I wonder what Jonathan is thinking. I can't imagine being a 16 year old, living in one place your whole life and being told a family wants to adopt you from another country. You would be leaving everything you know behind. The familiar smells, the language, the food, your friends. You've dreamed of being adopted, but as you got older you gave up on that dream. No one wants to adopt an older child. What is your new life going to be like?
I think about this everyday. What must be going through his head. Is he going to like us? Is he going to be afraid? Is he going to change his mind? Will he want to call me mom? Or maybe Hansina? I'm okay with whatever he decides. I will keep praying for him. The Lord knows!
Mark and I would like to communicate with Jonathan before we get there. We got permission to write him letters. I just finished one and am enclosing bags of candy for his friends, a hat, scarf and gloves. I also made a photo book for him with pictures of the family and our home, and a journal with his picture on it. I'm waiting for those to come in, then I will send it next week. I would like to send him something every week until we get there. I'm hoping that it will make it less awkward when we first meet.
We got fingerprinted for USCIS on Monday, so hopefully we will hear something soon from them. I've only done a couple things for the dossier, so I need to finish that up. We also need to do some fundraising. That's a hard one for me. Mark is doing extra work for families and asking them to donate for Jonathan's adoption. Not sure what else to do right now. Believing the Lord will provide!
That is a great idea! I think it will help him alot. We did that when we adopted Isabella and she seemed pretty prepared when she met us. Let me know what fund-raisers you are doing and I will post them.
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's Day!!!
Hi Hansina,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through the link posted on No Greater Joy. My family had been praying for Jonathan and it is wonderful to see that he will be welcomed into such a large and beautiful family. We also adopted 2 older boys last year (though not quite as old, they were 9 & 11) and I wanted to share with you that the first 6 months were very hard. One was angry, one was polite but very distant. I don't know what was worse actually! We prayed and prayed and prayed and we let God heal but, it was not easy. Thankfully now, 15 months in, we have seen tremendous growth and healing, we have built trust, established & strengthened new relationships within our family of 10. There were times when I honestly thought I could not do it. There were fist fights, name calling, shut downs and emotional games and someone close to me even suggested we send them back! (um no) I share this just because I want you to know that if you experience any of this, and hopefully you won't, it is normal... Your family is in our prayers as you journey forward. May God bless all of you!
Kristin