Thai Tuesday!

A face book friend had declared Thai Tuesdays! Lets pray and she explains: 

~~Every other Wednesday morning in Thailand the Thai Adoption Board meets.  The Thai Adoption Board is who we are waiting on to officially approve our children being matched with us.  Once they officially approve our match, called First Approval, we will be two-three months away from traveling to bring our children home.  

The Thai Adoption Board has a lot of things to accomplish at these meetings, one of which is to grant First Approvals.  There are many families who have been matched with children who are waiting on First Approval. A year ago, most families got First Approval about six months after they were matched.  Now, it seems to be taking a year or more for families to get First Approval. ~~

 It has been only a few short months since we were matched (Feels like ages) but why make our boy wait any longer than he has too?

Everyone should eat Thai Food and Pray each Tuesday for Orphans, for family's trying to get orphans and family's who have a newly adopted kid!  

So why not~ Lets do Thai Tuesdays!

Ciao

Shell

Crime or not a Crime

Is it torture to match a family with a child waiting to be adopted, have the family accept and then make the family wait nearly a year before being allowed to pick up their forever kid?   YES

Is it best for the child to make him wait in an orphanage or a foster family for a year after he has been matched?  NO

Adoption is all about the child's best interest! Is it not? 

So is it a crime to allow an orphan to be out of his forever family for a year after they started loving and preparing for him?  YES

I would love your thoughts! 

A rant and food for thought! 

Ciao, 

Shell 

My Thai boy is in foster care

Foster care is a blessing to the waiting mother. (me)
So, how do you show deep gratitude to a woman who has taken care of my baby? Well, how would you thank someone who cared for your sweet child for any time..Holt's guide book say this!

Foster parents’ thoughts and prayers for the children don’t end when the children leave Thailand. They
seek reassurance that you and the child have returned to the U.S. safely and the child is growing and
progressing normally. Due to this, we ask that you send at least 4-6 pictures and a letter within two
weeks after your arrival home. In the letter you will need to thank them for the care of your child. It is
important that you periodically send them letters and pictures as well to let them know how your child is doing. Please send this letter and pictures to us via mail or email, and we will forward them on for you. if you fail to do this it may cause some concern for the foster parents. As mentioned, this has been “their child” for quite some time. By sending letters and pictures this will help to ease the loss they have suffered."

So please remind me of this when we get back from Thailand..when ever that may be?

Ciao
Shell

How to make the wait for your child easier?

There is actually a page in the Guide book on How to make the wait for my child easier.

This is some of the advice it gives:
"Once you accept a particular child (after receiving whatever limited medical information
is available), think of that child as yours, just as if he or she had been born to you. The
agency cannot guarantee that the child will arrive free of problems, any more than an
obstetrician can guarantee that any baby will be born free of birth defects or a difficult
personality. Becoming a parent involves taking these risks."
"Discuss your feelings with your local agency and with those who have adopted. Your
local home study agency, which often is not the agency handling the placement, may be a
good resource for helping you endure the wait. (You may feel freer to vent your anger
and frustration at the process in the presence of a social worker who knows you well and s not an employee of the agency processing your adoption.)"
"Give yourself some enjoyable new projects to take your mind off your worries."

Well, that is about it! I am feeling this is not making my wait easier! Prayer....
So, please pray for us Francos. Tony, ME, Sage, J Bird and P(who just had his b day with out his mother...me). All of us need prayer.

And help me think of a new project! Or help me with one i have been putting off!

Thanks for stopping by.
Ciao
Rochelle

Referral

January 8 2014

Tony and I were sent the referral of a a precious baby boy from Thailand!
Pakhun is his name and he is 11 months old. His Birthday is on February 2.

Our feelings are overwhelming. Joy and elation, caution and the strong determination to make the right choice.  This is nearly the cutest kid we've seen since Sage and Jasper.
We contacted several friends and close family members to pray with us on wisdom and guidance on whether or not to accept this wonderful boy.

We knew we'd want to take several days to really think about him and look his file over.
Friday January 10 2014 We sent in our initial acceptance email to Shana Quick at Holt international.

Ciao
Excited
Rochelle

Funds

We are wrapping up a fun little fundraiser.....

We asked around and got a small chest "(plug in) Deep Freezer donated (Thanks Truitt Family!!!) . Then we asked 8-10 friends to fill it with freezer meals! We sold tickets for 5 dollars per ticket.

I can not say how amazing and fulfilling it is to have friends who would sell tickets for us. Thanks so much to all our amazing friends.  

We are so thankful to say we now have what we need when the time comes for the country fee.

God is providing all our needs! 

God provides all our needs! 

Praise Be to God! 

Ciao, 

Shell

On the hurting child/Adoption

"Unfortunately, hurt children are not always tender plants to be watered. Instead they are often prickly cacti waiting with needles sharp enough to keep parents away. But even a cacti need some water, just as the hurting child needs to experience the attachment cycle- including gratification -if he is to build trust. "
Keck and Kupecky from Parenting the Hurt Child

Please pray that we are able to be calm and not too dramatic with our child from Thailand.
Pray wisdom and guidance from the one with the plan!

We should be getting a new number shortly (ok may be a few weeks)
Pray for wisdom/financial provisions/peace!

Thanks for partnering with us in our adoption!

Trusting in God
Ciao
Shell

Getting real; Reading up

Just started my reading:

Book one...Parenting the hurt child by Keck and Kupecky

*Parenting hurting children requires loving patience and clear expectations for improvement.
*Parenting hurt children if frequently painful.
*Hurt children bring their pain into their new families and share it with much vigor and regularity.
*Parents who did not cause the child's trauma often suffer the consequences of it.
*Family fun should not be contingent upon the child's behavior.
*Parents should expect difficult times, as well as reduction of them.


Just the beginning.

We have so much to learn.
We love our biological children...
We will need tools to train our new children.

Discipline will be trickey..

Ciao,
Shell

Pray some more

Prayer is useful!
Prayer is important!
So, won't you pray for our little one today..Our sweet one in Thailand!
Pray for the referrals...We still have not heard!

Fund Raisers!!
Look for our Garage Sale this weekend!
Look for T~Shirt sales!
Pic's to come..
Look for my coffee..buy it...this will be ongoing fund raising!

Look To God to provide!
We will!


Ciao
Shell

Time To Pray

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

New Living Translation (©2007)
Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

English Standard Version (©2001)
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Jeremiah 33:3

So, lets do this together!

As soon as our Dossier gets to Thailand/As it goes to Thailand............We will go on a waiting list.......

We will need some prayer.

So, lets pray our Great God will have favor on our Dossier! On our Child! On our Current Children!!

His timing, His name glorified!

Proverbs 22:6

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Pray God grants us wisdom to do this with all our children!!

Ciao, 

Shell

The monies

A trusted friend had to be honest with me the other day. 
They mentioned that "If we had to raise monies to bring this kid from Thailand home...we would likely not have enough monies to raise the kid?"
(In the end our friend was thinking out loud and using his thought process and did end up saying..Then they had a change of heart <3, and decided we were doing a good thing and they would like to join us in that endeavor) [So, don't be upset, we're not.]

But, I feel i have something to say....
1. The average~~~ Retirement savings account has around 25,000 ....this is not the rainy day savings ... just retirement. [According to Christian Science Monitor]
2. Sad to say we are a bit like most Americans...But working on it! We are doing all we can to pay off debt/Not acquire more debt/ AND save up for a rainy day.  AND ADOPT with OUT debt!!!
3. We believe God has called us to adopt!!!
4. We Know God will provide every need in to our calling.
5. If we did have the 30,000 sitting in our bank account as extra fun play monies (ahem, for adoption)~~~Who would we need to share in our adoption experience with?  
6. (5 continued) Who, I ask, would we lean on? 
7. (5 continued) Who, might we (okay, God) encourage to think about adopting (through us)?  
8. The Orphan and widow are close to God's heart.
9.  May be, just may be this is an exercise in our Faith? 
10. Will Tony and I be faithful to God when he asked us to do something our bank account said is impossible? 

If i remember right..The Creator of the Universe specializes in the Impossible!!!  I Love that about my Jesus!

We love that you all are wrestling with the (as our 5 year old says "HU~Normous") cost of adopting..not to mention the emotions that go along with it!

Thanks for living life with us!
Thanks for being our community!!
Thanks for praying for our little one in Thailand!!!

Thanks for praying for our family!!!!

We Love You!!

Ciao,
Shell

Hebrews 4:16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Lets laugh together

There are many things that are funny about adopting...

This is random video of people laughing:

Random People Laughing

I'd like to do a short series of blog posts about them..

Lets work through them together....

Monies~  All the questions about monies

Why did you decide to adopt?

What will your kid be like..look like...and me being her or his real mom...dad..ect...

What not to say!

Where do you think we should start???

Thanks

Thank you for each drop of love, prayers, and monies!!!

The marathon month of fund raising to match the fantastic Titus Task Matching Grant is at an end!

We [Ahem, God] did it!!!  to quote a friend...Money is easy for Him!!

Praise the Lord God the Creator of the Earth!!!
Thank you Titus Task!!!!!
Thank you for your heart for the orphan!!!

THANK YOU !!!!!

Big Big News - We Heart The Titus Task... and You!

We are extremely delighted to share the letter below. We love you all and are so grateful for the continued support of our adoption efforts!

Dear Friends of Tony and Rochelle,

The Titus Task is excited to announce that the Franco Family has been chosen to receive a matching grant for their adoption. The Titus Task is a registered 501c3 organization dedicated to pursuing a future for orphans. One of the ways we do that is by raising funds and giving child specific adoption grants to NW Arkansas Families. Since 2009, we have given over $100,000 to 18 families in NW Arkansas.

We would like to ask you, as friends and family of Tony and Rochelle, to help us make a difference in the financial aspect of their adoption. The Titus Task will give one dollar for every dollar that is donated by friends and family up to $2,500, making the total amount to be given $5,000(or more)!

Most of our board members are adoptive parents and we know first hand what a wonderful gift of encouragement it is for the financial burden to be lessened during adoption. Caring for the orphan happens in many different ways - please know that your gift makes a huge impact!

Tony and Rochelle are living out their faith in caring for a child from Thailand. Will you join us in showing love for this family and their child?  We are excited to partner with you as we witness the miracle of adoption and watch as God provides for those He loves so deeply. May He be glorified.

To make a Tax Deductible donation by Paypal please use this link  http://www.thetitustask.com/franco-family.html or mail checks to the address below. Please make donations by May 6, 2013. Thank you for your consideration and generosity!

Warmest Regards,

Mark & Tiffany Hansen
The Titus Task
Adoption Grant Coordinators

www.thetitustask.com
tiffany@thetitustask.com


PO Box 82
Siloam Springs, AR 72761

Check out the...

Titus Task!!!

If you were waiting to give to our adoption then wait no more!
jaunt on over to the Titus Task

http://www.thetitustask.com/franco-family.html

Each dollar your give to our kido (only currently an orphan)
They will match!

Holy Cow!!

Only.....Praise God.....



Ciao
Shell

Do something for me!

You simply must jaunt on over to the Titus task!

Please check them out and one of their new families!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just do it!

http://www.thetitustask.com/franco-family.html

Some amazing people over there with a heart felt story... a God story!

So! check them out!

Ciao

Shell

Joy

Kids bring us joy!
Ours, yours, the ones we will be blessed with!

What brings you Joy?

Nehemiah 8:10

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Pslams 28:7

Also, it would bring me joy to see you doing the movements to the flash mob....
Yes you!
And 100 of your closest friends!  (Dream big eah?)

Lets bring awareness of the orphan today together!

Cioa
Shell

Our Psychological Evaluation!

Our Psychological Evaluation!

We went a few weeks ago to see a guy about our ....Psychological situation....  This is a requirement with our dossier.
We met with a guy and talked with him about who we are and then we took a couple tests.

Then waited!  To see if we were okay?

Thanks Dr. CL

Turns out we are sane and we got a lovely letter from him!

We are so thankful to live in a community that supports adoption, something we believe is close to God's heart!

There are to many kids with no family's.

What are you going to do about it?
Help us make one less.
Support our adoption by participating in our flash mob!
Tell a friend.
Say a prayer.  For our kido in Thailand!  For us! For Sage and Jasper


So now~ on to the Arkansas State Govener's office for Authentication...

Ciao
Shell

Franco Flash Mob?

So,
We are not above doing a dinner and silent auction.  Those things are super valid fund raisers.
But, we want to think out side the silence.  I love being a bit loud!
We are gonna do a flash mob! 
We are gonna charge 25 dollars a person to do the flash mob. (ok cap at 50 per family)  ( I hope and pray we get at least 100 people signed up)  
We will have 2 performances....
We are gonna ... Well i cant give everything away!
Can i?  
No.


So, I was thinking it would be great if your group (youth group, choir, marching band, cooking club, missions trip, theatrical group, ... well you get the picture) 

If you live in our town to do it here with us...and if not...do it at your church or your mall.(you must ask the mall/or your church leadership about this)  and we could exchange pic's and video's of this fantastically cool Flash Mob thing
. 
{This is perfect if you live out of town..(ahem..mom) and wanted to participate...mob your church}
So, if you are interested in this email me or message me at the end of this post! OK!!!!


I'll be  making the video and putting it up on YouTube in the next week or 2.

Think of this fun thing as gathering as a family to work toward a goal...learn the dance with friends...be a community with us! Mmmmmm K!

Ciao, 
Shell

More Hope

Psalm 71:14 (New International Version) 
But as for me, I will always have hope; 
I will praise you more and more

On the plus side!
God's Got this!

Ciao
Shell