BAPTISM

Christina and Matthew were baptized today, Sunday. Many of you may ask, why were they not baptized as babies? Well, in some Christian denominations, the babies are "dedicated" to the Lord in a ceremony, but when they grow to an age of reason, they may make the decision to be baptized into their Christian faith and make their commitment to follow Christ on their own timing. Christina and Matthew made that decision and came to us independently, without our urging, and asked to be baptized. There are many different forms of baptism; to be "sprinkled" with water as an infant, as my husband Jacob was into the United Methodist church as a baby. I was "sprinkled" as a young teen into the Lutheran church, and there is also the good old fashioned "immersion", which is what Christina and Matthew chose, because we all now attend a non-denominational church where people of different denominational background can worship and learn together. So here are a couple of pictures. Our Pastor's father, Bill, did the ceremony. There were about 10 people getting baptized today, ranging from ages 8 - 68. It was a very heartfelt and beautiful ceremony!

Now we are off to enjoy a couple of days at a WaterPark Hotel since we are on spring break this week! Should be fun! I'll post pictures when we return. Have a great week and blessings to you all.

WAITING 4 MONTHS AS OF TODAY......

< Well, here we are 4 months into our wait for referral. It's hard to think too much about it. I try to only think about the wait once a month...... which is nearly impossible to do!!! I have been working on my Mandarin still. I have been enjoying blogs to encourage me. I follow a few yahoo groups to get info on the process and travel and other things. I try to keep myself occupied with other activities to help pass the time. I know this is the first of 2 waiting periods. The next one will be between referral, court process and travel, which also seems to be getting longer for people. We originally were told about 5 months until travel after referral. Now according to the yahoo groups I follow, it is more like 8 months!!!??? That's a crazy amount of time to wait AFTER you have a child referred to you!! Meanwhile SHE waits and grows and wonders when we are coming. Or she doesn't wonder at all and gets too used to her life as it is in an orphanage or a foster home, not even knowing it is temporary situation until she has a forever home. Then we come and disrupt her little life. But, if we don't, what possible future will she have? What can we do? It will all be worth it in the end for all of us. We will have someone to love, teach, grow, and she will have a family to depend on forever. We look forward to our little girl arriving, but for now, we wait......

WE MADE A FEW AMENDMENTS ON OUR APPLICATION- BABY OR "BIG GIRL"?

The wait for referral is becoming longer and longer the more I read about people's status in their Taiwan adoption journey. A 3 year wait is what we are looking at if we are wanting to adopt a "healthy" baby girl under 2. A couple years ago, the China adoption processes became backed up due to SARS, the Beijing Olympics, and other issues. In addition to that, Vietnam and Cambodia adoption programs closed due to corruption. So, many people began pouring into the Taiwan adoption programs. As we know Taiwan is TINY compared to mainland China, so suddenly Taiwan became overrun with applications and families hoping to adopt. Thus, the long wait for referrals from Taiwan currently. However, a possible hope according to my agency- she told me that as of a year ago, Taiwan's placing agencies quickly put a limit on each agency's applications from families. So my agency is hopeful that the referrals will start speeding up again here in the next year or so as everything balances out.

Nevertheless, we have decided to make a couple changes on our application. We have decided to increase our child's desired age from 0-24 months, to 0-48 months. We have also added some minor/correctable special needs that we would be willing to accept. Since our youngest, Joshua, will be 5 in Sept., we thought an older toddler would fit in just fine to the birth order! Our agency also believe this should speed up our wait time a bit. I'm hoping this will take a year off the wait.. or am I dreaming??

HI HO HI HO, ITS OFF TO WORK I GO TO THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH- 20 years of "Making Magic"!

I haven't been updating very much lately because I have been training into new roles and taking extra hours at work. I am so thankful that, although I can work extra hours, I am only obligated to work part time. Sometimes that is all I can do when the kids' activity schedules are packed. The fall is definitely a time when I have to work less and be home/chauffeuring more! Right now, however, I have been working extra hours because Jacob and I have been able to juggle our schedules with the kids and make it work without too much stress. When I can make some extra money, it is really helpful and of course helps me save more for the adoption! I haven't talked about my work on this blog at all, but since I have a lot of time on my hands until our adoption referral comes in, I may as well share a little. I have been working for Walt Disney World for 20 years as an actor/singer/dancer. I have done many many shows throughout the years and am still going strong (well maybe not quite as strong as 15 years ago!). I've done everything from dinner shows, park shows, street theatre, to hosting and animated voices. I also free lance outside of Disney as a commercial actor and spokes person. Now with all of that said, after all these years, I really enjoy just doing my part time schedule now and "subbing" into other shows when needed. My family is where most of my time and energy goes.

I am blessed everyday I walk into my work and look at all of the guests' excitement at being at the "Happiest Place on Earth". I have a great time with my funny friends and enjoy entertaining.

JOSHUA'S FIRST TIME IN THE SNOW!

I have been so busy working extra hours in rehearsals over the past 4 weeks, so I haven't any time to get on here! Anyway, since I had to work so much, Joshua had the opportunity to go to Mobile, AL and visit his grandparents, "Lolli and Pops", for 2 weeks. Well, it actually snowed on the day they were driving back to meet us and they found a place to pull over and go out into the snow and play! Lolli snapped a few shots for me. This was Joshie's first experience in the snow! My 2 older kids have had a few chances to enjoy the snow on our trips home to Colorado and to Minnesota in the past. Living here in Florida, I sometimes miss the snow. I guess I would like it if it just snowed for a few days, but I don't miss scraping my car and shoveling it out every morning in the freezing temps! I know some of my fellow Floridians are over the "cold" temps we've been having (30's-40's), but I am loving the cool weather. It is soooo hot here in the loooong hot season, I'm not in a hurry to get to it!

HERE IS AN ARTICLE BY JACKIE SEMAR OF INTERNATIONAL CHILD FOUNDATION-I wanted to write about this situation, but this article is perfect!

Dear Families & Friends,

Much has happened over the past week, and most importantly, orphans are yet again at risk due to very poor judgement on the part of advocates, in this case, a group of missionaries in Haiti. You have all no doubt read the news -- 10 US citizens were arrested and remain in custody in Haiti for allegedly attempting to take 33 Haitian children into the Dominican Republic, without Haitian permission. There are back stories and side stories and front stories surrounding this event. Safe to sum it up by saying that it was poor judgement to try to circumvent authorities. 10 adults were involved, they each share the responsibility. But that is where it ends. I say this because I am sure all of you as well as adoption advocates are very sick and tired of being lumping into "child traffickers" by the media or UNICEF. There are some people who have little sense or respond to a state of chaos by deciding all rules are suspended. Or they envision themselves as saviors and above the law. They are few and far between. Just as having a registered child molester living in your neighborhood does NOT mean you are a child molester, too, neither does having a small band of missionaries or adoption facilitators taking a group of children into the DR without proper authority mean that all missionaries or adoption workers or adoptive parents are child traffickers. The US is the place where everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Please do not fall into the abyss of jumping to conclusions based on, God forbid, the media. Unless, of course, you want your actions to be defined by the presumptions of strangers.

Innocent until proven guilty. Say that aloud a few times. This is part of what it is to be an American, a very important part. An inestimably important part -- because failure to honor this creed and value has closed too many adoption programs. Children in need of families have found the door shut in their face, because the many have been punished for the crimes of the few. Let's not let this happen again.

What we focus on expands.

Jackie Semar

Director

International Child Foundation

ANOTHER OFTEN ASKED QUESTION-WHY DON'T WE ADOPT THE CHILDREN WAITING HERE IN THE U.S?

I have posted about this in the past, but I will do it again as I often get asked this question! As far as choosing domestic adoption first for us here in the US, there are many reasons why it isn't always the best or easiest choice for some families. Although it is an excellent option for the right families! We have already tried the domestic foster care adoption route before, which did not work out due to the child's past abuse and us having children already. If you are interested in adopting a non special needs child under the age of 5 here in the US, you would have to go the private adoption route, adopting a newborn, which is VERY expensive process- $30,000 - $40,000. There are also thousands of families waiting to do that already. Foster care adoption can bee a great option. You can check the foster care photolisings, but I have rarely ever seen any children under 5 available for adoption who are not considerable special needs or who are not a part of a sibling group which must be adopted together. So that narrows options if you are not prepared for the medical and therapy costs and time commitment of a special needs child, or if you don't have room for a sibling group. You can get a foster license with the hope to adopt, should your child become available. If you are a family who has children already, you have to be prepared that adopting from foster care is taking in a child who has been abused physically or sexually- or has been severely neglected. Social services won't place many of them, with families that have young children, for that reason. Now, there ARE many children available in foster care who are 7- 16 years. Many of these children are developing well and have caregivers who are helping them to be healthy. These children deserve a home and a family. For our family situation in particular, we have 3 school age children. It is not recommended in adoption to disrupt the sibling age order, so I makes our choices very difficult! We would definitely still consider adopting from the foster care system, if our current international adoption did not work out for some reason. All children deserve a family. At least here in the US, the orphans have a government support system, albeit not the most ideal situation, to carry the children through to adulthood. In many countries world wide, the children's future is very bleak. This is not an easy choice, and again, there are no easy or "right" answers.

Every adoptive family wants to adopt for various reasons. All are valid. There are choices in adoption and it is wonderful to make those choices that are best for your family. Adoption is beautiful.

SOME PEOPLE ASK WHY WE SHOULD ADOPT CHILDREN FROM COUNTRIES LIKE HAITI AND TAKE CHILDREN FROM THEIR HOME CULTURE- A GREAT QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION!

Why should we adopt internationally and remove children from their home culture? In an ideal world, we wouldn't need to, or have the opportunity to do this. There are millions of orphans world wide. All children deserve a home and a loving family. The children in Haiti who have just recently been orphaned due to the earthquake, should definitely NOT be adopted out, nor will they be, it is impossible, and unethical, to adopt a child who is not legally orphaned. The huge portion of the 380,000 children in Haiti who were ALREADY LEGALLY orphans before the earthquake should be given the chance to find homes in order for the orphanages to rebuild and make room for the THOUSANDS of new orphans. This is just my personal opinion, but I also believe by each orphanage directors discretion, we should give the children humanitarian refuge until their orphanages are rebuilt and their paperwork is sorted out over the next couple years. Within the orphanage walls and gates, everyday, all day, the children are not getting the opportunity to enjoy their "culture". Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. The orphanage directors are doing everything they can to get a meal into the children before they starve to death, (this was already the case before the earthquake this was happening). Yes, It would be ideal for every country to have a domestic adoption option for the local orphans to find homes. Most countries, such as Haiti and many others, do not have a good (or any) domestic adoption programs because their are no families who can afford to feed another mouth. In fact with Haiti in particular, the government does not run or support any orphanages, they are all run by philanthropic organizations who function only on donations given. Each orphanage director is literally "parents" to these abandoned and lost children. Also, in many countries, domestic adoption is looked down upon for social reasons. Families are ashamed and keep it hidden if they have to adopt. So, in a perfect world, yes, a child would do best to be adopted into their own culture. It isn't happening. These children are sent out of the orphanages and into the streets on their own at 12-14 years old if they are not adopted, to face a very bleak, or perhaps even horrific future. Starvation, trafficking, prostitution, slave labor and death are the common options at that point. I am not being dramatic, this is truth. There is no perfect answer. They can remain in their culture and face an impossible future, or they can be adopted internationally and begin a difficult adjustment process, but have a chance for education and a future, and perhaps someday they can return to their country and be a help for their future.

I do feel that families who adopt internationally should include culture of their heritage in their children's lives and make it a part of their growing experience.

HAITI ORPHANS RESCUE! (click here to read more)

I am so excited to hear that 61 Haitian orphans, who were in the process of adoption, were flown to Pennsylvania in the US yesterday and today to receive humanitarian refuge! Also 100 Haitian orphans, in the same situation, were flown to the Netherlands today as well! I thought it would never happen with all of the bureaucracy involved with adoption and immigration in our countries. I read that the children were given visas, while they wait for their paperwork to be completed, so that the would not have to be returned to their devastated country! This beautiful and innocent children were spared! Now many families who were in the process of adopting these children will be able to complete the process with the children in safe hands. Please pray and inquire of your state to reach out to the thousands of other orphanages devastated in the event. There are families ready and willing to adopt the children who are legal orphans here in the US and I imagine in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe as well. I'm not sure how that process or if that process would be possible during this time, but God can do amazing things and move mountains for the good of the innocent!

On a side thought, my last post only spoke of the negative issues in Haiti, and after reading it again, I wanted to state some positive things about the Haitian people. The Haitians I work with are beautiful, smiling, hard working people who are survivors and have a hope in God for their families left behind and for their Nation.

Deut. 10:18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

PRAY FOR HAITI AND THEIR ORPHANS (click on this title to go to the Red Cross homepage and donate!)

If you have not heard of the devastation in Haiti due to the 7.0 earthquake, all you have to do is tune into any news station and hear of this horrible tragedy. I spent a good portion of the day yesterday watching the heartbreaking coverage. I have often been saddened by the condition of Haiti - this is an extremely impoverished country. I had recently read about how mothers have to make "mud cakes" for their children to eat- taking mud, straw, oil, salt and baking small cakes to fill their hungry children's bellies. I have many coworkers who come from Haiti, who are praying for their families there right now. Many of these people come here and work for many years until they can afford to have their families join them. They speak of the poverty, unbelievable hunger, violence, and their deep fear of "black magic" which is steeped in their society. Over the past 15 years, thousands of poor, homeless and orphans are sought out and shot by violent men who are instructed to eliminate the "waste" of society. Orphanages had to keep their gates chained from intruders.

Please take a minute and pray for the people in Haiti. I pray that the world will see their need, act in a big way, and perhaps Haiti can be rebuilt even stronger than it was before. I pray that anyone still living who is buried, will be found. I pray that parents and children will not be separated in the chaos and will be kept safe from violence. I pray that all of the convicted felons who escaped will be found. And I pray that God will bring relief to all of the hurting people's needs.

On a positive note, I have read of 4 orphanages having much damage, but not a single injury to the children. I am hoping to hear more good news like this.

Let's be active in giving at this time to help this country rebuild and heal!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATTHEW!

Matthew turned 11 this week! He is a sweet natured and easy going son. He brings us so much joy.

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

LESSON IN CHINESE!

As I mentioned on an earlier post, I want to learn some Mandarin Chinese for our adoption. I know taking on the task of learning an Asian language will be very difficult without formal classes with a Chinese instructor to help me with accenting. (very different from the latin root languages) My husband got me the most wonderful gift for Christmas to help me get started- it's called, "Simple Language Chinese For Adoptive Families". It is a book and CD specializing in learning phrases that pertain to our situation in particular! The book has the phrases written out in English, and the official written chinese with the English alphabet, and also phonetically. Following along with the CD and the Chinese instructors accenting slowly. I am aware that I may not master it, but this will be a fun project and who knows, maybe I will learn a little! After all, we have a couple of years of waiting to do! Even my kids have learned several phrases as we drive in the car. Once I feel comfortable with more of it and since I work at Epcot (WDW), I will go and ask some friends from the China pavilion to help me out!

Here are some of the phrases I've memorized just in the past few weeks:

I am your mommy. Wo shi ni de ma ma. Waw shir nee duh mah mah.

I am your daddy. Wo shi ni de ba ba. Waw shir nee duh bah bah.

This is your sister. Zhe shi ni de jie jie. Juh shir nee duh jyeh jyeh.

This is your brother. Zhe shi ni de ge ge. Juh shir nee duh guh guh.

You are my daughter. Ni shi wo de nuu er. Nee shir waw duh new er.

You are my son. Ni shi wo de er zi. Nee shir waw duh er dzuh.

We love you so much! Wo men fei chang ai ni! Waw mun fay chahng eye nee.

You are so precious. Ni shi bao bei. Nee shir baow bay.

Don't be afraid. Bu yao hai pa. Boo yaow hi pah.

Don't worry. Bu yao dan xin. Boo yaow dahn sheen.

It's okay. Mei you guan xi. May yo gwan shee.

Can I hold you? Wo bao ni hao ma? Waw baow nee how mah?

Are you hungry? Ni e ma? Nee uh mah?

Are you thirsty? Ni ke ma? Nee kuh mah?

Yes. Shi. Shir.

No. Bu shi. Boo shir.

Hello. Ni hao. Nee how.

Goodbye. Zai jian. Tsai jyan.

How are you? Ni hao ma? Nee how mah?

Good. Hao. How.

Bad. Huai. Hwhy.

Please. Qing. Cheeng.

Thank you. Xie xie ni. Shyeh shyeh nee.

I'll add more phrases in a few weeks and we can all learn together!

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!

We're having such a fun and busy Christmas and I hope you all are too! I don't at all want to put a damper on all of the Christmas fun, shopping and celebration, because that is such a special part of the holiday! This video I am posting is not to make us feel bad, but I just thought is was so poignant and really has made me think about the true meaning of the holiday and to also rethink my spending!

My sister in law, Susanna, works as a writer for Living Water International, (click on post title above to go to their website) , which is a ministry that builds wells for fresh water for people in need world wide! Watch this video, it will change they way you think about Christmas shopping. Every year, I am striving to spend a little less on indulging ourselves in many gifts. I'm still working on it and getting better, but still find myself overspending, ugh! I hope I can continue to improve in my choices and keep giving to those in need! Please take 2 minutes to watch this video-(sorry- you'll have to first scroll down to the bottom of this page and pause my blog music, then begin the video to hear the audio!)

GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS!

I love Christmas and preparing for the season! Here are some fun pics. This is our house all festive, okay it doesn't snow in Florida- but oh well!

Joshua is having fun decorating the tree! It was quite warm that evening!

He's a cutie in his Santa Hat!

Jacob and I on the night of our yearly Christmas party- One of my favorite traditions!

Our tree. Jacob spends a lot of time putting on a gazillion lights!

Here is some of the food I prepared for the party.

Christina's Dance studio performs in Celebration where it "snows" every night during the Holiday Season. She is doing a Ballet number.

She is a beautiful dancer.

Christina and her best friend, Alexis. They are growing up so fast! (and no they don't wear this much make-up in real life - only for performances!)

This is Joshua and Matthew playing in the "snow" at Celebration, Fl. It is so warm this night that the "snow" suds are even melting as soon as they hit the ground!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MANY BLESSINGS!

I AM A GUARDIAN AD LITEM. WHAT IS A GUARDIAN AD LITEM?

Exactly what is a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)? Throughout my life, I have wanted to do something to help children in need. I knew, if I just looked around, there was something I could do close to home. Having attempted to adopt from foster care years ago, and finding that the sweet tiny girl we wanted (only 6 years old mind you) was so badly abused that she could not be placed in a home with siblings, I was shockingly introduced to the world of abused children. It was a world more common than I had realized. WHO would touch a child with intention of harm like that? Don't people know how innocent they are? When you see your own child get a genuine fear come over them, perhaps about a stranger, or a situation where they feel lost, you can see their helplessness and sensitivity. What parent would intentionally harm them or ALLOW or worse yet ENCOURAGE someone in their home harm them in ways that would make ours hearts sick? When the child completely and utterly depends on that parent to protect them? It's almost too much to bear and I know many people who say to me, "Don't tell me about it, I don't want to know." Well, we HAVE TO know, because it is happening all around us. The children cannot protect themselves.

Last year I became a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem. A GAL is a person who advocates for the rights of abused and neglected children in the foster care system. I did 30 hours of training, and pretty much had my first case given to me immediately. I learn most as I go along! I am now on my 3rd case of a sibling group. I visit them a couple times a month. Talk with them, visit their school, observe situations, homes, care-takers and watch for signs of problems. Make sure they are getting the care and protection they need. I attend court with them when needed. It sounds like a lot, but I really only spend a few hours a week working on my case. I promise you, anyone can do this. The reward is establishing a relationship with these broken children. They love for me to visit! They talk and enjoy the attention. I still keep in touch with my first case regularly, even though he is in another county now.

I never thought I would be driving around through the back roads of my county visiting old shambled trailers and finding little sad children inside. Or perhaps a child readjusting in a big beautiful foster home. Or a child trying to find his place in a group home. All of the families welcome me, no matter what has happened. They know I am there for the child's best interest. If you are interested in being a volunteer in your immediate community, consider being a GAL. The program supervisors will work with you and only give you what you can handle. Even if it is just one child who you have to visit occasionally. Or as many as you want, because there are THOUSANDS in your county. It is so rewarding and they need us!

Matthew 25:40

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'