Home for Mom's Birthday!

You are not going to believe this...

I would like to say we have done exactly what we were told to do after bringing home our newly adopted daughter, but we didn't.

They say to hibernate for a long time with your family, keep visits to a minimum and resist the temptation to take your new child on any trips or excursions.

But how could we have missed my mother's 70th birthday extravaganza? After all, my father and I have been talking about it for seven months.

So five days after returning home (to West Chicago) Luciana, Isabel, and Cecilia got on a plane and flew to Philadelphia International Airport. I hopped in the car and drove the 13 hours home (to Media, PA.) (Now you are wondering why I drove. At 69 years old, my mother has taken up bike riding, so I bought a Calypso Cruiser for her present. It wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment.)

Luciana has said Lia is starting to think she was adopted by a band of gypsies. I think she may be right.

mbp

A New Face in the Old Place

Well, We've been home for 48 hours and I know some of you are itching for some news.

Our trip home was uneventful. Lia blessed us with four hours of sleep during the five hour flight from Lima to Miami. She continued to behave well during the three hour flight to Chicago, as well. And Isa... well, behaved as expected. (Her Juicy Fruit gum was the highlight of the trip for her.)

Five weeks is longer than I realized. It is actually enough time to grow accustomed to many things. So I thought I would just share a few of our "goodbyes" and our "hello agains."

We had no idea when we bought this stroller for 98 soles how important it would become. It saved our backs and our time. It was not only transportation it doubled as "the bad chair." (Not very politically correct.) Err... uhh... I mean the "time out to contemplate how you could have handled that situation a little bit more appropriately chair" Unfortunately, it was too small for the adults in the relationship, who probably could have benefitted from it on more than one occasion.

Isabel made friends with these two young women at the market. She will miss them greatly. They even "babysat" while I walked the market finding goodies and buying things for Lia's benefit sale (Yeah, you heard right. Stay tuned for details...)

What can I say,... I know there are people out there who love the winter; skiing, ice hockey, walking outside in flipflops and shorts through a foot of snow to get the mail, etc.. That's not who we are though. Playing in the fountains in Lima in mid-March is more our style.

We spent more time with our lawyer, Juan Carlos than any other person in Peru. He helped us with anything and everything and never complained or even acted as if something was to much of a hassle. He has become a good friend, and has been invited to our home in Chicago. We hope he will take us up on this offer. (Of course, he will have to brave the U.S. embassy on his own behalf for his visa. Good luck, my friend.)

Oh... and El Enano, where you can get a pitcher of fresh juice of any kind, including things that have no English tanslation for a couple of bucks. I seiously almost had a breakdown when I got on the plane and asked what kinds of juices they had and the response was (you guessed it) orange and apple.

Our dinner at world famous Gaston Acurio's restaurant, Panchita for less than you pay for a meal at TGI Fridays.

On the other hand, we were so happy to come home to a clean house, a warm meal, and fresh flowers, and a monster pile of mail. (Ok, not so happy about the mail...) All reminders of the deep friendship that God has given to us. I snuck in and out of church on Sunday morning, and felt the hand of a close friend on my shoulder, which brought tears to my eyes.

Back to school. Isa sang and talked all the way to school about how much she missed her teacher and friends. She couldn't wait to take her treats to all of her classmates. Everyone walked out of school with a new keychain attached to their backpacks.

So Close, Yet Soooo Far

I have no pictures because it´s eight forty five and I´m tired. I am using a keyboard in a local internet shop that I can´t find the "at" symbol on, or the colon. (Hence I spelled out eight forty five.)

Thanks for your prayers as we travel tomorrow. We just realize we have NOTHING to entertain Cecilia with. Nothing keeps her attention that long. Pray she sleeps... a lot.

The good news is that we arrive at six thirty. The bad new is that we leave our apartment at four o´clock in the morning.

Many of you we will see soon. For those whom we won´t, we will still be blogging (just not as frequently.)

What a journey, and we thank God that you have walked it with us.

God bless.

Mark

Lia's First Video Post!

Don't blink. You might miss it. It's only 30 seconds. CLICK HERE to see a short video of Cecilia.


Why this picture? Well, our lawyer snapped it while we were being told we could not take any pictures in front of the embassy. Obviously the picture caught us all off guard!

All is well. Our Visa has been approved. Our lawyer told us that people walk out of the U.S. embassy and their relatives greet them with shouts of joy, hugs and tears. It's not easy to get a visa to the United States.

Here are Isa and our lawyer, (and good friend) Juan Carlos celebrating Lia's new visa.

I am reminded once again how good God has been to us. The woman who interviewed us even said they would expedite the visa when we told them we wished to leave on Saturday. I will return tomorrow, one last time, to the embassy to pick up Cecilia's passport and visa.

Tomorrow we move to the apartment with no internet, so we will do our best to post once or twice before we return home.

We will be returning to Chicago on Saturday night. Thanks to everyone who has made this trip possible, and to everyone who has made this trip with us. Words cannot express...

God bless.

Life is Funny...

When we thought we wouldn't have our interview with the American embassy until Monday we couldn't wait to get home. Today we were told the interview will be tomorrow. We could try to change our tickets for Thursday (The day we asked you to pray for.) Yet, we feel like there is not enough time to wrap up all we want to do here before we leave! It seems like our flight on Saturday, set before we came, will be the perfect day for us to head home after all.


Isa and I went to the market to pick up a few last things. Did I say last? I might have to stop by again later this week...



I've been wanting to rent a bike since we got here. biketoursoflima.com was the place where my dream was realized. After three trips to their shop I finally was given a beat up old cruiser. No complaints; riding along the cliffs and looking down at the ocean makes it all worth it!

Have you ever asked for a ride from the airport? Nobody likes asking, and even fewer people ever volunteer. We set up a ride from the airport before we left. Now we have people, not just offering, but requesting to pick us up from the airport. We know we are not that popular. Cecilia is the star of the show this week! We are truly thankful for every last offer.

Looking Back

At this point it seems that we will be keeping our return tickets. We are scheduled to arrive in Chicago this Saturday night. We were hoping to have been done by the 17th, but it's clear that will not be enough time. The good news is an answer to a prayer we never prayed (shame on us). A couple from the American church in Lima, friends of Mark's parents and missionaries with Scripture Union, have offered us their empty apartment to stay the last two days - two streets up from ours! It's really small but it will be so much better than a hotel room and just the perfect moving distance! I love these "coincidences that were ordained from the beginning of the world". It strengthens my faith to think that while we were just browsing the possibility of adoption in our Chicago home, feeling so in control of our decisions, there was an apartment in Lima ready for us 3 years down the road when we would need it.

I heard someone say that the reason we struggle with the thought of submission is because we think no one will look after our interests as well as we do. Then we do not know the love of God. It's looking out for my interests while I'm looking inward, doubting how much he cares and when is he going to answer me.

The apartment provision was great; I'm really thankful.

But that's not what I'm talking about.

In these 3 years we have lost 2 sisters we applied for, CERTAIN that God was calling us to them, and watched them go to Italy even though we had the family profile the Peruvian psychologist had recommended for them.

We applied for a little boy we thought was a perfect fit for our family right after Mark had asked the Lord if he would show us a child by the end of the summer. It was August. We were overjoyed. He went to Italy too.

While we were still aching from the losses, the Lord sent us a unique opportunity to love a separated, pregnant young woman and facilitate the adoption of her baby. What started as salt in the wound, was actually a healing balm.

The following summer The Lord blessed us with a phone call from our agency, out of the blue: "Are you interested in a Hispanic baby that will be born in a month? You have 24 hours to think." It's got to be a sign from God! We composed our domestic file until 2 AM. A week after she gave birth, she decided to keep the baby.

In the fall I had a very early miscarriage.

The month we decided to pull the plug on Peru and prepare to go to Brazil for a year or so, the day I had to call Mark at work to come home early because I was on the couch with a bad back crisis, the night after our water heater blew, flooding the basement and clearing our account, we got Lia.

What was God's love doing during all this? It was present in that woman's desperate life so that she would carry Lia to term. So she could be mine.

Lia was the only child I didn't specifically ask the Lord for. What I had prayed was "If our family is meant to be a one child family, your Name be blessed." Of course, this was only after many other prayers and thoughts I am not so proud of. I don't think I got her because I "let go". She is a gift. But I think I experienced His love more fully because I "let go".

And I can recognize it better when it comes in the form of an apartment. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

These pictures are from our trip to the mall today. Oh, to have that view from Stratford!

Homeless...

Luciana and I have both done enough "culture hopping" to know what's going on here...

It's called culture shock. We are ready to come home.

Yesterday we were "homeless" for 7 hours. They scheduled to shut off the electricity from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm to do maintenance in our part of the city. We have a key to the front door, and no key to the back door. The only way to get to the front door is an elevator. We left to go to the park through the back door, being careful not to latch it behind us. Assuming (This is where the culture clash comes in) that the doorman, janitor, or somebody had a key to the stairwell, we pulled this door tight behind us. It wasn't until after we got down the 6 flights of stairs that we found out that a key for that door does not exist.

I worked on the door for an hour or more with some "tools" to no avail.

Lia ended up sleeping in the stairwell until the electricity came back on.

We decided to relax while watching a movie; no Redbox here. I took a taxi to a street market where I could buy movies for less than a rental in The States. I trusted what I read on the back (Languages: English, Spanish, French). Las Adventuras de Sammy was just that... In Spanish. Well, at least I know that ABBA doesn't sing in Spanish. I brought the CD home for Luciana (She's a closet fan... or at least she was until this post.) I have no idea who sings on this CD, but Dancing Queen is actually La Reina del Baile! We had a good laugh, anyway.

We woke up this morning to realize when the electricity came back on the refrigerator did not. The light in the fridge was working and the motor was blowing air... it just wasn't cold. Since it's Sunday, I guess we'll have to wait till tomorrow to get this taken care of.

As I have been sitting here writing I heard loud squaking outside of our window.

SO... Maybe it's not all bad here.

mbp

Quick Update

This is a short post that is two fold. One is to tell you that the embassy trip "take-two" was uneventful. We are waiting for a doctors appointment, then for a call from the embassy for the final interview - and then we are done! Our prayer is that we will not need to change our ticket from the 19th to the 21st, or even better, change it to the 17th so we don't have to move from the apartment.

The other news is that even though the Tsunami wave is predicted to affect Peru, and yes, we are 2 blocks from the beach, we have about 100 meters of cliff between us and the ocean. Our first blog since we arrived has a good picture of the cliff. They are also predicting the effect to be pretty small here. So pray for no damage to the country of Peru and our safety, but know that we are in a safe area. We can also head, if need be, to down-town Lima away from the coast.

Today we were invited by the head lawyer of this adoption to go to his country club, have lunch (awesome!!!) and take the kids swimming. It was an amazing treat we don't know when we will have again! Hope you can see the pelicans in the picture of the stone jetty; they were huge! Unfortunately they kicked everybody out at 3 and closed due to tsunami warnings. Lia slept through most of it on the couch of a very fancy restaurant in there - bet it was a first for them.

Thank you for your prayers. We will let you know of any tsunami news that would affect us .

Helm's Deep

"Saruman's arm will have to grow long indeed if he thinks he will reach us in here!"

Begging the pardon of those of you who have not read Lord of the Rings, the reference is to the fortress built by Theoden, king of Rohan, to where he flees with his people for safety. It was built out of solid rock, with miles of towering walls around it. It had never been breached by any enemy in any war.

Today we went to the American embassy.

As we crossed the street to get in the line waiting outside, I felt as if I should have a bright orange jumpsuit, handcuffs and a chain connecting my feet. It was a fortress. Three sprawling concrete buildings with small windows that do not open. A security check just to step into onto the grass area in front, another line, through an iron door (after answering the armed officer's questions), another security check (there goes Lia's water, wipies and Desitin. Hope nothing happens...) to the last bullet proof window in the room.

My twichy feeling actually started last night as I was filling out the forms for today. I was getting glimpses of all my dealings with immigration since I came to the US, my visas, my marriage, my green card. I printed out extra copies because there is no room for error - I'll get rejected, I'll compromise Lia's visa, we'll have to stay longer (insert other freak-out thoughts). The system is as secure as the building - it can't be breached.

But there is One whose arm is mighty indeed.

The officer in charge of adoptions was out until Tuesday. Another woman came up to the window who had never done adoptions. Our lawyer had to explain that generally we just drop off the documents and wait for permission to take the child to the doctor. The doctor has to fax the medical forms back to embassy (more waiting), and we are called again (in a few days) for the final interview. She looked our stuff over, asked a few questions and gave us immediate permission to get an appointment for Lia. We were overjoyed.

THAT was not the blessing.

The blessing was that in a place that looks and feels like a fortress, a well meaning officer made an error. Our lawyer got a call later on, saying that we should not have been given that permission immediately, and we need to return tomorrow (with both girls, because grandparents are gone), and do it again. They will open that window tomorrow, just for our case.

If a more experienced officer had met us initially, we would have just been told to wait until Tuesday before we could even begin the process. Thanks to the newbie, we will go in tomorrow and be the only ones in that section.

THAT was the blessing.

So tomorrow at 9 am we will try again, with a less than compassionate officer, or so we are told by our lawyer who has worked with her before. It's Ok. I have gotten compassion from the One above her. The orange jumpsuit and chain feeling won't be there. The Lord has gone before us. It has been already been breached.

I'm more worried about no water or wipies for Lia...

By the way... Cecilia has her Peruvian passport, which means our dealings with the Peruvian government are over! I must say, overall things went very smoothly. Let's hope and pray we can say the same of our own government throughout the next week!

Grandma's Eyes

This post was written by the grandmother...

What a wonderful day we had. We went to the market place and the children were so good. I cannot imagine a little child that lived in a orphanage all her life coming into a family and adjusting as well as she has. I wonder what goes on in her mind. She is really a precious little girl. Lia loves everyone. Mark and Luciana say I have grandmother eyes and ears, but that is not true. I have worked with a lot of children and this child is doing so well its amazing. Everyday brings new challenges with this tiny girl. She is learning so many new things. She goes to the park everyday and has no fear of anything. Today Luciana and Bruce took her to the park and she caught a baby bird. Luciana grabbed her just in time. The mother bird flew right down to Lia.

Mark, Isa and went to the market. Isa is really a precious little girl. People just love her. She bought gifts for all the children in her class. She talks to the shop owners and they love her. (Click here to watch Isa in the market.)Today we were buying a few gifts. The lady was wrapping up the items and Mark and I wanted to go to the next stand over. Isa asked if she could stay and talk to the women.She ask the store owner if she could stay. The womansaid she could and when we got back she was with her new friend. She bargained and got a little nativity for 2 soles (about 50 cents.) She was so thrilled. When she got home I saw her sitting with her Bible."I am reading with my mind. I love the Bible and sometimes I don't know the words so I hold the Bible and read it with my mind." Mark said I'm bragging. I don't want to do that but she really loves Jesus and talks about Him all the time. We are trying to get our tickets changed to come back on Friday. It doesn't look like we will be able to, but we will try again tomorrow.

Two Hours in our Lima Life!

What do Mr. Huamani, QuiroSalud, and under the refrigerator have in common?

They were all answers to prayer in a two hour period!

A locked bedroom, a thrown out back, and a lost bank card.

Isa locked her door, and closed it. It was 6:00 pm before I was able to get information on a locksmith. His "shop" is right on the corner of Shell St. and Porta Ave. I walked over, and there it was; a small rolling stand littered with keys. I explained my predicament to Mr. Huamani. He packed up his toolbox and walked home with me. He had the door open within 5 minutes. The charge was $13.

Like I said, I'm a big baby when it comes to pain. I decided to risk it all and walk down to one of 35 chiropractors in the country of Peru. He was only 5 blocks away. For the price of my co-pay in the States, Dr. Felipe Castro-Mendivil twisted me up like a pretzel and I walked out a changed man.

Luciana went to the grocery store today. She stopped at the ATM on her way for some money. By the time she got home she was unable to find her bank card. As we were putting the food on the table and wondering what we would do if we had to cancel both of our bank cards (since they have the same number) my mother spotted the bank card peeking out from under the fridge. It was almost completely out of view. How did it get there? Don't ask.

We all broke out in a spontaneous chorus of the Doxology.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Lia just watched us... and smiled.

mbp

Chronic Pain

Luciana and my mother have gone to the grocery store. My father has taken his two granddaughters to the park. (He sketched this while the girls played.) I am here on the couch, flat on my back, listening to the construction on the highrise apartment building across the street.

And I'm annoyed. I'd much rather be with my father and the girls at the park, or even dodging the shopping carts in the aisles of the overly crowded grocery store. (They shop like they drive in Lima.) Luciana told me I had to stay home.

I've never known chronic pain. (The last time my back went out I was feeling great in less than a week.) My back went out on Saturday morning, and I'm having reminders of the kidney stone pain from two years ago.

And I act like it's the end of the world. ( I know some of you who actually deal with pain day in and day out are rolling your eyes at me right now. I deserve it.) I'm a big baby that way.

Then I think about Lia. What does she feel on a regular basis? How totally exasperating would it be for your food to go up your nose every time you eat? It's especially bad when she rubs her face hard, or puts her finger in her mouth and tries to pull something out. As parents we sit there helplessly waiting for her to sneeze. Maybe then she will find some relief... maybe.

Please pray for Lia as we learn how to relieve some of her discomfort. Doctor's appointments are already set up for the week we return. We are told that we will have a team of doctors (a cleft palate surgeon, an oral surgeon, and a cosmetic surgeon) all working together. It seems like there is a lot more pain to come before she will able to enjoy a meal the way that the rest of us do.

Once again, I am reminded of what a privelege it is to be chosen to serve this little girl. God has chosen us (that is, all of us...) to bless His child in ways that were not possible for her here.

The body of Christ. Thanks for being a part of it.

mbp

Prayer request

Hello friends. We need your prayers in general as we go through this process, but today we need a little extra helping of intercessions. Mark has been in pain with his back and today, also with a kidney stone.

We ask for relief for Mark, and for no pain on Wednesday when we will have to sit at a government agency for hours to get Lia's passport.

Where else would we go but to our friends that have carried us in prayers and encouragements through this life change? We love you all.

Bargaining

Isabel's dual-language kindergarden teacher would be proud! Not only has she been practicing Spanish with everyone she meets, but she has become a professional "luchador de precios" (bargain shopper). She usually ends up paying about half of the asking price for the trinkets, key chains and little purses that she wants to buy (in the picture above she just down right charmed her way to a free hair clip from that lovely store owner!). She has taken to carrying her own money and feels very independent when she has the opportunity to purchase something with it. Today she walked up to a street vendor and bought a bottle of seltzer water for her grandmother and "surprised" her her with it.

The best story was the taxi ride home after church today. The taxi driver started at 6 soles (aproximately $2). By the time Isa was done she had a ride for 4 soles. She was with her grandparents. She had given the taxi driver the address and had discussed the weather, where she was from, and everything else under the sun.

If you know my daughter, you know that she would not be happy if she couldn't be social. She will not allow the language barrier to slow her down.


Tonight our lawyer travels back to Lia's birth city to pick up her new birth certificate. When he returns we will begin the process of getting her new Peruvian passport and U.S. visa. Sounds pretty simple, right?

Wrong.

Before the U.S. Embassy will grant her the visa, she has to have one more physical with a U.S. approved doctor. There are only three such doctors in Lima, a city of over 8 million people. We might have to wait awhile for that appointment.

Please pray that we will be able to return home by the 17th. Otherwise we will have to move for the fourth time since coming to Peru. Not a big deal, but a hassle none-the-less. We have enjoyed Peru, and are not ready to trade the weather for the rumors of more snow in Chicago, but we will be ready to return home in two more weeks.

Thank you.

mbp

Redemption

I read a short story before leaving for Peru, that brought tears to my eyes. It was about a woman who threw her infant from a moving train. How could she have done that?

She must have been mentally ill, or just downright evil...

Ah, but there is more to the story. The mother was a Jewish woman being taken by the Nazis to a concentration camp, and to her death. She knew the same fate awaited her child. There was a small window at the top of the cattle car, and she tossed her beloved child onto a grassy plot. What appeared to be a death sentence for this baby was actually new life for her.

"What you meant for evil, God meant for good" Genesis 50:20

This verse has come to my mind on numerous occasions as we have walked this road.

Cecilia's life was saved by the caregivers at Arco Iris Orphanage. Those women gave their lives for her from the day she was born. Due to her cleft lip and palate she was unable to swallow. The most basic instinct of human life was impossible for her. So, with a dropper, as if feeding a baby bird, the ladies fed Lia drop by drop, providing her with the nutrition that kept her alive. And every time they fed her, I'm sure their hearts pleaded with God for her salvation, both here and in the life to come.

We are the next link in the chain. Honestly, this is a priveledge and a responsability that goes beyond my wildest dreams.

Lia has many special needs; needs that could have been avoided if so much evil had not been comitted against her before she was even born. If I think about that for too long I feel defeated.

I have to focus on the second part of Genesis 50:20; the "God meant for good" part.

When I said, we are the next link in the chain, I was not referring to the Poulterer family alone. You don't get off that easy. If you are reading this, it means you too. It sounds so cliche, but we really couldn't do this without you. Those of you who have helped us financially. Those who have prayed. Those who have already been called on to provide childcare, and those who will be once we get back. A shoulder to cry on, or someone to laugh with. And the prayers...

You are all part of this chain.

You are the good that God meant for Cecilia.

The Ups and Downs of Daily Life

We have had Cecilia with us now for 1 week and 4 days and it has been a roller coaster of emotions. We are navigating (more like doggie-paddling) these new waters slowly and so is she. We all need a lot of grace from each other. Often the "bless the Lord!" and the "Lord have mercy!" come in the same breath.

Here are some "bless the Lord" discoveries

• We are SO grateful to live in Chicago where we have access to so many resources for her cleft palate. We already have a number of appoitments lined up.


• Cecilia talks more than we thought. We were told she said a couple words only. Listening to her repeat the same sounds and point, we found out she is talking plenty- they just couldn't understand her. We can't either, but it's a good sign.

She eats everything. I don't know how this little girl with a hole in her palate downs rice, chicken, bread, crackers, apples and popcorn.

She can work on a puzzle, learn sign language and throw a fit. All good signs. We were not sure it would be the case after the first day we met her.

• Yesterday we took her in for a vaccine and she was weighed again. She came to us weighing 7.8kg (naked) and yesterday she was at 9.2 kg(with clothes). I'm going to believe she gained some, because 9 mths size clothing doesn't weigh much!

And here is where "Lord have mercy" comes in:

• 3 full blown fits and a melt down before 8 am. Cecilia's little emotions are running a muck since her life is in upheaval. I know moms do this everyday with a hand tied behind their backs. I just have boot-camp blues...

• Isabel, my sweet girl, is trying hard to draw close to her sister but can't read her correctly all the time. Sometimes her feelings get hurt. And she is back to sucking her fingers...


• While I'm thankful for our medical resources, we have a long road ahead with evaluations, surgeries and therapies.


• She eats everything - all the time. It's left-over orphanage syndrome. When food is the only thing you can control it's hard to stop. She wants to eat constantly and panics when its not coming fast enough. I need wisdom.

On Monday she gets her new birth certificate. I wish it was that easy - a new document, a (couple) new name(s) and voila ! You're born again! Scrap the abandonment and institution life thing, now you should know excatly how to do family life!

If our Lord learned obedience and humility, my road can be no different. And I bet he had to choose it everyday. 3 times before 8 AM, maybe.

Thanks for joining in our praise and persevering in our prayer needs. May praise win today in all our hearts. Bless the Lord.

P.S. The little cake you see is for Lia's finalized adoption party! Unfortunately the guest of honor was "indisposed" after the picture and had to be put to bed during her own party...