Adventure to Vietnam

Another to travel

2009-09-22T09:55:00.003-04:00

We received word last week that another family will be traveling to Vietnam to bring home their son. Our hearts are with them as they take the journey we've all been waiting for. They have promised to take some pictures of our girl. We will keep you all posted. Please pray for the Henson family as they travel.

still silence

2009-09-01T16:03:00.002-04:00

A few weeks will go by here and there and we will get an email from our agency... "still no news" or like the latest... "we've seen little activity". Chris and I have both been recently fingerprinted and we continue to wait. Wait for something... waiting to finally bring home our girl, or wait to be told that we've lost another child. At this point, we are ready for some answers. Here is the latest from our agency...
On August 19, 2009 the US Embassy (Hanoi) met with the DIA in Hanoi. The DIA is sending a letter to the Department of Justice of VN requesting they contact the DOJ in the province in order to encourage them to resolve all of the Worldwide cases. On the surface this all sounds like there is the possibility that the DOJ might be able to persuade the province to complete these cases. However, we need to remember that the DOJ in the province still has the final word. I always feel obligated to be the realist in all adoption cases, but I also want each of us to look at this as a positive step in the process to bring your babies home.The DIA will notify Thuoc when they have news from the DOJ. All of this will be done on Vietnam time, not ours, so we could be waiting a while for this process to be completed.

and so we continue to wait...

the tiniest update

2009-08-04T11:28:00.002-04:00

Sorry, no news and no pictures. We did get the tiniest little update this morning though. Dillen is weighing in at 22 lbs. She is a good little walker and even talking. The care takers are keeping her hair long. Wish we could see her sweet little face. Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.

The latest news...

2009-07-16T12:43:00.002-04:00

The most significant problem we are still having is related to the power concentrated in the province. We our dealing with a government that has a communist perception on how government works, and that certainly does not provide equality for everyone's voice to be heard. The province officials do not care about our children in the orphanage nor do they care about our situation.
DIA is powerless over the actions of the province and can not force the province leaders to process any of the remaining adoptions. The province is like a small country, they rule themselves. Our agency has given us little hope that anyone can help our situation. Thuoc expressed how concerned he is about all of the adoptions, and asked that we pray for DOJ to cooperate. The Red Cross is legally bound to Worldwide by Vietnamese law. Fortunately, the director of the Red Cross is our advocate with the officials in the province. The director speaks often with the officials in the province, she has tried to set up meetings with the officials in the past and continues to try to get meeting set up with them regarding the remaining adoptions.
The DIA has tried to get these cases to move but the officials remain resolute in their efforts to prolong these remaining adoptions. Inquiries from the US Embassy have not been productive either. As painful as it is, we have to accept that the officials in the province are in charge, even big organizations such as the DIA and the US Embassy have been unable to break these officials.
Our fingerprints are about to expire for the second time. We will have to refile our paperwork and make a trip to the immigration office (a few hours away) to be fingerprinted for the third time. The cost just to do this will be nearly eight hundred dollars. At this point, we don't even know if they will ever let Dillen come home.

Nothing still

2009-07-07T13:37:00.002-04:00

We still have no news concerning our adoption. We received and email from our agency this morning that said that the only information she received from Vietnam was that the "Red Cross is fighting for our babies". So as you can imagine, we are frustrated. We do not know what this means or if DIA has sent a representative to the province. We have no new answers or news concerning our girl. It has been 8 months now since we've seen a picture and five months since we were given her "supposed weight". This is beyond ridiculous now. We have no information from our government either, it's almost like no one cares, no one can help. But don't you people understand????? This is our ONLY child! This is our DAUGHTER! This is our life! Can anyone help???? Is anyone REALLY fighting? Doesn't feel like it.

Still nothing

2009-06-29T14:47:00.003-04:00

I thought we were seeing the end. No news from Vietnam. No news that anyone from DIA traveled to the province to speak with the leaders. No news from our government. We'll give them more time, of course... time is all we have... patience however, running thin.

We'll post as soon as we hear something. The only news we got this week is that the director of our agency was going out of town for a family birthday party. At least someone can celebrate.

Steppin' In

2009-06-15T14:18:00.003-04:00

Last week we took another step in our adoption. We contacted Sen. DeMint's office. We were warned that bringing any outside attention to our case could potentially anger the officials in the Province and they would not complete our adoption. What can you do? In the end, I want to be able to tell our daughter that we did everything we could to bring her home.

I received an email earlier today from our agency. Apparently DIA is upset with the Province Leaders. Their intentions are to send a representative from DIA to the province to help finish these last five adoptions. We don't know their time frame, but we are encouraged. This is a positive step.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Update, anyone?

2009-06-08T10:41:00.002-04:00

Our 6 yr old Golden Retriever, Ozzy is recovering at home. He spent last weekend in the Emergency Vet's office and had an emergency surgery on his heart on Monday last week. As you can imagine, we were a wreck. It feels like life has really dealt us a crappy hand. Ozzy had fluid build up on his heart and in his abdomen. When we took him to the vet last weekend he weighed in at 93lbs and when he went this past Friday for a follow up visit he weighed 86lbs. Poor guy! He'll have to have monthly check ups for a little while as he still has a blood clot near his spleen, but he seems to be back to the happy dog that he was before he got sick. Thank you for thinking of us and Ozzy this past week. He is happy to show off his shaved belly for any of his fans!

As far as our adoption goes... no real news to share. The facilitator in Vietnam has been in contact with the US Embassy and Vietnam's DIA. We are still waiting for the officials to sign the Letter of Invitation for the next few families. We do not know if putting this pressure on the officials will slow the cases or speed them up. I can't imagine them becoming any more slower... but whenever we say that... Anyway, as always, we'll keep you updated.

The Cry for Help

2009-06-01T14:29:00.002-04:00

If we were in Vegas we'd say the cards are down. Our agency has contacted the US Embassy in Hanoi to intercede on our behalf. They can no longer keep the baby home open and pay monthly expenses as the Leaders sign Letters of Invitations every four months or so. There are still movement in the province and there could be repercussions with contacting another agency. We are hoping that the US Embassy and DIA can convince these officials to allow our children to come home as soon as possible. All five babies are just waiting for their Decision of Adoption to be signed. There is a chance that the Leaders of the province will deny all or some of the adoptions. We do not know what will happen to our children if this happens. Please keep us in your prayers as the US Embassy and DIA contact the Leaders.

On a side note, our Golden Retriever has become very ill. He is currenly in a life saving procedure at a Specialty Vet office. We feel empty and helpless. We pray for mercy Lord.

I barely hear You

2009-05-19T11:55:00.003-04:00

We are still waiting on the Leader of the province to sign the next Letter of Invitation. Thuoc, our facilitator, has strongly warned that we cannot pressure, persuade or agitate the officials in the province. Without question, he feels any such maneuvers will continue to delay the process for all cases.

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Praise You in this Storm
Casting Crowns

And we continue to celebrate...

2009-05-12T12:52:00.002-04:00

So many days of celebration! Saturday May 9 was my dear husband's birthday. He hates when people make a fuss over birthdays, so we quietly let it slip by with a simple card and a teeny tiny present. Sunday was Mother's Day however, and we can't just wave that one away. We were blessed to be able to celebrate it with my dear mother and my sister-in-law. I love that I get to watch my sister-in-law raise her boys. I am so thankful to have her in my life. The one we missed most though was my mother-in-law. Jacqie left us a few years back. I understand why God would have called her to be with Him though, she was an amazing woman who knew how to pray and praise Him in every circumstance. I am so thankful that I was blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law, even if it wasn't as long as we had all hoped.

Still no news on the adoption front. I don't know when and if this nightmare will end. I think we are all about ready to wake up and move on with our lives.

Jealousy

2009-05-01T11:13:00.002-04:00

I grew up in south Florida and attended a private Christian school as a kid. Our school was affiliated with the Baptists, however the community that I lived in was Catholic and Jewish majority. I didn't have a lot of friends in the Catholic school, but I secretly wished my parents had chosen to send me to the Catholic school. We weren't Catholic, but we weren't Baptist either. Why? The holidays! Are you kidding? My mom was a public school teacher for most of my life and was off for every Jewish holiday as well as Christian holiday, but even so, I think that the Catholic school had more half days and days off than any public school. I was so jealous!

Well the Vietnamese trump the Catholics. Talk about holidays! No news this past week... another Vietnamese holiday.... Victory Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1).

I'm tired

2009-04-28T15:39:00.002-04:00

SO tired. I hate this feeling. Sheer exhaustion. Put on a smile. Hope no one sees you breaking inside. Hide your fear. The not knowing. It has been years now...

When will it be over?

There is still no news. We were told this morning that we won't have ANY information about DIA's decision in our case until these other two adoptions are complete. There is no time frame for the completion of these adoptions. No Invitations to travel. Nothing. Our fingerprints will expire again this fall and the extension is no longer free. Dillen lies in a crib, waiting while we are desperate to bring her home. No answers. DIA has not helped her, our agency has not helped her, and the province leaders have not helped her. Who looks after the orphans but our God?

News is better than none...

2009-04-17T11:32:00.002-04:00

We received an email this morning that our paperwork is still at DIA. That is all we know. The good news? Someone took time to find out for us. The bad news? How long does it have to sit on a desk collecting dust while Dillen lays in an orphanage and waits for her family to bring her home?

60 Days!

2009-04-16T13:09:00.002-04:00

It has been 61 days now that our paperwork has been at DIA. We have no new information about what is taking so long, or what DIA has decided about our paperwork. Our facilitator in Vietnam will not answer any questions about case, nor will our agency. We assume this is because they don't have any information, but we can't even get an answer to the question "Have you called DIA and asked about our case?" This is so frustrating.

The province officials have decided that they will not even look at our case, or the other two that went to DIA until two more families complete their adoption, the Henson and Lopez family. However, the officials have not given either family an Invitation to travel.

Yesterday Dillen was 16 months old. We hold on to the hope that she will be coming home, we just can't even imagine when.

What Matters Most

2009-04-09T12:01:00.007-04:00

What Matters Most About the Crucifixion—Matthew 27:42-43
by Jack Klumpenhower4/9/2009

When I think of Jesus’ experience on the cross I tend to focus on the pain, which must have been severe. Or I think of the terror of impending death. Or the loneliness of bearing God’s curse. But although each of these surely matters, the Bible’s crucifixion accounts give the most attention to something else entirely. They focus on how Jesus was mocked.As I said, my own instinct would be to treat the mocking that Jesus endured as secondary, given the circumstances. But Matthew in particular gives few details about pain and death but long descriptions of Jesus being mocked. He tells how the soldiers teased Jesus over his claim to be king; how they made a crown of thorns, gave him a stick for a scepter and hit him with it, and knelt before him taunting, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (27:29). Matthew also notes the sign on Jesus’ cross, which likewise ridiculed him as “King of the Jews” (27:37). He mentions how passersby teased Jesus over his claim to rebuild the Temple in three days. He says that even the guys crucified next to Jesus mocked him.So what am I missing here? Why is the mocking so important to the crucifixion? And why should it matter to me?

Words that Sting
The mocking reached a peak when the leading priests and other religious bigwigs got into the act. Matthew writes: “ ‘He saved others,’ they scoffed, ‘but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, “I am the Son of God” ’ ” (Matthew 27:42-43).These guys knew how to dish out ridicule. They’d debated Jesus earlier that week and he’d gotten the better of them. Now they threw his own words back at him. When they called him King, they meant he obviously wasn’t one—that the cross made him powerless. When they said he trusted God, they meant he clearly didn’t—look what was happening to him. These guys understood dark humor and sarcasm. They wanted their words to sting.What’s Matthew’s point? Well, God can be witty too. If you look at all those things said to ridicule Jesus, you’ll find they’re actually true. Every one of them. Jesus really is the great King. And the Son of God. And the Savior. He trusted God so fully that he was willing to be crucified to see God’s plan through. And after three days, the temple of his body rose again in victory. God arranged for the essential things we need to know about Jesus to be said at his crucifixion—by those mockers.

What matters Most
Perhaps nothing is more central to the Cross than the words of those religious leaders: “He saved others, but he can’t save himself!” Yes, even that was true. Although Jesus had the power to save himself, he had a singular determination not to. He had to do his Father’s will. He had to sacrifice himself.It’s a stunning move—that the Father’s delight would be to punish his Son for the sin of his people. But Jesus knew his duty and shared his Father’s love. In order to save others, he couldn’t save himself.Now I see why the things those mockers said were important to Matthew. They mattered to him because he understood they were all-important to Jesus. And they mattered to Jesus because I matter to Jesus. He accepted the pain and the death and the curse of God because saving others—saving me—mattered more. More than nails. More than thorns. More than ridicule. More than the terror of death or the wrath of God. More than saving himself.

And the next family will be...

2009-04-09T11:47:00.003-04:00

It's been a long and busy week in the Myers family. I've had to do some travelling with work and Chris has been working tons. We are so thankful that we both still have jobs in this economy, not to mention the second most unemployed state in the US right now.

We were recently told that the Lopez family will be the next family to travel to Vietnam to bring home their son. If you don't remember, their son was the very first baby in the home and will be 3 years old in June! SO we are very happy that he will finally be able to come home. Unfortunately the province leaders are requiring a bit more paperwork from this family before they can travel. It is a bit frustrating... so no one is in country right now and apparently this province will only allow one family to travel at a time. They have been keeping the families in the province for a minimum of 10 days before preforming their G&R ceremonies. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for their madness. The last baby home was the youngest and the next one out is the oldest... Maybe they line them up and play musical chairs... the winner gets to finally go home.

Sorry, I seem a bit sarcastic. But dealing with no system and quite a few people that don't care about your situation or your child's for 3 years now, has finally gotten to me!

On another note. We are SO incredibly thankful for this Easter weekend. We are here, and we live for Him who lived and died for us. This weekend we can celebrate that we won't only have Dillen for our lifetime but for eternity because of what Christ has done for us.

Completed G&R!

2009-04-02T12:44:00.002-04:00

We are excited to announce that another family completed their Giving and Receiving Ceremony! The father traveled alone to bring home their son and stayed in the province for 10 days before the Justice would complete their adoption, however it finally happened!

Unfortunately, the family that traveled didn't take any pictures for us, so I have no pictures to post. Thuoc did take some measurements of our BIG girl while in the province. Supposedly Dillen weights nearly 19lbs and is 29inches long. Sounds like a really long little girl, right?

Hopefully we'll be able to post continued good news very soon. We are expecting to hear that another family can travel very soon.

PeBoBe Randusty Benefit Concert

2009-03-31T17:02:00.006-04:00

We had such a great time on Friday night at Connolly's with the PeBoBe Randusty Band. The band did a great job talking about International Adoption and our precious Dillen, not to mention the music was so FUN! I was so excited when I heard the tribute to our childhood with a little Vanilla Ice and some Sir Mix-a-lot! The band was able to raise almost $700 for our adoption. Thanks to all that came out and supported us and PeBoBe Randusty.

The wonderful Randy

Above and Below... the Fabulous PeBoBe Randusty Band

Brooke and Jen, the BEST caseworker we could have asked for. She is the reason we have a beautiful daughter waiting for us in Vietnam!

We love her dearly.

Chris Mize and Chris Myers... not confusing at all...

The soon to be Mrs. and Mr. Hornsby!

The girls... Katie, Tara & Jen

Dillen's Nana Betsy and Martin came for a long night out!

Kim and Karla

Just a few of the ladies from my wonderful Dare to Dream Bible Study!

They were joined by Karen and Claudia which made introducing a tongue-twister!

One Family in the Province

2009-03-24T15:23:00.002-04:00

One family is in the province but we do not know if they have had their G&R as our province leaders will not set those until after the family arrives. The family left the US on March 21, 2009. Thuoc plans for them to fly to Hanoi on the 28th and fly home on March 31st. This is a very ambitious plan and it will be amazing if this all happens as planned. I certainly hope so because if it can happen once, it may happen again. We will send an update when we know more.

On a side note, we will be at Connolly's Irish Pub in downtown Greenville on Friday night. The PeBoBe Randusty Band is helping us raise money to bring Dillen home. If you are in town, we would love to see you there. The music should be a lot of fun. I don't want to spoil it, but I think we may hear some 90's jams! We hope to see you there. If you are unable to come, I will post some pictures of the event on the blog!

One family to travel this weekend!

2009-03-20T17:18:00.003-04:00

So one family is supposed to travel this weekend and there are two more families that both have their Decision of Adoption signed and are waiting for travel dates. It looks like we may be seeing the pinhole of light at the end of the very long and gloomy tunnel. I don't know much about this family that is traveling, except they are bringing a little boy home. We hope they take lots of pictures while they are there so they can send them home to us, unfortunately we don't have any contact with them, so unless our agency is on top of it, we probably won't know much about their trip or see their pictures.

The next two families to travel looks to be the Henson family and the Lopez family. FINALLY! We couldn't be more excited (other than if we were going ourselves) for the Lopez family. Their beautiful son Dat was the first baby in the home and is now almost 3 yrs. old! We are so thankful that he can finally be home with his family very soon.

We are just waiting for DIA's input in our case so that we can get our Decision of Adoption signed and issued an Invitation to travel. We are hopeful that it will come shortly after DIA has looked at our papers (which is probably still a few weeks out). Until then we will be celebrating the journey of our friends and share in the blessing that their sons are coming home!

A new timeline

2009-03-16T17:07:00.003-04:00

So it seems like every time we move, we move into a new timeline. Are you ready to count? So the latest news we have heard is that when our paperwork got sent back to DIA is was put into "the line" where new paperwork goes and follows the same timeline... which is at least 60 days to process. Fortunately, we waited 30 of those days just trying to get our agency to find out what was going on, so we are half way through. What's next???? Who knows at this point.

The Henson family did not travel as scheduled. They are now being told that they will have to wait another 10 days before they can travel. So lets hope someone gets there asap. We have not gotten any updated medical reports or weight and measurements since August. The Blackwell family gave us a roundabout weight when they were there in November, but it sure would be nice to know our girl is healthy.

On a side note... We have incredible friends. For those of you that will be in the Greenville Friday March 27th please meet us downtown at Connolly's to hear our friend Randy Hutchison and his band. They are donating their tips to help us bring Dillen home. We would love to see everyone there that night. (More info still to come.)

We would also like to thank the Key family. We received an email from Rachel letting us know about a grant that we may qualify for and quickly sent them our info. We got an email back last week that we were selected to receive the grant! (Again, more info to come.)

This is Craziness!

2009-03-11T10:44:00.002-04:00

Well almost another week gone by with no additional news. I met the family that is traveling and saw pictures of their beautiful boy who should be home shortly. It was good to connect with another family with a beautiful child from Vietnam. I was able to pack a little bag for Dillen with a couple of outfits and a new toy. Hopefully it's the last time we send things and not ourselves. The Henson family should be traveling very soon, however they have gotten no additional information as to when they leave. They were told it would probably be this week, but it's already Wednesday.

As for us, we have been unable to reach our adoption provider. Hopefully today we will finally hear back and understand more about our holdup.

Another family to travel

2009-03-05T15:45:00.002-05:00

I don't know if it is good or bad news in our case that another family will be traveling to Vietnam to bring home their son from our agency. The good news? We'll get new pictures of our sweet girl and the opportunity to send her something. The bad news? It's not us traveling! Boohoo! We are so thankful for the opportunity to send something special to Dillen and we hope to get to know this family that is traveling. We will update the blog if we hear news while they are in the country, but for now, think of the Henson family as they travel to pic up their son Jax. He will be one year old this month. Pray that they have safe travels, a good trip and a smooth process. We look forward to sharing new pictures with all of our readers.

Just throw us a bone!

2009-02-25T10:24:00.004-05:00

We are desperate to see the light. I was at Bible study last night when I heard someone say that when you are depressed you can't even envision the light at the end of the tunnel, everything is dark. I thought about that for a long time and realized that is how we feel about our adoption. After two years, I can't imagine holding our little girl. I can't imagine putting her down in the crib and kissing her sleepy face. I can't imagine the dogs chewing on her toys or visits with her cousins. I used to see it all and slowly it fades. We are desperate for some news. We have to hold on to hope that this is not an endless journey.

Job was not angry at God; he was hurt by God. God made him stronger in the end. We aren't angry, but we are done counting it all joy when we fall into trials. What about Paul and John the Baptist? It didn't end the way they wanted we presume... with persecution, and beheading? Are their mansions just a little bit bigger on the other side?

We certainly don't know the outcome of our toils, but we have to find the strength to know that God will give us freedom from our journey. Thanks for you continued support. Dillen is now 14 months old. We haven't received any updates on her health or any new pictures since November. We will continue to post any news we get.

One week later

2009-02-21T08:49:00.002-05:00

One week later and still no update. This can't go on forever. One day you will check this blog and we will be boarding a plane! Unfortunately it hasn't happened yet. Our paperwork has been at DIA for one week now. We are hopeful that DIA works a lot faster than the province officials. We are confident that we will hear SOMETHING in the next week. We are not the only family in this mess. Please keep all six babies in your prayers. Two families were told that they would be able to travel and pick up their boys very soon. Four families including us are still waiting for more information. We are thankful that God has given us patience that we didn't know we had! Thank you for your continued support.

And we step again...

2009-02-16T09:06:00.003-05:00

So an adoption is a series of steps, some small, some more like leaps and sometimes you take a few backward. I feel like somewhere this summer we took the wrong path and got lost in the woods. Maybe we are coming out of the woods? Maybe our path is finally crossing with the right one? I don't think you know for sure until you've reached your destination, however we've stepped. Our paperwork has reached DIA. That is all we know.
Thanks for your continued prayer and support. We cannot wait to actually share our journey to Vietnam with you all.

The end of Tet

2009-02-08T11:16:00.002-05:00

We received an email last week that Tet was ending and our agency had spoken with Thuoc our facilitator in Vietnam. We did not have clear information if our paperwork had already been sent to Hanoi or if it was waiting to be sent. We emailed our adoption provider and asked if we could share the cost with the other families and have Thuoc deliver our paperwork to Hanoi personally so he could explain each adoption case and hopefully get an answer quickly about how each adoption would proceed. Our adoption provider contacted Thuoc to see if this was possible.

Thuoc called DIA to see if this was possible, and they told him to be patient. We don't know what that means, but I would assume that they don't think he should travel. Maybe they want to look at all the paperwork without him present, we don't really know. We still have no idea if our paperwork has already been sent. We certainly hope for more answers in this unsolved mystery. None of this makes sense.

On a side note, please keep us in your prayers. These past few months have been increasingly more difficult for everyone. Chris' hours at work have been cut these last few months and we have struggled to pay our bills. Many of you know that I work with my family in a small business that has been hit hard by this economic crisis. We have all recently seen pay cuts and for Chris and I it means that we can't keep our head above water. At this point,we do not know how we can financially complete our adoption. I ask that you continue to pray for God's wisdom and guidance as we seek His will.

Is it still Tet?

2009-02-02T09:01:00.002-05:00

I know so many of you check the blog daily, and hopefully there will be some daily excitement soon. Unfortunately, it is still Tet for another week in Vietnam, so we have no news. We haven't heard from our agency, our facilitator or DIA (Dept. of International Adoption in VN). We don't think that we will hear anything for at least another week. Sorry to disappoint. We have not received any pictures of Dillen since the Blackwell family left in November. Boo!

We have around us many people whose lives all tell us

what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us

and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything

that would bet in the way and the sin that so easily

holds us back. Let us look only to Jesus, the One who

began our faith and who make it perfect.

~Hebrews 12:1-2a

TET in Vietnam

2009-01-24T17:09:00.002-05:00

At the end of the week we got a phone call from our agency to explain our situation a little further. We know that there are six babies still in Hau Giang waiting to go home. Two of the babies had all their papers signed and those families should be able to travel and bring their boys home after Tet (which is most like a Vietnamese New Year). These babies were brought to the home this spring, and the parents weren't given the referral until Sept 08. Four other cases, ours included, will head back to DIA and wait for them to make a decision on the next step. We have been told that whatever DIA decides about our case, the province leaders WILL do.

It will either go one of two ways...

#1 DIA will tell the province leaders to sign the papers and finish our adoption, which means we pack and get ready for our trip to Vietnam. Once DIA makes that decision it literally could take just a few weeks before we are on the plane...

#2 DIA will ask that our case be reclassified as a different kind of abandonment and all of our paperwork and investigations will have to be started over. This includes a ad in the newspaper searching for birthfamily that has to run for 30 days, and much more. #2 will add significant time on to our already 2 year adoption process.

Whatever the case, because it is Tet in Vietnam our papers won't even arrive at DIA until after the holidays. We were told it would be between 25-4o days before we would know ANYTHING.

This of course is not what we had hoped for or expected, however we are grateful that our paperwork is not just sitting on a desk in the province like it has done for the last 6 1/2 months.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to remain positive as we watch our daughter grow in pictures.

Some Clarification

2009-01-20T09:39:00.002-05:00

We recently received a little more clarification on the meeting. Apparently our case is being sent back to DIA (Dept of International Adoption) in Hanoi. We are unclear if our police report was approved and going back just for a double check like the families that have traveled before us, or if the province leaders could not make a decision in our case and have asked for help from the DIA to decided how to proceed with our adoption. Either way, we truly believe that this is a fantastic step for our case. It is good to know that our paperwork is somewhere other than a desk. DIA approved our case in June, we are hoping they can now finish the details in our case so that we can FINALLY get our daughter home.

Meeting

2009-01-19T17:43:00.002-05:00

We just got word this evening that the officials did meet with the Red Cross on Friday. We do not know what was agreed upon in the meeting. We hope to get more clarification soon. I believe at this point we are dealing with some communication barriers. We will keep you posted! Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.

No News

2009-01-17T09:17:00.002-05:00

We've received many emails and phone calls. We can't thank you all enough for praying for this meeting to actually take place and decisions be made soon. Unfortunately we didn't hear about the meeting yesterday, and probably won't hear anything over the weekend. We will update the blog as soon as we hear ANYTHING! Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Meeting Scheduled!

2009-01-14T16:45:00.002-05:00

The meeting between the Red Cross and the Hau Giang province officials is scheduled for some time on Friday. As far as we know, they have never worked on Fridays so we are praying for a miracle. If you know ANYONE that will pray with us tomorrow for this meeting, please send them the message. This is a critical meeting for our adoption.

Still no news...

2009-01-14T09:21:00.002-05:00

We are halfway through the week now with no news of a meeting. We were told it was supposed to happen last week or this week. We all know that nothing happens in the province on Fridays, so our best chance of any news is tomorrow. We'll keep you all posted as soon as we know anything.

"My brothers and sisters, when you have many

kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you

know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give

you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in

what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete

and will have everything you need."

~James 1:2-4

Our other kids

2009-01-10T13:18:00.008-05:00

We haven't heard any news yet about the meeting or even if it has taken place. We will continue to pray while we wait and will post something as soon as we know anything. Otherwise, here are two of our family members that you don't hear much about. They are our children. Their favorite past times are swimming, preferably at the beach, Percy Priest Lake or any swimming pool will do, barking at the neighbors, chasing a tennis ball and carrying their stuffed animals (or we could say unstuffed) around the house. They are looking forward to Dillen's arrival. I think they believe there will be more walks in store for them.

Ozzy, our 100lb Golden Retriever

Farley, our 75lb sweet Black Lab

Calling in the Warriors

2009-01-07T09:31:00.002-05:00

We have had so much support through this process. We really appreciate your prayers and support, but we have to ask this huge favor. We found out yesterday that the meeting that was and is to take place in the Hau Giang between the Red Cross and the Justice officials is to find out why these adoptions are taking so long, and how they should proceed with them. We have been told that our case is a big topic because of certain circumstances surrounding Dillen's birth family. Please pray that this meeting takes place soon, and the Justice will proceed according to Vietnamese adoption laws. It has often felt like they are making their own adoption laws and Vietnam's DIA (Department of International Adoption) has been unwilling to step in.

So if you think of us this week, think of this meeting. Pray for these officials. Pray that the Red Cross can clearly communicate their concerns for our children. Pray for answers in this unending process.

Another Meeting

2009-01-06T13:26:00.002-05:00

We got some information from our agency last night. They said that the Red Cross had asked for a meeting with the officials in the Province. The meeting did not take place because the one of the officials was too busy to come. We do not know what this is regarding but we are hopeful that they will reschedule the meeting for this week or next and we will have SOME insight to what is going on. The Blackwells took a video of Dillen when they were in Vietnam, and I am going to ask someone that knows more than I do about downloading part of it on my computer to post on the blog. Lets see what we come up with... Here's to hoping that you all can see our little one in action AND we get some news soon!

Finally, a New Year

2009-01-03T21:03:00.003-05:00

It felt like we would never get out of the dreaded 2008. Really, how much worse can it get? So we were lucky enough to enjoy the company of our Michiganders that were dodging the cold, unfortunately it rained the whole time they were here. After they left Chris became ill and didn't recover totally until today. The sickness took much of his energy and the new year rang in while we slept through it. How dull can we get?

No news on the adoption front. An email from Thouc in Vietnam with out an ounce of news. It said, and I quote, "I will email you when I have good news for you." So lets hope that 2009 is better than 2008. Lets pray that little girl home. There are too many of us praying together to keep this from happening. Are you with me? Are you praying her home? WE NEED YOU!

A loss remembered

2008-12-29T21:26:00.003-05:00

What a long year this has been. In many ways we have been blessed, but in many ways this has been the longest year of our lives. Most of you know that we lost our first referral, Sophia Adelaide this year. Adoption agencies try to prepare you for this possibility, but you never think that it will happen to you.

You've stared at a handful of photos for six months, sent a Christmas package to her full of blankets and clothes, cards out to all of the friends and families with pictures, even had stationary made and pillows embroidered, and in just a few seconds, one phone call, life changes. I bet it is most similar to a miscarriage. God blessed you with a life that you loved before you knew if it were a boy or a girl. All you saw was a floating sea horse, felt a fluttery heartbeat, or a picture of a beautiful child thousands of miles away. You pray, you dream about the some days, and then God changes your path.

When the call comes, you search desperately for the light, your feet search for something solid, you feel the waves overwhelm you. Maybe you are like Peter you dare to look down. Your world disappears and you are too busy being consumed by trying to save yourself that you can't feel the hand; the hand that lifts you up. The hand that already knows your daughter, the hand that feels your pain, the hand that cradles the one you lost.

Sometime we are so lost in our pain that we lose focus on what is around us. This year, we have felt pain. The loss of a child, the loss of friends, the loss of comfort... but we weren't the only ones. We have numerous friends that have been through similar situations. I am sorry if we did not offer you the comfort or the support you needed. I'm sorry if we hid while your world crumbled, I'm sorry if we became distracted by our grief. This year as we lost what we thought mattered most, we packed our friends up and shipped them out of our lives.

So we are determined to start a new year with hope. The hope to reconnect with the past, the dream to unite our family, and the desire to draw close to our Father. Thanks for Your patience.

Old and New Friends

2008-12-22T09:41:00.005-05:00

A friend reminded me last week that this would be the last Christmas without Dillen. We can't tell you how thankful we are for this past week and the recent good news. It really saved the holiday season! Although nothing has changed the situation in Vietnam, we are SO thankful to have a Christmas celebration that will actually feel like a celebration. So on this years list of things to be thankful for...

Many new friends arrived at their forever home! Most recently, little Reese Holder arriving in Anderson with his forever family today! Of course the precious Anya home to Simpsonville from Vietnam this past October and Zane home to Spartanburg from Vietnam in November.

Reconnection with our friends from the past! You weren't forgotten, just stored for such a time as this! We have had many friends from our past that have been such an integrated part of our adoption, praying for us, encouraging us and loving on us during this season of our lives! We are so blessed and thankful. We are even going to have a houseful from Michigan just after Christmas!

We are thankful for our health. Although we have finally reached the dreaded 30's, we are blessed to be healthy. Chris has spent the last few months taking some aggression out playing indoor soccer with our friends from El Tejano, and it's back to running for me. We are finally going to stop putting off that 1/2 marathon that I always said we would do.

We are so thankful this year for our family. We just had a wonderful Christmas celebration with Dad Myers. It was so good to have him and the bulldog up for a visit during the season. We are also blessed to be so close to the McLaughlin clan. For those of you that don't know, my entire family has relocated to the Greenville area and I work with my mom and one brother. I realize how lucky I am to have such a close family. We have two beautiful nephews and the best sister-in-law anyone could ask for.

We are thankful that we both have jobs and a nice home to live in.

We are thankful for a church that we love, and a church that knows how to love us back.

And mostly, we are thankful for our little girl, that waits for us in Vietnam. We try to change our attitudes on a daily basis, knowing that one day when we talk to her about her beautiful country, we don't want to communicate our hurt to her. She will have enough of her own. We are thankful that God gave us the heart for adoption, the gift of a beautiful daughter and the patience to wait.

Merry Christmas

Its been so long!

2008-12-19T23:41:00.002-05:00

So long since we've had some good news, it is almost unbelievable when something goes our way... but today, Friday... something did!!!! Although our I171H expired in November, our amazing, (did i mention wonderful?) social worker made some calls and found out that we won't have to refile our paperwork! Not only will we not have to refile, but we won't have to pay the outrageous filing fee, updated home study and weeks, possible months of waiting before we could travel again... if only our agency would have known before we got so upset. Apparently since we were granted our immigration approval (more than 6 months ago) our paperwork won't expire even though it has an expiration date. I know, all too confusing. So just to be safe, we have asked to get some type of official document stating these things, because our luck... we'll be stuck in Vietnam and Dillen won't be allowed to come home.

It is starting to feel a little more real now. Maybe her day is coming. We emailed our in country contact to let him know that our paperwork was good to go, and we got an immediate response. He tells us that he has asked the Red Cross to do what they can to get her home as soon as possible because we have waited so long. We are so thankful, and today we are hopeful. Soon, we will be a family TOGETHER.

Birthday Blues

2008-12-15T09:01:00.002-05:00

Today will be one of the happiest days on every other year but this one. Today is Dillen Marie's big day, her birthday. She doesn't know the pain that it causes us to not hold her, to not hear her voice or watch her taste a sweet treat. Our hearts hurt today.

We are thankful. We are thankful that Dillen's birth mother gave her a chance. We are thankful that we were chosen to provide a home for her when her birth family could not. There are many things to be thankful for.

Thank you for thinking of us today and keeping us in your prayers. Thank you for thinking of our little girl. We hope to make this a beautiful, memorable day, any other year.

Another week...

2008-12-13T15:56:00.004-05:00

So again, another week with no news. The most unfortunate news is that because of our expired paperwork we couldn't travel to Vietnam to pick up Dillen right now if we did get a call. Even more unfortunate, we have a free extension available on our paperwork, if and only if we would have renewed it before it expired. We will be asking the Immigration Services for grace, but I sincerely doubt we'll get it... just not our luck. So it looks like we could be out $565.00 just to file the paperwork that we could have done for free if we would have had a competent agency. I would like to add that we had a wonderful friend taking care of us that worked for our agency, but it was best for her to move on. Although disappointed, we were certain that we would be travelling in a few months of her departure and things would be fine. We can't blame our agency totally for all of our circumstances, the country of Vietnam can take some blame along with the leaders in the province, but I would throw a majority their way. I will be happy to share with anyone the name of our agency and the problems that we have had privately. If you are interested in international adoption please check with us and make sure you are NOT using our agency. So as we continue to wait, and wait and wait... we did list some of our bows on Ebay, i think i confused some of you all that were interested in a purchase, so if you would rather find them on Ebay, our seller name is bmyers2306.

Expiring...

2008-12-11T08:58:00.002-05:00

When you think about it, a lot more things expire than you realize. Aside from the obvious like Milk... things like medicines, coupons, gift cards all expire. In the adoption world things expire. Did you know we have already had to renew our fingerprints because those expire? Really? I guess my finger prints could change... I could burn my hand off, or chop it off. Do you have to get fingerprinted if you don't have any hands? What do they print and does it expire? Entry visas expire too. You can purchase a 1 month visa or 3 month visa to enter Vietnam. Thank goodness we didn't do that in July. One family's 3rd 3 month visa is about to expire! We don't know about everything that expires, but we found out yesterday that our approval to bring home an orphan expired. This is what we call a I171H. We just happened to be shuffling through our dusty adoption papers when I noticed the date on them...Expires 11/10/08. We probably should have gotten a phone call from our agency about a month ago, right? They should have given us a list of things that expire, don't they look at these papers daily?

So today we find out what is needed... I'm sure more money, more time... I guess we'll wait and see.

God's Mercy

2008-12-08T09:18:00.002-05:00

Only a puny god could be bought with tithes. Only a egotistical god would be impressed with our pain. Only a temperamental god could be satisfied by sacrifices. Only a heartless god would sell salvation to the highest bidder. And only a great God does for his children what they can't do for themselves.

The first step to joy is a plea for help. Those who taste God's presence have declared spiritual bankruptcy and are aware of their spiritual crisis... Their pockets are empty. Their options are gone. They have long since stopped demanding justice; they are pleading for mercy.

~The Applause of Heaven

One week left. Seven days until THE day, Dillen's birthday. Never did we dream that we would be spending that day without her. Never did we imagine that two years after we started this adoption process, we would still be asking the Lord to bring our little girl home. We don't ask for condolences, or pity. We ask for your prayers as we beg for His mercy.

No forward progress

2008-12-03T08:55:00.007-05:00

I don't know how long I can continue to creatively post that there is no news. Although our police investigation was "finished" nearly two months ago, it still hasn't been signed off on. From what we gather, the Ministry of Justice has not accepted our investigation, they keep asking for more information. What information you ask? We don't know. So with limited information from our agency, and no more families in the province we are left a bit in the dark. Hopefully we will hear something in the next few weeks, but having Dillen home for her birthday or Christmas is not probable. Keep us in your prayers, this is shaping into a very difficult month.

Believe me, when our time comes,

no devil in hell and no person on earth will be able to prevent

God from promoting and blessing us.

"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."

~Galatians 6:9

We couldn't go through this without the support of our family! Thank you for not only enduring this with us, but getting us through.

Dinner with Friends...

2008-12-01T09:36:00.008-05:00

We were so glad to spend some time at home with the Blackwell family. It was good to finally see little Zane in person. We enjoyed a home cooked meal and plenty of stories and VIDEOS of our little girl! Thank you Blackwells!!!! On a side note- Chris was a little more popular than I was with Zane, however, I feel like if i had a hat on, it may have been my trump card!

What are you thankful for?

2008-11-29T12:12:00.009-05:00

Although we don't have her home, we are sooo thankful for the many faces of Dillen... enjoy!

this is her... "I've been caught!" face

this is the... "I already know how to do it!" face. You just hold it to your ear and talk.

this is her... "Daddy, please?" face

and her "but, why?" face... i just want to push the babies in the swing!

the exhaustion from being so cute!

Ribbons and Bows!

2008-11-24T10:07:00.006-05:00

So we've been trying to keep ourselves busy, and not think about the looming holidays. This year has been difficult because of this lengthy process, and the amount of money spent. If we complete our adoption in 2008, we will be able to get some of our money back in taxes this coming year... if we don't, then no money. We have applied for loans and grants, and with the slipping economy things seem to be tight for these nonprofits, and for us. So we have decided to get crafty. I have never been much of a girlie girl, but crafty? I love! So in the next few weeks, you will see some of our handy work as a feeble way to raise money to bring Dillen home. All money received from our crafts will go directly to our adoption expenses and bringing home our baby girl. If the Lord blesses us with an abundance of money, we will spend 100% of it on bringing these children home or providing necessities to those children in need. I will not put a price tag on our crafts. If you wish to purchase any of our creations, you can send me an email (rushbrookemyers@gmail.com or b.myers@learningrx.com) with your address and I will mail, or drop off your order. Chris will also continue to list items on ebay. I have a few pictures of some hairbows that I have made. If you have a particular size or color scheme you are looking for, let me know and I would be happy to email you more pictures. Thanks!

Another weekend

2008-11-21T09:56:00.003-05:00

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.... I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens.... I can do all things through Christ, because He gives me strength.

-Philippians 4:6-7, 11-13

Oh what a trip!

2008-11-20T09:04:00.002-05:00

Most of you know that the Blackwell family has recently returned with their little guy Zane. Chris and I will be making plans to head north for a visit, and I'll take some pictures when we are there. Although they came home with their boy, you don't know how their trip REALLY went...

On arrival to HCMC, Teresa became ill... and stayed sick throughout most of the trip.

Daniel lost his father while in Vietnam, he also lost a lot of time away from school (he's taking classes over the Internet), and almost 25lbs because the food was so bad. He apparently tried to live on Oodles of Noodles. Daniel, if you are reading this i think you could make a lot of money writing a diet book... How to live on Peanut Butter and Oodles of Noodles for One Month. I'm sure we've got a before and after picture!

There seems to have been an accident back at home while they were away, resulting in a possible broken bone for one of their other children.

While they were caring for Zane before they had their adoption ceremony, he fell in their hotel room. His eye was almost swollen shut and he has a large bruise on his face.

After leaving HCMC and flying to Hanoi the Blackwell's realized that Zane's shot records were still in HCMC.

As they were travelling home through Hong Kong, they were informed that none of their luggage made it on the plane, and Zane had to have is temperature taken because of the recent outbreak of the Bird Flu!

The sickness continues on the plane, this time it's little Zane with vomiting and diarrhea.

Once landing in LAX, they were informed that they were not on the next flight and would have to wait until the next morning to come home.

After talking their way onto that flight, their seats weren't together and the Lord blessed Teresa with a lovely lady (who was travelling alone) that refused to switch seats so that Daniel could sit with his wife and kids.

What an adventure! When you learn all the facts, aren't you just glad they made it home? We can't wait to see them and their precious son! Welcome home Blackwells!

Experiencing God's Patience

2008-11-19T08:54:00.003-05:00

I joined a Bible study a few months ago at our church. It was a women's group of about 30 or so, that was going to study the One Month to Live book. I thought... well I've only got to give it a shot for six weeks and then I could throw my hands in the air and say, "I tried Lord!" I had already decided to never get involved in church again. Attending is one thing... invisible entry and exit, but actually getting involved? Finding people that will pray with you and for you, recognizing the lady two isles away because just last week you prayed for her father or mother... I just didn't need it.

So I went, partly to pacify a friend, partly because I wanted God to fail me once again, and partly because I was curious. I loved it. It was like reconnecting with a friend that you once knew. It was exactly what I needed in my life to live in this waiting, this year of nothingness, the moments of depression, it was everything I needed it to be. So for that God, I thank you. I tell about this group of women because we just started a new study... it is called Experiencing God's Peace. I decided that before i can experience God's peace, I should try to experience God's patience....

We received an email from the in country facilitator yesterday... he informed us that they need more time. There are some issues with Dillen's life story. I will post about our journey, and about how we miss our girl, and I will post news on travel, but this new information is for her to tell when the time is right. Pray that God gives us His patience.

And now they come home...

2008-11-18T00:24:00.003-05:00

We are so excited to welcome Zane home from Vietnam to the freezing South! We heard from the Blackwells that all went according to plans in Hanoi and not only will they be home this week, they will be home Wednesday morning! We are so thankful! Lets pray for safe travels for the four of them and that they make that connecting flight in Hong Kong, they only have 40 minutes or so.

Lets also hope that we hear something about our adoption. Although the facilitator has told 2 families to send things to Vietnam by way of us next month, our adoption provider has no knowledge of when we should travel. They tell us "this is just the Vietnam experience." If you are in the process, you should know.... this is not normal. As always, we'll keep you updated.

To get you through...

2008-11-14T08:18:00.003-05:00

There is no news to report. We once again tried to contact our adoption provider without a returned phone call or email. Even if they don't have any news to share, it would be nice if they attempted to keep in touch with us, or tell us that they don't know anything about our case. It would be nice to know that they called Vietnam, and tried to get an update about our case. If it wasn't for them, we would not have Dillen, and for that I am thankful. I am also grateful that we have met a few wonderful families that will always be in our lives. Other than that, we have no intention of ever working with our agency again or recommending our agency to anyone. So to get you through another weekend, here she is....

G&R for the Blackwells!!!!

2008-11-13T08:54:00.002-05:00

We are happy to report that the Giving and Receiving Ceremony went off with out a hitch! The G&R began Thursday morning at 7:30 and they were already in Ho Chi Minh City in their hotel by 4:30pm. We are so glad that the Blackwells will be on to the next step before heading home. They have taken so many sweet pictures of our girl and even some video, that we can't wait to see. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to travel through Vietnam with Zane. They will have a few medical appointments in HCMC and then on to Hanoi for his official passport. We are hoping to get news about our adoption soon. The facilitator in Vietnam seems to think we will be travelling next, but we haven't heard anything from our agency in over a month now. We have given up hope that Dillen will be with us by Thanksgiving and hoping to have her home by Christmas. Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Tea for Two and a Province Leader...

2008-11-12T11:39:00.002-05:00

The Blackwells had a strange request Wednesday morning... Tea with the Province Leader. This was unexpected because no other family that we are aware of has been asked to tea with the leader. They reported that he was a very nice man and ended the tea with a "Congratulations, your Giving and Receiving Ceremony will be at 7:30 tomorrow morning."

Woohoo! They will be on their way out of the province by Thursday afternoon, some time Wednesday night our time! I'll post pictures of the ceremony as soon as it happens!

Really? A scheduled G&R?

2008-11-11T14:51:00.003-05:00

Apparently the Blackwell's have a scheduled G&R for Thursday. Thouc is very sure that it will actually happen this time. Lets keep our fingers crossed for that G&R so they can travel back to HCMC, on to Hanoi and back to the US by the end of the week next week. We are so grateful to the Blackwell family for the pictures they have sent of Dillen and the time they spent with her. They truly have loved on our little girl!

Special Prayer

2008-11-09T17:47:00.004-05:00

I just got back from a girls retreat in TN. About 25 or so ladies got together this weekend for some much needed R&R. It is so hard to be away when we get daily news from Vietnam from the Blackwells. I didn't have cell phone reception or a computer! Unfortunately Daniel's father passed away on Friday while they were there in Vietnam. They were unable to come home and be with their family for the funeral. Please keep them in your prayers as they try to finish this adoption as quickly as possible and get home to be with their family. Although they took their youngest daughter to Vietnam with them, they have three children at home and a son-in-law that need prayer and support as they deal with this death without the support of their parents by their side.

Still no G&R

2008-11-06T07:25:00.003-05:00

I feel like this blog gets a little repetitive with words like waiting and no news and no G&R. Not just repetitive, but down right depressing. So here is the good news... Today when the Blackwells left the baby home for the night, it was the first time that Zane cried out for his family. It was the first time that he realized that he is supposed to be with them and not watching them leave as they go back to their hotel and wait for their G&R. He is starting to feel like part of them now, his comfort coming from three people that he has only seen for five days. As this process draws out longer and longer, I think of Dillen and the attachment issues that she may have or the possibility of developmental delay, speech delay, etc. But as i read Teresa's blog, and realized that in just 5 days Zane has realized he has finally found his family, I stopped. She is perfect, in every way for our family. She is already one of us. I know that not everyone is meant for this road, but those of us that are can truly understand when someone says that their child was born in their heart. Dillen is a special little girl, and we are one lucky family to welcome her home when His timing is right.

The Continued Surprises

2008-11-05T08:30:00.004-05:00

I thought it was a fluke the first time i got a call from Vietnam, but after the second and the third, I realized that we are truly blessed to be in this process with the Blackwell family. They continue to ask about our case daily. Poor little Thuoc in Vietnam, I'm sure he's never heard English like the English that comes out of Pacelot South Carolina! They are collecting tons of miscommunication stories! They still have not been given a Giving and Receiving date. They are hoping for Thursday, because nothing happens on Friday in Vietnam. If they don't have the ceremony, the big debate will begin... where to spend the weekend. They will either stay in the province at their hotel where no one speaks any English, or travel back to HCMC with Thuoc. Lets pray for the G&R this week!

The only update they can give us is that Thuoc said that we would be the next to travel. He continues to tell them that the "Myers will travel next month, one month late." I don't think that will be this month, but hopefully we can be there by her birthday...

Pictures!!!

2008-11-04T08:20:00.005-05:00

We got a frantic call last night from Vietnam... "something is wrong with your email and it won't let me send pictures of your girl!" What?!? That is our luck. We did receive some pictures, so we'll post them as they come. These should be the last pictures of Dillen we get before travelling to Vietnam. Notice I said, should be... not will be. You never know these days!

Can you see my teeth?

Small Update...

2008-11-03T15:54:00.002-05:00

The Blackwell family is still having Internet problems but they were able send a new post. Here is what they had to say about our girl...
"Daniel is absolutely in love with Dillen. We all are and she is the sweetest baby girl. Her skin is like porcelain and beautiful doesn't begin to cover it. Daniel keeps saying her pictures do not do her justice. The nurses had on the pink dress you sent her with the pink rose buds on it and every time we would look at her they would smooth it out and shake their head yes. They wanted us to know they love that you sent your baby girl clothes. She can stand for about 2 seconds on her on but then plops down and just laughs. She is a thumb sucker like Zane and to be so small she can hang with the big boys. She loves to be held and whenever they put her in her crib she wants Chloe to get in there with her."
Wishing we could be there...

What?!? No Internet?

2008-11-03T09:43:00.003-05:00

I can report that the Blackwell family arrived in the province and met their son for the very first time on Sunday afternoon. Zane was much smaller than expected, wearing 6mth clothing (he'll be 2yrs old in February) and feeling a little under the weather. He warmed up to them quite well and played for a few hours with Chloe in their hotel room. I got the phone call from Vietnam on Sunday morning. That's right, i said phone call. As my phone was ringing, i was staring at it trying to figure out what telemarketer was calling at 8am on a Sunday morning until i realized that all those extra numbers were country codes... it was Vietnam! It was soooo good to talk to my friend so far away, in the land that I dream of nightly. She held our girl, but did say that our Dillen, will be a daddy's girl. She said that she only wanted Daniel to hold her. She constantly reached for him. You can imagine Chris' delight when he heard that. I spent some money on the cutest girly wrap carriers to carry that kid all over Vietnam, and she's going to want Chris the entire trip! I don't think you could give Chris enough money to sling Dillen around his body and pose for a picture (no offense Jodi, but i did pick some girly fabric).

Anyway, we don't have new pictures yet to post, because the Internet was not working in their fancy hotel in Vietnam. $32 dollars a night might get you a VIP suite with a separate family room, extra bathroom and morning breakfast, but no Internet? I know it is killing you all, but soon enough we will post some new pictures... Until then enjoy one of Dillen and Zane from September... Also remember to pray that the Blackwell family has their Giving and Receiving Ceremony very soon!

One Post Away!

2008-11-01T10:04:00.005-04:00

The Blackwells arrived in Can Tho and are only hours away from their son. They met Thuoc, the Vietnamese man who facilitates our adoptions, at 9am to begin their trip to Can Tho, took a water ferry for part of the way and safely arrived at 2pm to their final destination of the day, the Kim Tho Hotel. Tomorrow is THE big day. They will travel to the floating market in the morning and then to the Hau Giang Baby Home where both Zane and Dillen have spent their time waiting on us, their families, to bring them home. Like us, this has been a long road for the Blackwells. Their Journey to Zane has had many road blocks and after a year and half, on the third corner of the track God surprises them with another hurdle. Daniel's father had a stroke Thursday night here in the US. Pray that the Vietnamese will process their adoption quickly so that they can get home and be with him as he recovers. He is paralyzed on the left side and can not speak.

Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. Proverbs 8:34

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He has mercy upon us.

Psalms 123:2

Their Journey Continues in HCMC

2008-10-31T10:07:00.006-04:00

Sometimes you don't think about what time it is on the other side of the world. I spent most of the day on Wednesday trying to figure out what time it was for the Blackwells as they traveled across the globe. They left from Charlotte on EST to San Fran and gained 3 hrs in the air, only to lose an entire day when they travelled across the International Date line. I spent all of Thursday wanted the Blackwells to wake up, just to report on the sites of Ho Chi Minh City, their hotel, the weather... Finally friends, we have a report.

They arrived in HCMC and took an $8 taxi ride to their beautiful hotel ($40 a night). I sure wish American prices were more like that, we could possibly afford a vacation. They struggled to figure out their AC, but managed to get it up and running. The hotel they are staying at is right next to a shopping center (more like a market) that has plenty of last minute items that they will want such as sodas and water. They leave for Can Tho Saturday morning. They will have had two days of rest and recovery before a 6hr taxi ride through the south end of Vietnam. Thanks for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers. We will keep you all updated on their trip as it unfolds!

Almost there...

2008-10-29T22:18:00.002-04:00

Well the Blackwell family has arrived in Hong Kong! They should be arriving in HCMC shortly and hopefully can get some much needed rest. I will keep you posted on their journey as we all continue to pray. Apparently both of their flights were completely full and a bit uncomfortable, but they made it! WOOHOOOO!!! More excitement to come from the Far East!

And off they go!!!

2008-10-27T13:16:00.003-04:00

It is truly happening. The Blackwell family boards a plane tomorrow bound for Vietnam via San Fran and Hong Kong. The plan is to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, travel to Can Tho on Saturday (about an hour from the baby home) and then finally to the Hau Giang baby home on Sunday to meet their son. We are hopeful that they will have their Giving and Receiving Ceremony sometime between Monday Nov 3rd and Wednesday Nov 5th. They will then drive back to HCMC, where they will have a few appointments and medical exams before flying north to Hanoi to receive Zane's visa to come home. We are hopeful that they can be home on Thursday November 13th. Please keep them in your prayers, as we know that the government officials have been more than difficult with the time frames. We have been blessed to know this family, and pray for this family throughout their adoption. We met up with the Blackwells this weekend for a farewell and to give them a care package for our Dillen. Please celebrate with us and lift them up in prayer as they journey to their son!

On a side note, we still do not have an update on our travels. The director of our agency was supposed to email us last week to give us an update on when our paperwork would be going to Hanoi and the cost of that, we did not hear from her. We asked for a receipt for our adoption expenses thus far nearly two months ago, and we still have not received that either. We do not know when this madness will end for us. As the economy seems to slip, we are more and more concerned about the debt that we are acquiring in this process. Please be in prayer for us during this time. We were unable to receive any grant money and both of our second jobs put us in more of a financial need than before. It seems like we can never catch up and it is very unlikely that we can get ahead of where we need to be to afford this adoption. We do not take your prayers for granted.

Another Family to Travel

2008-10-22T08:33:00.002-04:00

As unfortunate as it may seem, we resigned ourselves to believing that we would not have any more updates, at least until the next two families travel.... and it's here! We just received word that the Blackwell family could travel sometime next week to pick up our beautiful son-in-law to be. Most of you will not be able to follow their blog because it's private, but we will continue to post their praises and prayer requests as they travel. Let's think of them as they scurry around getting ready for this amazing trip and prepare to leave a precious child behind for a few weeks. We'll continue to pray for their travel arrangements to go smoothly along with their in country experience. For some of you that don't know, this family has become dear friends of ours. Our heart breaks that we are not on the plane with them, however we rejoice knowing that they will hold our little girl, and finally be reunited with their son. This is good news! This also puts us one step closer to Dillen Marie!

A vacation would be nice right about now....

2008-10-20T09:30:00.002-04:00

Hi Friends! Well again it's Monday, and as we begin another hopeful week, I can report that our agency has received our Name Affidavit, just in case the officials in Vietnam ask for it. Our friends the Blackwells will be able to take it with them to Vietnam when they go to pick up their little boy. This Monday is special because we have a new friend in the neighborhood, little Anya should have arrived home last night to SC. We are so excited to welcome her home. If you don't mind, continue to pray that our report will be taken to Hanoi and the Blackwell family will get their Invitation to travel. We are hoping for a productive week, but this is the email response you will get from our agency if you happen to be waiting to bring your child home from Vietnam... Thanks for emailing. I am on vacation until November 24 with limited access to my email. I will respond to your email as quickly as I can.

Updated Measurements

2008-10-15T22:37:00.002-04:00

Still no news. The only update so far this week is Dillen's measurements. Dillen now weighs 17lbs and is 26 inches long. Today she is 10 months old. We are ready to bring you home sweet girl.

Another week begins

2008-10-13T09:16:00.002-04:00

Thank God for Monday!
I know, I know all of you reading this just rolled your eyes. You see, in our house, we eagerly welcome Mondays because we are able to get more news about our adoption. We keep ourselves busy on the weekends... just to get to Monday.

This weekend was beautiful. Saturday morning I had some friends over for a babyshower for a dear friend. It was a bit of a crazy start, as I almost burned my house down making Monkey Bread. I spent the rest of the afternoon planting pansies and relaxing as Chris went off to work. Sunday it was off to church to hear the last sermon in the series One Month to Live. We have been blessed with a wonderful church home where we continue to grow our relationship with the Lord and each other. Then off to Fall for Greenville. Those of you reading that are not locals, this is a festival downtown where many of the Greenville restaurants set up tents out on the street and sell some of their famous foods in smaller portions for a fraction of the cost. This allows you to taste food from lots of restaurants so you know who you want to go back to.

What can you pray for this week, you ask? Pray that our Police investigation FINALLY goes to Hanoi. It's been complete now for two weeks, but it hasn't been submitted to the official so it can go to Hanoi. Also pray that the Blackwell family and the Lopez family get issued Invitations to travel to bring home their sons. Thanks for the positive vibes! Lets pray for a good, productive week.

What's in a Name?

2008-10-10T09:30:00.005-04:00

Well so many of you have commented on Dillen's name... I've heard it all, from "I love it!" to "Are you sure you want to spell it like that?" and "I thought that only boys were named Dillen." Well Chris and I tend to over think things. Many of our friends in the international adoption community have kept part of their birth name. For Dillen her birth name is Le Ngoc Hoa, pretty huh? They actually call her Hoa (whaaaa) like the sound a baby makes when it cries. So we decided to talk to some Vietnamese and find out what is in a name... Hoa means precious stone and Ngoc means flower. They say it is a very beautiful name in Vietnamese. We decided to take that meaning and find her new name... after a few good laughs about Diamond Daisy and Ruby Rose, we decided giving her a stripper name wasn't the best idea. We found Dillen, a Welsh name meaning precious thing, that was it. Now Marie? This is where we jinx ourselves a bit. Marie means "A sea of bitterness". There is a lot of bitterness in these waters surrounding this adoption. However, we chose Marie (a form of Mary) because we loved it. We have a Mary in our life that we love dearly (this is a shout out to Raymond) and come on, you've got to admit if the Lord didn't like it, he wouldn't have made it his mom's name!

So, I write this Name blog now because we have a new request... a name affidavit. We have to send Vietnam a list of every name we have ever used ever in our lives... oh, the best part? It has to be notarized, certified by the Secretary of the State, Authenticated by the Vietnamese Embassy in DC and translated... For a mere cost of $72 before priority shipping. Lovely. As always, keep us in your thoughts as we continue in this boring stage of excuses, ridiculous paperwork and nothingness! Best wishes, oh and as always another picture of our girl to get us through the weekend. Don't mind the man in the photo he is the taxi driver of our friends that were there. Yes, Dillen is a lover of the simple man.

You still coming back?

2008-10-06T21:49:00.003-04:00

I figured with no news it would be difficult to get you back, reading this blog. This is a shout out blog for all of those who have been diligently praying for us. Thanks! We didn't hear any news about our case today... just that our agency got a vague email stating that our investigation was finished....duh, we've heard that... that is not news. One of our dear families heard that they will need additional paperwork done that could take nearly a month, so if you think about it today. Say a special prayer for our friends Teresa and Daniel. They are our sister and brother in Christ. We could not be this well composed without them in our lives. They have been with us every step of the way in our journey, through loss, hard times, extra waiting and creative ideas. Think about them as they hurry to get this extra bit of work done. Thanks for checking in with us. We have special friends in this process as well, our neighbors. They are currently in Vietnam adopting Anya... you can follow their blog too if you'd like. We look forward to raising our girls together, they are just a few weeks a part!

Here comes another weekend...

2008-10-03T00:08:00.004-04:00

Another weekend, which means nothing new for a couple of days. The good news? We checked a few things off of the list this week... The Bands had their Giving and Receiving Ceremony. The Blackwells had their Decision of Adoption signed and hopefully just a few weeks away from bringing home their beautiful boy Zane, and we have a finished Police investigation. 3 of 4 isn't too bad! Now we've got to get that Lopez family on a plane, maybe even the Blackwells with them and we will be one step closer to our girl! So as promised, to get you through the weekend...

Still holding...

2008-10-01T00:02:00.004-04:00

Ok friends, I don't have any new pictures yet. We did hear that the province is hoping to get through these adoptions more quickly now... don't believe everything that you hear. We'll wait to see how serious they are, but word on the net is that the next two families could have their G&R together, meaning that puts only one more G&R before we go to Vietnam! Keeping our fingers crossed.... So do you think Dillen is as stressed as we have been? You be the judge...

More Good News!

2008-09-30T11:38:00.003-04:00

Well, I am here to report that we have our Police investigation finished! We are waiting for our report to be written and submitted to Hanoi for the "final check" before we get our Decision of Adoption signed. However... the Blackwell family got their DOA signed. One more thing off the list! Apparently the Bands went back to the baby home for one last goodbye and a few more pictures... So more to come! Thanks for all the prayers, keep them coming!

One step closer...

2008-09-30T08:58:00.002-04:00

We woke up with good news from the Band family. They finally had their Giving and Receiving Ceremony! Whew, one more down, two to go before Dillen can come home. This is exhausting! Still no news from our agency today. The Bands are now on their way to HCMC for some appointments and then off to Hanoi for the final step before heading home! This probably means the end of new pictures, unless they haven't downloaded them all. Don't worry, I didn't post all of them, so as we suffer through some uneventful weeks I'll post a cute picture so you'll come back. Until I have more bliss to blog...

Another weekend over...

2008-09-28T22:27:00.002-04:00

Thank goodness! It is the end of the dreaded weekend. Those of you in the adoption process know what I mean. Nothing gets done on weekends. There is no news, no updates, nothing unless a natural disaster strikes, there is nothing to hear on the weekend. So, here we are sitting on the edge of another week. If you are following the family that is in our province now, you know they haven't had their G&R yet (http://www.angieband-jaydensjourney.blogspot.com/). They are hoping for Monday or Tuesday at the latest. The best news that we could get this week consists of four key elements...

1. The obvious, the Bands have there G&R and bring home Jayden

2. Fernando Lopez will travel to bring home their son Dat.

3. The Blackwell family will have there Decision of Adoption signed and last but not least

4. Our paperwork is ready to go to Hanoi for a "final check".

So keep those positive vibes coming and check back throughout the week. Your prayers are much needed. I certainly will post when we have some news... any news!

Really? Nothing new?

2008-09-26T09:12:00.003-04:00

This is why I decided early on that i wouldn't be a blogger... I got tired of telling everyone that we still haven't heard anything... I guess though, writing it once is better than telling everyone individually that asks. We did receive more pictures, I will post them so you have something to get you through the weekend. Welcome to our lives.

Yesterday we received an email from our agency stating that there was a problem with our case. There are no specifics, not even one detail except that our facilitator in Vietnam says that the Officials "will not refuse" our adoption. Really? There was still the possibility of that? Because we don't have every approval known to the world. I am tired. I have been emotionally and physically sick for weeks now. I truely believe that the vietnamese officials that we are dealing with, are in it for the money. The longer our children sit in the orphanage, the more money is sent. There is a family connection between the staff at the orphanage and the province officials. If they really wanted to get these children home, I truley believe that they could. So between a shady province, non assertive adoption agency (that was being nice) and a facilitator that has no sense of urgency we will watch our Dillen grow up, not knowing how we long to hold her. Keep us in your prayers...

All is quiet

2008-09-23T21:17:00.002-04:00

Those of you that keep checking to hear news, I hate to disappoint. All is quiet. The Band family did not have their Giving and Receiving Ceremony today (Tuesday) but like always, are hoping for tomorrow. Things have been quiet this week. We haven't heard any news about our case. The reality is, we haven't heard any truthful news about our adoption since the US issued our preapproval for our child's visa in early July. Chris and I were taking a walk just the other night and it hit me; we've been praying for our daughter to come home for over a year and a half. When we started this journey we were told that from start to finish it would be 7-10 months, well 20 months later... here we are. So, we were walking around the neighborhood with our long sleeves on and I remembered walking last year, thinking... this is the last time we will walk all bundled up without our girl. Boy was I wrong. We continue to pray, hope for a miracle, and trust in His time. Will you do that with us?

Another weekend of waiting...

2008-09-19T23:57:00.006-04:00

For those of you who prayed with us for the family adopting their son this week in Vietnam. They did not have their Giving and Receiving Ceremony... not that it is a real surprise. So, continue your prayers for more updates and a ceremony for them at the beginning of the week next week. Until then, enjoy a few pictures of Dillen the Bands were able to take for us! New pictures are always so wonderful!

What are you waiting for?!?!

2008-09-17T12:18:00.003-04:00

Everyone asks... if you have all these approvals and your daughter is in an orphanage, why are you still in South Carolina? I know, it is so frustrating and it doesn't make much sense to us, but we have to wait for a few more things. The province that Dillen is in is Hau Giang. Each province has leaders, and each province leader creates their own set of rules, or so it seems. Our leaders are re investigating each adoption in our province. This investigation has already been completed twice already but they just want a "final check". Once this is completed and our papers are taken to the capital, Hanoi, then we must wait for our Decision of Adoption to be signed and issued an invitation. We can not travel to the province without being invited. Crazy, huh? Well August 25th we were told our investigation was completed and our paperwork needed to go to Hanoi, only to be told last week that it was not completed. So frustrating, and disappointing! Because of the communication barriers, along with a 12 hour time difference, we have had difficulty understanding exactly where in this process our adoption lies. Right now we are praying and following another couples adoption in our same province. This will hopefully be a good indicator as to what is to come. Please pray for Angie and Norman Band as they are in Vietnam now completing the adoption of their son Jayden. You can follow their blog at http://angieband-jaydensjourney.blogspot.com/.

9 months old today

2008-09-15T21:11:00.003-04:00

We started this process January '07 with the hopes of being finished by now. I don't think anyone anticipated the process to be this long, nor did anyone foresee the complications that it would entail, but the road known as international adoption is full of turns and roadblocks. Almost always, the outcome is the same, so you take the risk and wait... you don't know when, but some day a beautiful baby comes into your life. Chris and I first learned of our little girl on April 10, 2008. Almost 4 months old, Le Ngoc Hau was going to be our daughter. It took us a while but decided we would call her Dillen, meaning precious thing. We received DIA approval (the approval from Vietnam to adopt her) the end of June '08 and I600 approval (this is approval from the US to bring Dillen into the country as our daughter) July 2nd. So we have been waiting since July to bring Dillen home. We created this blog to share our adoption journey with you, our friends and family and to encourage those of you who are taking a similar journey. I hope you enjoy our posts, pictures and videos as we prepare for our adventure to Vietnam.