Monday, October 27, 2008
REFERRAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's right! I FINALLY received an official referral!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's all I can say right now!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
October Update!
I received the following update:
"Bamlak received her letter, and was thrilled. Bamlak is still in KG at Kebebetsehay (KG 2 I think). She is in a class with Elsa, Hirut, and Mita. Attached is a picture of her after school." --Ryan
I love hearing how she was thrilled about the letter I sent this month!! Every month, on the 15th families are allowed to send a photo and letter to their waiting child if the child is over 2 years of age. So every month Bamlak gets a little letter and photo from me, usually a photo of us when I was still in Addis and a letter saying that I think of her everyday and that I love her very much. Also, I add a memory that we shared together, such as swimming or going to a cafe, or just playing around Kechene. I love being able to send these letters - I just wish her reaction could be video recorded :)
What continues to cause frustration is that Bamlak is yet again in Kindergarten, that makes it her 3rd year, along with all the other children her age from Kechene. Granted there are two different Kindergartens in Ethiopia, KG1 and KG2, it's sort of like our pre-school and Kindergarten here. So two years, okay. But a third is just frustrating!!!!! I informed the Director last summer that I would sponsor (or find sponsors) for all the children aged 4-6 to attend a private school so they could at least get a good education - as there is one just across the road from the entrance of the home. Nope. Couldn't be done. In fact, he FORGOT to enter the children into school at all! She was supposed to attend 1st grade last year, along with her friends still in KG2 this year. Oh fun! I've learned to role with the punches, but some things are just so aggravating.
Overall, so so happy to receive this update!!!!!!!
"Bamlak received her letter, and was thrilled. Bamlak is still in KG at Kebebetsehay (KG 2 I think). She is in a class with Elsa, Hirut, and Mita. Attached is a picture of her after school." --Ryan
I love hearing how she was thrilled about the letter I sent this month!! Every month, on the 15th families are allowed to send a photo and letter to their waiting child if the child is over 2 years of age. So every month Bamlak gets a little letter and photo from me, usually a photo of us when I was still in Addis and a letter saying that I think of her everyday and that I love her very much. Also, I add a memory that we shared together, such as swimming or going to a cafe, or just playing around Kechene. I love being able to send these letters - I just wish her reaction could be video recorded :)
What continues to cause frustration is that Bamlak is yet again in Kindergarten, that makes it her 3rd year, along with all the other children her age from Kechene. Granted there are two different Kindergartens in Ethiopia, KG1 and KG2, it's sort of like our pre-school and Kindergarten here. So two years, okay. But a third is just frustrating!!!!! I informed the Director last summer that I would sponsor (or find sponsors) for all the children aged 4-6 to attend a private school so they could at least get a good education - as there is one just across the road from the entrance of the home. Nope. Couldn't be done. In fact, he FORGOT to enter the children into school at all! She was supposed to attend 1st grade last year, along with her friends still in KG2 this year. Oh fun! I've learned to role with the punches, but some things are just so aggravating.
Overall, so so happy to receive this update!!!!!!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Kechene Children's Home on WikiMapia
Okay, so I was just googling Kechene as I do a few times a month to see if anyone has posted anything new about the Children's Home - but more particularly if there has been anyone sneaky enough to take photos of the kids so I can get my Bamlak fix :)
Well I happened upon a WikiMapia as it had an entry on Kechene so I thought I'd check it out and there it is! The Kechene Children's Home is quite visible on this amazing system!
You should really check it out by clicking on the post title (aka Kechene Children's Home on WikiMapia aka Bettina can't figure out how to make a direct link within a post)! It's labelled as Esanat Masedagya, for whatever reason, but it's lines completely cover Kechene's compound. It's just right and up a bit of the red-topped church - Kechene Medhanialem.
So as far away as I am right now from Bamlak, I felt just a little closer tonight :)
Well I happened upon a WikiMapia as it had an entry on Kechene so I thought I'd check it out and there it is! The Kechene Children's Home is quite visible on this amazing system!
You should really check it out by clicking on the post title (aka Kechene Children's Home on WikiMapia aka Bettina can't figure out how to make a direct link within a post)! It's labelled as Esanat Masedagya, for whatever reason, but it's lines completely cover Kechene's compound. It's just right and up a bit of the red-topped church - Kechene Medhanialem.
So as far away as I am right now from Bamlak, I felt just a little closer tonight :)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Court Date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's right, I FINALLY have a court date! November 28th is our day and I'm hoping to pass on the first try :)
The call was so unexpected yesterday, absolutely unexpected as I still haven't even received an official referral yet!! But I couldn't be more happy that I could be spending the holidays in Ethiopia with Bamlak and with that visit I will never have to bring her back to Kechene every night again! That's right! I won't have to ask permission and beg the Director to let us spend time together outside the home. I won't have to beg to take her swimming or to let her spend the night or to go out to lunch. I won't have to sneak in food and put it under her bed covers to make sure she'll have food when she's hungry. She'll be home ever!
More writing later... SO EXCITED!!!
The call was so unexpected yesterday, absolutely unexpected as I still haven't even received an official referral yet!! But I couldn't be more happy that I could be spending the holidays in Ethiopia with Bamlak and with that visit I will never have to bring her back to Kechene every night again! That's right! I won't have to ask permission and beg the Director to let us spend time together outside the home. I won't have to beg to take her swimming or to let her spend the night or to go out to lunch. I won't have to sneak in food and put it under her bed covers to make sure she'll have food when she's hungry. She'll be home ever!
More writing later... SO EXCITED!!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Update from Ryan (Gladney)
I love how just two sentences and a picture can enlighten my day! Gosh, just seeing that little face makes everything so worth it - now if I could only bring her home forever - TODAY!
From Jessica my Adoption Worker at Gladney:
Hi Bettina,
I received this update from Ryan today. Enjoy!!
“Beamluk is as cute as ever. She smiles every time I mention Bettina, and has enjoyed the letters from her. I see her every Friday when I visit the orphanages, and she continues to be one of my favorite kiddos.” --Ryan
From Jessica my Adoption Worker at Gladney:
Hi Bettina,
I received this update from Ryan today. Enjoy!!
“Beamluk is as cute as ever. She smiles every time I mention Bettina, and has enjoyed the letters from her. I see her every Friday when I visit the orphanages, and she continues to be one of my favorite kiddos.” --Ryan
Monday, September 15, 2008
Big News!
Okay, some may kill me here but it's not about my adoption :) Unfortunately. However, while I've been impatiently waiting to bring Beamluk home I've been doing A LOT of work!! My job is to develop programs for orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa - from Duluth, MN. Yes, amazing isn't it :) While it's not as satisfying as working and living there, I'm very blessed to be able to do the work that I do from Duluth, MN while I wait to bring my princess home.
So the big news???? Lutheran Social Service of MN is now recruiting families for children in need of homes from GHANA! That's right! GHANA! And my first program is finally up and running! I can't tell you just how amazing and frustrating this ride has been! But let me sum it up for you :)
I began working for Lutheran Social Service of MN in July of last year - to begin a new program in Ethiopia for orphaned and vulnerable children. However, just as we had all our materials ready for the government's approval - the government stopped accepting new adoption related NGO applications. It was thought that the wait wouldn't be very long, however, still now, the suspension is being upheld. This program would have allowed me to return to Ethiopia often and perhaps even give me the opportunity to live there until the adoption process was complete. But it wasn't meant to be - for some reason - that I still cannot understand. Mostly, this wait has been so difficult because I truly didn't believe I would be here (in the US) that long. But boy was I wrong.
While Ethiopia has been at a standstill I've been working tirelessly to get other programs started in African countries as this is where my passion and strengths are and luckily my Director understands this. Well FINALLY Ghana has begun! What does this mean? I get to finally return to the continent - and perhaps even to Ethiopia depending on long the wait looks like it is going to be (so if anyone has extra Sheba miles that they won't be using (Ethiopian Air) please let me know and I'd be more than grateful to use them up to visit Beamluk and the rest of the Kechene clan)!
I couldn't be more excited about the possibility of finding homes for Ghanaian children and also supporting programs in anti-trafficking and maternal and child health! I'll have to explain more later :)
But anyway, we are looking for families for our Ghana Pilot Program! So please, spread the word! We'll be updating our severely outdated website soon to reflect this amazing development!
Children in need of families:
Children 2 years and older, with many sibling groups needing to be placed together
Parent requirements:
Ghanaian law requires that parents are married (for no specified length of time); are between the ages of 25-50 and at least 21 years older than the child/ren they are adopting; Ghana has extremely flexible requirements (except the marriage requirement which may be possible in the future but we're remaining cautious as the Head of the Department is not currently in support of adoptions by single parents) :(
If you are truly interested in learning more about this program please just let me know and I can forward you the details :)
And a sigh of relief... even though the work is truly just beginning!
Oh and the estimated date of travel: mid October!!!! Perhaps adding detours to Ethiopia and another country that is making progress in developing programs!
So the big news???? Lutheran Social Service of MN is now recruiting families for children in need of homes from GHANA! That's right! GHANA! And my first program is finally up and running! I can't tell you just how amazing and frustrating this ride has been! But let me sum it up for you :)
I began working for Lutheran Social Service of MN in July of last year - to begin a new program in Ethiopia for orphaned and vulnerable children. However, just as we had all our materials ready for the government's approval - the government stopped accepting new adoption related NGO applications. It was thought that the wait wouldn't be very long, however, still now, the suspension is being upheld. This program would have allowed me to return to Ethiopia often and perhaps even give me the opportunity to live there until the adoption process was complete. But it wasn't meant to be - for some reason - that I still cannot understand. Mostly, this wait has been so difficult because I truly didn't believe I would be here (in the US) that long. But boy was I wrong.
While Ethiopia has been at a standstill I've been working tirelessly to get other programs started in African countries as this is where my passion and strengths are and luckily my Director understands this. Well FINALLY Ghana has begun! What does this mean? I get to finally return to the continent - and perhaps even to Ethiopia depending on long the wait looks like it is going to be (so if anyone has extra Sheba miles that they won't be using (Ethiopian Air) please let me know and I'd be more than grateful to use them up to visit Beamluk and the rest of the Kechene clan)!
I couldn't be more excited about the possibility of finding homes for Ghanaian children and also supporting programs in anti-trafficking and maternal and child health! I'll have to explain more later :)
But anyway, we are looking for families for our Ghana Pilot Program! So please, spread the word! We'll be updating our severely outdated website soon to reflect this amazing development!
Children in need of families:
Children 2 years and older, with many sibling groups needing to be placed together
Parent requirements:
Ghanaian law requires that parents are married (for no specified length of time); are between the ages of 25-50 and at least 21 years older than the child/ren they are adopting; Ghana has extremely flexible requirements (except the marriage requirement which may be possible in the future but we're remaining cautious as the Head of the Department is not currently in support of adoptions by single parents) :(
If you are truly interested in learning more about this program please just let me know and I can forward you the details :)
And a sigh of relief... even though the work is truly just beginning!
Oh and the estimated date of travel: mid October!!!! Perhaps adding detours to Ethiopia and another country that is making progress in developing programs!
Pictures!
Look at how big my little girl is!!!
I'm so grateful to Travis and Maureen who made these photos possible. Travis is a Gladney representative and though Kechene does not allow photos he was able to get Beamluk into a room and let Maureen (a traveling Gladney family) take photos of her!
Next month makes one year since I've seen Beamluk... thankfully the process is nearly its end!
I'm so grateful to Travis and Maureen who made these photos possible. Travis is a Gladney representative and though Kechene does not allow photos he was able to get Beamluk into a room and let Maureen (a traveling Gladney family) take photos of her!
Next month makes one year since I've seen Beamluk... thankfully the process is nearly its end!
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