Who Needs a Smile?

If you need a reason to smile, watch this video!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXy26L4Mjc8&app=desktop  If you've already watched it, watch it again!  It is so, so precious!  Charlie is in a white t-shirt in the beginning, being very helpful serving the cantaloupe, and then in a red t-shirt in the second half.  He is so handsome and happy and helpful.  It just brings a smile to my face every time I watch it!

The sweet boy counting to ten in the English class is Simon.  As far as I  know, Simon is the only child in their class that does not have a family yet.  And MOST of the kids being adopted from that class are coming to Georgia!  I am praying that a local family will also come forward to adopt Simon.  He is so precious and smart.  He has low vision.  If you want more info on him, please let me know!  (He is the one in the striped shirt in the picture below, playing piano with Gabe, who I mentioned in a previous post-- moving to Marietta very soon!)

China has recently changed their requirements for eligibility.  If you want to see if you would qualify, check here.  https://madmimi.com/s/ab08a5  Or, you may not be sure you could afford it.  It is ridiculously expensive.  (Believe us, we know!)  But there are many grants available to families in need, especially for older children with special needs, and there are crowd -funding sights available, like the one we are using, https://www.adopttogether.org/seaboltfamily.  There are people that disagree with fundraising for adoption.  They have their reasons, and sometimes I agree with them.  But if there is a child with a special need that needs a family and will age out of the system unless someone is able to come forward, then I am all about people rallying with them to make that happen!
https://www.adopttogether.org/about

Will Charlie know any English? How will you communicate?

We get these questions quite a bit.  And the answer is, we don't really know.  My understanding is until August, he really hadn't had that much English exposure.  Many of the volunteers at Bethel speak English, so he certainly hears it, but hadn't had classes or anything.  Then in August when we said we were going to adopt him, they put him in an English Class.  Here is his teacher, Mr. Clement.

Clement is French, so I can't wait to hear Charlie's cute little French-accented English!  Like I said before, he will probably know some English, but I am not expecting him to be anywhere close to fluent.  However, when we adopted Kate, she had never heard English in her life, and she seemed to be understanding much of what we said before we even left China!  Kids are amazing.  So... English is not our biggest concern.  We do have several friends that speak Mandarin, and I'm sure we'll be making frequent phone calls when he is frustrated that he can't communicate with us.  So get ready, Mandarin-speaking friends!  You know who you are!

Here is a link to an interview with Mr. Clement, which gives you a great sense of his love and care for these kids.  And a glimpse into their musical tastes... http://www.beijing-kids.com/magazine/2014/12/10/Lighting-a-Fire-Kids-teens-and-young-adults-talk-about-their-volunteering-experi  We do find it pretty exciting that Charlie likes James Brown, and can't wait to introduce him to our kids' favorites:  Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder!

Christmas Package!

Last week we sent Charlie his Christmas presents to China!  He doesn't know we are his family yet, but we are his "sponsors", so it won't seem weird.  I did include a picture of us, so once they tell him that we are adopting him, he may make the connection.  I can't wait to see him in that shirt and hat!  We hope that he and his buddies like Bop It!  It seemed like that would be a fun game to play with his English class.
Never mind that that the shipping cost more than the gifts!  I just hope it gets there by Christmas!

And off it goes!

(Our Dossier, that is.)  With our Immigration Approval in hand, I marched down to the Secretary of State's Office this morning for The Great Seal.  It was a beautiful day, very warm for November and I kept thinking, "I will remember this day for a very long time."

The actual SOS office is the one in the middle, but I couldn't resist taking a couple of pics of the beautiful Capitol, right across the street.

This is what The Great Seal looks like, if anyone is interested.  We have to have each and every document for our dossier (17 total, I think) notarized, county authenticated and then state certified.

Then they all get stuffed in an expensive envelope and shipped off to our adoption agency.

We're all pretty excited about this step.  For one, we are glad for this paperwork process to be over.  Two, it means we are one step closer to Charlie.  And three, Mommy is pretty proud of herself for getting all of this done in just over 3 months-- half the time she was told it would take!

 

"DOSSIER IS DONE AND SHIPPED!"

Presenting Charlie to the family (late post) - by stephen

When we told Sam & Kate in August that we’re adopting again, one of their first questions was “can we see pictures?!”  We’re fortunate to have lots of photos, video, & info about Charlie from his foster home.  I recorded the kids when they “met” Charlie virtually through pictures, and also captured them sharing the news with many of our family members. (Yes, I’m late in getting this edited & posted.)  I love Kate’s opening comment, though I’m not sure if it was a warning to us or just a realization for her. 

You can see the video here: After we told the kids the big news, we asked them to keep it secret for about 2 weeks until we could get our family together.  That’s a lot to ask of a kid who is super excited.  But Kate quickly found her inspiration:  “oh, I’ll be just like Elsa, having to keep the ice in!” 

Sam doesn’t share Kate’s fondness of Frozen, but the family reveal prominently featured one of his obsessions:  Powerpoint.  He literally spends hours, often starting at 6am on the weekends, building his own presentations about everything from animals to Einstein.  So we casually told the family that the kids wanted to share their latest presentation, a report on China, and then Kate delivered the surprise. 

Dawn & I would definitely be excited about Charlie even if the kids were less than thrilled, but it’s a lot more fun when everybody’s pumped!

And... We are approved!

As many of you know, we have been anxiously awaiting the US Department of Homeland Security to give us immigration approval to adopt a foreign orphan and bring them into the US to become a citizen.  This is our LAST STEP before we send our dossier to China.  I had expected it to come the first week of December.  A couple of weeks ago, my BSF leader asked me how she could be praying for our adoption.  I asked her to pray about our immigration approval. Just that things would go smoothly and quickly. She asked for something more specific.  I said, "Ok, let's be bold and pray for something slightly miraculous.  Let's pray we get it by Thanksgiving!"  So that's what we did.  And when did it come?  On Saturday!  With 5 days to spare!  Miraculous, and faith-building!  I tell you what-- I love it when God teaches us these lessons, and I love these sweet ladies in my BSF group, that aren't afraid to pray big!  Thanks be to God.

Exciting News!

We have decided to take the kids with us when we go to China to get our new son.  They're just a little bit excited!  We have talked for years about taking them on a Heritage Trip when Kate was about 10.  Well, next summer she'll be 9, and we won't be going back that soon, so... 
Also, they are just so excited about this adoption, that it would make us so sad to leave them at home while we embark on this amazing adventure.  They are great travelers, very easy kids, and most importantly, they love Chinese food.  Which we will be eating every day for 12 days, so that is pretty important!

Special Video

Hey guys!  I can't figure out how to make this a cool link, like Stephen did in the previous post, but please go to a computer and watch this video https://vimeo.com/111547854.  It is so wonderful, and well worth your 4 minutes.  Charlie is in it twice.  Once toward the beginning, sitting in Chloe's lap on the floor, and once in the middle pushing a truck down the hall.  He is wearing a green shirt.

a humble request - by stephen

Through the years, I’ve had many friends tell me “man, I’m excited by what you & Dawn are doing with adoption!  I don’t know that adoption is right for me, but I’d love to support you guys.” Well, it’s with those friends in mind that we humbly enter the sensitive discussion on financial support.  First things first:  we have been blessed financially as a family, and we know there are many other families in the adoption process with a much bigger need.  We would love for you to support them, and there are some cool sites where you can learn a bit about each family’s story.  Adopt Together is one site that we’re using, along with lots of other families, to provide a secure, tax-deductible platform for adoption fundraising.  

The simple reality is that international adoption is pretty expensive.  Our adoption will cost around $40,000, which is not uncommon (and that doesn't include taking the kids).  We’re trying to raise 25% of that, and we’re fortunate to have already received a grant for $4k of our $10k goal.  If you’d like to contribute through the link below, it would be a big blessing!

Some of you are saying “wait - $40k? Why so much?  Where does it go?”  There are good, thorough articles that answer this well, like this one here.  For adoptions from China, the cost includes legal fees, adoption agency fees, home study reports, documentation, an “orphanage donation,” travel, and the list goes on.  I can send you our spreadsheet if you’d like, but you probably have better things to do. 

As you’ve probably read, we are also big fans of the foster home where Charlie has been for the past 5-ish years called Bethel.  And since we’re talking about support, they’re another great avenue for folks who want to invest in these children and their caregivers.  You can sponsor a specific child to help provide for their everyday needs in an environment that’s equipped to work with visually impaired kids.  You can learn more about Bethel here.

We are super grateful for any support, and we’d be excited and humbled if our story encourages you to support adoption! 

My Wife: Mama Bear & Adoption Warrior -By Stephen

 

This weekend we watched a charming film following the journey of a female bear with her young cubs.  It was shot in Alaska with breath-taking scenery, and was given the fairly straightforward title of “Bears.”  Great for the whole family, narrated by John C Reilly with some nice comedic touches…but it seemed like a metaphor to me.  Obviously the Mama Bear metaphor is nothing new, but I typically think about it when some mean kid picks on Mama Bear’s kid.  Through the adoption process, I’ve seen a new side of Mama Bear.  It’s not just about her role to protect the cub from the other predators, but also the seemingly endless hike to find salmon, so she can provide food for her cubs.  And then the long march back up the mountain where they will retreat for the winter, to hibernate and bond.

 

Dawn has said that it’s amazing how motivating it can be to know which child you’re working to bring home.  That smiling face halfway around the world can create an incredible sense of urgency, that may not exist when you’re not sure who your child is.  When we adopted Kate, it was our first time through the rodeo, and we didn’t know that she would be our daughter until very late in the process. This time around, Dawn has attacked the process with a warrior-like ferocity, and a Mama Bear’s desire to provide for her cub. 

 

If you’ve never been through the adoption process, it’s natural to wonder “why does it take so long, and why are there so many steps?”  At the risk of over-simplifying, the governments who run the process basically want to ensure that our motives are pure, that we’re not criminals, we won't change our minds, and that this adoption is best for the child.  So that leads to fingerprints (lots of ‘em), background checks, and certificates to verify birth, marriage, income, health, sanity (no joke), and oh so much more.  And that turns Sweet Dawn into the Adoption Warrior, who blazes through doctors offices, police departments, notaries, county courthouses, and even the Secretary of State's Office like a woman on a mission.  Do not try to stand in between her and her cubs! 

 

We firmly believe God is in control of our adoption.  We are grateful that so far he has blessed Mama Bear's efforts to move things along as quickly as possible.

One of those days...

There are some days in the Adoption Waiting Game when it is hard to focus on anything other than the fact that I have a son on the other side of the world.  Yesterday was one of the those days.  This great picture was posted of him on Bethel's FB page.

He is participating in a Scavenger Hunt.  He is having a great time.  He doesn't even know he has a family yet.  And yet I look at this picture and ache for him.  I want to feel the weight of him in my lap.  I want those to be my arms around him and be able smell him and kiss his cheek.  I want him to KNOW that he has a family that wants him, that loves him and will be there for him forever.  I want him to know that God is moving mountains for us to come and get him.  They won't tell him that he is being adopted until just a couple of months before we come.  How I pray that day will come soon!

Fingerprints Done!

Thankfully, we were able to walk in for our fingerprinting appointment and have them done two weeks earlier than scheduled.  Our goal is to have our dossier to China before Christmas, so we are doing anything we can to cut out wait times.  Thankful that this worked!

I have never been so obsessed with dates.  Well, maybe when we got Kate, but I do not remember feeling quite so "focused" on timelines with her.  I think since this one is moving so fast, I almost feel like it's a race.  Not only do I want to get him as soon as possible, I want to have as much time with him as we can over the summer before school starts.  We have so much to learn about each other!

I enjoyed reading back over Kate's Blog yesterday.  It is sweet, and oh so entertaining.  It brought back wonderful memories.  http://khsadoption.blogspot.com/2009/07/big-day.html

Orphan Sunday

This past Sunday, November 2, was Orphan Sunday.  It is a designated day for churches to highlight the need for Orphan Care around the world and pray for the fatherless.  Obviously, not everyone is called to adopt, but there are so many ways to be involved.

 

Anyone can pray, most can sponsor, some can advocate, and few can adopt.  If you want to get more involved and don't know how, or if you want to adopt but don't know if you can, please contact me.  To sponsor a child at Bethel for $35 a month, click here: http://www.bethelchina.org/sponsor-a-child/

 

 

Making Connections

There is a 14 year old boy who was adopted from Bethel early this year.  He is truly an inspiration.  He did the Marine Corp Marathon last week!  This article is great.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/at-marine-corps-marathon-runners-find-their-own-reasons/2014/10/24/4b107e74-5b02-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html

I have connected with Michael's mom on Facebook and he knows Charlie.  It looks like he also has a similar vision diagnosis.  I know many people aren't fans of Facebook, but I am so thankful for the connections that I have found there.  It's where I first saw Charlie's picture and how we realized that other Bethel Boys are being adopted right here in Marietta.

Thank you, Zuckerberg.

Happy Halloween!

Well, I do love Halloween.  I always enjoy seeing the cute kids in their costumes, all things pumpkin, and trick-or-treating.  Today was a special Halloween because we got a much anticipated update on Charlie, AND our fingerprinting appointment from USCIS came in the mail! 
I had asked about his height and weight, whether or not he wanted to be adopted, his sleeping arrangement, etc.  We found out he is a lanky thing, like Stephen.  We could tell he was from his pictures, but his height to weight ratio is wider than we expected.  A bean pole is what he is!  They said he definitely wants a family of his own and will get sad and act out when other kids have been adopted.  He has his own bed and sleeps in a room with a few other boys.  The caregiver to child ratio at Bethel is 1:3.  Crazy, unheard of, but wonderful.  I'll take it!

Charlie is the one on the left, having a great time with his buddies, playing in the leaves!  Looks like he loves Fall like me!

"Have you met him?"

Since we "went public" last week with our adoption, we have been asked many, many times if we have met Charlie.  We haven't.  We feel like we know him with all of the pictures and videos that we are able to get from Bethel, but we haven't met him.  God has given us a great love for him though.  It is admittedly a crazy thing and we are thankful.  If it weren't for this love for him and our determination to get him as quickly as possible, we might have gone crazy by now with all of the paperwork and red tape!  I believe God knows this and that is why he enables you to have a love, and passion to pursue, a child that you have never even met!

Charlie is 7!

Charlie had a birthday last week!  Bethel sent us this awesome picture of him!  What a stud!

When were waiting to adopt Kate, she had her 3rd birthday in China.  We celebrated in the US with some of our good friends, and a picture of Kate.  She loves that we did that and wanted to do it for Charlie.  Here she is working on his cupcakes!

Here are Sam and Anna Kate singing to Kate's picture in June 2009.  How cute are they?!

Happy Birthday, Charlie!  We can't wait to celebrate WITH you next year for #8!

Pray for Kate

Our sweet Kate was not being herself at all last week.  She was being downright mean to Sam and when disciplined, quite hateful towards me.  One afternoon she was totally out of control in a way that hasn't happened since she was about 3.  I finally got her to open up and confess that she is scared.  She said she isn't scared that we'll love her less when we get Charlie, but she is scared that he is going to come between her and Sam.  In her words, "They're going to share a room, and be boys and just be so obnoxious!!!"  Yes.  They are. 

I wasn't sure how to respond. We snuggled and I comforted her and her behavior improved immediately, but I did realize that this is going to be harder on her than I thought.
I did share her worries with Sam, who was so understanding.  They are our "twins".  They are 3.5 months apart and absolutely adore each other. Kate is already insecure in our love for her at times, and adding another sibling to the mix has her very worried.  I think out of all of us, it might be the hardest on her.  Would you pray for her?

We need your prayers!

The journey of adoption is long, and hard, and beautiful.  We appreciate your prayers and support as we bring this beautiful boy home. 
Kate's favorite book is The Red Thread, based on the Chinese Proverb... 
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break."
We believe that this is God's beautiful plan for our family.

 

What do Sam and Kate think?

They are THRILLED!  But I suspect any kid would be thrilled to get a little brother.  Charlie and Sam will share a room and Sam is already getting it ready for him.  Kate said that she likes that she won't be the only Chinese OR the only visually impaired person in our family anymore.  They are excited about him riding their bus with them and being at school with them.  They pray for him with every prayer and not a day goes by where one of them doesn't say, "When Charlie's home we'll..."  It is so sweet.  The wonderful people at Bethel said that they had prayed that Charlie would be the youngest in a family.  We can't wait for him to be our baby.

Charlie's birthday is in the middle of October, 2007 and Sam's is October 11, 2006.  We are having Sam's party on Sunday.  I told Sam that this may be his last solo-party.  From now on, he'll probably be having a joint party with his brother.  His response was, "YESSSS!"

They do understand that he will not speak much English and his adjustment to our family may be tough, but they are determined to help him and to be a great brother and sister.  Sam is such a patient and loving child.  He is so kind and tender, especially with younger kids.  Kate is empathetic because she has been there.  Even though her memories of China and coming into our family aren't that strong, she understands much of what Charlie will go through.  Sam says he has so much to teach him about Star Wars and Kate is always eager to share her knowledge of US History!





We are hoping that they will be able to go with us to China.  There are many factors to consider, and the price tag is huge, but the memories would be absolutely amazing! 

They are pretty great travelers...

How long will it take?

Good question.  We started the process in August.  Already having a child picked out and waiting for you is amazingly motivating.  There is a ton of paperwork involved and lots of waiting on clearances, etc.  We have already finished our Home Study and Dossier.  We have applied for Immigration Approval (requesting permission from Homeland Security to bring a foreign orphan into the US) which takes about 8 weeks to get.  Our Dossier is at the Chinese Consulate being translated and authenticated.  Hoping it will get to China by the end of the year.  If all goes well, and quickly, we hope to travel in May or June.

I am moving at lightning speed, but you would too if you looked at this picture every day.

Our God is amazing. And fun. And awesome.

So, as I was thinking about this boy, and praying that Stephen would be open to adopting again, I get a Facebook message from a girl named Amanda.  (Amanda and I had become friends on Facebook about a year ago when she joined a group for families that had adopted from Huizhou, Kate's orphanage.  Very small orphanage.  About 60 kids.  I saw on FB that we had some mutual friends and after stalking her for a few minutes, realized she lived about 20 minutes from us.  Crazy.  So we became "friends".)  Now Amanda messaged me to say that she was thinking about adopting a child from a place called Bethel.  Her husband was a little nervous about adopting a blind child, they didn't know anyone who was blind.  Then she remembered that my daughter was visually impaired and we were pretty plugged into the blind community.  Could we get together and answer some of their questions and address some of their concerns?

Wait.  Which boy?
Gabe.
Oh, thank goodness.  Not my boy.

Y'all.  Gui Gui (Gabe) and Yu Zhi (Charlie) have both been at Bethel since they were 1!  They are best friends.  In the beginning of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WK6n6DFkUU Charlie is the one in the purple shirt, pushing Gabe in the box on wheels.

And they are both being adopted at the same time to the SAME TOWN!

Here they are graduating from Kindergarten.  It looks like Charlie just made some absolutely hilarious comment about that awesome bow-tie. 

I was so excited.  I couldn't believe it.  God astounds me and amazes me.  Not only is He bringing these boys to their forever homes together, in the same town, at the same time... He also opened our husbands hearts and minds to be a part of this amazing story.  Even though the mamas often feel the pull first, I am so thankful that the daddies are excited about it too!

So then... Amanda tells me she has a good friend and neighbor, Katie, that is also wanting adopt one of the Bethel boys!  Can you stand it??

Here they are!  Charlie, Gabe and George.  These were the flowers they made for their nannies on Mother's Day.  What a miracle it would be if we could have them home with their real mamas for the next Mother's Day!

Looks like a pretty amazing show!  I only wish we could've heard it! (Charlie is the one with his eyes closed, feeling the music.  Looks like he knows how to ROCK!)

How we were led to this child

Well, clearly he loves to eat and will fit right in with us!  My Granddaddy would be proud of the way he is cleaning off that chicken wing!

This picture was posted in July on an Adoption Advocacy page stating that he was in a difficult situation and needed a family to come forward as soon as possible.  He had been at Bethel since he was 1 and was now 6.  Due to government rules with education, it looked like he would have to be sent back to his home orphanage come September.  This broke my heart.  I could not stop thinking about him.

He was said to be very "cheeky" and fun.  Can you resist that mischievous grin??  He is visually impaired due to cataracts and cloudy corneas, but that does not slow him down!  He plays sports and loves to run.  Sounds a lot like Kate to me!

You can read more about him here http://www.bethelchina.org/child-of-the-week-yu-zhi-jason/ when he was highlighted as Child of the Week.  (His English name at Bethel is Jason.)

We were in the middle of probably the busiest summer of our lives.  We were moving, had just sold 2 houses, and our kids were starting a brand new school.
But God kept showing us and nudging us.  This boy was our son.

 

 

How did you decide who to adopt?

www.bethelchina.org

A few months ago, I learned about an amazing ministry/foster home that serves and loves blind and visually impaired orphans in China.  I couldn't believe such a place existed!  I was so excited and inspired by them and began reading their blog and following them on Facebook.  It is an amazing place and the children there receive exceptional care.  Given our level of comfort with visually impaired children, and the amazing services offered by our county, I knew that if we adopted again, it would probably be a child with vision impairment.  Once I learned about Bethel, I really wanted to adopt a child from there!  They're so HAPPY!

What we have learned from Kate

When we adopted our daughter, Kate, 5 years ago we started out thinking we wanted a "non special needs" baby girl.  At that time, the wait for such a child from China was getting longer and longer, and so we decided we might be open to a toddler with minor special needs.  We found Kate on a special needs list and were able to travel to get her about 6 months later.  She was 3 years old and she has albinism.  Through this we have learned that Special is exactly what she is. She may have some extra "needs", but we cannot imagine not having her in our family. She is such an amazing child that has added so much love, laughter and knowledge to our life.  We have learned so much from her and our eyes have been opened (no pun intended) to the world of the visually impaired. 

Why are we adopting a boy from China?

When most people think about adopting from China, they think about all of the orphaned girls.  However at this time, 75% of the waiting children in China are BOYS!

Our Family

If you know us, you know that we love God, adoption, China, and traveling. We are so excited that God has called us to adopt again and it involves China and traveling! This is something that we have prayed about and wanted to do for some time, and it is clear to us that now is the time to add a little brother to our family.