Hello again Hugo Followers!!
My last post was August 28....38 days ago. That is way too long to wait before writing new material and I apologize, but I think this update will make up for it.
WE JUST GOT HOME FROM A TWO WEEK TRIP TO AFRICA WHERE WE MET HUGO FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!
It was amazing. He is amazing. Ghana is amazing. The God we serve is amazing. There is so much to report!
Here's the skinny....
On September 17, we got word that a court date had been established and we could make our plans to travel to Ghana. From August 28 (the date of the last post) until September 17, there was truly nothing new to post. I probably should have made the effort to write something valuable about the adoption experience, but the truth is I spent most of that time biting my nails and waiting for the phone to ring. I just couldn't muster the mental energy to post. Then, when we got the word that we would be leaving soon, we decided that it was probably wise to wait until we got back to post to the blog. I'm pretty sure all of our readers are friends and family but just in case there are any creepers out there, we didn't think it was wise to announce to the world that our house would be empty for two weeks. So that's my excuse for not blogging, and I'm sticking to it.
Anyway, we went and now we're home. I could write volumes (and I will) about what happened over the last two weeks but I won't write it in this post. Believe me, there's a lot to tell and you'd get tired of reading if I put it all in one spot. Here's what I thought I'd do:
While we were traveling, I kept a journal. I bought a little, brown leather journal at Walmart and wrote in it everyday. I really enjoy journaling when we travel and I thought this particular trip would be an important time to do this. Over the next several weeks, I will write a new post every couple of days detailing each day of our trip. I'll be careful to leave out any sensitive or classified material and there are some things I just don't want you to know. No offense, but some of the stuff is just for Rebekah and I and Hugo. Still, you'll get a pretty good idea of what we experienced and what is coming next in the process.
So if you've been wondering what's been going on....we're back! Stay tuned and we'll tell you all about it.
God Bless You
Friday, October 5, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Something to consider as we wait
Hi all,
I suppose that after 23 days of not posting you are wondering what is going on. Well...nothing, really. We are still awaiting the infamous phone call that will confirm a court date. We learned that the process has progressed to the last step and there is only the scheduling of our court appearance remaining.
I hold my phone in my hand everyday at 11:30 a.m. I'm thinking that since our case worker is three hours behind and gets to work at 8:30 a.m. her time, she may check her email, see that a court date has been assigned, and call us right away. My phone has a crazy habit of unexpectedly turning off so not only do not set it down for at least 30 minutes, I check it incessantly to make sure that it is still turned on.
In the meantime, Rebekah read a recent post on Ann Voskamp's blog about bucket lists. I loved every word of it and thought I'd post the link here. I hope you will enjoy it. It is challenging to our safe and comfortable lives so be prepared to be motivated to action.
Think of this as you read it....as we pour out the buckets that He has filled, He also does not allow them to remain empty. He keeps refilling. Over and over. He never runs out and has called us to be like Him.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/08/best-bucket-list/
Until next time....
I suppose that after 23 days of not posting you are wondering what is going on. Well...nothing, really. We are still awaiting the infamous phone call that will confirm a court date. We learned that the process has progressed to the last step and there is only the scheduling of our court appearance remaining.
I hold my phone in my hand everyday at 11:30 a.m. I'm thinking that since our case worker is three hours behind and gets to work at 8:30 a.m. her time, she may check her email, see that a court date has been assigned, and call us right away. My phone has a crazy habit of unexpectedly turning off so not only do not set it down for at least 30 minutes, I check it incessantly to make sure that it is still turned on.
In the meantime, Rebekah read a recent post on Ann Voskamp's blog about bucket lists. I loved every word of it and thought I'd post the link here. I hope you will enjoy it. It is challenging to our safe and comfortable lives so be prepared to be motivated to action.
Think of this as you read it....as we pour out the buckets that He has filled, He also does not allow them to remain empty. He keeps refilling. Over and over. He never runs out and has called us to be like Him.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/08/best-bucket-list/
Until next time....
Sunday, August 5, 2012
I haven't found out why yet, but someone sent our caseworker new pictures of Hugo. Here's the best one.
There are twelve in all but they basically all look like this. We think the blue shirt and cool sandals make him look like he is on a tropical vacation. Can't wait to see him in real life. So amazingly cute!
There are twelve in all but they basically all look like this. We think the blue shirt and cool sandals make him look like he is on a tropical vacation. Can't wait to see him in real life. So amazingly cute!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Being Compassionate
Welcome back. As I was considering topics to blog about during this waiting time I realized I never told you a really fun part of the story. It pertains to a wonderful organization that I'm going to take this opportunity to plug: Compassion International.
If you've never heard of Compassion, it is an organization dedicated to child advocacy. It was started in 1952 to provide for the needs of 35 impoverished orphans in Korea after the Korean War. It has grown significantly and now reaches 1.2 million children in 26 countries. You may be familiar with other child advocacy groups, such as World Vision, Manna Worldwide, or Save the Children. I'm not familiar with how all of these organizations work but we got involved with Compassion because they provide for the needs of the children and also share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through programs at local churches and community centers.
There are three ways you can become involved in Compassion. One is by sponsoring a child through a financial commitment only. In this way, you can help meet the needs of a specific child. Your donation would not go into a large fund that would eventually make its way to your sponsored child's area. Rather, the money you donate goes directly to help your child.
If you want, you can go a step further. In addition to a financial commitment, you can write letters to your sponsored child and receive letters from him as well. This is what we chose to do and the letter writing is among the most rewarding things we've done.
If you do not have the funds available for a financial commitment, you can be matched with a child for letter writing without the financial part.
We got involved about three years ago when Rebekah discovered Compassion and started investigating whether or not we should be involved. She found that it was an excellent program which creates opportunities for impoverished children, in some cases literally saving their lives. We were matched with a little boy named Wincey who was about the same age as our oldest son. We exchanged letters with Wincey and learned that he lived with his grandma, attended a local school funded by Compassion, and loved playing soccer. His parents had gone away to look for work and when they found it, they sent for Wincey to join them. While we were pleased for his family that they were able to find work, he unfortunately moved to a place that was outside the reach of Compassion and so we lost contact with him.
We were then matched with another child named William with whom we still contact regularly. William is about the same age as Wincey and from the same area. We've learned about his interests and have been able to send him birthday and Christmas cards. We wants to be a police officer and so we are sending him a picture of my brother in his uniform. It is a fabulous feeling to know that we are contributing in a small way to help this little boy.
And now the fun part. Remember when I said that Wincey and William were from about the same area. You guessed it, Ghana. We have been in contact with Compassion and when we travel to adopt Hugo, we will be able to visit William as well. This was not planned, I promise. Our involvement with William started long before our call to adopt.
I hope you will consider looking into Compassion International. If you are not a Christian and have issues with Compassion's mission statement, don't let that be an excuse to not get involved in child advocacy. Needy people have needs and it's good to help no matter your religious affiliation. Feel free to investigate other organizations. If you do want to learn more about Compassion, check it out here:
http://www.compassion.com/default.htm
I promise it will be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. If you have questions about how it works, how you can get your whole family involved, or how to sponsor a Compassion Sunday at your church, ask us. We love talking about this stuff.
If you need more convincing about Compassion's impact on the lives of individual children, follow the next link to a blog post written by Ann Voskamp. It tells the story of Jonathan, a boy she met while visiting an area along the Amazon River that Compassion reaches. It was life-changing for me.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/07/when-compassion-becomes-a-gold-rush-2/
Finally, check out this video of a young African man who was a sponsored child himself and is appearing at a convention during an advocacy event for Compassion. Unknown to him, his sponsor, with whom he has exchanged letters for years but has never met, is going to join him on stage. Amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rIElUTPBi0&feature=related
Thank you again.
If you've never heard of Compassion, it is an organization dedicated to child advocacy. It was started in 1952 to provide for the needs of 35 impoverished orphans in Korea after the Korean War. It has grown significantly and now reaches 1.2 million children in 26 countries. You may be familiar with other child advocacy groups, such as World Vision, Manna Worldwide, or Save the Children. I'm not familiar with how all of these organizations work but we got involved with Compassion because they provide for the needs of the children and also share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through programs at local churches and community centers.
There are three ways you can become involved in Compassion. One is by sponsoring a child through a financial commitment only. In this way, you can help meet the needs of a specific child. Your donation would not go into a large fund that would eventually make its way to your sponsored child's area. Rather, the money you donate goes directly to help your child.
If you want, you can go a step further. In addition to a financial commitment, you can write letters to your sponsored child and receive letters from him as well. This is what we chose to do and the letter writing is among the most rewarding things we've done.
If you do not have the funds available for a financial commitment, you can be matched with a child for letter writing without the financial part.
We got involved about three years ago when Rebekah discovered Compassion and started investigating whether or not we should be involved. She found that it was an excellent program which creates opportunities for impoverished children, in some cases literally saving their lives. We were matched with a little boy named Wincey who was about the same age as our oldest son. We exchanged letters with Wincey and learned that he lived with his grandma, attended a local school funded by Compassion, and loved playing soccer. His parents had gone away to look for work and when they found it, they sent for Wincey to join them. While we were pleased for his family that they were able to find work, he unfortunately moved to a place that was outside the reach of Compassion and so we lost contact with him.
We were then matched with another child named William with whom we still contact regularly. William is about the same age as Wincey and from the same area. We've learned about his interests and have been able to send him birthday and Christmas cards. We wants to be a police officer and so we are sending him a picture of my brother in his uniform. It is a fabulous feeling to know that we are contributing in a small way to help this little boy.
And now the fun part. Remember when I said that Wincey and William were from about the same area. You guessed it, Ghana. We have been in contact with Compassion and when we travel to adopt Hugo, we will be able to visit William as well. This was not planned, I promise. Our involvement with William started long before our call to adopt.
I hope you will consider looking into Compassion International. If you are not a Christian and have issues with Compassion's mission statement, don't let that be an excuse to not get involved in child advocacy. Needy people have needs and it's good to help no matter your religious affiliation. Feel free to investigate other organizations. If you do want to learn more about Compassion, check it out here:
http://www.compassion.com/default.htm
I promise it will be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. If you have questions about how it works, how you can get your whole family involved, or how to sponsor a Compassion Sunday at your church, ask us. We love talking about this stuff.
If you need more convincing about Compassion's impact on the lives of individual children, follow the next link to a blog post written by Ann Voskamp. It tells the story of Jonathan, a boy she met while visiting an area along the Amazon River that Compassion reaches. It was life-changing for me.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/07/when-compassion-becomes-a-gold-rush-2/
Finally, check out this video of a young African man who was a sponsored child himself and is appearing at a convention during an advocacy event for Compassion. Unknown to him, his sponsor, with whom he has exchanged letters for years but has never met, is going to join him on stage. Amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rIElUTPBi0&feature=related
Thank you again.
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!
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.
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!
When we got home, the form was in our mailbox. The dossier begins its trip to Ghana on Monday!
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