This is so much bigger than the Thomas family.

          I was so encouraged at Church last week.  Just when I began to feel sorry for myself, because I have not heard a word from our agency regarding our paperwork, something really cool happened.  A family from our church brought their baby girl home from China.  How encouraging.  I can’t even explain in words how much seeing that little girl with her forever family encouraged me.  They have been waiting for years.  How dare I feel sorry for myself after the wait they’ve had.  On top of that, a great friend’s sister brought her two domestically adopted twin boys to church. God is good! 

          Sunday school was interesting as well.  The discussion was about how so many people do things that should be for God’s glory, but many do those things for show or for their own recognition.  Of course, my mind went straight to this blog.  I don’t want this blog to be about me.  I have been a bit surprised by the response to this thing.   I really didn’t think anyone would read it.  Seriously.  At first, I really felt uncomfortable when people would say things like “I think it’s great what you are doing.”   The reason I couldn’t understand is because we are getting so much more out of this adoption than we could possibly give. I really don’t feel like a hero.  We are truly blessed to get to add another Thomas to this world.  I thank God every single day for our child in Haiti.  Just like I longed to hold Kynady and Elijah in my arms way before they were even born, I feel the same way about our third child.   Just like I couldn’t wait to find out pink or blue, I can’t wait to find out if our new baby will be a boy or a girl. I can’t wait to see what he/she looks like.  I can only imagine what he’ll be when he grows up, or if she’ll be a girly girl like Kynady.  Those thoughts are what keep me from going insane with worry.   

           I really appreciate the people who have approached me to say what a blessing this blog has been to them.   I have been so encouraged!  I like to think that I am strong and tough and have it together.  You know, I’m the big, bad basketball coach; but the reality is that I need encouragement now more than ever!  I am weak.    It wasn’t until Sunday that I understood how valuable those encouraging words have been, and how thankful I am for the people willing to share.

           I am so thankful for God’s assurance daily that He is with us and will be with us every step of the way.  I have grown more in faith the last six months than in my entire life.  For that, I will be forever grateful.  I am amazed and fortunate that God can use something so amazing to teach me patience and faithfulness.   Now, I understanding that God is using this blog and our adoption in a way I never thought possible.  It never occurred to me that maybe God has more in mind.  I have heard so many times that God can take the ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary.  I want our adoption to be a blessing to others and maybe, just maybe, we can encourage others to take the same leap of faith.  As I sat in the balcony at church and looked out at all of the families that have adopted, I couldn’t help but to think that God has something major in the works for our church and our community.  I think Sunday was a glimpse of something special, and our adoption is just a sliver in the plan. Incredible.    

 

 

Caterina is NOT our adopted child from Haiti, and she isn't from Chicago either.

          This is so sweet .  My nephews are a tad confused about our exchange student from Italy, Caterina.  My sister has been trying to prepare them for our adoption, but I suppose we should have mentioned that we would also have an exchange student living with us.  They think Caterina is their new cousin.  Well, she kinda is their new cousin, but I’m afraid of what they will think when she has to go home to Italy in a few months.    And let me tell you about Elijah.  He thinks Caterina is from Chicago.   All he knows is that her plane took off from there to come here.  KIDS!  They are so funny.

          I have had a very hard time pronouncing the name, “Caterina”.  Well, I can say it the American way, but it has bothered me that I can’t pronounce it correctly. I just can’t roll the R.  Out of respect for her parents, I would really like to call her by her given name.  She likes that we call her Cate, but I was afraid that her mother would be offended.  I can imagine meeting her mother when this 10 months is over.  I don’t want her to think that her daughter has been with us for almost a year, and we don’t even know her name.  I have expressed this to Caterina and she thinks I’m crazy, so I guess I’m going to have to let it go.  It has made me think about naming our adopted child.   People ask about that all the time, and we’ve gone back and forth.  We will have the choice to keep the given name or give him/her an American name.  Out of respect for his/her birth parents, I want to keep all or part of his/her name in some way.  I guess it also depends on the age of the child, but I think it’s important that we show respect for the birth parents, and that’s one way to do it.  I think!  I’m still not sure, so I’m looking for a little guidance on that.  I’m not worried because I know that my God already knows his/her name.   

          I was a little impatient this week, so I sent an email to inquire about the progress on our dossier.  Our paperwork has been legalized, and now it is being translated into French.  The translation will be completed by September 30^th at the latest, and then it will be on its way to Haiti.  Everything has to be hand delivered in Haiti, which gives new meaning to the words, "snail mail".  Once in Haiti, the timeframe becomes even more unpredictable.  Not knowing is difficult, but it’s in God’s hands.  Pray for us!

Our Exchange Student Has Arrived

          We’re trying to diversify the neighborhood, I guess.  That’s the answer to this week’s most asked question, “Why would you want to host an exchange student?”  Honestly, I am not sure why we agreed, but I am sure glad we did.  Caterina is great!  She is adorable.  I don’t want to say too much because I want to respect her privacy, but we love her already.  She is great with the kids, and we have had a lot of fun getting to know her. Today was her first day of school, and I was nervous for her.  I remember my first day as a new student at Caldwell.  I must say she seemed much less nervous than I was after transferring there my junior year.  I had a few known enemies from sports though, so it was a bit different for me.  A few of my basketball players took care of her today, and I am so proud of them.  Watching my players do cool things like that is almost as rewarding as when my own children do something admirable.  That’s why I coach.  

          I’m not sure that taking Caterina to Wal-Mart on the first day of her arrival was a good idea, but it was very entertaining.  It made me realize how easily our adopted child could get overwhelmed when we bring him/her home.  I really think that’s part of the reason she’s with us.  Also, I have thought about how difficult it could be to communicate with our son/daughter. French is the official language in Haiti, but most people speak Creole, and I don't know much about either of those.  Caterina’s English is good, but we’ve had a few barriers.  Did you know that a "fon" pronounced "phone" is a hair dryer in Italian?  That was a fun conversation.  It’s neat how God works and puts things in all the right places.  Having Caterina with us will be a blessing, and I have a feeling we don’t even know the half of it yet. 

          The only update on the adoption is that my passport arrived in the mail.  I was looking at it today and noticed that it expires in ten years. My only thought was, “Surely, this adoption thing won’t take that long.”  Waiting.