A Win for Canada

Congrats Canada! You gained a good one.

For those of you who are following our blog but are not on facebook...I apologize for the delay in this post. On Wednesday Canada gained a great new little citizen. After much prodding, a persuasive call from an MP office, and a whole lot of prayer I was contacted by the CIC office in Pretoria. They "dug" through a pile and found Miss A's papers. Apparently it has been busy there :-) . We are so thankful to have passed this step. We have been in contact with the passport office and they have verified that they have all the necessary documentation to process Miss A's first passport....let's just hope it doesn't make its way into a "pile" that will necessitate any "digging". We have until next Friday to receive the passport and it really feels like we have made some breathing room for ourselves.
Today marked our move to what will hopefully be our last accomodations in South Africa. We have moved inland away from the sea air and sandy beaches. We now find ourselves surrounded by forest with a river running right through the b and b property. The neighbourhood is gated with allows us to move more freely by foot....after all this chocolate "therapy" I could use some walking around.
Miss A has once again become sick. I suppose it is winter around here and much like winter at home...sickness makes its rounds. There is so much going on in her little world it is no doubt that some form of "stress" contributes to this. We are praying that she will get over this before the flights. While in many ways next Saturday can't come soon enough, with the stress of making contact with the high commission relieved we are hoping to make the most of these last days in Africa.

A brief glimpse at sibling love.

Adoption Lamaze

 

My kids are most certainly siblings....

 "Without oxygen...your brain doesn't work properly," a close friend reminded me via text this week. Earlier that day our new friend we will call "the hair dresser" stated that she wanted to write a book entitled "Lamaze for Adopting Parents" as she reflected on all the deep breathing she found herself doing throughout their journey into adoption. All this talk about breathing and functioning. The last few days have been challenging to say the least. There are moments when my brain has not been working. Where perspective has been lost. Where I might have been served well by a little "adoption lamaze".

No citizenship......deep breath
No passport application filed yet......deep breath

....they are even starting to smile that same goofy smile.

Not able to use flight credit to get home.....deep breath
Need to purchase new one way flights.....deep breath
Two more weeks in South Africa.....deep breath

Today is the day we were supposed to start our journey home....about now in fact. Instead, we are here...most of my family sleeping away this rainy South African afternoon...and I am working on processing our new reality for the next couple weeks. We will be here until August 8th. We did, in fact, need to purchase new one way flights home. We will not have as much time to transition to our home life with Tim as we had planned. It's going to be ok regardless. Deep breath.

In the throws of distress some people experience "breath holding". Admittedly I sometimes experience "prayer holding". As though when I need it the most...the breathing and the praying...I forget, get distracted....lose perspective.....and my "brain" stops working. Thank you for the many people this week who have prayed for us, offered that lost perspective, been our brains. We know in our hearts that two weeks is but a blink.....money is but a tool to be used....our papers will arrive....we will come home. Sometimes it is just hard to remember. 

Making Lemonade

Experiencing "winter" in South Africa.

Oh that spoon! It goes everywhere.

Our little family has now been in South Africa for five weeks. It has been a journey marked with incredible blessings....many challenges....and lots of opportunities to grow. We were scheduled to come home on July 25th....only "two sleeps" away. I say "were" because it looks as though our trip has been extended. We have yet to receive Ada's citizenship...and without that we can't apply for her passport. And so, we stay....because we have absolutely no control in this situation. There have been tears shed....many tears. We so badly want to step back onto Canadian soil. To introduce our little girl to those we love. To get our big boy home, near friends to play with, near familiar environment, food, toys....a backyard! We are weary.
Two days ago our social worker here informed us that we will need to stay at least another week, maybe two. Yesterday we were informed that we can stay at our present location....until this Thursday...so the search is on for somewhere else. This morning the travel agent informed us that we won't be able to switch our flights until August 9th...unless we want to pay a change fee that is essentially more than us purchasing new tickets....so we will be purchasing new tickets. Discouraging news.
So we gathered the kids and headed for a great cup of coffee at a cafe we have been frequenting in the mornings. Greeted by smiles from staff who knows us (we essentially are the only ones in there that early in the morning...they are getting to know us.) After our cup of coffee we headed to a hair dresser across the street. She cut the boys hair last week and we found out she had just gotten a call for a little boy to adopt (coincidentally her husband works for a man from Saskatchewan). This morning she gave us the great news that they would be bringing their little boy "Blessing" home in two weeks. More tears...but happy ones.

Exploring the tide pools.

And so....because we can do nothing else, we will make lemonade with these "lemons". Choosing not to fret about where we will stay (because there will always be somewhere). Choosing not worry about extra flight costs (because God has always provided in this journey and Tim is blessed great employment). Choosing to spend our days building sandcastles and waiting. While the tears may continue to come now and then and the days will undoubtedly be with challenges our little girl is ours...citizenship is on the way no matter how long it takes. We will get her passport and we will come home.

For those of you who are praying please continue to do so...here are a few things we could use prayer for:

1) That citizenship and passport come quickly. That we would not have to wait to full time our social worker gave us.

2) That we would find new flights home and new accomodation at a reasonable cost.

3) For Jake's adjustment. He has been having a really hard time. Tim reminded me yesterday that he is completely out of his element. Just as we are having a hard time....he is too but from a three years old's perspective it is a bit difficult to manage. He asks about his friends often and talks about what he is going to show Ada at home (Mama Jean and Papa Ron you are going to be bombarded!) we can tell he is missing home.

4) That Tim and I would have peace and patience...extending much grace to those involved in the process. That we would trust instead of worry, pray instead of be angry and have the wisdom to love those kids God has blessed us with.

When Hello Also Means Goodbye

I have been struggling with this post for a couple weeks. The topic not easy to grapple with. The truth of the matter is our wonderful hello story with our Miss A is also a sad goodbye story for the many who have loved her in South Africa. Our baby has been incredibly loved. Truly loved and cared for. As parents it fills our hearts, we are deeply grateful. From the house mothers who have tenderly cared for her day in and day out, the dedicated volunteers who have supported her providing extra snuggles when hands were full, and the families who have embraced our baby girl as their own a village has certainly raised this child. Welcoming her into their homes, celebrating milestones, truly loving. We are beyond grateful.
Today we had the absolute pleasure of spending the day with a family who has been dear to our little girl. Her South African "family". We played, ate....splashed (oh did we splash). Miss A at home in their arms, enjoying some final snuggles. While my heart is full with this new little love in our family....a part of my heart breaks for the people she leaves behind. Thank you all who have been in our little lady's life. We are blessed by your dedication to serve the babies at Westville. Our sweet baby girl's smile will remind us daily of your care. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you.

Some African Advenures

We have been up to a few things between doctor's visits and trips to home affairs....here is a little peak into the last week at our beach house.

 

 

 

 

Morning walk along the beach.

A boy, his sister....and the spoon....Jacob loves his bunny....Ada loves a spoon...any spoon.

The typical "photo" face....enjoying a babycino....and "smiling" for the camera.

Traversing the river in our Safari Jeep.....the stuff little boy's dreams are made of.

The Safari Wheels

Having fun in the bath....Jake does a great job of distracting his sister during "hair" time.

Dad's exercise routine looks a little different these days.

Safari Jake looking the part...spying out zebra and giraffes....more dreams come true.

Someone is feeling much better these days thanks to a healthy dose of antibiotics.

Home Affairs....the Mysterious Line Up....and a trip to McDonalds

Today was a day. A day filled with cultural experience, a good dose of frustration and a whole lot of love from new friends. As part of our paper work we need to file for a new birth certificate for our sweet girl before we are able to leave the country. To do so means we must visit a home affairs office. Upon arrival at said office this morning we found a line up out the door....to which there was no particularly defined end...after been jostled from point to point...all of which were claimed to be the "end" of the line up we found ourselves at the front. By this point both kids were squirming....almost 100 people filling the office spilling out the door, other babies crying....and a home affairs staff that apparently had no clue what we were doing. It soon became apparent that we were getting nowhere.

Filled to the brim with frustration...in the words of our social worker....the morning's experience was complete "rubbish!" What does any good North American family do with two wailing children? We headed to Mcdonalds. Having learned by this point that while the food is great and the price comparably good in many fine eating establishments in South Africa the service is slower. Romantic if on a date.....potentially catastrophic if dining with kids on limited patience. Consoling ourselves with fast food we decided to try again at another office.

So back to Westville we did go. This is the area where our bed and breakfast for the past three weeks is located. We stopped in for a quick visit hoping to stretch our legs in the back yard of the B and B before heading off to another long line up but were so blessed by our prior host. She was an absolute angel for our family today. Serving us coffee, feeding our son, entertaining our children, providing a play pen for a much needed nap for a little girl. Being our family when we are so far away from our own. She ended up taking me to the office so Tim could stay with the kids somewhere more comfortable....which in the end backfired and required a quick trip back to pick him up. With more waiting, more confusion, more explaining, and a little "persistance" from our South African angel the papers we needed were filed, receipts obtained and we should be on our way to the next step.

Today a reminder that this journey has not and will not be easy...is any journey in parenthood? But, we will be equipped....God will provide. Today His provision came in the form of a South African hostess willing to rearrange her day completely to help some clueless Canadians navigate the South African system.

This little face makes our day more than worth it.

On a similar note, many of you have been asking how to pray. Here are a few things we would love some prayer for:

1) We have yet to receive Ada's citizenship....we would LOVE if it could come this week. We cannot apply for her passport until we receive her citizenship. Passport applications take up to 7 business days. We are booked to come home on July 25th and would really love to do so.....but it is looking a little less likely.

2) As the citizenship aspect is really out of our control pray that we will find the necessary flights and accomodation if needed (i.e. if we need to extend our stay in South Africa).

3) Pray for health for our family. Yesterday we made a visit to a doctor. Ada has been fevering and not really eating much for almost four days. She is now on antibiotics and responding really well. Her fevers have broken and she is smiling and starting to play again. Please pray that the rest of us stay healthy and she continues to get better.

One Tiny Babe and a Lot of Perspective

In many ways our trip to South Africa has been a bit sheltered. We are admittedly staying in quite and affluent neighbourhood filled with swimming pools.....and gates and electric fences (that's a whole other post). We are close to a multitude of shopping centers filled with high end clothing stores, fresh (organic) produce, and parking lots filled with Benz, Jag, and other luxury car models I know nothing about (we would be the family sporting the Toyota Corolla....even here!).
Every now and then we get a glimpse of the real South Africa. In conversations with serving staff on wages....had a conversation with a check out teller who informed us she was paid well (at just over $2 CAD an hour). A seemingly misplaced shanti settlement in the midst of mansions. People begging....everywhere. Poverty, injustice, such striking differentiation between the wealthy and the poor.
This week it hit a little closer to home. A little man at the Westville Baby Home has been sick. At two months old he was admitted last week to the same state hospital Ada was born in. Admitted on the weekend there was no physician to see him....all weekend.... sick enough to be admitted to the hospital but no doctor to see him. He was eventually discharged a few days later....but soon became sick again. This time in the midst of convulsions he was taken to a private hospital. This time seen immediately by a pediatrician and send for a lumbar puncture. This little man was later diagnosed with a type of bacterial meningitis. One that by his age he would have been vaccinated for, but the time at which he was taken for routine vaccination they were out of stock. A little bean, on state medical care.....now facing hearing loss and brain damage due to poor medical care. Had he received the care initially he would be doing much better.
Understandably this hits close to home. Up until last week our baby girl was under state care. Up until two weeks ago she was in this home, being loved and cared for but at the mercy of limited funding for health care, healthy food, etc. This little man born into circumstances he could not control has had his life altered once again grossly by injustice. My heart breaks.
We have two beautiful children. One born into prosperity, one not. Both now given the opportunity to flourish, to access medical care, healthy food, a warm home. Processing this reality, the many children who will not have forever families....is staggering.

Finding our Way in Durban

Cuddling with my kiddos.

Jake the leopard.

Settling in to daily family life in a foreign country has been an interesting process.  We have a home...but it is difficult to really establish a routine or feel truly at home without going a bit stir crazy. With a car we have been able to have a bit more flexibility and have started to explore a bit of Durban. Miss A does a great job of sleeping on the go (and with two naps a day we are thankful for that or we would be stuck at the B and B for most of the day). J does better when we plan an outing for the morning. This morning we took a trip to the Ushaka kids world. Not ready for the full day adventure at the Marine World and Water Park we paid $10 to play in an amazing jungle gym, splash in a spray park, make crafts, meet parrots, and explore a lego pit. J wasn't the only one grateful for a morning of play. When we are feeling a little more adventurous we will check out the dolphins and water park.

Meeting the parrot.

Post nap daze.

Loving the lego pit.

Miss A exploring the spray park.

Jake the pirate.