The Second String - phase two

The Second String originally consisted of two wonderful Moms who came to offer their love, attention, and determination to all of our children who are still waiting to join their forever families. Those of us waiting back home were greeted each day with tears and joy as new pictures, videos, and tidbits about our child’s personality were revealed. Videos and photographs taken by the waiting Moms are absolutely priceless because the distance between parent and child may be geographically far, but no distance exists in the love each of us has for our little one.

While one Mom had to tearfully part with her daughter to reluctantly leave the Centre to return to the United States, another Mom arrived to continue the effort and finally was able to meet her son. Both Moms still in country continued to give each of the children so much love and attention which can be seen in the many photographs of the children interacting and playing. The days were filled with lots of activities and snacks. The Moms brought in more flavored milk, juice, cookies, waffles, and fruit and made sure all of the kids had their fill so they can continue to grow! The kids enjoyed many activities such as; coloring, stacking toys, sharing books, playing with inflatable animal toys, using the Moms as human jungle gyms, and of course BUBBLES!! Most of all, it is clear that they enjoyed the love that the Moms who traveled gave them. They touched each of our children’s lives in more ways than we will ever know. They also brought much needed smiles to the faces of all of the waiting parents.

All of the Moms are now home and we continue to wait for our children to come home as well. We have become a pretty tight knit group that promises to have many friendships continue for a lifetime. Many envision play dates and reunions for our kids who have grown up together for the last few years and undoubtedly have a love for one another. These dreams will hopefully soon become a reality and each of us will finally be able to hold our children in our arms and not just have to carry them in our hearts. Please pray for all of the families and especially the children. We pray that soon, we will be celebrating their homecoming and starting a new joyous chapter in each of our lives.

Second String's Turn in Bac Lieu

The second set of volunteers arrived at the Centre on October 14th. These two volunteers named themselves, and we affectionally refer to them, as The Second String. Yet, there has been nothing second about them. They hit the ground running after diligently preparing and learning from the first volunteers. The children only showed moments of reluctance because they quickly remembered these people tend to be fun, bring treats, come with new games, yet will engage in almost anything we think of to do! Even having a translator the first day who did not speak English and whose Vietnamese was later questioned did not discourage them!

The volunteers have spent as much time as possible at the Centre. Like the earlier volunteers, they were told to come for a half day. The volunteers tried to stretch out their time as much as possible to allow more time with the children. The caregivers seem to have no problem with the extension and obviously enjoy their time with the volunteers as well. The caregivers and volunteers have communicated well through the Vietnamese of the volunteers and acting out of words.

The volunteers were encouraged by the level of care the children are receiving. Reports of the food seem to indicate that the food has improved even since the first set of volunteers were present. A greater variety of food has been offered with a good sampling of vegetables. The caregivers are very loving toward the children, treating them as they would their own children. The children show visible signs of attachment to the caregivers, using them as a secure base and going to them for affection and comfort.

The volunteers have given each family some specific details on their child. The opportunity to know so much about the daily lives of their children is invaluable and a benefit that possibly we did not see early on when we were focusing primarily on nutrition and stimulation. Seeing pictures and video of their children goes a long way in helping families to attach to their child from afar. To have this information for their child in the future is priceless. The families actually have a large collection for a scrapbook for their child. The volunteers reported very helpful information back to the families about where the children are developmentally and how to prepare for their children to be home.

While fall is coming to much of the United States, it remains very hot in southern Vietnam. The heat does not deter the volunteers from being very active with the children, playing airplane and swinging the children through the air. The volunteers have been very creative in the activities that they planned. One day the children enjoyed putting socks on their arms and legs. The socks provided great fine-motor skill practice and were soft if they children decided to be more aggressive with them! They volunteers brought many other toys and supplies, including bubbles, feather dusters for sensory stimulation, and drawing materials. Since August, the Centre has installed a television with DVD player in each room. The children reportedly enjoy watching videos with singing.

Above most everything else, the children want the attention and affection of the volunteers. They do love their Oreos, strawberry milk, and all of the toys. But what they compete most for and will wait their turn for, is an open lap. And open is relative, with caregivers often having 4 to 6 children “on their lap” at a time.

The Second String clearly made a difference in the lives of the children! We all tremendously appreciate their sacrifice!

Balloons and Crayons

The children responding very well to all the new stimulation. They are continuing to get fresh fruits, crackers, strawberry soy milk, and other snacks daily. The volunteers bring new treats daily, and the children are eager to try new things.

New toys and activities are also being introduced each day. The children were very excited about balloons. They played with balloons in all of the rooms and the children loved them! They were fascinated when the volunteers started blowing them up. The children of all ages are opening up more with the volunteers and readily approach them for affection. They often hop from lap to lap getting attention.

Another popular activity has been coloring. This was done on two days because it was such a hit. The second day the volunteers had to bring bigger sheets of paper. They are noticing a big improvement in the youngest children. They are more alert, interactive, and playful. They are responding well to the stimulation and play.

One of the volunteers wasn't feeling well this week. She has one more day to visit the center. She will be leaving Vietnam this week. Please keep her in your prayers that she will regain her strength. She will also be leaving the little girl she loves and has been waiting to adopt. Please pray for strength as she says goodbye to this little girl she loves... just for a little while... until she can bring her home!

Fruit and Fun

The volunteers have been enjoying all the play time with the children. They continue to introduce new toys to the groups each day. They have brought books, blocks, and balls. They note that the children are happy to play with anything they bring. They even enjoy the baggies and cups that the treats come in. The children are really warming up to the visitors and enjoy sitting in their laps and giving hugs.

The children have also been introduced to lots of new foods. In the last few days they have gotten to try a variety of fruits including dried blueberries, bananas, apples, and rambutan. The volunteers are enjoying their time bonding with the caregivers as well as the children. The caregivers have taken an interest in teaching them some Vietnamese.
(Rambutan - Chôm Chôm
The Rambutan is also known unofficially as Hairy Cherry. Today, the rambutan is grown in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The fruit is about 5 cm long and has soft fleshy hair from 2 to 3 cm long over the entire surface. The peel turns from green to yellow to red as the fruit ripens. Once peeled the fruit yields a flesh that is white and firm. The rambutans grow in large bunches on trees that are 20 m high.)

The weather has been very hot. The volunteers have had some issues taking pictures, because the heat fogs up the camera lens. In spite of that, they have been able to get many pictures for the waiting families. More and more they are capturing the smiles and personalities of these children. This is priceless information for the parents. Please continue to keep these volunteers in your prayers. Also, please pray for our fund raising efforts so that additional volunteers will be able to travel soon. It is evident that their efforts are a great benefit for the children and waiting families.

Progress

The volunteers have received a warm reception by the caregivers, director, and vice-director. Of course, the children are happy to see them especially because they bring things everyday, like cookies and toys. So far they spend their time with the children on the floor, holding them, playing with them, and taking lots of pictures. Its quite interesting how each child is developing their own personalities which they are trying to play close attention to and remember for the next day. Some are quiet, some are clinging, some are stand offish, some are rambunctious, some like to share and others do not. They all loved the bubbles, having their pictures taken, eating treats and playing with the toys. They are excited about the progress they are making both with interactions with the children and the orphanage staff.

As regards to their stay, they report that the Hotel is very pleasant, air conditioned, and has most conveniences that we Americans are use to. It seems to rain every couple of hours for short periods. Sometimes its a heavy downpour and other times normal rain. It is extremely hot and humid and they seem to be taking lots of showers and changing their clothes often. Everyone is friendly but few people speak English. And so far they seem to be adapting surprisingly well and are concentrating on the children.
They hope this update gives everyone a flavor of their visit. They encourage all the families to hang in there and try to keep positive spirits!

Currently preparations are underway for the next pair of volunteers. As well, a schedule is being created for additional visits through the end of the year. Some of these volunteers are waiting parents. Others are people who have some time and a willingness to help these children. Most of them will need financial assistance in order to make this trip. They are unselfishly giving of their time. Can you help them? Please click on the Donate Now button to make a secure, tax deductible contribution through FTIA's Humanitarian Aid. If you are available to volunteer or if you have frequent flyer miles you are willing to donate, please click the EMAIL link to let us know.

Bubbles and Puzzles

It has been an active time at the child care center this week! The volunteers have spent more time with the children. They brought bubbles which seemed to delight the everyone. The children also seem to be very pleased with the puzzles!

With so many children in the center and the additional neighborhood children visiting, there has been lots of activity. They have posted many pictures on the Parent's Site. They also noted that the caregivers enjoyed joining in on the picture taking. They liked posing with the children and then looking at their pictures.

First Shift Arrival

The first two volunteers arrived in Vietnam this week. They were able make a short visit to the orphanage. There they met the staff and children. The children were smaller than they expected but appeared to be in overall good health. They were curious and particularly liked touching the photo album that included their pictures.

Please keep these volunteers in your prayers as they make their next visits to the orphanage and interact more with the staff and children!

Sweet Ava Thuy

Little Ava Thuy turned 2 years old in April. She has a mommy, daddy, and big brother waiting for her at home in the US. Her waiting family first saw Ava almost one year ago, and this little girl's sweet face has been etched in their minds and hearts ever since. It has been very difficult for them to see her grow up in pictures and know they've missed witnessing so many of her life's precious milestones. It breaks their hearts to hear her big brother ask when his baby sister will be coming home, when they are unsure when or if that time will ever come.

Ava appears to be in good health, but it remains to be seen how long this will last. Her waiting family knows the year between 2 and 3 years old is crucial for proper physical and mental development, and that is why it is so important that Ava and these children come home as soon as possible. While Ava's waiting family is confident her caregivers at the orphanage are loving and caring, a caregiver can never be a substitute for a loving, nurturing parent. Please help us unite these children with their waiting forever families.

Nate the Great

On July 15, 2008 Nate's mommy and daddy were ecstatic and for the second time in their lives, they experienced love at first sight. They were sent photos and couldn’t take their eyes off of the sweet little boy with full cheeks and a black shock of hair sticking straight up off his head. As soon as they were matched with this little sweet pea, they dreamed of him playing with his cousins, taking him to the beach, and many other amazing and wonderful experiences. They even bought him clothes and toys, which he's now outgrown. Even though Nate has chubby little cheeks, he's now 20 months old, and his parents are worried about his physical and mental development. Last fall, he (and many other babies in the orphanage) was in the hospital twice with pneumonia. They are desperate to bring their little boy home and give him a life full of love and happiness.

Handsome Nieman

Little Nieman turned two years old just a few months ago. It was yet another birthday he could not share with his waiting family. They don't want to miss any more. Over a year ago this family on the other side of the world saw his picture for the first time. They knew instantly he was their son. All their friends and family are anxiously waiting the day they can meet him and welcome him into the family.

Request for Prayer

On behalf of all the Bac Lieu Waiting Parents: We have put together a list of specific things that our families and friends can pray with us about. Please help us continue to blanket our situation—our children and our forever families—with prayer.

Specific Prayer Requests
· For the health, safety and care of all of our children
· For peace, strength and health for the waiting Bac Lieu parents
· For success and determination for our agency director and a new emissary/ambassador in Bac Lieu working within the government on our behalf
· For the Bac Lieu Police and other officials (in Bac Lieu and elsewhere), that their hearts and minds will be softened; that that they will consider the welfare of children above all else; and that they will meet with FTIA or FTIA's ambassador; and once issues are resolved, quickly sign off on the necessary paperwork.
· For USCIS (US Immigration), that they will be reasonable; that they too will put the welfare of our children first, and that they will grant I600 approval to the last of our families waiting for it.
· For little Nhan and his parents, who have finally been granted approval to travel and finalize his adoption; that they will make it back to the US safe and sound, and that the cardiac surgery he needs will be successful, and that his recovery will be speedy and sure.
· For those parents and volunteers who plan to travel to Bac Lieu and spend time each day with the caregivers and children; that their travel will be safe, that the moments they spend with our kids will be blessed and special; and that their time there will positively impact the health, growth and development of our precious babies.
· Particularly for those parents who are traveling to the orphanage, that the Lord will provide a special sense of peace and emotional comfort while they are there, and especially when they have to leave and return to the US without their child with them.

Bac Lieu Parents
There are 23 waiting Bac Lieu families and children. Listed here are the names of 10 families and their children who have offered their specific names and/or their children's names to the prayer request list (or got to the editor in time to add their name to the list!). However, we ultimately request prayer for our group as a whole, as this situation has been very difficult for all of us.
Chuck & Marsha; a daughter, Claire Hanna
John & Courtney; a son, Lincoln Trung
Terry & Angela; a son, Thomas
Jerry & Stephanie; a son, Loc
Chris & Marla; a son, Gabriel (Hieu)
Paul & Virginia; a son, Noah Jordan
Sharon; a daughter, Akira-Li
Diane & Marcel; a son, Jacob Son
Angie; a daughter, Jada Tho
Matthew & Beth; a daughter, Ava Thuy
Brenda & Camryn; a daughter/sister,Aubrey
plus 12 other families waiting to meet their babies!

Precious Claire

This beauty is Claire Hanna, a 20 month old, feisty toddler. Like many of her peers, Claire is very little; one of the smallest toddlers in the orphanage, though she is not the youngest. Her parents, Chuck and Marsha, long to bring her home and give her lots of love, attention and care. Since June 3, 2008, the day her mommy and daddy saw her face in pictures, Claire has been an official member of her forever family; though for now, she is only held securely in their hearts instead of their arms. Along with the other Bac Lieu families, Chuck and Marsha know that with each passing day they miss out on hundreds of precious opportunities to help Claire grow and develop, as well as miss out on seeing her reach many milestones. Her parents hope and pray that she will be home very soon

Here's Lincoln

This sweet little boy is Lincoln. He will be 19 month old very soon. He has a Mommy, Daddy, and big sister waiting for him in the US. They worry about him all the time. He is very small for his age. Like the other children in the Bac Lieu orphanage, he has very slow growth. The family gets regular measurements, but they do not change much from month to month. They can't wait to bring him home. They know that he can flourish in their home with the love and attention of a family all his own.

The Mission

Beginning late this summer, volunteers are mobilizing to travel to the orphanage where thirty Vietnamese orphans are living. Most of the children have been living in the Bac Lieu Child Care Centre since they were newborns and are now quickly approaching their second birthdays. This is a critical time period in a child's development. Studies have shown that children living with little stimulation in institutional settings often suffer substantial and widespread developmental delays, including physical and motor delay, cognitive impairment, and delayed language development. The rule of thumb, in fact, is that children typically lose one month of developmental skills for every three months they live in an institution.

Pairs of volunteers, including unemployed college graduates, hopeful adoptive parents and hopeful adoptive grandparents will take turns traveling to the orphanage. The volunteers will be purchasing fresh food at the local market to supplement the rice porridge the children eat now. The volunteers will work with the children to introduce them to solid food and help them develop chewing skills. It is expected that the introduction of solid food will also help with the slow growth seen in all the children.

The volunteers will also bring simple learning toys to use in interacting with all the children. They will participate in activities to build and develop their fine motor skills. Currently, the children are not permitted to have toys out on the floor, so this will be an important and exciting experience for them.

The Background

The laughter of a child is one of the sweetest sounds ever heard. For 23 families whose children are still in Bac Lieu Vietnam, that sound has never been experienced. While referrals were given in January 2008 through August 2008, the wait to bring our children home has continued and the pains to be united with them have grown immensely. The experience of receiving a referral is one of joy, relief, and unimaginable love. We all thought the journey to our children was almost over. Our hopes remained steadfast as days turned in to weeks and then to months and a year or more. We have had to celebrate holidays without our children and endure first and in some cases second birthdays with sadness instead of joy. For most, each day begins with the hope that very soon we will get the call that it is time to travel to meet our children and bring them home. At the end of each day, we have to go to bed at night knowing that we have lived one more day without our children.

Pictures and monthly updates from our agency are precious to each of us. Through the photos we have seen our children cut teeth, learned to sit up, crawl, walk and grow up without us. All of these firsts are experiences we thought we would witness. We are not there to encourage our children and celebrate their accomplishments. I think we all like to believe that our children know that we are praying for them and that they can feel the love that continues to grow each and every day within our hearts and minds. In times of illness, we are saddened that we can not hold our children and comfort them with a mothers or fathers love.

Although the MOA with Vietnam expired on September 1, 2008, we all were assured that our adoptions would continue since we received our referrals prior to the expiration of the agreement. While other provinces in Vietnam have continued to process their referrals and allow children to come home to their loving families, the Bac Lieu province has not approved any and we are unsure of the reason why. The director of FTIA has traveled to Vietnam multiple times over the last year to bring resolve to these unknowns and has not received explanations of why the wait continues. The only thing we do know is that they are making 23 families wait to travel to meet their children and more importantly 23 children wait to know the joy of a family and the parents that love them unconditionally.

While the wait continues, an effort to assist our children grow and develop the necessary skills at their age level has become very important. The parents and volunteers who will travel will do simple things such as play with the children, interact with them, help prepare foods, and feed the children along with the centre staff. The children need to continue to develop their motor skills and learn to eat different foods that teach them simple skills such as chewing and swallowing. They have been on a diet that does not require these skills very much and need to begin transitioning so they do not have a disadvantage when one day, hopefully soon-we get to bring them home. If you can find it in your heart to help our children by assisting in part with the parents and volunteers expenses, we would all be forever grateful.

Introducing Jake

Jake is about 20 months old. He has spent most all his life the orphanage. He doesn't know the love of a Mommy and Daddy. He doesn't have toy cars and trucks to play with. In fact, he isn't given any toys at all to play with.

On the other side of the world in the US, a family has been waiting for him a long time. They first saw his face over a year ago. Since then, they have watched him grow up in pictures. They long to bring him home and give him the love, attention, and family he deserves.

How can you help?

Adoption is a loving solution to the problem of caring for orphans around the world. While waiting to be adopted, children are often kept in institutions with the most basic level of care. You can help ease the transition of the children to their new families by supporting the Bac Lieu Orphan Relief Effort.

Beginning late this summer, volunteers are mobilizing to travel to the orphanage where thirty Vietnamese orphans are living. Most of the children are officially matched with US families, but their paperwork is caught in a bureaucratic delay. Most of the children have been living in the Bac Lieu Child Care Centre since they were newborns and are now quickly approaching their second birthdays. This is a critical time period in a child's development.

During this extended waiting time, pairs of volunteers, including unemployed college graduates, hopeful adoptive parents and hopeful adoptive grandparents will take turns traveling to the orphanage. We volunteers will be purchasing food to supplement the rice porridge the children eat now. We will also bring simple learning toys to use in interracting with all the children and building their fine motor skills. Currently, the children are not permitted to have toys out on the floor, so this will be an important and exciting experience for them.

Do you have a heart for children and a resilient sense of adventure? We are seeking additional volunteers to go to Vietnam for a three to six week stay. Accomodations will be at a basic hotel in the nearby city of Ca Mau. The daily schedule will include traveling to the market to purchase food, then taking a taxi for the 30-minute drive to the orphanage outside the city. We expect to spend almost every day at the orphanage, rotating among the three rooms of children, each housing approximately 10 toddlers.

Or, do have a heart to support this effort financially?

Once volunteers arrive, the cost of purchasing additional food for the children, meals, lodging and transportation is expected to run $75 to 100 per day for each pair of volunteers.

Click on the DONATE button to the left to donate tax deductible funds securely. Click on the EMAIL link at the left to contact Angela if you are interested in volunteering.

Meet Thomas

Little Thomas is quickly approaching his 2nd birthday. He has a Mommy and Daddy waiting for him in the US and they wish they could celebrate this special day with him. They first saw his sweet face in April 2008. In their hearts he has been their son ever since. Red tape and complications have greatly delayed their plans to bring their boy home.

Thomas is very small for his age. He doesn't know about the wonderful home and family waiting for him in the US. He will soon know the love of his new mommy. Angela will be traveling to the orphanage soon. She, along with other volunteers, will be working with the children on their motor skills and helping to increase their nutrition with fresh foods from the local market. The families are still looking for additional volunteers and donations to fund this trip. They know that this mission can make a big impact on the lives of Thomas and the other children.