We are in His hands

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Why is it so hard to remember that we are always in His hands, no matter the circumstances? With Christmas fast approaching, having truly hoped to have the children home this month, so many dreams have been put on hold. We did not decorate the house at all...in fact, we haven't since beginning this adoption journey. I remember putting the Christmas things away in 2008 hoping to decorate the next time for our own children. And we wait...

God is working for our good in all of our circumstances. He always loves, always protects, always guides and always provides. He is always faithful and we can trust His master plan, but the Bible also says, in Romans 8:26 & 27...
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

This song is my Christmas gift to you...He has His hands on YOU!
(Not sure if the link is working...song is on You Tube ...Marvin Sapp He has His Hands on You)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIIwO53wsfw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Packing the Box

Today was Honduras box packing day....and, let me tell you...We know how to pack!!! The problem is, there is never enough room in one box to meet the need. Sometimes we send two boxes, but not this time. It costs $265.00 to send each box. The weight....about 500 lbs!!! This time, I spent weeks organizing what I had, just in case we ran out of space. Every shoe was filled...with toys, socks, underwear, toothbrushes, pens, pencils, crayons! Microwave popcorn bags fit nicely on the sides of the box. Little boy's t shirts make good filler between shoes. Most everything gets removed from it's packaging...so I cut the pictures off the boxes and slide those down the sides of the box, too! Doesn't every parent know that the box is the best part of the toy!!! We sent a Spanish speaking Buzz Lightyear!!! I kept begging mi corazon, Reyes to pack him, knowing that he had a awkward shape, not at all conducive to our box! Buzz got top of the box billing!!!

The worst part is seeing that big pile of left overs...lots of shoes, sandals and flip flops; Bibles, books and toys; shampoo, soap and vitamins; canned food, peanut butter and Nutella; towels, blankets and sheets; socks, underwear and bras; soccer balls, flashlights and batteries! Were we fair? Did we put the most needed things in the box? Does everyone have a new pair of shoes? Did we get the sizes right? Should we send another box?

Reyes proceeded to pack the leftovers in our suitcases, so we are ready for our call!!! And, if we don't get a call...well, we are planning our Spring Break 2012 trip regardless...woohoo! Thank you to our many friends, colleagues, neighbors, church and bio family members who so graciously provide donations for our boxes!!!

Gracias y Dios te bendiga siempre!!!

Kristin and Reyes and our friends and family in Honduras!!!

Be still...

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him...Psalms 37:7

"Any news on the adoption?" This is a question I hear several times a day and one for which I don't always have a quick and easy answer. How do you explain IHNFA? How do you explain an indefinite strike? Do I even have an answer? Do I really know anything? (The adoption is on hold...the kids are safe and in God's hands) How do you answer without bursting into tears? I never feel prepared! Many of my Honduran friends often say, "Si Dios quiere!" (If it's God's will) about everything and it is a phrase I have had to embrace, but I admit I have had resistance when I hear it.

Does that phrase, "Si Dios quiere" mean the timing isn't right at this moment....well, it is easier for me to understand a strike or a coup or an earthquake or even holiday shutdowns vs. mundane delays like being out of ink or someone not showing up for a document signing day after day after day, like happened with two families in October. What happens now? We wait....just like the coup...just like the earthquake...and the other delays. I am supposed to be learning something through this...and patience is a great reward, to be sure! And the fruit of the Spirit is...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control!

My new short and sweet response, "Please pray for us!"

DVD'S EN ESPANOL

I am not a movie person! Our DVD player gets used 1-2 times a year. We don't have Net Flicks or Hulu or movie channels or streaming movies (or any game systems) and I have been to fewer than 5 movies at the theater in the past 11 yrs and 3 were G rated movies in Spanish with the kids in Honduras!!! I enjoy reality tv (Cake Boss, The Little Couple, The Duggar's, Forensic Files and national news), while Mi Corazon, Reyes watches old movies en espanol on Pelicula and Cine Latino. Our TV went out in October and we agreed to wait and shop for a new TV on Black Friday (SUCCESS...after 3.5 hours waiting in line for a 4 AM opening, we got a good reasonable TV and saved $200).

Well, it is time to ship our Christmas box (we most likely will not be going to Honduras for Christmas, due to the chaos at IHNFA). Mami Domi told us that the kid's tv went out this week, so we decided to also send a small tv with a built in DVD player and DVD'S in the box. Shopping for good children's movies is hard enough, but finding them in Spanish is even harder. I bought Bambi and Rudolph, which have Spanish audio and then I found several Veggie Tales with Spanish subtitles for $5/each. The remaining 10 or so were also $3-5 and have Spanish audio...they were all rated G but I had not heard of most of them. I hope they are pretty good!

Our Angel, Mariana!

Mariana is an angel who has been a Godsend to our family! Mariana is my mother-in-law's neighbor and she is a doctor in a large hospital in San Pedro Sula. She also works on weekends in the mountains and her work is so incredible! She is such an inspiration to us! She loves our family and she calls my mother-in-law, Mami Domi (her full name is Domitila). When Mami Domi is sick, Mariana is right there to help her get medicine, cook for her, etc. When we need Honduran documents for our adoption, Mariana gets them for us. When I wanted tutoring for our little one with learning disabilities, Mariana provided it. Mariana communicates directly with our Honduran attorney and hand delivers documents to her in Tegucigalpa. When the biological parents had to travel to Tegucigalpa (a city that they have never been to and farther from home than they had ever been), Mariana went with them as a chaperone and guide.

Mariana, at Starbucks, with a banana from Honduras

So, when her daughter was getting married in Texas, we made sure no obstacle got in her way of attending. Because of her noble work and long tenure at the hospital where she works, Mariana was granted a 10 year U.S. Visa, virtually unheard of for a first time Visa. She received the Visa exactly one week before the wedding, so needless to say, it was a bit chaotic arranging everything for her trip! It was her first time to fly and she was very nervous. We told her, "Don't bring anything!!! Don't worry about what you can carry on the airplane or what you can have in your luggage. We will have everything you need here!". She flew into San Antonio on September 29, 2011. Wow! Those first experiences, through her eyes, were amazing!!! Her flight was 4.5 hours delayed, so our plans for a very nice dinner were scrapped and we ended up at IHOP! She loved the lights, the highways, the neighborhoods, the dishwasher, the yards, the inside designer dog and she loved Jennifer's Select Comfort bed, where she slept!

The next day, God worked an amazing miracle!!!! I work for a hospital system and I wanted to introduce Mariana to my colleagues. When I introduced her to my bosses, they began sharing their experiences of visiting hospitals in Mexico and the difficult conditions that they observed. Mariana confirmed that these were the conditions under which they work in Honduras. Then the miracle happened, they started looking around and making phone calls and within minutes had located medical supplies, marked for donation or disposal, that will benefit literally thousands of Honduran patients!!! Many tears were shed and "Gracias" and hugs all around!!!

Mariana and Reyes at the wedding

The wedding was awesome and Mi Corazon, Reyes AND Mami Mariana walked the bride down the aisle. What a beautiful sight!!!

Resolution

IHNFA is on strike! What does that mean? Well, the Honduran federal agency which handles international adoptions is on strike because their workers have not been paid in 3 months. This effects our adoption process in that everything is at a standstill until IHNFA resolves their grievances. This effects our lives in that we continue to live in limbo...we missed our annual church couple's retreat because we thought we might need to be in Honduras; we are unable to plan for the holidays because we might need to be in Honduras; Mi Corazon, Reyes, continues working, without a break, to save his vacation for the adoption process; however, he must use his vacation before January or he loses it; our finances are monitored very closely in preparation for the call to come to Honduras; we had to be re-fingerprinted by immigration because our fingerprints expired this month; we have to complete an addendum to our home study and request an extension from immigration because our original visa pre-approval (I-171H/I-600 A) expires in February 2012. But most devastating is that we have not planned a desperately needed trip to visit our family in Honduras, because we were expecting to be called to Honduras for the adoption process and could not afford the extra expense and/or be away from our jobs for an extra trip.

So, we finally had THE TALK! What are we going to do about this situation---the IHNFA strike which could last “indefinitely,” per latest news reports? Well, we are going to do what we did last year!!! I am going back to Honduras for SPRING BREAK again in 2012, but this time....GUESS who is going with me??? MI CORAZON, REYES!!!!!

Since starting the adoption process in January 2009, we have not traveled together to Honduras. This meant spending holidays apart and we even spent our 10 year wedding anniversary apart! Not this trip...we are going to plan a wonderful vacation and we are going to have a great time! We deserve it...We ALL deserve it! So, kids...we are coming to see you...and we have a date that you can mark on the calendar. I read a quote today related to adoption expenses, “Plan for the high costs and hope for low ones!” (Laura-a mommy who adopted from Honduras last year)...Well, Laura, I am taking your great advise and applying it to our current situation “Plan for Spring Break and hope for sooner!”

Learn from the past, work for the present and plan for the future! The Bible says; “Those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.” Proverbs 14:22

Gratitude

Tonight I sorted through 6 large bags of clothing for Honduras.  My sister-in-law has been giving me their clothes for years and it is time to send another box.  We have sent close to 50 boxes since I met Mi Corazon, Reyes, and it is always a joyous event collecting clothing, shoes, toys and other items to send down to our family and many others.  The contents have changed slightly but remain mostly the same...the bare necessities (toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, deodorant, vitamins, socks, shoes, underwear, towels, etc.) and a few treats!  We don't always know what will be a "hit"...one box it was a talking parrot that was donated from a garage sale and made it into the box at the very last minute.  Other "hits" have been crayons and coloring books, bubbles, tootsie rolls, legos, Waf fel les (Waffles), Nutella, Nesquik, anything Barbie, anything Disney Princess, anything Superman, anything Spiderman, anything FUTBOL (Soccer), peanut butter and jelly, chicle (chewing gum), a glow in the dark ball, slinkies, beads to make jewelry, Spanish Popeye DVDs,  Christmas lights, Bible Story Book (en Espanol) and so much more!!!  The children love all of it and play together, quietly, for hours.  I was more than amazed when they sat and colored for 4 hours the first time they used crayons.  Art projects are their favorites!

Group Lego Project

Coloring together!

Hasta Cielo y Mas

 Jefferson, Cristofer & Jennifer

It is much easier for me to speak Spanish with adults and face to face is the best way for me to communicate with Spanish speakers.  Phone connections are often terrible between Honduras and the US (especially when it rains) and our children sometimes have a hard time talking to us over the phone.  One of my favorite things to hear them say is Te Quiero Mucho...(I love you very much)...Hasta Cielo (up to heaven) y mas (and more)!!!  This was one of the first things I learned to say to Mi Corazon (Reyes)...Te Amo Hasta Cielo!  We love our children...no matter how long it takes to bring them to the United States...and God has His hand on them, wherever they are!

 Jennifer's Corazoncito

(little heart)

Our children are fluent and literate in Spanish, which I am very grateful for and I believe this will be very advantageous for their futures.  They are also excited to start learning English.  Last week, Jennifer told me that they are practicing with bilingual books and flashcards that we have sent them.  Jennifer can say and spell/read; Moon, Apple, Dog and Cat, but she says Cristofer knows every card in the Plaza Sesame (Sesame Street) deck of flashcards!  I wish it were easier to practice.  I am actually looking forward to the 4-6 weeks of alone time we will have in Honduras at the end of the adoption process.  What a luxury---after years of working overtime to pay for the adoption, we are ready for a long vacation of family time!!!

My nephew, Brandon, is in a computer class this year in his sophomore year in high school.  They are learning to build computers from scratch and I commissioned him for two computers, one in English and one in Spanish.  The Spanish computer will be sent to Honduras for us to network and figure out how to use Skype for communicating with Mami Domi (abuelita---grandma).  This is going to be VERY interesting!!!

I am glad that I have started this blog, but in some ways, it makes me so very sad!  It is not much different than those tearful goodbyes at the airport when we have to leave the kids behind as we return home to Texas...but the Bible says; "Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5   This is a promise that I hold onto tightly...as do our children!

Sad faces at the Airport

Cristofer at the Airport

11 years, Mi Corazon!

Mi Corazon, Reyes y Osito!

I fell in love 11 years ago today...11/11/00! Little did I know how much my world would change. Mi Corazon (Reyes) had recently immigrated from Honduras and spoke no English. I spoke no Spanish. We had friends translate for us and on our first date, we used dictionaries. The waitress laughed at us! But, we made it...I bought the book, Spanish for Dummies, and quickly overcame any trepidation when it came to using my "caveman" Spanish as my friend, Luz called it. We were in love! Everyone knew it! And, everyone supported us! We were married on March 20, 2001.

Fast forward...we were unable to have children, which made us very sad. However, God had an amazing plan laid out for us and we began our adoption journey in January 2009. We were visiting my mother-in-law near San Pedro Sula, Honduras and we intended to meet with Honduran attorneys, visit orphanages and learn the ropes. What we learned was very discouraging, to say the least! My mother-in-law had physical custody of her three, young grandchildren. Her health was in decline and she suggested we try to adopt our 7 year old twin niece and nephew and their 5 year old little brother.

Through many storms we have travelled these past several years! Our adoption journey has seen massive earthquakes, flooding/hurricanes, an inexperienced lawyer, massive bureaucracy, a change in attorneys, court delays, a coup, a messy election, paperwork snafus, several strikes and many other challenges. But, we fight on...inspired by those who have successfully made it through and the hope of one day being together as a family! We dream and we pray and we invite you to join us... Bienvenidos a nuestra jornada!!!!