What a difference a couple of months with a home makes

At home January 29, 2010




2007 without a family

A quick note

Children with any visible special need that grow up in orphanages in developing countries when they are released as teenagers out to the real world have little or no chance to ever find a job. It is not because they can't work or do not work hard enough. These least of these are viewed as "cursed" and become very vulnerable to slavery, begging, or living off the streets. I have faith that this little boy will not end up on the street. If we are not the hands and feet of Jesus who will be???????????

This wonderful little boy needs a family

John 14:18

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you


November 2009

This wonderful child waits in India for his forever family. He does have a eye problem, but with proper medical intervention and the love of a family he will thrive and grow. I met him in November and I so pray that he will know someday have a place to call home. If any one is interested comment on the blog and I will get back to you with contact information and more pictures. Sneha lived in the orphanage 5 1/2 years and has multiple special needs and is older and she is doing very well. In fact she is school now full time and loving it. With all the attention to Haiti it would be nice if the other "declared" orphans around the world find loving families. He is around two years old the perfect age to bring a child into a family.

Child Waiting in India needs a home ASAP

Sneha's right ear surgery is done!!!!! Let's imagine the calm river and ocean views of Oregon

Psalm 33:20 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.


My brother on the coast-I hope we can visit soon

The Oregon Coast.

Views of the Columbia.

My favorite place in the US.

Think calm and relaxing today, for yesterday was but a dream.

Well I have to say that yesterday was very exhausting!! I am very thankful that Stephanie from church could go with us for support. It would have been very trying for me alone. Sneha was patient all morning not eating or drinking until we were in the surgery waiting room at 12 noon and a lady sat down with a big plate of food in front of her. That was the last straw, and she cried, screamed, hit, and tried to bite for the next 1 1/2 hours until surgery. Once we were back in the pre-op area they gave her the marvelous versed, but it even took minutes to calm her. I don't know if the anger was from not letting a child who has suffered severe malnutrition not eat when she wanted to, fear of the unknown, or fear of being hurt??? The surgery went well and now we just wait for healing to start. Hopefully the left ear surgery will be behind us soon as well. I have to say the hospital did a wonderful job and they are very in tuned to children's needs. She is napping peacefully now and I hope she wakes us in a better mood. She was still angry and feeling violent earlier this morning.

Did I mention we now have a pattern the day before surgery we have plumbing problems. The day before Elijah's surgery the sump pump went out and the day before Sneha's surgery the kitchen pipes were plugged. Thanks to Bayley Mechanical for the quick plumbing help. The hard water is terrible and I guess this old house notices the change from a little elderely lady to a crazy house of six. The good news is the surgery is now behind us and today is a new day!

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”- Ephesians 6:12-13

Please pray for Haiti

Oh Lord please do not forsake the people of Haiti. Give them strength to rise up. Please forgive the people of the world for forgetting about Haiti until this disaster. Help us to remember to pray for those in daily need, not only disaster. Please change the hearts of our USCIS to open the doors for adoptions of true Haitian orphans. Grant visas and planes to orphans. Thank you Lord, please save the people of Haiti.
In Jesus's name-Amen

Adoption the plea for today............01/21/10

Adoption-- God's plan for the earth and it's people

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Are you wondering how we could adopt twice in two years and having been laid off twice in one year? In the last four years we have lived in Great Falls, Montana, Fort Collins, Colorado, and now small town prairie Colorado. Will we ever be satisfied with where we are in life to take a step? The answer is can we wait for our circumstances to become perfect to act on behalf of the orphan, the fatherless, and the widow? The time is now, the hour is near, the children of the world can't wait for us to become more comfortable. The broken pipe, the broken sump pump, the malfunctioning car door, and bald tires are minor inconveniences. The struggles of every day life to distract our focus off of the Truth. Comfort is stifling our mighty nation, comfort has made us forget the needy, and remember only our needs. We say I'll act after I get these bills paid off, I'll act after one last great vacation, I'll act after I get my car paid off, I just can remember years of excuses. Time waits for no one or anything, our constant in life that of change. One day we will wake up old and realize time has left us.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that naturewill reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”- Galatians 6:7-8

With 40 right around the corner I can say that I wasted years putting my needs first. Having been a Christian for 29 years I should have opened my eyes sooner. Brent and I missed our chance to travel as young people around the world proclaiming God's Good News. He has to have a job with excellent insurance because of our families great health needs and expensive medications. Before moving here we checked into many companies that send Christian to other nations to teach the Gospel, but we are too old and should have done this when we were young before children. In the next 10 years or less I will probably have to have open heart surgery and with each passing year my time to fly and travel abroad shortens. I guess having a major life event looming ahead gives me urgency to act. I already have the affects of stenosis and I am reminded daily. Flying makes me swell and I am always scared it will affect by breathing. Luckily for the last two years I have been breathing smoothly with no major "spells" I no longer worry about my days for we rest in the hand of our savior. He has our days numbered and we have to use our time wisely. Christ adopted us into his family, and we are called to adopt the lost, lonely, and fatherless into our families. The time is now to tell the world of our Risen King.
We are so thankful the our Indian Princess is home and it has almost been two months already.

Psalm 28: 7-9
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. 8 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. 9 Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

January 19, 2010-Random pictures & more

Elise at Christmas 2009

Graedy's picture of his Birthday pie from Grandma. He is now 12 years old, hard to believe
Dec 2009
Elijah before his Christmas program all dressed up. Dec 2009

Sneha in India Nov 2009.

Sneha in India Nov 2009.

Psalm 128:2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

The four at home Jan 2010.

Well today is an exciting day in the life of the Arnold Family- Sneha is going this week alone to school. Yeah!!!!! I hope she adjusts well and learns a lot. Many changes in the last few months, probably more changes than she has had in her entire life. She is learning more signs and spoken words, although she doesn't say many. She seems to be understanding the routine of family life. We knew that she had special needs,but one never knows the extent. The very good thing is that her personality and attitude is generally happy. It makes all the difference when it comes to a new child in the house.

Today this afternoon we have the pre-op for the first of two ear surgeries. The surgeon will repair the perforation in one of her ears, hopefully restoring her hearing. It will such a shock for her to hear, so this possibly why they only do one at a time. When I was 19 I had a similar surgery for my left ear, but it did not restore the hearing, so I hope hers is not too late. It all depends on the inner ear bones and nerves if they have damage from continuous ear infections. To hear from only one ear throws off all sounds and their direction. Lip reading comes in very handy most of the time. Over time our bodies compensate for such a loss by rerouting the sound only to the ear that hears. A strange concept when sounds come from all around they sound like they just come from the right side. When I was 19 I never knew the plan that God had for me to eventually help a child adopted from India with hearing loss. The answer to my "Why" prayers came exactly 20 years later. Obviously our timing is not God's timing. God plans for our future and we plan for the now, not knowing the blessing in store from hardships in the past. God's way are not our ways and we need to have patience and trust our Father above.

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

First Day of School for Miss Sneha!!!!!!

Proverbs 23:18There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.





They said in India that it couldn't be done and here we are. Sneha is in 1st grade officially! I think the first day is always harder on the parents than the child. I did not know that so much therapy is possible in a 1/2 day. Since she does not speak and has never been to a formal learning environment so the day was challenging, but the staff was very prepared. They thought that she had a great first day. I have to say for a small town school I am very impressed. In one half of a day she practiced coloring, listening to stories, play therapy, flash cards, recess, lunch time(her favorite-she loves to eat), and new signs for better communication. The good thing is that she will in addition to school work she will learn activities of daily living activities. When a chid comes from total isolation from living on basically one floor of a building every skill that we take for granted has to be learned. The other good news is that she has a one on one paraprofessional in addition to all the teachers. The staff is aware that she tries to engage, and they are very well prepared for redirection. The hardest challenge at home is just having the time to sit one on one and keep someone that doesn't crave learning to make them want to. After one month they will even have a special bus to pick her up so mom doesn't have to drive her to and from every day. Yeah!!!



Elijah went back to school after a week off after surgery. He is doing very well and we are so glad to have this behind us. He asked the urologist if he would have to repeat the circumcision every two years. Thank goodness, no way!! Everyone got a good laugh out of this. Comparing his first day of school to hers is totally different. Elijah is very eager to learn and can't take in enough. He always strives to do better and more. The difference was Elijah had a very loving foster family in China for 5 1/2 years as compared to probable street life for 3 years with Sneha and then orphanage life. The pieces of Sneha's life and past trauma come out in bits her and there. My heart breaks for her loss and sadness. Eventually God will heal her hurt as he has healed Elijah's broken heart. The Lord answers our prayers and hears our cries!



“In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”- Psalm 118:5-6

Elijah's surgery

This is the boy that knows he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to. Just about two years ago Elijah had such a large hole in his skull that every activity was dangerous to his well being. To day he is active and healthy. We are so thankful that his skull surgery was a success and his head is getting harder and smoother all the time. Sometimes he says look mom this is where my squishy spot used to be. We are thankful that he is a part of our family. He had a wonderful foster family in China, but his skull fracture would have kept growing and his brain would have continued to bulge out of the hole, disaster was right around the corner. God had a plan for his life to grow, prosper, and make a difference. Tomorrow Elijah has a small boy surgery so keep him in your prayers. With his seizure disorder and past stroke his is at greater risk, but he will be in the capable hands of Dr.Campbell(pediatric urologist) and Denver Children's Hospital and our great God most of all.

January 2010 Nameste!!!!!

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Thanks,

The Arnold Family