Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Meet Senesie...

The most powerful way you can fight poverty...


I spoke yesterday about praying and thinking of ways to keep kids from ever becoming orphans in the first place. Wanna know a tangible way to get involved and make a huge difference in the life of a child? Seriously it's the best $35 you'll spend a month! Sponsorship programs help keep families intact, they keep children from going hungry and they provide education for the children involved. 

I started sponsoring Senesie through www.worldvision.org after seeing his picture on a table several years ago a youth conference. He was only about 5 years old at the time. His birthday is November 22, 2000 and he is from Sierra Leone. He lives with his aunt, 2 brothers, and 2 sisters. Where he lives, houses are made of mud, bricks and thatch roofs. His favorite animal is a goat and Christmas is his favorite time of the year. He likes to play soccer. In the picture above are some clothes and things he was able to get because of the money we sent for his birthday last fall. 

What are the benefits of child sponsorship? Access to life saving basics like: Healthcare, clean water, education, economic development, nutritious food and Christian commitment. Child sponsorship helps to build stronger communities where children can grow and thrive. This work is done by partnering with members of the community to address both the immediate and long-term needs of families. 

I get pictures and letters from Senesie pretty regularly. I am so thankful for the happiness and true joy that he has brought to Ryan and I, so much more than the $35 we send for the sponsorship each month. 
One time he wrote me and said how thankful he was for being sponsored because it is helping him to achieve his dreams and helping him find his strength. He hopes that we will meet one day. I hope so too ;) 

I was reading another moms blog recently and each of her children helped pick a child to sponsor who is their same age. Such a great idea! The benefits from doing this are pretty obvious. It teaches them compassion and is a tangible and easy way for kids to experience giving. It helps children understand the global picture. It introduces them to another culture and gives them the opportunity to build a relationship with a child their same age on the other side of the world. I think the process also teaches children that everyone is important and has a story worth hearing. When I was a little girl my family sponsored a girl named Manisha from India through Compassion International. I am so thankful to my parents for doing this because it gave me perspective and opened my eyes to the true issues of poverty. 

If you have been looking for a way to get involved check out www.worldvision.org or www.compassion.org

Shower for Nara!

I have to say that our friends and family went above and beyond and threw us the most beautiful shower! So many details and thought went into it and we are so grateful! From Africa cupcakes, paper airplanes and globes...everything was just perfect! 

My dear sweet friends Mattie and Blaire who were the brains behind it all. I am so thankful for them and all the work they put into making our shower so special! We three go way back...love you both!

 Mattie made these pendants by hand! She is gonna have to show me how to do this...I am still trying to learn how to sew ;)

Heart over NC and heart over Ethiopia! Love it!





 Had to post this...my grandpa has been so excited about Nara. He asks about her all the time and even had an 8x10 picture of her printed and put it on his refrigerator. Loved that I was able to capture a picture of him watching the slide show Ryan made for our guests at the shower. 

All my sweet sisters...aka...babysitters ;) 





We were so blown away by everyone's generosity! Thank you all so much!!!! 

Monday, April 22, 2013

More about our trip and time spent with the kids at the transition home...



We've been home for a month now and I feel bad that I am just now sitting down again to blog more about our trip! Thought I would start by sharing a bit about the transition home and the time we spent there. Most days on our court trip we were able to visit the TH in the morning and the afternoon. There is a covered porch area with couches that were the perfect place for we families to sit and spend time with our children. We got to know so many other wonderful families on our trip. Many of whom we had already started getting to know over Facebook. Such a blessing to meet them in person and spend time together in Ethiopia. Many of the other families we met have just recently returned to get their kids to bring them home and have been so kind to send us pics and messages to keep us updated on Nara as we wait to clear Embassy. I have to say that I was so impressed with the TH. The nannies there are wonderful and so loving towards the kids. There is a teacher there who works with the kids, teaching and helping them learn some english. Ryan and I had the opportunity to sit in on Nara's class one day. Most of them were around 3-5 years old. The kids each took turns introducing themselves and then sang songs for us. Some of them we recognized so we sang along. So cute! We loved it! Once a week there is a man who has a big van that comes and picks up the kids and takes them for a short ride around town. When he pulled into the compound the kids began yelling and screaming with delight. Nara started crying because she thought she was going to be left out so the nannies motioned for Ryan and I to hop in.  So the next thing you know here we are piling into a van with 3 nannies and about 15 toddlers and go bouncing along the bumpy streets of Ethiopia lol. Our time at the TH was such a blessing. The kids there are so delightful and beyond precious. My sister Anna got to know many of the older girls while we were there. Most of the older kids spoke really good english. By the middle of the week when we would pull into the compound the girls would yell out Anna's name. We joked saying that she was like a rockstar for the week. She is so good with kids and they were just drawn to her I think. Many of them sobbed the day that we left because they didn't want to say goodbye. The girls taught Anna, Mom, myself and even Ryan some of their fun little dances and hand shakes. My favorite was Do Do Dessy. They also fought over braiding our hair. It was so funny the first time they tried to do cornrows and after they'd get to the end of the braid they would attempt to rough up the ends hoping it would stay. Of course after trying several times they realized our hair doesn't quite work that way and they all began to giggle. The children there who had already been matched with families were so proud to tell us about them and ask if we knew them. They would show us pictures and letters that their new families had sent in care packages. One little girl is being adopted from a family in Florida and is so excited to get to see the beach this Summer for the first time. Another girl showed us on the map where she will be living soon. The girls continued to go on and on sharing about their new families. Anna noticed that one little girl in particular just stood there listening not saying anything and seemed like something was bothering her. Anna pointed her out later that day and Ryan and I recognized her as one of the girls on the waiting child's list. This broke Anna's heart once she realized that this sweet girl didn't yet have a family. Reality began to set in at this point once we started thinking about the kids there who haven't been placed with a family. The ones who aren't getting care packages sent to them and are still waiting. Once we spent time laughing and playing with the kids it became more real. These children have names, stories, hopes and dreams. They long to be loved and belong in a family. Maybe this is why it has been hard for me to write about our trip. So many mixed emotions that I am still trying to sort through from all that we saw and experienced. The overall trip was wonderful don't get me wrong but there were bits and pieces of it that really opened my eyes to the reality for some of these children. What kind of stories or circumstances have led them to be without a family. Praying that God will continue to open my eyes and break my heart for the things that break His. Praying that He will show us ways that we can help to prevent these children from becoming orphans in the first place. And for the ones that already are may He open our hearts to make room for them because every heart deserves a home.


This is where the older kids have class time each day....

Toddler class time is held here...

Outside of building where the girls sleep. 

Playground at the Transition Home

Nara's little bed


Can't imagine doing laundry for all those kiddos. Especially by hand...

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

A Gift From the Post Family! (pics/vids of Nara included!)

We thought we'd share a video and picture montage that our good friends Trent and Carmen Post with Make Your Mark Ministries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia put together for us. They blessed us by going to visit Nara a few days after she was referred to us. They shared the video with us when they were in Charlotte back in December of 2012. Enjoy!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Traditional Ethiopian Dinner

We were very excited to eat a traditional Ethiopian meal complete with dancing and singing.  Our daughters' culture is so rich and beautiful and we hope that she can retain some of her culture as she grows up. 






Pouring the traditional "honey wine". 


Washing hands before we eat. 


The traditional meal. The rolled up bread is what you use to pick up the different items and everyone eats off of this same dish. 








 They pretty much made everyone in our group get up and dance ha! 

What's Next for Nara's Journey Home?


Courtney and I have been home from our first trip to Ethiopia to visit Nara for 1 week now, and it would be an understatement to say that we miss her. There are still so many thoughts and emotions running through our minds when looking back at our time with Nara. We hope to have her home for good in 3-6 weeks. I guess until now, we haven’t given it very much thought as to how we would need to adjust to meet Nara’s physical and emotional needs once we have her in our home. We tend to get so caught up in the idea of the situation that we fail to face the reality of it at the same time.

Nara has experienced a lot of pain in her very short 3 years of life on earth…poverty, abandonment, orphanage life, and being transplanted now four times (including us) to different caregivers just to name a few. For those of you in the adoption “circle” you’ll know what I’m talking about when I mention the word “cocooning”, but for those outside the circle you’re wondering, “What do butterflies have to do with adoption?” Cocooning is the strategy that many adoption resources suggest to facilitate bonding and attachment once you bring an adopted child into your home. It basically consists of keeping her at home with us for the first 6-8 weeks of being home from Ethiopia, with very minimal outside visitors or outings. It also means that Courtney and I would be the only ones allowed to hold, feed, bathe, clothe, comfort, console, and meet her needs during the 6-8 week period.

Some of you may be thinking, “That sounds crazy! You shouldn’t isolate her or shelter a kid like that.” Just a few weeks ago, I would have agreed with you, but after meeting my daughter and getting a glimpse of the world that she’s known so far in her lifetime, I’m beginning to see the benefits of this “cocooning” idea. Nara needs to know that for the first time in her life what a family is and what it means to trust. She needs a calm and minimal-stress environment that she’s never experienced up until this point. Most of the memories or ideas that she currently has of family or parents are negative. She’s been passed from caregiver to caregiver which obviously creates confusion for her as to whom she should trust to meet her needs. She needs the chance at a “fresh” emotional start to bond and attach to the parents that God had planned for her since before time.

With that being said, I’d like to layout the “Game Plan” that Courtney and I plan to put into place once we get Nara home.

First off, let me say that we KNOW that everyone (friends/family) have been praying and waiting on this moment for a long time. We can’t express to you all how much your prayers and encouragement have meant to us along the way. In fact, once we get her home, we’ll need that prayer and encouragement more than ever. This plan of action is not meant to shelter Nara or to keep her from all of you that so badly want to meet her and love her. Just trust us, if she healthily bonds to Courtney and I, her bond to you will be all the healthier. So please trust and respect our decision on how we’ll handle our first weeks/months home with Nara. The decisions we are making are based solely off the advice of experts and families who have gone before us. Ultimately, these decisions are being made to keep Nara’s best interests in mind… which is why we started this process in the first place.

We plan to implement our “game plan” for at least the first 6-8 weeks after arriving home with Nara. We will eliminate all unnecessary outings and activities during this time period. We will allow limited visitors during this crucial time. Courtney and I will be the ONLY ones to hold, feed, clothe, bathe, comfort, console, and show excessive affection to Nara during this phase. This is not to shelter or “hog” Nara but to eliminate all possible confusion as to whom her parents are.

Nara after a mini "meltdown".
This “game plan” will obviously change and adapt as we watch her blossom and evolve in her ability to create attachment with Courtney and I. I look forward to the day we can look back and see the “before” pictures of Nara and say, “ Wow, look how far she’s come…she doesn’t even seem like the same kid.” While in Addis we witnessed such a timid, unsure, scared child. We got a few glimpses of the “real” Nara while we were there and we believe that this plan of action will help peel back the layers to get to the “real” Nara.

Ryan/Courtney


 
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