Today in court

Today was a good day. We know that in all things, God is working for the good of His people. We remember this each time we walk away from the courts without our adoption orders. Today was by far the most encouraging of all of our court appearances-- including last week!

Today the judge heard all of the information on Sundi. The primary focus was ensuring that she truly has no known family, and understanding the process of how this was verified. This was really good; because confirming “adoptibility” is the most important thing for each child. Our lawyer also spent a lot of time going through the details of Sundi’s medical history. No legal issues or concerns about our motives for adoption were raised. We feel very upbeat about our chances for a positive ruling next week.

Therefore, thank you for your prayers over the past few weeks, that through the current American couples, a trust can be built that relieves the apprehensions the court holds about releasing their children to foreign families. We believe this is starting to happen! And please keep the prayers coming for one more week! We continue to have confidence that the judge sincerely wants what is best for the kids. We ask that you continue to hold him up in prayer as he reviews our documents and makes a final decision for both Sundi and Damon next Friday.

Today is the LAST day to add your name to the petition to keep Vietnamese adoptions from closing. If you have 1 minute (that’s all it takes), please send an email to advocate@jcics.org. My email just said the following:

My name is Jeromy Smith from Columbia, Maryland. This email is to express my support of "A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam". Please add my name to the petition being submitted next week. Thank you.

Since our parental information was heard from beginning to the end last week AND the information about both our kids has been heard for the first time, we are having a milestone “mini-celebration” tonight. And we'll share some fun pics. We are hoping for an all-out bash next week!!!!

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Pastor Samuel was with us in court today to support us.

Sundi ran into one of her old age-mate from Happy Life Children's Home in court today, also being adopted. They hit it off right away.

And a couple final shots of the beautiful Smith girls!

Hope for Tomorrow

Tomorrow we are listed twice-- Damon's matter is listed first, and Sundi's is listed seventh. So, we'll be starting at 9am and probably ending sometime in the early afternoon.

We've had several conversations with family and friends this week who have said "Usually the day before your court date, I do this or that." It's funny that there is enough of a history to be able to say "usually, before your court date....". We usually enter each court date with a hope that it will be the last, and tomorrow is no different. But we also know that with each court date God has a plan-- and tomorrow is no different.

We want to re-iterate what a blessing it is to be the current parents of Sundi and Damon. And we wanted to say this ahead of our "success" so that we won't be accused of "selective retention"! We have no doubt that, if we receive a positive ruling, our kids will be far better off in our family than in the best orphanage on the planet. We are equally as confident that we will be far better off for having the privilege of having them as our son and daughter.

Please do not applaud us for our "patience" or "diligence" as we have earnestly sought to bring these adoption proceedings to a close. We are only doing what any of you would be doing in the same situation if it were your kids. Plus we're really not as patient as we sound! Even more importantly, please do not write off adoption as "impossible" based on the drama tied to our adoption. What needed to happen for us during the past year-- especially the last two months-- was impossible, but God made it happen.

Please rest assure that we are not normal. (Please stop vigorously shaking your head in agreement!) I mean, our situation is not normal. Besides, we've heard adoption is less painful than bearing children!

If adoption or foster care is something that you are seriously considering for your future, it is our prayer that our experience will be an encouragement rather than a deterrent. We've had several friends say "I don't have the strength to do what you've done", which makes us sad. First, it isn't true-- people have an incredible capacity for underestimating themselves and their God. Second, there are now more logistical resources and support than ever available. We just need to ask for help.

Would we have preferred an easier road? Absolutely. (Sorry to disappoint anyone fooled into thinking that we have some special spiritual gift.) I often think of the cheesy VISA commercials that show prices for random things, then have some sort of a warm-fuzzy picture at the end. Of course, the last scene is always labeled PRICELESS. But that really is what we feel when we look at our kids; they are a priceless blessing.

"I love you Sundi."
"No, no, no...I love YOU!"

"I love you Damon."
"Nooooo.......I wuv ew!"

We wouldn't trade it for anything.

PS-- Sorry about the recent lack of pics. We promise if we get our orders there will be pictures as well as words of joy!

Vietnam orphan crisis

Kim and I recently learned that the U.S. has expressed serious concerns about corruptive practices associated with adoptions between the U.S. and Vietnam. In response to these concerns, the Department of State will allow the functional closure of adoptions on September 1, 2008 and thereby impact one of the most basic of children’s rights in Vietnam: the right to a safe, permanent and loving family. We know our hearts would be breaking if this same announcement was made about Kenya. Given the outpouring of support that we were so blessed to receive, we feel compelled to share this with you on behalf of Vietnam’s children. And helping here is much simpler and quicker than helping Sundi and Damon has been!

We hate corruption, and fully agree that it should be aggressively rooted out wherever it rears its ugly head—especially in matters pertaining to children. Our government is taking a bold stand against corruption, for which we applaud them. However, we believe the best response to this crisis is to relentlessly fight to end corruption and prosecute violators, not to end a child’s right to a family.

People often view adoptions “only” in terms of the adopted children themselves—even though the value of each and every child is beyond pounds, dollars, or shillings. However, on top of the blessing of family, adoptive parents are very supportive of social services such as family preservation and counseling. Ending adoptions also cuts off many humanitarian services such as educational sponsorships, clean water programs and many health related initiatives. Many of these programs attack the root causes of what makes kids orphans to begin with. In other words, the net impact is that the more orphaned kids that are adopted now, the fewer the vulnerable children who will be orphaned five years from now. The ultimate goal, of course, is that eventually there will be no more orphans to adopt. Until then, there is a lot of work to do.

To end adoptions because corruption exists is the logical equivalent of ending all college sports because some coaches cheat, getting rid of our legal system because some judges or lawyers are unethical, or banning all music because some artists use their entertainment platform irresponsibly. I doubt a petition to ban all sports nationwide due to recruiting violations would be taken seriously; instead, the violators would face stiff consequences Case in point. My beloved U of Michigan basketball team hasn’t been in the March Madness tournament since the mid-1990’s, stemming from the recruiting violations related to the “Fab Five”. College basketball has continued, and we have (gulp) gotten what we deserved. Now enough about my Wolverines before I start getting emotional!

Each incident where corruption is encountered is an opportunity to re-affirm where our true priorities lie—and the best course of action, whenever possible, is to prosecute corruption and replace the violators with those altruistically committed to the cause of children. Yes, this is MUCH easier said than done—but isn’t this the case with most things that are worth fighting for? If you are willing to help, below are a couple simple things that can be done within the next week to help Vietnamese orphans.

1. Send an email in support of A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam to advocate@jcics.org. Must be sent no later than this Friday, May 30th. Your email will be included in a petition to Congress.

2. On June 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, please contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators and ask them to support A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam. Emails are good, calls are great, both together are awesome!

As always, please be very respectful. Remember that our government is not the “enemy”, and neither is the government of Vietnam. There are people in both governments who have made valiant efforts to fight corruption. Our government is in an extremely tough situation, with no easy answers. We don’t envy them one bit. But most importantly, we don’t want orphaned children to miss out on families because of the unethical behavior of adults.

For more info, you can read A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam at www.jcics.org. You can also call the Congressional Coalition for Adoption Institute at 202-544-8500 or Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) at 703-535-8045 for more information. If you want the full email we received from JCICS, please let us know and we’ll get it to you.

Taking a sick day

We had a great time up-country. In particular, Sundi and Damon were fascinated by all of the freedom and open space. Unfortunately, we all got even sicker so we mostly rested yesterday. And I moved the computer and my "home office" to 5 feet from the bathroom.

Sorry. Kim will probably delete that later when she reads the blog!

Countdown is 3 days to our 13th scheduled court date.....but hakuna matata, we are not superstitious!

up country visit

We are heading to a rural area for the weekend and will be offline. Thanks for your continued support. Please continue to keep the Chapman family in your thoughts and prayers.

We know that in all things, God is working for the good of His people. We want to keep that in mind each time we walk away from the courts without our orders for adoption. Today was the most encouraging of all of our court appearances. The judge heard all of the information on Jeromy and I as well as the case for Damon. He was fair, thorough, asked many questions as to the care and safety of the children. We appreciated his genuine concern and listening ear as he forged through the multiple facets of our adoption. In the end, after a lengthy hearing, he decided to suspend judgment until next week when he will hear Sundi’s information. While we are disappointed to a degree that we are not finished, we are thankful for the progress that has been made today. We ask that you hold up the judge this week in prayer as he reviews our documents and make a final decision for Damon’s judgment.

While we know that our case has caused a lot of frustration both in Kenya and the United States, I would reiterate, that we all keep in mind that the valuable lives of two Kenyan children are hanging in the balance. And while it has been a difficult road for us as potential adoptive parents, we cannot help but appreciate the care and concern that is taken to ensure that these children are placed in a home that all parties feel is in the best interest of the child. Although we have had only short interactions with this judge before today, and do not know him personally, there is no doubt in my mind that the judge truly cares that these children are safe and live a good life. So, we continue to ask for your prayers that through us and other American couples, a trust can be built that relieves the apprehensions the court holds about releasing their children to foreign families.

Mama S

Prayer for the Chapmans

Tonight our thoughts are with the family of Steven Curtis Chapman, who tragically lost his daughter Maria Sue in a car accident yesterday. She was 5. Everything we have experienced in the past two months pales in comparison to what the Chapman family is going through right now. It’s just hard to imagine.

Below is the link to the news story, from their website
http://members.shaohannahshope.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6259

Please let us pay a quick tribute. I don’t think we ever told the story of how the Chapman family was an important link in the chain that netted the “breakthrough” letter from a US Senator. Quick background. After bringing home the first of their 3 adopted daughters many years ago, the Chapmans founded Shaohannah’s Hope, an organization whose goal is “mobilizing the body of Christ to care for orphans”. Shaohannah’s Hope has become an invaluable resource in promoting domestic and foreign adoptions, providing all sorts of logistic and financial support.

What does this have to do with Sundi and Damon? On April 22^nd, the day after we put our plea out for help, our friend in Chicago contacted Shaohannah’s Hope, who immediately got to work. They looped in the CCAI (Congressional Adoption Coalition), along with tying in the Mvule Project and the Kibo Group. These groups engaged the office of US Senator Mary Landrieu, who is a big adoptive advocate that we had never heard of before. Landrieu’s office worked with our local congressional office to quickly approve an intricate letter. The letter—which addressed ALL of the court’s concerns- miraculously showed up in our inbox late in the evening of April 23^rd.

Perhaps another path to the same destination would have opened without the Chapmans or Shaohannah’s Hope, but we may never know. What we do know is that this letter helped save our adoption, and that we owe an enormous debt of grateful to this special family from Nashville that we have never met. Our heartfelt condolences go out to them. Please join us in praying for the Chapman family.

Less than 2 days to go

Thanks for continuing to send the emails and make the posts. There have been some fun surprises! It is also cool to hear that several of you got plugged into our blog because of your mutual interest in adopting kids that otherwise might not find a family.

Mama Sundi had a fun and productive day in Soweto today. The kids are making good progress! Mama Sundi is planning to blog tomorrow. A lot is happening, but we need to crash tonight. All 4 of us are battling colds at this point.

Thanks for your prayers that we can establish TRUST with the courts.

We are really looking forward to Friday.

I Dream of Elmo

Not sure how the Elmo card from Bibi and Babu ended up in Damon’s bed, but it made for a cute picture! Every night when we put the kids to bed we are grateful to be the parents of such amazing kids. And that no matter how stressful the current situation is, these are special moments that we will always treasure as our kids grow big enough to kick our butts. Damon won't always think that every animal other than his stuffed monkey is called "Elmo". And we'll probably miss it.

Many have asked what the news from a week ago meant, re: our American friends whose adoption was completed successfully. They had only the standard required documentation from US-CIS, which is the same documentation that we started with in July 2007. So, we are hoping that all the legal technicalities pertaining to US adoptions can be resolved pursuant to our matter. If this happens, then future adoptive parents shouldn’t need to jump through unexpected hoops at the last minute. This will free future adoptive parents to focus on the needs of their kids-- giving them the medical, social, and educational attention that they require. We are very optimistic that this young international program is turning a corner, and if this happens, then the kids will be the beneficiaries!

There are two primary differences between us and Donna. First is that we are younger, and second is that we don’t have any previous children. As you know, these are the root concerns initially expressed. So, we need to find ways to build TRUST. Not only trust in the courtroom; it is imperative that we find ways to continue building trust with the Kenyan government long after we return to America. More on that later…maybe some of you have ideas to help us build trust? Please share if you do.

Thanks for all of the emails and comments letting us know who you are and where you are from. It was neat to read some personal stories about how you got connected with our kids and where you are on your own life’s journey. We are saving all of this info, and it will be cool to give it to our kids some day! If you haven’t sent us an email or a comment yet (per Saturday’s blog), we would be grateful if you have a moment to do so. It is Tuesday morning; countdown to the hearing is now 3 days! Asante sana.

A strange favor to ask

As we've spent a lot of time waiting, especially during the last four months since we first set foot in court, we've drawn strength from encouraging comments by so many people-- many of whom we have never met. As we prepare for what will hopefully be our last court date, we want to take a quick "snapshot" in time to have for our kids when they are much older.

Could you please do us a favor? If you have helped our kids by making phone calls, sending emails, or just sending prayers, could you please post your name and where you are from to the blog OR send a quick email to leveragesynergies-at-gmail*dot-com.

Obviously our goal as parents is to make our kids feel as loved as possible. If our kids struggle later in life with identity or purpose, maybe it will help to know how many people cared about them during a very difficult time. And hopefully, knowing how much they are loved will help nurture an inner desire to "give back".

Asante sana,
Jeromy

Happy Birthday!

Just want to wish my brother Brian a happy 35th birthday. Man, you are getting up there; you make me feel young. Well not really, but it seemed like the proper insult to blog. On the bright side, at least you still have all of your hair! Wish I was there to show you the time-honored Kenya ritual we learned-- that of dumping large amounts of water on the "birthday kid". I think we should start that tradition in America. In fact, if you know Brian and are reading this blog right now.....

Friends and family-- Sorry we have been silent the last two days-- things have just been crazy. More pics and info coming very soon. Including my first birthday with the kids-- yeah!

Countdown 7 days to the next hearing. Actually, it's 2 am now....so make that 6 days! Thanks for your support.

Brief Update

Today was busy but drama-free. Baba Sundi is busy simplifying and streamlining everything to get ready for May 23rd, along with other busy work. Mama Sundi is back to intense home-schooling. Both kids have learned a ton. Sundi is getting very good with numbers, and Damon now knows what sounds all of the letters in the alphabet make! They have no idea how lucky they are to have such a good teacher!

Sundi's speech continues to improve, although it will take a lot of time to fully recover from 4 years of comparative silence coupled with muffled sounds. Getting her the new hearing aid she needs and then getting her into auditory therapy (as opposed to speech therapy) will be extremely helpful. Unfortunately, to the best of our knowledge there are currently no auditory therapists in Kenya. We will need to find one very quickly as soon as we come home; if anyone knows a good auditory therapist, please let us know.

Many of you have asked about what the successful court date last Friday means. We'll take a stab at answering that one tomorrow. But in short, we believe it is great news for our family. 9 days to go....thanks for all of your support.

Cool second grade stories

During orientation at the beginning of the school year, my Mom put out pictures of her two new grandchildren. Since that first week, Mom’s second grade class has been very excited about our adoption, and they regularly ask for updates. All of her kids can find Kenya on a world map, which is more than a lot of adults in America can say! They even had “Kenya Day” at school, where they experienced some of the tastes of East Africa…including hot chai!

When my parents got back from visiting us in December, they were not able to buy souvenirs for the kids because of the post-election tension. So, we improvised and gathered all of the coins we had in the house. We had enough for each kid to get a 1, 5, or 10 Kenya shilling coin. And they couldn’t have been more thrilled if we brought back carved animals! If you were hanging out with us in January, you’ll remember that one of the young man asked my Dad if he could give his coin back, so it could be used to feed children at Sundi and Damon’s orphanage. The other kids were stunned. Another young girl proclaimed that when she grew up, she wanted to adopt an orphan too. Yeah, those stories pretty much made our eyes tear up.

Here is another cool story, hot off the press. A few weeks ago, one of the little girls in Mom’s class decided that she wanted a Kenyan sibling, so she insisted that her parents adopt a baby from Kenya. She was very persistent, asking every day. Although the parents aren’t able to adopt , they did some research and decided to sponsor a child through Compassion International (CI), in the Kenya program.

CI is an organization that helps lower-income families around the world (including the US). Among other things, CI enables kids to go to school rather than working outside the home to help make ends meet. It helps give a small but extremely helpful boost to hard-working families. Furthermore, letters are exchanged between both families, which enriches everyone involved through mutual sharing of one another’s cultures. This little second-grader will never be the same; and neither will her new “cousin” in Kenya!

It got me thinking about what the world would be like if we did not learn ourselves out of the compassion and idealism that we often possess as young children-- and “un-learn” as we go along and experience more of the “real world”.

Although we won’t get home in time for Sundi and Damon to visit the class before the end of second grade, the third grade teacher has already given my Mom permission to schedule a visit during the first week of school in the fall. Mama Sundi and the kids will have a good time, and Bibi will be so proud to introduce her new grandkids. And I have a feeling that the “graduating” second graders will look forward to it all summer!

Another celebration !!!!

It has been hard to keep this one bottled up over the weekend. Last Friday our friend Donna (also from America) received her adoption orders for her new son, aged 9! Yeah !!!!! She is a strong woman. She was widowed a few years back, but in spite of her indescribable loss, she decided to follow her heart and expand her family. The result was the incredible blessing of receiving a young man named Bernard into her life. And she will tell you that she will never be the same again after bringing her son home!

We had the privilege of celebrating with Donna and Bernard over Chinese food. And it was some good food, too. Just like a few weeks ago when Pastor Samuel and Pamela picked up their new daughter from Happy Life Children’s Home, we believe there was a party in heaven last Friday. Another child is no longer an orphan!

Please enjoy the pics below. And please tell our other friends that the blog is back in business :-)

Sundi and Bernard were relishing the moment

But Damon and Mama Sundi were just as thrilled!

Bernard decided to take some flashes to commemorate the evening.

It was impossible to fully capture Mama Bernard's joy in a photo, but we tried anyway!

Sadly, after we all gorged ourselves, it was time to go home. The kids reluctantly accepted this fact.

And we posed for one last memory of the evening.


Wait a minute.....Bernard iko wapi? Where is the guest of honor? Sawa, sawa. OK, here he is.

And we posed for one last memory of the evening.


NOT The End !!!!

And we're back....

....sorry about the "technical issues". We haven't blogged since Thursday, so you haven't missed much. Thanks so much for all of the emails and encouragement over the weekend while we were down.

We have some great news to share later tonight, but in the meantime please let other friends know that we are back up and running. It is now 11 days to our next hearing

Thanks for your time!

Thursday update

We had a good time at the Children's Remand Center today. We were very impressed with how well-run the place is, and really enjoyed talking with the kids. Many spoke openly about hopes and plans for the future; no one seemed bitter or angry about their current situation. The kids looked sharp in their school uniforms and carried themselves with pride. It seemed more like a private boarding school than a place where teens and kids are undergoing "rehabilitation". It is very clear that the kids know the "warders" believe in them and their future. Very impressive, all the way around.

We have consulted with a number of different friends and family, and at this time have decided not to ask for more "group help" until our next hearing. We are going to file all of the documentation that we have as of today and see how things go in court. If there are any further paperwork issues during the May 23rd hearing, we have resources willing to help alleviate any remaining confusion concerning US agency roles or US immigration law. And we know that we have your support as well.

The Kenya-America adoption program is still fairly new and some kinks are still being worked out. It was encouraging to hear the Embassy re-affirm their commitment to making the program run as smoothly as possible. We look forward to strengthening the trust between our nations in the years ahead.

In that spirit, an open question to our Kenya-American friends. If you have any ideas about ways that we can deepen the friendship and trust between our countries, particularly in the area of adoption, please let us know. We sincerely hope that when, inshallah, our adoption is complete, we can help build trust rather than tear it down. And we want to pass along your wisdom to future adoptive couples as well.

Thanks so much for your continued support!

Day of Preparation

Happy 16^th birthday to Greg Beasley! Sorry we aren’t there to take you and Isaiah out for all-you-can-eat pizza again this year. Just work on getting your driving learner’s permit before we come home, OK?

Today was a busy day, probably more motion than progress. The morning was spent trying to renew our VISAs. Jeromy spent the afternoon preparing for our meeting with the US Embassy tomorrow. Kim, on the other hand, had a more exciting afternoon! She went to Soweto to spend time at Pastor Samuel’s school. In the past two months the school has grown from 57 to 67 kids, so there are some logistical challenges but the teachers and kids are doing well. Great “problem” to have!!!

Some Important Prayer Requests, if you have a moment:

1. For the family of our friend Charles, who died unexpectedly last week at age 48. His family is preparing for his funeral on Saturday. Charles was an incredibly kind, hardworking man who was very good to Sundi and Damon. He even left his shop one day to come help us look for Sundi’s hearing aid when it was lost. He will be missed badly by family, friends, and everyone associated with Amani ya Juu.
2. That the visit to the “Children’s Prison” tomorrow would go well. Specifically, that these kids will be open to hear that God loves them and can forgive them, no matter what they did. Also, that they will understand that God has a plan for their lives that involves more than prison or a life on the street.
3. That Pastor Samuel will find a strong Administrative Assistant to help him regularly when Kim returns to America.

And in case you were wondering, here is the link to my follow-up dream last night.

<http://theoffutts.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/chickfilacow.jpg>

Possible progress

A huge “thank you” to all of you who are helping us thank Congresswoman Pryce and Senator Landrieu this week. We have so many cool stories to tell our kids when they are older about miracles He did in the 11^th hour!

There were a couple of encouraging leads today, and we want to wait a couple more days to see how they play out before asking for more help else en masse. We consider it an incredible privilege that so many of you have given freely of your time to make phone calls and emails to help our kids, and we want to show our appreciation by making the best possible use of your time.

We’ll try to post some pictures of the kids’ dedication tomorrow. In the meantime, happy birthday to Aaron Moore!

Thanks for helping make us feel like the most blessed family on the planet. We are so lucky to have your support.

Can U help us say thanks, please?

For those who have not lost interest in our matter yet, we will be boldly requesting a bit more help on Tuesday. This will give us tomorrow to lay some groundwork, and also allow time to put together a more clear and concise explanation of where we currently are.

In the meantime, would you mind helping us with the FUN and IMPORTANT task of saying two new important thank-you’s this week?

1. Thanks to Congresswoman Deborah Pryce in Ohio. You can email her by clicking on http://www.house.gov/pryce/ and clicking on the “Email Deborah” link on the left. For issue, choose “Children”. Please note that Kristin, the lead Legislative Assistant who helped us is a Michigan fan, so I will NOT be converting to the Buckeyes even though this letter came from Columbus.
   
   
2. Thanks to Senator Mary Landrieu in Louisiana for doing the same.
   http://landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm, click on “Contact Me” link. For subject, please choose “Adoption”.

Please just use your own words and be brief. I'll bet it is rare for them to get large volumes of thank-you's for situations like this.

Why are we so grateful to them

Both of these offices wrote us excellent letters clarifying the role and authority of US-CIS. Although neither of these letters fulfills the Attorney General mandate, the fact that two lawmakers took the time to research and write them may make it a lot easier to get the remaining two letters. God willing, their efforts will one day help ensure that this level of documentation (and corresponding stress!) will not be necessary for future American-Kenyan adoptions. In the meantime, we applaud their courage and idealism.

Neither of these offices had anything to gain by helping out non-constituents who are currently living in Kenya, and may never be able to vote for them. Not to mention that they are both Democrats and we are registered Republicans! But they did it anyway. That’s a bold statement about the value of each and every child.

Thanks and good night.

Baba Sundi

God's Interesting Ways

A new judge has been assigned our matter. Today’s decision was that since our case is so complicated, we will essentially be starting over again. Our next hearing will be May 23^rd, but in a way it will be like our first. Which is good.

We are bummed that we won’t be home in time to see Paris, Sean or Keyonia graduate, nor to visit BCS or my Mom’s classroom in Forest Hill. However, although the date itself is a bit discouraging, we walked away feeling more optimistic about what the near future holds.. We’ve come so far in the last three weeks, from almost losing our kids during our 6^th hearing, to essentially getting a fresh start. So we really have so much to be grateful for.

If somebody told us last year that we would be relieved at the prospect of starting our court proceedings all over at the tenth month, we would have told them they were crazy. Then again, if somebody would have told us about all the amazing things that God would do in the midst of this drama, we would have told them they were crazy also!

Please listen to a couple cool things that have happened in the last few weeks:
- Eastern Nazarene College students are planning a fall concert to benefit Happy Life Children’s Home. Not to mention that my cousin Tyler’s friends have stayed up. Maybe they played some X-box while they were at it, but they did stay up to pray! Sounds like there are some I Timothy 4:12 college students coming up through the ranks! Who says all Patriots fans are bad people? :-)

- Mom, Dad, and Becca brought over a bunch of Bibles and other materials designed specifically for Pastor’s Caleb’s prison ministry, to give prisoners hope of a fresh start and a better life.Who would have known that will they were in Kenya, there would be prison riots and warder/warden strikes. These materials could not possibly have come at a more critical time.

- Just today we met over the phone a woman with two adopted children who appear to be making headway in pursuing some new adoption-friendly legislation. How cool would it be to provide legal and/or administrative support to the national Congressional Adoption coalition and their partners, who were life-savers last week? (Shameless plug—If we give you more info next week, will you write your legislators and encourage them to prioritize orphan-related legislation? Please? J ) This was so exciting, I almost broke into a dance in the middle of downtown Nairobi!

- In addition to the best group of family and friends in the history of the world advocating out for us, several people who have never even met us continue working late nights to try to keep our family intact. Names like Sarada, Lauren, Kristin, Mark and numerous others will forever be etched in our memory as reminders of His love for us during these stormy days.

So people prayed for God’s will to be done. In spite of the fact we have not secured those critical legal papers that we covet so deeply, evidence indicates that God’s will is still being done. Thanks so much for not losing interest in our kids after we didn’t get our orders last week. As Mama Sundi often reminds me between frustrated grunts, things are so much better than three weeks ago. Hakuna kama wewe, Baba!

Also my brother Brian’s 35^th birthday. Man, that guy is getting up there.

Talk to you this weekend.

The Final Hours (updated 11:30am EST)

1. IMPORTANT CHANGE: Please place one final call to the White House, through the Switchboard (not the Comment line). Number is 202-456-1414. Call and ask for "Mr. Bolten, please" (The Chief of Staff is Joshua Bolten). Try to sound important-- you are advocating for orphans, so you are!. Or, if you know other names of cabinet members, ask for them. You just need to give your name, where you are from, and your organization. You can either say "none" or "Operation Sundi's Gift". You can use the email text below.

2. Final barrage of emails or faxes. Please copy and paste the following addresses into your email, then use the text below. Fax is 202-456-2461.

first.lady@whitehouse.gov, comments@whitehouse.gov, vice_president@whitehouse.gov, askdoj@doj.gov

Note: In case there is a spam rule set up on us, adding your name in the subject line and body text gives it a better chance to get through. At least for the first hour. If you work for the US government and are secretly reading this blog, please don’t auto-archive us. We promise to leave you alone soon!

Subject: From (Your Name): Last day for Kenya adoption

Tonight is the deadline for the Smith’s to receive written confirmation that they are approved to adopt 2 children from Kenya, as per US-CIS receipt # BAL-07-006-50039. If the requested letters can’t get done in time, we respectfully request that President Bush or Dr. Rice please call Kenya to assure those handling adoption matters that the Smiths have received approval for adoption via the proper authorities. You can call Jeromy at 011-254-710-347-499 with any questions. THANK YOU so much for your time throughout the past 10 days.

Best regards,

Your Name.

3. Pray that (ouch, shudder) God’s will be done in court tomorrow. We sure as heck don’t feel like praying this particular prayer, so maybe you can do it for us!

Thank you, infinity to the infinity power.