A Couple of Pictures

I haven't received any pictures from Nate in Liberia yet, so I was THRILLED to see these on Facebook when I woke up this morning!!!!!  

It warms my heart to see these photos, but also instills in me a new sense of urgency to get that little boy home. Tomorrow will be a big day.

Taking a break from adoption business, Nate was able to go out and do a little sightseeing yesterday.  He said at one point he was climbing up stairs in an eight story hotel that had been destroyed by war.  I wasn't so thrilled with that report, but glad to know he was out having a little fun!  He also took a little walk down to the market to chat with some new friends he had made and I assume he is continuing to enjoy this...

Today will hopefully be a day of relaxation and preparation for his big day tomorrow. 

 I love you Nate!!!  You are an amazing husband and father!!  I miss you and am so proud of you!!!

Text From Nate

I wanted to share this text I received from Nate this morning.

"Thanks to everyone who has been praying.  I feel your prayer.  James' cough has improved and the feeding tube infection disappeared in 24 hours!  Things are coming together and for the first time, there is a real optimism on this working out.  Joy and peace.  Please keep praying, it's making a big difference."

Blessed Hope

We are hoping that this 4th of July will be our best ever!  I am in the process of changing Nate and James' return flight to Wednesday, which would have them home on Thursday.  We got the news we needed today to keep this process moving.  There continue to be no guarantees, but there is a great amount of hope from Nate, Wayne, Shannon and the orphanage staff.  

There will be meetings with various people on Monday and Tuesday.  We should know by the end of Tuesday what the final word will be about the visa.

Nate has James pretty much full time now.  He has spent the last two nights with Nate at the guesthouse and they continue to be more comfortable with each other.  Yesterday, Nate spent quite a while pushing James in his stroller up and down the beach.  James loved it and pointed to go outside for more when Nate brought him back in the house. 

Nate said James can stand and can kind of walk, but really doesn't like to.  He doesn't say many words, but uses lots of hand motions to communicate what he wants.  He will lift up his shirt and expose his feeding tube when he is hungry, I think that is sooo cute!!

We have a bit of a long weekend ahead of us.  Nothing will happen in the visa process until Monday, but I am hoping that Nate and James will enjoy a couple days of "down time" to just enjoy Liberia together.

Thank you all for your encouraging words and texts.  We will continue to look to our eternal blessed hope, our God and Savior,  Jesus Christ.  Some who read this may not share in that blessed hope and may discount it as foolishness, but I have never felt more confident in Him in my life.  My confidence and belief in God doesn't make him more powerful, but through the Holy Spirit, it makes me more powerful.  Thank you Jesus.

New Plan

OK, I am going to keep this blog post relatively general. I'm not really sure why, but just due to the sensitive nature of our situation I don't want to say anything or unknowingly insult someone who may be involved in this process.  Not that I really have anything insulting to say or think that government officials are actually reading my blog, but I just feel the need to tread carefully.

First things first, Nate and James will not be coming home together on Monday evening like originally planned. Tomorrow a new plan will be developed.  We will find out that either a) there is a good possibility (but not a guarantee) that Nate and James will be able to come home next Thursday, or b) that Nate will need to come home without James on Monday and we will have to beat cheeks to complete the full adoption process on him before we can bring him home.

So please, prayers for tomorrow.

If things don't go well tomorrow, I will explain what is all happening.  But if things go well tomorrow, I will likely not go into details about it on the blog until Wednesday evening.

Nate continues to build his bond with James, and has earned some smiles, which hopefully helps ease his physical and emotional exhaustion with the process. The kids and I are staying at my parents, trying to keep them occupied and distracted from the stress. Thank you Andrea Salzer for taking them today! I'm doing my best to support Nate via texts and phone calls. Not a lot of sleep for any of us, but always focused on bringing our sweet James home.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Big Setback

The good news today was that they were able to get in for a visa appointment.  The bad news is that the US Embassy in Liberia denied James' and Shadrack's visas.  

Devastating blow to this whole process, but we will not lose hope!  Roosevelt, the deputy director of the orphanage, has arrived in Liberia and has already made many phone calls to try to clear this up. It's time for us to pray for a miracle!!  I have felt amazing hope and peace today and all glory to God for that!!  I refuse to be beaten down or discouraged.  James WILL come home to us, its just not going to be easy.

A moment to send a huge thank you to Erica Allen, April Engen and Katie Barden.  All three of you blessed me and encouraged me in amazing ways yesterday!  I need you to know that I would not have been able to take this news well today had it not been for my interactions with each of you!  Thank you for allowing God to use you to strengthen me.

I spoke to James on the phone today.  I got to hear him breathe and cough and it brought me to tears. Oh how I want to snuggle him right up in my arms!!  It's physically painful to not be there, Nate was able to share so many more things about James today and how they have made amazing progress in how well James will respond to him.  James' birth mother continues to prove what an amazing woman she is, as she has been obviously trying so hard to encourage James and Nate's relationship.  Imagining the strength that must take breaks me.

So, honestly, it stinks big time.  But there is room here for God to move his mighty hand and I believe that He will.    

Getting Closer!

I have not spoken with Nate today, but I did receive a text of his day's highlights.  I'm dying for more details, but I know he will contact me when he can!

He had another chance to meet with James and his birth mom.  It sounds like James was still pretty shy and cried a lot.  Late on, he had an opportunity to take James back to the guesthouse and spend some time just the two of them.  Nate said that went well and James seemed comfortable with him.

They finally made it to the bank today to pay for the visa, but the bank's system was down so they were unable to get the confirmation number they needed to go to the Embassy.  It sounds like they should be able to get the confirmation numbers early morning tomorrow and still make it to the Embassy and try to get the visas.  Once that visa is in hand, then we are all set!!

Please pray that everything goes well tomorrow.  Not so much for our sake, but for Wayne and Shannon's.  They are scheduled to leave tomorrow evening, but won't be able to if they don't have their baby's visa!  Nate isn't scheduled to leave until Sunday, so he will have a few more days to try to work it out if for some reason this doesn't go as planned.

Thanks so much for checking in on the updates!  So sweet to know so many people care!

The Best Laid Plans....

So, pretty much none of the things that were supposed to happen today did! But its not all bad!

Rebecca was supposed to pick Nate, Wayne and Shannon up between 12 and 1pm today.  Around 2pm, Nate texted me and said she had not shown up yet and the bank closes at 4pm.  Shortly after Nate texted me, he went into his room to lie down.  Wayne came and knocked on his door around 3pm to let him know Rebecca and Georgia (the social worker) had arrived.  Nate came out to the living room to find several women sitting on couches, but didn't notice at first that there was a small boy sitting there as well.  James!!! And his birth mom!!  Both just sitting there on the couch!  We did not think Nate was going to have the chance to meet her, but were so hoping that he would.  The visit lasted about 20 minutes. Nate said it went really well and that James is such a sweet, shy little guy.  He wasn't quite sure what to think of Nate and cried when he tried to hold him.  But as they left, James waved "bye bye" and seemed to be warming up to Nate. They will have another visit tomorrow!

By the time the visit ended it was too late to go to the bank.  We found out later that the paperwork wasn't ready for them to go to the bank anyway. No visit to the embassy then either because bank trip needs to happen first. Praying that everything will be in order for tomorrow and that they can get to the bank tomorrow.  The embassy is closed tomorrow so that appointment will have to wait until Wednesday.

Nate is really enjoying his visit in Liberia.  He had a chance to walk down to the market today, play soccer and hand out Snickers bars to kids, give away some DJ Splash CDs and give two men bibles.  He is loving the hot weather and the wonderful people.

And here's a TOTALLY crazy "God thing!"  Our old pastor from Brooklyn Park Evangelical Free Church, Rick Ensrud, is staying at the same guesthouse as Nate.  Crazy!!!  Apparently he does some discipleship training and travels there a few times a year.

So all in all, a pretty good day.  We had some moments when we were feeling very discouraged that the bank and embassy business did not get done.  But we know flexibility is mandatory in international adoption and there are some things that are completely out of our control.  Honestly, I shed a few tears of frustration today, but am hopeful for a better day tomorrow!

Plan For Tomorrow

Nate called me at 3:45pm this afternoon (8:45pm Liberian time) and it was SO good to hear his voice!  He reported that he was pretty sick of airplanes, hadn't slept much during the trip and was looking forward to a good night sleep.  But he was excited to be there and was very pleased with the guesthouse he will be staying at!  It's right on the beach and there are huge, loud waves crashing against the shore. Beautiful!

The flights all went off without a hitch once he left Minneapolis.  He arrived at the Liberian airport and described it as a "little sketchy", but had no problem finding many people to help him with his bags.  Apparently an argument broke out amoung some gentlemen about who got to take care of Nate's bags and Nate ended up paying a total of $20 to various men to try to please everyone.  Oh well, they obviously need the money more then he does! 

The ride from the airport to the guesthouse was about an hour and uneventful.  Nate said the drive was pretty much what he expected.  Lots of houses with thatched roofs and many little children playing along the road.

The plan tomorrow is for Rebecca (who will be the person driving Nate) to pick up Nate and bring him to the bank, where he needs to make his payment for James' visa.  Then they will go to the US Embassy and will schedule an appointment to come back later in the week to get the visa.  This process appears to be easier said then done, so prayers needed please!!

After visiting the Embassy and getting the business end of things out of the way, they will go to JFK hospital and meet James!!!!!!!  Oh joy!!!!!!  Nate will take him back to the guesthouse and they will get to know each other a bit and then Nate will take him back to the hospital for the night.  I told Nate to tell James that his mommy loves him and will meet him soon!!!  I soooo wish I was with Nate right now, but I know it was the best decision for me to stay home with the other kids.  It's probably a lot easier for Nate too that I am not with him :)  I have had the tendency to get a little uptight and anxious during this process, so probably best that he doesn't have to deal with me!!  It's just so hard to not be there!!!

I will update tomorrow after I hear a report from Nate.  I know I will be waiting with GREAT anticipation to hear EVERYTHING!!!!

He Has Arrived!

Nate just landed in Monrovia, Liberia!  I received a text from him about 10 minutes ago saying he was safely to his destination!  Nothing else to report yet... but I am so excited I just had to share!!

He Is Off!

Just got off the phone with Nate. He is about to leave Chicago and head to Brussels.  He had a few minor hiccups with travel, but it all worked out.  Nate's flight from Minneapolis to Chicago was delayed so there was a period of time when we thought he may miss his connecting flight!  Thankfully, he was able to get on a different flight to Chicago and made it in plenty of time. 

He also had a little problem with his carry on bags.  We had put a few things in for James that were prohibited items, so he had to check it and it cost some additional cash. 

We have been hearing from our friends Wayne and Shannon, who arrived in Liberia a few days ago, that the visa application process with the embassy is not going smoothly at all. They are there to pick up their little baby.  Please pray for them, as it appears that things have been very stressful since they arrive.  They are scheduled to leave on Wednesday and there is uncertainty as to whether they will be able to get everything cleared up by then.  Our visa process for James will be the same as theirs, so we are feeling a little nervous about it. We are hoping that things will be smoothed out by the time Nate arrives, but the unknowns are causing some anxiety for all of us!  We are hoping that the worst case scenario is that Nate would need to delay his trip home.  Please God, let that be the very worst case!

This has been such a different process then our first adoption.  Everything was very organized and step by step and pretty darn easy.  We worked with an agency in the US, so it was so much easier to get answers to questions and help when we needed it.  This is a completely different situation.  We are hoping the end result will be the same, but I am pretty sure the process has taken 10 years off my life!

We continue to thank God for the way He has provided for us during all of this.  There have been moments when I am giddy with joy watching and seeing what God is doing in our life!! 

Samuel's Tree

Nate's parents bought us a tree in remembrance of Samuel.  I love the sentiment and am thankful to have this ever present reminder of a sweet and special baby that almost came home to us. 

3 Days

We are coming down to it.  Nate leaves on Saturday.  3 DAYS FROM NOW!  We bounce between, excitement, anxiety, frustration and busyness.

The excitement part is obvious.  We are so excited to meet James.  I can't wait to see him smile and learn what makes him smile.  I can't wait to hear his voice and his laugh.  I can't wait to feel what its like to hold him in my arms.  I can't wait to start watching him grow bigger and stronger.  I can't wait to see what God has planned for his life.

The anxiety part is a little more complicated.  There are still so many unknowns.  What really is the extent of his medical condition?  Will he like us? What if our paperwork isn't all in order?  What if we forgot to do something?  What if there are unexpected fees or procedures that we missed? What if Nate get's sick while he is there?  Or hurt or lost?  These are few of the thoughts that have been racing through my mind and when I am not prepared they will sometimes paralyze me with fear.  I don't want to be anxious.  I want to have faith and peace and just KNOW that it will all work out.  But I'm just not there yet.  Pray for me :)

The frustration is solely due to communication, or lack there of.  The fact of the matter is, its different trying to communicate with someone on the other side of the world.  I can't just pick up the phone or write an email and get my questions answered.  Sometimes phones are disconnected or the reception is poor.  Sometimes they don't have internet or electricity on the Liberian side of things so that delays thing.  It's just so frustrating to not know everything I need to know when I want to know it.  But it has taught me patience and how to give up control and that's a good thing.

And busyness... so much busyness.  We live in a busy world, so this is nothing new, but I seem to have reached a whole new level of busyness.  So much to pack and buy and do.  But this is just a short season of and it will be completely and totally worth it!!!!

So, if all goes as planned, Nate will be leaving Minnesota at 3:22pm on Saturday.  I am not sure how much communication I will have with him while he is gone, but I will update as I hear from him!!

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support.

Christina

This Is For Real Folks!

The plane ticket has been purchased!  This is for real now!  Nate will be leaving for Liberia on June 22nd and arriving home on July 1st.  21 days from now James will be HERE!!!

Airfare was a little bit more then we anticipated.  We knew James was almost two, but we thought his birthday was a little later in the summer.  It turns out the little guy will be two on the 16th, which ended up being a $2000 bummer because now we need to buy him an airplane seat.  If he was under two, he could have been on Nate's lap, which would have been a little cramped, but MUCH cheaper :)

We continue to trust God that this process will go smoothly.  We would like to ask for continued prayers for James and his health, that there would be no red tape or additional paperwork that needs to be done and that God will provide the needed money.  We are praying that the US Embassy in Liberia will be easy to work with and that there won't be any surprises.   

I honestly can't believe that I will be a mother of four in just a few weeks.  Words can not express how anxious I am to meet my little boy!  

What The What?

My brain is spinning.  I don't even know where to start.  Got a call that they want us in Liberia on June 22nd!!!  What the what???  Already??!!

Everything went through so fast because they were able to transfer all of the immigration stuff and court stuff from Samuel to James.

We found this out about 2 hours ago.  So much to do!  Travel plans!  House preparations!

Once my head stops spinning I will post more details!

Fresh Hope For A New Beginning

It has been three weeks now since Samuel died.  It has been a long three weeks and we have learned a lot about ourselves and our amazing family and friends.  We have spent A LOT of time praying and pondering and discussing how we want to move forward from here.  We were not planning on adopting from Liberia.  Two months ago it was a completely foreign idea to us, but now that we have had our hearts open to it, we can't NOT do this!

So that brings us to little James.  James is associated with the same orphanage Samuel was.  He is almost two years old.  About two months ago, he accidentally ingested caustic soda and destroyed his esophagus so he is not able to eat.  He has a feeding tube placed and currently receives Ensure as his nutrition.  Nate and I have decided that we want to bring this sweet little boy into our family.

So we start again with a fresh hope and excitement!  We are a little more tentative and guarded this time, but we are thanking and praising God for everything he places in our lives!

We aren't really sure what the timeframe will be on this.  We don't have to gather any paperwork, as they can use our paperwork that we had already collected for Samuel's adoption.  The process is already underway in Liberia.  So now we wait!

We feel so blessed that Samuel will always be a part of our family's story, even though it was for a very short time.  I think it is amazing that a little 14 month old boy in Africa was so loved by so many that never met him.  I know that many of you shed actual real tears of sadness over his death and that you grieved with us.  Thank you for your open hearts and your love.

So if you are ready, here is little James... another boy to fall in love with.