How has adoption and special needs affected our biological children?

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you
 
 

The big Elijah boy --these days so much stronger than 3 years ago.  No one that meets him today would ever imagine that he had a massive left sided stroke as infant and has CP.  Considering a special needs child does define who they are just a small part of them.

The cutest Christmas elf ever that loves to act and sing.

Our son Graedy that is becoming a great young man.

An official teenager!!  Learning to think of others in the age of "How will this affect ME?"

For the love of a dog.

Elise the girl that loves music, before her first concert.

Sneha the child that has transformed within a year with a family.  The authorities of India questioned how we could take in a child that has so many problems -microcephaly,delayed development,delayed milestones, and no speech.  They didn't even include seizure disorder, bilateral hearing loss and perforated  ears drums.  God sets the lonely in families and picks out their families if we hear his call to us.  He chose Sneha for us. 

A sight to behold-no longer one of the fatherless

Questions:

Will adoption affect our birth children?

 Adoption is a family transformation with hills and valleys.  A journey to grow outside of the me, me, me, mentality.

Would I ever want to go back  to just a bio family?

Of all the decisions in life adoption is something I will never regret.

Why do we adopt from the US foster care system?

We have tried to pursue this on a few occasions and every time it  has failed and God has closed the doors.  This is a wonderful option for many families and great children are waiting for families here in  the US. www.adoptuskids.org or www.adoptex.org



How have special needs affected our family and life?

Is easy to imagine how someone with profound disabilities live, but until you are their provider the true importance of the body of Christ coming together for those in need is  so apparent.  We are His hands and feet, no one else.  With out us they perish.  Our birth children are learning that people do not choose to have disabilities and that they have value and worth on our earth.  All of our  children notice those with disabilities, but in a new light.

How has the "Sacrifice" changed our lives?

We can never go back to our "old" lives again.  We don't want and care about the same things anymore.  We are sad that this had distanced us from some, but also brought us closer to others.  We have laid the fleece out to our Lord one more time.  Now  we shall wait for our answer.  We look hopeful for the future.  We are so thankful what our family has learned through trials and "sacrifice".  We cannot wait for our chidren to love what God loves and for them to grieve for what grieves his heart.  Only then can we act.


Judges 6:39



Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.”


Lord hear our prayers to you!

Merry Christmas!!!

December 13, 2010

Arnold Children Christmas 2010

December 3, 2010

Collecting trash outside of Sneha's orphanage

 Waiting for her mother  to come back and heal all her sickness and malnutrition

 Waiting  on the street for a hand out

 And so they wait----the older boys

My heart is so grieved that I can't do more each and every day. So many children and our own time and resources are so limited. We must stand together for the orphan and the fatherless. They aren't someone else's children they are all alone. If not our job than who's?

November 30, 2010

Elijah was evaluated at Shriner's Hospital in Salt Lake City in November.  They took x-rays of his entire body excluding his head.  Their findings were that his leg and foot do not need surgery at this time.  He needs to continue wearing his AFO on his leg and foot.  His spine does have a curve, but it is not due to his leg length difference.  He will need to have this evaluated yearly.  His left hand has weakness problems due to his stroke, but they will move his tendon in his thumb to increase his ability to grasp at things.  Hopefully this will happen in January in Salt Lake City.  Not a huge surgery considering he had one of the biggest a couple of years ago.  A cranioplasty with staples from ear to ear and an additional 11 staples while a wake.   He is very nervous at Dr. appointments considering all the appointments in the last 2 years.  Yesterday we went to Abilities Unlimited in Cherry Creek for a new AFO fitting.  This will help him to not have foot drop and to be able  to run better.  They are also lifting his arch with the AFO to support him better so his foot doesn't tire as easily.  When ever we venture to Denver we must visit our favorite restaurant in the entire world CAFE SKY where they have wonderful Korean food.  Kim chi is even growing on me, the more you eat it the better it is.  Elijah ate the largest bowl of soup that has egg, meat, sliced rice wedges, dumplings, leeks, sea weed, and many other yummy ingredients.  So after  our feast we went to our favorite market Hmart the Asian grocery. Here are just a few of the treats that we brought home.                                                               

Wonderful Asian Pears (tastes like a pear and apple  in one)

 Yummy short grain sticky rice

 Asian jelly,cucumbers, Korean soy sauce, and Elijah's favorite Lychee fruit

We are so thankful for the diversity our Asian son brings to our family.

The boy that loves to sing and makes us so proud to watch him and see him thrive.  I am so  thankful that he has so many opportunities available to him.  Not just a child with a disability in a country without a future any more.  He will grow up to do great things.