Annual PE Program

In the Chilean educational system, we learn something new every day.

The most recent thing we have learned is that it is typical for schools to hold an annual PE program; ie, an event at which each grade levels exhibits choreographed performances using skills they have been taught that year. Today was that day for our girls.

It was very interesting to watch the performances, which were energetic and varied. Some of the older grades used props such as colored flags and streamers. A younger grade used hula hoops and one class simply used floor mats to do a tumbling routine which was actually quite impressive for their age (3rd grade.)

As you'll see in the videos below, Isabel's class used army hats and handkerchiefs for their props, while Eva's class went all out on Jedi gear. I never thought I'd see my girly girl performing a Star Wars routine, but Owen assured me he knew all along that his sister could fight like a Jedi! :)

Probably the funniest part was watching his reaction as his sisters performed. If you pay close attention to minute 5:53 on Isabel's video, you will see just how psyched he was! We were really proud of the girls for how hard they worked on these programs. Afterwards Eva was in tears because she felt she'd done poorly, but we assured her that we loved watching her and she had done a fine job. Since the kids had never practiced in the rented gymnasium they used for the event, it was a little overwhelming and confusing for them in a new place.

Our girls are just a few weeks away from finishing their first full year in Chilean school, and they have both made tremendous strides. We are so thankful for their hard work and courage and thank God for them both!

PE Program - Eva

PE Program - Isabel

This Old House

I thought I had posted more pictures of the kids' rooms when we first arrived in Iquique, but these are the only ones I found. Therefore the transformation may not appear as fantastic to you as it does to me, but nonetheless I am so happy with the new colors and set up of the girls' room and the boys' room. The girls have been good sports about moving into the smaller room, which we really appreciate. And all the kids have been pumped since we added the cribs to Owen's room this week. Finally we are all feeling as though this homecoming might really happen!

So without further ado, I present the newly dried, painted and improved second floor of the Garcia house. First, the girls' room:

Then, the boys' room from start to finish:

On Life and Ministry

There have been a number of happenings in our family life and ministry that have been left un-blogged in the busyness of these past few weeks. This post is an attempt to remedy that and do some "catching up" for the sake of family record and others who may be interested in the goings-on of a certain missionary family south of the border. :)

The picture above was taken the evening of Halloween. For most of our children's lives, circumstances have been such that this particular day never really needed to be addressed. Either our kids were too young and already sleeping by the time the trick-or-treaters came, or it seems we were traveling and/or otherwise occupied. Only once before (our last year in Michigan) have we personally done anything for Halloween. The girls vaguely remembered that, and so we decided to repeat the experience when it became obvious that this year we couldn't simply ignore the holiday!

As we explained to our kids this year, we personally choose not to participate in trick or treating. It's not because we think Christians can't but because personally we have chosen not to do so. One reason is the ugliness of the season; here in Chile where Halloween is relatively new (it was never celebrated when I lived here as a child) it seems like only the dark and evil costumes were imported along with the trick or treat tradition. Time is another practical reason we don't participate in this here in Chile. Kids don't start ringing bells until after 8 p.m. and some don't stop until after 11 p.m.! It just doesn't seem at all wise to have them out on the streets that late at night. And finally, besides the fact that our kids simply don't need all that candy, they especially don't need practice in asking for more things - we'd much rather they learn the value of giving instead.

Believe it or not, our kids understood this reasoning quite well. In fact, we had a lot of fun putting together our own goody bags for the neighborhood kids who might stop by. Assembly-line style, Eva, Isabel, Owen and I filled little baggies with assorted candies and in each one we also included a card which said "Jesus Te Ama" and on which was printed John 3:16. We hope that by doing so we were able to be good neighbors and extend kindness to those around us. I know the kids had fun doing it! They couldn't wait for the first person to ring the doorbell. (And I should mention that we did buy some special treats for our kids as well. Just in case you thought we were mean parents who deprived them of all things sweet and gooey!)

I think we may have come up with a Halloween tradition after all. :)

Our church ladies look like they know how to have a good time, don't they? This picture was taken on the evening we celebrated birthdays for the second half of the year. Typically, each of the ladies tries to bring a small inexpensive gift for those who've had birthdays and we enjoy a teatime and birthday cake, as well as a time of games and of Bible study and fellowship.

It has been a pleasure to meet each of these ladies this year and a privilege to be allowed to teach them and to enjoy their company! We are all looking forward to December 8th when we have our long-anticipated dinner out together and wish each other an early Merry Christmas. Next year come March, we'll pick up where we left off and keep learning together and encouraging one another. I'm thankful for these wonderful women.

These pictures were taken when some special guests arrived in Iquique for a few days. Mauricio Vilches and his wife Soledad are Chilean missionaries to Paraguay. They are also good friends of my parents, who have traveled to Paraguay to minister with them on various occasions. Our church here in Iquique recently took the Vilches' on for support and they agreed to come and speak during our month of missions. It was encouraging and challenging to hear of the ministries they carry out and the difficulties they sometimes face in that hot, hot land. They have been in Paraguay for nine years and faithfully serve in areas of leadership training and discipleship.

What surprised us the most on this visit was how Owen attached to the two of the,m but especially to Mauricio. On their final full day, we took them to out to Humberstone and Pica in the desert and Owen accompanied us while the girls were in school. Owen happily sat between Mauricio and Soledad in the van and merrily chattered up a storm in Spanish! The day they left, Owen uncovered one of their prayer cards. I was in the next room and heard him say, "Awww!" and then heard lip smacking noises. I peered over to see him lovingly kissing their faces on the picture! I think they definitely left an impression on his little heart.

Thankful for Permanent Residency

Thanksgiving seems like the perfect day to share the story referenced in my previous post. I am truly thankful!

___________

We did not begin Tuesday with permanent residency on our minds.

With clean-up still ongoing from our flood; painting in process on the kids' rooms; a new problem with our van; and a gazillion things on the schedule for school and church ... it not only wasn't on our minds, it wasn't even on the radar.

All that changed with two simple phone calls. The first, from our friend Martha, saying that she had been at extranjeria since 4:00 AM and was still number 30 in line to check on her own residency papers. (Extranjeria has started handing out numbers; however, they apparently stop at 100. Now foreigners are even going so far as to get in line at midnight and sleep on the sidewalk until the gates open at 8:30, just for a chance to check on their paperwork. The system is so outrageous.)

The second phone call was mine. I decided to try and call our contact at extranjeria to check on our own papers, fully expecting no answer since all my recent attempts had failed. Miraculously, someone answered immediately and even more miraculously, handed the phone to our contact with no questions asked. And then, our contact uttered the beautiful words: Your residency papers are here! You can come get them! But how? And when? Standing in line at 4 AM like Martha?? I mentioned this to the woman on the phone and she said: Just come down right now and get in line with her!

So that's what we tried to do. Of course, I wasn't yet fully dressed; we had to push our white van out of the way in order to squeeze our blue car out of the gate; and all of this took time, culminating in our arriving too late to make it into the office with Martha (who incidentally also received the wonderful news that her residency papers had arrived!) Not to be deterred, however, I somehow managed to jostle through the crowd and hand Pedro's passport to the agent I had spoken with over the phone and she agreed to let us in. On the one hand I felt bad because so many people were waiting and the tension and stress fairly shimmered on the hot summer air. But on the other hand I remembered how many fruitless times we had been summoned to come wait in that line only to be told to go home again, and gratefulness for this window of opportunity won out.

In just a few minutes, information was entered in the computer, papers were handed out, instructions were given, and finally - finally! - we exited that fateful building with our forms in hand and strict instructions to never lose them because they are not replaceable and in that case all the paperwork would have to be re-done from start to finish.

The day's race was just beginning, as Pedro, Martha and I headed to international police. Pedro dropped the two of us off there while he headed home to collect money and pick up the three kids from school. At international police our new residency status was entered in a computer; forms were printed; fees were paid; but - miracle of miracles! - there was no line and we were done in less than half an hour.

Then on to the civil registry office, where we drew numbers 25-29 and the number counter was only on 71 or so. The wait was long, but so was the paperwork to be filled out, so we did that and made the necessary photocopies and chatted and the kids got antsy and the line got shorter and couple of hours later, our turn arrived. Inside, we answered a few questions; provided fingerprints and signatures; had our pictures taken; paid our fee; and were told to return in two weeks for our new carnets (identification cards.)

It was now after 2 o'clock. Poor Martha, on her feet since 4 AM, was exhausted and everyone was hungry. We decided it was definitely a day worth celebrating so we headed to the best pizza place in town where we enjoyed three delicious varieties of pizza and six varieties of desserts! It was wonderful and amazing and we are still praising God for His provision.

Thank You, Lord!

La Definitiva

What a day! God sprung a surprise on us and at the end of it all, we are officially permanent residents of Chile with documents to prove it!! More details to come in a later post (because obviously, there must be a story to tell in all of this) but for now I just had to share the good news! Thank you, Lord!

Blindness

Kerry Hasenbalg (http://kerryhasenbalg.typepad.com/blog/) is an orphan advocate and gifted writer and speaker. She has written many insightful posts during National Adoption Month, but a series of three in particular have stood out to me this week and I wanted to share them here with you:

We Are Still Blind

Blindness Part I - Idols Before Our Eyes

Blindness Part II - Frozen By Fear

National Adoption Month: Introducing, Part 4

I first met Becky on an adoption support forum over five years ago. We were two of many moms in the process of adopting, some for the first time and others for the second time or more. I personally arrived at the forum having just lost the baby we thought would be our son but who was reclaimed by his mother one week after he was placed in our arms. On the forum, but especially within one group of ladies, I found comfort and encouragement from others who were walking the road beside me.

Over the years, a number of these ladies have stayed in touch with one another through the arrival of children, changes in jobs and addresses (and even continents, in our case!) I can honestly say that Becky is one of the sweetest ladies of our group and her adoption story amazes and challenges me. I am excited to share it with you. This week she and I chatted at length via Skype so I could fill in the missing details and give you, as they say, the "full scoop."

Becky was in her 30's and ready for kids even though she was still single. As she puts it, she was afraid if she didn't go ahead and adopt a child she would never have any if she waited for Mr. Right.

And so it was that in October 2003 she became certified as a foster care provider. Four months later, on February 26, 2004 she began fostering Tyler, then six years old. Ty had been with Becky for seven months when she received a call asking her to provide respite care for Cory, then nine years old.

Becky told me that when she was called about Ty she LOVED being a mom to him. Cory came unexpectedly into the picture, but she fell in love and ended up fostering him as well by the next week. As the months went by, both boys became legally free for adoption and on December 8, 2005 the boys' adoptions were finalized and Becky, Ty and Cory became a forever family.

They moved to a bigger house and about a year later Becky again felt the urge to adopt another child. She is clear on this point: she only meant to adopt ONE more child! In January 2007 she was re-certified and on February 20, 2007 she had not one, but TWO little boys placed in her care. Jay was six years old and Logan was one month shy of his third birthday. Two years later, parental rights were terminated for Jay and Logan and on October 23, 2009 they joined Becky's family permanently through adoption.

When I asked Becky what her reason were for doing foster care adoption, she replied that some were financial reasons but "mainly because I thought I could help kids who needed it ... it felt like the reason I wasn't having [biological] kids."

I asked her what advice she would give to others considering adopting through the foster care system, and this what she said:

Know what you are getting into and know your limits as far as behaviors you can handle. Know also that you might get more than that either by accident or intentional lying on the part of [case workers.] Don't be afraid to stand up for the kids in your care. Try to be respectful and do it right but they need you and [case workers] don't always care as much. Finally, it is NOT easy so do NOT do it if it isn't for the kids because you'll fail and only hurt them.

Without going into details, Becky and I did discuss some of the issues she has faced with her boys. It has not always been easy. They have dealt with sleep issues, nightmares, rages, fallout from parental visitation during the foster care years, attachment issues, and unlearning wrong patterns of behavior instilled in their first homes.

To me, Becky is a hero. I honestly don't know how she parents four boys (click here to see how handsome they all are!) on her own. But I do know that she does a fabulous job and that she loves her sons with everything that is in her. Becky chose to take the road less traveled by adopting older children from foster care, with open eyes and an open heart. I hope that her story will encourage someone else who may be considering this option, and that perhaps someone reading this today will also stop by her blog and encourage her for her faithfulness and courage.

Becky, thank you for letting me share your story.

Buried Hearts

Another unforgettable incident of last week was the loss of Pedro's wedding ring in the hot springs of the cocha in Pica.

We were both truly saddened at its loss. After twelve years of marriage its monetary value was not great, but its sentimental value certainly was. It was ordered and crafted through a friend in New York City who in the summer of 1997 prepared wedding and engagement rings for my sister and her husband; Pedro's brother and his wife; and Pedro and me.

The picture below is the best I've found of the ring (we didn't take the traditional ring picture on our wedding day, though now I wish we had!) The ring was made of white gold, fairly thick and wide, definitely a man's ring. Two narrow lines were indented just within the edges of the ring, giving it an interesting form and dimension.


We replaced the ring this week with a nice but inexpensive silver version. It, too, is wide and masculine but the the main difference is a dark tracing of ocean waves through the middle of the ring. We chose it because of its similarity in shape and weight to the original, and because the waves will always remind us that this ring began its story here in Iquique.

Tonight I shared this with Melody, our missionary friend and mentor who loves Northern Chile and invested years of her life here alongside her first husband Bill Dooley. Melody is the type of person who almost always sees the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, and tonight was no exception. Her reaction to the loss of Pedro's ring was this:

That means your hearts are buried deep in the Atacama...that's BEAUTIFUL

What a lovely way to think of this loss, indeed.

Water Woes

It wasn't the sound I expected to hear when I opened my front door upon returning from an airport run Wednesday morning. It sounded like rushing water, and to my astonishment and horror that water was running down my stairs, trickling down my walls, and dripping through my light fixtures on the ceiling. I was stunned and could do little more than exclaim,"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" while my husband raced up the stairs ahead of me.

What we encountered upon reaching the second floor was that Owen's room had literally become a lake; the water reached to my ankles and flowed into the girls' bedroom as well. Unfortunately, after 24 hours without water the company had finally restored it while we were gone and the faucet in Owen's bathroom had accidentally been left open.

Faced with this crisis, we went into emergency mode and I ran to the neighbor's house to ask for a wet vac. Silly me, this is Iquique (where it never rains and flooding is normally not a problem in someone's house.) I returned without a wet vac but with two men in tow who immediately went to work mopping up the first floor, soaking towels then wringing them out and doing it all over again. Meanwhile Pedro scooped buckets upon buckets of water off the bedroom floor upstairs, as I tried unsuccessfully to call everyone I knew to ask about locating the elusive wet vac.

One friend gave me the number of a carpet cleaning company, but their wet vac was undergoing repairs. The yellow pages yielded no better luck. Just then my neighbor Maggie saved the day by tracking down her friend who did have one and was willing to loan it to us. Needless to say, hours were spent in emptying closets, setting out papers to dry, and soaking up gallons of water!

But praise God, the carpets seem to have been salvaged and I give all the credit to my husband for his tireless efforts. Currently we are having a five-person slumber party in our bedroom on the third floor, which is rather interesting but the kids think it is great fun.

We live next to the ocean in the driest desert in the world. (An oxymoron, I know. But true.) As a result of this interesting phenomenon, water can sometimes become a matter of significant discussion and occasional frustration. Any prior water woes, however, will be forever drowned (pun very much intended) in the memory of this week's misadventure!

My Family

Don't be fooled by the grim look on Isabel's face in this picture. Daddy had told the kids to do a serious pose and she was the only one who complied! :)

This picture is sweet to me because - besides the obvious fact that it is of my precious family - it also holds a special memory. Pedro and the kids were on their way to the church in Alto Hospicio on a Saturday to clean it for the next day's services. I love that he involves our children in ministry in this way. Although Pedro readily admits that the cleaning takes longer with the kids in tow, he knows from his own experience (of helping his dad clean houses when he was a boy) that it is important to model a strong work ethic and a servant's heart to our children. Also, it gives the four of them some special bonding time. Pedro is so good about taking the kids for walks and to the park and on errands like this. He does it for them and also for me, because often this allows me time to work on jobs such as lesson preparations or expense reporting without outside noise and distractions.

I am always happy to see them come home, though. I love my family.

Wear It Out Loud: Adoption Tees, Part 5

ADOPTION MAMA

National Adoption Month: Introducing, Part 3

Intrigued. Inspired. Challenged. Convicted. All of these could describe the emotions evoked by the next blog I am going to share with you. I am actually going to let the author introduce herself by sharing her "About Me" profile from her blog:

I am a 41 year old, homeschooling mom to 10 wonderful kids. I currently have the amazing opportunity to live in the inner-city experiencing what it means to be part of the urban life scape. I advocate for the elderly, the poor and the illiterate as they wade through our confusing American lives. And I LOVE working with the local police precinct as we search out new ways to build healthy community and reduce crime. Doing all of this in Jesus name - with no strings attached for those we serve, but He's the reason we live the way we do.

There you have it. Ten children (going on eleven - they hope to adopt a biological sibling to one of their children in December or January.) All adoptions through private agencies rather than foster care (explained further in this post.) Each adoption paid in full through God's provision. The majority have been transracial adoptions, and it was the adoption of their first African American child that led to the characteristic that most sets this family apart in my mind. Almost ten years ago they made a conscious decision to move to the inner city in response to God's leading in their life. Earlier this year Dorothy wrote a post detailing the pros and cons of living in the city, and I appreciated her honest perspective. Now God is calling them to move cross-country with their family, and they are obeying His leading in that as well.

Besides writing on her blog, Dorothy has also written a number of posts for the Carolina Hope adoption blog: http://www.carolinahopeadoption.org/blog/archives/author/dorothy/ Many of these address the topic of transracial adoption and have been encouraging to me personally. I appreciated her thoughtful response to a reader regarding this topic on one occasion:

In our family, race and culture as well as physical and mental ability and individual talents, are all parts of the package prepared by the God who made us and areas of each individual to be wisely explored and developed in healthy ways. We are careful to let no one area become too focused, in case it should become an idol to us and bring harm rather than blessing.

Another area addressed by Dorothy in her blog is that of "hidden disabilities" and in particular the challenge of parenting children with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.) She encourages other parents facing these same challenges with compassion and understanding.

I have included many links in this post, but on the right-hand side of Dorothy's blog you will find a detailed list of labels if you would like to read more about this special "urban servant" (http://urbanservant.blogspot.com/) I know you will be encouraged and blessed!

National Adoption Month: Introducing, Part 2

Mother's Day weekend 2001 had been planned well in advance. Reservations were made and plans were laid for Pedro and I to get away with another young married couple to a cute little bed & breakfast near the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Since both husbands were studying hard in seminary, getaways like this were a real treat and didn't come along too often. Needless to say, the four of us were looking forward to this trip with great anticipation!

So it was no wonder that my friend Melissa was disappointed when I called her three days before the trip to say that we would have to cancel. Her disappointment didn't last long, however, when I shared the reason behind our change of plans. Pedro and I were going to become parents in just 48 hours with the arrival of our daughter Eva! Melissa immediately shared my joy and from that moment on was one of our greatest supporters and encouragers as we adjusted to life with a new baby. Her husband Jathan was Eva's first babysitter (a funny story in and of itself) and we like to think it was that wonderful experience that led to their decision to start a family soon after. :)

One child quickly led to another for Jathan and Melissa, and it seemed that two children might be it for awhile. But it was our turn to be surprised when they informed us of their plans to adopt! Both had been separately and individually convicted and challenged about the needs of orphans and prompted to open their hearts to a waiting child. We were thrilled to have another common bond with our friends, one we knew would knit our hearts together in an even more special way.

And so it has been. We celebrated with them when Drew came home from Korea and have enjoyed wonderful visits with their three kids and our three kids having a blast together. They are currently in another adoption process, this time hoping to foster/adopt in California, and we have encouraged and commiserated with one another as both of our processes have stretched longer and longer.

Waiting in adoption is hard. It has been hard for us to wait, knowing already who our sons are and waiting to bring them home from Haiti. It has been hard for them to wait, not knowing who their future children are and having their profile submitted for situation after situation with no match as of yet. A frustration they have experienced is being told time and again that the need for adoptive families through the foster care system is so great, yet having a placement take so long to come through. Their hearts and their home are ready, but they just don't know when their dreams of adopting again will be realized.

We are praying that this might be the month that a very special family with love to share meets a very special child (or children) who needs that love. Won't you pray for them, too?

National Adoption Month: Introducing, Part 1

The family I am going to introduce today is a brand-new addition to my reading list. Although I knew that they had adopted a little girl transracially and have enjoyed reading the husband's thoughts on that from time to time, I had never heard their story in full.

Now Noël Piper, inspired by Orphan Sunday, is writing daily installments of their adoption story.

Noël is the wife of John Piper, preaching pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and author of many books which challenge believers in their Christian walk. One thing I appreciate about John Piper's ministry, especially as a missionary living overseas, is that he makes all of his teaching and writing available free of charge on the Desiring God website. Much of the material is already translated into Spanish and other languages.

As an adoptive parent, however, what I appreciate about the Pipers' ministry is the high value they place on adoption. Not only have they experienced it themselves, but within their church family it is also celebrated and supported - or as the church website describes it: "Adoption Is Part of Bethlehem's Culture." Two adoption grants organizations, the MICAH Fund for minority children and the LYDIA Fund, are affiliate ministries of the church. Most importantly, they focus on adoption not only as a means of growing families but of reflecting the heart message of the gospel; expressing commitment to life; responding to the needs of orphans; advancing racial harmony; and sharing the gospel to various "tribes and tongues."

So without further ado I will direct you to Noël Piper's blog. Her adoption story begins at the link below and at the end of each of her posts you can follow a link to the next chapter of their journey. Enjoy and be blessed!

http://nations-be-glad.blogspot.com/2009/10/orphan-sunday-118-something-that.html

Lesson Learned

I didn't make it to English class tonight.

Minutes before our babysitter was due to arrive, the scene in our house was one of emotional chaos. Three children fighting, crying, arguing, and altogether falling apart. Two parents with frazzled nerves, short tempers, and conflicting responsibilities. In a moment of clarity I recognized that it was simply not worth it for both Pedro and I to walk out on our children in this state, and he agreed.

Correction was applied where necessary. Daddy went and Mommy stayed. Serious conversations took place. Apologies were offered and accepted. Emotions cooled. We prayed; we read a story; and then it was off to bed with everyone fully cooperating. What a change!

We've learned a lesson the hard way this year. Even though the overlap between our leaving and the children's bedtime is only half an hour at most, it's half an hour too long for both Mommy and Daddy to be gone twice a week. Even though we have a faithful babysitter who the children trust and like, it's still not the same as having a parent kiss them goodnight. Tonight I asked them to have patience for just a few more weeks as we finish out the commitment we have made, and promised that in the future at least one of us (either Mommy or Daddy) will be home with them at night.

Last week we returned from English class to find Eva asleep in our bed. A handwritten note lay on the pillow beside her. In her cute childish scrawl and amidst several little drawings she had written: "Mommy and Daddy I cry alittel wen you are not here! Mommy and Daddy I (heart heart heart heart heart) love you."


Lesson learned, indeed.

Adoption Grants and Interest-Free Loans

(new links added)

Shaohannah's Hope - http://www.showhope.org/

LifeSong for Orphans - http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/

147 Million Orphans - http://147millionorphans.com/

Both Hands - http://bothhandsfoundation.org/

Lydia Fund - http://www.lydiafund.org/

Operation Starfish - http://www.op-star.org/

God's Grace Adoption Ministry - http://www.ggam.org/

Heaven Sent Adoptions - http://heavensentadoptions.org/

Katelyn's Fund - http://www.katelynsfund.org/

Gift of Adoption Fund - http://www.giftofadoption.org/

The Micah Fund - http://www.micahfund.org/

Our Creator's Hope - http://www.ourcreatorshope.com/

The ABBA Fund - http://www.abbafund.org/

National Adoption Month: Introducing

Those who have been around this blog in recent years know that November is a very prolific month on here. In fact, according to my archives the highest number of posts ever written in one month on the blog was in November 2007 (with 80 posts, although not all were adoption-related.)

While adoption is always a prominent theme in our lives, during National Adoption Month I enjoy writing about it even more. Sometimes I might share experiences we ourselves have faced but often I like to direct you to the stories of other families and ministries that inspire and challenge me.

I've decided to entitle this series "National Adoption Month: Introducing" and will share a little each time about a different family or ministry, along with a link to their site. I hope you will be blessed as I have been by "meeting" each one.

Before doing so, however, I want to share a little bit from my heart.

Last November, I had several conversations with my sister who said that my many adoption posts made her feel a bit guilty. Though she has a heart for adoption, God has chosen to grow her family biologically instead. Her comments gave me pause and made me want to share the following.

While adoption may be the focus of my posts because that is my personal experience, nowhere in God's Word does it say that every Christian must go out and adopt. However, the Bible very clearly emphasizes the importance of believers caring for the orphans and widows (James 1:27.) (Even as I was writing this, I stumbled on the blog of another adoptive family who stated it better than I, and I encourage you to go read that post.)

I believe many Christians are caring for orphans in ways outside of adoption. It may be through prayer, or giving, or working with children from broken homes in children's ministries at home or on the mission field. Many others care for the orphan by supporting an adoptive family throughout their adoption journey. This has certainly been true in our experience. Those who have left encouraging notes on our blog; who have prayed and even fasted for our family; who have donated time and energy to helping with our fundraising efforts; who have cried alongside us through the long wait and the disappointments; who have given gifts both large or small; and who have welcomed our children home with so much love and compassion ... each of those - each of you - have loved the orphan through loving us.

And I just want to say thank you ... so very, very much.

Wear It Out Loud: Adoption Tees, Part 4

ADOPTION

The wait is so long,
but so worth it.

Cry of the Orphan Simulcast

Heart and tears overflowing as I watch tonight ...

It is so amazing to me that in this modern era, even living here in Chile we can often participate in events taking place around the world. I just learned that on Orphan Sunday, November 8 there will be a live webcast of the Cry of the Orphan event in Nashville. I hope to be able to tune in, and thought there might be others interested as well. If you click on the link below it will take you to a site where you can register (the broadcast is free) and view a schedule of the day's events:

http://316networks.com/cryoftheorphan

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

... that's what little boys are made of. This picture was taken at Owen's pre-school this year and is another that I recently uncovered in a drawer. How he makes me laugh and smile and enjoy the fun differences between little boys and little girls. I am thankful for this sweet son.

The Joys of Family

This picture was taken while visiting Humberstone. As you can see, Owen was tired of pictures and utterly uncooperative; still I love how this picture captures the reality of our family at this stage in life. Not perfect, but truly blessed.

Education Exasperation, Part Three

At 4:00 p.m. that same day my husband received a phone call, which he promptly passed on to me. It was Mr. D. Apparently one of the three people who received my e-mail had forwarded it to him, and he was not particularly happy.

He told me that he felt my mentioning him by name was an attack on his character, which I of course assured him was not my intention. And then, once he had made clear how he felt about that, he simply said: Come to my office tomorrow and I will fix your problem.

Voilá.

What is it they say, it's all who you know? Apparently Chile is no exception. Pedro and I arrived bright and early to Mr. D's office this morning, and after one more brief airing of his feelings about the e-mail he sat down and wrote a simple letter. Once that was completed he glanced through the photocopies of my children's carnets (identity cards), stopping to question us about Owen's skin tone. One moment of levity, as he was obviously impressed with our cute son! He then stood, picked up his copy of my e-mail, slowly and deliberately tore it into pieces and said: Now we can put this to bed. (For the record, that was Pedro's favorite part of the meeting. He thought it was absolutely classic!)

The letter was then passed on to Mr. A for typing and we were told to follow him to his office. When I stepped gingerly inside (because I had the distinct sense that everyone in the building knew who I was and what I had done) Mr. A said something along the lines of, "You're walking so cautiously. Don't worry; the scare is over now!" which broke the ice and made us all chuckle.

A quick typing and signing and a few minutes later, we left the building with a letter for each of children's schools. The letter authorized "permanent matriculation" for our children without reservations. The director of the girls' school rejoiced to receive it, while the director of Owen's pre-school informed me that she is going to drop my name the next time she goes to the Ministry of Education since she herself has been repeatedly unsuccessful at seeing Mr. D! In the end, everyone agreed that unfortunately in Chile this is the way it has to be done: pushing your way to the top and being "cara dura" (hard nosed) when the situation demands it.

And while I am thankful that we can finally put this chapter of our ever-exciting life behind me, I am tired. Exhausted, really. Here's hoping that the resolution of this tramite is a foretaste to the resolution of them all!

Education Exasperation, Part Two

With a sense of relief and expectancy I waited for my turn outside office number 6 at the Ministry of Education building. This is where all foreigners go to give and receive paperwork pertaining to their children's education, and my interactions with this particular agent (we'll call him Mr. A) had been pleasant in the past. On this day, too, his manner was pleasant; however, the news he gave me was not.

Mr. A explained that strictly speaking, without the birth certificates in hand by November 30 the Ministry would require that our children be removed from school and that we pay the balance of the schooling costs that the government would normally subsidize. The only advice he could offer me was to talk to the man sitting in for his boss, who was in Santiago for the week.

I did so and for the first ten minutes that I sat in Mr. J's office I listened as he called downstairs to Mr. A and rebuked him for not explaining to me that foreigners must follow the rules as they are written and if they cannot fulfill the requirements they simply must bear the consequences. While not speaking directly to me, he made sure that I heard every word of his lecture before addressing me personally. By the time he did so, I was seething inside but attempted to be polite and well-spoken. I laid out every step we've taken for the past eight months and my frustration was somewhat assuaged to see his manner soften and to hear him admit that "there are foreigners and there are foreigners" and that obviously we had done all that we could and ours was an "extraordinary" case which was now outside our control.

His recommendation was to write out everything I had shared with him and return Monday to speak with Mr. D, the head of the Ministry of Education in our province. I gritted my teeth at having to do this yet again (echoes of writing a letter to the governor for our residency paperwork) but did it immediately upon returning home. On Monday morning I arrived with letter in hand, only to learn that Mr. D was out of the office and would be in meetings all afternoon.

I was given the phone number for Mr. D's secretary and told to call for an appointment, which I did later that same day ... and the next day ... and the next day. Each time the phone would ring and ring and ring and finally start beeping as though it was busy. (Needless to say, the stress levels were rising.) When the director of the girls' school told me that the Ministry of Education office had gone on strike, I couldn't believe it. For crying out loud! She recommended that I try another office, which technically would be Mr. D's boss' office.

Frustrated beyond words, I went online in search of a phone number for Mr. D's boss. The number listed produced a "no longer available" message and I didn't want to waste my day running to an office which might also be closed for the strike. Instead, I edited my original letter and added the details of my unsuccessful attempts to reach Mr. D. On the Ministry of Education website, I found three e-mail addresses and decided they were worth a try (all the while convinced they would be "no longer available" as well.)

Finally, I clicked "send" and waited to see what would happen next.

To Be Continued ...

Education Exasperation, Part One

I used to think that education was the right of every child. But since attempting to navigate the choppy and confusing waters of obtaining just the right documentation to satisfy Chile's Ministry of Education requirements, I am no longer so sure.

If you will, back up with me to this entry posted on February 24, 2009. Eight months ago we began the paperchase to ensure that prior to November 29th of this year our children would be "regularized" students within the Chilean educational system. Doing so entailed a trip to Santiago to obtain stamps from Chile's Department of Exterior; mailing the documents to the United States and specifically to the state of issuance for each birth certificate; mailing the documents to the Secretary of State in Washington, D.C.; attempting to straighten out an issue with Pedro's birth certificate since the state of Michigan did not recognize the registrar who signed his original BC (for the record, this is still pending and since Pedro wasn't the one going to school we opted to put his on hold for now); learning that we needed translations from Chile's Department of Exterior in Santiago; obtaining those translations; waiting for the documents to be returned; paying for notarized photocopies of each and every documents; and finally submitting all of the above to the Civil Registries office in Iquique.

And that's just the shortened version.

It took two days to successfully submit the proper documents to the Civil Registries office, which I did last Friday, October 29. The process which is actually taking place is that our children will now be formally enrolled in Chile's national list of students. They will receive a birth certificate printed by the Civil Registries office, and that birth certificate is their ticket to final acceptance by the Ministry of Education.

However, before I could breathe a sigh of relief for having completed this step with a full month to spare ... the clerk announced that their certificates would take two months to be printed. At my look of horror, she said that surely the Ministry of Education would accept an "in-process" receipt in the meantime.

Unfortunately, she was wrong.

To Be Continued ...