Yet another taste of Argentina!

Dear Readers,

Here I am again, to tell you a little more about my mission trip...
So much had changed in one year in Argentina!
I had looked forward to so many little things, and they were all more wonderful than I had wished they would be. Coffee and dulce de leche on toast in the morning...late nights chatting with my precious host mom and more coffee...bus rides with my host dad...time just "being" with my dear family...

It all happened and it all was so wonderful. Only there were a few changes: I got to have some bus rides with my host mom and Isabella, too, because she attends the preschool now. And when we arrived in Argentina we got to straight home to our families! The first day was my favorite.  And time just "being" with my family was the sweetest time of the whole trip. I'll highlight those moments in this blog post.


 

This was taken last year: Renzo, Nico, Emily, and I

First of all, those little babies were huge! Renzo and Isabella (my host brother and sister who are twins, now 2 1/2 years old) have grown so much in the past year it blew me away. Nico has grown up so much, too! It was so bittersweet to see how they had changed as I was sad to have missed so much of their lives, but was so thankful that I was back with them again. 

I'll never forget riding home from the church, Isabella was asleep in Viviana's arms and I was just so thrilled to be beside them I could hardly contain myself. We had the sweetest conversation, which was a mix of my newly acquired Spanish and her words in English. Then she handed the phone to me and I was speaking to Reynaldo! It was so sweet to hear all of their voices again. 

Last year some of my favorite moments were just holding these sweet little twins, this year I think my favorite moments with them were when I would read a book to them called "Vaca Luluz". Isabella loved this book, and so despite the fact that I didn't know how to pronounce some of the words, I read that book so many times that by the end of my ten days in Argentina, I could quote it! hehe it really is a cute book and I loved that time with them. 

Nico and I spent a lot of time fixing hair last year, and this year was no different. She loved fixing my hair and putting makeup on me, then having me fix her hair, and setting my camera to take ten pictures of us with our beautiful new do's.  ;) We have some really funny shots! This girl has the most beautiful heart and I can't wait to hug her again! 

We worked on English, too :) 

Another difference in this trip was that Benjamin, Mason, and Mom weren't there. It was so strange to not have them with us! Their host family from last year invited my family and I over for dinner one night, and we had so much fun! They were so kind and welcoming and you could tell how much they loved my Mom and brothers. They were so sweet that they kept thinking I had been in their home before, too, since they said they felt like we were all family. (The first picture in this blog post is from our night there.) I love these people and this loving culture! 

I really wish we in the United States took a lesson from the people in Argentina. 1 Peter 5:14 says: "Greet one another with the kiss of love." 

I really can't describe with words the warmth and love you feel while you are there. It is incredible. It goes beyond the kiss (although that is a big part of the welcoming feeling).The church embraces us with open arms. The fact that so many at this church welcome us, teenagers who don't know their language or their culture, into their homes, their lives, their families is huge.  It's the most beautiful thing, and I'm so thankful to say that I have a family in Argentina. 

There's so much more I will share...

God taught me things and grew me and really blessed my time with these dear people. But here's another little snippet for you! 

Thank you for your prayers that made this trip possible. Your Blogger,

 Claire

  

A taste of Argentina...

 Dear Readers,

    I'm back in the United States and fairly bursting with photos, hugs and kisses for each of my family members, and enough stories to write a book.

Thank you for your prayers for my trip! I appreciated them so much and could feel them as my time in Argentina was clearly blessed. To be back with my host family was amazing. I can't even put into words how amazing that was. I stepped off the bus and we picked up right where we left off. It was as if I had never left, except for a few differences: the kids had grown so much. Renzo, Isabella, and Nico are three of my favorite children on earth. They make my heart smile and teach me things and inspire me. My Spanish had gotten better--woot woot!--and so less of our conversations centered around Google Translate. Oh, goodness, we had so many conversations. That was my favorite part of the entire trip. Whether we were on the bus, walking to the church, or in their warm and inviting kitchen, we were always talking. Quality time and physical touch are my two love languages, and so oh man, am I content in Argentina! Time praying together was also so special and a blessing to my heart.

Precious Renzo!! Hasn't he grown up so much in the past year??

Argentina was full of blessings. And, as you can see, most of the blessings stem from my time with this precious second family of mine.  I have so much to share, and I promise I will write more soon.

But right now I need to continue to process and get my thoughts into order or else words will come spilling out that make no sense. :) Maybe a little more sleep would help, too...

So I leave you with a few of my favorite pictures, and also with a devotion I read by Joni Eareckson Tada today that touched my heart. It instantly made me think of Argentina. Exchanging prayer requests with my dear host family, I realized that we were indeed giving the other person our heart's burdens. And there is something so beautifully God ordained in that act. 

Te amo, readers! Thank you for your precious comments and encouragement!

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Galatians 6:2

I don't often have the chance to physically help other people, but when I do,

I love it. Nowhere do I feel more useful than at the airport.

I have to pack what seems like half a hospital when I go anywhere. Even after my friends and I check in all this stuff at curbside, we still have a pile of carry-on luggage which includes lots of the usual paraphernalia plus a duffel bag with emergency medical equipment. The challenge is to carry everything from curbside to the plane. This is when I get to "carry another's burden." On the foot pedals under my legs goes the duffel bag. The briefcase goes on my lap, purses are slung over the handles of my wheelchair, coats or sweaters land on my lap. Airline tickets are squeezed between my leg and the side of my chair. I look like a bag lady. But I don't mind. It gives me a chance to carry someone else's burden.

That's what Galatians 6:2 tells us to do. It's good advice whether we bear actual physical burdens or emotional and spiritual ones. Galatians 6 says we should do this on a regular basis and not be so puffed up with pride that we fail to offer a helping hand.

And we are to do so to fulfill the law of Christ, which is a law of love. Love obliges us to be compassionate. Maybe under the old covenant God's people made a habit of laying burdens on one another, but under the new covenant, we don't lay them on, we take them off. So why don't you find somebody today who could use a hand. It will give you an opportunity to lighten the load of another and lighten your heart at the same time.

___________________________________

"God did not write solo parts for very many of us. He expects us to be participants in the great symphony of life." Donald Tippett

Tomorrow!!

Colon. We will be going there again!

My dear readers,
   Tomorrow morning I will arrive at the airport at 10:00 (hopefully! :))...and by 7:30 that night will be on a plane bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    Last week I was a ball of anxiety imagining leaving. I still am nervous, but as the date is so near, I feel myself getting more and more excited.

Were you to ask me what I'm most excited about, I think it would be hard to pinpoint just one thing. I'm just thrilled to be back in this country I love so much!  I'm  really really really excited to see all of the precious Argentines again!! I know the moment when I see my host family again will probably be the best of the entire trip. I've missed them so much this past year!! So I am very excited to step off the bus on that first day. :)

But I'm also really excited just for the mornings. Last year every day I woke up it was just with a feeling of wonder that "Wow. I can't believe I'm actually in Argentina!!!" This year I know I'll wake up with a similar feeling of wonder that I'm actually in my host family's home again. And the coffee, and the dulce de leche on toast, and walking to the bus in the chill of the early morning...it's all so wonderful. I can't wait!!

I'm also thrilled to do prison ministry again. I really wasn't prepared for how much I would love it last year, and think that now I'm more comfortable with it hopefully I'll be able to spend time with more women while we are there. 

Were you to ask me what my biggest fear was, it would be going without my family. Each time I imagine this trip it's with Benjamin, Mason, and Mom. I'll miss them so so much. 

And were you to ask my biggest needs for prayer, they would be the following: 

1.) Please pray for me to not be too homesick! 

2.) Please pray that the language difference won't be too much of a barrier. I know a lot more Spanish than I knew last year, but nevertheless my heart wants to be able to get to Argentina and have long conversations with my host family...and I know that I don't know enough for that! So please pray for patience while we try to communicate, and just that God will evaporate that barrier like He did last year. 

3.) Please pray for our team to have safe travels!!

4.) Please pray for the Argentines who are welcoming us into their homes, and for the people we will be serving and interacting with all trip. Pray that we can touch hearts!! 

5.) Please pray that those of us who are going back for a second time will be able to cherish every minute of the trip without comparing it to last  year. 

6.) And please pray for my family while I'm gone, and for Benjamin's recovery to continue to go well.

Thank you so much for praying over these with me!! 

I'm so thankful to the Lord for allowing me this opportunity. And I'm so thankful to all of you for your prayers and support that made it happen!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Next time you hear from me I'll most likely be accidentally mixing Spanish with my English, posting a TON of pictures, and trying my best to fill you in on all  that happened over the next ten days. I look forward to catching you up!! 

Chau, dear ones!! Your blogger,

 Claire

Thankful.

Dear Readers,
 
 Last week was hard. Mom and Benjamin were in the hospital, and being away from them was really difficult. Yesterday Benjamin came home. It honestly is such a relief to be all together again. I'm so so grateful. But this week is still very difficult. Benjamin is in a lot of pain when he sits in his wheelchair, and it is just excruciating to see him in such pain.

Since the surgery I've felt the exact way I've known I would feel since finding out about it. I've felt like a complete idiot for signing up to go to Argentina next Thursday. I really can't even tell you how much I missed my Mom while she was in the hospital with Benjamin. And I got to see her everyday! How on earth am I going to be able to leave the country for ten days without her?? I've been pretty freaked out thinking about it, and have done a really great job ignoring the fact that I'm leaving soon by burying my head in Maeve Binchy's books. But I'm leaving on Thursday whether I believe that fact or keep on pretending I'm not.

I go through moments where I'm really excited to hug everyone and hear Spanish and be back in that country. But when I see Benjamin in pain like this and think about how much I missed Mom in the hospital I really feel pretty stupid and scared.

But today God showed me in a couple of neat ways that He knows how I feel.

One of my Mom's dear friends sent me a package in the mail today. It contained a precious little cross bracelet and a note telling me that this was just a token to help me remember that she and many others will be wrapping me in prayer while in Argentina. How sweet is that? And what a sweet reminder from God that He's in control.

On my way to the mailbox, another of our dear friends was picking Cate up to take her to her swim team practice. She told me that her mom told her once that when we do something that God is telling us to do, but that we don't want to do, that's when He blesses us the most. Wow. I could have cried right then...

And then when I got in from walking to get the mail (when it rains it pours! ;)) I saw I had gotten a message on Facebook from my dear Aunt Nina, who is a missionary in Mexico. It was a precious note of encouragement telling me she was praying for me as the trip nears.


I'm so blessed.  I find it incredible that He cares enough about me to orchestrate all these kind acts of encouragement today. Yeah, I'm still scared and I know I'll probably doubt myself more as next Thursday approaches. But today my heart was really encouraged. And instead of worrying about what I'll do on Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, etc.,etc., I think I'm going to just rest in the fact that today is okay. And that God is near and will be in control the entire time I'm in Argentina, as well.


Thank you, dear friends, for the support and encouragement you've blessed us with this summer. We cherish your prayers and love. Please don't stop! We have a long way to go and appreciate every prayer.

And I leave you with a quote from Maeve Binchy's Firefly Summer that I loved; "Nothing was what we expected things to be like. But we've survived, and we'll go on surviving."
Your Blogger,
 Claire

Dearest Readers,

   Thank you so very much for your prayers, kind notes, and words of encouragement this week. We so appreciate you!!

Hopefully Benjamin will be coming home tomorrow (woohoo!!!). In this entire hospital stay, as in the ones years past, my mom has been by his side the entire time. She left only briefly yesterday. (And yes, we enjoyed every moment she was home!)

Every time we are in that hospital room, I'm blown away by my mom's love and care. Despite her extreme exhaustion, she jumps up whenever Benjamin needs her. And every time we are in that hospital room, I find myself wondering about the children who are in the hospital without their mothers beside them? I have wished numerous times during the week that I could DO something for children left alone in the hospital. And although they're not in the hospital, I do know of three precious ones who are at this moment lying in a bed without their mother beside them to comfort them. I wish with all of my heart that they had someone to hold them in their arms and love them. And since I can't magically transport myself to these precious little ones, (Mason's been introducing me to Doctor Who this week...I couldn't help myself :)) I can make sure that one more person knows about them. 

So without further ado....meet Seeley, Linny, and Marla. 

This picture breaks my heart. Sweet Seeley's little arms. He looks as if he's just laying there, waiting for someone to swoop in and tenderly hold him and love him. I've looked at it so many times these past couple of years, and yet no one has ever come to pick him up and take him out the doors of his orphanage. He still lies in that crib alone.

There are many children like Seeley listed on Reece's Rainbow. They're referred to as "crib babies" because they are bedridden. The saddest part of Seeley's story? His mother cared for him until April 2012. He's been alone ever since then. I can't imagine having your mom by your side, and then one day losing her. I would be devastated.  Precious Seeley has had to endure that. 

Sweet Linny. Another crib baby...

I know for a fact that sweet Linny has been in the hospital recovering from surgery. She had an operation to repair her spina bifida. She was developing typically physically and mentally after this operation. At 21 months old, however, she was admitted to the hospital again, this time for head trauma. She endured yet another surgery, and is now paralyzed on the right side and unable to walk or talk. Was she alone during these hospitalizations?

Precious Marla, who will soon be transferred to
a mental institution...

And then there's dear Marla. This precious angel is six years old. In an earlier picture, she was laughing. Here she looks so heartbreakingly alone. Once transferred to an institution her hope for a family, for a life outside of a crib,  will be practically non-existent.

These are just three of many, many crib babies in the world. They all contain so much life inside of them if only they would be taken out of those cribs!

Please pray for these little angels on earth. Please pray that someone will see their value and lift them out of those cribs. I'm thankful to know that even though they don't have mamas beside them, Jesus has never left their side. 

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

Dear Readers,
   Benjamin is having his spine surgery this morning. Would you please be praying for both he and my family during this time? I appreciate it more than words can convey.

I've been worrying over this surgery ever since we learned about it right before Christmas, and tried my hardest to pretend it wasn't even happening. But sticking your head in the sand isn't exactly the best thing to do when it is the day of the surgery.

As the title suggests,  I took a note from Maria (from the wonderful musical The Sound of Music) on what to do with myself today.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad, 
I simply remember 
my favorite things
and then I don't feeel so bad!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens 
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things! 

That song is definitely counted as one of my favorite things, and it made me decide to wait to look at all of my pictures from Seussical the Musical and Disneyland until today. Maybe then I won't feel so bad! ;)

But let me say one more thing before pictures...Last night, after dinner at one of Benjamin's favorite restaurants, we went to see Moezart's select cast of Seussical. And right before the wonderful show began, Steve (our director and President of Moezart Productions) started speaking. He dedicated the show to Benjamin! Really, so neat. 

I thought it was the coolest thing. But it was more than that. That (and all of the people coming up to him telling him they were praying for him) really made me feel so supported. Kids were telling him they were going to bring movies over to watch while he recovered, and they meant it. Surgeries can be so isolating, but last night was really encouraging. The fact that we have this community of support and love truly blesses my heart. The fact that these people care touches me. I'm so, so thankful for this group of people. 

Sweet friends!

Yertle the Turtle, Mr.Mayor, a Who, and...Cate!

Benjamin picked a shirt and we all matched for one day. It was unbelievable the amount of comments we got!! So fun!!

Mom took this and I just love it!!

This picture took forever to get...

 Goofing off...

Here I am outside the bakery, purchase in hand
...isn't it lovely?

I bought these at a sweet little Mexican bakery...and ordered in Spanish! I was so excited I carried them around all day. Sadly, they weren't too good. But it was all about the experience!

Pluto reaaaally wanted to come with us! Bless his heart!!

All right, I'm ready to go back to Disneyland now...:) 

Thank you for reading, and thank you again for your prayers, dear ones!! Your Blogger,
 Claire

My thoughts

My brothers and I have all gotten the chance to speak to some of my uncle's ASU classes about disabilities. I spoke once on being the sibling, and the boys have continued to go back to the classroom even after Uncle Len was graduated. In these classes, the boys talk about their CP and share about their experiences (good and bad) in public school, to hopefully encourage these future educators and give them knowledge for when they have special needs students in the classroom. Oftentimes these students ask personal questions, some goofy, some serious. One that's often asked of them goes along the lines of "If you could get rid of your disability, would you?" 

I really don't like this question. It makes me angry because there is no possibility of ever getting rid of it in this life, and so why dwell on that fact? One of my all time favorite quotes is by Corrie ten Boom and it says "There are no what-ifs in God's Kingdom".  The boys have CP, there's no way to reverse that fact, let's move on and not focus on what could have been. 

Sitting in the back of the classroom, I hear that question and think about what a physical and emotional drain Cerebral Palsy is to my parents. And I think about my brothers' pain after surgeries. And I want to scream at the back of that head who asked the question "Well what do YOU think?!? YEAH we would get rid of it! DUH! Did you not just listen to all of their struggles in public school? USE YOUR BRAIN!" 

But that isn't how my brothers answer the question. They say no, they wouldn't change it, because it's helped shape them into who they are. 

What? That wasn't my answer. That's not what I'm thinking. Don't they see how stupid the question is? Aren't they as angry as I am? No? They aren't? hmm....

Deep down in my heart, I agree with my brothers. Trials make you stronger, and because of CP I think we are closer knit as a family. We know what it's like to go through real stuff, and so we stick together. We would be completely different if CP wasn't a part of our lives. Life would be easier, there would be no surgeries to go through, sure, but we would have missed out on a lot. We would probably have never met many of our dear friends, I probably wouldn't have learned sign language or started volunteering, the boys may have never gotten involved in theater, and we probably would have never been home schooled. I think of this and I, too, begin to feel thankful for it and how it has impacted our lives.

My devotion today spoke to my heart on this issue and is, in fact, why I brought this story up. I'll give you an excerpt of the part that touched my heart: 

"Do not long for the absence of problems in your life. That is an unrealistic goal since in this world you will have trouble...Begin each day anticipating problems, asking Me to equip you for whatever difficulties you will encounter. The best equipping is my living Presence, My hand that never lets go of yours...Take a lighthearted view of trouble, seeing it as a challenge that you and I together can handle. Remember that I am on your side, and I have overcome the world." ~From Jesus Calling 

Especially during this season before surgery, the moments where I feel upset and frustrated with the problems in life are more than the moments I'm thankful for them. This devotion encouraged me, though, that even in the middle of the struggle, God is still right there, holding on to our hand. Even when we try to wiggle free of His grasp, complaining about our situation, He holds on and promises that someday things will be okay. What an immense blessing.

Thanks for listening. Your Blogger,

 Claire

Prayer Request

I signed up to receive prayer requests for sweet kiddos waiting for their families in China. I got this email from them a couple of days ago, and this little baby completely stole my heart. Look at that sweet smile! And those beautiful eyes! Here's what the email had to say about little Torie:

"Torie was admitted to our Special Care Center in Zhengzhou last June at four months old. She has been diagnosed with a severe congenital heart defect. Torie is a beautiful little girl who is quick to smile and has an adorable single dimple on her right cheek. She is curious about her surroundings and anxious to be up and moving around, but also enjoys cuddling up with her nanny. Torie celebrated her first birthday in February and we hope she will have the opportunity to celebrate many more. Torie was recently scheduled for heart surgery, but her condition was deemed inoperable in China due to its severity. However, Dr. Joyce Hill is hopeful that she may have a chance to receive the life-saving procedure she needs if she is adopted. Please join us in prayer for Torie to this end, and for our medical staff to gain wisdom on how to best proceed while she is under our care."

Will you join me in praying for Torie?

Your Blogger,
 Claire

Finding joy

Dear Readers,

  Ever since December, when Benjamin had hand surgery and we found out about the surgery this summer, the theme of our house has been "joy". We made cookies that spelled out the word, and every time we found ourselves feeling upset and not in a celebratory mood, we made more cookies. Haha okay, so we didn't bake EVERY time we felt upset. Just a lot of the time. :) 

But actually, for as long as I can remember, anytime I've felt upset, Mom has reminded me that joy is a choice. It's impossible to always feel joy. You have to make a conscious effort to do so. And although by nature I'm kind of a glass-half-full kind of person, it doesn't take much to steal my joy. Surgeries snatch it away in an instant. 

So this season we have all made an effort to find joy...

I've found that where thankfulness is, joy is, also. And so about once a month I've been writing down a list of things I'm thankful for in my journal, in an effort to find, and keep, that joy. This month I thought I'd share a few on here. :) 

The small things are really my favorite things. I'm fairly certain going to the grocery store with Mom and Cate has been on my list before, haha. But today my first thing is going to be...

1.) Having a birthday party. I didn't really want to have one, but my brothers did, and so we had one...and I am thankful that we did! I really enjoyed it and still laugh to think of it. It was a lot of  fun to dress up and see dear friends. 

2.) Seeing Berkeley listed on the 'My Family Found Me' page on Reece's Rainbow...she is one of my favorite little angels listed and seeing she had a family made my heart smile! 

3.) Going on a field trip to the Japanese friendship gardens on our actual birthday...it was actually a  very funny experience. We wanted to be at the hospital in time to have lunch with Dad, but on the way to the gardens we were talking on Mom's phone. Henceforth, we had no directions. Sooo I told Mom to turn when I saw a building that looked kind of like it could be the Japanese friendship gardens, and got us lost. Haha! We ended up getting to spend a good 45 minutes there before getting to the hospital, though, so that was good. :) I actually really loved getting to drive around trying to find it, hehe (I told you I loved the small things, remember? :)) And lunch with Dad was wonderful, too. 

4.) (this will be my last one since it is the fourth month of the year, after all...)

Getting to spend time with my sweet friend yesterday. One of the main reasons I dislike parties is because I feel as if I only get about five minutes with everyone. So although I loved getting to see her last Saturday at our party, it was even more of  a treat to get to spend the day catching up yesterday! Sweet friends make life so much more joyful, and yesterday was such a gift. 

What are four things that you are thankful for this month? 

"Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him." ~Psalm 126:5-6

I hope you have a joy-filled May. Your blogger,

 Claire

Interested in adoption? Reece's Rainbow

photo courtesy of Mellissa 

Dear Readers,
    Russia's ban on adoptions broke my heart. It's like I'm being punched in the stomach every time I go to Reece's Rainbow and realize this child or that child no longer has a family coming for them.
When I see anything remotely related to Russia on the news, I stop whatever I'm doing and give it all my attention. But it's never the news I want to hear. People are saying they may never allow us to adopt those kids. My heart breaks for these precious children, and I long to scoop them all up into my arms.

     Now there's nothing for us to do but pray for Russia. So we will pray. And in the meantime, there are many many many other precious babies waiting who are NOT in Russia.

  Latvia is another country that has many orphans waiting for their families. Like Russia, children with special needs are institutionalized. And they deserve families just as much as these Russian children do!
   Dee Etheridge (from http://faithlovehopeandcourage.blogspot.com) answered some of my questions on her experience adopting her daughter from Latvia, and has graciously allowed me to share them here! I hope the answers encourage you. I found them very insightful, and have to say, they gave me the itch to adopt from Latvia! :) Enjoy, dear ones!

Why did you decide to adopt from Latvia? I found my child first and then luckily she was in a country I was able to adopt from


How did you find your children? Were they listed on Reece's Rainbow? I'm a foster parent and while at a meeting someone mentioned the book The Connected Child. When I googled the book, it linked it to Reece's Rainbow. That was sometime around spring of 2011. I was immediately hooked. But I was looking at it as an advocate and providing financial support for families and children. I saw Darya (listed as Brigita on RR) that summer. I had started doing daily prayers for certain children and families and Darya was one I prayed for daily. I fell in love with her beautiful smile! I honestly did not feel Darya's chances of adoption were good given her description and age. It wasn't until Sept. that I felt/heard God tell me that Darya was my daughter. It was an experience I had never had before and cannot even describe fully. It was like I had instantly fallen in love with Darya. It was a tough decision though. I am single and was very scared about adopting a
child with special needs, esp. being so very low functioning. It was extremely emotional. But I knew in my heart that Darya was my daughter and that I couldn't go one without her. 


What were the conditions of the orphanage/institution like? Darya was transferred to her institution in 2009 when she was 4yo. It was very clean, the children were separated into groups and lived in what looked like small apartments, and there was a playground there. When we went on the first trip, it was their summer and so they let the kids go outside twice a day. I'm not sure if they got to go out like that when its cold. The children were clean. The girls had long hair and it was fixed nicely. Darya was very clean. There were about 6-7 kids in each group. They just recently added a school on the campus. Darya had not started yet but was supposed to start that Sept. The caregivers seemed to genuinely care about the kids. However, Darya does have a lot of learned behaviors that are concerning (biting, hitting, pinching) and self-plays being choked, bit, spanked, pinched, pulls her hair, slapping herself in the face, etc. I don't think she was abused
necessarily. I think a lot of this behavior likely came from other kids. While I was there, a much older boy/young man kept pulling her coat to choke her and pulling her hair. 



What would you tell someone considering adopting from Latvia/ considering adopting a child with special needs? In regards to special needs, research everything you can and have as little expectation for your child as possible. Even for their future. A family met Darya in 2010 and shared their experience (and pictures) with me. Based on that, I was expecting a very listless, extremely delayed child with other issues aside from Ds. I was pleasantly surprised to find Darya in much better shape and development. 

In regards to Latvia, be prepared for many trips and long stays. But, this country allows you the opportunity to bring your child home the first trip! Its a fantastic blessing (with added financial problems though). But I'd do it again. Latvia is beautiful and a wonderful place to visit. But it can be expensive. Bring some food yourself. In addition, multiple unrelated children can be adopted together. 


How many trips did you make to Latvia during the adoption process? 3 trips total. The 1st trip is to meet your child. The child(ren) stay with the family in an apartment or home for 10-14 days or so. This is for a bonding period. If you want to adopt multiple children, the children have to spend this bonding time together. Social workers visit you in the home to check on the child and see how bonding is doing. This trip is about 17 days. Both parents travel this trip. 

After you come home, you get the paperwork together and apply for the I800a. The 2nd trip comes after this and the article 5 are received (the embassy does that based on the approved I800a). This is the actual adoption hearing. Latvia has a mandatory 20 day appeal period. Only 1 parent needed. If the child is over 12yo and went home after the 1st trip, the child has to return for this trip. 

The 3rd trip is after the 20 day appeal period. This is to get the new birth certificate, passport, medical, and Visa. This trip is about a week. I believe only 1 parent for this one as well and the child has to travel this trip. 


How are your children doing now that they are home? Darya is doing fantastic! She has transitioned well and is learning so much. She was taught basically nothing and I'm not sure what she understood or didn't understand in her language. But she has caught on to English really well and follows simple commands well. Her self-injurious and self-stemming behaviors are getting better. She hits, bites, and pinches people all the time but its not as fierce and hard as it was in the beginning. She is learning sign language and definitely has potential to learn to speak some. She can quack and makes other noises that mimic syllables/words. She still doesn't really play and the self-play of hurting herself is a bit sad. She is becoming more and more healthy. Her hair and skin glow and her physical abilities are getting better (though she has really good muscle tone anyway). She loves to snuggle, loves to have you sing to her, loves music in general, and loves to
swing! She is so much easier than I was expecting but at the same time is a lot of work. I think she is fantastic (though I may be biased). 



   If you are interested in adopting, visit reecesrainbow.org for more information. And please remember to keep those precious kiddos in Russia in your prayers. Your Blogger,
 Claire

Beautiful news!! Reece's Rainbow waiting child

Do y'all remember Sebastian? I posted about him ten days before my birthday. 

I talked about how his birthday is about a week after mine.

And how if he didn't have a family by then...

he would never have one.

WELL guess what? 

SEBASTIAN HAS A FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"....Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning." ~Psalm 30:5

I'm so thankful morning has come for Sebastian. May the Lord bless and strengthen his family as they work to bring him home, and protect his heart as he waits! I'm so thankful that his 16th birthday will, despite the odds, be filled with joy. Thank you, Jesus. 

http://reecesrainbow.org/57191/sebastian

What's it like to be a triplet?

Whenever someone tells you "Happy Birthday", you automatically respond with "Happy birthday to you, too"....

Because in your house, that's generally an appropriate response. :) 

So Happy Birthday week, Benjamin and Mason! I'm so thankful to be your triplet!

And to the rest of you, who are NOT celebrating a birthday this week; I'm sorry. No, just kidding--a very merry UNbirthday to you, dear readers! 

Ten days...

In just ten days Benjamin, Mason and I will be sixteen years old. 

Just eight days after that, this young man will turn sixteen. 

So close in age...

and yet our stories are completely different.

He lives in an orphanage in Eastern Europe...

I live with my loving family...

His birthday means he no longer has a chance of having a family...

My day will be spent celebrating with my parents and siblings...

"16" means homelessness for him....

It means getting to drive and volunteer at Phoenix Childrens' Hospital for me...

Please be praying for all of the orphans who will be turning sixteen this year. Please pray for protection of their hearts and bodies. Please especially be praying for Sebastian. He will be on my heart all month. 

He is...the resurrection...the life...amazing.

Today is Good Friday. This day so many years ago, my precious Savior was beaten and flogged and thrown upon a cross. The King and Creator of the universe had nails in his hands, and his blood stained the ground. He was spit on and mocked. Jesus was suffering, and one of his disciples turned him in and another denied even knowing him. My heart hurts to think of the pain He went through, and nothing seems 'good' about it. 

"And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." ~ Luke 22:41-44

 He suffered so greatly. He was in agony.  Why would God not remove this burden? 

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21

Oh. Oh oh oh oh oh oh. For our sake. He did it all for us. So great is His love for us, that He endured the abuse, the beatings, the nails. He endured the spit and abandonment and mockery because He loved us. And, most shockingly of all, He allowed God to forsake Him, to allow Him to die,  so that we might be with Him.

It is Good Friday. Today we will praise Jesus and thank Him for the sacrifice of His death that  He made for all of us sinners. But on Sunday we will praise Him again...and thank Him for rising up and living so that we might follow Him, and be with Him in Heaven someday.


Today I am thankful to know Jesus, and thankful that He would call me His child. I'm thankful that He loves all of us--all of His children--so greatly. Your blogger,
 Claire