November 3, 2018

It's so Real Now! 

I might have cried tears of joy on the phone last evening. We're officially traveling to get Jameson on December 2nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's next? 

• Complete Visa Applications and Apply
• Book our Flights through Adoption Airfare
• Book our hotels in Burundi and Kenya
• Confirm our Dog sitter 
• Pack
• Finish getting Jameson's room ready

Finally- prepare our hearts to bring this little man home! God is good! Please remember we'll be cocooning for several months after arriving home. We promise to post pictures and videos along the way. 

                 Love,

              Jim and Kelly 

P.S-

We are sooo close to reaching our goal for our matching grant from church. $829 close! All money will go towards our trip to bring Jameson home! Here is how you can donate:

2. Give Online:

https://secure.lifesong.org/give/donate/?gift=2&adoption=1

Then complete the online form and fill in our family name and family account number.

Family Name= Whittaker

Family Account Number= 7693

If you have any questions, please reach our to one of us!

*** Please note, all donations of $50 or more will automatically receive a tax-deductible receipt from Lifesong for Orphans. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request.

October 17, 2018

This Adoption Journey Has Come Full Circle 

Does anyone remember our first blog post back in June of 2015?!?!?!

 It's certainly been a long three years full of emotions and uncertainties surrounding our adoption. We've submitted more paperwork then one could imagine, completed two full home studies, one home study addendum, made payment after payment with the assistance of family and friends, dreamed of one day hearing a sweet voice call us mom and dad, receiving a devastating phone call regarding a referral we couldn't accept to finally receiving pictures and videos of our son! We're hear to tell you every step of this process has been rewarding and we wouldn't change it for the world.

The last eight months of waiting has been difficult at times- but we've focused on knowing Dieudonne is our son and God will guide the rest of this process. Life has truly come in full circle the past three years because of our patience, faith, and trust in God's process and plans. With that being said, it's with much excitement Jim and I are able to announce we received our court decree from Burundi yesterday! What does that mean???

• First and foremost- Dieudonne is OFFICIALLY our son!!! Yes- that's right, he's ours. There is NO TURNING BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
• We will begin the next step of filing for our Visas to travel to Burundi. 
• Then finally- we will plan our trip to bring Dieudonne home. We hope to travel in late November/early December (pray warriors- that's your mission!) 

What an amazing Christmas present this little guy will be to our entire family and friends. Thank you for continuing on this journey with us- we couldn't have done this without your love and support. 

For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted the desires of my heart. 1 Samuel 1:27 

LOVE,

Jim and Kelly 

September 11, 2018


Good Evening!

Jim and I wanted to quickly share some good news with everyone! We received word that all went well yesterday at our court hearing in Burundi. Pierre reported to our social worker here in the United States the positive news. Our next step will be to wait for our court decree which could take up to 30 days to obtain. At that point, we'll apply for our Visas and start to plan our trip.


Can you believe how real this is getting?????

            Love,
      Jim and Kelly

September 4, 2018

Unexpected Exciting News

After patiently waiting during the month of August for the courts in Burundi to reopen- we received word today our court date is now set for September 10th instead of October!

What does this mean? 
As long as all goes smoothly on September 10th- we patiently wait for our adoption decree. Families typically wait a month of so for these documents. We'll also begin the application process for our visas as soon as we have confirmation of our court date. Once we get the decree then we'll wait about 30 days. At that point Pierre, our social worker in Burundi, can request the letter of invitation from the Central Authority for us to travel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Hopefully- we'll be traveling in December to bring Jameson home!


Prayers of continued patience and positive vibes that all continues to go as God has planned!


Exciting to think the reality of bringing Jameson home is becoming more and more of a reality! There were times during this journey we never thought the day would come! 

                            Love,
                         Jim and Kelly 

July 31,2018

What For It...........

We found out Friday afternoon Pierre, our social worker in Burundi, was going to hopefully visit Jameson over the weekend. The purpose of the visit was to deliver his package and tell him about his mother and father. Like most news with our adoption, we begin praying for all hands in the process and remind ourselves everything is in his time. 

This afternoon, we received an unexpected phone call from Melissa, our social worker from All God's Children International. Melissa shared Pierre was able to visit Jameson this weekend!!!! She also explain he was hopeful our court date would take place in September. We're realistically looking at a November through January travel date. Praise the lord!!!!! This little guy will be home before we know it! 

              We're honored and blessed to be Jameson's forever parents!

                                                   Love,

                                             Jim and Kelly 

July 25,2018

Emotional Roller Coaster

Our journey toward adopting sweet Jameson into our family has been an emotional roller coaster at times! It seems every high moment comes with a splash of reality which typically slows the process.

We thought our court date in Burundi had either already occurred or would be occurring any day now. Unfortunately, we received an email from our social worker stating our court date is currently scheduled for October. Our first reaction was- Are you kidding us? We were quickly grounded by a subtle reminder, this entire process to date has not gone as "planned." We've found God's unique timing to be perfect. Pierre, our social worker in Burundi, will be negotiating to move our court date sooner but there are certainly no guarantees. We want to note, several families received this news. Please continue to pray for all families currently adopting from Burundi as we accept God's perfect timing. 

What does this mean for travel? 

Once our court date occurs, we'll be waiting on our adoption decree. The adoption decree can take anywhere from one to two months. Then we'll wait for an invitation from Burundi to travel!!! Typically, this arrives 40 days after the adoption decree. We originally thought we'd be traveling between October and December of 2018. If our court date doesn't occur until October, then we'll realistically be looking to travel in January or February. Not only would Jameson not be home for the holidays, there would be a high likelihood we'd have to pay to update our home-study again. The irony behind this "set back" is no matter what Jameson is our son and WILL be coming home! We'll just have to continue to hurry up and wait!!!!!!!!!

T-Shirt Campaign:

Thank you to everyone who ordered a T-Shirt. Ours arrived today and WOW are they soft!!!! Remember, we want to collect pictures of everyone wearing their shirts!!! We want to show Jameson how loved he is! A few people ordered shirts after the deadline, so another campaign opened! If you know anyone that missed out and wanted to order, they have 11 days! The link below works: 

Order a T-Shirt

Jim and I appreciate each and everyone of you! Without you, the past three years of waiting would have been torturous! 

                                         LOVE,

                                     Jim and Kelly 

July 8, 2018

What is Cocooning and Why is it important? 

Cocooning is a very intensive time of care where Jim and I will be the sole primary caregivers for Jameson. During this time, we will be the only people to hold ,feed, touch, kiss, comfort and play with him. It's recommended we don't introduce him to new people including family members and not leave the house with him. During cocooning we have to be intentional about bonding with Jameson and teaching him we are his primary caregivers no matter what! Our main goal will be to develop healthy attachments and boundaries as well as a deep bond to us. We must be sensitive to his needs and highly responsive during this time as well. Establishing routines will also be key. The best part of cocooning will be learning his personality while he investigates ours!!! It's absolutely critical we establish TRUST before leaving our house consistently. 

The one piece of advice Jim and I hear over and over again is be sure to cocoon. Families choosing not to put this practice in place regret the decision. 

Our Plan.......

We will be in Africa for 9-11 days as a family unit. Upon returning home, we want to control the outside world and distractions as much as possible so Jameson can begin to feel comfortable. Remember we will be dealing with a language barrier as well. We will put ourselves in his shoes and provide routines and proximity (recommended to be only an arms length away as much as possible- even when he's sleeping).  We want to give Jameson our undivided attention during this time. He will guide us through play and we'll show him as much affection as he can tolerate. We will also limit rules to health and safety during this time. 

9-11 days in Africa 

First Two Weeks Home- Alone in our house as a family unit, providing him with some 1:1 time with each of us toward the end of this two weeks. 

Third Week Home- Transition back to work one of us at a time. 

*** Our plans will adjust depending on the time frame of travel and how he's handling the transition***

Once we go back to work, we will still be cocooning in the evenings and on the weekends. It's recommended we do this for at least the first 90 days and again anytime we feel it's needed. Once we have a pattern of good behaviors, we'll start emerging! 

What we ask of Friends & Family during Cocooning......

The main thing we need from our friends and family is understanding during this time. We will share our journey and time with Jameson via our Whittaker Adoption Journey Facebook Group. We will post pictures and videos as often as possible. Thanksgiving and Christmas will most likely fall during this time, we need everyone to understand our need to be low key and limit traveling during this time. Our local friends and family can run errands for us or even grocery shop especially during the first few weeks! 

The first three months Jameson is home will be critical for bonding as a family unit. While we know it's going to be hard for everyone because you all care for him deeply, we are asking you to be respectful during our cocooning and understand the process. Trust us, we'll be dying for each of you to meet him as well! 

Prayer Requests: 

1- For God to prepare Jameson's heart for his transition to his forever home in America with us. 

2- For Jameson to know he can be who he wants to be! We have NO expectations for his abilities or interests! 

3- For guidance as Jim and I make decisions regarding cocooning and schooling

4- For doors to open regarding childcare once we go back to work. We need to find a babysitter with limited, very limited kids in their home until he goes to school this Spring. Several potential plans have fallen through. 

5- God to continue to provide financially as we are nearing the end of this journey 

Thank you for joining us on this journey, please do not hesitate to ask questions about cocooning. We will do our best to answer! 

             Love,
         Jim and Kelly 

June 21, 2018


More Exiting News, Plus information regarding Matching Grant from our church! 

Exciting News:
We received word, our Article 5 was sent to Burundi!
 What is an Article 5?
 An Article 5 is a document stating  in accordance to The Hague Convention and based on information currently available, the US authorities  from the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya have determined us eligible and suited to adopt Dieudonne (Jameson)!!!!!!! It also give Dieudonne permission to enter and reside permanently in the US following his adoption!!!

Next step?  We wait for word of our court date in Burundi. Pierre, our social worker, will represent us during the hearing. After this hearing, Dieudonne (Jameson) will officially be ours! 

It's honestly surreal at times to say we have a son. Jim and I have prayed long and hard for many years for this day to arrive. God is good and he knows what he's doing! 


Matching Grant From Our Church, Life Mission:

There are two ways you can give:

1. Give By Check:
Please have family and friends make checks payable to Lifesong for Orphans. In the memo, you should write the following:  Preference #7693 Whittaker

Please mail checks to:
Lifesong for Orphans
PO Box 40
Gridley, IL 61744


2. Give Online:
Click this  link to donate online.

Then complete the online form and fill in our family name and family account number.
Family Name= Whittaker
Family Account Number= 7693

If you have any questions, please reach our to one of us! 

*** Please note, all donations of $50 or more will automatically receive a tax-deductible receipt from Lifesong for Orphans. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request. 


"How blessed is he who considers the helpless...."
       Psalm 41:1


Love,
Jim and Kelly 

June 17, 2018


We have a lot to update, so here we go! 

Name:
You will see us refer to our son as Dieudonne or Jameson. His given French name is Dieudonne meaning "Gift of God." To ease transition and his life in America, we'll be naming him Jameson meaning "Son of James." We'll legally change his name during the re-adoption process (We'll explain later) to Jameson Dieudonne Whittaker.


Next Steps in the Adoption:
We sent our application for Dieudonne's Visa which is being delivered to the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya as I type. Next, we're waiting for our Article 5. An Article 5 is basically the US Embassy in Nairobi giving us permission to bring Dieudonne to the United States. That approve will be sent to Burundi, we'll be waiting for our court date, typically about 4 weeks from Article 5 approval. During the court date, we'll receive our official adoption decree and Dieudonne will be ours! Next we'll wait about 3-4 months to get an invitation to travel. The final step for now, will be going to Africa to pick up our little man! Our estimated time for travel is between October - December.


Matching Grant- for travel via Life Mission Church:
There are expenses along this journey all the time and honestly at times it feels never ending! The last big expense is our trip to Africa. We recently discovered our church offers matching grants for families that are adopting. Jim and I applied and were blown away when we found out they approved a $4,000 matching grant through a not-for-profit organization called Lifesong for Orphans. We are working to get our account set up. We've unfortunately encountered some technical issues and hope to get them resolved this week! More details on this amazing opportunity to come!!!!!

Facebook Group:
If you're a Facebook user, we've created a closed group. This group will mainly be utilized to post updates when we travel. We will also post pictures and videos of Jameson as they become available. We'll still utilize our Blog for updates as well. If you'd like to follow our journey on Facebook search Whittaker Adoption Journey and request to be a member!

You can try this link too......

Whittaker Adooption Journey Via Facebook 




Pictures:
Another family we've gotten to know traveled to get their two precious little boys from the same orphange Jameson's located this past week. We were blessed to receive some updated videos and pictures of Jameson from them! Can't believe we've known about him for about three months now! We also found out his favorite color is Yellow, see he was meant for our family. We plan to incorporate yellow in his room as much as possible! (It was Jim's idea to find out, he definitely earned bonus points for this one!)

               Looks like he's drew a basketball court!

          Look at those feet! We certainly hope they are over-sized!

Thank you from the bottom or our hearts for supporting us through this journey. Words can't express how much we appreciate each of you!

                                                   Love,
                                          Jim and Kelly

March 19, 2018

On February 22nd, Jim and I received the phone call that would forever change our lives! We're honored to introduce six year old Dieudonne, our son! 

        *** Please do not share these pictures on any form of social media!***

Dieudonne is a French name meaning "Gift of God." We plan to make Dieudonne his middle name and give him the name Jameson meaning "Son of James." 

We appreciate all the LOVE and SUPPORT you've showed us over the past three years! We have a remaining $10,000 to pull together for our trip to pick this little handsome man up! Be looking for an opportunity to match your support through a tax deductible donation via our church! Details coming soon! 

                        LOVE,
                  Jim and Kelly