Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
Francis Chan
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
I want to hold your hand....
These hands--
And these---
Can't wait to be able to hold these hands and love these two sweeties! The days are flying, but it still seems like it is a long time until we will get to meet our girls. S, our 5 year old, will turn 6 in a month--how we would love to celebrate with her! All in God's timing.
On other "hand" news, Jenny, Bill and I had our hands held for fingerprinting for our I-800A. Yeah! Last week we got a letter with a date to come in on it, but we would have had a hard time for Bill and Jenny to get off work so we decided to walk in on Friday. Thankfully they took us! After 20 minutes, we were done. Now we pray that the officer assigned gets our paperwork approved quickly.
An I-800A is the US Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) form used to initiate the adoption process for Hague countries. It usually takes 2-3 months for this to be processed. You send your application, along with your home study, birth and marriage certificates and a big check and then get a fingerprinting (biometric) date. We sent our application on 11/20. So thankful to be where we are and praying that we will get approval quickly! Once we get that, we have it notarized and apostilled and add it to our dossier. Then our dossier is ready to submit to the girls' country. Can't wait!
Every day is a day closer......
And these---
Can't wait to be able to hold these hands and love these two sweeties! The days are flying, but it still seems like it is a long time until we will get to meet our girls. S, our 5 year old, will turn 6 in a month--how we would love to celebrate with her! All in God's timing.
On other "hand" news, Jenny, Bill and I had our hands held for fingerprinting for our I-800A. Yeah! Last week we got a letter with a date to come in on it, but we would have had a hard time for Bill and Jenny to get off work so we decided to walk in on Friday. Thankfully they took us! After 20 minutes, we were done. Now we pray that the officer assigned gets our paperwork approved quickly.
An I-800A is the US Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) form used to initiate the adoption process for Hague countries. It usually takes 2-3 months for this to be processed. You send your application, along with your home study, birth and marriage certificates and a big check and then get a fingerprinting (biometric) date. We sent our application on 11/20. So thankful to be where we are and praying that we will get approval quickly! Once we get that, we have it notarized and apostilled and add it to our dossier. Then our dossier is ready to submit to the girls' country. Can't wait!
Every day is a day closer......
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Did you know...
While preparing for the benefit concert, I was pulling together some statistics and wanted to share here. Sometimes numbers can be so hard to comprehend---they are out of our realm of understanding the magnitude. But each number below is a child---someone with a name and a story of their own, many times with much pain that is no fault of their own but often based on where and when they were born. Only by God's grace was I born in a country where my parents could provide for us and give us medical care and an education. Only by His grace are we able to do the same for our children, never having to decide which child gets which meal (something the moms in Mekele, Ethiopia do daily), never having to wonder how to get medication for my children (other than which cupboard it is in), and never having to decide whether or not to turn my child into an orphanage because I know if I wouldn't they wouldn't survive. When Jenny and I were in Ethiopia, we found out this is the reality for many of the moms/families there. Thank You God for that opportunity and for opening my eyes to the need in the world. Help me to always see ways You have for us to help others and also appreciate Your many blessings, the majority of which we take for granted.
As you read these statistics, try to think of the number as real children---here are pictures of some of the beautiful kids we met in Ethiopia--all who may fit into one of these "numbers" below---
.JPG)
.JPG)
Every day, 5,670 children become orphans. That is 236 per hour. Almost 4 a minute.
Depending on what you read, the estimates of orphans in the world are 147-162 million children. 147,000,000 to 162,000,000 children. Half the population of our country. Each child with a story---each child desiring a family.
If the numbers of orphans were a country, orphans would be the 8th largest in the world!
95% of the world's orphans are over 5. How many of these kids are overlooked because they aren't young!
In eastern Europe, less than 50% of the orphan population will live to see their 20th birthday. In eastern Europe, of the orphans that survive their 20th birthday, 50% will end up in organized crime, drugs, or prostitution.
To look at these statistics in a different way, think of what you did in the last hour.
In the past hour---
1,667 children under the age of five died of malnutrition and vaccine-preventable diseases
1,625 children were forced to live on the streets by the death or abuse of an adult
600 children died of starvation
257 children were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS
115 children became victims of sex trafficking
Each of these children, fearfully and wonderfully made. Each made in the image of God. Each treasured by Him.
As you read these statistics, try to think of the number as real children---here are pictures of some of the beautiful kids we met in Ethiopia--all who may fit into one of these "numbers" below---
.JPG)
.JPG)
Every day, 5,670 children become orphans. That is 236 per hour. Almost 4 a minute.
Depending on what you read, the estimates of orphans in the world are 147-162 million children. 147,000,000 to 162,000,000 children. Half the population of our country. Each child with a story---each child desiring a family.
If the numbers of orphans were a country, orphans would be the 8th largest in the world!
95% of the world's orphans are over 5. How many of these kids are overlooked because they aren't young!
In eastern Europe, less than 50% of the orphan population will live to see their 20th birthday. In eastern Europe, of the orphans that survive their 20th birthday, 50% will end up in organized crime, drugs, or prostitution.
To look at these statistics in a different way, think of what you did in the last hour.
In the past hour---
1,667 children under the age of five died of malnutrition and vaccine-preventable diseases
1,625 children were forced to live on the streets by the death or abuse of an adult
600 children died of starvation
257 children were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS
115 children became victims of sex trafficking
Each of these children, fearfully and wonderfully made. Each made in the image of God. Each treasured by Him.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
We are all beginning to prepare.....
As we as a family begin to think about bringing our girls home, we are all thinking about ways to incorporate them into our lives. We had about an inch of snow on Friday, and Nate and Ellie made snow angels. They both said they can't wait to play outside in the snow with their sisters.
At the benefit concert, two of Jenny's friends were selling hats and scarves they make to help orphans. They have helped fund many adoptions, including donating half of their earnings on the night of the concert to our family! Thank you Sarah and Rachel! They are two amazing young gals---they help adoptive families in so many ways, from traveling to babysit to advocating for so many of "the least of these". We are blessed to know both of you!
Jenny bought two darling hats for her new sisters---
If you are interested in looking at other items they have for sale, take a look here-- a great place to shop for Christmas! http://handiworkforelijah.weebly.com/
At the benefit concert, two of Jenny's friends were selling hats and scarves they make to help orphans. They have helped fund many adoptions, including donating half of their earnings on the night of the concert to our family! Thank you Sarah and Rachel! They are two amazing young gals---they help adoptive families in so many ways, from traveling to babysit to advocating for so many of "the least of these". We are blessed to know both of you!
Jenny bought two darling hats for her new sisters---
If you are interested in looking at other items they have for sale, take a look here-- a great place to shop for Christmas! http://handiworkforelijah.weebly.com/
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
The paperwork is on its way---
Yesterday we fedexed our dossier documents! What a great feeling to send this package out, one huge step closer to bringing the girls home!
The dossier is a group of documents that the girls' birth country require. Each of these documents need to be notarized and the notarized documents all need to be apostilled (which means the notary signature is checked to see if it is legitimate). The documents include things like our home study, medical reports for all of us in the family, birth certificates for all, financial information, background checks, etc. ---all things to allow the country to know we are who we say we are.
Our dossier will be sent to the in country facilitator who will begin translating it while we wait for our USCIS fingerprinting. We sent all that paperwork on Monday. The paperwork race is almost over!
Many wonder why international adoption is so expensive---we've learned a big part of it is the cost of verifying who you say you are. There is a cost for the majority of the documents in some way---a cost for sending, pulling info (our county charged $20 per person for background checks). The home study is really a way to give the birth country a overview of who you are---all with a cost. We had to have checks on every county we lived in since we were 18---many had a cost to check. And all this is done for the safety of the adoptive children. We have had people ask why it is so expensive---the stack of paperwork we sent yesterday had a cost to it---all completely worth it! What is the cost of two lives? And we are thankful that the birth countries have requirements for the adoptive families to protect the children.
So thankful to have made the trip to Fedex yesterday!! Praying that all of it will be processed quickly.
The dossier is a group of documents that the girls' birth country require. Each of these documents need to be notarized and the notarized documents all need to be apostilled (which means the notary signature is checked to see if it is legitimate). The documents include things like our home study, medical reports for all of us in the family, birth certificates for all, financial information, background checks, etc. ---all things to allow the country to know we are who we say we are.
Our dossier will be sent to the in country facilitator who will begin translating it while we wait for our USCIS fingerprinting. We sent all that paperwork on Monday. The paperwork race is almost over!
Many wonder why international adoption is so expensive---we've learned a big part of it is the cost of verifying who you say you are. There is a cost for the majority of the documents in some way---a cost for sending, pulling info (our county charged $20 per person for background checks). The home study is really a way to give the birth country a overview of who you are---all with a cost. We had to have checks on every county we lived in since we were 18---many had a cost to check. And all this is done for the safety of the adoptive children. We have had people ask why it is so expensive---the stack of paperwork we sent yesterday had a cost to it---all completely worth it! What is the cost of two lives? And we are thankful that the birth countries have requirements for the adoptive families to protect the children.
So thankful to have made the trip to Fedex yesterday!! Praying that all of it will be processed quickly.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
T-shirts
Joe created these wonderful t-shirts! We were all thrilled at how they turned out!
We are selling them for $15 and have sizes small to XXL.
If you are interested in ordering, please e-mail me at mommaruthies@gmail.com
I love our models:)
We are selling them for $15 and have sizes small to XXL.
If you are interested in ordering, please e-mail me at mommaruthies@gmail.com
I love our models:)
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Bracelets
We are selling beautiful Haitian bracelets to help bring our girls home! The wonderful thing about the bracelets is that they are made by men and women in Haiti and allow these people to provide for their families.
The bracelets are from the Apparent Project. Here is some info from their website--
The bracelets are from the Apparent Project. Here is some info from their website--
The Apparent Project artisans guild uses discarded
materials such as cereal and cracker boxes, oil drums and trash paper to create
beautiful pieces of jewelry,journals, and stylish home decor. While redeeming
the Haitian landscape, these artisans are also bringing new hope to their
families, employing themselves for a brighter future and earning the means to
pay for their children's food, shelter, and education. That means less orphans,
less crime, less garbage, less stress, and a whole lot more beauty.
Our name reflects our passion: We want to see Haitian families stay together. Skill development and employment addresses the needs of families before they are at the point of desperation, driven to give their children to an orphanage because of exteme poverty. After all, the vast majority of Haiti's "orphans" have not been orphaned by parental deaths, earthquakes, hurricanes, or floods, but are children of living parents who gave them up simply because they knew that an orphange could feed their child. Lagging adoptions, overcrowding, and lack of accountability has made many orphanages less than adequate homes for children, who often develop severe emotional problems such as reactive attachment disorder. This is why we think of our artisans' guild as an "un-orphanage." We are finding creative ways for Haitians to be self-employed so that they can take care of their own children with dignity and joy.
They have a wonderful video on their website-- http://www.apparentproject.org/ We love what they are doing to help families stay together!
We are selling the bracelets for $8 each, with half of the money going to help with our adoption and half going to support families in Haiti. We think the bracelets would be a great stocking stuffer or Christmas gift for many of those who are hard to buy for.
And for all the Packer fans out there, look at how you can share your Packer pride!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)