Gotcha Day!

In the Adoption world, "Gotcha Day" is how adoptive families often refer to the day that they finally got their adoptive child.  In just two days we will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary of our adoption! Although I can totally understand the term "Gotcha Day" and can relate to the anticipation of that child finally belonging to you, I can't bring myself to refer to our day as "Gotcha Day."  Then I thought about what would I call it?..."Given Day" is what came to my mind.

As I have previously shared with you all, my husband, Dan, and I had known Kevin for 6 years prior to him coming home.  Kevin was brought to Love and Hope Children's Home in El Salvador by his grandfather as a 3 year old, weighing about 12 pounds.  Kevin's mom had abandoned him and left Kevin with her father and migrated illegally to the United States.  Grandpa came with Kevin, recognizing he had done all he could do to care for him, yet Kevin was very sick and needed better care.  The founder of the Children's home, Rachel, was hesitant, because Love and Hope was not a home for special needs children.  But, she trusted there was a reason that here was this sick little boy at their guarded gate with a desperate Grandfather.  Kevin was welcomed into the family of Love and Hope Children's Home.

Tia Larissa

Over the years Kevin would receive the best care he could have possibly received in El Salvador.  Even with the very best efforts he was hospitalized about 4-6 times a year for pneumonia and/or dehydration. Anytime he was admitted, either Rachel herself or one of Kevin's "Tias" (caregivers whom the children called "Aunt") were present with him at all times.  He was never alone.  Kevin had one of two precious women caring for him, Tia Mila and Tia Larissa. Tia Mila would daily clap Kevin's hands and sing "Alabare a mi Senor" as he would light up and smile and still does anytime we sing it to him.   They loved him, kissed and hugged him, and were diligent in his care.

When the Lord showed us the magnitude of Kevin's needs and told us to adopt him, we had to ask his Grandfather if we could adopt him,
as Grandpa still maintained guardianship of Kevin.  I remember Dan and I writing a lengthy letter to Grandpa explaining how loved he would be and all of the opportunities Kevin would have in the U.S.  We sent down a photo album to show him Courteney, so that he understood that we loved kids with special needs.  We included family photos and pictures of our wheelchair accessible home.  We could only hope he would see that we were a family that could be trusted.  Rachel read the letter to Grandpa in Spanish, and I remember Rachel telling me that he said "yes" without hesitation.  This is the man who never missed a Visitor's Day at Love and Hope.  Many parents of the other kids would come sporadically and some not at all.  Grandpa would ride the bus EVERY Sunday 3-4 hours there and then 3-4 hours home just to hold his little, sick grandson or to walk him around the home's grounds in his stroller.  He was the most faithful of all the families.  So I can only imagine what it was like for him to be approached with the request of Kevin being adopted. Yet, he didn't hesitate.  This man is one of my heroes.  His love is so great, great enough to put Kevin's needs first and his loss and heartache second.

As I headed to El Salvador one year ago to finally bring my precious son home, I knew it would be emotional to say goodbye to Grandpa, the Tias, the other children at Love and Hope, and to Rachel.  The day before our court date of the finalization of our adoption, Grandpa came to Love and Hope to say goodbye.  We watched as his eyes welled up with tears as he held Kevin close.  We were able to bless him with a few gifts that had Kevin's picture on them to make him smile in the days, months, and years ahead.  His one request is that we bring Kevin back to see him before he dies.  It is our hope to take Kevin back to El Salvador this summer.

"We love you"

That night, a going away party was scheduled for Kevin with all the 20+ kids who reside at Love and Hope Children's Home.  It was so perfect...games, pin Kevin on the airplane!, and singing.  But, Kevin was so sick that day, vomiting and lethargic.  It was one of the scariest days of my life.  I remember that evening, Dan and I were  back at our apartment and I just wept saying "I can't do this," "I am so scared," and "What did we get ourselves into?"  The fact that this very sick fragile little boy was legally going to be ours tomorrow, was now so real.  The hype was gone, the fundraising over, the praises were not there...it was now the Lord, Dan, and me, and the reality of what God had called us to.

Our first picture after Court with the judge and attorney

The next day was our court hearing.  Kevin became Kevin Antonio Boyle (or "Boylee" as they called us in El Salvador!!) on February 27th, 2013.  It was actually very anti-climactic, as the hearing was all in Spanish, and we were sitting around a table in their Courthouse that didn't look anything like what we know here in the U.S.  But, when we were finally told he was ours, tears of relief flowed and smiles were plastered on our faces. After 4 years, he was ours! After court we headed back to the Children's Home to get Kevin's things; he and I would stay in an apartment the next 4-6 weeks as we await all the documents needed to travel back to the US.  Dan would be on a plane home the following day to be with Courteney (he was in El Salvador for about 36 hours).  With each bag full of his belongings handed to us, it was the reality that this would be his last time at Love and Hope Children's Home, his home of 6 years.

My dear friends who made our travels in
El Salvador possible!

Our first night with Kevin was anything but perfect or uneventful...Kevin was miserable and vomiting old blood.  So here is our "Gotcha Day," having to call Rachel for help.  But, in her faithfulness she came to our apartment at 11pm and slept over - so in one room -  one bed: Rachel, one bed: me and Dan, and crib: Kevin.  That is how our journey began.  You can only imagine the agony Dan was feeling as he had to say goodbye to me and Kevin the next day to fly home.  But God's faithfulness is so perfectly displayed in this - we had been praying for a long time for someone to travel with me and stay with me and Kevin the 4-6 weeks we'd have to be there.  God ended up providing a friend from our church (a nurse) who married a Salvadoran pediatrician on December 1st in Cleveland, Ohio and this precious couple lived with Kevin and me our whole time we were in El Salvador!  I can't thank these newlyweds enough for their love for Kevin and our family to give up their privacy, their new home, and their comforts to be with us for exactly 3 weeks!!  The day before I brought Kevin home, a dear friend flew in to El Salvador with the sole purpose of helping me bring Kevin home the following day. Do you see the Lord's hand?  Do you see the Body of Christ active and joining in God's mission?  IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!  We are humbled by God's intimacy in these details.

Rachel, saying goodbye to Kevin

Rachel came with us to take me Kevin and to the airport. She looked at me and said something I'll never forget "I don't have to worry anymore."  And she was right. He was heading to the United States of America that day and would become a US citizen the moment he arrived in Houston, Texas.  He would have access to our team of doctors who have cared for Courteney for 12 years and had heard about Kevin the last 4 years.  He would be better.  We didn't know exactly what that would mean or what that would look like, but we knew he could be better.

I'm sure you can understand now why I can't call this "Gotcha Day." I didn't come to El Salvador and grab this little boy and rescue him from despair, neglect, abuse, or poverty.  Dan and I were given, and entrusted by many, this precious, delicate, little life of Kevin's.   He was put in our arms in that 3 week period by his Mami Rachel, his Grandfather, his Tia Mila, Tia Larissa, his 20+ brothers and sisters at Love and Hope, and first and foremost by God, the God who knew his needs from the day he was formed in his mother's womb, the God who orchestrated the events of his life to bring him healing and restoration.  I praise and worship my God Who is so personal.

We made it!

Thank You, Jesus for allowing us to love this little boy.  It is our desire to love him faithfully, caring for him as if we were caring for You.  Thank you for calling us by faith to adopt him as you have adopted us and have called us your children.  Thank you for the eternal truths this journey has taught us and how it has changed us.  Thank you for each smile, each giggle, every pound, every inch, every accomplishment!!...to You ALONE be the glory!!!!!!  Your power HAS INDEED been displayed in weakness!!  AMEN!!!!

Many Blessings,
Christine

Click here to check out the Love and Hope website to learn more about child sponsorship or to go on a mission trip there!
To follow the Love and Hope Children's Home blog click here.