Saturday, December 26, 2009

“All I Really Want for Christmas”

This year is different for so many children and families. Steven Curtis Chapman puts the heart of the orphan in this song from his 2005 Christmas cd.

"All I Really Want for Christmas"
by Steven Curtis Chapman (2005 Sparrow Records, EMI CMG)
Well, I don't know if you remember me or not
I'm one of the kids they brought in from the home
I was the red-haired boy in an old, green flannel shirt
You may not have seen me, I was standing off alone

I didn't come and talk to you 'cause that's never worked before
And you'll probably never see this letter, anyway
But just in case there's something you can do to help me out
I'll ask you one more time

All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose, shoulders to ride on if I win
There's so much I could ask for, but there's just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family

Well, I guess I should go ahead and tell you now
If it's really true about that list you have
Somehow I always seem to end up in a fight
But I'm really trying hard not to be bad

But maybe if I had a brother or a dad to wrestle with
Maybe they could teach me how to get along
And from everything I've heard, it sounds like the greatest gift on earth
Would be a mom

All I want for Christmas is someone who'll be here
To sing me happy birthday for the next 100 years
And It's okay if they're not perfect or even if they're a little broken
That's alright, 'Cause so am I

Well, I guess I should go, it's almost time for bed
Maybe next time I write you I'll be at home

`Cause all I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in
Tell me I'll never be alone, someone whose love will never end
Of all that I could ask for, well, there's just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Pause…And Give This Christmas Away

Today Stonecreek Church paused intentionally to give Christmas away. If only we would look for opportunities to give Christmas away on a daily basis…wow…what a different world we would live in.

Check out the stories of lives changed as Stonecreek Paused. Click here

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Trip #3 – The Final Journey – Day 3-4

Tuesday morning we slept in a little, grabbed some breakfast at the hotel breakfast buffet (5 min before it closed). After breakfast we loaded into our little tin can and made the trek to Liepaja. Once we arrived there we decided to tour the city a bit so that Kristen could see the city and the places that we had talked so much about. The children at the orphanage were not out of school yet so our timing was good. As we passed the outside market we decided to stop and take in the sights and smells one more time. I love the market and all that it offers. We walked through the inside area and then headed to the open air areas to see the fruits, vegetables and flowers that were being offered. As we were nearly finished, Aleks was grabbed from behind by someone. As he was spun around we all realized that it was his Great Aunt who we had visited during our stay in August. Aleks was stunned…as were Kristen and I. She was talking a mile a minute and Aleks just turned red with a look of flight in his eyes. After a couple of minutes she began to insist we come to her home but we explained we were headed to an appointment at the orphanage. We heard how she lost our address and that her sons could not find us on the internet. (protection?) I gave her my business card and we left to finish driving around the city and head to the orphanage. Once we arrived at the orphanage we found that Ginta, Liga and the boys had been waiting for us both Monday and Tuesday.

While at the orphanage we were welcomed with fresh mint tea and cookies. The hospitality of Ginta and Liga is always over the top. They are wonderful people. As we sat together and shared the boys arrived back from school one by one. It was a great reunion for the boys. There are only 5 boys left in the group in which Aleks used to be a part of. The entire orphanage is down to 40 plus children from the nearly 90 children that were there in August. Evidently the court has stopped removing children from their parents no matter what the situation. So as more children are adopted, granted back to their parents or put into foster care the numbers are shrinking in the orphanage. After a few hours we finished our day in Liepaja with dinner at Klondike with Ginta like old times (back in August). We then loaded back up in our tin can and headed to Riga. Neither Kristen or Aleks saw the Liepaja city border as we left…they were both fast asleep. The drive back to Riga was clouded with dense fog, wet snow and nuisance rain. Once back at the hotel the kids were awake and I was exhausted…but we laughed ourselves to sleep as we talked about the day.

Wednesday started with another great breakfast buffet…then a quick nap. About 12:30, Daina and Edgars picked us up and we headed to the passport office to pick up Aleks’ new passport with his new name – Aleksejs Zachary Tuttle. From there we went to the Embassy doctor once more so that she could complete the paperwork with his new passport information. Once we received this sealed envelope we could go the US Embassy to present all of the paperwork for Aleks’ new VIsa. The people at the US Embassy in Riga are wonderful and very friendly people – well those inside the Embassy. Those who are outside as security have a job to be polite but not friendly as a priority. Our entire visit at the Embassy took about an hour and resulted in our Visa application being approved! Now it was time to celebrate!

Aleks, Kristen and I walked down to old Riga to just take in the sites and explore a bit. We found most of the vendors, who were in the park during our visit in August, had moved into old Riga. It was fun as we tried new foods and saw the wonderful handiwork of many traditional Latvian crafters. I think we could fill a suitcase with the goods if we had the money to support the shopping spree. We finally decided to find a place to eat and found a great little steak house where we enjoyed a great meal to celebrate. As we walked back to the hotel, Kristen learned two things. First she learned why everyone walks so fast in Riga….TO STAY WARM. Second she found out that walking that fast everywhere is how so many stay so skinny here. All in all…a good day!

Thank you Father for protecting and preparing our way. Thank you for protecting Aleks as he grew…and bringing him into our family at just the right time. Bless our family, cover us in Your love and may we shine Your light to those around us.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Trip #3 – The Final Journey – Day 1-2

This is not our final journey to Latvia…but it is the last trip for Aleks’ adoption. For this journey, Kristen our oldest daughter – and Aleks’ older sister, came with Aleks and I. Our flight over was pretty uneventful. We got the three middle seats in the VERY last row of the plane for our flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt. I slept most of the trip while the kids watched a couple of Disney movies. We arrived in Frankfurt air space about an hour early which required us to circle a few times before landing. Once inside Frankfurt airport we headed to our connecting flight but had to go through the transfer checkpoint. Here they asked for proof and reason why Aleks was traveling with us. Thankfully I brought every document with me “just in case”. This was an unusual request but went well once I produced the court papers. (Note to those traveling for trip #2 and #3 – take your paperwork with you though you aren’t supposed to need it) Our flight from Frankfurt to Riga was an old plane with no entertainment systems in the plane…so I slept again. We landed about 45 min late.

Our hotel is very nice and was one of the cheapest in the city. We can recommend the Europa Royal Hotel in Riga. Good rates, nice rooms, free breakfast buffet that is a really nice spread. The hotel is also a short walk from the US Embassy and passport office. There is most anything within a few blocks of the hotel.

Monday was the day to visit the Embassy certified doctor and then head to the passport office. On the way to the doctors office we were informed of a few “new” items from Aleks past. Not good stuff but it is merely shadows of his old life, stuff that can’t change our love for him. This whole thing messed with Aleks head and heart…but I quietly reassured him that nothing will ever change our love for him…nothing. Once we arrived at the doctor the exam went pretty well…except that Aleks had to get three shots. Found out that he has never had chicken pox nor had he ever been immunized for it. Once we completed everything we headed to the passport office.

Once at the passport office we waited in a packed room for our number to be called. The office was filled with all types of interesting people all looking to get passports to leave and visit other countries. Once our number was called we met with a clerk who informed us that the court in Liepaja had not entered the adoption decree and information into the computer system. Fortunately Daina had certified copies of everything and was able to talk them into entering the information here at the passport office in Riga. This required that we leave for a few hours and come back after 2:00 in the afternoon. Daina had other meetings planned so she dropped us off at the hotel and we wandered around the city for a few hours. Lunch at “little” Lido, coffee and hot cocoa at Coffee Nation then back to the passport office. Once we arrived back at the passport office we found that the internet was down…and required for us to complete the application. We waited….finally things were back working and we completed everything,..without a translator. I wrote a sentence in Latvian that said I understand everything on the documents. Hmm…ok.

After we finished our official business we headed to the airport to pick up a little rental car so we could go to Liepaja on Tuesday. Once again, interesting since we were picked up at the airport for a car that was supposed to be there. We took about a 5 minute ride to where the rental car place actually was. I had to be a bit pushy to get them to fix the broken tail light on the car…and then to give me the GPS that I had also paid for. After it was all said and done…we headed to the hotel and called it a day.