Day 1 and 2

Sunday, July 30, our friends the Blake's drove us to Narita Airport in Tokyo to begin the journey of our lifetime!! Everything went smooth and we boarded our Thai International flight to Bangkok. Economy class on their 747 means Cramped but we really did not mind. On arrival in Bangkok we had to wait for 6 hours for our flight to Phnom Penh so we rented a room at the airport for $10.00 an hour????? Oh well. We arrived a little late in Phnom Penh but our driver was waiting so that was no problem. We found out that since we were using our Official US Govt. Passports instead of the tourist passports, that we did not have to pay for our Visa's. It also got us through customs and Immigration quicker. It was interesting that while we were waiting in Bangkok for our flight there were several other families waiting also that were adopting.

Our driver, Sonny, hustled us out of the airport and we were really getting excited now. He then informed us that we would go directly to the Hotel and the Nanny and Her son, where the children were staying, would bring the Children to us. Talk about being nervous and not knowing what to expect!!!! Meme wanted the arrival on Video but I could not film for long when they came in the door!!! Suzy came right to us and with folded hands held in front of her face, said hello and hugged us both. Chip was more reserved but was not afraid at all. The driver said that they had been asking when we would come for weeks. Suzy later told us that She knew that Mommy and Daddy would come on Monday. I never would have believed that the meeting would have gone so smooth.

We went to our room to start the bonding process and received a big surprise. Suzy knew her Alphabet and numbers up to ten!! She also could communicate a little with us in English so the transition went a lot smoother than we expected. Chip remained very reserved for the first couple of days but lots of food and toys and attention has really brought him around also. I can tell you that I now know what a 4 year old boy is like!!!! Like all other 4 year olds anywhere in the world!!

Suzy was playing the mother to Chip, for the first couple of days, and we found out from one of the drivers that she was doing that so that Chip would behave and not make us angry. She was so afraid that we would not take them!! Talk about breaking your heart. It took a lot of I love You's and hugs before She started believing that we would not get mad. She has now turned loose of the mother role and lets us take care of Chip now. He has warmed up and has a beautiful laugh, which He uses quite often. He is also learning some English words like Mommy, Daddy, Potty, Bath and sleep. (Which of course he does not want to do.) He really rattles off the Cambodian, (Khmer) language, when he is playing. Guess what? He likes trucks, airplanes and cars!! Go figure!!

Day 3 thru 9:

Suzy is smart as they come. She is constantly asking the English for everything and learning it. After only 3 days we have no problem with her understanding what we want or are going to do. Now as to age. Suzy's Birth Certificate says that She is 6 years old!! No way, no how!! She really is about 8 or 9 but she says she is 10, which is also possible!!!. Chip's certificate say's he is 4 and he is close. We think he is somewhere between 3 ½ and 4 ½ so we are just going to leave his at four.

Fascinating things we have learned or re-learned!!

1. Did you know that little boys should not wear underwear because it is too hard to go to the bathroom??
2. Did you also know that there is no need to wipe after the bathroom because you are going to take a bath anyway?
3. Did you know that Beards tickle?
4. Did you know that a bathtub with clean, warm water is the greatest thing in the world and should be done at least 3 times a day??
5. Fresh fruit and vegetables are excellent!!!
6. You had better eat what is in front of you, fast, because someone else might eat it.
7. You cannot eat anything good without sharing with Mommy, Daddy and Brother!!
8. Toilet seats are for spraying all over!!(Fun)
9. Mommy and Daddy and sister must learn the above!!!!
10. Streaking around with no clothes is great fun for boys and embarrassing for sisters.
11. Waiting for the trip home is not fun!!
12. Straws are made for blowing bubbles????
13. Mommy taught Suzy how to shop and spend money on just one trip!!!(Duh)
14. Chip and Daddy do not like shopping!!
15. Feeding elephant's are fun. Elephant nose dribble is not fun for little girls.
16. Riding Elephants is really neat, especially taking branches off the treetop.

It has really been a learning experience for both the Children and us. We learned that their mother sold them to an orphanage and Suzy says she does not like her anymore. We know that is the hurt talking because she cannot understand the extremes that some parents take to save their children. Cambodia is so poor and the people have no self-esteem because of the despair. A one-dollar bill can feed the whole family for a day!! Their currency is called Reil but it is worthless so the whole country does business in US dollars. Everything is marked in dollars and some stores will not even take their own currency. We have also learned, after 4 days, that adults start talking and thinking like a child!! We have also learned that a steady diet of the cartoon channel and Cambodian soap operas will wilt your brain!!

The first couple of days Suzy would not let us out of her sight. If one of us left for any reason she panicked and we got smothered with kisses and Hugs when we came back. After this short period of time, 5 days, they have finally started playing without us having to be next to them all the time.

Suzy loves to fix mommies hair and we found out that she has been taught to give back massages. I laid down on the bed the other day, trying to get Chip to take a nap and the next thing I knew she was walking up and down my back and massaging it with her toes. The only thing that bothers us is that she knows too much of the adult world and has never had a chance to be a child. She sure is enjoying not being responsible for Chip any more.

FOOD!!

Have you ever seen anyone who acts like they never had eaten before? Suzy and Chip were like that when they first came to us. Suzy would gobble down her food and then would make sure her brother got as much as he could hold!! They would not choose for themselves at the buffet because they had never seen that much before. They would eat simple things like rice and chicken porridge but their favorite food seems to be fruit!! They cannot get enough of it. Apples, grapes and oranges are a big hit. They apparently received nothing but Mangos and Bananas before, because after the first day they now will have nothing to do with them!! They eat tons of apples and there are two types of seedpod fruits that we do not know the name of that they love. They both have a white flesh that surrounds a hard nut. They are extremely sweet but good.

The children think that coffee should be used for dunking your bread in AFTER you have put lots of sugar and cream in it. They also like lots of pepper and salt on their food (just like Daddy) and "hot" foods do not bother them very much. Chip and Daddy like the real hot stuff but mom and Suzy like it a little milder. Suzy would eat so much at first that she would then have to go be sick because she had over done it. We finally got her to slow down and She now realizes that there will be enough to eat so she does not have to panic.

Goodness

Talk about perceptions. Only a child who has had nothing can understand the needs of others. Any time we go somewhere, Suzy ask for some one-dollar bills to give to the beggars. She understands that She is now "rich" but that she was also poor so we must be kind and help them also. Seems like something we all need to learn from time to time!! Also all those who are older are "Grandparents" and must be respected and treated kindly. The children automatically show respect and speak softly to those who are older.

GUNFIRE: Reality is here!!!!!

With all of the great things going on, reality was brought home yesterday evening when there was an outburst of AK-47 fire and hand guns returning the fire just a block from the hotel. Today the same thing occurred when a gunshot was heard during the afternoon. The country is still very unstable and the Khmer Rouge is still active, although they are mostly in the countryside. They only come into the city now when they need to rob or steal something. All of the Government officials still have to travel with armed escorts because of the danger of ambush. Americans and other foreign tourist are relatively safe as long as they stay in the cities and do not go out on the streets at night. Our Hotel has 6-8 security guards around it day and night and only "Authorized" vehicles can come into the parking lot.

The killers know that tourist bring money to the country so they are "Off Limits" as long as they stay in their proper places and do not enter the unstable areas. We definitely will be much more comfortable when we finally leave the country. We are not complaining and I knew the reality of this country before we came, but no price or sacrifice is too much to give for these children who are the victims of the carnage and indifference of the world. In my 30 years with the military, both in and on the outside, I have learned that the children are the first to suffer anytime there is war or some politician wants to take over a country.

Aug 9th

Time to go home!!! We received the Japanese visas for the children yesterday and we are leaving on the 5:10 Aircraft to Bangkok. It will be great to be heading home. 9 days in a 10' x 15' hotel room with four people can get to be nerve racking.

The Children really are enjoying the plane ride and the snacks that the Stewardesses gave them. We will have to wait in Bangkok until 11:00 tonight and then board the flight back to Narita (Tokyo). Chip has had his face glued to the window the whole time. Suzy has a queasy stomach but she has not gotten sick. It is all so new to them that we do not think they can comprehend it yet.

Aug 10th

We finally arrived at Narita at 0730!! It was a miserable flight for all of us because the Aircraft was fully loaded and most of the passengers were Japanese returning from Holiday in Thailand. If you have never been around the Japanese, you would be surprised at how rude they are (by American standards) when it comes to traveling. Push and elbow and more pushing and elbows!! I was never so happy to get off an aircraft in my life. Even the Children were upset by all the confusion and mob action. After we got through customs and retrieved our bags, we found out that our ride was not there. It seems that they did not get our e-mail telling them our arrival time. We called and they headed out to get us but we knew we would have a long wait. Suzy was getting very quiet and moody and we could not figure out what was wrong but we finally got it out of her. She thought that Big sister Heather and baby Eli and Jason were going to be there. Also She thought that we were going to live in the airport!!! When we got her to understand that we were going to get in a car and go home she became happy again and got excited. When the Blake's arrived and we got on the road she was even more excited.

If only we could have gotten a picture of the look on Suzy's and Chip's faces when they saw their home for the first time! Especially when they both realized that they had their own rooms, beds, toys and TV's. The things that we take for granted are a wonder to them. Books, toys, computer, talking on a telephone to big Sister, it is all so amazing to them.

Aug 11th till now:

The Children are settled in and are adjusting to their routines. They have had their shots, Dental exams, and Suzy is registered for school. The school is going to have Her evaluated to see where She stands as far as emotional level, mental ability etc. Since She has only had six months of schooling in Her life, they are going to put Her into grade 4 homeroom BUT Her classes will be what is called ESL (English as a second language). It is good that we are here in Japan, working for the Military because the Department of Defense School system is required by Federal law to provide what ever is needed to make sure She learns English and gets caught up to Her age group. They are going to hire a Tutor, plus She will be receiving specialized teaching to get Her up to speed as soon as possible. It will not be a problem for Her because She just loves to learn and is picking up English very fast. She wants to be an American so bad, and She has lots of new friends that She wants to be able to understand. She loves playing with other Girls her own age and not having to have little Brother around all the time.

Chip also enjoys playing with other boys. He even did not want to come home the other day because He was having so much fun with the "Boys". He is picking up English very fast and loves to play with His soldiers, trucks, cars, Legos and his toy guns. Yup, he is all boy!! As I said earlier, he was very quit and reserved for the first 4 or 5 days but all of a sudden, one morning he went running to Mommy and wanted to be held and cuddled. He also likes to have quit time in Daddy's lap, in the evenings, before bed time. He likes for Daddy to hold him also but he would prefer to skip the kisses goodnight. (Mommy's kisses are ok). He has such a beautiful laugh and is a really happy little boy. What is really scary is that he will come and tell you that He wants to sleep and ask you to turn off his TV for him??? Also He loves to take a bath AND will finish His supper with no fuss at all. He has even learned to put the toilet seat up and to flush afterwards!! Scary , isn't it?

They are really starting to test Mommy and Daddy to see how far they can push us and get away with it. Suzy is really good at that and has her little pouting spells when she is told no. It will last about 30 minutes and then everything is ok again. We knew that this would be coming so it was no real surprise and we were ready for it. It is hard to say no because they never had anything before but we also know that they must learn that there are rules and consequences and they will be better off in the future by learning that. I have to admit that it tears at the heart to see little tears but we are learning to stick to it and they seem to enjoy having rules and they really like to make mommy and daddy happy. Of course they do not understand yet that we are happy every minute with them and still are learning to accept that the Lord has blessed both of us so dearly with these two wonderful Children.

Epilog:

Though not the end of the story, there will be many updates coming, I would like to mention several things in closing at this time.

First and foremost, Meme and I give thanks every day to the Lord for blessing us so richly. None of this would have come about if it had not been His will. I also want to thank Heather and Jason for their support and acceptance, once it became clear that this is what the Lord had planned. You will never know how much that has meant to us. Suzy is driving us crazy with "When will I get to see Big sister Heather, brother Jason and Baby Eli?" All She will talk about is seeing you after She got to talk to you on the phone. She has always had to be the mommy for Chip and now she just wants to be a little girl and have a Big sister to love Her.

We also must thank the Local congregation of the Church for their prayers on our and the children's behalf. It was not until after your special prayer to the Lord on our behalf that everything fell into place. It looked like everything was going to fall apart because of the INS roadblocks. The day, after your unselfish prayer on our and the Children's behalf, Senator Hutchinson's office came to our aid at just the right time, A child Waits Foundation provided us with the final sum of Money to complete the adoption, and the Cambodian Government approved our adoption of these two beautiful children. The Lord heard your prayers and answered them with all the much needed aid that we required on the behalf of the Children. We have to say that anyone who does not believe that the Lord answers prayer is a fool. It is and was so obvious that He interceded with a lot of people to make this happen!!

Many blessings and thanks go to Cheryl, our home study Social worker. You believed in us and knew that we would strive to be excellent parents and that the Children would have an excellent home and loving support from our Families, Church and community. All the advice and reminders will stay with us forever. We are very proud to have the Children think of you as Aunt Cheryl. Remember, They are your Children also!! If not for your support and suggestions, we would not have been able to come this far. May the Lord continue to bless you in your work and may many more Children find parents because of your advice, council, and knowledge of children's real needs and the needs of the parents as well.

We also must thank Senator Hutchinson of Arkansas, His staff, Nora and Amanda, who took the INS to task and managed to get our paperwork handled so that we could make the deadline of June 15th to have the process, in work, in Cambodia. All the thanks in the world will not begin to pay back what we owe to the Senator, Nora and Amanda. It is so good to know that there are people like you in our Government that still care about what really matters.

Thanks also goes to Lee at Hawaii International Child. She is the Cambodia director and had the patience of Job when dealing with us and all the other families. All the questions were handled, with gentle admonitions on some occasions, and She shares the joy with each and every one of her "families". Also, what can we say about a beautiful lady (angel) named Lauryn? She has devoted her life to rescuing the Cambodian Children, spends a lot of time in Cambodia, working with the Government and smoothing things over and coordinating all that goes on with the families and children. She has the reputation of never having a family leave without their Child!! Somehow, someway, she manages to get the Cambodian Government to cooperate, the orphanages taken care of and deal with anxious parents all at the same time. We know that that Lord has special blessings awaiting Her.

To the Grandparents, Dian Lee and Mom and Dad Kearney, thank you so much for your love and support. The Children already know you as their Grandparents and want to see you as soon as possible.

Last but definitely not least; we must thank A Child Waits Foundation!! You were there, at just the right time to provide us with the final funds needed to complete the adoption process. Again, no amount of thanks is adequate enough to cover what you have done for us. After all the work, paperwork, and plans, you were the final blessing that came at just the right time to make this wonderful event take place. It is so good to know that there are people and organizations who are willing to help families become even more of a family by helping with the financial end of things to allow the adoptions to occur. There is no doubt that the adoption would have had to wait for a while if not for you. The Lord has worked through many people and organizations to make this happen and there is no doubt in our minds that He will bless you richly for all that you have done to help rescue two more of His blessed children and to enrich our own lives so much.

May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of you.

With all our love and thanks.

Joe, Meme, Suzy and Chip Pitney

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