Ok, ok, ok. So I know that some of you are probably thinking that the Wallaces no longer exist since it has been SO long since my last post! Truth is, we have just been crazy busy! And, since there have been some slow downs in Ethiopia, we really haven't had much news about adoption to share.
Today, so sweetly on Christmas day, we received our December numbers! We are #116 for a girl & # 93 for a boy! Sounds good to us, we hope things keep moving right along!
We truly hope you all had a very Christmas! We enjoyed ours spending time with our families & celebrating Jesus birth! Have a happy New Year!
Join us as we begin the journey of international adoption. We, in obedience to the Lord, are planning on bringing home a child from Ethiopia, Africa to Brandon, Mississippi.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Woo Hoo!
Okay, everyone, big news.... We have made it to the waiting list! We mailed our dossier to AGCI on Monday and they reviewed it today and we don't have to make any revisions which is a blessing! We are on the boy & girl list and we are finished with paperwork! Our numbers are:
130 girl
101 boy
So we ask that you all please be praying for our family over the next year as we wait for our new little one!
Thanks y'all, Hannah
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Adoption Update
Oh my goodness! After 18 weeks, I finally received my clearance from the FBI. My fingerprints were rejected, then delayed, then lost in the mail! But our amazing home study agency, New Beginnings received them last Wednesday and we had our actual home study in our hands by Friday! It was a nice feeling to finally have the home study in hand. So, we were able to mail off our USCIS paperwork, and as soon as we receive our USCIS fingerprint appointment, we can mail off our dossier!!!!!! That will finally get us on that waiting list. I have been watching lots of gotcha day videos lately, and it makes me so ready for the day we get to meet our kid! CAN NOT WAIT! Our friends who just made it to the waiting list waited 8 weeks for their USCIS appt., so I am hoping ours will go at least that quickly.
As previously promised, I want to update y'all on Orphanology. I actually haven't finished it yet, which is ridiculous, but we have been so busy this summer. Anyway, the book is amazing. It spells out so simply how we should look at adoption, Biblically speaking. I love reading it because it is so reaffirming to what led us to adopt. I will share more soon, but it really is inspiring!
Just to hint at a little fun, John and I have gone back & forth, to & fro on the tshirt idea. We are going to wait a while before we do them but we decided tonight that we are each going to design one and then have a little friendly competition to see who can sell more!!!!!! I think it will be a lot of fun. The winners bounty has not yet been determined! Stay tuned!
Thanks y'all, love you all!
As previously promised, I want to update y'all on Orphanology. I actually haven't finished it yet, which is ridiculous, but we have been so busy this summer. Anyway, the book is amazing. It spells out so simply how we should look at adoption, Biblically speaking. I love reading it because it is so reaffirming to what led us to adopt. I will share more soon, but it really is inspiring!
Just to hint at a little fun, John and I have gone back & forth, to & fro on the tshirt idea. We are going to wait a while before we do them but we decided tonight that we are each going to design one and then have a little friendly competition to see who can sell more!!!!!! I think it will be a lot of fun. The winners bounty has not yet been determined! Stay tuned!
Thanks y'all, love you all!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Greetings...
Hi Everyone, I know my updates have been few and far between but I feel like as soon as we get ourselves on that wait list, we will have more time on our hands! It has been a very busy time for us, finishing paperwork and then re-doing it, oh, and then re-doing it again! I'm pretty sure we have done each dossier document at least 3 times!
Many of you have asked where we are in the process so here is a brief explanation: Our homestudy is finished, but it can not be reviewed by the state until our agency receives my fingerprints from FBI
(they claimed the 1st set was too blurry, so I sent off 3 more cards weeks ago!) Once the home study is reviewed by the state, we will receive a copy that we will include in our dossier. (Our dossier is our packet that basically tells everything about us on paper.) Once we submit the dossier, we are on the waitlist! We are hoping and praying that all of this happens soon, because once we are on the list all we can do is wait so we don't want to prolong this very long process to our baby at all! We have been hustling to get these document signed, notarized, certified, whatever the requirements!
I can not thank all of you who support us enough! We have been overwhelmed by the positive things people have done for us and our adoption! You have been generous and understanding and we want you all to know how much we love you and appreciate your good will and your prayers! Adoption is not for the faint of heart, and we could not be doing it without all of you!
The world of orphan care and adoption is never ending, I pray that you all will check out Melissa's blog (from which I posted most recently) if you haven't already, and I would encourage you to help and pray for the children of Oasis as much as you possibly can. Melissa is doing incredible things in Uganda and she needs support since she is separated from part of her family! www.roadtomercy.blogspot.com
Also, at my sister's suggestion, I am reading Orphanology by Merida & Morton. I am really enjoying it, it lays out how our adoption by Christ parallels adopting and caring for orphans. I hope to update you on the awesome things I am learning!
We love you all!
Hannah
Many of you have asked where we are in the process so here is a brief explanation: Our homestudy is finished, but it can not be reviewed by the state until our agency receives my fingerprints from FBI
(they claimed the 1st set was too blurry, so I sent off 3 more cards weeks ago!) Once the home study is reviewed by the state, we will receive a copy that we will include in our dossier. (Our dossier is our packet that basically tells everything about us on paper.) Once we submit the dossier, we are on the waitlist! We are hoping and praying that all of this happens soon, because once we are on the list all we can do is wait so we don't want to prolong this very long process to our baby at all! We have been hustling to get these document signed, notarized, certified, whatever the requirements!
I can not thank all of you who support us enough! We have been overwhelmed by the positive things people have done for us and our adoption! You have been generous and understanding and we want you all to know how much we love you and appreciate your good will and your prayers! Adoption is not for the faint of heart, and we could not be doing it without all of you!
The world of orphan care and adoption is never ending, I pray that you all will check out Melissa's blog (from which I posted most recently) if you haven't already, and I would encourage you to help and pray for the children of Oasis as much as you possibly can. Melissa is doing incredible things in Uganda and she needs support since she is separated from part of her family! www.roadtomercy.blogspot.com
Also, at my sister's suggestion, I am reading Orphanology by Merida & Morton. I am really enjoying it, it lays out how our adoption by Christ parallels adopting and caring for orphans. I hope to update you on the awesome things I am learning!
We love you all!
Hannah
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Please check this out.....
Hi Everyone, I would really appreciate if y'all would read this & pass it on. Let's see what we all can do to help these sweet children. I posted the story below, but if you want to donate you can go to Melissa's blog here. www.roadtomercy.blogspot.com
(Btw, Melissa is the wife of my high school youth minister. She is currently in Uganda trying to bring home their little girl. She has been there since August fighting the court system while her husband & other 2 children are at home in the states. While it must be very hard for their family to apart, she is doing amazing things with her time in Uganda.)
Oasis of Life
A friend of mine that’s spent time here in Kampala emailed me a few weeks back and asked if I would be willing to help with a project. She’d visited this orphanage and saw their great needs. She and her husband had raised some money to help them out and she wondered if she could wire the money to me and I would use it for supplies and to pay bills for the home. I told her that it would be no problem. I knew she’d said that this home could use some help, but I did not realize how much help, until I got there.
The home currently has more than 60 children from 8 months old to 17 years. The boys’ house has no running water or electricity. The children sleep 2 or 3 to a twin size bed. A few kids just sleep with a blanket on the floor. I only saw mosquito nets on about 4 of the beds, which could explain the huge medical bill that had built up from all of the cases of malaria. The children are fed once per day a bowl of posho (corn meal) and beans, if there is enough food. Many of the children had very tattered clothes and no shoes. To be honest, the conditions really reminded me of “M” the children’s rehabilitation center where “SixtyFeet” began their work. The difference… the director and people working at Oasis love the children and treat them with respect. The man, Pastor Robert, that oversees the home has a huge smile, tons of energy and really seems to love each child.
When I arrived at Oasis for the first time the children swarmed to the car and gave me hugs and started shouting and dancing. They were thrilled with the food I brought. I also brought new underwear for all of the kids and sanitary pads for the girls. They were ecstatic and kept thanking me over and over. I tried to explain to them that I was merely delivering them for my friend, but they wouldn’t hear of it. I could not stay long and did not get to visit with the children that day. It had already taken hours to pay the bills and do the shopping, but I told them I would try to come back on Saturday when the kids would be out of school.
Saturday rolled around and Mercy and I were tired. I decided that I wouldn’t go to Oasis that day. I could always go another day. Then my phone rang, it was Pastor Robert from Oasis. “When are you coming? The children are waiting. Some of them are so excited they did not sleep well.” How could I say no to that because I was merely tired. I told him I would be there in a couple of hours. I rounded up some of the other people staying at the house with me and we headed out. I wanted them to experience this place with me and get their thoughts on what to do next. And I am so glad we made the effort to go.
Again the kids greeted us with singing, dancing, drumming, and shouting. I gave everyone that I could reach a huge hug. Pastor Robert had them sing a few songs for us, then gave us a tour. As I expected, my friends also could not believe the conditions. After the tour of the girls’ house, the kids put on a dance contest for us. It was so much fun to watch them all “bust a move” and to see their different personalities. Then I got the chance to lead them in some silly songs. We laughed and laughed. We took some pictures and loved on the kids the best that we could. Then Pastor Robert led the kids in prayer time for us. Wow!! So sweet.
As one of my friends was hugging one little girl, she realized she was burning up with fever. She seemed very lethargic. We decided that on our way back to town we’d take her and Robert to the clinic. Sure enough, she had malaria. After a blood test and a few shots ( all for $12), she was on the road to recovery.
I am not telling you about this place or this experience in any way to bring glory or attention to myself. I have not really done anything in this situation except for shopping and pay bills with someone else’s money. You can ask Cody… that comes naturally to me, ha! I tell you about this place because they need help.
There is a group in the US that wants to partner with Oasis and help with some long term needs. They want to help with budgets, training, buildings, child sponsorship, and finding ways to be self-sustaining. But in the meantime, this place just needs resources. I believe this place is run with a good heart, but with very few resources. The home is sponsored by a church in a poor community that is filled with people barely able to feed their own families. As I said before, Pastor Robert has a big heart, which means it’s very hard for him to turn any child away, although they are struggling with the ones they have.
Last week my friends were able to pay off medical and school debts, pay part of the water bill, buy underwear and sanitary pads, and buy a week’s worth of food. Last Saturday, we also collected money to have the latrine emptied and buy mosquito nets for every set of bunk beds.
But there are more very important needs that we need to meet as soon as possible. FOOD! I talked to Pastor Robert today about bringing the mosquito nets to him tomorrow. I asked how they were doing on food. I knew they were waiting on a donation from another group. He told me they ran out of food today. He would not have told me that if I had not asked. I would love to be able to bring them another week’s worth of food tomorrow. I can’t stand the thought of them going hungry another day.
Also, at least 12 of the children cannot attend school because they do not have shoes. All of the children need school fees for the current term. They all need school uniforms. Imagine being singled out every day at school because you are wearing tattered street clothes, instead of a uniform. But let me tell you how much I appreciate the headmasters at these schools that allow the children to attend when their fees are not up to date and they do not have the uniforms. That does not usually happen! The headmaster of the primary school told me he lets them come because all children should be educated and because the children of Oasis are also always among the top performers in the whole school.
They also need money for their electricity bill and for the balance on their water bill. Also the babies at the home do not currently drink any sort of formula or milk. I’d love to be able to buy them several cans of formula. They need more clothes, shoes, blankets, mattresses… the list goes on and on.
It is overwhelming to have to try to prioritize these things and figure out what is most important. I hate questions like, “Should they get two meals a day or get their school fees paid?” “Should we pay for shoes or underwear?” I hate that we ever have to consider these things. I know that we cannot meet all of their financial needs, but I would love to be able to help these precious children and tell them that God loves them and that God is the one who sent us to help meet their needs.
Would you be willing to help? I promise you that any money given for this project will be spent entirely on their needs. I will pay each bill directly and purchase all items myself. I know I’ve often told you about different needs and places you can donate money to help the children of Uganda. They are all great causes. But I want you to know that this place really touched my heart. These children desperately need help. I was so touched by their gratitude, happiness, and love in the midst of such dire circumstances. And we can easily meet so many of their needs.
I’m asking for donations of any amount to help these children. I need at least $150 to buy them food for the next week. You can donate by clicking the PayPal ‘Mama Kit’ Donation button on the top right of this page. Put “Oasis” in the notes and all money will go towards these children. If you would like to make a sizeable donation to this project and need it to be tax exempt, please let me know (melissabusby@hotmail.com) and I will get you in contact with the right people.
I am so grateful to have wonderful friends and supporters like you that see the benefits of helping others.
Matthew 25: 35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
Thanks for reading y'all. The part that stayed with me the most was about the children having one meal a day. Can you imagine if our children only had one meal a day?
(Btw, Melissa is the wife of my high school youth minister. She is currently in Uganda trying to bring home their little girl. She has been there since August fighting the court system while her husband & other 2 children are at home in the states. While it must be very hard for their family to apart, she is doing amazing things with her time in Uganda.)
Oasis of Life
A friend of mine that’s spent time here in Kampala emailed me a few weeks back and asked if I would be willing to help with a project. She’d visited this orphanage and saw their great needs. She and her husband had raised some money to help them out and she wondered if she could wire the money to me and I would use it for supplies and to pay bills for the home. I told her that it would be no problem. I knew she’d said that this home could use some help, but I did not realize how much help, until I got there.
 |
| Children of Oasis |
 |
| Girls' Bedroom. |
 |
| Room where the babies sleep |
 |
| Only water source for girls' and boys' home |
Saturday rolled around and Mercy and I were tired. I decided that I wouldn’t go to Oasis that day. I could always go another day. Then my phone rang, it was Pastor Robert from Oasis. “When are you coming? The children are waiting. Some of them are so excited they did not sleep well.” How could I say no to that because I was merely tired. I told him I would be there in a couple of hours. I rounded up some of the other people staying at the house with me and we headed out. I wanted them to experience this place with me and get their thoughts on what to do next. And I am so glad we made the effort to go.
Again the kids greeted us with singing, dancing, drumming, and shouting. I gave everyone that I could reach a huge hug. Pastor Robert had them sing a few songs for us, then gave us a tour. As I expected, my friends also could not believe the conditions. After the tour of the girls’ house, the kids put on a dance contest for us. It was so much fun to watch them all “bust a move” and to see their different personalities. Then I got the chance to lead them in some silly songs. We laughed and laughed. We took some pictures and loved on the kids the best that we could. Then Pastor Robert led the kids in prayer time for us. Wow!! So sweet.
 |
| The Welcome Song |
 |
| Dancing a song of thanks for their gifts |
 |
| Oh yes, there was breakdancing and tumbling |
 |
| Making Melodies |
I am not telling you about this place or this experience in any way to bring glory or attention to myself. I have not really done anything in this situation except for shopping and pay bills with someone else’s money. You can ask Cody… that comes naturally to me, ha! I tell you about this place because they need help.
There is a group in the US that wants to partner with Oasis and help with some long term needs. They want to help with budgets, training, buildings, child sponsorship, and finding ways to be self-sustaining. But in the meantime, this place just needs resources. I believe this place is run with a good heart, but with very few resources. The home is sponsored by a church in a poor community that is filled with people barely able to feed their own families. As I said before, Pastor Robert has a big heart, which means it’s very hard for him to turn any child away, although they are struggling with the ones they have.
 |
| Pastor Robery singing with the children |
But there are more very important needs that we need to meet as soon as possible. FOOD! I talked to Pastor Robert today about bringing the mosquito nets to him tomorrow. I asked how they were doing on food. I knew they were waiting on a donation from another group. He told me they ran out of food today. He would not have told me that if I had not asked. I would love to be able to bring them another week’s worth of food tomorrow. I can’t stand the thought of them going hungry another day.
 |
| All of the remaining food last Saturday. Now it is all gone. |
 |
| Children needing shoes for school |
It is overwhelming to have to try to prioritize these things and figure out what is most important. I hate questions like, “Should they get two meals a day or get their school fees paid?” “Should we pay for shoes or underwear?” I hate that we ever have to consider these things. I know that we cannot meet all of their financial needs, but I would love to be able to help these precious children and tell them that God loves them and that God is the one who sent us to help meet their needs.
Would you be willing to help? I promise you that any money given for this project will be spent entirely on their needs. I will pay each bill directly and purchase all items myself. I know I’ve often told you about different needs and places you can donate money to help the children of Uganda. They are all great causes. But I want you to know that this place really touched my heart. These children desperately need help. I was so touched by their gratitude, happiness, and love in the midst of such dire circumstances. And we can easily meet so many of their needs.
I’m asking for donations of any amount to help these children. I need at least $150 to buy them food for the next week. You can donate by clicking the PayPal ‘Mama Kit’ Donation button on the top right of this page. Put “Oasis” in the notes and all money will go towards these children. If you would like to make a sizeable donation to this project and need it to be tax exempt, please let me know (melissabusby@hotmail.com) and I will get you in contact with the right people.
I am so grateful to have wonderful friends and supporters like you that see the benefits of helping others.
Matthew 25: 35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
Thanks for reading y'all. The part that stayed with me the most was about the children having one meal a day. Can you imagine if our children only had one meal a day?
Monday, May 23, 2011
Hi Everyone!
We had a great day at the zoo yesterday! We visited the Memphis zoo with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece and the little girls had a big time! Even in the rainy weather! My sister-in-law works for a company that sponsors the zoo so we got free tickets! The weather was terrible but we decided to go for it & see what happened. Needless to say, we were wet all day! My camera is currently charging but I will get photos up soon- the girls in their zoo ponchos were too cute!
I also want to tell y'all about our new fundraiser! My friend, the wonderfully talented, Kristen Lee King has made us Africa magnets! She makes beautiful pottery and we love her for lending her skills to make these pieces for us! Each one is handmade & unique!
We had a great day at the zoo yesterday! We visited the Memphis zoo with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece and the little girls had a big time! Even in the rainy weather! My sister-in-law works for a company that sponsors the zoo so we got free tickets! The weather was terrible but we decided to go for it & see what happened. Needless to say, we were wet all day! My camera is currently charging but I will get photos up soon- the girls in their zoo ponchos were too cute!
I also want to tell y'all about our new fundraiser! My friend, the wonderfully talented, Kristen Lee King has made us Africa magnets! She makes beautiful pottery and we love her for lending her skills to make these pieces for us! Each one is handmade & unique!
Now, of course I am excited about these because they represent our soon-to-be child but these are not just for those adopting in Africa. My hope is that they will serve as prayer reminders. We will not only be praying for our baby but also for the fatherless, the sick, and the lost. We are also praying for people who we know who are in Africa right now, Melissa, who is desperately trying to bring her baby home, and those are doing what they can to help like SixtyFeet & Restoration Hope.
"...my house will be a house of prayer for all nations." Mark 11:17
Right now I have 50 of these guys...Here are all 50 on my fridge!
The magnets are $10 or $11 if I need to ship it to you. (We prefer check or cash because the paypal fees are so high but if that works best for you, that will be okay.)
They are each different ...
Thanks y'all! -Hannah
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Day Over
Today has been one long day! We had our fundraiser today: Spin Off 2011! We didn't have a huge turn out but we still raised a lot of money & we learned a lot about how to run this event. In other words, Spin Off 2012 will be awesome, and we can't wait to do it again since next year we want to give all the proceeds to another family that is working on adoption. We want to say thanks again to our sponsors: M&S Auto, Brandon Discount Drugs, Jason Harper: Century 21, Camille Griffith: Guide One Insurance, Studio Hair & Tan, Dozier & Associates, Bryan Bailey for Sheriff, & Mississippi Medical Massage Therapy! We also want to thank our friends who helped us put this thing together & those who came out to visit us today! Our grand total was $716! We were so excited about that! We are getting really close to our goal that will need to send in with our dossier paperwork which will hopefully be soon! And oh yes, I completely forgot to take pictures today! I know, I'm sorry!
Also, we have a few event tshirts left, if anyone would like to buy one!
In adoption news, we heard from our New Beginnings social worker this weekend and our home study should be ready for us to proofread by Monday! This is very exciting, we can't move further with our dossier until the homestudy is finished, and the sooner we are on that waiting list, the better! So, all of our homestudy paperwork is finished and I have completed about half of the dossier paperwork. I feel great that everything so far has gone so quickly and smoothly! God has provided every step of the way. We knew that He would when He called us to this plan, but living by faith is still so hard! He has proved himself even more than we expected!
I wanted to leave you with a few sweet pics of International Families....can't wait for family photos with 4 Wallaces!
Also, we have a few event tshirts left, if anyone would like to buy one!
In adoption news, we heard from our New Beginnings social worker this weekend and our home study should be ready for us to proofread by Monday! This is very exciting, we can't move further with our dossier until the homestudy is finished, and the sooner we are on that waiting list, the better! So, all of our homestudy paperwork is finished and I have completed about half of the dossier paperwork. I feel great that everything so far has gone so quickly and smoothly! God has provided every step of the way. We knew that He would when He called us to this plan, but living by faith is still so hard! He has proved himself even more than we expected!
I wanted to leave you with a few sweet pics of International Families....can't wait for family photos with 4 Wallaces!
Thanks for yall! Love, Hannah
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