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| Saturday, May 26, 2007 |
| Awards and Updates |
Thursday was a big day for our family. Hope Ministry was invited to a reception honoring community volunteers. We received an official award with the seal of the State of Oklahoma for our volunteer efforts in aiding children and promoting child welfare, especially in the DHS system.
Then that evening was our gymnastics team award banquet. Z won a trophy for the Hardest Female Worker throughout the 2006-2007 season.
Updates on the Symposium: We didn't know whether we would even know if the symposium had any impact. However, already, less than a week afterwards, here's our count:
1 family already signed a domestic adoption contract with a local agency
1 family is seriously considering and keeping in contact with the same agency
1 lady heard about it through a friend and emailed begging to be a part of the next one
6 people volunteered to be DHS mentors
4 people are signing up to be foster parents
2 people are contracting for DHS adoptions
These are the results we have heard about thus far.
As far as the Kenyan adoption situation, we have figured out and have informed the lady of the difficulties. She is now just asking for help in raising the children and said that when they are 18 they will be free to go elsewhere if they so desire.
The woman who wanted to ship the textbooks to the children in Kenya has been researching shipping options. There is a homeschool used textbook sale this week locally. I'm hoping to find out who is running it and see if we can set up a donation box for anyone who would like to contribute books they don't sell.
Well, that about wraps up our awards and updates. My mom is visiting for a week while my dad is fishing in Canada. We have all kinds of outings planned, including going to the state capital to apostille our post placement reports. Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend. |
posted by 6blessings @ 8:49 AM  |
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| Monday, May 21, 2007 |
| Adoption/Foster Care/Mentoring Symposium & God's Hand |
I have been incredibly busy over the last three months working with a few other people to prepare for an adoption/foster care symposium. In addition to my normal activities, it has consumed a ton of my time. Last August, I joined with another church member to begin an adoption/foster care/mentoring ministry called Hope Ministry. It is our goal to educate people not only about the need for homes for children, but also about how they can truly make it happen for them. We wanted to be an information source that people could turn to if they wanted to find out more.
Yesterday we had around 50 people attend a 5 hour symposium. We had 12 speakers that taught in 3 different breakout sessions. They were from domestic agencies, international agencies, DHS, mentoring outlets like Big Brothers/Big Sister, CASA, and Child S.H.A.R.E. We also offered courses on the legal issues in the DHS system (taught by D), financing an adoption, and home studies. Singer/songwriter Becky Wright came and performed during our meal. She has written adoption songs and is a foster and adoptive parent. At the end, we had a question and answer panel for any unanswered questions. To close, we had a twelve year old boy adopted from Liberia who played his African drum and sang.
It was an incredible day! Basically, about 4-6 people put this huge event together. However, the volunteer turnout was amazing! They all came out to help and did it with such overwhelmingly joyful servant hearts! In addition, God performed a 21st century "fishes and loaves" miracle. The first thing we had arranged 3 months ago was who would be providing the food for the event. A group volunteered to donate and serve and clean up all of the food for us. It was never a big issue until Friday when they called and said that several of their members were sick and they would be unable to provide the food. We had not budgeted for this and knew we would be need to feed 80-100 people, including the volunteers, speakers, workers, and attendees. We also had to feed about 40 children. We made a few calls and you wouldn't believe the spread that we had. It was more than enough and seemed to keep multiplying. Everyone took home tons of leftovers!
Another highlight of the day was when two ladies from Kenya walked in at about 5:30 p.m. They had heard the event advertised on a Christian radio station and had been driving around for two and a half hours looking for our church. Long story short, one of the ladies lives here, the other was visiting her from Kenya. She had two sisters who died and together they left behind 6 children. They were coming to see if anyone was interested in adopting them. Whoa! This is where I need your help. Does anyone know about Kenyan adoptions, what their laws are, an agency that might deal with this country, anything at all?
Her friend also requested help for her brother who runs an "academy" there. He picks up 100 children every day and takes them back to his "school". There, he and some older children teach the younger ones. He pays the older children by feeding them breakfast and lunch. These are the only meals these kids ever get. He has hopes of turning it into an orphanage but is not able to because he has no one to run it and take care of the children. He also teaches without textbooks. Most of the children have never seen a book. She was asking for help in gathering textbooks and sending them to this school. I was totally amazed and overwhelmed at this turn of events in our symposium.
One of the most touching times of the day was during our Q and A time when the adopted children on the panel were asked what their favorite thing was about being in their new family. There were such sweet responses as, "They love me," or "They take better care of me, " or "I like being with them." Then there were real life survival comments like, "I like it here because there is no war, " and as a seven year old girl said, "I'm safe now."
The day was perfect and I felt like such a blessed person to have been a part of something so incredible. God's hand was truly all over the day and He totally blessed me in it. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 7:43 AM |
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| Wednesday, May 16, 2007 |
| Preschool Minds |
D coaches L and El's soccer team. They are preschoolers with little or no experience with soccer, which is good because we don't know anything either. The league we participate in is called Upwards Soccer and is through our church. During halftime, the coach has devotionals with the kids and teaches them a memory verse. This week's verse was about God providing for our needs. Here's the conversation that ensued.
D: All of us have needs. Needs are things we can't live without. God provides for our needs. Can you think of a need you have?
S: Chairs. Yeah, we need chairs.
D: Okay, S, we need chairs. Can anyone think of something else we need?
T: Broccoli.
D: Yes, broccoli helps us to grow strong. God provides for our needs. Can you think of something else God provides?
T: God provides carrots. (Obviously his family encourages healthy eating.)
L: God loves us.
El: God cares for us.
D: Okay. Well, let's say our Bible verse(simplified for the age group). "God gives us what we need." Can you say it, H?
H: "God gives us what we need."
El: "God gives us what we need."
L: "God gives us what we need."
T: "God gives us what we need."
S: "God gives us our knees." |
| posted by 6blessings @ 12:02 PM |
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| Saturday, May 12, 2007 |
| Gifts from Afar |
L and El's birthday is coming up on June 6. They have been waiting literally all year for this big event. They have had to endure birthdays of all of their relatives and friends, with the exception of J who is a week after them. They got quite good at saying, "Our birt-day is long time." Well, it's finally approaching.
This week we received a package in the mail from their grandmother in Russia. It was a long box that was covered in a flour sack, sewed together on the end. I wish I had taken a picture of it. Inside were gifts for the boys, I'm assuming for their birthday. It had a letter, but our translator has been busy and hasn't been able to translate it yet.
Inside the box was a car for each boy and an outfit. There were shirts-size 5- with Mack from the Cars movie on the front. The shirts hang to their knees. They also received size 4 shorts that look like capris on them. It's funny enough to see the boys swallowed in the clothes, but what's even funnier is the "English" that's stitched on the shorts. They say, "Beatiful- A Car". The close-up below gives a good shot of it.
I am so glad that their gma is communicating with them now. She lived twenty minutes away from them when they were in the orphanage and we were told she never came. They were in the hospital in her town many times, she never visited. Now that they are on the other side of the world, she writes letters and sends gifts. I guess it isn't for me to understand. I'm just glad that they have a link to their Russian heritage. I am grateful that they have 3 Babushkas that care for them. Each of them holds a different part of their lives. What a blessing!
 ***Update: According to some of the comments, I think there might be a misunderstanding about my feelings toward the boys' grandmother. In the beginning we were told gma was extremely impoverished, living on a pension, and was unable to take care of the boys. We worried about their half-sister's well-being. I felt so sorry for her, but then we learned that no family ever visited them, even in the hospital when they were so close. This would not have hurt adoption chances. Then when we received pics of gma, mom, and half-sister, I will admit they bothered me greatly. I saw a large, round family, a sister with perfect teeth when my boys had been through so much pain dentally, gold curtains, fancy clothes, etc. For a while, I wondered why and had many questions. I felt pain for my sons. I feel that these were natural emotions to be going through. I prayed hard and God has given my heart peace and acceptance. Now, I have no feelings like that when I see those pictures. I feel sorry for them because they are missing out on these precious boys, but I'm so grateful they are home with us. We fully appreciate the communication we have with gma and are incredibly grateful for it. We hope that eventually the relationship will lead to insight into their past. In a way, gma is a part of our extended family. We hope communication continues. We value her care for them and the relationship she now has with them (even though they really don't know who she is). |
| posted by 6blessings @ 5:51 AM |
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| Friday, May 04, 2007 |
| What Else Keeps Us Busy? |
I know, I know, you are all wondering why we have so much free time. You're wondering about what else could possibly fill in all of those blank, dead hours in our week. As if our lives aren't busy enough, in addition to gymnastics, our kiddos are participating in other things this Spring.
L and El are playing their first season of soccer. D got arm-twisted into being the coach. We know absolutely nothing about soccer. We participate in Upwards Soccer through our church. The preschool kids have one hour per week to do soccer. The first thirty minutes is practice (or picking at the grass, longing for the playground). The second thirty minutes is a game (or picking at the grass, longing for the playground). It is actually quite hilarious! The boys are the oldest, yet smallest, on their team. This is their first team experience. The first play of the first game, all four of our team players, stood glued to their starting positions as they watched the opposing team drive the ball straight down the middle and right to the goal. They have gotten a little better since then. El has scored a few goals (for the other team, but who cares?). They are really having a great time. Those are not skirts they have on with their shirts, nor are they wearing tights. Those are the shorts and socks which are ten sizes too big for them. They look so cute anyway. They are the mighty Giraffes. BTW, do you see the boys' height difference in this pic? El is outgrowing L.  E is also participating in Upwards Soccer. This is her second season. She really enjoys it and is very aggressive. She is a Lady Cobra.
J is playing t-ball this year for the first time. He plays pitcher and is their lead-off batter. He does a really good job and his mom thinks he's the cutest little guy in his uniform. Well, that's what keeps us busy- gymnastics, soccer, t-ball, amongst a few hundred other things. It's a wonderful life! To quote a country song (our theme song and the title of Jessy's blog), it's "Just Another Day in Paradise". |
| posted by 6blessings @ 1:07 PM |
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