A Slow & Steady Transition (Nathan)

On the way to meet the girls!

Minutes before meeting the girls!

 It was a major first step with her new family. I cannot imagine the girl we met three weeks ago, doing what she did yesterday. Since attending church is a central part of our lives, we wanted to make sure we went as often as possible while in Costa Rica. On just her second visit, "D" was invited to go to Sunday School by an older girl. To our surprise, she said "yes." After Kayla's and Aubry's experience, we knew that she would be subjected to a lot of questions in front of peers.

It is important for you to know that this is the same girl who is extremely shy. I don't think she said more than five words on our first Skype call and our meeting day was not much better. For "D" to stand up in front of a group of strangers to talk about herself and answer questions was a HUGE accomplishment.

The girls are opening up to us more each day. It has been amazing to see the transformation take place. We have had multiple people tell us how much the girls have improved. "D" and "E" have shown us that, over time, they are willing to put in the effort to make the necessary adjustments as they face this new life.

During these past few weeks, we have been able to prepare the girls for life in Indiana. We have talked about the climate change (Boo!), language, school, work, church, friends, and family. (Last night we had to ease their fear of being swept away by a tornado, because they were told tornadoes are frequent in the US.) Just as they are warming up to us, they are also warming up to who and what is waiting for them in Indiana. So how will we handle the transition? This will, in large part, depend on how the girls make the adjustment when we return.

We will take a "slow and steady" approach in the beginning, which will be a big adjustment for us! We will need to limit interaction with family members and friends for the first few weeks while the girls adjust to life in their new home. We know that all of you are eager to meet the girls, but for their sake introductions will need to be slow.

Please don't take it personally if we do not attend your event, accept your invitation, or invite you to our house for some time after we return. The first few months will be dictated by how the girls are adjusting. Everything will be new to them: culture, family, language, weather, people, friends, church, community, school, etc. We are so thankful for the adjustment time we have with them here in Costa Rica, but we know there are many more changes to come!

With your support of family and friends, our girls will do well in their transition. Thank you for praying, helping, and thinking about us throughout this process!