Sunday, December 7, 2008

Our Story Continues- Like David and Goliath

OK... so we gave the social worker our phone numbers and appropriate times to call and we waited. We had been undergoing a huge addition project to our home as we needed to prepare beedrooms and more room for our family. This project has taken us almost a year and a half but, kept our minds occupied while we waited. Otherwise I think it would have driven me crazy. I was doing some finishing work on some baseboards when the phone rand. I saw a number (from the states) that I did not recognize so did not answer it. Steve's grandmother, Meme, however DID answer it and brought me the phone. I gave her the look like...why did you answer the phone and put the phone to my ear. As I did I could hear someone with a Spanish accent call Maria and JP to the phone. I jumped to my feet and went running through the house to the backyard where Steve was working screaming "OUR KIDS ARE ON THE PHONE!!". Our Spanish was very little so I ran across the street with walk phone in hand to our neighbor's house who said if you need translation anytime just let me know. When they answered the door I called for Sally and she came running. I explained our situation and we walked over to our front yard. So there we stood, the three of us, on walk phones talking to our kids for the first time. It was sooo cool. All they wanted to know was when were we coming to get them and how much longer. They said they loved us and called us mommy and daddy. We had the opportunity to speak to them about 3 more times prior to going to get them.

In the interum we were sent pictures the children drew for us via email from the social worker.

We were told to put together picture books for the children that consisted of pictures of us, the immediate family (grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles and cousins), our home, their rooms and stuff we like to do. I had asked if someone could take pictures when they received the books AND SOMEONE TOOK VIDEO! They were very excited.

It was about this time that things started to go nuts. We were told by our adoption agency that that we were not going to be going to a major city like Bogota, Cali or Cartagena. We would be going to Cesar. The adoption agency could not tell us anything about the area. Steve was really good with research and started to search for where it was located. We discovered that it was in the northern tip of Colombia. Colombia has provinces called Departments which are like our States. Later we found out that we were to travel to Valledupar, Cesar. After more research Steve discovered that it was a very dangerous area. And on top of that our adoption agency said that they had never sent a family there before. We were already hesitent about going to Colombia in the first place but, to find out these things made our decission much more challenging.

Steve found out that there was a strong presence of the paramilitary there. We decided that we thought that they should move the children to a larger city. After speaking with the adoption agency they said that it was not a wise decission. It would look like we care more about ourselves then the children (which at the time our safety WAS on the top of our list) and there would be so much red tape it would be unbelievable! So moving the children was out of the question.

Steve had contacted the American Embassy in Colombia via email and after several days still no
answer.

We were to go over to my sister's house to talk to my brother n law who was from Venezuela but, had family in Colombia. We spoke to them and explained our situation. Their answer was not what I wanted to hear. They told us that it would be very dangerous to travel to Valledupar as we are caucasion and from the United States. "You'll get kidnapped" they said. On the ride home Steve said, "I know that you are going to be angry for telling you this but, we can not go to Velledupar. I do not want to risk our lives over 2 children - what good are we to them if we are not alive?" Unless a ticket falls out of the sky with Valledupar on it we are not going.

When we got home that evening Steve got back on the computer to do some more research. I am telling him at this point to "Stop doing research"! It was then that as he sat down and started to use it that a window popped up with a border that offered discounded roundtrip airfare to Valledupar. He chuckled and called me into the room. I said honey, I know it is not a paper ticket but, that is good enough for me!

Over the next couple of weeks Pastor Mark from our church (Calvary Chapel of Melbourne, FL) was teaching on David and Goliath. Steve attended a men's conference entitled "Facing the Giants". Basically we were being hit with everything God had that said...trust and obey me.

We had been talking to several patients about what we were going through and one of them who is very strong in faith was praying for us. For clear direction on what God's will was for us. We were so scared and confused as to if we should go to Valledupar of not. If we did not go then we would refuse these 2 children and would have to wait for others. Who knows how long that would have taken. She called one day just when we needed to hear it and said...I am not sure why but, God put it on my heart to tell you that where his work is being done Satan is right there to deceive and confuse. Thanks Donna G. and thank you God for guidence.

It was then that things started to become clearer. We got a chance to talk with a lady from the American embassy. She told us that she is permitted to travel there. It is not a red zone. It is not considered to be a border town because there is a large mountain range which seperates Colombia and Venezuela. It was about 3 miles wide and in order to cross into Venezuela one would have to travel either north or south several miles. She checked some records and told us that she could not find anything on Valledupar which is good because, it means that nothing is "going on" there else there would be "warnings". This made us feel a little better.

We also found out that there were more adoptions that had been done out of Valledupar and one of which was by an American family from Ohio, The Roberts. We were able to speak with them regarding their experience and it was all very pleasent. They had the same guide/interpreter that we would have. They adopted an older girl via the kidsave program.

We were coming home late one night from work and stopped to get Chineese for dinner. It had been a long time since we have done that. I grabbed a handful of fortune cookies (something I normally would not have done usually I just grab one for each of us). Steve opened his and it said something to the tune of a trip you are about to take will be successful. Mine said something very relevent to our adoption decission and our trip. Meme opened one and it made no sense. She said that she didn't like that one and opened another one and that one made no sense either. God is funny in how he communicates with us :) sometimes.

Well we finally made the decission to go to Valledupar. We felt that God wanted us to go there. To trust him with our lives. These were our children. The ones he wanted us to have that we have been waiting for. Now...all we have to do is make the travel arrangements.

We leave June 9, 2008.