Friday's Favorite

My favorite bit of GOOD NEWS this week....

We are getting much closer to getting our babies placed for adoption! We have made more progress since we moved to Nakuru than our whole time in Ngong/Nairobi. 

In order for our babies to be registered with an adoption agency and eligible for adoption there are a number of criteria that must be met. One of the crucial criteria are that the babies have a committal, or are officially committed to a registered agency or home. That was a piece of the puzzle that we had not been able to move forward with in our previous district. Now, with the help of a more cooperative and organized district and a social worker who knows how to get things done we are one step closer to that!! 


We received news this week that we have the "go-ahead" to begin the committal process with our babies! That also implies that our district is giving us the official "go-ahead" to continue operating in our district while we complete the registration process. So, as of today our social worker is submitting the committal papers for all eight of our babies!

As a side-note (and very important to me, personally), this also moves me a step closer to being Julia's legal guardian. The childrens officer has also agreed to help push Julia's committal through first and quickly in hopes of processing her fostering papers before I leave for America. She will still not be able to travel with me, but I will legally be her guardian when I leave and can make the choice where to leave her while I am gone. Then, we will be ready to move forward with the permission to travel as soon as I return. Pray this is able to be expidited within the next one month.


Yep, I LOVE good news! And this was my most favorite news this week! 


Another piece of favorite news this week is that my friends, the Omondi's, got the visa for their daughter, Anjela, to travel to America in September! (Remember THIS post and prayer request?) Thanks for your prayers for them. 


And thanks in advance for your prayers for us as we submit the committal papers for our babies! Please join us in praying for quick and efficient processing.

Baby Update - Elizabeth

Lizzy's First Day at Haven of Hope

Lizzy Now

Elizabeth is truly a special little girl! From the moment I first saw her lying in the crib in Nairobi Childrens Home, though unable to hold her head up, her eyes were sparkling with true inner joy. She had a hope inside of her that radiated in her face. She would light up and laugh at the simple act of eye contact and attention. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her that we had to get her out of that place and into an environment where she could grow and blossom.

And grow and blossom is exactly what she has done! This little girl is one special child. She has come so very far. From not being able to hold her head up or control anything but one of her arms, she is now able to sit up, roll over, lift both arms, reach for and grab objects, scoot on the floor, and her favorite thing - DANCE! 

We are unsure of Lizzy's birthday so we celebrated with the anniversary of when she came to live at Haven of Hope. She was one of our first three babies. (Elizabeth, Julia & Jeremiah) Our social worker is currently working very hard to track down her case history and any records attainable to determine her date of birth and background. As soon as we have a few more things in place and locate her records, we hope that she will be eligible for adoption. (Local adoption; American adoptions are still not legal.) 

Elizabeth loves to play with her dollies and bears. She loves to laugh and sing and dance. And she LOVES for people to talk to her! Lizzy is a very happy, personable child. She is a great big sister to the little ones, especially David whom she will sit beside and rock in the bouncy seat forever! We are blessed to have Elizabeth as part of our HCO family!

How can you pray for Elizabeth?
Pray that...
* we find a qualified therapist to come to visit her...SOON!
* that she continues to develop and progress,
* our social worker is able to gather needed info and records,
* she will be able to placed on an adoption list within a few months,
* she continues to know the hope and joy God has placed in her and grows to love Him with her whole heart.

Wordless Wednesday

Meet the HCO Staff - Kris

His Cherished Ones International Ministry is able to operate because of the great team we have. It takes the whole group to make things function. I wanted to take some time to introduce you to the rest of HCO, so each Monday we will do "Meet the HCO Staff" so that you can get to know them.


So....Here's Kris!! :-)

Kris is the Director of Stateside Operations for His Cherished Ones, Inc. She is also the Secretary of our Board of Directors. I am starting with Kris because she is the one who has been there from the inception of HCO and makes it possible for the rest of us to all be a part of the ministry. I could NOT be here without her! 


Kris is a Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer at Texas Sports Medicine Center in Tomball, TX. In addition to her full time job, she puts in many hours a week tending to the business and finances of the ministry. As I am here spending money on the ground, Kris is always behind me to make sure it is well accounted for, used properly and in line with the IRS guidelines. She is the one who keeps us on track! She does a fabulous job of keeping up with all the details of the business side of things and keeps our finances in order. Kris is actively involved in the daily operations of what goes on here in Kenya as we talk at least several times a week. She is truly my backbone and support here!


AND...in addition to her full time job and putting in the hours for the ministry, she is also busy planning her wedding. She is a busy girl! So, after October 16th, 2010, she will become Mrs. Barry Heslop and we will welcome Barry into the HCO family as well! (He's actually already part of the family!)


Thank you, Kris, for all you do for us! You ARE appreciated and we couldn't do it without you!

Friday Favorites

My favorite internet purchase ever....wall stickers!

I bought these wall stickers at Fun Decor for Kids.com. They are awesome! They stick well, but are also movable. They have totally transformed our playroom, dining room, the babies' rooms and Julia's room. So much fun!

Baby Update - Jeremiah

Jeremiah's first day at Haven of Hope

Jeremiah Now

Jeremiah was one of our very first babies at Haven of Hope. We were told when we picked him up in August 2009 that he was 6 months old. He was wearing 3 month clothes. As it turns out, he was almost 10 months at the time. For his full story, you can read his bio on the HCO website (Meet the Babies page) - Jeremiah's Page

Today Jeremiah is a happy, healthy little man. He is no longer a "baby;" he is all boy! Though he does have a very sweet side, loving to hug and take care of the little babies.....

He is also a true rough-and-tumble boy who gets into everything.

He loves to run off and explore the compound while the babies play outside. Such a fun little guy! 

He has a smile that touches your soul, and when he says, "I love you," it will absolutely melt your heart!

We are so blessed to have Jeremiah at Haven of Hope. Seeing him grow is a joy and a privilege and we thank God for allowing us to be a part of that!

How can you pray for Jeremiah? 
You can pray....
* that he continues to remain strong and healthy, 
* that he grows in the truth and knowledge of Jesus,
* for his future and the family he will one day be with,
* for him to learn to communicate without screaming/tantrums (although this is typical toddler behavior and a stage most babies go through, he has been dealing with a number of specific detachment issues since we got him),
* and currently: potty training time! Always a fun time. ;-/

Wordless Wednesday - With a few Words

Well, I kinda want to reinstate Wordless Wednesdays - but with a twist. Just curious to know what some of you might think....and if you're even out there. :-)


We know that "a picture is worth a thousand words," but rather than me writing those words, I will leave that to you. You can just think them, or I invite you to share them. I think it would be fun to see what you see in some of the pictures I encounter in this life. 


So, if you are really out there and would like to share, comment on the Wordless Wednesday pics and give a caption, a thought or a story to go along with the picture.

Starting today......

Fun with Friends

Our friends, the Omondi's, stopped by to visit us on their way through Nakuru on their vacation. It was so great to see them! Anjela and Julia are quite a pair! They are so very much alike. I get an uncanny glimpse into what Julia might very well be like in another year or so. They are just over a year apart.

While they were here, we took some time to go to Thomson Falls near Nyahururu. I have heard about them and wanted to go for some time. Absolutely beautiful. 

It was so great to have some relaxed down time to talk to Allison. They have been in the process of adopting Dennis's niece for 2 years, and they were finally legally recognized as Anjela's parents just a few months ago. Allison has been a great inspiration to me as I have begun processing this whole adoptive mom thing. Though our circumstances are different, there is a lot of common ground. Though neither of us when out looking for a Kenyan daughter to take as our own, God placed both of these girls right where He wanted them to be. And we are grateful mamas. 

Mamas and their girls.... 

The girls had a fun time playing together. The mamas had lots of great talk time. And Dennis hooked up my Wii and enjoyed some down time of his own. Thanks for coming, Omondi's! Julia is looking forward to seeing her friend "Anja" again in Nairobi!  

p.s. - I am sure the Omondi's would appreciate your prayers as they go to the US Embassy on Thursday for their visa appointment. They are applying for Anjela's first visa so she can make her first trip to America in September.

A Cookie Baking Mommy

That's me. Kind of a weird realization, but it's great.


I had friends coming over for tea, so I made cookies while Julia was napping. I know cookies aren't a very healthy snack, but I couldn't resist giving her one when she woke up. It was the first time I have made chocolate chip cookies since we've been in our house. (Chocolate chips are a rare commodity so I rarely use them.) 

I made such a big deal about it. "Mommy made you cookies!" She was so excited and didn't even know what she was excited about. To my surprise, and relief, she wasn't crazy about them. 

She did, however, love the banana bread. I've made banana muffins many times but this was my first attempt at banana bread. It was YUMMY, if I do say so myself. 


What a domestic day I had! And it was fun.