We spoke with Jimmy on skype last night. We figured out how to work the video on our iPhone so he could see us this time and we were able to show him our house. He was happy to see everything. The most exciting part of the call was him speaking to us in ENGLISH. It was it feels so good to hear his voice in words I can understand. It wasn't a lot but it was something. I am not sure who was smiling bigger Jimmy or Kyndal. She kept saying "he is talking in English words". He is working very hard to learn and we are very proud of him. Please pray for his progress.
We also learned this week that Jimmy raises chickens. He has nine of them that he keeps at the orphanage. He sold one to Altograss, the Haitian administrator at the orphanage. We have a farming, entrepreneur on our hands.
In other news, I attended an adoption advocacy meeting last night. It is called It's A Child's Life. www.its-a-Childs-life.blogspot.com It is for those adopting or fostering, wanting to adopt or foster, and for those just wanting to support them. Several families shared their stories. It is so wonderful to be around people who affirm our decision to adopt. I know God put these people into our lives to help us on our journey.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Full heart
My heart has been so full lately. My emotions are right at the surface and I am not sure what to do with them. I have all of these feelings and I can't express them. They are just stuck. So much love to give and I can't direct it. When you are expecting a child, you busy yourself with preparations. You get the room ready, the clothes ready, etc. With Jimmy it is different. I guess the paperwork is what you can do to "get ready". I guess I am just so ready to have him here, in our family.
Once again, I ask that you pray for Jimmy to be with us soon. That every piece of paper is where it needs to be when it needs to be there. That God provides us the wisdom, endurance, and persistence we need. Thank you so much for your support.
Once again, I ask that you pray for Jimmy to be with us soon. That every piece of paper is where it needs to be when it needs to be there. That God provides us the wisdom, endurance, and persistence we need. Thank you so much for your support.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
You might ask why...
Why did we choose Haiti? Why did we choose Jimmy?
Rob and I have talked about adoption throughout our marriage. To be honest, we never discussed it seriously because we could have biological children so there seemed to be no need. We moved to Ada in December of 2007. This was about the time I thought we should be having number three. During this time, we were in a big transition time. Rob had changed careers, we were trying to sell our house in Colorado. We were so unsettled. I had no idea why God had sent us to Ada and was wrestling to find my place here. So, I resigned myself to having two children and building our life here. Really I was happy with not having any more children. The older they got, the easier they got. I surely did not know what God had in store for our future. We met the Dennis and Coleman families shortly after moving here. They both have internationally adopted children. Ryan is from Haiti and Rosie, Rachel, & Lawrence are from Uganda. I know God placed us in Ada to meet them.
Fast forward to Spring 2010, Haiti was trying to recover from the horrible earthquake in January. Rob mentioned he wanted to go. I said Okay, Go. So, he plans to go on a trip in the fall. In the meantime, Rob begins to bring up the subject of adoption. As soon as he said it aloud, I was on board. It was totally out of my character but somehow it felt right to me. As his trip got closer, he wanted me to go. I was very uneasy to leave Rylan and Kyndal while we both left the country. However, I somehow knew I needed to go. We made plans for me to go. We continued to discuss adopting. We were both very excited by the time we went in October. We told a few friends, some family, and the kids before we left. We agreed that we would just be open to what God wanted us to do.
When we arrived in Haiti, it felt right. Now, I am not a rough it kind of girl; I like air conditioning, hot showers, familiarity. So, this came as a shock to me. How could I be okay here? I knew it was God. We arrived at the orphanage and saw all these beautiful, sweet kids. We spent the next four days loving on them and learning about them as we organized their files. The first night we were there, I played Jinga with a boy whose smile beamed. That boy was Jimmy. I was so drawn to him. Now, Jimmy is not one of the kids who is glued to you the minute you walk in the place. He hangs back a little and does his thing. I continued to notice him the rest of the time. We watched him play soccer, visited with him a little, and I prayed about him. I mentioned to Rob that I felt a connection with him. Rob was not so sure about a 12 year old. On the trip home, we talked about him more. Over the weeks ahead, we prayed and prayed about the child we would add to our family. We knew God would give us an answer, but we didn't want it to be about us and what WE wanted. We went back and forth about what was "right". Rob went back to Haiti in January and that is when we knew that God wanted us to bring Jimmy home. We started the adoption process within a week.
I guess the answer to Why Haiti? Why Jimmy? is BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT GOD CHOSE FOR US. That is the only way to explain it. No matter what I thought going in or what I thought I wanted, this is what is right and good. Jimmy has already filled a place in my heart that I didn't even know was there. I love him more and more every day. It is so hard to have him so far away and not be able to mother him like I do Rylan and Kyndal. I ask that you continue to pray that this all goes by quickly and smoothly. Pray for Jimmy and all the emotions he is experiencing. Pray that God provides what we need for us to bring Jimmy home.
Rob and I have talked about adoption throughout our marriage. To be honest, we never discussed it seriously because we could have biological children so there seemed to be no need. We moved to Ada in December of 2007. This was about the time I thought we should be having number three. During this time, we were in a big transition time. Rob had changed careers, we were trying to sell our house in Colorado. We were so unsettled. I had no idea why God had sent us to Ada and was wrestling to find my place here. So, I resigned myself to having two children and building our life here. Really I was happy with not having any more children. The older they got, the easier they got. I surely did not know what God had in store for our future. We met the Dennis and Coleman families shortly after moving here. They both have internationally adopted children. Ryan is from Haiti and Rosie, Rachel, & Lawrence are from Uganda. I know God placed us in Ada to meet them.
Fast forward to Spring 2010, Haiti was trying to recover from the horrible earthquake in January. Rob mentioned he wanted to go. I said Okay, Go. So, he plans to go on a trip in the fall. In the meantime, Rob begins to bring up the subject of adoption. As soon as he said it aloud, I was on board. It was totally out of my character but somehow it felt right to me. As his trip got closer, he wanted me to go. I was very uneasy to leave Rylan and Kyndal while we both left the country. However, I somehow knew I needed to go. We made plans for me to go. We continued to discuss adopting. We were both very excited by the time we went in October. We told a few friends, some family, and the kids before we left. We agreed that we would just be open to what God wanted us to do.
When we arrived in Haiti, it felt right. Now, I am not a rough it kind of girl; I like air conditioning, hot showers, familiarity. So, this came as a shock to me. How could I be okay here? I knew it was God. We arrived at the orphanage and saw all these beautiful, sweet kids. We spent the next four days loving on them and learning about them as we organized their files. The first night we were there, I played Jinga with a boy whose smile beamed. That boy was Jimmy. I was so drawn to him. Now, Jimmy is not one of the kids who is glued to you the minute you walk in the place. He hangs back a little and does his thing. I continued to notice him the rest of the time. We watched him play soccer, visited with him a little, and I prayed about him. I mentioned to Rob that I felt a connection with him. Rob was not so sure about a 12 year old. On the trip home, we talked about him more. Over the weeks ahead, we prayed and prayed about the child we would add to our family. We knew God would give us an answer, but we didn't want it to be about us and what WE wanted. We went back and forth about what was "right". Rob went back to Haiti in January and that is when we knew that God wanted us to bring Jimmy home. We started the adoption process within a week.
I guess the answer to Why Haiti? Why Jimmy? is BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT GOD CHOSE FOR US. That is the only way to explain it. No matter what I thought going in or what I thought I wanted, this is what is right and good. Jimmy has already filled a place in my heart that I didn't even know was there. I love him more and more every day. It is so hard to have him so far away and not be able to mother him like I do Rylan and Kyndal. I ask that you continue to pray that this all goes by quickly and smoothly. Pray for Jimmy and all the emotions he is experiencing. Pray that God provides what we need for us to bring Jimmy home.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Process Progress
I am mailing off our packet for the home study tomorrow. They hope to come to the house in March. I will begin the dossier (a dossier is the complete packet for forms and letters we need to send to Haiti) prep tomorrow as well. Things are moving along and we are focused. The hard part will be when our part is over and we must wait on other people.
Fundraising continues also. I am baking pies and selling them. I have sold nine chocolate pies so far. If you live close and would like a pie, just let me know. I can make just about any kind. We are working on a fundraiser event so look for information on that soon. If you feel that God is leading you to help us with the fundraising you can donate through the Paypal button on the left side of the blog or donate to us directly. We appreciate all of your generosity.
Last but not least, a Jimmy update. We skyped with him last night. He was a little more talkative. We got answers besides oui. He is working on his English and said hello to us last night. I think he knows more than he is letting on but I would be the same way if he wanted me to speak in creole. He thought Kyndal was funny making silly faces in the camera. He is also looking forward to being on a soccer team. I continue to write daily and he responds frequently. I cherish those emails and read them over and over. I am so thankful for Hunter and Jillian. It makes it so much easier knowing that he is being loved and cared for. They are available to him when he needs someone. That puts my mind and heart at ease. Please pray for them as they care for the sixty children who need them so much.
Fundraising continues also. I am baking pies and selling them. I have sold nine chocolate pies so far. If you live close and would like a pie, just let me know. I can make just about any kind. We are working on a fundraiser event so look for information on that soon. If you feel that God is leading you to help us with the fundraising you can donate through the Paypal button on the left side of the blog or donate to us directly. We appreciate all of your generosity.
Last but not least, a Jimmy update. We skyped with him last night. He was a little more talkative. We got answers besides oui. He is working on his English and said hello to us last night. I think he knows more than he is letting on but I would be the same way if he wanted me to speak in creole. He thought Kyndal was funny making silly faces in the camera. He is also looking forward to being on a soccer team. I continue to write daily and he responds frequently. I cherish those emails and read them over and over. I am so thankful for Hunter and Jillian. It makes it so much easier knowing that he is being loved and cared for. They are available to him when he needs someone. That puts my mind and heart at ease. Please pray for them as they care for the sixty children who need them so much.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
M-O-M
For the past week, I have debated about how to refer to myself and Rob in our emails to Jimmy. Do I call us mom and dad or Amy and Rob? I didn't want to be pushy and make him feel uncomfortable, but I didn't want to be too reserved and for him to think I didn't want him to call us mom and dad. It is a little thing that really means so much. I mean who didn't fall in love with their children all over again when they first said momma or dada. I even discussed the subject with my mom and my friend, Jami. I prayed that God would show the right time. Well, boy did He show me quickly. I got an email today with the greeting "Hey, Mom". Hunter said he asked Jimmy how he wanted to address me. Hunter said he really liked the idea of calling me "mom". Mom! I love it.
It is also one more instance that I know God is working with everyone in this. He knows when all of these milestones need to happen. He is listening and guiding us all along the way.
It is also one more instance that I know God is working with everyone in this. He knows when all of these milestones need to happen. He is listening and guiding us all along the way.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Mmmmmmm pie
Sold my first fundraiser pie today. Thank you Pam for helping us bring Jimmy home. I have five more orders for Monday. Chocolate pies just got so much sweeter.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
We've got mail!
I write Jimmy an email every day. Hunter and Jillian are kind enough to make sure he gets them. I basically tell him about our day and what is going on in our house. Today I asked a few questions. When I opened up my inbox this afternoon, I was thrilled to see he had written back today. It is so good to hear his heart. Even if it was just his favorite foods or favorite colors, it is from him. I am getting to know my son. As Rylan and Kyndal grew, I watch them develop their likes/dislikes, humor, etc. With Jimmy, I am learning it all so much differently. I am so anxious to know everything, but I want him to feel comfortable. The language barrier is whole different obstacle, but I know he is working really hard. I pray every day to know more about him and for him to get to know more about us. Please pray we can continue to move forward.
Yesterday, Kyndal and Rylan got up in front of their classes and talked about their new brother. They both took his picture and shared it with their friends. Kyndal's teacher said Kyndal told the kids that we were adopting Jimmy. When Mrs. Brady asked her what that meant, Kyndal answered "it means they are going to let him live with us forever." Exactly baby girl. I told Jimmy that they were excited to tell their friends about their brother. He ended his letter with "I love you and my brother and my sister too." Warms my heart so much.
Please dear God let this happen as quickly as possible so our family can be united. Amen.
Yesterday, Kyndal and Rylan got up in front of their classes and talked about their new brother. They both took his picture and shared it with their friends. Kyndal's teacher said Kyndal told the kids that we were adopting Jimmy. When Mrs. Brady asked her what that meant, Kyndal answered "it means they are going to let him live with us forever." Exactly baby girl. I told Jimmy that they were excited to tell their friends about their brother. He ended his letter with "I love you and my brother and my sister too." Warms my heart so much.
Please dear God let this happen as quickly as possible so our family can be united. Amen.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Inquirying Minds
Some of you have asked questions about the adoption, Jimmy's background, etc. I will try to answer a few of those questions.
Here is what we know about Jimmy. He was born to a young, single mother. When he was almost six, his mother passed away. We do not know what the cause was. He came to CHCH sometime after that, not sure of the exact date. He has been living there ever since.
The adoption will cost between $15,000 and $20,000. We hope to raise money by doing fundraisers, working extra jobs, selling some homemade things, garage sales, and donations.
The process takes a while. For those of you who have been to Haiti, you know that things don't exactly work on a time table. So, it is very hard to give an exact time frame. Chances for Children gave us an approximation of 12-18 months. We are hopeful in that wait time but realistically it could be much longer. In Jimmy's words, "we are praying the long time goes quickly."
Thank you all for your encouraging words and prayers. We are following God's path and know He will show the way. We just pray for our hearts to remain open and our minds focused.
Here is what we know about Jimmy. He was born to a young, single mother. When he was almost six, his mother passed away. We do not know what the cause was. He came to CHCH sometime after that, not sure of the exact date. He has been living there ever since.
The adoption will cost between $15,000 and $20,000. We hope to raise money by doing fundraisers, working extra jobs, selling some homemade things, garage sales, and donations.
The process takes a while. For those of you who have been to Haiti, you know that things don't exactly work on a time table. So, it is very hard to give an exact time frame. Chances for Children gave us an approximation of 12-18 months. We are hopeful in that wait time but realistically it could be much longer. In Jimmy's words, "we are praying the long time goes quickly."
Thank you all for your encouraging words and prayers. We are following God's path and know He will show the way. We just pray for our hearts to remain open and our minds focused.
Paperwork, Paperwork
Well, the mountain of paperwork has begun to rise. We received our home study packet over the weekend, and we have been working on it for the past three days. We have everything done except our autobiographies. Wow, what an undertaking that is. We hope to have those finished by the end of the week. Then, we just need to come up with the money to submit with it. Please be praying for all the financial hurdles to be cleared so the process will go as quickly as possible.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sinking In
Well, the news has been sinking in for Jimmy. Jillian says he has been studying the english/creole dictionary for hours. He is very excited. Hunter told him about grocery stores and he was amazed. He also saw Jillian using the washing machine and was flabbergasted. She said he could not get over it. So, he is super pumped that we have A WASHING MACHINE. Yay! Cannot wait for him to get here so we can discover new things together.
I have been emailing him every day. I hope I am not driving Jillian and Hunter crazy. I just want him to know we are thinking of him daily and get to know what our family does on a daily basis. He wants to skype asap and doesn't want to just write. We are working on getting skype at home so we don't have to go somewhere to do it. The plan is to talk tomorrow night. Can't wait!
I am a little overwhelmed this week. Kyndal has been sick for the past four days, valentines day, taxes, adoption paperwork, it seems to pile up. Please pray I can get everything done quickly and efficiently. Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement. It is so nice to know people are on this journey with us.
I have been emailing him every day. I hope I am not driving Jillian and Hunter crazy. I just want him to know we are thinking of him daily and get to know what our family does on a daily basis. He wants to skype asap and doesn't want to just write. We are working on getting skype at home so we don't have to go somewhere to do it. The plan is to talk tomorrow night. Can't wait!
I am a little overwhelmed this week. Kyndal has been sick for the past four days, valentines day, taxes, adoption paperwork, it seems to pile up. Please pray I can get everything done quickly and efficiently. Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement. It is so nice to know people are on this journey with us.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
A Celebration
Well, not much sleep last night for me. Between the adrenaline and a sick Kyndal, I feel like I never went to sleep. But that is okay because we got an email from Jimmy this morning that will get me through the day.
Hello. How are you? I pray for you. I pray to God for me to come to you soon. I am happy to dream because I hope I can see Duchaine and Ryan. Thank you a lot for this hope. I want the long time to go quickly. I thank God for this. It is a celebration.
Love, Jimmy
Hello. How are you? I pray for you. I pray to God for me to come to you soon. I am happy to dream because I hope I can see Duchaine and Ryan. Thank you a lot for this hope. I want the long time to go quickly. I thank God for this. It is a celebration.
Love, Jimmy
Friday, February 11, 2011
Modern technology is awesome.
We got to skype with Jimmy tonight. Unfortunately he could not see us but he could hear us. We could see him. Hunter and Jillian along with Gerome were there to help him. Gerome was nice enough to translate for us so he could understand everything and vice versa. Rob did most of the talking. I was too nervous and emotional. Rob told him we have been praying about him since we met him and would like to bring him home to Oklahoma to be part of our family. Would he like that? He was smiling and said YES. He was pretty quiet. He was just trying to process. We talked to him a little more about studying his English etc. We told him we would email and skype often. Kyndal wanted to tell him hello. So Rob told him his sister Kyndal wanted to talk to him. Kyndal announced "hi Jimmy". Then Rylan tried out his creole. "kouman ou ye Jimmy?". How are you Jimmy? We said goodbye and asked Hunter and Jillian to visit with him and let us know how it goes. After we got done, we sat down and made a short video for him since he couldn't see us before. Kyndal told him she would make him a valentine.
Here is what Jillian said in an email later: Hunter, Gerome, and I spoke with him for a few minutes after we got off Skype. I think more than anything he was in a state of shock. As Gerome put it, his mind was not in the room. He kept saying that you all gave him really happy news, but he just couldn't think of anything to say or any questions. I think it was just a lot to process.
Hunter talked to him some about Ada and how he would be close to Duchaine and Ryan. He told Jimmy that in America, he will be the best player on his soccer team if he wants to play. This made him smile. We talked about school and how he can come study English with us everyday. We also told him that he can ask us any question at any time about the adoption process, America, school, or really what ever is on his mind. We also said that we were going to leave it up to him to tell his friends here. I don't know when he will do this.
After a while of talking (mainly us talking and him just in a daze) we asked him if he wanted to stay with us for a while or head back down stairs with his friends. He said he wanted to go. When we left the house he went off by himself for a little while. I watched closely to make sure he was OK and I did see him crying some. I think the news was just overwhelming and he didn't want to show that to us.
We could tell he was really happy though. In a matter of a few minutes, he just found out his whole life is changing...so I think that is why he didn't know what to say. I am sure we will be filled with many questions and such from him in the days to come...once he has had time to process what just happened.
We will show him the video in the morning. He also wants to email you so be looking for that. He said he wanted to sleep tonight and think of what he wants to say to you both.
It all feels so much more real now that he knows. I just can't wait to go visit him and to hug him and get to know him better. Prayers for him are so appreciated. His life is being turned upside down even if it is in a good way, it will be a huge adjustment.
I going to bed now and try to sleep but I am sure my dreams will be filled with thoughts of our newest family member.
Here is what Jillian said in an email later: Hunter, Gerome, and I spoke with him for a few minutes after we got off Skype. I think more than anything he was in a state of shock. As Gerome put it, his mind was not in the room. He kept saying that you all gave him really happy news, but he just couldn't think of anything to say or any questions. I think it was just a lot to process.
Hunter talked to him some about Ada and how he would be close to Duchaine and Ryan. He told Jimmy that in America, he will be the best player on his soccer team if he wants to play. This made him smile. We talked about school and how he can come study English with us everyday. We also told him that he can ask us any question at any time about the adoption process, America, school, or really what ever is on his mind. We also said that we were going to leave it up to him to tell his friends here. I don't know when he will do this.
After a while of talking (mainly us talking and him just in a daze) we asked him if he wanted to stay with us for a while or head back down stairs with his friends. He said he wanted to go. When we left the house he went off by himself for a little while. I watched closely to make sure he was OK and I did see him crying some. I think the news was just overwhelming and he didn't want to show that to us.
We could tell he was really happy though. In a matter of a few minutes, he just found out his whole life is changing...so I think that is why he didn't know what to say. I am sure we will be filled with many questions and such from him in the days to come...once he has had time to process what just happened.
We will show him the video in the morning. He also wants to email you so be looking for that. He said he wanted to sleep tonight and think of what he wants to say to you both.
It all feels so much more real now that he knows. I just can't wait to go visit him and to hug him and get to know him better. Prayers for him are so appreciated. His life is being turned upside down even if it is in a good way, it will be a huge adjustment.
I going to bed now and try to sleep but I am sure my dreams will be filled with thoughts of our newest family member.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Process begins
We sent our application to the agency today. So the next step we need to take is our home study. With these applications, come big fees. We are doing a lot of brainstorming how to build up our adoption fund. The thing that keeps popping into my head is to use what I do best. Well cooking, baking, cleaning, basically most things domestic is what I do best. So I am going to use those talents to bring Jimmy home.
I am having an ongoing Made to order Bake Sale. If you need pies, cookies, desserts, etc., I am your girl. Just shoot me a message or give me a call. I will be happy to discuss your order.
I also have space for more house in my cleaning schedule. If you or someone you know needs their houses cleaned on a regular basis or just once, let me know.
One last thing...continue to pray for us as we maneuver through this process. The journey is littered with this, thats, what ifs and we'll sees. I can begin to feel overwhelmed very quickly. Please pray we keep our eyes focused on the goal of bringing Jimmy home and our feet on the path God is preparing.
I am having an ongoing Made to order Bake Sale. If you need pies, cookies, desserts, etc., I am your girl. Just shoot me a message or give me a call. I will be happy to discuss your order.
I also have space for more house in my cleaning schedule. If you or someone you know needs their houses cleaned on a regular basis or just once, let me know.
One last thing...continue to pray for us as we maneuver through this process. The journey is littered with this, thats, what ifs and we'll sees. I can begin to feel overwhelmed very quickly. Please pray we keep our eyes focused on the goal of bringing Jimmy home and our feet on the path God is preparing.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Our Son, Jimmy
Rob and I have discussed adoption throughout our marriage; however, it became a real calling for us this past summer. When Rob and I traveled to Haiti, we knew that we would become parents to one of the amazing children at the orphanage. With much thought and prayer, Rob and I agreed Jimmy was the child that God had selected for us.
We met Jimmy at the Cap Haitien Children's Home. The first time I saw his warm smile, he captured my heart. We played Jinga together our first night there. He was such a sweet boy. Jimmy is thirteen and loves soccer. We know he is going to be a perfect fit into our family.
We request your prayers as we go through the adoption process. Haiti is not an easy country to adopt from and the expense of adoption can be overwhelming. Please pray for Jimmy as he travels to Port au Prince to begin his part of this process. Please pray for our children as we prepare them to welcome an older brother. Please pray for Rob and me as we prepare to parent a teenager. We know God is guiding us and that He will bless the journey we have embarked upon.
I will continue to update the blog as things progress.
We met Jimmy at the Cap Haitien Children's Home. The first time I saw his warm smile, he captured my heart. We played Jinga together our first night there. He was such a sweet boy. Jimmy is thirteen and loves soccer. We know he is going to be a perfect fit into our family.
I will continue to update the blog as things progress.
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