Meet Qing Qing

Qing Qing's hosting profile -- hers was one of about 10 that I
received of kids who were still in need of host families when
I started thinking & praying about hosting in late March 2016.

This is a bit overdue, considering I'm already about a month and a half (give or take) into the adoption process, but for those of you who didn't have an opportunity to meet Qing Qing when she stayed with us this summer, I thought I would give a little introduction (though if you've followed my posts on social media over the last few months, you've already gotten to see a glimpse of how amazing and sweet she is)!

Qing Qing just turned 11 at the beginning of this month, and she loves coloring, reading books, Disney princesses, playing in the pool, dancing, popsicles and Goldfish crackers, and folding laundry (yes, really)! She also is an excellent car napper -- she usually fell asleep in the car within 10 minutes while she was here, no matter where we were going! Like Christina, Qing Qing is very good at "going with the flow" -- although so much of the three weeks she spent in the US was brand new to her, she pretty much took everything in stride, even the insane July Texas heat! She also is very smart & quick to catch on to things, even in a new culture and a new language! She loves to be a helper & was my little sidekick for everything from cooking meals & making beds to helping Christina with her shoes & putting groceries in the shopping cart. And best of all, she and Christina became fast friends; the bond that developed between the two of them even in such a short time was absolutely beautiful to see. I am so excited to see this relationship grow even more once they're officially SISTERS!

Medically speaking, Qing Qing has Down syndrome and also had surgery when she was seven to repair a hole in her heart. Currently, she is very healthy and isn't under any medical restrictions, though we'll follow up with a cardiologist when she comes back to the US to make sure her heart is still doing well! She is somewhat delayed developmentally, but as I already mentioned, I was very impressed while she was here at how quickly she caught on to things and her overall independence in doing tasks and "ADLs" (activities of daily living). 

Currently, it's looking like the adoption process will likely be complete sometime between the end of

next spring and maybe the middle of summer, if all goes well. I'm nearing the end of the first big stage of the process -- compiling everything for my dossier -- and after that my dossier will go to China for the CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption) to process and decide whether or not they will officially approve me to adopt Qing Qing (I received "soft" approval at the beginning of August). So for now, it's lots of prayers, paperwork, fundraising, and more prayers & paperwork! :) I'm so grateful for all of the many people who have supported me time and time again through prayers, participating in fundraisers, and sending a note (or text or email) of encouragement along the way -- I could not do this alone! I wish there was a stronger way to say "thank you," but since that's the best I can do, how about I also throw in the Kreyol and Mandarin: Mesi & 谢谢 (Xièxiè)!!!

Hi friends! I know it's been forever & a day since I've updated this blog, but...I do still exist, as a matter of fact. And, I have some exciting news (which I will attempt to share in more detail at some later point in time when I'm not coming off a night shift, which is currently the case). The quick version is, I'm in the early stages of finally making Christina officially part of my forever family through adoption (yay!!), and I just launched a T-shirt fundraiser to help with the financial side of this endeavor. Tiffany McLeod came up with an awesome design that I'm SO excited to share, and I can't wait to have it on my very own T-shirt! Here it is:

The design will be available on a navy shirt and a purple shirt, and there are several styles available to choose from. Here are the links: navy and purple. The shirts will be available to purchase for the next three weeks, and then they will be shipped out approximately two weeks after the fundraiser closes. I've said this many times before and I'll say it many times again, but I am SO GRATEFUL for the huge amount of support Christina & I have from family, friends, coworkers, and even people I haven't seen in quite awhile. So whether or not you buy a shirt (though I hope you do 😊), please know how much your prayers & encouragement mean to me and Christina! Love y'all lots!

UPDATE: Here I Am Orphan Ministries has graciously offered to accept fee-free, tax-deductible donations on our behalf! So, if a T-shirt isn't really your thing but you still would like to financially support us, you can do that here. Under "One Time Donation," choose "Adoption Assistance." Before you submit your payment, there will be a comment box where you can put in my name and "Christina's adoption" to designate it for us.

Also, for those of you who want to hear the very very beginning of our story, here's a post I wrote back in 2010...

And then, to fast forward to Easter 2016...

Things have changed a bit in the last six years. 😊 And I am oh so grateful!

instagram-style life update

Oh hey there, Poor Little Neglected Ol' Blog O'Mine. It's been...awhile.

Life. 'Tis a busy thing.

I'm not utterly convinced that I want to keep up restart this whole blogging deal, but for the moment, while I'm procrastinating doing other, more productive things, how about a bit of an update from where we last left off? Fortunately, despite the amount of time that has lapsed since I last posted, a good chunk of that time was insanely busy beyond words and is therefore too much of a blur to remember many details, so for once I can probably summarize the last ten-ish months without rambling on forever.

October

finished 4th semester clinicals

Started a second job, because, I mean, one job + nursing
school just isn't enough

December

Survived the semester and watched my brother graduate
from nursing school {on a freezing cold day on which we
also got locked out of Hannah's car and therefore took
this oh-so-flattering selfie as we waited in Paul's car
for AAA to show up).

Roadtripped to Tennessee and got to spend a few days
with Hannah's wonderful family.

While in Nashville, I also got to see this dear friend for
the first time in years!

Then we trekked across the state to hang out with our
family in a lovely cabin in the Smokies...AND...these
two fabulous people got engaged (in the same spot
where my parents got engaged, which also happens
to be one of my favorite places in the world).
CONGRATULATIONS, PAUL AND HANNAH!!!

On Christmas Eve, Cheyenne and I traveled to Haiti,
where we were greeted by my favorite little girl.

Christina was able to spend several weeks with me at
the maternity center, which was wonderful.

January

And then...back to Texas...
for a super cold and crazy-busy semester...

...that consisted of a lot of coffee and a lot of studying
in between class, clinicals, and jobs.

Every once in a wonderful while I had time for
a post-close Fuego run. I mean, who doesn't
love eating tacos at midnight? :)

February

One of the highlights of my spring was getting to go
to Dallas with these lovely ladies for Taylor's baptism!

March/April

My handsome nephew was born at the end of March!
CONGRATULATIONS, KEVIN AND DANIELLE!!!

Paul and I got to travel to Florida for several days
to meet Emery when he was two weeks old.

May

At the beginning of May, I interviewed for (and got!) my
#1 {local} choice of jobs :)
And then...the moment we were afraid would never come...
THE LAST DAY OF NURSING SCHOOL!!

Oh hey, we're both nurses!

Aaaand I had time to breathe again (well, a little...boards
were still to come)!

Made a quick trip to Boston to visit a friend.

 June

Spent the weekend before taking boards holed up in a hotel
room in Dallas. I did surface for church on Sunday and for
a quick but wonderful visit with Taylor & Shelby!

Grateful, grateful, grateful for all of the prayers and words
of encouragement from so many friends before NCLEX.
I am so blessed to have so many amazing and
thoughtful people in my life.

And then...then I got caught in a sudden
downpour as I went to take the biggest,
scariest exam of my life. Consequently,
I took boards dripping wet and looking
like a drowned rat. C'est la vie.

Nonetheless...48 hours later, I got this great news!
Major relief would be an understatement.
And surreal. So surreal.

Meanwhile, as soon as I took
my exam, I headed out of the country
and back to this beautiful little girl!

Christina and I stayed at the maternity center again
(thanks, Beth Johnson, for your hospitality)!
There were several births while I was there, and the
Heartline midwives were so kind as to let me catch one
of the babies (who was born in the caul)! So fun.

We got to go the beach one day...

...which Christina and I both loved :)

 July

Obligatory photos of our 4th of July outfits :)

And then...back to the States to start my new job.
(Oh. Finished up at job #2 at the beginning of June, so I was
down to just 1 job for a whole month before starting at the
hospital!)

RN badge > Grad nurse badge
:)

One day I'll quit. Really. #eightPOINTfiveyearsandcounting

August

Lina came for her annual Texas vacation!
Thanks, Taylor, for picking her up at the airport for me!

Birthday girls! (Technically, Lina's birthday is in July,
but it's tradition to have a Texas birthday party for her.
Last year it was in June, this year it was in August.
Close enough.)

party people :)

And then...it was time to send Lina back to Florida :(
But first, we went to see a performance of Les Mis in Dallas!

So there ya have it -- most major life events since October as recalled by Instagram ;) These past several months years have been super crazy, and there have been many times when I've felt overwhelmed and/or out of control (though let's be honest -- when have I ever really been in control?). Dramatic though this will sound, there were definitely times when I didn't know how I was going to make it from one day to the next (let alone from one semester of nursing school to the next). So many doubts, so many fears, so much to do, so little time. But. God has been so faithful...not to provide necessarily what I want...but to always provide what I need. He's pretty wise like that ;) Mmm...so let this be a reminder to me when I again (probably two seconds from now) am unsure...overwhelmed...in need.

Lamentations 3:21-24

 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

spring break 2013

Well, here I am again...on the heading-back-to-Texas end of an incredible week (well, 9 days) in Haiti. Seems like it's gotten harder and harder for me to leave Haiti over the past several years, and this time is no exception. There's just something about that country...those people...that I love so dearly--crazy traffic, psycho roosters, and constant dust notwithstanding. Ayiti se yon bel peyi e se la mwen vle pou m ye.

However, rather than thinking about how terribly non-thrilled I am to be back in the States (and, especially, to be hanging out at the Fort Lauderdale airport for the night), how about a quick recap of some favorite moments from this past week:

* Spending time at Notre Maison. I love, love, love those kids, and it was so good to get to see them again (and yes, especially my Christina). I was able to make the taptap trek over to the orphanage on five different days while I was there, and it was great getting to spend time with the kids and see how well they're doing. There is some sad news, though -- Mickey, one of the older boys who grew up at the orphanage, passed away last Monday. He had been sick for awhile. I saw him the Saturday before he died, and I'm so thankful to have been able to spend time talking with him that day. He will be very missed. Prayers would be greatly appreciated for Gertrude and for the staff and kids at the orphanage.

* Dinner with Melissa and Guepson, my favorite newlyweds :) These two make me happy; they're super cute together. He's an OB, she's a nurse-midwife. He's Haitian, she's lived in Haiti for ten years. They're both great, and I'm so very, very thankful for Melissa--for many reasons, not the least of which is the role she played in convincing me that I should go to nursing school after all :) I've learned a lot from this girl, and I'm going to miss seeing her in Haiti now that she and Guepson are moving to the States. Guess I'll just have to make some trips to Kansas now!

* House[er, apartment]sitting for my friends Ryan and Melissa while they were in the States. Such a blessing to get to use their apartment while they were away! And, even better, they got back to Haiti a few days before I left, so I also still got to spend time with them :) Pray for them and their ministry at the Heartline Guesthouse!

3 day-old baby Tamar

* Spending time at Heartline is always amazing :) I didn't get to be at any births this time (the only Heartline birth that happened while I was in Haiti was a very quick one, and I was over at the orphanage at the time), but I did get to help out at two family planning days (gave lots of injections of Depo-Provera!), child development day, and prenatal day. I always feel so privileged to get to be even a teensy part of the amazing work they're doing at Heartline. So grateful for the impact they're making on the lives of women and children in Haiti.

* Trying out a Haitian restaurant with Nick, the current driver at the Heartline Guesthouse. The guesthouse was surprisingly guest-free most of the week, so one evening we decided to be a bit adventurous and taptap to a nearby restaurant that had been recommended by a few friends. I can't remember the last time I've been to a restaurant in Haiti besides Epi d'Or, so it was fun to try something new.

* Girls night with Melissa and Mandi! Melissa made some fabulous pizza, and it was fun to hang out with these two :)

* Dinner with the wonderful Meadows family! So great to spend time with these Texas-and-now-Haiti friends! Such a neat family, and I'm pretty sure they have the politest kids on this earth :)

* St. Patrick's Day party (on Friday) at John and Beth's house! When Beth cooks, you want to be there; among her many, many other talents, she is amazing at putting together incredible meals and for massive amounts of people. She is the epitome of graciousness and hospitality.

* Seeing the new Haitian Creations shop...and, of course, making some purchases :) Chandler and the ladies are doing such a great job coming up with some fabulous purses and jewelry and various other products (one of my new favorites is a passport holder, which I used today)! It's always a bit dangerous for my bank account when I go by Haitian Creations; so much great stuff, and for such an incredible cause. Yet another Heartline program that is truly changing lives.

* Home church with the Meadows and the Livesays this morning. I love and admire both of these families so much, and I'm so glad I was able to join them for this time of worship and reflection on God's faithfulness. It was such a special time of talking about how the Lord has been faithful to us in the past (and how we need to remember that we can trust that He will continue to be faithful!) and of praying together. I can't think of a better way to have spent my last morning in Haiti.

I know I'm forgetting a lot of other fabulous moments from the past nine days (I've been up for nearly 24 hours now; I barely remember how to spell my name), but suffice it to say, I really enjoyed my time in Haiti. And, of course, I'm already counting down to my next trip...48 days, if I can get the time off work!

A la pwochen, Ayiti. Mwen sonje w!

from FLL

my Rebo Mocha at the airport

Well, I made it safely to Fort Lauderdale.  On to Dallas and then Austin next.  Should be home around 10pm CT.  While waiting to board my flight in Port au Prince, I wrote this on my ipod:

Easiest Port au Prince airport experience ever! Seriously. Maybe 30 minutes from start to finish (honestly, I keep waiting for something to go wrong). So much for sabotage, intentional or otherwise!

Ryan dropped me off at the airport a little after 8, and immediately I was surrounded by the usual group of red caps wanting to take my bags. Because the only cash I had on me was a $20 bill, I had decided I was just going to awkwardly get all my luggage on my own. Not ideal, but doable. However, one guy absolutely insisted on carrying two of my suitcases for me for free (and I checked 3 or 4 times to make sure he knew I couldn't pay him), so we trekked on in to the first security check-point,

really leaving...  :(

no problem. There wasn't even a line, which was weird in and of itself. Most of the time you have to wait forever in various lines each step of the way. Today, no lines whatsoever. Whoever you are that's praying for my journey today, thank you. Your prayers are felt!

Anyway, by the time we got up to the first security belt, I had two guys helping me. They put my bags on the belt, and that was that! No insisting that I give them something after all, just smiles, a compliment on my Kreyol, and a wish for a "Bon voyage"!!! Amazing.

Port au Prince

bel Ayiti

I went through security to get into the airport, and within 3 minutes, I was standing at the ticket counter checking in. Again,  amazing. No line there, no line for immigration, minimal line for the next two security checks. I was beginning to get nervous that I'd missed my flight (not that that would be a bad thing...maybe then I could stay after all!) or that it wasn't actually until much later or something. Never ever have I had a quicker, easier time getting from the car to my gate (and if you've ever traveled to Haiti, you know this is saying something)! I don't know what was going on--if maybe everyone decided to check in super early today, thereby clearing the way for me when I got there on time--but it was great! Well, except for the whole I'm-leaving-Haiti-and-that's-why-I'm-here part. Did not like that. Still don't.

----
So, so far so good.  I've spent a lot of time today continuing to think over these past two weeks and pray about where I'll be going/what I'll be doing from here on out.  More on that in a future post...





In the meantime, here's the video of Christina that I took yesterday morning (was that really only yesterday?!).  We were sitting on the floor and she was on my lap, playing and talking.  Is she not the cutest ever???  :)

Oh how time flies

You're worthy of worship

You're worthy of praise

You're worthy of honor

You're worthy of thanks

- Jesus is the Lord, Travis Cottrell -

Wildania, Killeen, and Eveline

Wilson and Jameson

So many emotions as I'm preparing to leave tomorrow.  Everything from extreme sadness about leaving this 

place I love to overwhelming gratitude for all that I've seen and experienced over the past two weeks.  (The one emotion that is not present is excitement about going home.  Nope.  Can't muster that one up.)  I said good-bye to the kids at Notre Maison this morning; oh how much I miss them already.  Especially my Ti Nina.  She was super-talkative this morning.  I got the cutest video of her, but I'll probably have to wait til I get back to the States to post it.  

I also just had to say good-bye to Beth.  I don't know if there is any living woman that I admire more than this lady.  She is humble and gracious and wise and so very hospitable, and the passion the Lord has given her for serving Haitian women is such an amazing, beautiful thing to see.  I am thankful beyond words for the time I was able to spend at Heartline during this trip; what a blessing for me that Beth (along with Heather, Tara, Cookie, Melissa, Wini, and Agathe) so graciously welcomed me and allowed me to observe 

Christina

and learn and participate.  So thankful, too, for the wisdom and advice I received from these amazing ladies.  The Lord is doing incredible things through them, and I'm just so grateful to have been able to see this firsthand.  Please, please pray for them and their ministry here in Haiti; your prayers are such an important part of the work that is being done.

So hard to believe that in twenty-four hours I will be back in Texas.  As I sat on the roof earlier and looked out at the lights up on the mountain, I couldn't help but think how different and how very far apart my two worlds are: my Haiti world and my United States world.  Today, I've kissed precious little brown faces and spoken Kreyol and visited with sweet Esther and gotten my hair braided by a teen mom and eaten plantain chips and climbed up on the roof and listened to the hum of the generator that's giving power to the house.  Two days from now, I'll wake up in my house that rarely, if ever, loses electricity and drive on perfectly-paved streets to a job where I'll make nearly 5 times more in one hour than what over 4 billion people around the world live on in a day. I'll go to the grocery store and have an

Mama Eman, Raphael, and Lena

 overwhelming amount of choices of items to put in my cart and buy, and I'll take a warm shower and brush my teeth directly from the sink without any fear of getting sick.  Different worlds.  There are things I love about each place; blessings God has given both in Texas and in Haiti.  I'm really going to need to remember this, especially over the next few days as I attempt to readjust to life in the States.  But yet, I don't want to get so comfortable being there, with my normal routines and the ease of everyday life, that I forget what I've experienced in Haiti, not just these past two weeks but over the past thirteen years.  May God continually place on my mind the sweet faces (and the ornery ones, too!) of the kids here that I love so dearly.  May He remind me of Esther and Mama Eman and all the other 

Mama Eman and Heather, wearing Djenie's "hair"

women that Heartline is serving, and of Beth and Tara and Melissa and Cookie and Heather and Wini and Agathe who are working to spread the Gospel by serving those in need.  And may these remembrances lead me to Him, that I might faithfully pray as He brings each person and need to mind.

And with that, I'm going to abruptly end, because I am oh-so-tired and should probably get to bed.  I suppose...the next post will be from Texas...

baby Judler and Esther

Mama Eman and her boys

Sherline, Mama Eman, and Raphael