Those Crazy Kids

Most people's first concern when talking to us is the kids. We thought this would be a good experience for our kids, but in the back of my mind I could picture Caleb in his therapist's office saying "when I was 12, my parents sold everything we owned and moved us to another country..." I am happy to report that our kids are amazing. They are tough and resilient. Hiking across Antigua with backpacks to the grocery, living three different places, starting with zero Spanish, they have overcome some difficult circumstances and are thriving. They miss their grandparents, cousins, and friends, but rarely dwell on it, and are happy to talk to them as often as possible. Everyone has had a moment or two of homesickness or cultural frustration, but fortunately they've kind of taken turns which makes it manageable. Our pastoral care team, the Burgers, visited us a couple of months ago, and they said we appeared to be doing well, but that our kids seemed to be outshining even Chad and I in their ability to adapt to their new environment.

Here's a quick run-down:
Caleb, more than any of us I think, LOVES his new school. He is playing soccer and really sharpening his trumpet skills. He is active in youth group, enjoying learning Spanish, and has a lot of good friends. He is maturing into a teenager  who I really like a lot.

Aleksandra has good grades, is playing the clarinet, has a beautiful Spanish accent, and has several good friends, including a fellow Russian adoptee! Her middle childness is somewhat appeased by being the new kid in school. If you know her at all, you know what I mean. She is loving life.

Sterling is growing so fast! She is talking all the time and really starting to pick up Spanish quickly. Recent additions to her vocabulary are "zapatos" (atta girl) and "No me gusta!"She goes to child care at school while I'm teaching, and she loves it. She looks forward to playing with her friends every day. She is also like the honorary CAG mascot. Everyone on campus adores her.

Visits from church friends and grandmother have helped along the way, and looking forward to more grandparents visiting (soon!) and more friends in the spring and summer help us all from getting too homesick. I'm pretty amazed when I see how well the kids are doing, even though there are times when life here can get intense and I know they see Chad and I under stress. But they are also seeing as God provides for us time and again, and they are developing servant hearts toward the people here. The education they are gaining in this cross-cultural-spiritual adventure is greater than anything I could possibly teach them, so I'm just grateful. For awesome kids, for their good transition, for the opportunity to be here. So thanks for making it possible because if you're reading this you are probably a part of it all in some way.