Horses and English Lessons

This morning the boys watched a show on Discovery Kids where a man made horses using newspaper, staples and paint. The basic concept - draw a horse on paper, make sure there are two sheets and then cut it out. Staple the two sheets together but leave an opening. Fill the opening with crumpled paper and then add a piece to the back so the horse can hang on something. Jeison and Johnnatan said they wanted to make the horse. So, Larry took them to the store for supplies. Juan and I stayed behind because it was raining. The boys did everything themselves except for a little help with attaching the back piece for hanging.

We decided to begin English tutoring for the boys. The tutor will come two hours a day. So far it seems to be going well and they are eager to learn. Sometimes situations are more difficult because we cannot understand what they are asking or need to explain something but we do not know the words. So, we have to take out the computer and use a translator online. It is great that Jeison can read because some explanations are long.

So, another day is almost gone and we are thankful that the days seem to pass quickly.

ICBF appointment went well

We arrived at ICBF and they took the children into another room and questioned them. They wanted to know if they were happy and what activities we had been doing with them. Then they brought them back into the room with us and told us what they said and it was all good. They wanted to know if we had any questions or concerns. Then they also asked us some questions about the children such as are they eating and sleeping well. They were very pleased and congratulated us on bonding with the children. So now the paperwork starts moving through the courts.

This afternoon we took them to a McDonalds playground after lunch. They spent a couple of hours running and sliding and chasing one another. We met a couple that was from Houston, Texas and were visiting family here. That is about it for today....more tomorrow.

Feeling Better

We want to thank all of you for your comments. They lift us up each day! My fever broke during the night and the ladies here gave me some special things to eat and drink today. They are really wonderful and have seen many families become sick here and know just what to do. What a blessing they have been to us. So, we ventured out to get ice cream for the boys. The ice cream parlor (Mimo's) also has a two story indoor playground and the boys really enjoyed themselves. They were so excited when they realized there was a playground that the ice cream just didn't seem so tasty but we told them first ice cream and then play.

There have been a few timeouts here or there but overall the boys are good. We think they are just testing the waters and need to know what we expect. They so love to tease each other. Also, Jeison says he is 10 years old and Johnnatan 8. So tomorrow at ICBF we will double check.

Bad water

It seems I have contracted a parasite from bad water. At first Juan liked to pour out the good water and run water from the bathroom sink. We tried to keep an eye on it and finally just told him "No Mas". So fever, chills and other unpleasantness. Larry did not feel well the other night but he seems fine now. We already had prescription medication for the consequences of a parasite and the hotel ordered the medicine to kill it.

Larry has been so helpful. I am truly blessed that he has taken care of the boys most of the day. Now Jeison is complaining of a sore throat. Larry went after supper to get some childrens cold medicine.

So, if you could keep us in your prayers for healing we would appreciate it. It is sort of scary that the children may get sick here and we would have to find a doctor for them. Our follow up appointment with ICBF is this Thursday and then the paperwork begins to move through the courts.

Photos of our New Family

The internet has been down here all weekend. Here are some photos posted quickly. The boys are coming out of their shells a little more each day but are still typical boys. They all like to teach each other until we tell them to stop and it is enough. We are learning more spanish every day.

Update on our new family

First we apologize for not sending a new post until now. We have been very busy! The boys are so wonderful and we could not have picked more perfect children for us. God sure knows best!

A little update on Thursday when we met the boys. We arrived at ICBF and learned that the boys were already waiting. They took us into a small room and the social worker talked about each of the boys. We did not learn any new information about them, it was just a recap of what we already knew. After a while I was thinking "Just bring me my children already!" Afterwards Larry said he was thinking the same. They did cut it a little shorter because someone appeared at the door and said that the boys were trying to leave their room to come find us! So, then we met them and it was hugs and kisses all around and they called us Papa and Mama right away.

The boys are all very calm, well mannered and affectionate. They fold their own clothes (Jeison folds clothes better than Mama) and make their beds. They were very happy and appreciative to receive new clothes and anytime we give them something they give a hug and say "Thank you Mama, Thank you Papa".

Jeison wants us to know he can speak a little english and uses english words if he gets the chance. He is so helpful to us with his brothers, if we don´t understand what they want he tries to translate and uses the dictionary we brought to find the words so we understand. The first night Juan did not want to settle down in bed so Jeison went over and said something to him and he then went to sleep. The room has a set of bunk beds and then one single bed for the boys. The first night they slept separately but last night Johnnatan and Juan slept together.

Johnnatan is a bit more reserved with affection than his brothers. He would eat cookies every minute if we would let him. He is constantly asking for galletas, galletas, galletas. It seems that he understands all too well that Mama and Papa are the providers and he likes to ask for things. He does not really like to share much with his brothers once he is given something. He also showers in his underwear.

Juan is the most affectionate and loves to sit with Mama and Papa and give hugs. He also enjoys pouring water from one container into another and has a little bottle of water that must go everywhere with him. They have legos here and he has played with them also.

The first day we walked to a nearby park and played for a bit until Juan was said´"PoPo" so it was back to the hotel for a bano break. Other than that we just played in the back of the hotel on the swingset and kicking beach balls around. The children here like to swing and we roll the balls toward them and they kick them while swinging.

Yesterday we went with another couple to Panaca Sabana and all the children had a great time. They rode ponies and burros. We also survived a hail storm while we were eating. It could not have been timed more perfectly and then once that subsided we took in a few more activities and called it a day. It rains just about every afternoon here.

Lastly the boys love playing computer games, mostly car based. When we first arrived at the hotel and they saw the laptop we just thought they were curious to know what it was. But they kept asking about it so later that day we turned it on and Jeison immediately went to the internet and typed in a spanish free game site. So we let them play a while but then No Mas and out to play!

I have pictures to post but right now the boys are on our laptop and I am posting on the hotel computer for guests. So will post those later today or tonight.

We are so happy and things could not be going better! God has truly blessed us with wonderful children and we are so thankful!

One last restful day

Yesterday morning we walked to the bank and then t0 Unicentro Mall. We purchased some snack foods at Exito and then back to the El Refugio where we are staying. The rest of the day was spent hanging out with the other families here. The hotel is a very relaxed family atmosphere and the meals are very good.

We are so ready and excited to meet our boys today! They are coming to pick us up at 8:45.

We are in Bogota

We arrived at the hotel around 11 after a long day of travel. There were several couples still awake and so we spent about an hour getting to know them. Afterwards we decided to unpack because we were both too wired to sleep. So, now it is the next morning and our plan is to become familiar with the area. So more later! We are so thankful for safe travels and that God has surrounded us with many supportive families here.

Five Magnolia Branches

I walked into a conference room Friday to find friends at work gathered together for a surprise send off. Sitting on the end of the conference room table was a magnolia tree and it’s branches were filled with gift cards and cash. I did not tell Larry but just surprised him with the tree at home and he was overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity. We took a few pictures of the tree and then began to untie the cash, cards and notes from the tree and cried as we were overcome by their generosity and heartfelt wishes. The tree has five main branches, one for each member of our new family. The main branches shoot forth smaller ones which represent our children’s future families. What an amazing thought! We will plant the magnolia with the boys when we return home and it will always remind us how God uses others to show his love. The support and prayers of these people through this journey means more than they will ever know. There are just no words. They also gave me an envelope filled with notes that is only to be "Opened in Colombia". So, more on that in a later post.

On Saturday we received an email from our agency. The phones have been down at the orphanage so they sent someone to check on the boys. They are all well and excited to meet us on Thursday. We are packed and ready to leave in the morning! Thank you Lord for all your blessings!

Is it Sunday Yet?

A friend and co-worker passed away this month after battling cancer for a year and a half. I was in awe of his courage and how he never complained. He never questioned that God chose him to endure cancer but accepted and embraced the journey. Seven months of chemo were endured while never missing a day of work. Some days he would be seen in the break room during lunch laying his head down or sleeping in his truck after work before making the drive home. He always gave God the glory for his strength and endurance.

God used him to draw co-workers closer together. We gathered and prayed with him and soon found ourselves praying for others and sharing our lives on a deeper level. We continue that even today. What a blessing. Thank you Lord!

We talked many times about our adoption process and he continued to lift us up in prayer. I always walked away encouraged and with a lighter spirit whenever we talked. As for his family he had a loving wife and two very young boys. The most heartbreaking part of his passing is that these boys lost their father.

It was mentioned during the memorial service that he often asked his family “Is it Sunday yet?” He looked forward to attending church and visiting with friends. Later as I thought about the memorial service that phrase “Is it Sunday yet?” clicked. Our adoption blog “Sunday Will Come”! I logged onto the blog and this spoke to me “"In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come.”

So my friend and brother in Christ - Sunday came and ended your suffering. I miss you and will never forget you. I am thankful that God allowed me to know you. Lord, thank you for using those specific words that spoke to my heart. Also, for reminding me that for his family and their grief - Sunday will come. We trust you Lord in all things!

"Sunday" has been delayed

Yesterday was an emotional day as friends at Church wished us well. It began to hit home that we were finally about to meet our children. Larry talked with the Sunday School class about our trip and adopting the boys. We learned that each child in the class will bring their favorite food to give to the boys. Also, the children will learn some Spanish phrases so they can talk to the boys and make them feel welcome in class.

This morning we received a call from our agency that Juan contracted Hepatitis A and will be quarantined for three weeks. So our trip is delayed and we meet the boys March 12. We trust God and his timing so we will just continue to pray and wait.

What a week!

Most of this week was spent dealing with USCIS and the National Visa Center. Monday the National Visa Center said they would search for our paperwork which FedEx delivered on the 11th. By Wednesday Larry was tired of being told "call back tomorrow" so he kicked it up a notch and Layla committed to search for the overnight envelope. She called back in a few hours to say they found the paperwork. We were so relieved the issue was resolved…or so we thought. Since we did not receive a confirmation email Larry called them on Friday. Layla said the paperwork they found turned out to be someone else’s.

Wednesday morning we emailed (you cannot call) Memphis USCIS to ask they resend our paperwork to the National Visa Center (this was before we received Layla’s call they found the paperwork which later turned out to be incorrect). Memphis USCIS responded that the National Visa Center probably would find the paperwork or were unaware they had processed it already. Does this make sense to anyone...uh NO. Memphis USCIS stopped responding to our emails asking they resend the paperwork. So Friday Larry went to the local USCIS and explained the situation. They called the Memphis USCIS and the paperwork was resent to the National Visa Center.

So we are leaving Tuesday and trusting God will take care of this issue.

Just around the corner

We received the amended I-171H in the mail on Friday. Thank you Lord! Our agency has another couple in the same situation and the US Consulate in Bogota issued the letter to begin court proceedings based on the amended I-171H. The National Visa Center still needs paperwork from CIS to send the cable visa to the US Consulate in Bogota. So, we will continue to check that this week.

We had the travel call with our agency which lasted about two hours. The call contained information regarding additional forms to fill out before we travel. We also talked through every step of the trip in detail so we know what to expect. It was a lot of information and we took three pages of notes. We also purchased a few more entertaining items for the boys since we learned there are a few lengthy appointments.

Today we thrift store shopped to provide clothes for the boys. Apparently, they will only have the clothes they are wearing. So, we used the year old height and weight information and an internet children’s clothing size chart to guess their current sizes. Hopefully we are close enough to provide some wearable items. We will also purchase shoes in Bogota.

We are so very thankful for the wisdom and guidance God is providing through this journey.

The coming week will be final paperwork prep and packing. Then it is off to Bogota!

Week in Review

Monday: Our agency suggests we show up at our local CIS office, explain the situation and ask to be fingerprinted. So, we gathered together any and all CIS correspondence along with our passports.

Tuesday: The local CIS office was very helpful. Our fingerprints were taken optically but Ramona's scores were low. The local CIS office says the fingerprints will probably be rejected and called later that afternoon to confirm it. Since we are in a time crunch, they will take a sworn statement on Wednesday when Ramona returns for fingerprints. If the fingerprints are rejected again, then this statement supersedes fingerprints. A criminal history letter from the county is also required. The Williamson County Sheriffs Department tells us that criminal history letters are issued on Tuesday and Thursday and must be requested in person. If the letter is requested on Tuesday, then it will be ready on Thursday, no exceptions. Ramona requests the criminal history letter and explains our situation and once again ask for an exception and if we can pick up the letter the next day. The response was "there are 100 gun permits in front of you". Well we certainly would not want to delay a gun permit! It was clear they did not "get it". We begin to gather, obtain notarization and make copies of documents needed to obtain Visas.

Wednesday: Ramona's fingerprints are taken but the scores are low. A sworn statement is taken. Larry drives to two counties for notary certifications and then to the state office for apostille.

Thursday: The local CIS office calls to confirm that Ramona's fingerprints were rejected for the second time. Larry picks up the criminal history letter and drops it off to the local CIS office. They say that the sworn statement and letter will be overnighted to the Memphis CIS office.

Friday: The apostilled FBI clearances and medical letters are mailed to Children's Hope in St. Louis. These will be sent ahead of us to Colombia for translation. Larry travels to ATL to obtain Visas. He dropped off the paperwork and they told him it would be about an hour. Larry picked up the Visas and the Consulate General came out to introduce himself. He wanted to tell Larry that he was very proud of us and our kindness to adopt these children. He said it would change these children’s lives. He also wanted to meet the children but since we live 4 hours from ATL that would be difficult. He comes to Nashville once a year and said he would call us to meet the children. We rarely think about how we are blessing these children’s lives. We just think what a blessing they will be to us and how honored we are that God is entrusting us with them.

We will continue to push and ensure the necessary CIS and National Visa Center approvals are obtained before we travel. We thank and praise the Lord that he made this a productive week. We know that he is in control and trust.

Attention Prayer Warriors

Our fingerprints with CIS expire 2/20/09 and we are scheduled to be in Bogota 2/26/09. We are told by our agency that it takes about 3-4 weeks to get approvals to the US Consulate in Bogota after updated fingerprints are taken. So we need to get them done in the next few days. The issue is that CIS must issue us an appointment to be fingerprinted; we cannot just walk into their office.

Here is the process: CIS issues an appointment and the fingerprints are taken at a local CIS office. The local CIS office then sends the fingerprints to the FBI. The FBI returns our clearances to the local CIS office. Then the local CIS office mails a hard copy to the National Visa Center in New Hampshire. The National Visa Center mails a hard copy to the US Consulate in Bogota. The US Consulate in Bogota won't give our agency the letter needed to begin our case in court until they have the hard copy of the fingerprints.

We mailed a letter to CIS on January 13th requesting an appointment but have not received a reply. Today we emailed the CIS office in Memphis but have not received a reply.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

Travel Plans and such

We chose to fly Delta because they have an adoption fare which eliminates change fees for the return trip. Delta requires you to present the I-171H or I-797C from INS when purchasing the tickets. You cannot obtain the adoption fare by booking tickets online, you must speak with a representative. Our adoption agency says that a 4 week stay in Colombia can be expected. It was really thrilling to see their first names attached to our last name on those tickets!

We also learned that the Colombian Consulate in Atlanta, GA requires at least one of us to apply for the TS Visas in person. So, as soon as we gather the appropriate documents one or both of us will head to ATL. The requirements for a TS Visa from the Atlanta consulate can be found here: Colombian Consulate Atlanta

Our FBI clearances arrived yesterday and we also received our updated medical letters this week.

The travel call with Julie (Colombia Program Director at Children's Hope International) is scheduled for February 12th.

Also, wanted to mention that we used a program called Visual Link Spanish to learn spanish. We did order a demo from Rosetta Stone but preferred the methods used by Visual Link and it was less costly. The program includes computer and audio cds.

Whew! So things are moving along smoothly and SUNDAY IS COMING !!!!

Thank you Lord for entrusting us with these three beautiful and precious little ones! We place all our hopes, dreams and trust in you Lord!

February 26th is our date to meet the boys!

We have been told to arrive in Bogota on February 24th in order to be well rested and acclimated to the altitude before meeting the boys. Rested...are you kidding us!?!? We were so excited when news of the assignment arrived we hardly slept that night. It is hard to imagine getting much rest before the long anticipated first meeting.

God continues to bless us richly!

We are working on the travel details and hoping to wrap that up early next week so we can apply for Visas.

Meet Jeison, Johnnatan and Juan

This is the first photo we saw of the boys in May 2008.
Left to right - Jeison, Johnnatan and Juan.

Below are photos we received today.

Jeison - age 9

Johnnatan - age 7

Juan - age 5

!! Assignment !!

It's a boy and a boy and another boy!!! We are so excited and blessed! Thank you Lord!

We now send a reply to ICBF that we accept the assignment. There is a flurry of paperwork ahead and travel arrangements. We hope to travel toward the end of February. Our fingerprints were mailed out to the FBI on Saturday. We also must renew our fingerprints with CIS.

We are also reminded once again that God has perfect timing. A family member is having surgery this week and this last delay prevented us from being in another country when we are needed here.

We have also prayed to receive updated information on the boys since what we have is a year old. God answered that prayer and we will receive updated information on the boys next week. It first has to be translated. Praise God!

Abandonment decree upheld!!

Praise God! The wait is over and the court sided with ICBF and upheld the abandonment decree. So the adoption of these boys moves forward. Now we must again wait on the assignment. We have been told to not expect the assignment until January due to the holidays. We must update our FBI clearances and employment letters in preparation since they will be over 60 days old soon. This will be the 3rd time we have updated these documents. But we can hardly even care and are happy to do it because things are moving forward again! Thank you Lord!