December 1, 2004

Caring for and serving families in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama,  Mississippi,
Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana 

I just wanted to say a big thank you to you and Children's Hope for guiding us through our adoption journey.  We could not have done it alone.  Our daughter is perfect, she fits with our family as if she was born to us, and we all are in love with her!  Our two coordinators were superb.  They had us to all of our appointments before the other agencies so we had very little time spent waiting in line, and we actually got our visas a day earlier than originally planned!  She was great!  Both coordinators were so kind, and truly seemed joyous for all of us.  Thank you again for all you did.  I look forward to continuing working with you through the post placement process.

We went to the Steven Curtis Chapman concert in El Paso last Thursday and were so blessed!  God set up an opportunity for us to meet him and tell him the story and say THANK YOU.  He met Chloe and was so touched by the story that he had tears in his eyes.  We were so impressed by his humility and how real he is.  We received a grant from Shaohannah's Hope and they asked us to do an on camera interview for Shaohannah's Hope.  We did that last Thursday before the concert and then we were able to meet him and spend a good amount of time talking.  Just an amazing ending to Chloe's story and God is so good to let us tell our story to the family that told their story to us in the beginning.  Isn't it neat how God even does the details that are just for fun!

Well, hope you got the picture of our little man!!! He is so sweet!! Right now he is a little over 4 months old.  He is small by U.S. standards, as he only weighs 9 lbs.  But he is healthy so that’s the main thing.....plus he's just soooooo cute!!!  We arrived in Monteria about 9 and meet our translator.  She is wonderful!  We received our son Zeb.  He is perfect in every way.  He has smiled from the first time we saw him.

Samuel Roman Van Hook arrived in the United States from Astrakhan, Russia on September 30, 2004 and turned two the next day.  He went to Chuck E. Cheese on his birthday (just like a real American!!) to celebrate with his parents, his two cousins and his four aunts and uncles.  He had a blast and was somewhat overwhelmed by it all.  Now, several weeks later, Sam is still experiencing something new each day.  He is adjusting well, learning to understand and speak English and learning to appreciate more varieties of food.  His very favorite is flavored rice with hotdogs!  Sam also loves yogurt of any flavor.  He adores the Baby Einstein DVD "Baby Neptune." We love him so and he is a joy to have in our family. He has a GREAT sense of humor and always makes us laugh.  Kenneth and I are so blessed to have him in our lives.

Amelia loves her big brother!  He can get her chuckling hard without even trying. It's pretty funny. Besides her brother, Amelia loves dolls and balls and peek-a-boo, and she especially loves to dance. She even tries to sing.  She has only been in our lives for about 4 months, but I can't remember when she wasn't here! Austen even said he doesn't remember what life was like "Before Amelia!"

Our son Sergie has been home for almost a year now and I just can’t believe how much our lives have been blessed by him.  He has come such a long way from the serious, temperamental little guy we first met in the Kemerovo orphanage where he has lived the first 17 months of his life.  When we were introduced to him as his “mama and papa” on that first trip, he stuck out his lip and broke down sobbing “Nyet, Nyet.” He was very happy and content when in the arms of his caregivers, but when placed in our arms, he showed obvious displeasure.  Through all the tears and fits, Sergei had still stolen my heart.  I saw so much love in the way the caregivers treated him and I knew I couldn’t wait to get him home and love him like that, too.  He has proven to be such a wonderful little toddler who loves to be loved and gives so much love back.  I can honestly say Sergie has met me with a smile EVERY morning for the past 6 months or longer.  He calls me into his room when he wakes and sweetly smiles with a “Good Morning, Mommy,” that melts my heart and prepares me for a bright day.  I would love to say he is a momma’s boy, but he is most definitely a daddy’s boy and sister’s boy, too.  He follows Olivia around everywhere she goes and she treats him like a little spoiled prince.  When Ken comes home from work, I am sure that everyone in our neighborhood hears him being greeted happily by Sergie shouting “Daddy’s Home!”  He has brought such a joy to each of our lives.

Sergie has adjusted much better and quicker than I ever imagined.  When we brought him home, we kept him close to our sides for a month before we shared him with many people, hoping our bond would become stronger and easier.  The first few months, I rocked him every night and put our cheeks together while we listened to music.  After about 2 minutes he was ready to sleep and cried for the crib.  Little by little, he began to like it more and more and now I have to tear him off of me to put him in the crib.  He loves the cheek to cheek and kisses all over me with “I love yous.”  He loves to go to church and be around other people, but when we pick him up, everyone around smiles at his enthusiasm to see us.  It has been fun to see his sentences going from “mama, church, read bible, FUN!” to “Mama, we read, I love church, FUN!”

He blesses everyone he comes in contact with and is the smartest little guy I have ever met at this age (but I am a little prejudiced, I must admit.)  He loves the most difficult puzzles and would do them all day long if we would allow, and is quite the little artist always coloring in the lines.  He says yes mama and sir with ease, and can even make his own sandwich.  He is still very independent, as he was in the orphanage, but smiles when mama comes to help.  He just amazes us everyday with all he accomplishes and it is so much fun to be part of his day!

As we approach the one year anniversary of Sergie’s adoption, I am very sentimental reflecting on the journey that led us to him.  I remember God speaking to our hearts and leading us to Russia where we knew we had a son waiting.  I recall our family and friends being so supportive, although not quite understanding why we would choose adoption when we could birth another child.  I remember eagerly anticipating our first meeting with our son, just as I had with my daughter.  I remember also being so filled with joy and emotion when leaving the orphanage with my son, much the same way I felt when I left the hospital with my daughter.  I was a little scared not knowing what to expect with a new child, but ready to get home and jump into this adventure God had in store for our family.

Olivia says it best when she says from her 5 year old heart the popular adoption sentence so many of us know, “Mommy, I grew in your tummy, but Sergie grew in our hearts.  He is our chosen child.”  We chose both our children, just as Sergei’s biological mother chose to give him life.  They just came into our hearts in different ways.  I wish she could know how much we love him and know what a loving, smart, funny preschooler he has turned into this wonderful son.

Today is a special day for our family.  Two years ago on November 11, 2001, we took our daughter, Alla, out of the orphanage in Chelyabinsk, Russia.  I will never forget that day.  Her caretakers handed her to me naked and crying.  My first duty as a mother was to get her dressed in her new clothes.   I managed to do it rather inexpertly.  Then we had to get her into her new snowsuit, so we could take her out of the orphanage.  What a struggle!  Alla’s caretakers had to help us with that one.  They must have thought her new parents were pretty inept.

In the car back to the Hotel, I held on to her tight and watched her reactions to the new world outside of the orphanage.  She almost immediately became a different child.  She played in front of the mirrors in our hotel room watching herself with delight.  She was a trooper all the way back to our home in Nashville surviving the trip better than her new parents. 

Today, Alla is a bright, active, beautiful little three year old girl.  She is in every sense of the word our daughter and we are so thankful to have her in our lives.  She has learned how to walk, run, ride a tricycle and climb on everything.  She has learned to talk.  She loves to sing and listen to music.  She knows her numbers and her alphabet.  She is curious about everything.  We think she will be a gymnast, musician, scientist, actress, and the list goes on and on.  In other words she is thriving!   Sometimes we look at her now and remember the child we met in the orphanage.  What a difference! 

Everyday is an adventure with Alla.  We are so grateful for the blessings she brings to our family.  We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone at Children’s Hope International who helped bring this miracle of a child to us. 

We are doing well. We brought Kira home Aug 31, 2003. She has grown so much in the past year. Needless to say, Kira rules the roost. We won't ever be able to thank CHI enough for bringing this beautiful child into our lives.

 

Here is a picture of Meisi and her big sister, Brenna.  Meisi is doing wonderfully, she now has 6 teeth and can walk across the room. She babbles like a pro.

Just wanted to send a few pictures of Ali so you can see how she is growing.  She has brought so much joy to my life and all who meet her!  She has stolen my heart!  Thank you for such an enriching opportunity!!  She is doing great!

What an amazing year we have had!  It is hard to believe how things have changed in our home and lives since last August! 

On September 21, 2004, we arrived in Nashville with the light of our lives!  Alina Elizabeth, our daughter, is such a blessing.  God definitely had His hand in our process from beginning to end.  The adjustment to being at home as been smooth for all of us.  Alina is happy and in to everything!

We never quite imagined the overwhelming sense of joy and love we would feel hearing her little giggle, seeing her eyes light up when she feels the breeze, or waking to the sounds of her giggles as she turns on her Fisher Price Aquarium! 

Our journey to bring Alina home was incredible.  We are so grateful to CHI for the care and help of the staff here in Nashville, St. Louis, Moscow, and Novosibirsk.  We felt like we were in such great hands every step of the way!  Thank you!  This was an experience of a lifetime.

On a serious note, thank you for all of your help.  We could not have been in any better hands from beginning to end than those of all of you at CHI!  We met many people along the way that made me appreciate CHI all the more!  We are very grateful and enjoying being Alina's parents more than we could have ever imagined.  I am so thankful this is the path God chose for our lives!   The entire experience has been amazing!

Alina is the answer to our prayers and the prayers of many.  We are so fortunate and honored to be her parents!

We are currently able to place special needs children from Vietnam.  If you are interested in learning more about a waiting child, please contact Caroline at Caroline@childrenshopeint.org.

The youngest program for Children's Hope International is continuing to grow. The first two families have now completed their adoption in little over a month in Kazakhstan.

Te read one of the family’s journal, go to http://vaudosinkaz.blogspot.com

What is your dearest wish for this holiday season? Will a nice piece of jewelry add sparkle to your celebration? Will another new sweater make you feel warmer this year? We have some wishes whose fulfillment will definitely warm your heart while brightening the lives of children around the world.

We have the privilege and opportunity this Christmas season to help many orphans and families throughout the world that are in need.  The CHI Foundation has published a small book/pamphlet called the Wish Book.  You can access the wish book on our Foundation website www.chifoundation.org.  The Wish Book lists some of the needs and the exact money amount needed to provide services to meet these children's needs.  As a branch, we are trying to get these books into different churches and schools in our community to raise awareness of the needs of children throughout the world and to raise money to provide services for these children and families.

Please click on the picture to see
 the CHI Foundation digital book

Please take just a few minutes out of your day to think of any families that you may work with or any personal connections you may have (such as your church or children's schools) that you feel may be open and interested to helping us in these efforts.  If you feel that you will be able to share this wish book with individuals in your community, please contact  caroline@childrenshopeint.org or 615-309-3109. 

You can click here to make your gift via credit card right now. 

CHRISTMAS PARTY

Please join us for our annual Christmas celebration on Friday, December 3 from 4-6 pm!  Please feel free to bring a gift to send overseas or participate in the gift giving through the Wish Book!  Santa will come and visit us as well…hope to see you on Friday!!

Please join us for free information meetings:

For more information, please go to http://www.childrenshope.com/southeast/index.htm

Information Meeting, December 7, 2004

Brentwood, TN 6:30-8:30pm

December 3            Christmas Party                           4-6 PM                                     Woodmont Hills, Rm 201

December 10          Parent Education Class                6:30 PM                                   Woodmont Hills, Rm 201

December 11          Dossier Class                               8:30 AM                                   Woodmont Hills, Rm 201

                               Travel Class                                 10:00 -12:00 Noon                   Woodmont Hills, Rm 201

                               Pre-Adoption #1 Class                 12:30-6 PM                              Woodmont Hills, Rm 201

December 13         Home Study Group                       6:30-8:30 PM                          Children’s Hope

December 24-31    Office Closed for Christmas

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!!  This is such a fun time for children, except the children in orphanages who lack not only the daily necessities of life, but especially need a parent!  Please consider the children who wait this year, in your gift giving!  The “Wish Book” is a wonderful way to give to children!  And, there is of course no better gift than to start on your adoption journey!!

We don't want to burden you with a lot of information, but we do want to help you if you are looking for a way to adopt. If not, please let us know and we will regretfully remove your name from our newsletter.   E-mail me at my address below with any question you have.  I would love to hear from you. 

Brenda

Southeastern U.S.
 Brenda Barker, Director
 7003 Chadwick Dr. Suite 350
 Brentwood, TN  37027
 615-309-8109   Fax: 615-309-8483

 Brenda@ChildrensHope.com
                          Also serving the following states: TN, KY, GA, AL, AR, MS, TX and LA