Westbrook
09-21-2006, 08:29 PM
Well, it's been a long, long time.
Just thought I'd update you all on how we're doing with our 9 children still at home, four of whom we adopted from Brazil last Fall.
Well, actually, we only have 8 at home now, since our oldest at home went off to college (Fairwood Bible Institute) a couple of weeks back.
We are also expecting our 8th grandchild, the sixth child of our oldest son and his wife.
Appended below is an update I sent just tonight to our prayer partners, the folks who have been praying for us since we felt the LORD's calling to make these very special children our own.
For those of you unfamiliar with adoption as the Biblical metaphor for our one-on-one relationship with God the Father, may He bless your hearts with with His grace that you might also be a part of the Family of God.
<HR>
Greetings, dear brethren.
Grace and peace be to one and all in the precious and wonderful name of Jesus.
Please forgive the long silence on our part, though some of you have communicated and visited with us in the interim.
By the mercy and grace of our loving Savior, we continue to grow together as a family and to watch our children blossom under the nurture and admonition of the LORD provided to them, not only by us, but by our brethren in Christ, among whom are many members of our own families, aleluiah!
As requested by Dr. von Hahn, we had Chico tested for the "Fragile X-Gene", which is a leading cause of mental retardation. The results of the test came back negative, that is to say, there was no indication of the Fragile X-Gene in Chico's DNA. Chico has had MRI and CAT scans of his brain, blood tests to check for elevated lead levels, and hearing tests. All of the indicators are that Chico is perfectly normal, a child of somewhat average capabilities.
After receiving the report from the DNA lab, I sat down with Chico in the living room and told him, with a very serious voice, that I had some good news and some bad news for him. He riveted his attention on me with his saucer-shaped eyes and asked, "Yes, Papa?" I told him that the good news was that all the doctors and all the tests indicate that he is perfectly normal and should be able to grow up to live a normal, healthy life.
He nodded, indicating that he was pleased at this, but remained staring at me, awaiting the bad news. I told him that the bad news was that he was fully accountable for his behavior and that we were going to hold him to a higher standard and expect more of him. His eyes got really big, and his jaw slacked a bit, but I smiled and told him that I believe that he will do just fine.
Since then, we have been reinforcing the fact that he is normal and that his mind can mature into his chronological age and his physical size.
All the children have returned to homeschool, and, while Chico still struggles with focus and direction, he has improved measurably.
Because I always speak to our Brazilian-born children in Portuguese, I don't often notice the progress they are making in English. When I hear them conversing with other folks in plain English, I am amazed at the progress they've made. While Chico and Jana still understand Portuguese, and still speak it some, it is apparent that they will probably have a better grasp of English than of Portuguese. Perhaps we can have a class in Portuguese for them to help them retain their first language.
Because they are older, Jaque and Jussara will probably be able to retain their first language. Jaque is literate, so it will be easiest for her, since she still has texts and books in Portuguese that she reads from time to time.
Janaína is showing remarkable improvement in school. Last Spring, she was not able even to copy her name properly. Now, however, she is printing neatly and copying whole English sentences. She is beginning to associate sounds with letters, but has not begun to read, yet. Emotionally, she continues to improve and, as always, remains our most manageable child. However, Jana seems to be the least reachable with the Gospel at this time. Please pray that she will see her need for a Savior.
Jussara is developing quite a heart for the things of God. She is in the early stages of literacy, and is able to read a few small words in English and in Portuguese. Jussara will not go to bed without a blessing and us praying over her. We like to do this for all our children, but Jussara is the most zealous for it. She is still as fiery as ever, energetic, bubbly and tempestuous, but she is just so affectionate. Her tempests, though intense, are very short-lived and are followed by repentence and the asking of forgiveness. Jussara has a pretty good understanding of the Gospel and a desire in her heart to enter the Kingdom of God.
Jaqueline also amazes us at what she absorbs about the things she hears at church and from the conversations of the adults around her. We are praying that her increase in the knowledge of the things of God will lead her into His kingdom. Jaque can read English and Portuguese at about a 3rd or 4th grade level, now. She is struggling with her 5th grade math, but she is determined to overcome it.
Jaque is very organized and keeps her room neat and in order. Her sewing skills are remarkable, and she has made jumpers for Hannah and Rebekah. The jumper she made for Rebekah, she did in one afternoon after school. She even modified the pattern to make it more modest, with a fuller skirt and longer length.
While Jaque has a pretty good understanding of the Gospel, and though she is a very good and sweet child, we haven't seen much in the way of repentence or of a desire to get it right with God. At family Bible study, she almost always has the right answers to the questions, but, for now, it appears to be mostly head knowledge. Oh, that the LORD would give her a thirst for the Living Water!
Little Hannah is not as little anymore. Though she is still only five years old, she is growing so fast! We are hoping that she can learn to read at least a little bit this year. She is still very young, but we are hoping that the message of the Gospel will reach her little heart and set her soul yearning for that precious relationship with our loving Savior.
Rebekah is speaking Portuguese fluently. At times, I can scarcely tell whether she or Jussara is speaking. She can even read a little bit of Portuguese. I think she has a talent for languages, as it almost seems intuitive to her. She has a very sweet heart, and my heart yearns to see a holy fire ignited in it.
Daniel is growing SO fast! If he continues growing at this rate, he will be very tall. He is doing pretty well in school, though, like Chico, he struggles with focus and direction. I remember having the same struggles when I was his age, so I don't think it's an insurmountable problem. I am sure that he will overcome it.
Daniel has been struggling with the matters of the soul. He has had a lot of questions and has requested a lot of prayer. He has offered his life to Christ on several occasions, the most recent one being last week. Since then, we have noticed that he has not gotten angry, even when he is unjustly accused. We are praying that this time he has REALLY given his heart to Christ.
Sarah has been progressing well in school, and in her Christian walk. She is often excited about something she has read in her Bible or has a question about it. She very much enjoys church, the sermons, the singing, and the fellowship, and she has shown some remarkable improvement in her interpersonal skills.
Rachel is attending Fairwood Bible Institute. As much as we miss her, we feel blessed that she is there and has this opportunity to focus almost all her attention on the things of God and in learning His word. It is hard not to feel a bit melancholy in the evenings when we sit down to sing. We so much miss her sweet voice and her loving presence. She is also a great help to us in nurturing and admonishing the children, so we look forward to the times that she will be able to spend with us on her breaks from school.
Our two oldest girls at home, Sarah and Jaque, have been challenged by the absence of their older sister, but they are rising to the occasion. We believe that this stretching exercise has been good for all of us, bittersweet as it may be. All of us look forward to going to Fairwood on Sundays to see Rachel and attend church with her there.
In other news, we learned that half our roof had rotted from the inside. There were no soffit vents, nor a ridge vent, and the vapors that collected on the underside of the plywood had rotted through it. This was more work than expense, but it cost about fifteen hundred dollars to fix.
Our septic system failed, so we called the fellow who does our excavating and asked him what it would take to fix it. He offered a low-cost easy fix, knowing that we had a lot of children to care for and hoping to help us out that way. I asked him if it would meet code, and he said that it wouldn't. I told him that we would not do anything that would not meet code, so he gave us the name of an engineer to design a new septic system for us. What we got was a system that could handle a small restaurant or a motel, but it is up to code for the number of people living here. I told the engineer that we didn't want a pump, so he located the leachbed about 150 feet from the house and at an elevation a good 20 feet lower than the house. It was a LOT of money, but at least we won't have to worry about it, and the system won't be overworked to keep up with us.
Because of the expense of the new septic system, we were unable this year to put the additional rooms over the garage, as we had hoped. We decided to focus our attention on things in the house that needed fixing, since we could probably afford to do those things. Consequently, we have made some substantial improvements to the house, but not without a lot of work.
While I was doing the finish work on the new doors and trim down in the cellar, I kept hearing the well pump kicking on and off in 5 minute intervals. I checked all around for dripping faucets, and could find nothing. I also noticed that our water pressure tank was making a tinkling sound when the well pump kicked-in.
We discovered that our hydrant down at the barn was leaking somewhat profusely. We also discovered that our 20 gallon water pressure tank needed to be replaced. The tinkling sound it made was because its bladder had ruptured, and the water was going directly into the metal tank. When the well man came to fix all this, we asked if he could install a shut-off at the hydrant so we could service it without turning off all the water for the whole house. We also had a much larger (80 gallon) pressure tank installed. This was all very expensive and consumed pretty much all the rest of the money we had set aside for improvements.
At my work, our department at Hewlett Packard had layoffs again this year. We did pray that the LORD would preserve my job, and he blessed us by answering our prayer. Nevertheless, I saw people with more experience and more knowledge than I being layed off. I have managed to survive these annual layoffs for the last five years. While I have been sampling the job market, I haven't really been able to find anything that I could just fit-into. I am sure that in God's perfect timing, He will provide a job, if I keep looking and continue doing a good job.
Oh, gracious Savior, grant that we may study to be quiet and to do our own business, working with our hands, as we have been commanded, and that we might walk honestly toward them that are without, that we may have lack of nothing. This we ask in the precious name of Yahshua, our Messiah, the only name under Heaven by which we might be saved.
Yours as always by the mercy and grace of our loving Heavenly Father ...
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing:
There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
-- Proverbs 13:7
Just thought I'd update you all on how we're doing with our 9 children still at home, four of whom we adopted from Brazil last Fall.
Well, actually, we only have 8 at home now, since our oldest at home went off to college (Fairwood Bible Institute) a couple of weeks back.
We are also expecting our 8th grandchild, the sixth child of our oldest son and his wife.
Appended below is an update I sent just tonight to our prayer partners, the folks who have been praying for us since we felt the LORD's calling to make these very special children our own.
For those of you unfamiliar with adoption as the Biblical metaphor for our one-on-one relationship with God the Father, may He bless your hearts with with His grace that you might also be a part of the Family of God.
<HR>
Greetings, dear brethren.
Grace and peace be to one and all in the precious and wonderful name of Jesus.
Please forgive the long silence on our part, though some of you have communicated and visited with us in the interim.
By the mercy and grace of our loving Savior, we continue to grow together as a family and to watch our children blossom under the nurture and admonition of the LORD provided to them, not only by us, but by our brethren in Christ, among whom are many members of our own families, aleluiah!
As requested by Dr. von Hahn, we had Chico tested for the "Fragile X-Gene", which is a leading cause of mental retardation. The results of the test came back negative, that is to say, there was no indication of the Fragile X-Gene in Chico's DNA. Chico has had MRI and CAT scans of his brain, blood tests to check for elevated lead levels, and hearing tests. All of the indicators are that Chico is perfectly normal, a child of somewhat average capabilities.
After receiving the report from the DNA lab, I sat down with Chico in the living room and told him, with a very serious voice, that I had some good news and some bad news for him. He riveted his attention on me with his saucer-shaped eyes and asked, "Yes, Papa?" I told him that the good news was that all the doctors and all the tests indicate that he is perfectly normal and should be able to grow up to live a normal, healthy life.
He nodded, indicating that he was pleased at this, but remained staring at me, awaiting the bad news. I told him that the bad news was that he was fully accountable for his behavior and that we were going to hold him to a higher standard and expect more of him. His eyes got really big, and his jaw slacked a bit, but I smiled and told him that I believe that he will do just fine.
Since then, we have been reinforcing the fact that he is normal and that his mind can mature into his chronological age and his physical size.
All the children have returned to homeschool, and, while Chico still struggles with focus and direction, he has improved measurably.
Because I always speak to our Brazilian-born children in Portuguese, I don't often notice the progress they are making in English. When I hear them conversing with other folks in plain English, I am amazed at the progress they've made. While Chico and Jana still understand Portuguese, and still speak it some, it is apparent that they will probably have a better grasp of English than of Portuguese. Perhaps we can have a class in Portuguese for them to help them retain their first language.
Because they are older, Jaque and Jussara will probably be able to retain their first language. Jaque is literate, so it will be easiest for her, since she still has texts and books in Portuguese that she reads from time to time.
Janaína is showing remarkable improvement in school. Last Spring, she was not able even to copy her name properly. Now, however, she is printing neatly and copying whole English sentences. She is beginning to associate sounds with letters, but has not begun to read, yet. Emotionally, she continues to improve and, as always, remains our most manageable child. However, Jana seems to be the least reachable with the Gospel at this time. Please pray that she will see her need for a Savior.
Jussara is developing quite a heart for the things of God. She is in the early stages of literacy, and is able to read a few small words in English and in Portuguese. Jussara will not go to bed without a blessing and us praying over her. We like to do this for all our children, but Jussara is the most zealous for it. She is still as fiery as ever, energetic, bubbly and tempestuous, but she is just so affectionate. Her tempests, though intense, are very short-lived and are followed by repentence and the asking of forgiveness. Jussara has a pretty good understanding of the Gospel and a desire in her heart to enter the Kingdom of God.
Jaqueline also amazes us at what she absorbs about the things she hears at church and from the conversations of the adults around her. We are praying that her increase in the knowledge of the things of God will lead her into His kingdom. Jaque can read English and Portuguese at about a 3rd or 4th grade level, now. She is struggling with her 5th grade math, but she is determined to overcome it.
Jaque is very organized and keeps her room neat and in order. Her sewing skills are remarkable, and she has made jumpers for Hannah and Rebekah. The jumper she made for Rebekah, she did in one afternoon after school. She even modified the pattern to make it more modest, with a fuller skirt and longer length.
While Jaque has a pretty good understanding of the Gospel, and though she is a very good and sweet child, we haven't seen much in the way of repentence or of a desire to get it right with God. At family Bible study, she almost always has the right answers to the questions, but, for now, it appears to be mostly head knowledge. Oh, that the LORD would give her a thirst for the Living Water!
Little Hannah is not as little anymore. Though she is still only five years old, she is growing so fast! We are hoping that she can learn to read at least a little bit this year. She is still very young, but we are hoping that the message of the Gospel will reach her little heart and set her soul yearning for that precious relationship with our loving Savior.
Rebekah is speaking Portuguese fluently. At times, I can scarcely tell whether she or Jussara is speaking. She can even read a little bit of Portuguese. I think she has a talent for languages, as it almost seems intuitive to her. She has a very sweet heart, and my heart yearns to see a holy fire ignited in it.
Daniel is growing SO fast! If he continues growing at this rate, he will be very tall. He is doing pretty well in school, though, like Chico, he struggles with focus and direction. I remember having the same struggles when I was his age, so I don't think it's an insurmountable problem. I am sure that he will overcome it.
Daniel has been struggling with the matters of the soul. He has had a lot of questions and has requested a lot of prayer. He has offered his life to Christ on several occasions, the most recent one being last week. Since then, we have noticed that he has not gotten angry, even when he is unjustly accused. We are praying that this time he has REALLY given his heart to Christ.
Sarah has been progressing well in school, and in her Christian walk. She is often excited about something she has read in her Bible or has a question about it. She very much enjoys church, the sermons, the singing, and the fellowship, and she has shown some remarkable improvement in her interpersonal skills.
Rachel is attending Fairwood Bible Institute. As much as we miss her, we feel blessed that she is there and has this opportunity to focus almost all her attention on the things of God and in learning His word. It is hard not to feel a bit melancholy in the evenings when we sit down to sing. We so much miss her sweet voice and her loving presence. She is also a great help to us in nurturing and admonishing the children, so we look forward to the times that she will be able to spend with us on her breaks from school.
Our two oldest girls at home, Sarah and Jaque, have been challenged by the absence of their older sister, but they are rising to the occasion. We believe that this stretching exercise has been good for all of us, bittersweet as it may be. All of us look forward to going to Fairwood on Sundays to see Rachel and attend church with her there.
In other news, we learned that half our roof had rotted from the inside. There were no soffit vents, nor a ridge vent, and the vapors that collected on the underside of the plywood had rotted through it. This was more work than expense, but it cost about fifteen hundred dollars to fix.
Our septic system failed, so we called the fellow who does our excavating and asked him what it would take to fix it. He offered a low-cost easy fix, knowing that we had a lot of children to care for and hoping to help us out that way. I asked him if it would meet code, and he said that it wouldn't. I told him that we would not do anything that would not meet code, so he gave us the name of an engineer to design a new septic system for us. What we got was a system that could handle a small restaurant or a motel, but it is up to code for the number of people living here. I told the engineer that we didn't want a pump, so he located the leachbed about 150 feet from the house and at an elevation a good 20 feet lower than the house. It was a LOT of money, but at least we won't have to worry about it, and the system won't be overworked to keep up with us.
Because of the expense of the new septic system, we were unable this year to put the additional rooms over the garage, as we had hoped. We decided to focus our attention on things in the house that needed fixing, since we could probably afford to do those things. Consequently, we have made some substantial improvements to the house, but not without a lot of work.
While I was doing the finish work on the new doors and trim down in the cellar, I kept hearing the well pump kicking on and off in 5 minute intervals. I checked all around for dripping faucets, and could find nothing. I also noticed that our water pressure tank was making a tinkling sound when the well pump kicked-in.
We discovered that our hydrant down at the barn was leaking somewhat profusely. We also discovered that our 20 gallon water pressure tank needed to be replaced. The tinkling sound it made was because its bladder had ruptured, and the water was going directly into the metal tank. When the well man came to fix all this, we asked if he could install a shut-off at the hydrant so we could service it without turning off all the water for the whole house. We also had a much larger (80 gallon) pressure tank installed. This was all very expensive and consumed pretty much all the rest of the money we had set aside for improvements.
At my work, our department at Hewlett Packard had layoffs again this year. We did pray that the LORD would preserve my job, and he blessed us by answering our prayer. Nevertheless, I saw people with more experience and more knowledge than I being layed off. I have managed to survive these annual layoffs for the last five years. While I have been sampling the job market, I haven't really been able to find anything that I could just fit-into. I am sure that in God's perfect timing, He will provide a job, if I keep looking and continue doing a good job.
Oh, gracious Savior, grant that we may study to be quiet and to do our own business, working with our hands, as we have been commanded, and that we might walk honestly toward them that are without, that we may have lack of nothing. This we ask in the precious name of Yahshua, our Messiah, the only name under Heaven by which we might be saved.
Yours as always by the mercy and grace of our loving Heavenly Father ...
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing:
There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
-- Proverbs 13:7