Changes

American haircuts and a missing tooth!

Lots to update, but not enough time.  Hopefully soon!

Having a GREAT time with these precious boys.  Lots of energy, but oh so fun!!!

Momma, I Like You White

Vlad and Dima, Day 2 in Texas

Today is Day 3 of Vlad and Dima being in our home.  Yesterday they learned that our family is committed to helping both boys learn respect and obedience. :-)  They learned about time-outs (or time-ins, as we call them in the attachment/adoption community), and after both boys had several time-outs/ins for disrespect and disobedience, they are both learning that it's best to obey and respect so that they'll be safe and have a fun time while staying with our family.

All in all, the boys are having a blast.  Vlad is very outgoing and his little brother, Dima, does whatever Vlad does.  Both boys have no fear.  They have a ton of energy and need to stay active.  They require constant supervision, as they navigate life in our home, much like a toddler who has just become mobile.  It's a good thing we've got lots of eyes and helping hands in our family!

The boys have been eating our American food without a problem (just a little encouragement required here and there, but they have healthy appetites, so that helps).  Overall, the boys handling the transition to Texas quite well.  Vlad is extremely intelligent, and he's learning, remembering, and using English words daily, which is so fun to see.  Dima is more reserved and lacks confidence in using English words, but he watches Vlad, so I know he's learning.  I can see that big brother has talked for little brother much of the time.  It's sweet to see their relationship, which is quite traditional in terms of big brother protecting and caring for little brother.

Hands down, the boys' very favorite thing is swimming in our pool.  We spent the entire day yesterday in the pool.  Vlad (the 9 year old) is now swimming independently, even in the deep end of the pool.  Dima (the 6 year old) is getting better and better at swimming without swallowing water, but he still requires a flotation device for safety.  He has no hesitation and no fear and no English, making it a little challenging to keep him safe, but he is learning to respect our rules. Sitting in a chair and watching everyone else swim isn't as much fun as obeying the rules and being in the water alongside everyone else.  :-)

Kiefer (age 3, from Haiti) declared boldly while studying my face as he sat in my lap in the swimming pool yesterday afternoon, "Momma, you brown. I like you white, Momma, I no like you brown."  After spending about 8 hours in the pool yesterday, my face had apparently changed colors before his very eyes, and he wasn't very fond of that change!

All of our kids are such huge helpers.  They are enjoying having Vlad and Dima in our home, and I'm so grateful to have lots of kids with lots of energy who love to play, play, play.  (Vlad and Dima are not acclimated to the Texas heat yet though, so encouraging them to play outside with all of the other kids requires constant encouragement!) 

We have never participated in an orphan hosting program before, so this is a new experience for all of us, but in many ways it's the same as each time we've welcomed an international orphan into our home.

Here's a list of some of the things that are the same for us, as we host these 2 boys from Ukraine:

• learning to communicate with 2 boys who don't speak or understand English
• learning about the boys (what do they like/dislike, what are their interests, what are their favorite foods, what are they afraid of, what is their story)...quite challenging when we don't speak their language and vice versa
• helping the boys to learn what life in a family is like
• helping the boys to obey and respect our rules/expectations (This is always challenging, as non-English speaking children often try to use the language barrier to their advantage.  Many times they test the limits, thinking they'll get away with being wild and disrespectful simply because they can, but in our home, we've been there and done that, and we've learned the hard way that no matter how hard it is to teach non-English speaking children about respect and obedience, it's essential that we not let them get away with things that our other children wouldn't be allowed to do.  This training, no matter how exhausting, is vital.)
• helping the boys acclimate to Texas heat! :-)
• helping the boys learn how to brush their teeth properly
• helping the boys to eat healthy
• helping the boys adjust to Texas time
• helping the boys learn our schedule
• helping the boys practice patience and self-control
• helping the boys to keep track of their clothing that they seem to shed or change every few seconds!
• helping the boys learn to swim
• helping the boys learn that it's OK to flush toilet paper down the toilet in America
• helping the boys to learn that they're safe, loved, protected, treasured, and cherished
• praying for the boys regularly, hoping to show them who Jesus is, what He's already done for them, how much we need Him, and how much He loves them
• teaching the boys to wait for the blessing/prayer before meals
• teaching the boys about seatbelt use
• clothing the boys from head to toe
• saying bedtime prayers
• giving lots of hugs and kisses
• giving lots of praises
• loving unconditionally

And a few things that are different:

• Remembering that these boys are only here for 5 weeks, and no matter what, they must return to their home country on August 4th.  Their visas are only visitor visas, and the boys must return to their orphanage as part of the agreement of the orphan hosting program.
• Praying for God to reveal if He wants our family to adopt these boys or if He placed them in our home because someone in our circle of relationships is supposed to adopt them.
• Reminding ourselves of this quote: 
  "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." 
  ~CS Lewis, The Four Loves

Here's another pool video from Day 1 (I was in the pool the entire day yesterday, so I didn't get any pics/video, except for the photo at the top of this post, which I took before I entered the pool):

Welcome Vlad and Dima!

Vlad (age 9, almost 10) and Dima (age 6), biological brothers from Ukraine,  arrived at the Austin airport Wednesday, June 29, at 11AM, as part of the Charis Adoption Team's summer orphan hosting program.  It took them two full days to get here, but they finally made it safe and sound.  Vlad and Dima traveled with a small group of other Ukrainian orphans, along with their facilitator and translator, Alla.

The boys are from a different orphanage in Ukraine than the rest of the group.  In fact, the facilitator (and the entire Charis Ministry team) had never met these boys.  No one knew what to expect.  The facilitator, Alla, told me that she had only spent two days with the boys, while traveling, but she relayed that they were very hyper, and it would be important to lay down rules for them from the start.  We assured her that we're quite accustomed to hyperactive boys. :-)

The boys arrived with a small backpack with a few items in it.  They each had an unopened soda in one hand.  Shortly after their arrival, they explained, via the translator, that they wanted to give Matt and I a gift.  Both boys handed us their unopened sodas and gave us each a hug!  This brought tears to our eyes, as the only items these boys really "owned" was their cans of soda, and they were willing to give this up in order to bless Matt and me.  Now, I know they were most likely trying to do anything they could think of to make us like them, but whatever their motive, this gesture definitely stole a piece of our hearts. :-)

We stood around the airport, along with the other host families, while we visited and tried to gain wisdom and insight from Alla, the facilitator/translator.  The boys told us that they were ready to go and asked what we were waiting for!  They were eager to get out of the airport and on their way to our home!  The moment we walked out of the airport, the Texas heat hit the boys hard, and they panted and fanned themselves while we walked to our vehicle.  They were good sports, though, and I have a feeling they'll get accustomed to the Texas heat much more quickly than it takes me to adjust to cold climates!

When we arrived at Forgotten Saw Ranch, I thought the boys would be afraid of our dogs.  It can be overwhelming to be greeted by 8 barking canines, even for an American, but for two boys who are stuck within the walls of an orphanage in Ukraine, I didn't think they'd be at ease with the dogs.  Well, surprise, surprise!  The boys LOVE all of our dogs, all 8 of them, and they loved on the dogs, kissed them, petted them, and showed no fear whatsoever. :-)

We had French Dip sandwiches with fresh fruit for lunch, and both boys LOVED it.  They both ate every morsel and crumb on their plates.  Dima is thin and needs to eat more, so I was thrilled that they enjoyed the food.

After lunch, the boys explored the house, then ran outside to play.  It didn't take long for them to ask to swim.  I was SHOCKED at their level of comfort in the pool.  (I'm going to post some videos below.)  They're both dare devils.  I had them both wear life jackets at first, then Vlad explained that he wouldn't drown without it!  Vlad appears to have spent some time in pools before, although I realized he doesn't know how to swim strongly, but he does know to stay in the shallow end if he doesn't have his life jacket on.

Everyone stayed in the pool together for the afternoon, and then we had spaghetti with salad and French bread for dinner.  Dima cleared his plate, completely clean, and Vlad ate most of his.  We had watermelon for dessert.  Dima at 4 slices while Vlad ate 3.  These boys like to eat! :-)

I spent some time Wednesday evening gathering clothes from the attic to outfit the boys.  When they saw their shelves with all of their clothing, they got SOOOOOOOOOOO excited.  They wanted to touch and feel everything.  I felt sad for them that they don't own a thing, and I sure hope to send them back with a bag of their very own belongings, but that's one of the facts of life in an orphanage:  one doesn't have the privilege of owning things.  Everything is given a number and kept track of as best as possible, but the items are all community property.  Not one thing is "owned" or the property of any one person.

It breaks my heart that these two sweet boys are living in an orphanage, wishing more than anything that they'd have a mommy and daddy of their own.  The older boy, Vlad, is so eager to please.  It's obvious he wants us to like him so that we'll adopt him.  Dima is quite mischievous and full of energy.  He has a close relationship with his big brother, and I've felt so very blessed to see their bond.  Vlad is very responsible and mature, and he takes awesome care of his little brother, Dima.

Since the boys are on a hugely different different time zone, they were exhausted at bedtime.  They still wanted to play, but I finally got them into PJ's with brushed teeth.  It took a few minutes to convince them to stop playing and get into bed, but they finally did, and I said their prayers and gave them both big hugs.


We're already falling in love with the boys and can't imagine having to send them back to Ukraine in 5 weeks. :-(  Sawyer (our biological 11 year old) is begging us to adopt the boys.  Ella suggested that we could be their mom and dad while they're here for 5 weeks, then send them back and not be their mom anymore.  I didn't care much for that idea, and I explained to Ella that we never give our kids away or send them away, so I'm not crazy about her suggestion!  I can already tell that the toughest thing about this summer hosting program is going to be sending the boys back to Ukraine on August 4.  :-(

Here are a few videos of the boys that I took while they were swimming.  (Note:  Vlad calls me mom, but that's just what Ukrainian orphans refer to their host families as. :-)

Delay

Well, the Ukrainian flight from Washington DC to Austin was cancelled, so the boys didn't arrive Tuesday night as scheduled. :-(  We're heading to the airport this morning to get them, so hopefully they'll be there and hopefully I'll have an update to post later in the day!

Crazy Tuesday

Today is going to be a little bit crazy.  Here's what our day will look like:

• Today is my nephew's birthday.  He's adopted from Russia. :-)  (Happy birthday, Nick!)  He's having a pool party in Austin, so I'm taking 9 kids to that for the day.
• I have to attend a business dinner party this evening at 6PM with my hubby, so my sister is keeping our 9 kids while I attend the business dinner.  I'll have to leave the pool party and rush to get ready and drive about an hour to where the party will be.  I"ll take my sister's car and leave her with our 15 passenger van.
• The two orphan boys from Ukraine will arrive tonight!  (I'd still love for you to spread the word that we're raising funds to host these 2 boys for the summer. :-)  Matt and I will have to leave the dinner party early so that we can get to the Austin airport to pick up the boys.  My sister will take our 9 kids in our van to the airport to meet us there, then she'll drive her car back home, after she meets the Ukrainian boys.
• My mom will be available during the day to help with Selah (our baby).  I'm so grateful to have family to help us with all of the logistics!

Here's a little video clip of Selah and Kiefer, our two youngest lovies.  Wishing you a blessed Tuesday!

Monday's Meditation, A Boss Your Heart Devo {Saying Goodbye}

Thank you, Kirsten, for today's devo.

Kirsten took this photo May 21, 2010 of Jackson, Jonathan, and Jonathan's brother at the 1st Annual Boss Your Heart Memorial Benefit, in memory of Chrissie.  Jackson is on the left, Jonathan (Jackson's best friend) is in the middle, and Jonathan's brother is on the right.  Please keep praying for Jackson's family and friends, as well as Jonathan and his family.  Thank you!

Saying Goodbye

By Kirsten Walkup

Jackson Norris was someone I considered to be a friend of mine. Even though I was more than twice his age and was his Sunday school teacher, I always found him to be an amiable kid that loved life and had an infectious smile. As a teacher, one of things that irks me is when someone gives me a pre-packaged churchy answer to an honest question just because that’s what they think they’re supposed to say. One need not spend more than five minutes in one of my classes to realize that answers without honest intellectual scrutiny don’t really fly with me. With Jackson, I never had to worry about him giving me one of those irksome answers; if he had something on his mind, he was going to say it. Among other things, I always appreciated the fact that he told me what he really thought. He usually wasn’t among the first to answer questions I threw out, but on those occasions he did hazard his opinion, I could see a real spiritual depth that lived just beneath the shaggy-blonde surface. He will be sorely missed.

Saying goodbye to someone you care about is one of the most difficult things we experience in this life. In the past I’ve written about the fact that some tragedies we suffer and are witnesses to defy explanation and do not seem to make sense. Losing Jackson falls firmly into this category and I’ll not attempt to try and clear murky theological waters in this short writing. Our God is mighty to save and He is still on the throne. One day I’ll understand it all but in this life of flesh and blood mortality, understanding why some friends leave us far too soon is something I’m simply not able to do.

What I do understand is that God is full of love and compassion and cares far more about those who have left us than we ever could. While it breaks my heart that I will no longer see Jackson in the classroom, or bouncing around the halls at church, or riding his skateboard through our neighborhood, I firmly believe that what he’s experiencing at this moment in the presence of God is something so incredible it cannot be described by human words. I also believe God has a divine plan and purpose for those of who feel the sharp pain of loss. Where Jackson is at this moment, there is no pain, no sorrow, and no suffering. Where we are, there are plenty of all of those things…and plenty of people who need the kind of love and comfort that only a relationship with Jesus Christ can bring.

At the moment, my heart is very heavy from the weight of loss, yet that weight would be exponentially compounded were I grieving the loss of one of my many unsaved friends. I take comfort in the fact that I will again see Jackson and many other friends and family members who have gone to be with the Lord. I’m also reminded of the sharp and crushing ache that accompanies the knowledge of someone close going into eternity without having known the saving power that Christ offers to all.

Life is short and precious, and we never truly know when the bell will toll for our own lives. It is through moments like these, when the reality of loss sets in, that a thorough examination of our own life is in order. The question that should most immediately be answered is, “do I have a relationship with Jesus Christ?” It is a simple question, but one that sometimes requires the facing of harsh realities. Jackson Norris knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior. His race is finished and now he is Home.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Boss Your Heart!

J330

k

kirsten@kswalkup.com

Surprise!

Right now, there are several Ukrainian orphans who are preparing to come to Texas as part of the Charis summer hosting program.  Two of those orphans will be coming to our home for five weeks!  Yes, it's true, we'll be bringing two boys from Ukraine into our home this summer for five weeks!  We're so excited!

The boys' original host family apparently fell through.  When we heard that the entire group of Ukrainian orphans might not be able to come to Texas at all if these two boys didn't find a host family FAST, well, we stepped in and offered to host the boys.  We are so very grateful for this opportunity, and we're blessed that Charis raised the majority of the funds needed to bring these boys to America for 5 weeks.  We only have a few days to raise the remaining funds, so we ask you to please spread the word.  This is an awesome opportunity for others to live out James 1:27!

I know our family will always remember the summer of 2011 simply because that was the summer we took a step in faith and hosted two non-English speaking older orphaned boys from Ukraine.  What an adventure!  I can't wait to see what the Lord does through this experience!

Would you please be praying for God to provide an adoptive family for these two boys?  The hope with orphan hosting programs is for the orphans to find committed adoptive families while they are here.  It is our prayer that God will unite these boys with their forever family during their 5 week stay here in Texas.

Thank you for playing a role in bringing this group of orphans to Texas this summer!!!

PS  To donate to bring these boys to Texas, please click on the "ChipIn" button at the top of this post. :-)