Pictures of J and I meeting S for the first time!
Oops - they're in reverse order - look from bottom to top! =)
Monday, June 7, 2010
April 10, 2010
Dear family and friends,
I'm writing this update as we are riding on a bus to Bolga! We've had such an amazing JOURNEY thus far, and man - I've never been this "easy going" in my life! I have really had to learn the Ghana time around here.
We have met Sammy and he is absolutely wonderful! He saw me and immediately called me Mama. And Jesse - man, Sammy LOVES his daddy! He still calls his foster dad,P(first letter of his name - privacy!), his "Ghana Daddy" but Jesse his Daddy. He ran and showed us his family book we sent him when we got there and pointed to each of our pictures and said - Mama, Daddy, and Addie! He is so amazing. Much smaller than I realized - much smaller than Adalee (taller though). And what a cuddle bug. It wasn't until we saw him in person that I knew how "rough" his little body has had it. Before he came to Paul, 5 months ago, he was malnourished - but by OUR standards, not Ghana's. We see this in his thin hair and skinny little body, but his hair should start growing in thicker as his nutrition continues to improve. He also has a little heat rash that should calm down as he is in air conditioning with us this week. All this to say, I can't wait for him to come home so that we can start taking care of his little body even more so than his wonderful foster family. They are truly doing a great job with him.
We love seeing all the orphans here, they love us white mommys and daddys! It has really opened my eyes to the true need of families for all these children Mom and Dad - I have a little 14 year old picked out for you! She's wonderful. =) I even asked Jesse if we could come back and start our own orphanage - but he told me he wants to finish Fuller first! =) I'm still working on him though...
We did find out that Sammy won't be able to come home with us this trip because NOW the birth families have to have ANOTHER interview with the embassy when we file our immigration paperwork, however the birth mom has to have a picture ID to get into the embassy, which no one has here. We will be able to pay for Sammy's birth mom's photo id, but it will take an extra 1-2 weeks to get that id and then for her to have the interview w/ a dna test. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to leave him.
Back to right now - so we're on this bus on a huge dirt road with potholes the size of a person and rocks that are HUGE. I think we maybe going 5 mph and I think we have 5 more hours to go to switch busses to finish taking us to Bolga. What a ride. Oh, and have I mentioned that we waited over 8 hours for this bus?! I'm just so thankful that we are here with our agency who knows what they are doing and another family whom we've really grown to love.
It's so serial to be finishing this email sitting next to my sleeping son on his new daddy! I hope that I will be able to send you "proof" of this beautiful boy (via picture) very soon! Please pray for a quick court process, that Jesse does get to make his flight, and why not - let's still pray for a miracle - somehow my little boy would get to come home with me still! And please continue to pray for my little girl at home - this mama is having huge separation anxiety and missing her so much! Thank you all for loving on her while we're loving on her "bubba." I know that she is taken great care of.
Love you all,
b
I'm writing this update as we are riding on a bus to Bolga! We've had such an amazing JOURNEY thus far, and man - I've never been this "easy going" in my life! I have really had to learn the Ghana time around here.
We have met Sammy and he is absolutely wonderful! He saw me and immediately called me Mama. And Jesse - man, Sammy LOVES his daddy! He still calls his foster dad,P(first letter of his name - privacy!), his "Ghana Daddy" but Jesse his Daddy. He ran and showed us his family book we sent him when we got there and pointed to each of our pictures and said - Mama, Daddy, and Addie! He is so amazing. Much smaller than I realized - much smaller than Adalee (taller though). And what a cuddle bug. It wasn't until we saw him in person that I knew how "rough" his little body has had it. Before he came to Paul, 5 months ago, he was malnourished - but by OUR standards, not Ghana's. We see this in his thin hair and skinny little body, but his hair should start growing in thicker as his nutrition continues to improve. He also has a little heat rash that should calm down as he is in air conditioning with us this week. All this to say, I can't wait for him to come home so that we can start taking care of his little body even more so than his wonderful foster family. They are truly doing a great job with him.
We love seeing all the orphans here, they love us white mommys and daddys! It has really opened my eyes to the true need of families for all these children Mom and Dad - I have a little 14 year old picked out for you! She's wonderful. =) I even asked Jesse if we could come back and start our own orphanage - but he told me he wants to finish Fuller first! =) I'm still working on him though...
We did find out that Sammy won't be able to come home with us this trip because NOW the birth families have to have ANOTHER interview with the embassy when we file our immigration paperwork, however the birth mom has to have a picture ID to get into the embassy, which no one has here. We will be able to pay for Sammy's birth mom's photo id, but it will take an extra 1-2 weeks to get that id and then for her to have the interview w/ a dna test. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to leave him.
Back to right now - so we're on this bus on a huge dirt road with potholes the size of a person and rocks that are HUGE. I think we maybe going 5 mph and I think we have 5 more hours to go to switch busses to finish taking us to Bolga. What a ride. Oh, and have I mentioned that we waited over 8 hours for this bus?! I'm just so thankful that we are here with our agency who knows what they are doing and another family whom we've really grown to love.
It's so serial to be finishing this email sitting next to my sleeping son on his new daddy! I hope that I will be able to send you "proof" of this beautiful boy (via picture) very soon! Please pray for a quick court process, that Jesse does get to make his flight, and why not - let's still pray for a miracle - somehow my little boy would get to come home with me still! And please continue to pray for my little girl at home - this mama is having huge separation anxiety and missing her so much! Thank you all for loving on her while we're loving on her "bubba." I know that she is taken great care of.
Love you all,
b
April 3, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
We are getting ready to go meet our son in 4 days! This trip was unexpected, but definitely a blessing. As laws changed in Ghana a couple of weeks ago, Jesse and I are now expected to be in court while the adoption trial takes place. This will be a great experience for us as we get to not only be with Sammy, but see where he was born (in Bolga), and spend an extended period of time with Sammy's birth mom - something we have been praying for. We will also complete our adoption in Ghana, whereas before, we would have had to come back to the US to complete it. This will be a LONG trip for us (Jesse 2 weeks and myself at least 2 1/2 weeks, possibly more depending on "African timing")
There is a slight possibility that we will get to bring Sammy home with us this trip, but God will really have to have HIS HAND upon the whole process and it will have to be HIS TIMING if Sammy were to fly home with us (I would have to extend my trip by a couple of weeks probably). So, please pray for that. =) If he doesn't return home with us this trip, it will only be a matter of a weeks after I return before he is able to come home (via I go get him, or he is escorted - to be determined)
Also, please include Adalee in your prayers as well as us, for she will not be able to make the trip with us due to her age. This will be the first time Jesse and I have left her, ever! I'm not going to lie - there is severe separation anxiety on my part. But, Adalee will be with family and friends who love her very much, and whom she loves in return! I am confident that the Lord will sustain her while we're gone, but I would greatly appreciate prayer for peace for my heart as I already miss her, and yet I haven't even left yet.
Love,
J and B
We are getting ready to go meet our son in 4 days! This trip was unexpected, but definitely a blessing. As laws changed in Ghana a couple of weeks ago, Jesse and I are now expected to be in court while the adoption trial takes place. This will be a great experience for us as we get to not only be with Sammy, but see where he was born (in Bolga), and spend an extended period of time with Sammy's birth mom - something we have been praying for. We will also complete our adoption in Ghana, whereas before, we would have had to come back to the US to complete it. This will be a LONG trip for us (Jesse 2 weeks and myself at least 2 1/2 weeks, possibly more depending on "African timing")
There is a slight possibility that we will get to bring Sammy home with us this trip, but God will really have to have HIS HAND upon the whole process and it will have to be HIS TIMING if Sammy were to fly home with us (I would have to extend my trip by a couple of weeks probably). So, please pray for that. =) If he doesn't return home with us this trip, it will only be a matter of a weeks after I return before he is able to come home (via I go get him, or he is escorted - to be determined)
Also, please include Adalee in your prayers as well as us, for she will not be able to make the trip with us due to her age. This will be the first time Jesse and I have left her, ever! I'm not going to lie - there is severe separation anxiety on my part. But, Adalee will be with family and friends who love her very much, and whom she loves in return! I am confident that the Lord will sustain her while we're gone, but I would greatly appreciate prayer for peace for my heart as I already miss her, and yet I haven't even left yet.
Love,
J and B
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Yucky Money!
Money... YUCK! I hate money! I hate how much this whole process costs! I hate that we have to pay close to $25,000 to just bring a child home - and that doesn't include buying him clothes or a bed! We have applied for 3 grants that hopefully will put a dint in our costs. However, we just got a "lovely" email from one of the organizations telling us that due to the economy - people had stopped giving and they had no funds to give to parents who wanted to adopt! Seriously? I don't know how God will provide for our little one to come home, but I know He will! I trust that He will! I have to trust - I don't have a choice! He is the only one who can provide for us. If you know of any grants for adoptions, or would love to contribute - or know any one who would like to contribute - please email me! bdgibbs@gmail.com Your prayers are SO needed at this time. Pray for our little one(s), pray for AAI that they can take care of them until we get to Ghana! Pray for their birth mom and family, for comfort - for the chance to meet us when we're in Ghana. Pray for us, that God will prepare us, that He will provide for every detail needed to bring this child home. And pray for patience for ME! That I can patiently wait on God and His timing! xoxo, B
Our Little Guy!
This week has been filled with many wishful daydreams about our little guy. On September 1, at 9:30am CA time, I got this overwhelming feeling that I needed to pray for our child's birth mom. God didn't give me clear insight about anything... just that I needed to pray for courage for her. The thought crossed my mind, that maybe she was at the Eban House, our orphanage, giving her child(ren) to AAI (our agency) to take care of. I don't know - but that picture is such a hard picture. For me to make a child one of my own children, they have to lose their mother/parents/family and a mother has to give up her child. It breaks my heart for everyone involved. But our family will love that child, already LOVES this child so much, because he/she is also ours!
I am using she/he, child(ren) because we don't have an official referral yet. We are open to a boy or girl, and to one child or 2 siblings. Who knows what God will do - but I just want him to do it NOW. I ache, literally ache to hold this child of ours, to kiss them, play with them, read to them...
And then, last night I had the most beautiful dream! I dreamed about him. He was a year old, chunky little boy, with full cheeks and a little afro! He was ours. And, Anita - our placement agent, called me to tell us that she had our son in Ghana! He was ours and we could go to him! For some reason, we didn't have to wait the 6-8 months for his visa to go through, his adoption to go to court - we could just go and get him!! A dream, I know... but it felt so good. When will this happen?? I NEED it sooner than later! Yes, I'm selfish - but I'm also his mom and he needs to be with his family. I love you, little man!
I am using she/he, child(ren) because we don't have an official referral yet. We are open to a boy or girl, and to one child or 2 siblings. Who knows what God will do - but I just want him to do it NOW. I ache, literally ache to hold this child of ours, to kiss them, play with them, read to them...
And then, last night I had the most beautiful dream! I dreamed about him. He was a year old, chunky little boy, with full cheeks and a little afro! He was ours. And, Anita - our placement agent, called me to tell us that she had our son in Ghana! He was ours and we could go to him! For some reason, we didn't have to wait the 6-8 months for his visa to go through, his adoption to go to court - we could just go and get him!! A dream, I know... but it felt so good. When will this happen?? I NEED it sooner than later! Yes, I'm selfish - but I'm also his mom and he needs to be with his family. I love you, little man!
Adalee's Birthday!
We had so much fun celebrating our daughter's ONE YEAR bday! I can't believe for ONE year already we have been able to hug her, kiss her, snuggle her, play with her, pray with her, and just be with her! She is such a joy to have, and I can't believe God chose US to be her parents!
She has never had any processed sugar! What did I start? Actually - Jesse had to put it in her mouth, she really didn't like it. =)
We were so blessed to have 50 of our friends and family come and join us for this fun party! She received so many wonderful books, many books from different cultures - WHICH I LOVE, a couple of black baby dolls - another favorite of hers, wooden blocks, handmade dresses, bows, toys, clothes, and... a CELL PHONE - smile smile smile.
The phone is actually for us - my parents put us on their plan so we can text with them, call them for free, ect! It's actually a great great idea because we had so few minutes on our plan, that we weren't able to talk to them as much as we would like. They live all the way in Oklahoma, 1500 miles away. =( But this way, Adalee NEVER has to worry about not talking to them. She LOVES to talk on the phone with them and SKYPE with them. It's almost an every day occurrence.
Our friends and family, at her party, had the chance to pray over our little girl too - what a blessing. I am so happy that we get to raise Adalee with people who LOVE her so much. I really do believe that it takes a village to raise a child - that's what I HATE about this culture! Why does everyone believe that they can or are supposed to do it on their own? We can't do it on our own. I am happy that we do have our little own village that is helping us raise her. So thank you to our "village!" We love you! And thank you for loving our baby!
Dear Lord, Thank you for my little Adalee Maiah! Thank you for sparing her little life from Cystic Fibrosis. Thank you for filling her with joy, energy, and love for every little thing. You have blessed us far beyond what I could imagine. Thank you for teaching me how much you love me through the love you have given me for my daughter! Help us to raise her to know you intimately. Grow her faith. Bring her people in her life that speak truth to her, that will love her for her. Bring her friends - good girl friends. Give her a husband one day that is just like her daddy is to me. One who treats her like a queen. One that loves her like YOU love us. One that is gentle and kind and that LOVES YOU! Give us many, many more memories with her! And prepare her for our new little one(s) you will be bringing us from Ghana. Help her to be a GREAT sister, and bond them LORD.
Help me to always see her how YOU see her!
She has never had any processed sugar! What did I start? Actually - Jesse had to put it in her mouth, she really didn't like it. =)
We were so blessed to have 50 of our friends and family come and join us for this fun party! She received so many wonderful books, many books from different cultures - WHICH I LOVE, a couple of black baby dolls - another favorite of hers, wooden blocks, handmade dresses, bows, toys, clothes, and... a CELL PHONE - smile smile smile.
The phone is actually for us - my parents put us on their plan so we can text with them, call them for free, ect! It's actually a great great idea because we had so few minutes on our plan, that we weren't able to talk to them as much as we would like. They live all the way in Oklahoma, 1500 miles away. =( But this way, Adalee NEVER has to worry about not talking to them. She LOVES to talk on the phone with them and SKYPE with them. It's almost an every day occurrence.
Our friends and family, at her party, had the chance to pray over our little girl too - what a blessing. I am so happy that we get to raise Adalee with people who LOVE her so much. I really do believe that it takes a village to raise a child - that's what I HATE about this culture! Why does everyone believe that they can or are supposed to do it on their own? We can't do it on our own. I am happy that we do have our little own village that is helping us raise her. So thank you to our "village!" We love you! And thank you for loving our baby!
Dear Lord, Thank you for my little Adalee Maiah! Thank you for sparing her little life from Cystic Fibrosis. Thank you for filling her with joy, energy, and love for every little thing. You have blessed us far beyond what I could imagine. Thank you for teaching me how much you love me through the love you have given me for my daughter! Help us to raise her to know you intimately. Grow her faith. Bring her people in her life that speak truth to her, that will love her for her. Bring her friends - good girl friends. Give her a husband one day that is just like her daddy is to me. One who treats her like a queen. One that loves her like YOU love us. One that is gentle and kind and that LOVES YOU! Give us many, many more memories with her! And prepare her for our new little one(s) you will be bringing us from Ghana. Help her to be a GREAT sister, and bond them LORD.
Help me to always see her how YOU see her!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Journeys
I originally started this blog to share our adoption journey and what a journey it has been so far. But, it got me thinking... I love having this blog to talk about our future kid, but I also wanted to include you in our current life: Jesse, myself, and our precious little Adalee!
Jesse and I were talking, and we, well I, must really need to learn how to be a better journey"er." I really hate journeys and am I definitely a destination person. Tell me the destination and then I will enjoy the journey - but not knowing the destination, kills me! However, I have a feeling that God really wants to teach me to trust HIM throughout the entire journey even though I may not have a clear picture of the destination He is leading me to. I can't tell you I'm happy about not being able to see the end result before I get there, but I can tell you that there is freedom in letting go and focusing on today and not tomorrow.
Once Jes and I found out we were expecting, we also found out that both of us were carriers to a terminal genetics disorder, Cystic Fibrosis. There is no Cystic Fibrosis that runs in either of our families and no one knows if they are or are not a carrier - one of my parents is and one of Jesse's parents is - but no one knows who.
It was a very scary pregnancy, not knowing if my little baby would have this disorder (we opted out of the amino test). I didn't want to get to attached to this little one growing in my belly because there was a one if four chance that I would have to bury her sometime in my life on earth. But, when you feel them kicking and moving around in your big belly - you can't help but to love them! We had a great community of support and prayer around us which was so comforting, because when I felt like I couldn't utter another prayer, I knew that there was someone praying that God would spare little Adalee.
When Adalee was born (her name means God is my refuge - which I found myself being reminded of daily - HE is HER, MY, OUR refuge) she was so perfect - not knowing yet if she had the disorder or not - I fell in love again with her! I didn't care if she did or didn't, I just cared that I was holding my baby who was prayed over for so long, in my arms. They took the blood work and 2 weeks later, we found out that she did not have Cystic Fibrosis.
My husband shared our good news at our leadership meeting at church, with about 500 people, and I knew what it meant THEN when people said that they would carry our burden with us. The whole room was silent as Jesse was speaking, and then you heard a huge verbal SIGH of relief - it sounded like 500 people were able to breath again! That was the exact response I had when our doctor called us, I had rediscovered my lungs and I heard the whole room at church do the same thing. It was THEN I was reminded of how much we are loved by our community.
It's hard to believe that our little miracle, our healthy baby girl, will soon be a toddler, on August 26, 2009! (Not to be confused to when we're celebrating - August 22!)
However, it's not the scary journey of the possible Cystic Fibrosis that led us to adopt. Any child we have through birth will have the same 1 in 4 possibility of having CF. But hear me when I say, they are two totally unrelated issues! I talk about our call to adopt in our first post. I feel God has called us to be a family to an orphan, but I don't believe He has called us NOT to have another. Right now, I don't know if He has called us to have another biologically - but I know if He does call us to create human life, He is in charge, and we TRUST HIM with all life: ours', our daughter's, our new kiddo in Ghana, and any future children we may have through birth or adoption. God is SO good and He is WORTHY of our trust!
Here are a couple of recent pictures we took of Adalee!
Jesse and I were talking, and we, well I, must really need to learn how to be a better journey"er." I really hate journeys and am I definitely a destination person. Tell me the destination and then I will enjoy the journey - but not knowing the destination, kills me! However, I have a feeling that God really wants to teach me to trust HIM throughout the entire journey even though I may not have a clear picture of the destination He is leading me to. I can't tell you I'm happy about not being able to see the end result before I get there, but I can tell you that there is freedom in letting go and focusing on today and not tomorrow.
Once Jes and I found out we were expecting, we also found out that both of us were carriers to a terminal genetics disorder, Cystic Fibrosis. There is no Cystic Fibrosis that runs in either of our families and no one knows if they are or are not a carrier - one of my parents is and one of Jesse's parents is - but no one knows who.
It was a very scary pregnancy, not knowing if my little baby would have this disorder (we opted out of the amino test). I didn't want to get to attached to this little one growing in my belly because there was a one if four chance that I would have to bury her sometime in my life on earth. But, when you feel them kicking and moving around in your big belly - you can't help but to love them! We had a great community of support and prayer around us which was so comforting, because when I felt like I couldn't utter another prayer, I knew that there was someone praying that God would spare little Adalee.
When Adalee was born (her name means God is my refuge - which I found myself being reminded of daily - HE is HER, MY, OUR refuge) she was so perfect - not knowing yet if she had the disorder or not - I fell in love again with her! I didn't care if she did or didn't, I just cared that I was holding my baby who was prayed over for so long, in my arms. They took the blood work and 2 weeks later, we found out that she did not have Cystic Fibrosis.
My husband shared our good news at our leadership meeting at church, with about 500 people, and I knew what it meant THEN when people said that they would carry our burden with us. The whole room was silent as Jesse was speaking, and then you heard a huge verbal SIGH of relief - it sounded like 500 people were able to breath again! That was the exact response I had when our doctor called us, I had rediscovered my lungs and I heard the whole room at church do the same thing. It was THEN I was reminded of how much we are loved by our community.
It's hard to believe that our little miracle, our healthy baby girl, will soon be a toddler, on August 26, 2009! (Not to be confused to when we're celebrating - August 22!)
However, it's not the scary journey of the possible Cystic Fibrosis that led us to adopt. Any child we have through birth will have the same 1 in 4 possibility of having CF. But hear me when I say, they are two totally unrelated issues! I talk about our call to adopt in our first post. I feel God has called us to be a family to an orphan, but I don't believe He has called us NOT to have another. Right now, I don't know if He has called us to have another biologically - but I know if He does call us to create human life, He is in charge, and we TRUST HIM with all life: ours', our daughter's, our new kiddo in Ghana, and any future children we may have through birth or adoption. God is SO good and He is WORTHY of our trust!
Here are a couple of recent pictures we took of Adalee!
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