Monday, July 30, 2012

A note from Kelsey


Where to begin…I’m Kelsey! I’m the Assistant Director at Faith International Adoptions, where we are the placing agency for the Rummel family. I’m the question answerer, the fielder of Jason’s infamous 8:30am one-foot-in-the-door phone calls, and the world’s most patient person (right, Jason?) ;) Just kidding about that last part. I have had the absolute pleasure of ‘knowing’ the Rummel family from the first time they’ve called and have thoroughly enjoyed being a huge part of their journey thus far. I honestly can’t think of a better family for Hugo, who just so happens to be one of my favorite little guys!

I was only 12 years old when my love for adoption began. Two of my amazing cousins were brought into my family through the love of adoption and a whole lot of faith, and my life hasn’t been the same since. On the day that I stood in the courtroom during their adoption finalization, I told myself I would become a Social Worker, and that I would do all that was necessary to “work” in adoptions. So, I went home, wrote it on my calendar, and starting working towards my goals. Nearly 13 years later, here I sit…absolutely & positively blessed to be a part of adoption journeys all over the world.

I’ve said it many, many times, but I’d love to say it again – I simply wish that everyone in the world could experience the feeling you get when seeing a child unite with their family for the very first time. Families work feverishly to bring their children home. It can take months or even years to complete the process, but during the very moment that their child is in their arms, nothing else in the world matters. Families would endure the paperwork, frustrations, loneliness, and longing for their child over and over again if it meant their child would be there for them in the long run. The love between a forever family is truly indescribable.

While every child that comes home touches my life, there are always a few that fine their place in my heart and stay there forever. Whether it be a really cute smile, a twinkle in their eye, or a sadness I see in their soul, some children just speak to me. It’s as if they are looking into my eyes, know exactly how I’m feeling. They pull gently at my heartstrings, and never, ever let go.

I saw Hugo’s face for the very first time on April 18, 2012. From the second his file appeared in my inbox, I was absolutely in love! His shy eyes were staring right into mine and I could not stop looking. I looked at his pictures over & over again – giggling over his cute green shoes and absolutely loving his little button up shirt. He was stylin’ for sure and was quite possibly one of the cutest little guys I had ever seen. At the time that his file was received, I did not have a family that was waiting for a referral of a little boy. I considered advocating for him, just knowing that his family would be found quickly, but then a miracle happened.
Just one week before, I had received a call from Jason, who was interested in getting some general information about our Ghana program. He called me Ms. Melvin, which definitely made me laugh, especially considering I’m much younger (no offense Jason – you still look very youthful!) ;) He and Rebekah were just in the beginning stages of researching adoption and had no idea of what was to come so soon! Just two days after I received Hugo’s file, I felt compelled to share it with the Rummel family. Jason likely thought I was crazy, but I told him that deciding to adopt internationally does sometimes require a bit of faith and that they should just consider taking a look at the file. So, I sent it over and the rest is history!

Fast forward a few days and I was on a plane to Ghana. The timing was absolute perfection. I have seen miracle after miracle woven throughout the Rummel’s adoption process, and surely this was one of them. Not only was it my first trip to Ghana, but it was a perfect opportunity to meet the adorable little guy that was destined to be a Rummel! I was so incredibly eager to meet him, learn about him, and share every detail with his forever family. I secretly wanted to bring him home with me myself, but I’ve decided to live vicariously through Jason & Rebekah instead. ;) I was so impatient during my trip, as his orphanage visit fell towards the end. Upon our arrival though, I looked for him immediately. I walked around with his picture and picked up every child that might be him J

He happened to be in the very last place I stopped and was right next to my leg! They kept telling me, this is Kwabena, this is Kwabena (Hugo)! I looked at him, looked at the picture, and then looked back. I wasn’t entirely convinced, but scooped him up and starting snuggling him instantly! He was so shy…probably wondering who this crazy blonde lady was, and why she was so in love with him! He held back on smiling until he was sure he could trust me. Thankfully, that didn’t take long because I was smart enough to bring bubbles and what kid doesn’t like those?! We sat together in a chair, while I studied his characteristics and took in as much about his personality as I could. He was a tiny little guy with the world’s cutest smile. He was 100000000% cuter in real life and such a sweet boy! My time with him wasn’t nearly long enough, but I was thrilled to be able to share the greatest update with his family.

If there is one thing I’ve learned while being a part of adoptions, it is that every single child ends up exactly where they are meant to be. There is an ancient Chinese belief that is well known throughout the adoption world. It states: “An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.” There is no doubt in my mind that Hugo’s red thread connected him directly to the Rummel family. There is a reason Jason called me for that first time in April, a reason that his file appeared in my inbox a few short days later, and a reason why I went to Ghana for the very first time. It was all simply a step in Hugo’s journey home.  It has been such a joy to be a part of their adoption journey and I look forward to positive experiences that are to come, even those early morning phone calls! Hugo will forever hold onto a string in my heart.

For those that are even slightly considering adoption, I urge you to delve deeper. Adoption truly does take a giant leap of faith, yet it will likely be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Adoption is love, family, hope, and dreams…it is joy, a miracle, and an absolute dream come true. Your life will be forever changed!

My favorite picture below J



Thursday, July 19, 2012

Big news!!

This, my friends, is a picture of our dossier moments before it was whisked off to Ghana:


Thanks to our case worker who sent us this picture, we are now certain that we have moved on to the next step in the process. Now we wait for the court date which we are hoping will come as soon as possible.

We keep learning new things as we go along. Yesterday we learned that I was mistaken about needing to be in Ghana for several days before the court appearance to adopt Hugo. In reality, the court appearance will happen in the first few days. We will still be there for 10-12 days, though, as we wait for some paperwork to process that we need to apply for the I600 (not to be confused with the I600A which we already processed).

While we are thrilled that the dossier is now overseas, we have also entered the next phase of waiting. There will be little to report so posting will likely be less frequent. As we learn new things about adoption, we will write about them here and post links from facebook. We would also be very happy to address any questions you may have. Please feel free to leave questions in the comment section.

Thank you for being with us on this journey, and please be patient while we wait for further developments.


Saturday, July 14, 2012

I-600A Update

Yesterday, we spent the evening with dear friends and had a wonderful time playing in the pool and eating together. Before we parted, they asked if they could pray with us. We asked specifically if the Lord would intervene to get the I-600A form here quickly so that we could move on to the next step.

When we got home, the form was in our mailbox. The dossier begins its trip to Ghana on Monday!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Pregnancy vs. The Adoption Process

So we wait. And wait. And wait.

If you read the update about the I-600A form, you know that we got word that the approval was given and the form finalized. But we can't do anything until we actually get the thing in the mail and so far it hasn't come. It's been ten days since we heard it was on the way and we rush to the mailbox everyday when the mailman's footsteps are heard on the front porch. Until it arrives, we wait.

All this waiting reminds me of the times Rebekah was pregnant with our other children. That got me thinking about how the adoption process and pregnancy compare and contrast. While they are certainly different, they are surprisingly similar in many ways. Check it out:

1. The decision - There are all manner of ways people go about deciding to get pregnant. Some decide to have children right away. Others make no real plans at all but take no precautions and just see what happens. Others wait until they feel it is the right time. Still others decide to never have children only to end up having five (yeah, that was us). Either way, pregnancy begins with a decision to do something. So does adoption. It is very rare that an adopted child just appears in your home without a decision to pursue bringing him into your life. If that has happened to you, please tell us about it! In adoption, some are convinced right away and jump into the process with both feet. Others tentatively test the waters. But it's a decision that starts everything.

2. The beginning - OK, so we have a significant difference here. Adoption does not in any way begin in the same way that pregnancy does. And since I think there are some young people reading this, that's all I'm going to say about that. Ask your parents.

3. Finding out - For both pregnancy and adoption, there is a moment when you find out that it is really happening and all the plans suddenly become very real. This is when you call your parents, email your friends, post it on facebook, or whatever else you can think of to spread the word. This is an extremely exciting time and it's usually lots of fun.

4. Getting a first glimpse - Ultrasound is to pregnancy as file photos are to the adoption process. This is a category that is both similar and very different. Similar because you get a picture of a child that is very real, and very much a part of your family but is currently unable to held, hugged, or touched. They are distant in a way. The difference is obvious, though. With the four children who currently live with us, we got ultrasound photos that basically all look exactly the same - a black and white silhouette of what could be a baby but is just as likely to be an alien or a tadpole. With Hugo, we got ten color photos of him dressed in overalls, followed by pictures of him getting a bath, playing with bubbles, wearing someone else's clothes, smiling, staring blankly, laughing, being held by a friend, and, of course, the great shots of his shiny, shaved head. We even have a short video of him. I have yet to hear of anyone with an ultrasound pic of their baby in overalls.

5. The wait - This is where we are now and it feels so much like pregnancy. Exciting stuff up front, exciting stuff to come, seemingly endless waiting in the middle. There is a difference here too, though. With pregnancy, you are waiting for a baby that is being carried in the protection of the woman's womb. With adoption, our child is living with people who are strangers to us in a land that is 5,384.9 miles away. I have no control over what happens to him on a daily basis. That makes the wait a bit harder.

6. The arrival - If you are a woman reading this and have been through the labor of child birth, please don't be mad at me. I'm not about to suggest that traveling to adopt a child is anything near as difficult as the pain of child birth. In fact, I think of comedian Brian Regan who says that #10 on the emergency room pain chart is reserved for people who break a femur and #9 is for child birth. I've been present for four births and I'm pretty sure he has those two backwards.

All I'm suggesting is that there is a similarity between the my-contractions-started-and-my-water-broke-so-we-leave-for-the-hospital-and-many-hours-later-have-a-baby associated with child birth and the traveling and hoop jumping that takes place in international adoption. At the end of each, there is a human being that is a new member of your family. I guess there is even a similarity between hospital pre-registration and application for a Ghanaian court date. It should also be noted that I am a newcomer to adoption and am only guessing what the travel experience will be like. If you are an adoptive parent and I have it all wrong, please correct me. I'd love to hear your comments.

Despite the similarities and differences, there is one matter that brings it all together. God. Our times are in His hands. The safety of our unborn or not-yet-adopted children are in His hands. Knowing that can bring us all, regardless of whether we are awaiting a little boy from Africa or a little boy from our own bodies, to the same wonderful place. Peace.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Boating

Today was a pretty good day. We went to church this morning and heard our good friend Liz give an update on her travels to Ghana. We listened as she described the conditions of living for a few weeks in the country that is the current residence of our son. She described the oppressive heat, the beginning of the rainy season during which it will rain nearly every day, the toilets which are glorified holes, the showers (the nice ones are under a tree and you can still shower when it rains), and the people who manage to be kind and well mannered despite living in mud-walled, tin-roofed houses and having next to nothing to call their own.

It was thrilling to see his pictures again during Liz's slideshow even though we've seen the same ones hundreds of times. It is the strangest feeling to look at the pictures of this foreign land and think that we will - hopefully soon - be visiting those same places and holding our newest son.

In the afternoon, some dear friends with a few kids of their own invited us to join them on their boat. The day was gorgeous - one of those days when you look at the sky and wonder how anyone could question the existence of God. We swam in the lake and took rides on the tube. My oldest daughter even fell off and for a few seconds thought she was lost forever. After she realized this was not the case, she was right back on it again.

As for our friends, the boat owners - they asked about Hugo and I was delighted to talk about him. They were so kind to our children and we loved spending the day with them. It was enjoyable in every way.

As I rode around the lake on this nearly-cloudless day, I thought about Hugo in his orphanage in Ghana. He likely has no idea such a thing as a lake, or a boat, exists. I thought about the people who will spend their entire lives in Ghana and not have the opportunity to spend a day at play in the water. It made me wonder if we need things like boats and lazy days.

Well, no we don't, I guess. But I also know that God is God in Ghana and He is also God here in western PA. It is possible to walk with Him in either place. There are challenges and blessings in both places.

Today was a day of seeing families share beautiful times together and grow in love for each other. Today was filled with the blessing of friends who help us walk with God. It was watching friendships begin that will hopefully last lifetimes.

That boat was a blessing from God. I can't wait to take Hugo for a ride on it.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Financial Update

Hello family and friends,

If you haven't heard, the concert on July 3rd was a smashing success. The band was incredible and made the night memorable for all. The next day was July 4 and was, for us, filled with all the usual holiday fun - a picnic with family and friends, swimming in the late afternoon, and a much needed early bedtime for everyone in our house.

We were asked several times about the funds that were donated at the concert. If you've been wondering how much was collected and thought it odd that we haven't said anything yet, it's because we just figured it out ourselves. Word of Grace Fellowship collected all donations and after counting and recounting, presented us with your gifts.

Our final payment (excluding travel costs) will be sent in this coming week. That payment is $9500 and precedes our dossier being sent to Ghana so we can be assigned a court date. We are pleased to announce that with your gifts, our yard sale money, and the money we have been able to save since our last payment, we are just a little shy of the $9500 and making that payment on time will not be a problem.

You gave generously and words can not express how grateful we are. It was sweet to see the quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies that came from the piggy banks of many of the children who attended the concert. We want you to know that no matter what you gave, we are thankful for your support of this endeavor. The Lord sees your gift and He is a God that honors giving. We pray that you will be blessed beyond what you expect.

He certainly has blessed us by putting you in our lives. Thank you so much.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

I-600A Form



I've been looking forward to writing this post. This will be a good read for any of you who are curious about the process of adoption as well as for those who love to read about God's hand in things.

When you adopt, there is a mountain of paperwork. As Russel Moore says, committing to adopt is committing to signing your name over and over and over again. And getting it notarized. And applying for clearances. And getting fingerprinted, twice. And having your picture taken a bazillion times.

One of the major hurdles is getting approval through the US Customs and Immigration Service which falls under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. For us, that meant filling out the I-600A which is called the Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition. You fill out the paperwork, write a huge check, and send it to your caseworker. She completes some things that she needs to put on it and sends it to Washington D.C. Someone at the DHS looks at it, sends you a letter saying that it has been received, then forwards the original form to a place in Missouri called the National Benefit Center. They process immigration cases. A few weeks later you get a letter in the mail with a date to go have your fingerprints taken (again) and then you wait some more. You may remember a post from a few weeks ago about our experience with asking to get our fingerprints done early. 



Well, on the day of the concert, Rebekah got a phone call from a very nice lady who identified herself as Officer Gray. Rebekah nearly hung up on her thinking it was a telemarketer. Officer Gray informed us that the I-600A was nearly complete but that she needed to have a single line of text added to our home study to make it complete. If we could get it to her that day, via fax, she could complete it and stick it in the mail. Rebekah called me (I was at work), I called our home study agency, and within two hours, the matter was settled and the form in the mail on the way back to us. This was a big deal because it means we can move on to the next step that will eventually result is us getting a court date in Ghana and establishing plans for the first trip.

As soon as it was 8:30 a.m. on the west coast, I called Kelsey to give her the update. She laughed at me for having yet another as-soon-as-she-walks-in-the-door-call. I told Kelsey what transpired and the rest of the conversation went something like this:

Kelsey - "They called you?"

Me - "Yeah. Just a couple hours ago. It's all taken care of."

Kelsey - "They never call families! Ever. In rare cases, they call an agency but never a family. And the process usually takes weeks. They send out this pink form that we dread getting asking for further evidence and that gets processed back through all the bureaucracy before it gets to the officer who requested it. It can hold up the process for weeks."

Me - "Oh. Well it took us about two hours."

Things keep happening. The unexpected has become more and more normal. We are hoping to travel to Ghana before the beginning of the school year so that I don't have to take time off of work. Kelsey says the next hurdle will take 2-3 months. That would put us into September. I won't be surprised though if we get to travel in August.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

At your request....

Lots of you asked us to post the video we showed at the concert last night. We'd be happy to. Here it is:


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Humbled

What a night! We wondered whether the band members would make it to Indiana without incident. They did with the help of good friends who were willing to sacrifice their schedules to get them here. We wondered what kind of turn out we would have. There were 202 people who sang, clapped, and cheered along with us. We wondered if our kids would handle being up past their bedtimes. They were great.

The band was amazing. I wish you all could have seen them getting ready. I expected a discussion about what to play and perhaps some rehearsal through some of the tough spots. Instead, the band hardly spoke to each other, communicating instead through musical conversation that consisted of a phrase here or a lick there. I wondered how they had any idea what they were going to play. And the thing is, they didn't know what they were going to play either. Anyone who watched them closely at the concert probably noticed that they were figuring it out as they went, communicating on a level that very few people can understand. It was absolutely incredible.

 For me, the highlight of the night was watching the band make their way down the aisle to end the concert playing a New Orleans second-line tune and leading everyone there singing "bring Hugo home!" It was absolutely surreal.

 Thank you for coming. Thank you for giving. Thank you for being part of a memorable night. We will keep updating the blog. There is more to tell you already but I'll save it for another time. I don't want to overwhelm you with too much info on one night.

How did I miss it?

As I get ready for the concert today, I'm considering all the people who have contributed in some way and are deserving of recognition. One group in particular has been incredibly supportive from the moment they heard about our adoption adventure. Our parents never flinched for a second when we told them about Hugo. They were completely accepting and fell in love with him just like we did.

As I considered our parents, I realized that there are examples of adoption on both sides of our family. These are things that I've known but never really considered. As I've said before, we only got serious about adoption less than a year ago and it never occurred to me to talk to our parents about their experiences. Rather, we chose to talk to people of our generation whose adoptive experiences were more fresh. Granted, neither of our parents' situations were anything like ours.

Rebekah's parents never adopted a child. The connection to adoption on her side comes from the fact that her mom, Danni Mencer, was an adopted child. When she was born, her mother was not able to care for her and she was adopted by her grandmother. Throughout her childhood, she maintained a relationship with her mother but lived with her grandmother in Allentown, PA. They visited her mom in Ohio throughout the year and maintained a relationship until her mom passed away a few years ago. In adoption lingo, that would classify as an open adoption and Danni experienced the unusual situation of having a biological mom who was also her legal sister.

When I was seven years old, my mom married my stepfather, Bob, and I inherited four step siblings. Kimberly was one of my stepsisters and she tragically passed away at age 31. She was an amazing woman who served in the Army Reserve, worked so hard, and loved the Lord with all her heart. She sang solos in church as often as possible and I still have the tambourine she used to worship her Savior.

Kim's son Tom was in elementary school when she died. While my parents never formally adopted him, he moved in with us and they served as his guardians. I was in high school then and for the few years that I was home before I left for college, we lived in the same house as brothers. Even now, as Tom is grown and working as a police officer, it's hard to think of him as the step nephew that he technically is. We don't see each other much, but when people ask how many siblings I have, I count him as one of my brothers.

I marvel every day at what is happening in our lives and what God, by His grace, has helped us to see. It has become clear to me that adoption has a profound affect on the lives of everyone involved in the process. We have been changed as we prepare to bring Hugo into our family. Hugo will certainly be affected though he has no idea what is about to happen. And I also see that God has blessed us with the opportunity, through this concert/blog, to reach others who may have never had the chance to be affected by this adoption. He is at work and I hope He touches the lives of everyone who reads this blog and everyone who attends the concert.

God Bless You!

His name in lights!

Did you see it? Did you drive by one of the Mindsight screens in town and see Hugo's name?

We did!


Thanks to Doug Varner for his willingness to help us spread the word!

See you there!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Welcome, friends!

One of the fun things about writing a blog is managing the statistics that are associated with the journal. We were so excited to see our page view counter hit 100, then 1000, 2000, and now 3000 views. Wow! Thank you so much for sticking with us and sharing in our excitement.

Another fun statistic that blogger captures for us is the country in which our blog is viewed. We are honored to have readers from:

Canada
The United Kingdom
United Arab Emirates
Australia
India
Italy
Austria
Germany
Thailand
Luxembourg
and, of course, the United States.

If you are new and would like a summary of our journey so far, here are some highlights:

The most frequently visited page

How our journey began

His name

A summary of the finances

It would be fun for you to leave a comment 
saying where you're from. We'd love to "meet" you!



Thanks for reading!

Details!

Well, it's the day before the concert, and if we told you we weren't nervous, excited, and overwhelmed, we'd be lying. All the details are falling into place! The members of the band are coming in separately: one is coming in today by bus, three are arriving tomorrow afternoon from NYC, and one is arriving tomorrow by plane from Dallas.

To help you better understand the life of a world traveling jazz musician, here's a little peek into their schedule for the next few days:

Last week: the band spent the week together playing in Florence, Italy

Most of the members of the band traveled from Italy back to NYC for their respective gigs.

Jonathan Batiste flew from Italy to Scotland to open a TED conference. From there, he flew to Dallas, TX to do some filming. He is there now.

Monday night: gig in New York starting at around 10pm. Typically won't end until well after midnight. Take the train back to their respective apartments.

Tuesday morning: be on a bus by 6:30am headed for State College, PA. Definitely try to sleep on the way here!

Tuesday afternoon: get picked up in State College by Rebekah's dad. Try to sleep on the way to Indiana, PA.

Tuesday 4:30pm: sound check and set up at Grace United Methodist Church
* Thank you to Bay Allen at Grace UM!

Tuesday 5:30pm: eat a quick dinner before the concert
* Thank you to Danni Mencer and Barb Croce!

Tuesday 7:00pm: Bring Hugo Home concert

Tuesday 9:00pm: tear down equipment

Wednesday 7:30am: leave Indiana, PA to drive to State College to get back on a bus headed to NYC!

Wednesday night: gig in NYC

Whew! We're tired just typing all of that! We are so incredibly thankful for these guys. They are so talented, respected, and generous. If you get a chance to talk to any of them on Tuesday night, please thank them for their kindness towards us.

Please pray that everyone makes it here safely and on time!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Video of Hugo!!!

This is such a gift! Someone associated with our adoption agency found this video and sent it to us. It was originally much longer but we cut out everything except the part with Hugo. What a joy to see that bright smile. The best twelve seconds on video.