Bring HH Home! Adoption Journey
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"Dream big, for small dreams have no power to move the hearts and minds of men."
Do we ever have a big dream! HH is 13 years old. I can't give his real name yet or post a photo but I will as soon as it is allowable. On January 1st, he will turn 14 and no longer be able to be adopted by anyone. Through some accident of birth, environment or genetics, he doesn't have all of his fingers and toes, and he has missing leg bones. His medical needs will be taken care of once he's home. For those not familiar with adoptions from China, pretty much any differences will land a child in one of the social welfare institutes. Many people there view those who have been orphaned as being unlucky and association also is thought unlucky. How would people know? Traditionally, orphaned children were given names relating to the institute they came from which marked them for life. This has lessened but still prevails. These children face very difficult futures and may not get well-educated. Even if they do, their names tell the tale of their beginnings and they face unemployment, lonliness, and many other difficulties. Couple that with physical or mental differences and the future turns even bleaker. And every year a child resides in a child care center, the less likely s/he is to get a family. People want babies. They want girls. Not teenage boys. We want this teenage boy! Please help us bring him home!
Getting to China to bring HH home proves quite another matter. We have the funds to cover the agency fees state-side but need funding for other costs. The costs for my medical tests alone will stand at about $2,000. These are not covered by insurance. Travel, stay in China, payment to the orphanage, all these costs we need to fund. HH will come home.
We are working hard on our end to raise as much of the expenses as a family: I've been working two businesses. We've held yard sales and done a bit of fundraising (and will continue to do so), and have sought and are seeking other funding possibilities. As soon as HH has settled in, we plan to ask to bring home a fourth child, a girl. She will come home. Then our family will be complete. Our dreams will come true and we will work to make theirs come true.
Back Story:
I am an only parent. I am also on the more experienced side. Not my plan. I always dreamed I would find that someone special and he and I would parent children together. God had other plans.
During SARS, I dreamed of the little girl I would soon hold as I worked 10-hour days seven days a week for over two and a half years to raise funds for her adoption. The instant my social worker called with her referral, I knew she was my baby. Hadn't heard her name yet, hadn't seen a picture, nothing. God spoke in my ear, "This is your daughter." I prayed for the strength and stamina to do what needed to be done, then prayed for SARS to end and to safely travel to India. She is my child of God's abundant love and compassion. And she came home.
We dreamed together of another child to join our little family; she wanted a brother. No hesitation there! A bright shining face called from the pages of a waiting child album. His needs were so great--I didn't know if I was enough for him! He had many, many medical issues. How would I care for him? He kept calling. I wasn't getting the message. God spoke through a friend, "If this child calls you like this, there's something there and you need to pursue it." My friend went on to assure me someone would stand in the gaps. It was all I needed to hear. But seemingly insurmountable complications arose again and again. Every time doubt attempted to creep in, I stomped on it; I prayed the little boy would get what he needed, not what I wanted; I prayed for God to move the mountains for that boy so he would know a family. The Iraq war began. A devastating earthquake and tsunami. I lost the little boy, then lost another. I armed myself with faith and God brought my little boy back to me. And he came home. He is my miracle man.
We three dreamed some more. We thought we were going back to India again and for another little girl. We all agreed on that! It made sense! Again, God had other plans. Funny how that is! We lost girl after girl in India. Road block after road block rose up. Then came the most gorgeous little baby girl! How I wanted to bring her home! However, her needs were way too much for me and with a heavy heart, I turned her down. Then, we lost another little one and the door to India shut. We took a break to regroup, to consider all possibilities, and to listen to God some more.
Did you ever read the "Misty of Chincoteague" books? Grandma BeeBee once told the kids, "When God closes a door, he opens a window." God opened a window. China opened for me. Actually, China had been calling to me for some time. I would look at the waiting children and thought about the children from China. But, no, we were going to India! I am so thankful God is in the driver's seat! Seven boys. Couldn't decide between them all so I asked for information on all of them. Wait, wait, wait...we wanted a girl, not a boy!!! Boys. Okay, God. We're going to have faith in you. This is our faith adoption. We narrowed it to two. One of the two had been calling me ever since I'd seen his photo. Eventually, we all agreed on him. More complications. And more complications. Still, I stomp on doubt and remind myself, this is my faith adoption. Faith that God will move the mountains again for another child. Children.
Another "Misty of Chincoteague" quote, from Grampa BeeBee,
"God helps them that helps themselves." We have, we are, we will. We pray for God's help and yours so that these children won't stand alone in the world. Please stand with us and with them. Thank you ever so much!
Do we ever have a big dream! HH is 13 years old. I can't give his real name yet or post a photo but I will as soon as it is allowable. On January 1st, he will turn 14 and no longer be able to be adopted by anyone. Through some accident of birth, environment or genetics, he doesn't have all of his fingers and toes, and he has missing leg bones. His medical needs will be taken care of once he's home. For those not familiar with adoptions from China, pretty much any differences will land a child in one of the social welfare institutes. Many people there view those who have been orphaned as being unlucky and association also is thought unlucky. How would people know? Traditionally, orphaned children were given names relating to the institute they came from which marked them for life. This has lessened but still prevails. These children face very difficult futures and may not get well-educated. Even if they do, their names tell the tale of their beginnings and they face unemployment, lonliness, and many other difficulties. Couple that with physical or mental differences and the future turns even bleaker. And every year a child resides in a child care center, the less likely s/he is to get a family. People want babies. They want girls. Not teenage boys. We want this teenage boy! Please help us bring him home!
Getting to China to bring HH home proves quite another matter. We have the funds to cover the agency fees state-side but need funding for other costs. The costs for my medical tests alone will stand at about $2,000. These are not covered by insurance. Travel, stay in China, payment to the orphanage, all these costs we need to fund. HH will come home.
We are working hard on our end to raise as much of the expenses as a family: I've been working two businesses. We've held yard sales and done a bit of fundraising (and will continue to do so), and have sought and are seeking other funding possibilities. As soon as HH has settled in, we plan to ask to bring home a fourth child, a girl. She will come home. Then our family will be complete. Our dreams will come true and we will work to make theirs come true.
Back Story:
I am an only parent. I am also on the more experienced side. Not my plan. I always dreamed I would find that someone special and he and I would parent children together. God had other plans.
During SARS, I dreamed of the little girl I would soon hold as I worked 10-hour days seven days a week for over two and a half years to raise funds for her adoption. The instant my social worker called with her referral, I knew she was my baby. Hadn't heard her name yet, hadn't seen a picture, nothing. God spoke in my ear, "This is your daughter." I prayed for the strength and stamina to do what needed to be done, then prayed for SARS to end and to safely travel to India. She is my child of God's abundant love and compassion. And she came home.
We dreamed together of another child to join our little family; she wanted a brother. No hesitation there! A bright shining face called from the pages of a waiting child album. His needs were so great--I didn't know if I was enough for him! He had many, many medical issues. How would I care for him? He kept calling. I wasn't getting the message. God spoke through a friend, "If this child calls you like this, there's something there and you need to pursue it." My friend went on to assure me someone would stand in the gaps. It was all I needed to hear. But seemingly insurmountable complications arose again and again. Every time doubt attempted to creep in, I stomped on it; I prayed the little boy would get what he needed, not what I wanted; I prayed for God to move the mountains for that boy so he would know a family. The Iraq war began. A devastating earthquake and tsunami. I lost the little boy, then lost another. I armed myself with faith and God brought my little boy back to me. And he came home. He is my miracle man.
We three dreamed some more. We thought we were going back to India again and for another little girl. We all agreed on that! It made sense! Again, God had other plans. Funny how that is! We lost girl after girl in India. Road block after road block rose up. Then came the most gorgeous little baby girl! How I wanted to bring her home! However, her needs were way too much for me and with a heavy heart, I turned her down. Then, we lost another little one and the door to India shut. We took a break to regroup, to consider all possibilities, and to listen to God some more.
Did you ever read the "Misty of Chincoteague" books? Grandma BeeBee once told the kids, "When God closes a door, he opens a window." God opened a window. China opened for me. Actually, China had been calling to me for some time. I would look at the waiting children and thought about the children from China. But, no, we were going to India! I am so thankful God is in the driver's seat! Seven boys. Couldn't decide between them all so I asked for information on all of them. Wait, wait, wait...we wanted a girl, not a boy!!! Boys. Okay, God. We're going to have faith in you. This is our faith adoption. We narrowed it to two. One of the two had been calling me ever since I'd seen his photo. Eventually, we all agreed on him. More complications. And more complications. Still, I stomp on doubt and remind myself, this is my faith adoption. Faith that God will move the mountains again for another child. Children.
Another "Misty of Chincoteague" quote, from Grampa BeeBee,
"God helps them that helps themselves." We have, we are, we will. We pray for God's help and yours so that these children won't stand alone in the world. Please stand with us and with them. Thank you ever so much!
Organizer
Terry Tomaszewski
Organizer
Oatfield, OR
