids get overwhelmed easily, because they have had limited experiences. And when they get overwhelmed, they don't melt down and cry, they get crazy. Like someone put a firecracker in their behind. (They're not unhappy or mad or grumpy - actually they were so excited when we pulled up this morning and so excited to hang out for the day!) For instance, before we picked them up to come to the hotel, I thought I had child-proofed the room so there wouldn't be anything to get into - wrong!! (I have been saying that alot lately) Those kids were ALL OVER this room within seconds, turning lights on and off, flushing the toilet over and over, picking up the telephone, grabbing my camera, locking and unlocking doors, putting their fingers in light sockets. They were like toddlers but with better fine motor skills. You name it, it was happening. I could have sworn that someone was in the wall with candid camera. I mean, who would have thought it with a 6 and 7 year old? But you have to watch them at all times. And run after them. Now, they weren't <i>mis</i>behaving or "being bad". They weren't trying to be defiant or not listening to me. Their little brains were just on overdrive and they couldn't regulate what was happening to them (another thing I read about but never really understood until I saw it). And, to top it all off, even when I was talking to them its not like they could understand me. I can say "yes" and "no", but after hearing "no" a few hundred times, the novelty wears off. The good news is, after an hour of pure craziness - when the newness was gone - they were able to settle down and play "normally". Not because of anything I said or did, but because the overstimulation wore off. I have seen this happen in the park we visit as well. The first time we were there, they ran around in opposite directions like little banshees (sp?) and couldn't figure out what to play with or how to play with it, when there were so many choices. But on the subsequent visits, when the environment was predictable, they were able to play and enjoy themselves. I am so glad that it doesn't take long for them to be able to do that.<br />
Anyhow, back at the hotel (once we all calmed down), it was fun. Well, I think it was fun for them the whole time LOL, just not so much for mom. We had a snack of goldfish, then we played with some toys. I brought a little purse that came with a toy phone, pretend eyeshadow/blush, a pretend credit card, and a little mirror for Sofia. I also added a tiny lip gloss, nail polish, hair brush and barrettes as well. Sofia knew immediately what everything was (except the credit card), and she put "makeup" on her and then me. Then I painted her nails, but couldn't communicate to her that it takes more than 30 seconds to dry, so there are little spots of pink nail polish around the room. Oops ;) They both had a great time playing with that phone. Did I mention that phone makes noise and lights up? Ugh - I vowed NEVER to start buying those kinds of toys ;)<br />
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</div>Oh and yes, they are wearing their clothes from yesterday :) They wanted to wear the new clothes, even though Sam's are 3 sizes too big. And it's not really cold enough for Sofia's jacket :) I told the group home they could just keep the big clothes for one of the other boys, but they ended up back on Sam today. Oh well!<br />
I brought little cars for Sam and also a bouncy ball that lights up when you bounce it hard enough. I was excited about the cars because yesterday he was playing with a toy car at the office and loved it. Today, he didn't want anything to do with the cars - of course. But he did like the ball. He planted himself on the floor in front of the metal trash can and would make the ball light up and hold it up to his face, or right beside the trash can so he could see the reflection. He can look at something forever if it is giving him any kid of visual stimulation. I can't wait to get his eyes checked out.<br />
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Then Sofia found the remainder of my coffee from breakfast (you get straight up espresso here!) and started playing with it. At this point I was like whatever, I'm picking my battles, have at it. So she put sugar in the few millimeters of remaining coffee, then would stir it up and feed it to us with the stirrer. She seemed to enjoy "cooking". She then added water to it and put it in and out of the little fridge in the room, acting like she was cooking something. She also made sure to include her brother :)<br />
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Then it was time to leave for lunch - HALLELUJAH! This is another area where I can see some institutional behaviors :( My mama heart aches when I see it. My kids are always asking for food. When we were in the room, right after we had our snack, Sofia kept saying the same thing over and over, like 20+ times. So I had to call Toni and ask what she was saying. She was saying "When are we going to eat?" and then "I'm hungry". Once Toni explained to her that we were going to lunch soon, she was satisfied and stopped asking. I can make Sam stop doing ANYTHING if I put food in front of him. During his crazy-man session this morning he stopped cold when I gave him the goldfish. I couldn't even get him to come over and sit on the bed and be cozy and eat, he was just so intent on that food.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPE3aFRQd6gg5hLEzq9qV9ujA9wtfrSr0fsPWJxEZgxw21U2wTQxpZ2JiLTe6lrQQcZHa3Xr7WBjlRz49DUhuaiMu-awiQscOfaNdEb7GbN08tZEeWTUHlWCsc2W2WVFKfqJzm56wcLwU/s1600/IMG_0595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPE3aFRQd6gg5hLEzq9qV9ujA9wtfrSr0fsPWJxEZgxw21U2wTQxpZ2JiLTe6lrQQcZHa3Xr7WBjlRz49DUhuaiMu-awiQscOfaNdEb7GbN08tZEeWTUHlWCsc2W2WVFKfqJzm56wcLwU/s320/IMG_0595.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>They will finish WHAT EVER is put in front of them. The whole plate of food. The staff tells us that they will eat and eat, and don't realize when they're full. As crazy as they were in the beginning at the hotel, they were total angels and sat perfectly in public when we went to the restaurant for lunch. This is either because they knew their food was coming, or they know how to act in public. I think its because they were waiting for their food. This particular restaurant serves huge portions, even for kids (I think that is common here in Bulgaria), and they both cleaned their plate. We actually had to take some of Sam's fries away because honestly there were so many I don't know how he fit it all in his stomach. We would ask him if he was full, and he would say "just a little bit more" :( He shovels food into his mouth and hasn't finished chewing the previous bite. We have to hold his fork and tell him to slow down and chew. The good news for me is that they will probably eat most of what I give them, even if my cooking is not good ;)<br />
Another thing I noticed (and I'm almost done!) is how behind they are at socializing with their peers who have families. Once again, I knew it was that way, but actually saw it today. When we went to the park this afternoon, there was a birthday party with a bunch of kids jumping on the trampoline and playing with each other. My kids would just stand and watch, smiling, but when the kids interacted with them, they didn't know what to do. They weren't being shy or weird or anything, but they don't understand how to have fun and play with a group of kids. I thought this was surprising, even coming from an institution, cause there are lots of kids there. But I don't think they were taught to play. You can just tell there is something missing. These kids are so precious, I can't believe they were ever abandoned or put in this situation. I am thanking God so much for that wonderful group home and staff they will be with until I return to pick them up.<br />
Anyhow, that's what I learned today :) I'm not going to be able to bring them home, have them walk off the plane and just seamlessly integrate into normal family life and routine (although I know they will do very well, probably relatively quickly!). They won't be able to come home for Christmas and enjoy the holiday and appreciate the details and presents that were bought just for them. They won't be able to sit nicely at church with their hands folded. No, they will most likely freak out from over stimulation. At least this year. I really do have high hopes for next year, and even a few months of being home. So, if we see you when we first get home, give us some grace :) Just this morning I read on a friend's blog that she has to watch her 7 year old at every moment, and that it is exhausting. I totally get that now. And it was only 2 hours of alone time. (I at least better be skinny when all of this is over, and we are settled at home :)<br />
Anyhow, tomorrow is the BIG DAY when we officially get to tell them that I am "mama". I will be so excited to let you know how that goes! Although, Sam already called me mama today and Sofia has said she is going to America twice already. So I don't think it will be a big surprise :) But still fun!<br />
Oh, and I can't give away Sam's real name here just yet, but I will give you a hint that you should be able to figure out so maybe you can help me decide what to do about his name. (I hope that's not too "illegal" :) His name is a noun, I have used the word (in the plural form) in this post. This noun lives in heaven and has wings. LOL. I'm sure you know what it is now. See my dilemma?? Poor guy. (And it's not pronounced like it is in Spanish)<br />
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<span id="goog_1734506429"></span><span id="goog_1734506430"></span>Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-67180378728741017802011-10-05T04:51:00.000-06:002011-10-05T04:51:13.114-06:00The name thingDay 2 went just as well :) I cannot say enough good things about the staff here. I really respect the way they treat the children and I really enjoy their company as well. Just in case you were wondering, the kids are still cute and beautiful in every way :)<br />
We went to the park in the morning and did some more sliding and playing. The big hit today was those little vehicles that you put money in and they move around and make noises. They just go up/down and side/side, but the kids really loved them. I know that I am going to enjoy watching them have a lot of new experiences when they come home. They are just so happy to do small things. I hope that doesn't change for a while.<br />
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</div>Another thing we loved was bubbles! I was amazed again by Sam's attention when he really likes something. We were told that he can't pay attention to things, but boy did he keep blowing bubbles over and over and would squeal when he got a good bubble stream going ;) I really think a lot of his issues are due to nobody at his (previous) orphanage paying attention to him. Anyhow, we just played around in the morning. We also played with the velcro ball thing I brought (yay target dollar bin!) and one of those super high bouncy balls.<br />
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In the afternoon, we went to the main office that oversees the group homes, to play there and have a more relaxed time coloring and just visiting. I brought coloring book and crayons, and one of those dry erase boards that is clear plastic and you stick various activity sheets (to include the ones where you learn to write your letters!) under the plastic and write on top of it. Sofi did great copying the numbers and english letters that she was not familiar with. I am excited to leave that here so she can practice (another plug for the awesome staff who is going to work with her while I am gone!). I know she will learn quickly! Sam appears to be left handed, but we will see! It will be exciting to have a lefty in the family so my uncle Bob and my cousin Dave don't feel left out :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAS-T5yCIYzbU_hZfFrzjUTFBcMzMdNG6Cns3rrv7vieF8MFXabgd8a4cZ82wirBFAK8P9SrTBob9cSxWa5W5fN_UKqSrqs1Ckny8dDYhMzytDXUbbSkIWHV__-DRJURFBICGLSSlxr0k/s1600/IMG_0593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAS-T5yCIYzbU_hZfFrzjUTFBcMzMdNG6Cns3rrv7vieF8MFXabgd8a4cZ82wirBFAK8P9SrTBob9cSxWa5W5fN_UKqSrqs1Ckny8dDYhMzytDXUbbSkIWHV__-DRJURFBICGLSSlxr0k/s320/IMG_0593.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Can you tell that Sofia loves having her picture taken? She asks all the time, especially when we do something new - "take my picture". Of course, I oblige :) She will then look at it and ask for a redo if she doesn't look good in it. LOL.<br />
I also brought some clothes for them to try on so I knew what size to bring when I come and pick them up. I have visited several of my sponsored children and always get comments on how well I pick the size of their clothing, so I was feeling pretty good about my choices. After all, I did have their measurements from one year ago. Just add a size (or not for Sam) and I should be good, right? Wrong! Sofia apparently had a massive growth spurt, and Sam didn't grow at all LOL. Her size 6 just fit, but was a little short, and his 5T was waaay too big. I will be bringing 2Ts for him next time :)<br />
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I really do try and take equal amounts of photos of each child, but Sam just won't pose with us and is too busy running around. Sofia on the other hand, is a magnet for that camera. So I will probably have a few more photos of her cause she's more than willing :)<br />
Some things I noticed today:<br />
1. Sofia always has a huge, ready smile each time I even glance her way. I have been told she is hungry for attention and love, and she sure eats it up. She just seems so eager to please, and flashes me that smile each time I look in her direction. Some of the time I think it is because she is genuinely happy, and the other times, I think she just wants me to like her. I hope she will soon realize that she doesn't have to be smiling or try so hard for me to love her! We'll work on it.<br />
2. Sam has issues with the potty. Well, not really issues, but as I have said before, he wasn't given any attention, and when he was sat on the potty every few hours, he would go, but was never taught to ask or tell someone when he had to go, so he would have accidents. Because of this, they are teaching him to ask, and now put him in a diaper (size 4!) when he is going to be out of his routine. The first day, he started acting like he had to go (or went, LOL) and we asked him and he said 'yes I have to go'. When we took him in there, he had already went. So today, the social worker made him look right at her, and told him that when he has to go potty, he needs to TELL us before so we can take him. And, he did! twice! No accidents. Like it was never an issue. No big deal, nothing. I really do think he is a quick little guy and will really catch up with lots of love and attention. I cannot say how relieved and happy I am that while they are waiting for me to pick them up, they will be in the group home setting, getting individual attention from the staff and psychologist.<br />
Now back to the title of my post. Sofia and Samuel are the names I have chosen for them. However, their current names fit them so well (and I will be allowed to post them here when the adoption is final). BUT, Sam's given name is considered to be a girl's name in the US, but it is not pronounced the same here, so it sounds masculine at the moment. So I'm having a hard time deciding what to do. I don't want him walking around being pint-sized with a girls name :/ They do not have 'middle' names, so I just might keep their given names as their middle ones, I dunno. It will be a tough decision.<br />
Anyhow, I will have more to tell you tomorrow! I am excited for each day but don't want it to go by so fast :)Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-61708424011871261082011-10-03T12:57:00.000-06:002011-10-03T12:57:23.403-06:00PerfectI'm too tired to think of a more creative title. But I honestly can't imagine these first two days being any better than they were. I decided that I was going to be totally honest in my posts, even if things didn't go as well as I would have liked. I wanted people to know the real process, not just the rosy picture.<br />
Well, its been all roses so far! So much so, that I am afraid of what will happen next, because my experience has been nothing but wonderful, and it can't keep being that good, can it??<br />
My 3 flights to get here were great (well, with the exception of the girl 2 seats over from me puking twice on the way to Germany, and the second time, she didn't have a bag. Eew. Barf). Hardly any turbulence. Smooth sailing. I arrived, found <i>all</i> of my luggage, and breezed through passport control (they didn't even stamp my passport - boo!).<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, thanks! I can't call them, but atleast I'll leave a blog and facebook posts :) Anyhow - then I was greeted by one of the most special people ever - Toni! Those of you who know her, I don't have to say any more. Those of you who don't, I will talk much more about Toni later. She's so great! Someone told me that it would be like meeting an old friend, and they were so right. We have never met, but I feel like I have known her forever!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKY_TeDpkgOs0oJEg3hjufrmBSbzDl3oOYuM271HsZLX-apruRGkj42WXRju2tB4H1XQqAxR-JkyMMsImrNGwdYubRzLt7wI0E0Xvc9lMTpJlEtfpBdmUNUBAFKanQvu7HLsm9vFRxV8/s1600/IMG_0524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKY_TeDpkgOs0oJEg3hjufrmBSbzDl3oOYuM271HsZLX-apruRGkj42WXRju2tB4H1XQqAxR-JkyMMsImrNGwdYubRzLt7wI0E0Xvc9lMTpJlEtfpBdmUNUBAFKanQvu7HLsm9vFRxV8/s320/IMG_0524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was so excited to be in beautiful Bulgaria - the oldest country in Europe. I couldn't wait to see the history of the country - the buildings, landscapes, everything! I was actually happy that we had a 2 hour car ride to our destination city, so I could take it all in. I was so happy when our first stop was......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGP8DvN2WeeGSt5ieDTsMePI813xB-kfNaqGkmeegKZpjFmHkofs3n9fUmviQiLYD2VRTnOvugoi_WKGpMECEsM9O7XYqyTT7QZoMmcONL1HHYNWgxzTX7G06NqXctq5X6k2BF5r0jVEA/s1600/IMG_0525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGP8DvN2WeeGSt5ieDTsMePI813xB-kfNaqGkmeegKZpjFmHkofs3n9fUmviQiLYD2VRTnOvugoi_WKGpMECEsM9O7XYqyTT7QZoMmcONL1HHYNWgxzTX7G06NqXctq5X6k2BF5r0jVEA/s320/IMG_0525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Not! But, what trip is complete without it?? I don't feel like I ever left home! (I didn't eat there, but our driver did and I couldn't resist taking a picture!) But since then, I have gotten to see some of Bulgaria and the city I am staying in, and it is really beautiful. I will post some of those photos later.<br />
Then more goodness keeps rolling in.<br />
I received updated photos of the kids with my official paperwork (yay!). My bed is so comfortable. The cost is cheap. I have a great internet connection. I slept great. I woke up early for the first time in my entire life. I was nervous, but not crazy nervous. I didn't think I would function well today, but there were no emergency restroom stops (enough said).<br />
Then it was time to go see the kids! The moment I have waited for for over a year! I was so excited. First, we went and saw the director. I found out that my kids were transferred in June from the institution they were in, to a small family-type group home that has 8 other children. This is huge. Great for their development and adjustment. It's part of the social reform the gov't is starting in order to get the kids out of the orphanages. The director, social worker, psychologist and other staff I met were GREAT! Like really, honestly, not-edited-for-blog great. I cannot say enough how well they are doing with the kids. They sat and talked with me for over an hour about the children. They even printed out an itinerary of our visits for the week! They took notes on everything I said about myself, so they could prepare the children for when they come home. We discussed medical issues, development, etc. I learned so much great info from them, you can really tell they have a genuine interest in the children. They were so great with me and such wonderful people. I really cannot say enough about them.<br />
Then we drove a few minutes away to the group home where my children are. (As of right now, they still weren't told that I am "mama". They just know they have a visitor here for them.) When we pulled up, I looked and they were standing outside! When I got out of the van, I was pretty nervous.<br />
I'll talk about each of the kids and the interactions that I had with both.<br />
First we'll start with Sam.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMPB7KIF1hbwARmjzcRHrdQli5BA7HrBZXdhxwFoBESOa8YsDiAHgJwnEm0e_BvUQXquyl4EULcYdEByvwQFFkZRVrrNU1Sr8CnY0r3HrqMk71pw0H-BjiwF2_l1nIZdIkRSVNW2mhyQ/s1600/Sam+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMPB7KIF1hbwARmjzcRHrdQli5BA7HrBZXdhxwFoBESOa8YsDiAHgJwnEm0e_BvUQXquyl4EULcYdEByvwQFFkZRVrrNU1Sr8CnY0r3HrqMk71pw0H-BjiwF2_l1nIZdIkRSVNW2mhyQ/s320/Sam+1.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>Look at that face. Quiet, shy, calm little guy. I had read his medical reports and knew he had some delays. When I got this updated report, his vision/medical was worse than before, and his delays sounded more significant. I read stuff like "retinal detachment", "bilateral nystagmus", "language delay". Pretty intimidating stuff.<br />
I was certainly surprised when we walked up to the house and the first words I heard were from his little voice saying "Hello! Are you coming in? I'm a good boy. I have snot in my nose." LOL! He is hilarous! He talks SO MUCH and is quite the chatterbox! We laughed at him all day. He can also see more than originally thought (he does have significant vision issues, to include a partially detached retina, but he can see. He holds everything really close to his face.). The staff think that some of his delays are due to his orphanage not working with him, because they thought he couldn't see. But he can! What a pistol.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJP39vY5MtAen8f2eP7YRvJiy5uyJn_FIoobs-PxbT93mhW38IWN7h5bzhZ8ZLQbvFe2qcqyXYQ4YW-Bcrctc8bdhXAYuoZgfVZU1-jz7-eL21JDgKUfuGD9fcZr6o-dkeNyuluHIbt6Y/s1600/IMG_0536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJP39vY5MtAen8f2eP7YRvJiy5uyJn_FIoobs-PxbT93mhW38IWN7h5bzhZ8ZLQbvFe2qcqyXYQ4YW-Bcrctc8bdhXAYuoZgfVZU1-jz7-eL21JDgKUfuGD9fcZr6o-dkeNyuluHIbt6Y/s320/IMG_0536.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the thing that makes him even more cute is that he is so. very. small. He's 6 but honestly the size of a 2 or 3 year old. This next photo will give you an idea of his size. Oh, and he was too busy talking to pose for the photo ;) He had been resting his little head on my shoulder and just as the photo was taken he started chatting away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzweODNoQxM3vkJD7-a4sPg_C-so4Ws4k56Bp_a0ie6-WrI9i9I0Pu6MGvxok_QEN_I9HiVPeMOa6mkDXQNp61FqyK2bbnNeIsbhm8PgzDdQOe75c1lmiw7DKdrGWfQ_d98LQLDSp_Oo/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzweODNoQxM3vkJD7-a4sPg_C-so4Ws4k56Bp_a0ie6-WrI9i9I0Pu6MGvxok_QEN_I9HiVPeMOa6mkDXQNp61FqyK2bbnNeIsbhm8PgzDdQOe75c1lmiw7DKdrGWfQ_d98LQLDSp_Oo/s320/IMG_0573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My 6 year old toddler. Acting like he owns the place. Oh, and calm? Uhh, not! He was everywhere and in to everything. Mom is going to need lots of coffee. Because he doesn't make good eye contact (because of his vision), it is difficult to tell that he is paying attention/understanding what is happening. But he does - he would pipe up with funny little sayings letting us know he knew exactly what was happening. He would laugh and smile AFTER every photo. When he was playing with play-doh, he made a *gasp* and a little squeal when he discovered each new thing the toys did. The report said that he couldn't concentrate for more than 5 minutes, but he sat there making play-doh spaghetti for atleast 30 minutes. Toni says he created commercial quantities :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And Sofia. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfpZNuhsA4opXGFFd54KecHsIXT0wy-ujPJfO8jEBbitT3C591aNkzRrCXUiRcfvuSuBnTBTCStzsBJHQCp5HiqXTbBb9fKUHEk2Ca8-vrxfd5TLt4mkkLTFrhCgURxCl4pPLK7XG9wM/s1600/Sofia+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfpZNuhsA4opXGFFd54KecHsIXT0wy-ujPJfO8jEBbitT3C591aNkzRrCXUiRcfvuSuBnTBTCStzsBJHQCp5HiqXTbBb9fKUHEk2Ca8-vrxfd5TLt4mkkLTFrhCgURxCl4pPLK7XG9wM/s320/Sofia+1.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She is everything you would think she was by looking at her photo. Except alot older! She has grown so much! My first medical report showed her way below the growth curve. Well, she must have caught up because she is so tall and skinny. Definitely normal for her age now. When I came up to the gate, she waved and smiled at me. I gave her a little hug and she stood there leaning against me, fascinated by the carton of play-doh I had brought. She didn't say much, but smiled alot. We went into the house and immediately started playing with the play-doh. She was quiet but interacted with me no problem, she seemed to understand that I don't speak Bulgarian. She ate up all of the praise I gave her, even though it was in english. When she would create something, she would shyly show it to me, and I would say "Good job!" Her little face lit up each time. After a few minutes of that, she made her way into my lap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUy20IBv3mU63KQi5nVCGDPgsT5d18YnUqPOPALwsbgFNFi7wKOBodGnX-4NYPdMWVR3QIZJHDKgySCQguI4L7-nvYYWBvNOoWgzozvZSwDo329cNycMN-2YFwpniiYTw0qhjjtcF5kU/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUy20IBv3mU63KQi5nVCGDPgsT5d18YnUqPOPALwsbgFNFi7wKOBodGnX-4NYPdMWVR3QIZJHDKgySCQguI4L7-nvYYWBvNOoWgzozvZSwDo329cNycMN-2YFwpniiYTw0qhjjtcF5kU/s320/IMG_0538.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She would take my arms and wrap them tightly around her. She told me that she likes to cuddle. Did I mention these two days have been perfect? Just in case you forgot :) God is so good to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ok, one last little story, then I"ll shut up and share more photos. Sorry this is so long. I won't wait two days next time! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soon after we started playing, the other kids in the group home came home from school. Talk about heart-wrenching. These kids are ALL beautiful, and they are older. They knew why I was there, and it wasn't for them. One girl in particular - oh my heart. She was 10 years old and oh so sweet. She has a knack for English you wouldn't believe. Anyhow. The kids walked in and started talking to us. They were so friendly and kept saying "America!" and referring to me. Then Sofia said "This is my mama and she lives in America. I'm going to live there." Toni's eyes got big and she said "did you hear that?" LOL. Nobody told her, but I guess she figured it out! We are going to officially tell them and show them the photo book I made for them soon. We were just so stunned by her response :) Of course I didn't complain. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dgAdqZa3F5ksG8iMeU3bpyNBvXyE66DGiRbAD9clgp5S8VC1G1AQ2sIo0SPknRHznMVQN4gNOdIrw1r-6xw5t0daFYM9oBTbGSLnzkmqufSkK2qsYP4yjZf3qVx0IagX11_IBzNVVZU/s1600/IMG_0532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dgAdqZa3F5ksG8iMeU3bpyNBvXyE66DGiRbAD9clgp5S8VC1G1AQ2sIo0SPknRHznMVQN4gNOdIrw1r-6xw5t0daFYM9oBTbGSLnzkmqufSkK2qsYP4yjZf3qVx0IagX11_IBzNVVZU/s320/IMG_0532.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Ok I'm beat! More tomorrow. Thanks for reading that all - tomorrow will be shorter I promise! Love from Bulgaria.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-45438123133414049922011-07-07T17:25:00.000-06:002011-07-07T17:25:51.606-06:00Could It Be?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90Yw6t7reBa5z87cpcbdH4yc1Vze31rcF14cMf1eBDZ11_WfUL-I6x7CBfA0sbEzwgKO9NZ6cAn8pd0PRrCbm7Jycd0LKJ951yn3Nc3oHJFvn0Vw1J_M2AQMt-MAG1vfUYu72Dv1oEbc/s1600/IMG_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90Yw6t7reBa5z87cpcbdH4yc1Vze31rcF14cMf1eBDZ11_WfUL-I6x7CBfA0sbEzwgKO9NZ6cAn8pd0PRrCbm7Jycd0LKJ951yn3Nc3oHJFvn0Vw1J_M2AQMt-MAG1vfUYu72Dv1oEbc/s320/IMG_0024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Why, yes it is! After all this time and delay after delay.....drum roll please......My completed dossier, ready to be FedEx'ed tomorrow! I am so excited I can hardly stand it - I can't wait to visit my children for the first time. Yay! I'll keep you updated as soon as I get any news :)Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-12834109649110311582011-06-01T21:46:00.000-06:002011-06-01T21:46:09.696-06:00AnalynThe Compassion bloggers are still in the Philippines - have you checked them out yet? I want to introduce you to my sponsored child from the Philippines. Her name is Analyn. Her birthday was in March, and she turned 9 years old. I have been sponsoring her since 2009, and when I first "met" her (by photo only), this is what she looked like. Cute.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfeOARauXJk7cR2FFE_GJrrGdHbFqkBaG0SST1ugceEyVKP5FV-B0jM_6i68FsTpNtp4eSpXHwYmhS8j822cFL2mXnt3j_Tz5qHdKnA5ptdrE8X7IICt2LT7z5h60f-pOQq5jI_3-ZP8/s1600/Scan+61.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfeOARauXJk7cR2FFE_GJrrGdHbFqkBaG0SST1ugceEyVKP5FV-B0jM_6i68FsTpNtp4eSpXHwYmhS8j822cFL2mXnt3j_Tz5qHdKnA5ptdrE8X7IICt2LT7z5h60f-pOQq5jI_3-ZP8/s320/Scan+61.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>Soon after receiving her information packet in the mail, I learned that she performs above average in school, and likes swimming, singing, and telling stories. I also learned that her father is sometimes employed as a farmer, and her mother maintains the home for them and Analyn's 4 siblings.<br />
She was only 7 when I started sponsoring her, so I was so excited a few months later when I received my first letter, written by Analyn herself! (Sometimes, when the children are too young to understand the art of letter-writing, a project worker or family member will help them write). But then I remembered, Analyn does very well in school. I was so happy with the letter!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAFo7UEx6gA9wvqsgJ-JNytoemH-VN-zdVtvsZYp1jxy8iCXllp1JcOK4LqV6LPVX8UV7mwvPDyizCzjEIN20a7u4E78oyJq5sSuGQOdLzNt3kHx5i5r4qB0ZkQde-ynyjkgOaBfH1BI/s1600/Scan+6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAFo7UEx6gA9wvqsgJ-JNytoemH-VN-zdVtvsZYp1jxy8iCXllp1JcOK4LqV6LPVX8UV7mwvPDyizCzjEIN20a7u4E78oyJq5sSuGQOdLzNt3kHx5i5r4qB0ZkQde-ynyjkgOaBfH1BI/s320/Scan+6.jpeg" width="220" /></a></div>I thought to myself...she seems so happy, and does so well in school. Her family lives together. Maybe she is not <i>too</i> poor. Sometimes you wonder - is my sponsorship <i>really</i> making a difference?<br />
Shortly after, the Lord laid on my heart to give a family gift to Analyn and her family (Compassion allows you to give extra gift money above and beyond your monthly sponsorship commitment. 100% of that gift goes directly to your child and/or their family). So, I sent them $50.<br />
I also read more about the area where Analyn lives. I learned that in her city, half of the adults are unemployed, and the others make an average of $89/month. And her father is only sometimes employed. I realized that my small gift may very well double their monthly income. For a family of 7.<br />
Then I got the thank-you letter. <br />
It starts out saying thank-you for the gift, and mentions a few things she purchased with the gift, including rice and sardines (yuck :P) Then, it comes to this part of the letter.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8G6n-OTd4eWbVs1b8oUh9VQdBx8pw1dmUHJMzez9hRC_6lujbD2-RB25FnLgdaoBrD-NLwLpfwbAvUw1AU1vMF4qqg_-Fj3-itXuaz58TZQzaU_xSnDkJhznoRwIbZDfJ-3kZKGzAOw/s1600/Scan+12.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8G6n-OTd4eWbVs1b8oUh9VQdBx8pw1dmUHJMzez9hRC_6lujbD2-RB25FnLgdaoBrD-NLwLpfwbAvUw1AU1vMF4qqg_-Fj3-itXuaz58TZQzaU_xSnDkJhznoRwIbZDfJ-3kZKGzAOw/s320/Scan+12.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_w-i_KscxdgBpoR-92hE2iVT0uQ2v3yYLGlCjW1p0BQUzIpzDPVB6zZFP8FJkOAQYYqVJttlAIXXd3KCL_kxTOTst7OEp_z-K3EAteBcw5ghUF_XmwQOFGNMpMN0bBy2Zxmm5agFc0uM/s1600/Scan+13.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_w-i_KscxdgBpoR-92hE2iVT0uQ2v3yYLGlCjW1p0BQUzIpzDPVB6zZFP8FJkOAQYYqVJttlAIXXd3KCL_kxTOTst7OEp_z-K3EAteBcw5ghUF_XmwQOFGNMpMN0bBy2Zxmm5agFc0uM/s320/Scan+13.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div> Wow.<br />
Just in case you forgot, she was 7 when she wrote that letter.<br />
Attached was also a letter from her mom (which is also unusual), expressing the heartfelt thanks from the family upon receiving the gift. And she listed everything they bought, to include "canned goods like beefloaf (?), cornbeef, and pork&beans; also sugar, coffee, soap, ketchup, orange juice, bathsoap, chocolate drink, hotdogs, salt, sandals, slippers, shorts, hair bands, cologne, baby oil, lotion, gel, vinegar, soy sauce, 2 kilos chicken, and a watch".<br />
All for $50.<br />
Her mom also wrote "Analyn told me she will always go to school and to church to thank God for giving us more blessing".<br />
I was blown away by Analyn's statements and question to me, and couldn't believe how far that small gesture was multiplied. I have since received many more letters from Analyn (18 letters total in less than 2 years), and we are developing a wonderful relationship. She writes to me about the children I am adopting, and about how lucky they are to have me as their mom (awww). She tells me about the awards she receives in school. <i>She</i> prays for <i>me</i>. Everyday.<br />
In a recent letter she said "You know what, even though we are only living in the house and lot of my father's sibling, I choose to thank God because in His help I will finish school and will be released from poverty".<br />
She's 9.<br />
And I realized, she knows. She knows that her family is materially poor. I don't know if I thought that the poor don't know it, or what I was thinking. But Analyn knows. And she has hope, because of the work God is doing through Compassion. She can eat. She receives medical care. And she can continue to study, and even go to college, which I have no doubt that she will.<br />
I love my far-away daughter in the Philippines. I hope to be able to visit her one day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0qU3Shcl55eMMHznb3pFTS1-fUzVkedDjWlh7HD3CHSCAi71A39pavFliMRH4D6H2GLEvPwvYr8AThul3EZwpq-JKm9ivPODv6xT72K-bK9bUH-IAQalAt9QLxXkA3XA5s5vf7Bg_qM/s1600/PH8290148+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0qU3Shcl55eMMHznb3pFTS1-fUzVkedDjWlh7HD3CHSCAi71A39pavFliMRH4D6H2GLEvPwvYr8AThul3EZwpq-JKm9ivPODv6xT72K-bK9bUH-IAQalAt9QLxXkA3XA5s5vf7Bg_qM/s320/PH8290148+copy.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>If you are interested in learning more about Compassion, ask me! Or click the bloggers link on the R and read some of the posts to see more of the work God is doing in the Philippines (the posts are awesome!). To sponsor a child of your own, click <a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=118647">here</a>. (You can search by country, gender, age, and more!)Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-73953051135678212312011-05-28T21:40:00.000-06:002011-05-28T21:40:37.728-06:00The Show Must Go On...with Compassion!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWO2XrpOutDSw3myQktL-KCo_4DdBnk_B5EQ1UIeOFulPgR0qBvNi70bm8JgBtTtKONC-6L0byVzpAhmtl1nLJ9kEjQJ0tV1dwI1sQ_v846stuROB3on30TRZv2l3SSlPeQyd71EGN0s/s1600/CompassionBloggersPH-Facebook-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWO2XrpOutDSw3myQktL-KCo_4DdBnk_B5EQ1UIeOFulPgR0qBvNi70bm8JgBtTtKONC-6L0byVzpAhmtl1nLJ9kEjQJ0tV1dwI1sQ_v846stuROB3on30TRZv2l3SSlPeQyd71EGN0s/s320/CompassionBloggersPH-Facebook-2.jpg" width="128" /></a></div><br />
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Since I am <strike>patiently</strike> waiting for my adoption to progress, I want to blog about something as close to my heart as adoption is - Compassion International and child sponsorship :) And as you can see, Compassion is sending a group of bloggers to the Philippines (these people do not work for compassion, they are regular people, living throughout the country, who happen to blog regularly about various things) this week so they can experience how Compassion works. You will have an opportunity to see through their eyes, words, and daily posts the work God is doing through Compassion. I hope you'll click the link and check those blogs out! Every trip I have followed along with is an eye-opening, soul-deepening, tissue-using experience! I know you will be blessed.<br />
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Compassion's mission statement is this:<br />
<strong>"Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name</strong><br />
In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults."<br />
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Compassion basics:<br />
<ul><li> Sponsoring a child is $38/month. Yes, this is quite a commitment, but you would be surprised how easy it is to sacrifice a few small things each month (one time eating out with your family, one week of starbucks, etc) to be able to provide for a child.</li>
<li>The benefits the children receive: Among other things, the opportunity to hear the gospel and learn about Jesus; regular Christian training; educational opportunities and help; health care, hygiene training and supplementary food if necessary; a caring and safe Christian environment to grow in self-confidence and social skills; personal attention, guidance and love.</li>
<li>Your child will write to you several times each year. Even more important than the financial commitment, in my opinion, is the relationship you develop with that child through letters (and even visits if you are able!). You can write to them regularly, and develop a real, lasting relationship with them that impacts your life more than you could imagine. It can be more than just a photo on the wall and a monthly financial commitment. The children long for letters from their sponsors, and to be a part of a family that is far away.</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.compassion.com/about/compassionfaq/default.htm">Compassion FAQ</a> (for even more great info, click here)</li>
</ul>I also sponsor children in the Philippines, and I will post soon about my girls there, so you can see the experience I have had so far :)<br />
I will leave you with this photo...so you can see how much having a sponsor means to the child. This was taken when I visited one of my children in El Salvador. She was so happy to meet her sponsor. She was overcome with emotion. At 9 years old. <br />
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The blogging trip starts tomorrow! I hope you will check it out, I know you will not regret it! You can click the link to the right on my blog, or click <a href="http://compassionbloggers.com/trips/2011-philippines">here</a>.Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-87803539415552582632011-05-14T11:16:00.000-06:002011-05-14T11:16:47.173-06:00What's taking so long?Well, needless to say, I haven't posted in a while. At the time of my last post, I was optimistic that things were going to get moving with my adoption, and I would have more good things to say. As you can see, that hasn't happened.<br />
Currently I am waiting on the "golden ticket" - USCIS approval. I sent everything in several months ago, and I got in return the dreaded "request for more info" letter. That's not a bad thing, because I had all of the info they needed, but this really slows the process down. And to complicate things more, the officer I had at USCIS is now gone for an indefinite amount of time, and someone else took over his cases. So I don't know what that means. And of course they can't tell me anything, because it must be a big secret (cause we all know that I'm not familiar with gov't agencies at all). All I can tell so far is that my other officer used to answer his phone right away (well, the 2 or 3 times I called, anyhow), and I haven't been able to reach this new one yet. Ugh. I hope that is not indicative of things to come.<br />
I'm at the point where I'm pretty tired of waiting, and this whole process seems like a far away idea in my mind. So, I kind of put it out of my mind, so I don't have to count each day that I am waiting for my kids to come home (not the best coping tool, I'm sure). But once I get that approval, I can send my dossier off to their country. Oh, how I am counting down for that day. ANYTHING to get moving forward...<br />
I will keep you updated on what is happening, but in the meantime, I will continue to post a little about something else that is very close to my heart. I will be posting about a "blogging trip" that will be happening at the end of May. I hope you'll stop by and read about it!<br />
Oh, and I'm already a bad mom....I had this whole post about Sofia's birthday, but didn't post on Sam's birthday!! (horrible, I know! I didn't forget his birthday of course, but didn't post about it.) Well, on May 2nd, my little guy turned 6! He has sure come a long way. I can't wait to get him home and love on him a lot!<br />
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I love you my cute little man and warrior for the Lord! I hope to travel and meet you soon!Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-73890204857328457272011-02-06T12:21:00.000-07:002011-02-06T12:21:14.860-07:00Birthday Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0FDUet6QDQb5nOfvq82lCWJZMh1WhRiC1yNz4IptEJrSqYJ4tMs010xSPHbd-_QW8zo95Q_dPzLso2RmL92qdArHFkNhhY7oCaHVvtpvFgWtydV8fOr6SiIog1iYo_iC_NhzVnm7AQw/s1600/Nessie_younger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0FDUet6QDQb5nOfvq82lCWJZMh1WhRiC1yNz4IptEJrSqYJ4tMs010xSPHbd-_QW8zo95Q_dPzLso2RmL92qdArHFkNhhY7oCaHVvtpvFgWtydV8fOr6SiIog1iYo_iC_NhzVnm7AQw/s1600/Nessie_younger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Happy Birthday Sofia! You are 7 years old today. From an adorable toddler....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">To a precious little girl</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL72UBZKXAk4WdguLYCWRCxCVV0pr0gyJXA2IfK09OlicibhP6cTTa-bnZSqZqyG4zbwdxCsgL-gi-6b18fg1jM9yc_atDUmMHkhbtN0i_Cur-_pRlTP4j3bgGPHExCqBobYi-wua8jI/s1600/Nessie_new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL72UBZKXAk4WdguLYCWRCxCVV0pr0gyJXA2IfK09OlicibhP6cTTa-bnZSqZqyG4zbwdxCsgL-gi-6b18fg1jM9yc_atDUmMHkhbtN0i_Cur-_pRlTP4j3bgGPHExCqBobYi-wua8jI/s320/Nessie_new.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I can't wait to watch you grow! This will be your last birthday without a family. I'll be coming for you soon! </div><div style="text-align: center;">And next year, you'll have one of these too</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ha ha ha :)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday! You are very much loved!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">(I know its been a very long time without a post, I will start posting again soon now that I am getting the word out about my blog. More to come! Thanks for reading)</div>Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561888404521755605.post-53781445568922975182010-10-24T23:03:00.000-06:002010-10-24T23:10:16.466-06:00My First Post and Some Not-So-Originial IdeasTo tell you the truth, I've been dreading this for a while now. I've been so excited to start my blog so everyone can follow along with my adoption journey. But if any of you know me well, you know I like things to be perfect (already strike one in the parenting department, I know). I spent hours worrying about the appearance of the blog, is the column size just right, am I using a background that isn't too much, is anyone even going to read it....you get the picture. Not to mention the fact that I don't write well. At all. (I wish my cousin Katie could write everything for me, it would be so much more palatable - and funny - for everyone.) So, please forgive my lack of interesting prose, wit and my middle school vocabulary and grammar skills. But I sure do hope that you follow along on my journey with me. I can't wait to share it with you. <br />
With that being said, my first post is going to be someone else's :) I'm going to repost something that highlights some of the things I find most important and awesome about adoption. Please read and enjoy. (More details about my specific adoption story soon!) This was reposted from Lorraine Patterson's blog, which was reposted from the Loux family blog. <br />
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Friday, December 12, 2008<br />
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Renee’ and I are sitting in the office of a telephone company in Novograd Valenski, Ukraine, using wireless internet. We are in the middle of adopting three special needs boys from an orphanage here. Two of the boys have Down Syndrome. Roman is high functioning, energetic and happy. Dimitri has serious mental retardation, failure to thrive, and though he is five years old, he is the size of a 1 year old. He has sores on his face, a distinct smell of death on him, and yells out if we try to do anything with him other than hold him. Because he has less ability to respond and learn, he naturally gets less attention and care from the orphanage workers in this world of limited resources. The harsh reality of the “survival of the fittest” principle is a life and death struggle that this little boy is losing fast. Our third boy Sasha, is a brilliant six year old who has Spina Bifida (the condition our son Josiah died from in 1996). He is like a learning sponge that can’t get enough! He is happy and alert and thirsty for knowledge and experience. So with two of our boys, we get an immediate return on any investment we make. With Dimitri, there’s not much immediate gratification. In fact, it’s unknown when and if there will be a return at all. This is the kind of situation that makes the carnal, fallen, human reasoning think, “Why try? What’s the point? What will this produce? What good will this do? Why not select a boy who has more potential? This looks like a lost cause. <br />
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Two days ago we drove for hours into the Ukrainian countryside to the village where Dimitri was born. We met with officials there and signed papers and answered their questions. We also went and saw Dimitri’s house. The day had been long, we were still recovering from jet lag, I was beginning to really miss my six daughters at home and all the familiar things our fragile human hearts entangle themselves with in feeble attempts to feel secure. Sitting in the dark on our very long drive back to Novograd that night, the Holy Spirit began to whisper to my heart, and new understanding about redemption began to take shape.<br />
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I was thinking, “Man, adopting this little boy has been so much work. This is exhausting, expensive, uncomfortable … and it doesn’t feel very rewarding right now.” What am I doing in some little Soviet car in the dark, in the middle of rural Ukraine in frozen December, as the driver dodges cats and potholes? What if Dimitri doesn’t improve at all? What if we get “nothing” out of this? … Ahhh, there it was; that dark, fallen, unreedemed, selfish human love, rooted in the tree of the knowledge of “good and evil”. The love the Greeks called “erao” love. The love where we treat someone as precious and treasured for what we can get out of it. This is unlike “agapeo” love, the God kind of love that treats someone as treasured and precious for their good, not for my good. It’s when I love a person in order to meet their needs, having no expectation of them meeting any of my needs. At a whole new level, God is working His kind of love into my weak heart, and He’s using little Dimitri to do it.<br />
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On the drive home that night, the Lord whispered in my ear, “This is Redemption. Derek, do you know how far I travelled to get you and bring you back? I had to be separated from my Son, in order to get you, just like you are separated from your children in order to get these boys. Do you know how expensive it was for Me to purchase you? It cost me everything. Do you know how broken, sick, damaged, twisted, dirty, smelly, and hopeless you were? And at the end of it all, you had nothing to give me or add to me. I did it for you. I emptied myself and became nothing so that you could have it all. This is redemption.<br />
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My friends, adoption is redemption. It’s costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him. And when He redeems us, we can’t even really appreciate or comprehend it, just like Dimitri will never comprehend or fully appreciate what is about to happen to him … but … he will live in the fruit of it. As his Daddy, I will never expect him to understand all of this or even to thank me. I just want to watch him live in the benefits of my love and experience the joys of being an heir in my family. This is how our heavenly “Papa” feels towards us.<br />
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Today, settle your busy heart down and rest in the benefits of redemption. Enjoy the fruits of His goodness, and stop trying to “pay Him back”. You’ll never get close you goofy little kid.<br />
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Now, here's a follow-up post of The Loux's, which is a reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness. Here's the post that The Louxs authored about 9 months after Derek wrote the post about redemption, 9 months after these 3 boys joined their family. Here's the follow up post found on <a href="http://louxfamilyblog.com/2009/09/a-great-reminder-of-gods-goodness/">The Loux Family blog</a> on September 30, 2009:<br />
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Ethan’s progess has been nothing short of a miracle. Derek and I were looking at some past pictures of Ethan when we first took him out of the orphanage. We were shocked at the shape he was in! It’s amazing how your mind forgets some of the hard details of the past when such growth has been made. It’s good to see the growth and it’s also important to remember God’s faithfulness and all the Lord has brought Ethan through. Ethan is truly a miracle child! All our boys are!<br />
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When Derek and I were in Ukraine going through the process of adopting our three precious sons, Derek went though a really difficult time connecting with Ethan, who at that time was named Dimitri. On December 12th, Derek and I were sitting in the office of a telephone company using the wireless internet to write some emails. Derek began to write a post for our adoption blog. As he was writing the post, he had tears in his eyes. I knew the Lord was speaking something powerful to his heart. We wanted to re-post Derek’s post again to remind you of God’s greatness and His power! When you read the post below you will be reading the names Roman, Dimitri and Sasha as the three boys we were in the process of adopting. We changed Roman’s name to Silas, Dimitri’s to Ethan and we kept Sasha’s name. When we left Ukraine with Ethan, he weighed 11 pounds at 5 years old. He now weighs 26 pounds and has grown 8 inches in 9 months. He laughs, he smiles, he talks, he’s learning how to walk and he is very smart. We were told he would “do nothing.” What a testament to the Lord’s awesome power!<br />
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Those of you who follow our blog are aware that since this post below, we have not only adopted our three boys but have also brought in two new daughters, Leeann and our little Sana. God is good! What an amazing heavenly Father we have! His love endures forever and we have 10 beautiful blessings to prove it!!Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08104885890157921995noreply@blogger.com2