African Children's Choir

Last night I got to see the African Children's Choir for the second time.  It was wonderful!!!!  If you have never seen a performance please go to their website, www.africanchildrenschoir.com  and check their schedule to see if they are going to be in your area.  

The choir was started in 1984 by a man visiting Uganda.  He wanted to find a way to help the orphans and was inspired to start the choir by a street boy he heard singing.  The choir has a school in Kampala and has purchased 15 acres in Entebbe to build a larger school.  The choir is made up of orphans from Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana.  The parent organization, Music for Life, has programs to educate orphans in all of these countries.  The children who tour are ages 7 to 11 years old.  They have to audition to become part of the program.  If they are accepted they are educated through their secondary education and some have also gone on to college.  To date the programs have educated 7,000 orphans in Africa.  

If you can't adopt an child this is another way to help.  They have a sponsorship program and they need chaperons to travel with the choir.  You can adopt short term:)

While the performance was awesome, it did make me long to go to Uganda and get my babies.  I got good news from my lawyer in Uganda.  He said if I can get to Uganda with all of my paperwork at the beginning of May, we should be able to get all of my court dates in before the system closes for June and July.  If I can do that, I can bring my babies home in June and spend the summer with them before school starts back.  Yipeee!! Wahoo!!! Holy Crap!!!

So pray that the wheels of bureaucracy turn quickly.  I still have to clear Alabama DHR and USCIS.   Thanks for all of your prayers and advice. 

NO I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...

I have been in home study land. I started this process at the end of January and Friday was my last interview.  When I started I was told that it would take at least 4 if not 5 months.  This really freaked me out, because MY plan is to travel in May.   I had my first interview on President's Day and the intensity began.  For the last 6 weeks I have been gathering all of the paperwork, answering the lovely discussion questions(Yes that is sarcasm), and doing my required readings, and praying.  I know that if this process is going to happen as fast as I want it to I'm going to have to have God's approval.  He has come through again.  In February, my social worker told me that she only works 3 days a week from 9-2.  This was not good news as I am trying desperately to hang on to all of my sick days.  When I went back for my second interview, my social worker told me that she was moving back to Florida and needed to rush my home study up if at all possible(WOO HOO!).  So I had to kick it into high gear.  

Last week was my Spring Break from school.  Did I get to go visit my friends in St. Pete Beach? No,  I had to finish everything and by my 1:30 appointment on Friday everything in my house was cleaner than it has ever been.  My eyes were crossed from doing 10 hours of internet reading, and my nerves were on edge.  Everything went great and my home study will hopefully be sent to Alabama Dept of Human Resources this week.  I have been told it may take 2 weeks or more for them to OK everything, then it goes to NCIS in Atlanta where it could take months.

But guess what??? I'm not worried.   My God is in control.   If I should travel in May, He will see that everything happens.  If I have to wait until the fall there is a reason and it will be for the better.  I am still praying for May and please feel free to join me in sending this prayer up.

He will even send me the money I need to complete everything(pray for that too, if you don't mind).

So my rest and relaxation over Spring Break consisted of me being a complete couch potato on Saturday.   I don't think I was up to forming a coherent thought.  

Giving up one Spring Break will be worth getting to spend the summer and the rest of my life with my children.  A tan would just fade.

Thanks for all of your prayers and advice.  

By the way, all of the readings I had to do on bonding and attachment disorder has got me a little freaked out.  Is it really as bad as they say?

It's been a busy week

I know I have to get better at posting, but I never seem to have time.   Last week was jammed.  

I had my first home study interview on Monday(a day off from school).  The meeting went well and I have my second interview next week.  Now I only have to write my autobiography between now and then.  I left my interview and headed to Costco.   I love Costco.  I don't even have to go on a free sample day to enjoy a day of looking a large packages of "stuff".  The reason I am at Costco this week however is because I am raising funds.  My church has graciously allowed me, my mom, my aunt, and several other wonderful ladies to cook dinner on Wed. night in exchange for donations.  We also decided to get really ambitious and sell plates on Thurs. for lunch at the schools where I teach(we sold 70).   We cooked chicken and dressing, green beans, corn, salad, and cake for over 100 people.  That meant cooking for 4 days.   The food was delicious and God blessed our hard work.   Next months menu is corn bread, pinto beans with ham, turnip greens, fried okra and macaroni and cheese.  Ya'll come by for a good ol' southern meal.  

There were many other things going on that I won't go into.  I just wanted to say that through all of the busyness,  God is still in control.  I am so glad that He is.  I would have messed it all up.  

Flip Flops in February

Was the groundhog wrong?  It has been unseasonably warm here in AL.  Sunday afternoon when it was time to return to church, my feet refused to be encased in socks and shoes.  So out came the flip flops.  I know some people call them thongs, but around here you don't wear those on your feet.   I should live at the beach!  I love to buy shoes, I just don't want to have to wear them.  My shoes come off as soon as it is socially acceptable(most of the time).  

So for the next few days my feet will be wonderfully free!!!! 

Love is in the air

I wanted to post a picture of the new Valentine's shirt.  I think it's pretty cute.  Let me know what you think.  If you want to order one just e-mail me at believetshirts@yahoo.com.  All profits go to help me bring home my Ugandan babies.  

Oh, did I say babies?  That's right I have made the decision to try to adopt 2 children.  I have always been one to jump in with both feet.  Please continue to pray that I follow God's path for me and my(soon to be)children.  It has been a very up and down couple of weeks that I won't go into.  The rant in my last posting should be enough.  Thanks to all of you and God bless you.

I used to like roller coasters.

Really I do like the real ones.  But lately the emotional one has taken over and I am not enjoying the ride.  

About 3 weeks ago, I spoke to someone who is trying to help people who want to adopt from Uganda.  He told me I could probably travel in April or May.  WHAT?? Are you kidding me?  OK I have got to get busy.  I have most of the required paperwork.  I just need to get my homestudy completed and raise some money.  The climb of the roller coaster car has begun.  So I sit down and complete the 10 page application.  Two days later I mail my application for my homestudy.  The agency called me the next day.  I didn't know the US Postal Service worked that fast.  Still climbing.  I call the agency and they are mailing my initial paperwork and the Contract Homestudy Manual.  Two days later I receive my envelope.  Inside is a folder containing a few forms, fingerprint cards, and a zip drive.  My roller coaster car has just jerked to a stop at the top of the hill.

I plug the drive into my computer and start to browse the 98 pages of documents that I have to read, fill out, and spill my guts on.  No problem I can do this.  I hate paperwork, but it is all going to be worth it.  I fill out the first set of forms that need to be returned and call to see about getting fingerprinted.  They only do fingerprinting on Wednesday or Saturday, so I plan to go on Wednesday.  I was told I did not need an appointment, so as soon as the buses left the school I was right behind them.  I rush down to the office, only to be told that I can only be fingerprinted on day shift.  OK,  would have been nice to have been told that when I called on Monday.  Thanks for pushing my roller coaster car over the edge.  

I get home and I have a message from my social worker.  She wants me to call her on Friday, so I really get started on the manual, so I can have questions ready.  Maybe I am not going completely over the edge and plummeting down hill.  

This is a sidebar---Are they really serious with some of these questions?  Do I want to make a lifelong commitment to a child? No I just thought I would pour my heart and soul into a 2 year stint.  Is this not a timeshare kind of thing?   Where do they get this stuff?  I have about 20 of these jewels to answer.  Anyone who knows me can tell you, I hate an essay question.  

Ok I'm back from my rant.  So Friday I get ready for my first phone call with my social worker.  She is only in the office from 8am-2pm.  Not exactly the best hours for a teacher to try to reach someone, but we do have some down time.  Oh I'm sorry,  we have a meeting durning my planning period.  Can't do it then.  I'll try to get someone to watch my class for a few minutes.  Sorry again, it's the 100th day of school and we have celebrating to do.  So finally at 1 it is break time.  Here's my chance.  I can make this phone call with 200 5, 6, and 7 year olds sitting right outside the lounge.  I do get to talk to my social worker.  She sounds very sweet.  I ask her my questions and she is able to answer them all.  Maybe my roller coaster car is reaching the bottom of a very short hill.  We talk about setting up our first of four appointments.  I'm hoping for next week.  I really have to jump on this thing quickly.  She is only in the office 3 days a week from 8am-2pm.  OK I can take 1/2 day of my precious off days to go.  I really need to save them.  I am planning to travel in April or May.  She says she doesn't know if that will be possible.  What?   She informs me that it will take 4 months to complete my homestudy?  WHAT?  I thought it was only supposed to take 6-8 weeks.  So we make an appointment for Presidents Day.  At least I don't have to take a sick day.   So I hope at this point my roller coaster car is at the bottom and is starting back up the next hill.

I did get my fingerprints done today and the lady was very nice.  I went right next door to the post office and mailed them off.  

I'm glad that God is in control of my roller coaster car.  It is going to be a great ride.  I just have to look for the thrills in those down hill falls.  

I would appreciate any advice from those who have taken this ride before me.  

Prayer and wise counsel will get me through.

Thanks and God bless.

 

The Party is over:(

As a teacher, I am sad and glad to see the Christmas holidays come to an end.  I will miss sleeping late, but I miss seeing those 15 little faces much more.   I will miss the silence of home, but I miss the giggles, laughter, and excited voices more.   I can't wait to hug each one of them and hear what Santa brought and what happened in their lives in the last two weeks.  I now get to spend the next 18 weeks helping these kids learn to love learning.  Something that I hope lasts them through the rest of their lives.  I LOVE my job!!!

What else do I hope to accomplish this year?   In another blog I read a woman say the she was making no resolutions or plans.  She is giving this year to God.  That is what I hope to do also.  I am not going to say what I am going to do but what I hope God will allow me to do with his help and guidance.  I hope to live the life that God has planned for me.  I hope that my life is a testimony to His love and grace.  I hope to move forward with my adoption and be able to travel to Uganda in 5-6 months to  pick up my daughter.  I hope to loose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.  I hope to become a better witness, teacher, friend, daughter, church member, and business woman.  I hope that my business grows even more.  I hope this is the year God sends the man He wants to be my husband and the father of my children.   All of these things I hope and pray for.  Please pray for them with me also.  But I know that if these things do not happen,  it is because God has a better plan for me than I can dream of for this year.  I can't wait to see what the plan is.

Have a great and blessed 2009!