First Visit with the Girls

Scott has just returned from his first visit with Nora and Anna.  To say that it was hard would definitely be an understatement.  On Scott's first day there, after traveling for two days and getting very little sleep, he walked into the orphanage and they handed him both girls at the same time!  Keep in mind that both girls have severe special needs and have been neglected for the most part, so they are not used to being held, especially by large men who speak a different language!  Naturally they both became very upset, Nora to the point where she was having trouble breathing.  They also would not let him take any pictures of the girls.  This was disappointing, but we respected their rules.

Scott and I skyped after that first visit.  We had to remind each other that our whole lives were in God's hands.  He was asking us to do this, and He would not leave us, not for a second!  I also emailed Susanna Musser, who had adopted Katie, the first little one adopted out of this orphanage.  She was so encouraging!  I felt the power of her prayers for us (and of our other friends and family) strengthening and calming me almost immediately and so did Scott.  He fell into a peaceful sleep that night and awoke refreshed and renewed.

From the second day on, Scott was to visit with Anna in the morning and Nora in the afternoon.  What a difference the second day made!  Anna took to him right away.  Remember she has hydrocephalus and will most likely need to have a shunt placed once she is home.  However, according to the personnel in the orphanage, her head size has not increased in the last several months.  Praise God!  I have been praying for this.  She also does not appear to be in pain.  She is eating baby food now, not just drinking from a bottle.  She is also rolling over and trying to push up on her arms.  For a skinny little thing with a heavy head, this is phenomenal.  Only our God!  She fell asleep in Scott's arms during the visit.  Sweet girl.  She knew she was safe and loved.

We were much more nervous about Nora's visit.  She had been so upset the first day and she has a heart condition, which we didn't know much about.  But our mighty God showed His power once again!  Nora did not cry at all when they placed her in Scott's arms!  She even made eye contact with him!  It is hard to overstate the importance of this.  First, she has been in her crib for the vast majority of her life, with minimal human contact.  Second, we were told that she did not fix her gaze on objects and showed little interest in the world around her.  Hah!  There is life in this child!  She is definitely the needier of the two girls, though.  She is tube fed.  Her limbs are very contracted, both from her CP and from lying in bed all of the time.  She does not speak or move.  But she is so precious!

Wednesday's visit with Anna was again good, but Nora's was hard.  That morning the staff took Nora to the cardiologist again.  Her prognosis is not good; her heart condition is very serious. The doctor does not believe she will survive.  Scott and I were so covered in prayer that this news did not discourage us.  It has only strengthened our resolve to fight for our daughter and get her home as quickly as possible!  We are asking her country to expedite the adoptions so we can get her seen and treated here.  God knows the plans that He has for this child.  Plans to give her hope and a future.  Satan cannot do anything to alter those plans, not even a bit!  And God willing she will know what it is like to have a family and she will be loved.  Please pray for her!

The last two days went quickly as the girls had to get their visa pictures taken and then Scott headed back to the capital city to fly home.  By then he was so ready to come home to us.  We were both anxious to get started on the second stage of our adoption paperwork so we can get our girls home!

We need your help!  First of all, please pray for our girls.  Please pray that God will make our adoption path straight and short and that we will have them home quickly.  Please pray that we will be led to just the right doctors and other professionals.  Please pray for our protection and the protection of our family.

Second, we need to raise our adoption funds quickly.  We will be holding an online auction on Facebook to raise money.  Would you be willing to donate something for us to auction?  Giftcards, jewelry, baby and children's items, and electronics are always good choices!  We ask that the person donating be willing to pay shipping, so please think small.  If you would be willing to help, please email me at eightisnotenough2012@blogspot.com with a picture of the item and a suggested starting bid and retail price (if known).  I hope to have the auction up within a couple of weeks so we can catch people who need Christmas gifts.

Speaking of Christmas, if you are shopping on Amazon for gifts, would you please do so through my blog?  All you have to do is enter a search term in the box to the right and you will be taken to the Amazon site to shop normally.  I then get a commission on your purchase and it costs you nothing!  I do not get your name or any identifying information.

Lastly, if you're looking for a last minute tax deduction, will you consider donating to our FSP?  This money is readily available to us for adoption expenses.  The link is to the right, or click here:

http://reecesrainbow.org/39085/sponsorrosencrants

I also want to give you a link to another blog which explains the wonderful changes that are going on in our girls' orphanage and how you can be a part.  God is doing such marvelous work!  I am so excited to be a part of the story He is telling!

Lastly,  I must remind you of the children still waiting in our girls orphanage.  Their files have been returned to their home country but they can be requested.  Please share them!  These little ones need homes so badly.  You can see them on my post here.  There is one new child available named Owen (one of my favorite names!).  You can link to him here.