Outta Sorts

It’s been an unsettling couple of weeks here – in our family and in Guatemala.  The government is all in an uproar with the president being impeached and then arrested for corruption (Google it if you are interested in reading all about it).  There have been protests and demonstrations for months now.  Our school was closed for safety reasons the day of the big protest last week, the one that the whole country participated in to oust the president.  Sunday was primary election day and it was crazy.  There were riots all over the country.  We could hear the one in Magdalena from our house.  It was in font of the school, which was the voting location.  We went to church in the morning but were advised by friends to stay in and not leave.  On Monday morning when we took the kids to school, there were fires still burning, presumably ballots, and police at the schools.  We also saw truck loads of police with riot gear throughout the day.  It was slightly nerve wracking and makes us sad for this country and how it’s been taken advantage of. 

On August 10^th, we got the keys for the Project for Hope property and it’s been non-stop ever since.  LONG days working, making repairs, cleaning, etc., and getting the place clean enough to move into which we did, a week ago Saturday.   It doesn’t stop there though.  There is a tremendous (I am not exaggerating with that adjective) amount of work to be done here.  Right now, we are working on our leaky roof, getting internet, a working well so we don’t have to pay for water, and laundry hook-ups for the Nortons.  Not to mention cleaning and gardening this soon to be oasis.  The place was vacant for several years, which gifted us layers and layers of dust/dirt on every surface imaginable.  I will write more about this endeavor later. 

giving Pete some love

With all the changes in our lives since the property and the boys starting school, Kendy ,aka Baby Gurl,  is all outta sorts.   She doesn’t know if she’s coming or going.  She’s 4 and in her short life, her world has been rocked many times.  She’s gone from home at birth, to an orphanage shortly after, back home, to another orphanage and then here with us.   I am sure in between those trips to orphanages she was placed in foster care too.  So, something like moving to another house takes her back to a place and feeling she can’t express with words, just actions – crying, screaming, etc., when things feel out of control for her.  When are things out of control for her?  When it’s time to eat or get dressed or go to bed or go somewhere.  So let’s just say all day.  It’s “Toddler Insanity” all over again.  She’s not been sleeping well and gets in our bed most nights. Everyday  I tell her over and over that we love her, we will never, ever leave her, this is her family and she will be with us forever.   I was happy this morning because she was able to tell me that she missed our old house.  That gives us something to go on and something to talk about.   As for Angela, she’s a trooper and takes it all in stride.  Her feathers aren’t ruffled quite as much and she’s able to talk about her feelings most of the time. 

Life With Girls

The last 7-ish months have been a blurr.  Lots more crazy in the house since the girls came.  We went from having "older" kids 8, 13, 16 to having a 3 and 5-year-old around (now 4 and 6) and that brought our parenting journey to a screeching halt!  We went from semi-smooth sailing to bumpy back roads.  It's taken us back to a time/place that we haven't been in so long that we don't even remember what we did "back then".   It's kinda funny and kinda not.  The amount of daily conflict in our house has tripled.  I feel like my primary job is a court appointed mediator, in a bad divorce, with crazy people who refuse to give in and who can't be reasoned with.  It's quite tiring!

Having little ones around who did not come from me is scary.  I take for granted all the things the boys "know" because we raised them, and all that the girls don't.  For instance, don't touch outlets, or hot things on the stove, or try to break up a dog fight, or open the door when someone knocks, or put things you found on the ground in your mouth, and on and on and on.  There are plenty of times I want to say "You know better than that" but the truth is they don't.

People have asked "Is it everything you ever imagined?" Well, not exactly.  I imagined girls to be delicate little creatures who don't delight in bodily functions like boys do or fight with each other or act like wild animals.  I've learned that girls are really no different than boys, just slightly more dramatic and manipulative.  They are crazy and full of energy and the boys have met their match.  They remind me of the days when Jon was little - always have them in your sight and don't leave scissors laying around!!  One afternoon, Kendy (the youngest) had one of those Barrel of Monkey games, except a miniature one, on the floor in her room.  The moneys were out so just the barrel was there.  I came in and noticed it and that the floor was a little wet so I asked her about it.  She retracted faster than a turtle, a given that something not good is about to come out.  Her sister was quick to give her up and told me it was pee.  What!!!  Apparently she had to go the night before and went in the tiny, little cup.  Seriously...  she's got skills to be able to pee in something so small, I'll give her that but the bathroom is right outside their door.  She is Jon all over again, who I vaguely remember peeing through the screen of his bedroom window once.  She's a handful for sure.  A few days ago she told me that she felt something crawl in her ear.  I said it was probably water since she just got out of the shower.  She started to cry so I got my glasses and a flashlight just to make her feel better.  I wound up pulling out a rather nice sized piece of foam that was way down in there.   I think I'm going to get her a nanny.....

But seriously, they are great and we are happy to have them.  When they first met us, they called us "Abuela and Abuelo", grandma and grandpa.  It was cute but slightly prophetic because that's exactly how we feel sometimes, way too old to be doing this!

They are biological sisters and appear to be from the caribbean side of Guatemala.  There is a population over there of people with African dissent so they don't look very Guatemalan.  They've got the afro hair and dark skin.  We don't know exact details but they were given up by their grandmother because their mother was not able to care for them.  It's kinda sad.  But, they are with us now and we trust God that this is how their story goes.

Sugar & spice and everything nice....

We wanted to share some exciting news and prayer requests…

For some time we have been looking into the possibility of adoption.  We've always felt that we weren't quite finished as a family and there has always been hope that one day we would have some girls join us.  Since moving to Guatemala,  we had heard many things as to whether or not we were eligible to adopt as foreigners so we decided to wait until we had our permanent residency completed to look in to the possibilities.  About a year ago our residency was finalized and through some different connections we began to investigate directly with the government to see if we met the qualifications to submit an application.  In January of this year we attended a half-day workshop, the first step in the process, and learned, as permanent residents, we are eligible to adopt.  After that, we spent two and a half months getting paperwork together from many different sources.  We then met with the government attorney who reviewed all of our paperwork.   He said everything was in order and they accepted the application!

A few weeks later the psychological evaluation was scheduled.  We (Chris and Holly) spent a morning telling our history, our family histories and drawing lots of pictures.   The picture thing was interesting because neither of us are artists and we were specifically told not to draw stick people.  We came home and googled the significance of what we had to draw (person, couple, family, house, and tree) and felt we might have failed that part right off the bat for various reasons and lack of artistic skills.  The next day the boys went in and talked to the psychologist and drew their own pictures.  That was a lively meeting to say the least!  If after spending an hour with those 3 together, they felt it was a good idea to give us a few girls, it would be a miracle.  But they did and called us a few weeks later to come out for a home visit.  After asking more of the same questions and looking at our house, the social worker congratulated us and told us we were going to be parents again! 

Yesterday, we spent all morning at an informational/preparation meeting and left with our official certificate of adoption eligibility.   Now, we wait for the call.  We know we will get 1-3 girls.  When you've got 3 kids, what's a few more?!?! We know that they will be anywhere from 18 months to 5 years old.  We are super excited and super nervous and praying that God will not give us more than we can handle.  Right about now we are asking ourselves if we are crazy!

After we receive a referral, we have 10 days to accept or not.  If we do, there will be a series of visits with the girl(s), just us and later the boys - they probably don't want to scare them right away.  :)  If all that goes well, they will come home with us. They will be ours but it will take the courts about 6 months to stamp and sign off on all of the documents.  After 2 years, we can get them passports for the US and apply for their naturalization.  In the meantime, we should be able to get them travel visas for when we go back to visit.

Please pray with us.  We know that these little girls will have their own stories, will have been through some type of trauma, and leaving all they know to come to our family will not be easy.  We fully expect there to be a difficult adjustment period and are praying that it be short and we all will have the patience needed.  We have alot to do to get ready for them - get their room ready, clothes, toys, etc.  There is not one girl thing in a house full of boys.  :)  We also need to be prepared emotionally for what to expect.  We are all excited to say the least!!

Marcedona

This precious, 32 year-old, mother of 6 was in a horrific accident in late August.  She was cranking up a machine that grinds corn and her hair got caught in the axle and torn off 90% of her scalp, one ear and half of the other.   Her whole entire family (mother, father, sister, brother, husband, kids) and people in the village rushed to help only to find her laying on the ground unconscious.  They thought she was dead and were afraid to touch her, so she laid there for about 30 minutes unattended.  When they realized she was alive, she was put in a truck and driven 30 minutes to the nearest "town".  (They live in a very remote village in the mountains).  There, she was transported by ambulance to a hospital in the city - over an hour away.  Now you are probably thinking that once she got to the ambulance, she was stabilized and given pain medication, etc., but I highly doubt it.  Where they were, I am sure the ambulance wasn't much more than a means of transportation.

Marcedona spent 2 months in the national hospital.  She had several skin graft surgeries and a surgery  to insert a tube where her ear was to keep the ear canal open so she would not lose hearing.  When Chris went to visit her family shortly after the accident, they were very concerned about the skin grafts because they had never heard of that before.  He explained it to them and that helped them to understand that she needed it to survive.  They live in a small remote place and have little knowledge of "modern" things.  In all, skin was taken from 7 places on her thighs - very painful she said.   She still needs one more surgery and possibly one that will give her a prosthetic ear.

Her youngest daughters

We went to visit her at home and she is doing well.  One of the most difficult parts of the whole ordeal was being away from her 6 children and the rest of her family.  The memory has left a lasting impression on everyone and we are praying that God will heal that so they can move on.  She is grateful to God and how He has provided for her and her family.

We shared her accident with our prayer team,  the hearts of a couple of people were touched to help.   As a result, bus fare was provided for her dad, husband, and brother to go see her when she was in the hospital.  They've been blessed with food, the medicine she needs until her wounds heal, and a water filter so she can wash her head with clean water.  Some folks sent sterile bandages and gauze that we could not get here in Guatemala.  The timing was perfect because she needed the gauze and a team was coming a few days later.  During our visit we explained that it's not the "Gringo's" who have helped, it's God who has provided and He has a plan for her life.  He brought her through this terrible ordeal and she's a miracle.

Please keep Marcedona in your prayers.  Pray that she would be healed mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically from all that she has gone through.  Thank you!!

Thankful

Took a quick picture of Holly today while we were out in Buena Vista celebrating Thanksgiving with some friends.  What a great picture!  I've been married to this beautiful lady for 21 years today! Thankful for such a loving wife and mother to our children.  How appropriate that today is Thanksgiving...  Happy Anniversary Babe

Baby Eddy

A cutie!

Baby Eddy was born on September 10th.  Right before he was born we helped his parents build a block room.  They lived in a cornstalk shack and wanted (really needed) a better place for their baby.  We brought Baby Eddy, his dad Eddy, and his mom Miriam, and a few relatives home from the hospital and have kept up with him every since.  Miriam had a c-section, not something you ever want to do in Guatemala, and took awhile to recover.  This little guy has struggled with nursing and gaining weight from the start.  He was born at 6lbs, 5oz and at 6 weeks he weighed 5lbs, 8oz.   He's 10 weeks now and weighs 7lbs,11oz.  He is being seen my Dra. Sara, a local pediatrician, and Lesbia, a local lady who is going to school to finish her nursing degree so she can work with moms and babies.   Lesbia and I are visiting twice a week to weigh him and encourage Miriam with her first baby.  She started supplementing with formula a couple of weeks ago and Eddy is gaining weight!  She's 19 and can't read so Lesbia takes the time to explain things to her - how to care for herself and the baby, nursing, how to mix the formula, etc.  I just hold him and listen to all of the new spanish vocabulary words I am learning relating to babies.  He smiled at me today and it just melted my heart.  He's a sweet baby!

Lesbia and Miriam

A little smile

Fun With Books

We had friends visiting from Jacksonville this weekend.  They came with loads of books in Spanish to share with kids here.  It was tons of fun and the kids had a blast!  They started out reading "The Little Red Hen" ("La Gallinita Roja").  The moral of the story was to help one another. After the story, they had a craft and got to take home a book at their reading level.  It was a great way to encourage kids to read.  Thanks Lisa and Ashleigh!!!