Dorbands on a Journey

The day we held our boys...

2010-11-23T03:05:00.006+02:00

I love these little men so much it makes my belly hurt...

I truly love the month of November and I believe it is not just something for this sappy mom of two incredible little boys. The first day we ever held our boys is a day we will ALWAYS celebrate in the Dorband family. Whether it's called "gotcha day," "family day," or something else, it is significant to us as a family and the feelings surrounding those moments will never be forgotten.

One year ago, we landed at the Kigali airport early in the morning filled with nervous excitement and anticipation. We could not imagine the joy that the next year would contain. It was too early to go to the orphanage so we checked into our bed and breakfast and laid in bed waiting for the sun to rise so we could go hold our children for the very first time. I remember wondering what it would feel like and how the boys would react to us. After what seemed like an eternity, our taxi arrived with our POA to take us to Home of Hope to see Levi and Judah face to face.

As we drove to Home of Hope, we tried to take in ever sight and sound along the way to engrave this memory in our hearts forever. After pulling in to the famous blue doors, there really are no words to describe those first moments/hours/days of holding our boys in our arms. I remember the way their skin felt, what they smelled like, the way Judah laid his head on Adam's shoulder and Levi clung to me because he was scared. Levi had a cold and just like a first-time, type A, overreactive mom, I insisted on taking him to the doctor right away and making sure he was OK:)

We spent a lot of time driving around to various government offices that day to try to obtain our travel letter (which didn't come until Monday). We snuggled lots, Adam took Levi on a coffee date, and we tried to memorize every detail about them. At the end of the day we were exhausted and oh so overjoyed.

Now that we are a year into having the boys home, the joy of being "The Dorband 4" is a reality that we live in every day. Sure, there are moments of feeling frustrated or tired because we have two almost two-year-olds, but we truly wouldn't trade any of it!!! One toothy smile from Levi or belly laugh when we tickle Judah, reminds us that we are so blessed. There is so much that went into bringing the Dorband family together and I marvel at the details that were so perfectly orchestrated. Thankful, thankful, thankful- that is the true description of how we feel.

Sending so much love,

The Dorband 4

*Enjoy these pictures from Day 1:)

It's about time:)

2010-10-23T02:38:00.004+02:00

I know I haven't written anything in months, but as so many of you know, life with two almost two-year-olds is quite chaotic. Lately I've been working on being "fully present" with my kids and conscious of what I am modeling for them. I have realized that there are many uncertainties and things that I cannot promise them, but I will promise that as far as it depends on me, there will be joy in our house. It is way to easy to let exhaustion and a bad attitude overtake all the wonders of being a family and I don't want that to be the case for me. Daily I am working on letting my heavenly Father make me more like him so I can be the mom He wants me to be.

2 Peter 1 says this...
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption of the world."

I could go on and on about all the incredible truths contained in this passage, but for now I rest in this. HE has given me everything I need for life and godliness and it is possible that my very character and daily life can reflect the image of God. That is what I cling to as a mom.

New Pictures

2010-06-24T02:33:00.004+02:00

Hey everyone! I realize that it has been quite a while since I updated our blog with new pictures of Levi and Judah so here you go!!! Here's the quick update on us...

We head to the Cornerstone Music Festival in IL next week where we will run the Breakaway sessions for teens/young adults in the mornings. This will be the boys' first trip there and we are so excited because they LOVE music. I am really looking forward to taking Levi to see Toby Mac because he ADORES the drums and Toby Mac's drummer is incredibly animated:)
We are tearing apart our house this summer to make more room for Levi and Judah and possible future Dorbands:) When we bought the house we live in I really wasn't thinking clearly and now that the market has tanked, we are just trying to make the best of it! Fortunately we have a church community of skilled builders so I know that we will have lots of help:)
Adam will be going to Colombia with 40 teens/young adults from our church for 2 weeks at the end of July. During that time I will be working on the house and going on vacation with my family so the boys can see all their aunts and uncles and have some quality Nana and Poppy time. I'm hoping this will take the edge off of Adam being gone for 2 weeks.
We FINALLY navigated the "re-adoption" process in Michigan. In reality, Michigan does not require re-adoption, but there are still a number of steps you have to take to finalize everything, change names, obtain birth certificates, and eventually file for the certificate of citizenship with USCIS...apparently this is not something that happens very often in Detroit. After 3 hours, 3 different offices, and 2 different buildings on opposite ends of town, we ended up in the right place only to have them tell us that the office was closed and we would have to come back tomorrow. Even though we didn't accomplish the final task, we did get the answers we needed and had some good family time while we were waiting around.

That probably doesn't really cover everything, but it's all the big stuff for now. We are amazed at our boys and so incredibly in love with everything about them. I was reading a book called "God Loves You" to Judah yesterday and it made me tear up as I realized the depths of God's love for all 4 of us...He knew exactly what each of us needed and He knit our family together before we even knew...WOW, we truly are so rich.

My Husband's Tears

2010-05-06T03:09:00.002+02:00

Adam and I have been married for almost 10 years and the only time I have seen him cry was at our wedding and it was more of a "tearing up" than an actual cry. I also heard that he cried after losing his last football game in high school, but needless to say, he is not a man who expresses himself through tears. He is extremely loving and compassionate, but he just doesn't cry. Me, on the other hand, I don't cry very often in public, but I do shed tears over a variety of emotions including anger, happiness, fear, and fatigue.

The second time I have ever seen my husband tear up and the first time I have ever seen him really cry came so unexpectedly. Our pastor asked us to share a portion of our adoption story with our church family one weekend and we spoke about our experience meeting the other children at Home of Hope orphanage...the ones we were not able to take with us. My husband was talking about the way they swarmed around us, begging to be held and cuddled, and then he lost it. He truly couldn't speak because his heart breaks for the ones we left behind, these children who were created in the image of God with real names, faces, and stories...

We have been home since the end of December and Levi and Judah are doing beautifully...I am ashamed to say that so often it is easy to forget what we saw, felt and experienced. God is so good in that I was reminded of all of this today as I read a posting from a woman who just returned from Rwanda and once again I felt a call to do more, to never grow comfortable or complacent...I've posted a portion of her reflection below and you can read more at…

http://lifeofathousandhills.blogspot.com/2010/04/annuncia.html

It was two Saturdays ago, and we walked down the cement ramp into the mass of tiny precious babies covered in rashes and rags. The Sisters beckoned our group on a tour of the orphanage – where each room was a wall-to-wall sea of tiny blue cots, and then even tinier blue cots where the children slept, thirty or more to a room. But another girl and myself never made it past the shoreline of the children. We plunged into the wave of them, holding our breath and suspending our hearts for the next two hours, until we emerged, soaking wet with this new reality.

There are 127 children at Mother Teresa’s, from one day to 6 years old. They are here because their parents were killed, because their parents died of AIDS, because their parents or caretakers cannot afford to feed them. They are here because everyday they are left outside the gate where we entered, as unknown, unannounced, unscreened as we were. They are here because the orphanage takes every one of them.

I sat at the shoreline of this sea of children. And they literally clawed and screamed and elbowed their way onto my lap. There was rarely a moment when there were not three on my lap – one closest to my chest, one further down my knees in the middle, and one dangled at the edge of my knees. The ones who were not closest to my chest wailed and scraped and fought to get to the prized spot – where they would be held, close to someone’s heart. It was as if they instinctively knew the way a baby deserves to be held – even if they had never been held that way – and they craved this cradling above anything. They wanted to be a baby that one person holds and protects. They wanted to be touched.

They wandered around in plastic bags for diapers, some with no pants or no underwear, some in adult T-shirts to their knees. They had no toys. There were a few balls or pieces of bike in the cement yard where they ran – one 2 year-old boy was pulling around the broken handle bars that must have once been part of a bike. When it was taken from him by another child, he wept and screamed and threw himself on the ground.

One child did not ever have a ball or a bike piece for more than a few moments – they were always taken by another. And the one left without would invariably weep and scream and throw herself on the ground. As I watched, it occurred to me that these children had never had anything that was theirs. Not a ball, not a bike part – not a mother or a father – that was not violently stripped from them in a moment. They had nothing that was theirs to hold. And so, as I watched them weep, angry, uncontrollably, it made perfect sense to me. There was nothing that they could hold onto, nothing they could cherish and call their own, nothing to comfort them, which had not or would not be ripped away in an instant. Their wailing made perfect sense to me and made me want to throw myself to the ground as well.

When I started noticing that this was happening – all over the cement ground it was happening – and not knowing what to do, I started walking over to each weeping child and put my hand on his back, or ran my fingers across her head. And the child would stop. The child would catch her breath and breathe. The simple act of a human touch to their precious, scabby skin soothed them instantly. Because they want to be touched. They want to be a baby. A baby who someone holds and protects.

I love adoption!

2010-04-15T19:31:00.005+02:00

In response to recent news on adoption, today has unofficially been declared a day to express positive experiences with adoption. Adam and I still feel very much like new parents and Levi and Judah are still transitioning in some ways, but from the moment we began this process, these two little boys were born in our hearts. Before we knew their names or beheld their faces for the first time, they were being grafted into our family and a love for them was growing in us that is unexplainable. As biological and adoptive parents alike know, not every moment is magical. There are sleepless nights, poopy diapers, crying spells, fits, and more but NONE of that makes me say I no longer want to parent my children- that isn't even an option. Someone once told me that they weren't sure if they could love an adopted child as much as their biological child and in my heart and mind, I know that sharing DNA doesn't make love greater.

I think we were wired for adoption because we were made in the image of God. Ephesians 1 says this about God, "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ." I'm not saying that everyone should adopt, but I do believe it is a natural expression of the love of God and something Adam and I were created to do.

There is a beautiful children's book by Marianne Richmond called "I Wished for You," and this excerpt so beautifully states exactly how Adam and I feel.

"All families are different. What makes a family is their LOVE for each other...I wished for you, and you are always and forever my wish come true."

I would like to add that NOTHING can change that.

3 Months Home...

2010-03-24T02:21:00.005+02:00

I realized today that our little family of four has been home for three months now. In some ways it seems as if it has been much longer and in others, it seems like we just got back last week. We took the boys to the Dr. today and they are up to the 50th percentile for both height and weight...when we first came home, they were in the 5th, so this is major progress!!! Both boys are walking- actually, it's more like Judah is walking and Levi is RUNNING:) The day before Levi walked for the first time the Dr. said he wasn't ready but I think he walked out of sheer determination to outrun his brother! The boys are learning to play together and on their own and we have been enjoying the great outdoors- taking them outside alone is a bit of a challenge because they want to run in opposite directions, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it one of these days (or purchase a leash).

When I think of the great and awesome job that Adam and I have been entrusted with in being Levi and Judah's mom and dad, I realize that I need to be more like Jesus. They are such a gift and while there are times when it is easy to forget what a blessing they are, like when they are spitting their dinner all over me and refusing to eat or screaming in the middle of the night, I try to keep the miracle of their journey to our family at the forefront of my mind. God has a great and wonderful plan for them and I cannot wait to see it unfold. If you think of it, pray that Adam and I would be the parents that God wants us to be and that Levi & Judah would grow into men who accomplish HIS purposes in their generation. They are truly amazing and my heart is overwhelmed with joy!

These pictures show the transformation in our boys since we brought them home- they are getting HUGE!!!

Spoon-tastic Fun:)

2010-03-03T02:38:00.003+02:00

So my little men are learning to feed themselves with a spoon and oh it is such a mess! I am a self-professed neat freak and having 2 little ones has forced me to do some letting go- I am so grateful I have plastic flooring that is easy to clean:) Here are some fun pics for you to enjoy! This fiasco ended with both boys in the bathtub, but we had a great time working on their new skills!

Happy, truly happy, but exhausted:)

2010-02-26T02:47:00.005+02:00

I know I have somewhat fallen off the face of the earth when it comes to blogging, but as you can imagine, life with two one year olds is quite busy. Adam and I are incredibly grateful for how well the boys are doing with settling into life in Michigan. Both of them have struggled with some upper respiratory issues and we have been using a nebulizer off and on, but they are healthy for the most part! Judah has been walking for a while and Levi started a few weeks ago. They say mama, dada, ball, and more (I think). Levi also shouted out something that sounded like "all done" today after dinner, which was oh so very cute. Eating is somewhat of an ordeal...they pick and choose what they like on what day of the week and at what time and everything else ends up on the floor (somewhat frustrating for mom:). Judah has all the teeth but he doesn't like to chew so if it's too difficult for him to maneuver in his mouth, out it comes and then it gets thrown on the floor. Levi will eat just about anything (including entire animal crackers in one bite) even though he still doesn't have any teeth- go figure.

I went back to work part-time last week. I definitely had mixed emotions about being gone from them three days a week, but they are with daddy one day and my dear friend and her two little girls the two other days so they are really in good hands! In some ways it is nice to have work that starts and finishes because that really isn't the case at home:)

Both boys are so happy and playful. It's so fun to watch them explore, meet new people, interact with other kids, and take in the world around them. Judah still likes to be held most of the time and often cries if I leave the room to go to the bathroom or put laundry away. I believe most of it is pretty normal given his personality type, age, and background, but I would be lying if I didn't also say that it can be hard when I am exhausted and trying to make them dinner or do something else that needs to be done and he is screaming to be held...

Speaking of exhaustion- I am exhausted. There is so much joy and I truly strive to savor every moment, but especially today, I am tired. My husband is preaching on James right now for the high school group so I have taken the opportunity to read it again, which reminds me of how much I fall short of being like Jesus- especially when I am tired. There is nothing that reminds me of my need to be more like Him than being a mom and I am oh so very aware that exhaustion makes me the very worst version of myself. To combat all this I have been meditating on some great verses from James so here they are...

James 1

"⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

James 3

"¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

My boys take my breath away!!!

2010-02-03T03:47:00.003+02:00

So my kids are irresistible...they take my breath away and I cannot get enough of them. Here's some more pics for you to enjoy!!! In my world it really is all about them:)

On our way to the winter retreat for our middle school students. Levi & Judah are professional travelers!
This is Levi's guilty look after taking Judah to the ground- Judah is always stealing his toys so he probably had it coming:)
This is classic Levi grin- he smiles with every part of his face!
Future drummer:)
Levi "hitching a ride" on Judah to ease the long journey across the kitchen floor.

Little drummer boy...

2010-01-18T20:52:00.001+02:00

So our children are pretty much destined to either love music or be musicians. This is a video of Levi getting his first drum lesson from the drummer for our youth ministry. Hopefully it makes you smile:)

Video

2010-01-13T06:08:00.003+02:00

Adam and I have started making videos about our journey to help us process and remember everything that has taken place. We just posted "The Beginning of Our Journey" above so you could see the whole screen (my blog layout isn't good for viewing videos)- don't forget to scroll down and pause the music on the blog before starting the video. Enjoy!

Adopted by so many...

2010-01-11T05:28:00.002+02:00

When I think about the journey to bring Levi and Judah home, it becomes strikingly apparrent that they have been adopted by a HUGE community of people. Adam and I are simply the lucky ones who actually get to be their parents. Our families, friends, church community and "blogging friends" have been praying for us and encouraging us through every tear and bump along the way and now that they are home, we are experiencing the same love and support. Thank you doesn't seem sufficient for those who have stood with us, prayed for us, supplied us with every baby item we could possibly need, and continue to offer their love and assistance wherever it is needed.

Levi and Judah (and Adam and I) are loved by so many and we pray that one day they will be able to look back and see what a large group was a part of their story. Thank you for praying- we still need it! Thank you for all the encouraging words, gifts, and love you have so lavished on all four of us. We are incredibly humbled and grateful for such a community of friends and family.

Sending lots of love,

The Dorband 4

Instant family:)

2010-01-04T05:42:00.002+02:00

Adam and I have been married for 9 years and Levi and Judah are our first children. Instantly being a family of 4 comes with some challenges, but there is so much joy that our hearts feel as though they will burst sometimes. These children are such a gift...snuggles, laughter, and all of the "firsts" that we have witnessed. I don't know what we ever did for entertainment before we had them around. Here are some recent highlights...

The boys LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the bath and it makes me love to bathe them. Judah has taken to licking everything so he "chases" after Levi in the bath and licks him. Too funny to put into words!!!
Levi said mama today and I'm pretty sure it was in reference to me. Both boys have been saying "dada," but this morning as he was clinging onto my pants crying because he wanted to be held and I was changing Judah's diaper- Levi said "mama". It might have just been a fluke but I loved it anyway.
Both boys are learning to sleep through the night and get on somewhat of a schedule!!! Judah fell asleep at 6:30pm yesterday, woke up once at 3am and went immediately back to sleep until a reasonable hour in the morning:) Now we just have to try to develop a regular nap schedule.
Even though Levi has no teeth, he goes to town on solid foods. Judah is a little more picky, but he has still been willing to try almost anything.

That's all for now- sending love!!!

The Dorband 4

Happy "One Month Anniversary" Boys!!!

2009-12-28T03:59:00.003+02:00

Today marks 1 month since we were able to hold Levi & Judah in our arms. Getting to know them and bonding as a family of 4 over the past month has been such a great joy and we know that the journey has only just begun. Here are some recent photos...we are in awe of what little miracles these guys are!!!

Levi playing with his favorite toy- a measuring cup:)

Both boys slept through their first encounter with Santa!

Judah screaming for more food! He has really loves anything that someone else is eating:)

My husband truly is the best dad ever- such a natural!!!

Highlights From Kenya

2009-12-23T18:30:00.001+02:00

Back Home:)

2009-12-23T12:59:00.002+02:00

Hey everyone! We are back home in Michigan and I'm sorry we haven't posted anything, but we are a little crazy. After leaving Nairobi Saturday night, we arrived in Michigan late on Sunday after a nine hour layover in Amsterdam and a delayed flight because of weather (they apparrently don't get snow very often in Amsterdam- weird...) The boys were troopers during the whole process- they slept during both flights and only cried when we were "trapped" on the plane for 3 hours waiting to be de-iced.

Judah pooped about a hundred times on the way home, going through every extra set of clothing I brought...THEN as we were waiting in line at customs and immigration, my arm began to feel warm and I smelled something and yes as they processed the paperwork for the boys, Judah's poop was coming out the neck of his shirt and going all over the two of us. By the time we left the airport he didn't have on any pants and we were both stinky:) It was fun!

Adam's mom has been here helping us since we've been home and it has been truly a gift from God. She wakes up with them in the middle of the night so we can sleep and has been helping us to re-establish a schedule to get the boys on our time zone. Friends have cooked and done laundry for us (washing everything on HOT because of all the poop) and the boys are enjoying meeting all their new friends and family! We head to Chicago tomorrow to introduce them to my side of the family and celebrate Christmas. Adam and I already received everything we wanted and we are so grateful to have our family together for Christmas.

Sending love,
The Dorband 4

GOOD NEWS!!!

2009-12-16T09:26:00.001+02:00

Hey everyone- we are back into crazy mode to come home!!! Levi's test result came back as HIV negative, which is WONDERFUL news and now we have a bunch of paperwork to finish before we can leave the country. Sending love and thanking you for all your prayers.

The Dorband 4

Non-update updates from Nairobi:)

2009-12-13T16:54:00.004+02:00

They boys are saying, "Thanks for the great place to stay- we love it!!!"

Hey everyone- there's not much going on here in Nairobi...we are just waiting for this coming week so we can find out the results of Levi's PCR. PLEASE continue to pray!!! We believe that God answers prayers and He has been so evident during the past few days in Nairobi that we know His hand is most certainly with us as we walk through the unknown. As you know, we were provided with a place to stay while we are here, but even more, we were provided with FRIENDS from Michigan who are staying at the same house as us to complete the adoption of their daughter from Kenya (they have been here for 10 months). Graig and Sarah have taken us in and made us part of their family...sharing meals and conversation has truly lifted our spirits and reminded us of God's presence. I'm sure it is no coincidence that they work with a church at the University of Michigan so we certainly plan on having dinner and play dates in the future when we are all back in the states. How funny that we have a house full of people from Michigan in Nairobi:) God is sovereign!!!

We miss our friends and family so much- as we were in church this morning singing Christmas carols in 80 degree weather, I was honestly wishing we were back in the cold midwest and I had to stop singing so I wouldn't cry, but we are spending time with the boys and bonding is going well so what more could we ask for:) Now if they would just sleep through the night, we might be a little more sane:)-

Here's the detailed info on the boys as of recently...

They have both taken a liking to baby oatmeal or rice cereal with bananas- this makes for kind of nasty poo, but their bellies are full and they are happy. Both of them still drink quite a bit of formula as that is all they lived on at the orphanage.
Judah is having a VERY hard time sleeping through the night. Adam and I took turns holding him from 2am until 7:30am today so he would sleep, which makes us a little tired, but we want him to be happy.
Thank God for mosquito nets- Judah was sleeping with Adam last night and fell out of bed, but the mosquito net caught him and sort of gently rested him on the floor- he still cried, but he wasn't injured.
Levi and Judah are both teething which means LOTS of drool and intermittent crying throughout the night as well.
Judah is quite a people person while Levi is more pensive and takes everything in. This also means that Judah is a lot more needy and I want to make sure that we spend as much time attending to Levi so he feels loved and secure:)
Judah poops at least 4 times a day so we have been going through a lot of outfits, but such is life with 2 young boys!!!
Overall, all is going well, we are ready to come HOME, but we are good.

Thank you for walking with us..

We send our love from Kenya!!!

The Dorband 4

Totally Unexpected Blessing

2009-12-10T21:11:00.002+02:00

Through the kindness of strangers who are part of the body of Christ, Adam and I now have a free place to stay in Nairobi. We moved out of our original guesthouse today because the room was already rented out to someone else for the remainder of our stay and we were looking for an affordable place when a blogging friend (who is a missionary in Kenya) sent a message saying we could stay at her families' house in Nairobi. They are currently in the states and they just decided they wanted to bless us. We don't really know what to say other than THANK YOU! We truly feel the sustaining grace of God with us every step of the way:)

All our love,

The Dorband 4

Kwizera=FAITH

2009-12-10T12:08:00.003+02:00

Thanks Nana and Papa for the warm fleeces- it gets a little cold in Nairobi at night!

Waiting and waiting and waiting at the medical clinic- the boys did great:)

While we were in Rwanda, we learned that a more accurate translation of Levi's middle name, Kwizera, is FAITH. During the adoption process, we hung the word FAITH on the door to the boys' room, and now as we wait in Nairobi for the results of his PCR, it is a test of our FAITH. We are infinitely grateful for these two little lives that have been entrusted into our hands and we know that God is working in this situation. As I'm sure all parents would agree, we don't want our little one to be sick...to have to suffer and so we are praying for a favorable outcome- however, in all things we will trust that God gave us these children and we will praise him in all circumstances.

Sending our love,

The Dorband 4

Rwanda Video

2009-12-09T22:11:00.001+02:00

Praying for Levi

2009-12-09T13:11:00.001+02:00

Hey everyone! The last couple of days have been a flurry of activity with very little time for updating the blog so I apologize. Here is where we are- there is a lot going on.

We spent 8 hours at the immigration medical testing clinic in Nairobi on Monday to get clearance for the boys to travel.
At the end of the day, the doctor called us into her office (this is never a good sign)
She informed us that Levi's tests for HIV were "inconclusive." This means that he had 2 results that were slightly positive and 2 results that were negative (they repeated the test 4 times on the 1st day). He tested negative in Rwanda before the nuns referred him.
She asked us to come back the next day so they could repeat the test and try to find more conclusive results. The results for the second day were the same (2 slightly positive and 2 negative).
They took more blood and sent it to South Africa to check his DNA.
We cannot receive Levi's visa to leave the country until these results are back, which will take a minimum of 5 working days.
If he turns out to be negative, we can leave as soon as the visas are processed.
if he turns out to be HIV positive, we will have to go through additional paperwork and processes that could take an undefined amount of time in Kenya.

There are many things that can cause the rapid HIV test to be positive, including antibodies left over from the mother and malaria and of course we are praying that one of these is the case. The head of the lab at the clinic says that he is 99.5% sure that the test did not yield accurate results and that he is negative, and the doctor said it is more likely that he is negative than positive, but we have to wait...I hate waiting. Adam and I both believe that God sovereignly placed Levi in our family and even after the short time we have known him, we cannot imagine our life without him. If he is HIV positive, we are glad that he did not test that way in Rwanda because the nuns would not have referred him to us and then we would have missed out on how amazing this little guy is!!! All things considered, please pray that the test results would come back sooner than expected and that Levi would indeed be HIV negative.

We are in Nairobi until at least next week so we send all our love to you from afar!!!

The Dorband 4

Pics from the Kigali airport...

2009-12-06T15:13:00.002+02:00

Yes we are still waiting- they don't know when the airplane will get here:(

In the Kigali airport

2009-12-06T14:05:00.002+02:00

Our plane was supposed to depart at 2pm, but it is delayed until 4pm and we are now two bottles, three dirty diapers, and one outfit change in and we haven't even left the airport:) This trip is really just dress rehearsal for "the big one", which is the trip back to Michigan. Security confiscated my roll of masking tape that I brought to entertain the boys- they said I could use it to tie someone up (which I thought was pretty funny considering both my hands are full of babies). Right now Judah is sound asleep and Levi is sucking on Adam's water bottle and drooling ALL OVER! Both the boys are teething and Judah"s first tooth officially emerged this morning! Hopefully we will arrive in Nairobi tonight at around 6:30- then it is off for medical testing first thing tomorrow morning. If there are no problems we will be back in MI on Friday and just in time for Christmas:)

If you think of it please pray that our flight is not cancelled...

We are so exhausted and we feel so blessed!

Sending our love,

The Dorband 4

Success

2009-12-04T10:25:00.001+02:00

Today we had success at the embassy- the consular had mercy on us and gave us the official packet. This marks the end of our paperwork in Rwanda- the next steps are in Nairobi. We are heading to the countryside today with our POA and his family. We just wanted to pass along the good news!!!

Love from Kigali,

The Dorband 4

Updates...

2009-12-03T16:13:00.002+02:00

We are nearing the end of our stay in Rwanda and Adam and I have had a wonderful time learning about the country and the two newest members of our family:) The boys are still having a little difficulty with their sleep schedule, which I'm sure will only continue after we come home to Michigan (it is 7 hours different than Rwanda). We now have both Levi & Judah's passports (hooray) and we will head to the embassy tomorrow to try to convince the consular that the paper she wants does not exist for orphans who were abandoned and we have all the other paperwork in order. If you think of it, pray that she has MERCY on us and the other families who will be trying to do the same tomorrow.

We continue to learn the different nuances that are a part of the boys' personalities. For example, Levi gets really hyper at night when it is bed time. He goes on and on, kicking his legs and laughing hysterically at nothing in particular. Judah is more finicky than Levi- if he's tired he just whines and rubs his face and it is difficult for him to get comfortable. He likes to make a clicking noise with his mouth and if you do it, he will just stare at your mouth and then just start laughing. Levi loves having his nose wiped (weird I know), when you wipe it, he laughs and giggles and tries to get you to do it again...this is a good thing considering he has a cold right now. Both boys babble, especially the word dada- we know that they aren't saying it to Adam yet but it is SOOOO cute.

We had our first brotherly altercation today where Levi smacked Judah in the face (I think it was on purpose) and Judah proceeded to cry (of course) and then we gave Judah a wet wipe to play with and all was well with the world. Adam and I are loving parenthood and we are exhausted but OH SO THANKFUL!!! Knowing our children and holding them in our arms is a feeling that is indescribable. Please pray that everything here goes smoothly until Sunday and that our time in Kenya is productive and on schedule:) THANK YOU!!!!

All our love,

The Dorband 4

Levi Laughs:)

2009-12-02T19:37:00.002+02:00

This was so cute I had to post it. The first day we met Levi, I was very concerned because he didn't make any noise and here he is today! What a change:)

Pics from the last few days:)

2009-12-02T07:44:00.003+02:00

I know I slacked yesterday in posting pictures so here are some from Monday and this morning. The ones on top are from this morning and the one of Adam signing is from when we officially got to keep the boys FOREVER! It was a little weird- Adam just signed in this ledger book and it was finished. The Minister is the one reaching for Judah's hand and Veronique is standing outside with us. Yesterday was too crazy to get any good pictures, but we'll be taking more. Thanks everyone for the great toys! Levi & Judah are really enjoying them over here:) They really like anything they can bang on something else to make noise...Ian Bacon can we sign up for drum lessons now??? Sending all our love!

Adam, Katie, Levi & Judah

Travel Papers and Prayer Request:)

2009-12-01T15:25:00.006+02:00

We did obtain our travel letter yesterday around 4pm. We actually got to meet The Minister- she held the children and talked with us for a few minutes. Obtaining our letter meant that we could keep the boys with us overnight and it was wonderful not to have to drop them off at the orphanage last night!!! The boys woke up a few times throughout the night, but for the most part- they did great!!! Mom didn't really sleep at all but the boys are happy and healthy, which is all we could possibly want:)

Next steps...today we went to the US Embassy in Kigali to file our I600 with the Consular. It was less than wonderful in that she kept asking for this paper that is only issued to children when the birth parents are known. She insisted we needed to obtain this paper before she would process our I600, but it is not possible because Levi & Judah were abandoned. We went back to the sector where each of the boys were found (which included driving around in a hot car for 3 hours with both boys) to try to obtain the paper and correct some minor clerical errors and they confirmed that it is not possible to obtain this document when the children are abandoned. They gave us a phone number the consular can call if she is not satisfied with our efforts. We will go back on Friday with the boys' passports (which we pick up tomorrow) to finish the I600 process so please pray for favor and grace with the consular. Additionally, there are 3 other families here with us and they will not be able to obtain their passports until Friday afternoon and the Consular's office closes at 1pm on Friday- they need an even bigger miracle to be able to leave Rwanda on time.

While we were at one of the sectors, we met the women who were witnesses when Judah was found. They were so happy that he was being adopted. One of the women who works at the sector office had him in her office all day the day he was found and told us about how she went to buy him milk and took care of him. It was wonderful to meet them and see their joy over him being adopted. We learned that Levi was found on a banana plantation and one of our friends who has been volunteering at Home of Hope all year said that he was pre-mature. She said that she didn't think they would be able to save a baby so small, but here he is chubby, interactive, and happy (as I write, the two boys are attempting to "climb" a cement wall).

All is well here- we are tired and happy. We believe that everything will come together by this weekend. Thank you for your prayers. We cannot wait to bring the boys home and share them with you!

All our love,

Adam & Katie

Video from day 1

2009-11-29T14:14:00.006+02:00

We've been having difficulty with our internet connection being too slow to load video, but we managed to get one up so here it is:)

Day 2 with the boys...

2009-11-28T17:43:00.003+02:00

We just dropped the boys off at HOH and it was more difficult than yesterday. I know that is what they are used to and the nuns are so wonderful to them, but we miss them! One more night without them and then they will be with us (as long as we get our travel letter on Monday). Today was even more perfect than yesterday- here's what we did:)

Went to HOH at 8am, but the doors to the infant room were locked. As we waited we were mobbed by 30 or so 2 & 3 year olds. They were all crying and holding on to our legs so much that we couldn't walk. I bet that the care takers at the orphanage were wishing we hadn't shown up right at that moment:) We held a few of them until they let us in to see Levi & Judah.
When we saw the boys this morning, they were all smiles and they seemed happy to be going with us. They were fed right before we picked them up and by the time we got back to our B&B, we could tell they were ready for a nap.
Levi & Judah proceeded to take a 3 hour nap, which we found out was pretty typical for the kids in the infant room. Another adoptive mom (who has lived here for a year) said that the kids in the infant room spend a large portion of their day sleeping so all the activity over the past 24 hours probably really wore the boys out!!!
We enjoyed taking turns laying with them and snuggling- it was a great morning:)
When the boys woke up, we attempted to feed them some rice cereal (I think more of it ended up on their faces and clothes than in their mouths, but we tried).
After eating, we played with the boys for about and hour and then took a walk down to Bourbon Coffee, which is the Rwandan version of Starbucks. We met another adoptive family there and talked adoption stuff until our driver came to take us back to the orphanage.
When we arrived at the orphanage there were 3 other adoptive families that just got to meet their kids- Smith, Spore, & Bower families (they had just arrived from the airport). It was a beautiful thing to see them all holding their kids tight.

Our plan for tomorrow is to pick up the kids first thing in the morning and go to our POA's church where they have asked Adam to preach. We will spend most of the day there doing church Rwandan style, which will be amazing. We are praying for everything to go smoothly on Monday so we can obtain our travel letter and then it is on to working on the Passports. We are also planning on visiting the genocide memorial as well as other cultural sites around the city while we are here. I will keep the pictures coming so if you get sick of seeing our kids, sorry about that:) Lots of love from Kigali!!!

Adam & Katie

Details

2009-11-27T20:23:00.003+02:00

We did not get our travel letter today, which means that we had to take Judah and Levi back to the orphanage at 5:30pm. The sister's were very sweet and understanding- they let us lay the boys in their cribs for the night and told us we could come back first thing to help them wake up and get ready for the day. On a side note, their cribs are TINY! Adam and I were both surprised at how small Levi & Judah are because they looked so much bigger in the picture. When we saw their cribs, we realized the scale of the picture was somewhat skewed. The clothes we brought still fit well with a little room to spare:)

On a scale of 1-10, this day was a 35 (at least). Here is somewhat of an outline...

9:00 Our POA picked us up and took us to the orphanage (my heart was beating out of my chest!!!)
9:45 The nuns brought Levi & Judah out for us. They had just woken the boys up from a nap so Judah was a little cranky, but he warmed up pretty fast.
We headed over to The Minister's office to request our travel letter from Veronique personally. She was very sweet and wanted to hold the boys- she informed us that The Minister was out and may not return in time to sign our travel letter.
After The Minister's office we went to exchange money with our POA and then we took Levi to the Dr. because he has quite a chest cold, but the Dr. said he was OK and that we should just monitor him for a few days.
Following the visit to the doctor, we took the boys back to our bed and breakfast to feed them and have them take naps. Levi wasn't tired so he went on the coffee adventure (see pictures below) with Adam.
The boys' schedules were completely thrown off in terms of eating, sleeping, and their normal surroundings, but they held up like champs. Levi had a little melt-down around 4:30 and then we heard from our POA that we would have to take them back to the orphanage.
Our kind driver took us back with the boys and waited while we said goodbye (for an extended period of time). We also met two other families from the US who had adopted from HOH and met the in country representative for AWAA who was so very sweet to us.
We ate dinner at a local Italian restaurant with really good pizza and now we are almost too exhausted for words, but so happy.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR US AND STANDING WITH US!!!!!!!!! WE CANNOT WAIT UNTIL YOU GET TO MEET THE BOYS:)

These pictures are worth a thousand words...

2009-11-27T20:15:00.004+02:00

While Judah was napping today, Adam took Levi on an "adventure" to a local coffee place. He managed to get the oh so serious Levi to laugh and giggle for pictures so you all could see his cute smile. We also happen to think that the last picture is priceless- we think he's saying, "yeah, I'm the man."

The Best Day Ever!

2009-11-27T14:18:00.005+02:00

Today was amazing...there is so much to write, but I will leave it to the pictures for now.

We have arrived!!!

2009-11-27T03:29:00.002+02:00

We arrived safely in Kigali at 1:45 local time. It is now 4:30am local time and we are getting settled in our room. Our POA will be by at nine in the morning to take us to the orphanage and then we will be stopping by The Minister's Office. Please pray for this first meeting- we are total strangers to Levi & Judah and we want this transition to be one that is good for them. We are off to try to sleep for a few hours and then what a wonderful Friday it will be!!! All our flights went perfectly and all of our luggage arrived with us- we feel so blessed and taken care of.

Sending our love from Rwanda!

Adam & Katie

In Amsterdam

2009-11-26T09:12:00.003+02:00

Hey Everyone! We are in Amsterdam and on our way to Nairobi next. We are tired but oh so happy!!! We will be arriving in Kigali at about 2am Friday local time (that is Thursday evening for those of you in Michigan).

Leaving:)

2009-11-25T21:04:00.003+02:00

We are leaving our house in less than an hour...clothes for two kids, diapers, wipes, carriers, hot pots, medicine, donations for the orphanage, and on and on (formula is really heavy)!!! The room for Levi & Judah is ready to go and we'll update you as soon as we have more to tell or if we find ourselves bored in an airport:) LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE!!!

Adam & Katie

Itinerary

2009-11-25T04:25:00.004+02:00

Less than 24 hours and we will be in the air on our way to be with LEVI and JUDAH. Our POA will be picking us up from the airport at 2am on Friday and we will go to our hotel, shower, and then meet them face-to-face for the very first time!!! We plan on updating our blog with videos and pictures as our internet connectivity allows. This is our itinerary...

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25th, Depart Detroit 5:55pm, Flight: KL 6242/ *NW 242
Stop in Amsterdam and then on to Nairobi
SWITCH AIRLINES, Depart Nairobi 11:40pm (THURSDAY), KQ 0466
ARRIVE IN KIGALI, RWANDA 2:10am, (FRIDAY)
Go to the Beth Shalom Bed & Breakfast in Kigali to shower and change
FRIDAY, head to Mother Teresa's Home of Hope as soon as they will let us in!!!
Hold Levi & Judah and stay with them as long as we are allowed (If we have travel papers by Friday, we can keep them with us. If we do not, we will have to return them to the orphanage by 5pm).
SATURDAY- Hang out with Levi & Judah and see a friend we met on the internet from the states. Perhaps drink some Rwandan coffee:)
SUNDAY- Adam is preaching at our POA's church. Please pray for God to speak through him to the body of Christ in Rwanda.
11/30-12/6 (Monday-Sunday)- Finish paperwork, see Rwanda, learn about the country and experience all we can while learning what it means to be a family of FOUR and take care of two little ones!
SUNDAY (12/6)- Depart for Nairobi to process visas for the boys.
MONDAY (12/7)- Medical appointments for visa approval.
TUESDAY (12/8)- Receive results of medical exams.
WEDNESDAY (12/9)- Visa appointment at US Embassy in Nairobi.
THURSDAY (12/10)- Receive visas for the boys (they have promised me they will be finished on time:)
DEPART FOR MICHIGAN 10:50pm- Thursday (12/10)Flight: KL 6253/ *NW 253
ARRIVE: Detroit-Wayne County Int'l, MI (DTW) at 11:40AM

Katherine with a K!

2009-11-23T23:21:00.002+02:00

We got an update from our POA today and he spent some time with Levi and Judah getting their pictures taken for their passports. He said that Judah is a "very serious boy" and he's calm, not scared of anything. Levi was a little more nervous being out and about and he said that neither of the boys wanted to let him go when they went back to the orphanage. He told them, "your parents are coming this week." Melt my heart!!! I am so thankful for our POA.

Our POA also scanned the birth certificates for Judah and Levi so we could have them in our files and I realized that they spelled my name Catherine with a C instead of Katherine with a K...I immediately sent a message to our POA and we are asking for prayers that this does not cause a major problem and that it is easily fixable because our I know our POA has been running around like crazy trying to get ready for our arrival on Friday.

That's all for now- we will post more as soon as we can. Now I'm off to pack and clean and try to install a gate at the top of our stairs:)

Reality Check

2009-11-22T05:26:00.003+02:00

I follow the blog of an amazing young women living in Uganda, caring for the forgotten. She posted this today and it was a stark reminder of what NEEDS to be at the forefront of our minds as members of the body of Christ. As we rejoice in going over to be with Levi & Judah, there is so much suffering and sadness that cannot be ignored. I copied her post below because it is a beautiful and necessary reminder.

This is what she wrote...

"It started a few months ago when my great friends Mike and Suzanne were here to adopt their daughter. In finding out she had HIV, they were obviously broken. Mike made a statement that stirred something within me. He said, "I guess you know that children are out there suffering. You know that children are sick, this sick. But it is different when it is your child. It's just different." And it is. I don't mean this blog to criticize you in any way, Mike, because what you said was true for me too. It is different when it is my child. I spendcountless nights awake with dying, or at least critically sick, children. I love them and I cuddle them. I sponge bath them and give them their medicine and wipe up their vomit. I hold them and pray over them and tell them how special they are and how Jesus loves them. My heart really does hurt for them. But it doesn't hurt the way it hurts when I think one of my own children is close to death. It doesn't hurt the way it does when Sumini's fever just won't go down or when Patricia is up all night coughing with her third case of pneumonia in three months. It doesn't hurt the way it does when Margaret's teeth run into Agnes's eyebrow and I can see her bone, and then watch in terror as the doctor stitches it up WITHOUT anesthetic. Somehow, when it is my children, there is a bit more urgency, a bit more panic. There is a bit more frustration at the lack of medical care we canreceive here and a bit more google searching of what to do. I am not saying that I am proud of this. I am just letting you know that it isn't just you I have held several children as they died of inadequate medical care. It was horrible and I grieve and cried, but I promise you that I wasn't as devastated as I would have been had it been one of my daughters. Its ugly, but its true.

Its just different when its your child who's suffering. But should it be? This is what I have been struggling with. I believe that this is a normal human reaction. I also believe it is WRONG. I believe that each human on the planet is God's child, perfectly made and beloved and cherished by Him. I believe that His heart hurts like mine does, even more than mine does, when my baby is hurting for EACH and every one of the hurting, dying, starving, crying children in our world at this moment. So I HAVE to believe that if my heart was truly seeking to be aligned with the heart of God, that I would have to hurt for each of these children as well. But sometimes, I forget. Sometimes I'm busy. Sometimes hurting for my very own children just feels like enough. I believe that the world says that this is ok. And I believe it is wrong. And this keeps me up at night.

Angelina is seven years old and barely weighs 15 pounds. Youremember that picture that was made popular in the 1980's during the famine in Ethiopia of that little girl (who looked like a bag of bones) curled up next to a vulture? That girl doesn't look nearly as sick as Angelina. Her mother has not had any food to give her in over four months. When Angelina musters enough energy to let out a cry of hunger (she is far to weak to walk or even hold her head up on her own), her mother gives her some locally brewed alcohol to keep her quiet. For four months, keeping her a little drunk has actually probably been what is keeping her alive. The dirt floor where she has been laying her whole life accumulating bedsores is covered in waste, animal and human. Jiggers burrow deep into her little feet causing them to crack and bleed. She is naked, filthy, and cold. It is far worse than appalling.

I bet right now at this moment your heart is sad for her. Is it as sad as it would be if Angelina were your daughter? Angelina is God's daughter. His heart aches for this perfect, wonderfully made child of His. Her circumstances do not surprise Him, but I have no doubt that they grieve Him tremendously.

And it's not just children, because we are all children in His eyes. Grace is maybe 60 years old but looks to be pushing 100. She can't weigh more than 85 pounds. Grace is a mother to six children, but 4 have died of AIDS and the other two have deserted her for a better life. She lives in a 4 by 4 foot room that is pitch black, but she doesn't mind; in addition to being to weak to walk, Grace is blind. She NEVER has any visitors. At night her bones ache against the hard dirt floor and her feeble body shivers with cold. A cough racks her body and her stomach rumbles in hunger making sleep impossible.

Its sad, huh? How sad though? Sad enough that we want to do sometime about it? Sad enough that we will remember Grace tonight as we snuggle down into our beds or next month as we pay the bills? Maybe. But maybe not. Because it hurts, but it doesn't hurt that much. It doesn't hurt the way it would if Grace was your grandmother all alone there in the dark. It does for God. Because Grace is His.

As I snuggle both these sweet girls, as I kiss their cheeks, as I spoon Pediasure into Angelina's little mouth or watch Grace rejoice over the gift of a scraggly old blanket, I allow the tears to fall. The tears that hurt for these people as if they were my family. Because they are my family. And it SHOULD hurt. It shouldn't be different. I desire for it to never again be different.

We are the body of Christ. But do we know what that means? Do we long for our brothers and sisters to be comfortable and fed and well? Do we long for it enough that we are uncomfortable under our blankets at night or eating our pancakes in the morning? Do we feel the hurt that God feels as He watches the body of Christ sit back and allow these precious children of his to perish? Maybe sometimes. But sometimes, we are too busy, or we forget, or hurting for our own children is enough. We are the body of Christ. We need to hurt. We need to react. Their needs to be the same urgency and panic and frustration and desperation as if these were our own children. They are God's children.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for Angelina. Thank you for Grace. Thank you for creating them perfectly in your image, your precious, beloved children. Thank you for your beautiful plan for their lives and thank you for bringing them into mine. Thank you that they are YOURS. Help me to hurt. Not just a little, but the way you hurt when your children are overlooked and perishing. me to never be too busy or too comfortable to remember the people who suffer. Help me to never stop desiring to do something about it. Lord help us to remember that as the body of Christ, this is our responsibility. Thank you for loving us, even when we forget. I never, never want to forget again."

Our Boys!!!

2009-11-21T06:50:00.004+02:00

I found out later this week that we actually passed court on Monday and I didn't realize that everything was official at that time so we are able to post pictures. Here are our beautiful boys!!! It is hard to believe that we will be holding them in our arms in just 6 short days. Judah UWIMANA Dorband on the right and Levi KWIZERA Dorband has the cutest, chubbiest cheeks I have ever seen (and he is on the left). We are smitten and in love!!!

*This is their original referral photo- they are a little older now and Judah is all smiles:)

Lodging in Rwanda

2009-11-19T22:05:00.002+02:00

Hi friends! I know many of you will be traveling to Kigali in the NEAR future (yay!!!) and if you are looking for a place to stay, I would check out Beth Shalom Bed and Breakfast. You can view their website at http://2020Rwanda.com. It seems conveniently located and they are extremely helpful. We e-mailed them over the weekend and they responded quickly to a multitude of questions. They offered to pick us up from the airport and they have a variety of services. Check out their website- the most expensive room is $65/night, which is very reasonable for Kigali. I just thought I'd pass the info along.

Adam and I are still busy making preparations and we just can't wait to hold them in our arms. Please continue to pray for Judah and Levi as they are about to meet these two crazy Americans and leave everything they know. We pray that the adjustment goes well and that all our travels are safe:)

One week until lift off!!!

2009-11-19T01:10:00.003+02:00

Adam and I are so excited that in just one week we will be on a plane to meet Levi & Judah face to face. The joy is truly unspeakable. We are busy with preparations and our wonderful POA has been running all over town in Kigali to make sure all the paperwork is in order. He received their birth certificates on Tuesday with new "officially official" birthdays that are different from the earlier ones. According to the documents, Levi was born 1/20/2009 (my dad's birthday) and Judah was born 3/16/2009. I was just typing out our flight itinerary and I thought you all might be interested in our route to Rwanda so here it is...

Depart Detroit 5:55pm on Wednesday, November 25

Arrive Amsterdam 7:55am on Thursday, November 26

Depart Amsterdam 10:20am on Thursday, November 26

Arrive Nairobi 8:25pm on Thursday, November 26

Depart Nairobi 11:40pm on Thursday, November 26

Arrive in Kigali 2:10am on Friday, November 27

We are using Northwest/KLM so we have less flights to deal with (especially on the way home with the two little ones). As we are packing to leave, my only question is this...should we go through the trouble to bring a portable crib or should we rely on blankets and pillows to form a makeshift bed? Also, fellow adoptive families, tell me what is on your "must have" list so we can make sure we bring everything we need!

THANK YOU:)

Court Date- I am so amazed!

2009-11-17T00:59:00.002+02:00

Adam and I are shocked and amazed- our POA and Attorney went to court TODAY and finished the court, not just the appointment (those are the words of our POA)!!!! God has answered our prayers for a November court date. Our POA will go back to the judge on Friday to receive the finalized paperwork at which point I will post full pictures of our beautiful boys:) We are planning and preparing to bring Judah and Levi home in the very near future. Just NINE days until we leave. Today is Judah's 10 month birthday and yesterday was Levi's. Happy "birthday" boys- we love you so very much and we can't wait to hold you in our arms.

Thank you for your continued prayers- we are being sustained by them.

Updated Info

2009-11-15T02:37:00.002+02:00

The past week has been a process of running 90 miles an hour and after a ton of work by our AMAZING POA- we will be leaving to pick up Judah and Levi on November 25th!!! Due to the kindness of another friend in Rwanda, we also know their official birthdays as well and they are truly almost twins. Levi was born January 15, 2009 and Judah was born January 16, 2009. It is so surreal to actually be leaving in just a week and a half. There is so much to do! My dear, wonderful friends planned a baby celebration for today and we have been so showered with love- THANK YOU!!! The boys are going to be so smothered with love- they don't even know what's coming:) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH we are so excited!!!

A little more info:)

2009-11-11T22:27:00.003+02:00

We have decided on names!!! For those of you who have seen the pictures, the one with his mouth open will be Levi Kwizera Dorband- Levi means "joined together in harmony" in Hebrew and Kwizera means "confidence & trust" in Kinyarwanda. Baby boy number two will be Judah Uwimana Dorband- Judah means "praised" in Hebrew and Uwimana means "belongs to God" in Kinyarwanda.

Our POA was able to tell us that Judah was found on March 26, 2009 and the nuns believe that he was about one week old at the time. That makes his birthday somewhere around March 19, 2009. He is coming up on his 8 month "birthday". He did not have any additional information for us on Levi.

They are amazing and beautiful and Adam and I are so in love with them!!! It is truly beyond words. Please continue to pray for the other families awaiting their referrals as well as for the other processes that need to take place for us to bring them home!!!

Dorband Party of FOUR

2009-11-09T18:01:00.004+02:00

With trembling hands I am writing to let you all know that we have two new additions to the Dorband family. We received a referral for two little boys this morning. It went into our spam!!! They have the most captivating eyes and the most amazing little toes. This moment feels so surreal and while I can't post them on a public forum until we pass court- here is a little sneak peak! The letter only gave their names- no birthdays or ages or anything. We will pass along the info as soon as we know!!! Thank you for walking with us on this crazy awesome adventure. Now we are focusing our prayers towards a NOVEMBER court date so we can bring them home.

Sweet Dreams

2009-11-08T16:57:00.002+02:00

I dreamt about our kids last night. I LOVE it when I dream about them:) We were at Home of Hope picking them up and I had the impression that it was the first time we ever saw them. They introduced us to the first one, it was a boy and his name was Levi. He rested his head on my shoulder and we whispered, Ndagukunda in his ear. We walked over to the other crib, but I woke up before I saw anything...I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't...hopefully we will know more this week. Veronique actually e-mailed me on Saturday to say that referrals would be coming very soon. I hope very soon means Monday and we would so appreciate it if you would continue to pray for a November court date.

Rumors about God...

2009-11-07T14:31:00.002+02:00

I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but I never got around to it, so here it goes. We are entering a series in our youth group called Secondhand Jesus, which is based off of a book by Glenn Packiam called "Secondhand Jesus: Trading Rumors of God for a Firsthand Faith." There is a passage in Job after God himself speaks where Job exclaims,

"I admit that I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand-from my own eyes and ears! I'm sorry-forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor." - Job 42:5-6

One of the biggest myths or rumors in the Christian faith (and one I hear frequently regarding this adoption process) is this, "Everything that happens is God's will." This simply is not true. My friend Jerusha Clark wrote a book titled The Life You Crave- the promise of discernment and in it she says, "Not only does this fallacy wrongly deny the dynamic relationship between God and man, but it also fails to match up with our daily experience. For instance, it is absolutely true that God wants none 'to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives,' as 2 Peter 3:9 (NCV) proclaims. But it's also true that many unrepentant people DO perish. While we don't fully understand it (and I don't think we ever will comprehend this on earth), there is an authentic interplay between God, mankind, and the actions individual men take."

Well said Jerusha! I cannot pretend to understand the mysteries of this relationship between God's will and man's actions, but I do know this. While God does not cause every circumstance, He can and will work in us through our circumstances to bring Him glory. I will continue to place my trust and hope in a God who loves me and gave His Son for me.

Hope Deferred Again

2009-11-05T18:37:00.002+02:00

Ugh- this is what our POA just wrote to us. We were under the impression (from The Minister herself), that she was already done with the files and the information simply needed to be scanned into the computer. According to Veronique, this is not the case. This is what he wrote...

"I went to The Ministry today, as you know calling does not make things work accordingly, it seems like she will not send the referrals this weekend. It seems like The Minister has not approved the referrals and so they can't be sent to the parents. I am so sorry for the delays. She asked me to call her on Monday because Friday they work a half day."

I don't know why I am suprised- I should have expected this. Please continue to pray that we can secure a November court date.

I heard this quote this morning and I believe it is timely, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." -Corrie Ten Boom

Keep Praying!!!

2009-11-03T18:53:00.001+02:00

Thanks to our wonderful network of blogging friends, this is the word on the street...please keep praying that all the technology works so Veronique can get the referrals out before the weekend. We also need continued prayers for a NOVEMBER court date.

This is what she wrote:)

"POA feels confident that your referral will come this week and said it will probably be Friday. Veronique has reassured her that she is doing everything she can to finish up these adoptions before the end of the year and she knows the courts are not open in December. Veronique is traveling upcountry some this week but should be in the office Thursday or Friday."

Requesting FERVENT Prayer

2009-10-31T17:56:00.002+02:00

Needless to say these past few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for those awaiting referrals from The Minister's Office and today was no different. I received word from my friend who is helping us through the process that courts are closed in Rwanda for the whole month of December. This means that if we do not receive our referral soon, which enables us to schedule a court date, we will have to wait to move forward until January. The prospect of this happening is overwhelming. We are asking everyone we know to pray fervently that we are able to secure a court date before the end of November. Thank you for standing with us!

Psalm 25:3a
"No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame..."

Hoping the website is misleading...

2009-10-28T02:44:00.002+02:00

One of the other families who is adopting from Rwanda read on The Minister's website that she has quite a busy week, which probably means no referral:( I'm hoping the website is misleading and she'll actually be in the office to approve our referrals this week...I am just struggling knowing that we are missing precious moments with our kids. I'm sure there will be times later in life where I will just want a few precious moments of peace and quiet, but for now, I just want them here!

2009-10-26T02:38:00.000+02:00

"Stronger Than I Knew"

2009-10-22T22:41:00.003+02:00

My mother-in-law sent me an incredible early birthday gift (my birthday is not until December). The title of the picture she sent is, "Stronger Than I Knew." The artist (Julie A Kirkland) painted it during one of the darkest points in her life and she says that it truly was an inspiration from God. It reminded me of where my strength comes from. She wrote this to me and sent it with the picture, "As I look at it I think of you and this past year and so much more- you are stronger than you know, but only with God." Of course it made me cry and I could just see God holding me with His mighty right hand. I uploaded the picture to share with you all- may it encourage your heart as well!

I have to say that both Adam and I have families that have been so wonderful and supportive through this whole journey. They have surrounded us with love and encouragement and they don't give easy answers like, "everything is going to be OK, just trust God." We do trust God, but sometimes you just want people to listen and understand and that is what our families do. Knowing this would be a difficult week, one of my sisters (I have 4) sent me homemade fudge brownies, while 2 others bought me a 2nd BEAUTIFUL convertible crib to match the one they bought me earlier this year (they really spoil me). My mom is working on hand made quilts and blankets so our kids don't freeze and on and on...Adam and I have amazing families.

The kindness of strangers who I call my friends...

2009-10-21T21:29:00.003+02:00

Whenever people ask me for an update, I usually tell them the latest news from one of my "friends". Most of these friends I have never met face-to-face, but they have all played a HUGE role in this journey and I feel that our hearts will always be connected. From the other adoptive families passing along news to Tina who has guided us every step of the way to our friends who actually live in Kigali and pass along news whenever possible- we are MORE GRATEFUL THAN WE COULD EVER TELL YOU!!! One of these friends, a man who works for the USAID office in Rwanda, sent this information along so I thought I would share. I really hope "a few days" really means tomorrow or Friday:) I should have learned by now to be less optimistic, but I'm not really good at the whole pessimism/realism thing. Thank you for standing with us!!!

"According to my contact you should get a response in a few days. The good news is that the bureaucratic wheels are in motion. Please be patient, "a few days" is vague, and it could be a bit longer than we prefer."

A few of my favorite things right now:)

2009-10-19T04:03:00.005+02:00

Adam's brother was in town this weekend so the boys did a few projects together including putting together a crib and installing a dimmer on the light in the kids' room. I also included pictures of a few other things that remind us that good news could be just around the corner. We feel like friends and family alike are all holding their breath in anticipation- please oh please let the pictures come this week!!!

I needed this today...

2009-10-16T00:01:00.001+02:00

Something to make you smile...

2009-10-13T00:11:00.003+02:00

I thought I should post something a little more faith-filled after my last posting so here is a video from our high school youth group (it's just from a hand-held camera so please forgive the quality-level). These are students whose lives are being touched and transformed by the awesome love of GOD! Such a wonderful reminder of His love:) I'm so glad that he is patient with me even though I can be so impatient!

Hope deferred until next week

2009-10-12T13:46:00.004+02:00

Up until this morning I was very hopeful that we would see pictures this week & actually know who our kids are, but our POA wrote the following this morning and I proceeded to cry all the way to work...

Talking with the nun this morning she said that they had already done the medical testing and identified the children for about 12 families including yours. She has not yet submitted all the required information to the ministry- she was to take them today, but Veronique is not in the office. She has made an appointment with Veronique for this coming Friday. So let's wait patiently to hear from Veronique later this week or early next week.

I have been waiting patiently and I will continue to wait because I have no other choice, but it is hard- we look forward with hesitant hope to next week...

Enric Sifa

2009-10-06T02:47:00.003+02:00

OK- I know two posts in less than an hour is a little ridiculous, but I was listening to my "Speak Rwanda" lessons and I came across this Rwandan church song that was BEAUTIFUL!!! It sent shivers up my spine to listen to it and I saw that it was sung by Enric Sifa. I proceeded to look him up on iTunes and it turns out that he has a whole CD of Christian music in both Kinyarwandan and English. I bought it immediately and it turns out he has an amazing story as well. I would highly recommend buying his CD "Just a Moment". This is an excerpt on Enric from a music website:

Rwandan born Eric Nshimiyumuremyi (now Enric Sifa) was orphaned by the tragic events of the 1994 genocide and its devastating impact to his country. At age nine he began to live on the streets, trying to find any way to survive. He struggled daily to get food and shelter, suffering from loneliness, abuse and hunger.

Because he loved music, he began hanging around village nightclubs, running errands for patrons. These clubs were dangerous though because drunk patrons or gangs would sometimes beat him or abuse him.

On a Saturday night in 2000, Enric was severely beaten in a nightclub. That night as he lay awake in pain, he felt so miserable because he had no one to help treat his wounds. He heard a voice telling him not to return to that life. The next Sunday morning he wandered into a church. In that church, he found his passion again-music! This music was free, and the people treated him well. Enric's heart began to feel hope for the first time so he gave his heart to God. He immediately began writing songs, and at 14 he wrote many powerful songs like Vahanze (come out and enter) still sung by his fans in Rwanda today.

In 2002 a church member asked Enric to teach children to sing for American visitors coming to help with a summer camp hosted by Africa New Life Ministries. While he led the children in music, Serena Morones from Portland Oregon recognized his life’s potential and offered to help him return to school.

As a newly sponsored student through Africa New Life Ministries, Enric began to flourish. He continued to write music and in 2004 he won a national music competition in Rwanda about the hazard of AIDS and how people can prevent it, earning the right to sit with the President of Rwanda.

While attending primary school at Gakenke Primary School in the eastern Provence, he was chosen as a student leader to attend national children’s summit with Rwandan government leaders. The summit was formed for the purpose of involving Rwandan students in the process of changing the country, to avoid repeating its painful history. He attended the summit for two years.

Today at the age of 21, Enric has composed over 60 songs in both his Kinyarwanda and English. He has appeared on Rwandan TV and radio, performed for government dignitaries and toured three times in the United States with the music group, Hindurwa. Enric's dream is to travel the world and speak about how people can make the world shine by loving each other , and sing to people about God's power to change anyone from the most hopeless circumstances. Enric released his first solo CD in December 2007.

No news, but we are hopeful!!!

2009-10-06T02:04:00.002+02:00

Maybe, just maybe, we will hear something this week or early next week. I would love to hear the news right now, but I'll take tomorrow or the next day or really any day, but I would prefer sooner rather than later:)

I read this yesterday in Romans 8 and it just reminded me of simple truths that are easy to overlook...Paul was an amazing man of God!

Romans 8 (Message)

Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture...

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Home of Hope: Where our kiddos are right now!

2009-09-29T22:34:00.003+02:00

I am dying to meet our kids! Some days I feel like I will explode from the inside out, but that would make a mess so I don't:) Even Adam dreamed about getting our referral last night and he NEVER (I mean NEVER) remembers his dreams. I've copied a post from a family that adopted from Rwanda this summer. They have started a non-profit to help Home of Hope where our kiddos are right now!!!

For more info- this is their website http://www.four4-more.blogspot.com

Laurel (adoptive mom):
Ever since Peter and I left the Home of Hope the last day with our precious Myles Mugisha , we have been haunted by the images of the children we had to walk away from. To finalize our adoption, we were in Rwanda seven days. Three of those days we had to return Myles to the orphanage by 5pm every evening. Peter encouraged me not to enter the orphanage until the final day that we had our son and could take him home.

The last day came, and we carried Myles down to the orphanage room where he spent about 5 months of his life, to say "goodbye." As soon as we entered the hallway that led to the different rooms of age-grouped children, I was hit with a smell-mix of dampness, wet diapers, and musty unopened windows. There really is no explaining it. When I entered Myles' room, I saw dark aqua walls, the smell of urine-soaked mattresses, rows and rows of tiny basinets, each one holding a child, an orphan with a story, a child who needed/s a home. Most of these tiny beds had a string across the top with dangling toys for the babies to look at. The only empty basinet was the one that had held Myles for those months of waiting. It was the length of his little body, no wonder he still, at 7 months, had no idea how to turn on his side. After spending some time visiting with the babies in the room, and trying to control the depth of anguish I felt for the orphaned children in the room and for the 2-3 care takers who were trying their hardest to feed, clothe, bathe, change, and care for the 35 infants in the room, we left to look into the other rooms of the orphanage. Next we walked into the 12-24 month room. Oddly enough-and I've never experienced anything else like this in my life, but I have NO memory of this room. I believe that it was too hard to see these children and my memory is blocked. The other room that I remember was full of 2-5 year olds (I think) and there were many rows of cribs, 2 children to a crib. It was 11am when we were there and you could have heard a pin drop in the room. It was nap time, in the morning. I took in the room for a moment: nothing on the walls, not toys to be seen, nothing. Nothing. A few children saw a visitor standing in the doorway (me) and peaked up without moving their precious heads, smiled, and did mini-waves.

There is so much more to write, but the end result is how we felt when we left. As we backed out of the Home of Hope driveway, I vividly remember waving to a small group of 2-4 year olds--and remember especially a bright-eyed little girl in a worn yellow dress, smiling and waving to us as we left. While we were so happy to be leaving with Myles, we were leaving many many more.

Coming home: I shared with my friends the grief we felt (and many other families feel) for those children left behind. What can we do? How do we start? My friends Christina and Heather, right away, responded with: "we can." A month and a half after we had settled into our new life with our baby Myles, they began talking about the action plan again. "We can do something." Even if it's sending an excersaucer for the infant room, which I got approval for...Myles had very little muscle tone in his legs from non-use.. The sisters at the orphanage and I found a small spot in the infant room where an excersaucer would fit perfectly. My mind went back to the children waving goodbye to us, standing in the dirt outside the Home of Hope, they weren't wearing shoes. "We can" send shoes. We can work together, with the help of others who have same-heart-desires for change.

Speak Rwanda

2009-09-26T00:11:00.003+02:00

I almost forgot that I found this great website where you can download audio to learn simple phrases in Kinyarwanda. There is a small fee for the lessons, but you can listen to the first one for free:) The website address is www.speakrwanda.com. I'm still looking for somewhere to purchase a CD with children's songs in Kinyarwanda as well- let me know if any of you have any leads!!! Have a wonderful weekend!

Still waiting...

2009-09-26T00:04:00.001+02:00

No news this week, but maybe next week!!! Praying for our little ones & dreaming about them every night. We will let you all know as soon as we know anything:)

No news yet...

2009-09-16T00:53:00.002+02:00

Hi everyone! I know that many of you check my blog for any shred of news and I don't have anything substantial to offer other than our POA talked to Veronique (at the Minister's office) yesterday and she said that they had not picked our kids yet. She assured him that she will contact us via e-mail as soon as they do, but he will check back next week just to be sure they are working on it:) Adam and I are keeping busy, which is good, but I can't wait to drop everything and head to Rwanda! As weird as it may sound, I miss these two little ones that I have never met so desperately that I feel that my heart may explode. Oh the joy of actually getting to meet them face-to-face!!

So many emotions...

2009-09-08T02:58:00.003+02:00

Hi friends...once again I am asking everyone to pray for the families (including ours) that are waiting for their adoption referrals from Rwanda. There are several families in Rwanda right now picking up their children and I read this on one of their blogs today- I was driven to full blown sobbing tears. Oh I pray that they are working on our match and that we can travel to pick up our kids soon!!! In the meantime- God please hold them in your hand.

This is what they wrote on their blog...

"This morning Nyanja took us to the genocide memorial here in Kigali. It’s hard to even express the depth and range of emotion that I felt. I have studied Rwandan history and know all the facts about the genocide, but … well, there are some things that books and movies can never convey. One of the last exhibits is dedicated to the children who were killed. I had made it through the museum up until that point, but as we walked out of there into the gardens, I couldn’t help but weep. Not just a few tears … I was sobbing. I surprised several gardeners with my blotchy, wet face. The garden area is very beautiful and peaceful with neatly groomed hedges, flowers, and pathways. They have 258,000 victims buried there in mass graves. There are still fresh flowers being placed on the graves and signs that say, “Never forget. Never again.” Nyanja said that before the genocide, there were only 3 orphanages in Rwanda. Now there are 300. Only 29 of these are registered, and only 1 has all the proper paperwork in place (hence the reason all the referrals are coming out of Home of Hope). Now, those children who were orphaned during the genocide are having babies that they can’t take care of and creating more orphans. Nyanja did tell us that Rwanda is a much better country after the genocide than it was before. People here have had to learn how to reconcile and move on. They are committed to healing and improving their nation.

We went to pick up Moses right after that. I’m sure he wondered why I held him so tight! While we were there, the police brought in a baby that had been found just hours earlier, abandoned on the side of the road. He was days old. This is the second baby that’s been brought to the orphanage just in the three days since we’ve been here."

"It's what we do while we wait..."

2009-09-05T23:41:00.004+02:00

A friend of mine from the worship school I went to in Colorado posted this on my facebook and I LOVED it!!! He said, "It's what we do while we wait that prepares us for the adventure ahead." This is a picture of what I did today- I have work I should be doing, but instead I put the word "miryango" on my wall and hung up an empty picture frame (that I got on clearance at Target) that will eventually hold pictures of our kids:) Miryango (Meeryahngo) means family in Kinyarwandan. I've been praying like crazy and cleaning and organizing so I will be ready when we get the good news. I think that is a good use of the waiting??? My adorable nephews' pictures are on top- aren't they cute:)

Another non-update update:)

2009-09-03T22:13:00.002+02:00

Hi everyone- this week has been CRAZY at work, but I am grateful to be employed and I am fortunate enough to love the place I work at and the people I work with so I won't complain:) The latest news from Rwanda is that The Minister's Office will be contacting the social worker who did our homestudy some time before October 12th (hopefully) with our referral. It seems like such a long ways away, but I keep reminding myself that IT IS SOOOOOOOOOO WORTH THE WAIT!!! Please continue to pray for the nuns at the orphanage and the people at The Minister's office as they make decisions regarding who will be our future children. I dream about them almost every night and Adam and I just can't wait to see their beautiful faces. God is good beyond words all of the time and I am so very grateful for His grace upon my life.

High Resolution Pictures of Rwanda Anyone???

2009-08-30T00:04:00.002+02:00

Hi blog friends:) I know this might be a weird request, but for those of you who have been to Rwanda, I was wondering if any of you might have high resolution scenic pictures. I have a large picture over my fireplace that I would love to replace with a scenic picture of Rwanda, but I would need a file that was large enough to be blown up to approximately 3ft by 2ft...let me know if any of you all can help. I would be oh so very grateful! My e-mail address is katiedorband@gmail.com. THANK YOU!!!

Amazima Ministries

2009-08-28T22:22:00.005+02:00

I have no news on the adoption front so I thought I would post about Amazima Ministries. The girl who runs this ministry, Katie (good name), is an extraordinary example of what it truly means to be a hero. This 20-year-old might not look like a hero to the world, but filled with the love of Christ, she transforms the lives of children in Uganda every day- that makes her a superhero in my book! Below is an excerpt from her website that describes how the ministry started. Also be sure to visit her blog that details her life in Uganda...you will be challenged and your faith will be strengthened http://amazima.org/blog.html.

In December of 2006, Katie Davis traveled to Uganda for the first time. She was immediately captivated and fell in love with the people and the culture. While in Uganda, Katie met Pastor Isaac Wagaba who implored her to come teach Kindergarten at his orphanage in Buziika, Uganda, called Canaan Children's Transit Center.

In the summer of 2007, Katie returned to Uganda to teach Kindergarten at Canaan. As she walked the children home from class each day, she was shocked to see the sheer number of school-aged children sitting idly on the side of the road or working in the fields. It was then that it came to Katie's attention that there were very few government-run public schools in Uganda, and none in the area where she was working. Most schools in Uganda are privately run and therefore require school fees for attendance. Due to the extreme poverty in this region of Uganda, many children are unable to afford schooling.

God laid it on Katie's heart to start a child sponsorship program, matching orphaned children who are unable to afford schooling with sponsors in the US. Sponsors pay $300.00 per year to send these children to school and provide school supplies, 2 hot meals each day, and all needed minor medical care. Originally planning to have 40 children in the program, Katie had signed up 150 by January 2008. By the grace of God, in December 2008 the sponsorship program had successfully sent all 150 children to school for a full year and provided them will all life's essentials.

Every Saturday morning the children in the program, as well as others from the village, arrive at Katie's home for fellowship, a hot lunch, baths, and Bible study led by an Ugandan employee. The children sing praises to the Lord until late in the afternoon. Before returning home, they are each given a bag of food for their family.

Amazima also strives to provide the children with spiritual growth. While the children are in school, two Ugandan Amazima employees spend time in the six villages where the children in the program live, holding Bible studies and spiritual growth activities with the families and guardians of the children to ensure they are coming home to a safe spiritual environment. Each child in the program is also visited by a social worker once every two weeks for a home visit to ensure that they are getting proper care and thriving in their home environment.

The thought is overwhelming...

2009-08-23T03:48:00.003+02:00

As I think more and more about what is going to transpire over the coming weeks, I am completely overwhelmed. I cannot imagine the task that is before the sisters at the orphanage. They will be choosing the future members of my family as well as several other families in the very near future. Please pray for those in the position to make these matches- that they would have wisdom and discernment and that God's perfect will would be done. I'm also praying for comfort for their hearts, because as joyful as it is to match children with forever families, it must be difficult to say goodbye to their beautiful faces. Thanks for walking with us through this journey:)

Biking & Adoption:)

2009-08-22T05:33:00.002+02:00

Today Adam and I went on what I consider to be a VERY long bike ride- 32 miles to be exact. Adam used to race mountain bikes in Colorado so he barely broke a sweat, but as for me, I am sore and tired, but it was a wonderful day! As I was trucking along somewhere around mile 25, I started to feel real fatigue set in- my muscles were aching and I was just plain tired of riding. In an effort to take focus my attention on something other than my current plight, I allowed my mind to to wander to what it tends to wander to every spare moment of every day...the future Dorband's and adoption. Right now in the process feels a lot like mile 25 today and I'm sure there are other families who can relate:) We are near-ish to the end, but not close enough to see it just yet. There is so much joy and anticipation in this whole journey, but it can indeed be wearing and tiring. While the pedals of my bike turned round and round, I kept hearing the lyrics to a song that I wrote a while back...the bridge says, "I need you, I need you, I need you- Jesus, I trust you, I trust you, I trust you with my life." I do trust God, but then again, I need Him to help me in my unbelief. Thankfully He is so patient and I know He loves our kids even more than we do!

Psalm 103

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Approval Letter from Rwanda!

2009-08-18T16:59:00.002+02:00

Approval Letter!!!

2009-08-18T14:54:00.002+02:00

Here is our approval letter:) It specifically approves us for TWO and we should know who they are within two months!!! Our POA is going to take this to the orphanage for the process to begin. Please pray for the people who pick the children to have wisdom as they choose the future members of the DORBAND FAMILY:) AHHHHHHHH WE ARE SO EXCITED- I'm still shaking:)

*OK I can't load the picture of the letter right now because I am somewhere with a bad internet connection, but I will load it SOON:)

Trying to remain optimistic:)

2009-08-14T17:21:00.003+02:00

We are still waiting for the approval letter from The Minister's Office that we expected this week. Generally, if I don't hear anything by 10am on Friday, I know that is it for the week...so we look forward to next week and choose to remain optimistic, even though we are so disappointed. I just wanted you all to know. I truly hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The Latest News...sort of:)

2009-08-10T15:13:00.002+02:00

This is the e-mail I received from our power of attorney this morning and I am pretty excited...cautious, but excited!

"I did go to the ministry today just as I had said. Talking with Veronique, she said that she was going to email you to let you know that you will be informed of your approval letter in few days. As for her, she says that yoour file has no problem and it is only that the officers have been very busy to issue any letter. I think she will explain this in her letter which she was going to send you."

Possible approval letter this week-yay!!!

No News

2009-08-07T14:41:00.002+02:00

I don't have any news so I just thought I would post a verse from the Bible that I love:)

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

Happy Anniversary to us:)

2009-08-06T06:05:00.002+02:00

Adam and I have been married for 9 years today! We have had such an adventure and we know that there is so much more to come. God is and always will be the great I AM and we know that He has and always will be at work in our lives. Right now we are really struggling with the wait. Our hearts ache and we long to hear some good news. The blessing on the other side is worth the wait!!! We're going to hang on to that for now.

Waiting and praying:)

2009-08-03T23:24:00.002+02:00

No news yet...I'm hopeful that I might hear something by the end of this week:) Adam is on a mission trip downtown Detroit this week and I am back to work at school and I am finding some time to cross items off my "honey do" list. I just finished replacing the kitchen sink and it doesn't leak! Next I need to treat the yard for grubs, find someone to fix our leaking roof, and finally get my car repaired from the fender bender that happened 6 months ago. We're just trying to make the most of all this waiting!!! God is good all the time and I am grateful for His love:)

God is so good!

2009-07-27T05:16:00.002+02:00

I don't have any adoption news, but I wanted to share that Adam and I are still in Columbia and we have seen God do INCREDIBLE things during our short stay here. One of the students told me today that her life will never be the same after this trip and I feel the same way. We have preached the gospel to thousands of people and seen hundreds come to know the awesome love of God. We have been on many different mission trips all over the world, but we have never seen anything like what we have experienced over these past two weeks. One thing I know for sure- the God who set the boundaries for the ocean can most certainly handle the details of our adoption (even though I feel at times that I would rather be in control). Blessings on all of you and much love!!! Check out www.holyholyholyishe.blogspot.com for videos of our time in Columbia so far.

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

2009-07-23T18:58:00.003+02:00

Well...we were really hoping to have our letter from The Minister of Family and Gender by now, but we haven't heard anything. Have any of you other families out there waiting heard any news??? We are thinking of all of you during this wait!

Bogata Columbia here we come!!!

2009-07-12T20:10:00.002+02:00

Adam and I will be leaving on Wednesday to take 31 high school and college students from our church to Bogata, Columbia on a mission trip. If you are interested in following the journey of our team check out www.holyholyholyishe.blogspot.com and if you think of it, please be lifting us up in your prayers. God's love is so good and we want to go share it with others!!! Hopefully we will get some good news from Rwanda while we are there:)

In Christ's love,
Katie

Still Waiting:)

2009-07-06T18:26:00.002+02:00

So we are back from Cornerstone and we still don't have any news- our POA has told us that The Minister's office should have our approval "soon," but we all know what that means! The blessing on the other side is worth the wait and we are focusing on God's goodness and timing- He is perfect and we can trust Him with our lives!!! While at the music festival we met a family who just came home with their daughter from Uganda- she is 10 months old and BEAUTIFUL. Adam said to me after meeting them, "I just really wanted to hold her." That totally melted my heart- he's going to be such a good dad! Right now I am frantically doing laundry and cleaning and then we head out next week for a mission trip to Columbia with 30 of the high school and college students from our church. I've made sure we will have internet access over there so I can get news if it comes while we are there, but we are hoping to hear something this week:)

Phil. 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Help support other adoptive families!!!

2009-06-28T17:03:00.004+02:00

The Braner family from Colorado has an adopted daughter from Rwanda and they are currently in the process of adopting a boy. They have started a very creative ministry called AnNi Designs. They sell t-shirts and the profits go to support families who are in the process of adopting. One of the shirts in their summer line will go towards a family who is adopting two children from Rwanda. It has a picture of Africa on it with the word "IBYIRINGIRO" across it, which means HOPE in Kinyarwandan.

Check out their website at http://www.annifororphans.com/

Lots to be thankful for!

2009-06-27T00:41:00.002+02:00

Hey all- I'm sorry it has been so long since I posted, but there is no news on the adoption front. This is the e-mail I received from our POA today "Today I checked with Velonique as she had told me . For this time I talked with he on phone. and the answer is still the same. She told me that she will let us know in near future if she hears of anything from the other guy who is helping. As for her, she is still very busy doing other things."

Sooooooooo, we continue to trust God's timing- He alone created the universe and can most certainly take care of the details of our lives according to His will. He is so good all the time and I continue to be overwhelmed by His great love, mercy, and grace.

On a different note, I am a part of a band that leads worship for the high school ministry at our church. We are releasing our first CD this Saturday (tomorrow) and we are SUPER excited! Our lives and everything that we are belong to Him and we pray that these songs are used for His glory alone. It is available on iTunes and there are music clips on myspace (www.myspace.com/alivedownriver). Next week we are heading to Cornerstone music festival in Illinois to lead worship as well and after that it's off to Columbia for a mission trip. All this crazy busyness certainly makes the wait a little easier!

Have a wonderful weekend:)

Still waiting:)

2009-06-18T19:51:00.002+02:00

I just heard from our POA and he said that Veronique is taking a few well deserved days off after the events she planned this week for the children of Rwanda. He thinks we may hear something by Wed. of next week, but no promises. God is in control and we TRUST Him!!! Have a wonderful weekend:)
Katie

Fun with my dad:)

2009-06-16T03:21:00.004+02:00

Every summer since Adam and I moved to Michigan my dad has come to my house to help me with various projects around the house. My neighbors know when his van shows up that it is work time. He has taught me so much and we have had a ton of fun installing floors and decks and various other things around the house. This year it was time to get the extra bedroom ready for the kids- yay!!! We ripped out the old white carpet (yuck- I HATE old carpet) and we are laying down flooring that is durable, waterproof, and oh so easy to clean. I keep saying thank you and my dad keeps saying, "you don't need to thank me." That's just the kind of person he is and I love doing projects with him:) We installed this floor in our kitchen, dining, and living room upstairs and it is great, but VERY hard to cut. By God's grace, (yes I think he cares about these details), we found a manual vinyl tile cutter for rent at The Home Depot and it is making cutting the planks a cinch! So...if you ever install allure vinyl plank flooring from The Home Depot- you NEED to rent a vinyl tile cutter. I attached pictures because I am a dork:)

On the adoption front- we really hope to hear some news from The Minister's office this week, but if not, we are hopeful it will come next week. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my parents took us to a restaurant. I would ask, "when is our food coming?" and my parents would say, "It is just around the corner." I trust that good news is just around the corner and in the mean time I am going to defer my nervous energy to obsessively cleaning and organizing my house.

To all families with dossiers in Rwanda.

2009-06-08T19:08:00.003+02:00

Hi all- I heard from our POA again today and he said that Veronique (the woman who is responsible for verifying all the materials in our dossier) is planning a big event in Rwanda for the children and she has been very busy making the necessary preparations. From what I understand this should be over on the 16th and then we may have some news shortly after that. I just thought I would pass the info along as I always feel better when I know why I am waiting. As my friend Tina says- "The blessing on the other side will be well worth the wait!"

Have a wonderful week!

Not really an update:)

2009-06-05T13:42:00.002+02:00

It's been a while since I've posted news, but there's not much to tell. Veronique from The Minister's office e-mailed me today and said our dossier will be analyzed as soon as possible- whatever that means...last week she told our POA to stop by this week and this week she says it will be done as soon as possible...so we wait. We are clearly among many families waiting for this approval and we understand that these things take time. If you think of it, please pray that everything works out according to HIS timing (not just for us, but also for the other families) so we end up with the children that HE has chosen for us already. They are probably already born so you can also be praying for them as you feel led! Thank you for all your loving support:)

Adoption is greater than the universe...

2009-06-03T00:11:00.004+02:00

This video is so beautiful and so profound. I had to share it with you!!! Make sure you turn off the music before you watch it:)

Update...

2009-05-21T21:25:00.002+02:00

I don't like leaving you all with no news for too long, but right now there is not much to tell and that is to be expected. Our POA stopped by The Minister's office and they have received all our updated documents (YAY FedEx- they said it would arrive on Wednesday and it was delivered on Monday!!!) The Minister has looked through our file and passed it on to her "technitian" who will verify everything. Right now we are just enjoying a very full schedule and trying to get ready for the good news that is just around the corner:) I hope you all have a beautiful Memorial Day weekend!!!

Micah 6:8
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly...
To love mercy...
Walk humbly with your God.

Pics from DC trip #2

2009-05-15T22:38:00.003+02:00

These are the pics from Adam's second trip to DC with the boys. It turned out to be a lot of fun:) Thank you Drew, Eric & Quin!!! You guys rock!!!

Yay!

2009-05-14T22:26:00.002+02:00

Adam made it safely to DC and had all our documents authenticated and stamped at the embassy in a matter of hours- THANK YOU MR. RUKATA!!! It sounded like him and the guys had some fun while they were there too (I heard something about pretending to be Canadian). Because of the new requirements we will be sending three papers "overnight" using FedEx and then we wait. The next step is a letter from The Minister that will go to the orphanage she refers us to. So many people have had their hand in this process so far and we are eternally grateful.

Kacyiru to Nyarugenge...

2009-05-13T22:25:00.002+02:00

Through the help of a wonderful friend (whom I have never met, but I will call him a friend), our dossier has been located. It was at the Kacyiru PO and was then transferred to the Nyarugenge PO this week (I have no idea where those are). Our contact in Rwanda actually has it in his possession and it will be hand delivered to The Minister's office tomorrow! Adam is still on his way to DC to get the papers authenticated for the new requirements and those will be off via FedEx by Friday. We have no idea why our dossier was so lost, but we are so glad it is found!

Guys only road trip...

2009-05-12T02:41:00.003+02:00

This week Adam will be taking a guys only road trip to DC not only for some good male bonding time, but to re-authenticate and stamp all of our documents. Our entire dossier with all original, notarized, sealed, authenticated, and stamped documents was lost either in Rwanda or en-route to Rwanda...the details are very uncertain. Our friends and family from across the map quickly mobilized to help us re-assemble a new dossier and we are just waiting on 2 things that should arrive in the mail tomorrow (we hope).

There has been a great deal of frustration and sorrow associated with taking so many steps back, but in the spirit of remaining on the sunny side, this will be a unique opportunity for Adam to spend some quality time with the guys while I am at some training for work. Job 42 says that no plan of God's can be thwarted- my plans can, but not His:) I will trust in that.

"It is not only when we have something that we celebrate."

Please pray for safe travels for them as they go (and favor at the embassy).

It's not always when we have something that we celebrate

2009-05-09T04:46:00.005+02:00

Earlier this week I was reading a newsletter put out by World Vision and there was an article in it that really struck a chord in my heart. It was about people in a community in Kenya struggling to stay nourished and provide for their families. They talked about serious drought, famine, wars, and other difficulties related to meeting their basic human needs. In the midst of the daily struggle to live, World Vision workers attended a church service with people from the community. This is what transpired...

The pastor begins the service. “For two years, we didn’t have rain,” he says. “But for two days, we’ve had rain. We give God blessings.” The congregation responds with an offering, collecting a few rumpled Kenyan shillings in a basket. Two older women dance the basket to the altar, circling each other like crested cranes dancing in a field. Later, I speak with one of the women, Ekadel Ngiro. “What happens if there is no money?” I ask. “We dance even if it is empty, because God sees us and understands us,” she says. “It is not always when we have something that we celebrate.”

For me, I don't want to be a wave tossed about by the moment- I want to love God in a way that He is worthy of being loved...in every circumstance of my life...in every season..in every period of waiting that feels unbearable. He is The Great I AM, Creator, Lover, Life-Giver, Perfect One...AND I WILL PRAISE HIM!

Please continue to pray...

2009-05-06T22:41:00.001+02:00

We now have our POA along with a contact in the USAID office trying to locate our dossier in Rwanda. Please pray that as a new day dawns in Kigali, it is found and brought safely to The Minister's office. My heart is aching to think of replacing those papers and the delay it will cause. I am so grateful to have so many people helping us- God is good all the time!!!

Dorbands on a Journey

The day we held our boys...

It's about time:)

New Pictures

My Husband's Tears

I love adoption!

3 Months Home...

Spoon-tastic Fun:)

Happy, truly happy, but exhausted:)

My boys take my breath away!!!

More video

Little drummer boy...

Video

Adopted by so many...

Instant family:)

Happy "One Month Anniversary" Boys!!!

Highlights From Kenya

Back Home:)

GOOD NEWS!!!

Non-update updates from Nairobi:)

Totally Unexpected Blessing

Kwizera=FAITH

Rwanda Video

Praying for Levi

Pics from the Kigali airport...

In the Kigali airport

Success

Updates...

Levi Laughs:)

Pics from the last few days:)

Travel Papers and Prayer Request:)

More Video

Video from day 1

Day 2 with the boys...

Details

These pictures are worth a thousand words...

The Best Day Ever!

We have arrived!!!

In Amsterdam

Leaving:)

Itinerary

Katherine with a K!

Reality Check

Our Boys!!!

Lodging in Rwanda

One week until lift off!!!

Court Date- I am so amazed!

Updated Info

A little more info:)

Dorband Party of FOUR

Sweet Dreams

Rumors about God...

Hope Deferred Again

Keep Praying!!!

Requesting FERVENT Prayer

Hoping the website is misleading...

"Stronger Than I Knew"

The kindness of strangers who I call my friends...

A few of my favorite things right now:)

I needed this today...

Something to make you smile...

Hope deferred until next week

Enric Sifa

No news, but we are hopeful!!!

Home of Hope: Where our kiddos are right now!

Speak Rwanda

Still waiting...

No news yet...

So many emotions...

"It's what we do while we wait..."

Another non-update update:)

High Resolution Pictures of Rwanda Anyone???

Amazima Ministries

The thought is overwhelming...

Biking & Adoption:)

Approval Letter from Rwanda!

Approval Letter!!!

Trying to remain optimistic:)

The Latest News...sort of:)

No News