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Garlise is becoming comfortable in his new world. He is beginning to think of us as his parents, and he understands that there is nothing any force on earth can do to make me abandon him. So he is now testing everything else. Like most children/teens from such abusive backgrounds, Garlise is compelled to do everything in his power to prove to himself that he will lose this family too. All of that righteous anger, bottled up for all those years, is coming out at last.

As a child it was dangerous to cry, tantrum, or in any other way draw attention... more

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In Haiti Garlise was in survival mode all the time, even in the orphanage where he knew he was safe. He freely accepted his role at BRESMA as the `man of the house' and took responsibility for many of the small children, as well as his completely clueless and helpless American mother each time I came to visit him. He escorted me everywhere I went, translated for me from Kreyol to my limited Kreyol, and tirelessly assisted me with all kinds of un-fun work I did for Magarette, the orphanage director and my boss. In Haiti, Garlise was a responsible, gentle,... more

I came across this letter this morning found it to be incredibly touching and poignant. It honestly presents the challenges of older child adoption, but celebrates the joys, as well. I am sharing it here, with permission, in the hopes that others will be inspired to accept those challenges and joys into their lives. It is long, but well worth the read.

Diana's Story:

Well, we're just shy of a year home for Garlise! Time for another Boni family update – the good, the bad, and the just plain goofy…

I am writing this very long letter for a purpose. My son will never thank me for it. In fact, someday, when he learns how I have broadcast our family's private... more

RESOURCE LIST

Package courses

Pimsleur is an auditory-only, CD based program with38 different languages available. Full programs retail for $345 per 30-course level, but can be found new for more than half that and used at even greater savings, so be sure to shop around. Not all languages have multiple levels, but Mandarin, for example, has three, so be sure to check for package deals, as well. Sites such as Pimsleur... more

If you’re convinced you’d like to try to learn your child’s language, here are a few suggestions:

1. Consider asking for a special blessing to help you with your language-learning endeavor. As I studied my daughter’s language and later began communicating with her in person, I felt the blessings of the Lord pour out upon me and truly felt I had been given the gift of tongues. Certainly, desiring to speak with your child is a righteous desire, and I felt language knowledge just pouring into me as worked to improve my skills.

2. Find out what language... more

If you’ve talked to other adoptive parents of older children from other countries, you’ve probably heard something like, “You’ll be amazed at how fast your child will learn English! It’s only been six months, and now our daughter understands everything!” I agree with that, and it IS amazing, but six months can also seem like a L-O-N-G time if you aren’t running on all cylinders with your communication! As I’ve said in previous posts, I believe that hampered communication can interfere with the bonding process, and it’s just one more thing you can take steps now... more

How I reconcile all of this is with the knowledge that God is omniscient and that He has the power to help us optimize outcomes. He doesn’t force a thirteen year old girl to get pregnant or a woman in China to unwittingly have an “over quota” pregnancy because there are people in the world who hope to adopt. But because He knows all and that knowledge transcends time, He certainly has the power to help put pieces of a confusing puzzle together. As I envision it, when an expectant parent is praying for help knowing whether adoption might be the right choice for... more

He acknowledged his brother, who was in the audience, and said, "This is the first time he has heard my testimony. Hopefully I can bring my family to a truth. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It was restored by a young boy, Joseph Smith, who in a field saw God the Father and Jesus Christ."

McDowell continued, "Take the time to research and find out for yourself. Take the time to pick up The Book of Mormon. Ask whether it is true. If you want to see a miracle, just think that Gladys Knight is running a choir in the... more

Several years ago, Gladys Knight's son was the first member of her family to look at the Church. After he got baptized, her daughter came next.

Sister Knight described her search for God's true church, which came after the baptism of her children:

"I was raised in a Baptist home. We spent all day on Sunday at church. I was kind of all over the place religiously. I was a Baptist and then a Catholic and then I went to several other churches. I was seeking. There was something good in every one of those churches, but I thought... more

When I came across this article about Gladys Knight, I knew I wanted to share it here. I was particularly touched at the mention members of the Haitian branch attending one of her performances! :)

Gladys Knight Tells Floridians, "This is the Light" By Geoffrey Biddulph for Meridian Magazine

Gladys Knight and her 60-person choir of Latter-day Saints gave four performances for more than 5,000 people in southern Florida last week.

"This is... more