I'll start with a few pictures (the most fun part of the blog)





Good news – Nathan’s visa paperwork has now left Honolulu and is headed for Manila, Philippines. This is the last stop before it heads back here to Majuro, Marshall Islands (AND WE CAN GET OUTTA HERE). We are optimistically hoping this will only take 2 weeks (although will likely take longer).

We FINIALLY found a decent, safe beach to play on. We traveled by boat to one of the outer islands and finally had sand, sun and fun. We went snorkeling and saw all kinds of colorful fish (and a few sea creatures!). What a great day that was.

Nathan is doing great. He is eating well & gaining weight. Of course, there is no way to weigh him, but his checks are filling out and his little arms and legs are getting some flesh on them. He seems very happy, other than a little congestion, but looking forward to having him checked out by Dr. Joe when we get home.

Joel is ready to go home. Every few hours, we hear “let’s go home.” He doesn’t understand why we can’t just go back home. Erica loves the sunshine & fun. She bravely went snorkeling and is ready to go again. Our suntan lines will look funny. In the Marshall Islands, women dress much more modestly than we do in the West. No swimsuits in public. We are starting to get used to swimming in our clothes, but it is very different.

I made a chicken casserole the other night, using canned chicken & we devoured it. I think Joel had 4 servings. Of course, I had to throw away the 1st box of stuffing due to bugs in it (very common) and the next box was stale, but we used it. We had 2 small cans of corn and some garlic bread with it. The groceries are so expensive here; Dennis and I calculated that one meal to be around $35.

Our plans upon return to the western world are to
1. Eat at O’charleys (including salads) and
2. Eat Oreos with BIG glasses of milk – lots of cold, skim milk!

We will be spending less time on the internet, as we are paying for by the minute and it is starting to add up quick. We hope to be making plans for home soon; we miss everyone so much. We can’t wait for you all to meet Nathan. We are also very anxious to meet our new great-nephew, Noah, born Dec 17th. This is Justin’s baby. He is doing great and we cannot wait to get ahold of him!!!

We love you all!
Kathy

Merry Christmas from the islands!

Although it is only Christmas Eve at home, it is now Christmas day in the Marshall Islands. We enjoyed a quiet time of family togetherness and opening a few, simple presents. We spent Christmas eve enjoying pizza with Nathan's birthmom and brother & gave them a few gifts to open this morning. We've been invited to Christmas dinner with the local Yachters Club here -- they are nice to invite us misplaced Americans for some traditional Western cuisine. We are looking forward to familiar food.

We miss everyone at home terribly & wish this process of waiting on Nathan's visa wasn't such a long, drawn-out process. I really hope that someday, someone will remedy this needless wait for families. Nathan was legally our child on December 14th, but our own government makes us wait for our adoption packet (including his Visa)to be shipped to several different US offices and signed before he can enter the US. Very frustrating, that our own government creates such a hardship for us. In this day of internet & faxes, this is such a needless wait.

Merry Christmas & we hope to see you soon, although it will likely be several weeks from now.
Love you,
Kathy

Address

Several of you have asked for our address here in the islands. Well.....they don't have addresses here....really, they don't! They only have 1 road & no house or business numbers. They contract with the US postal service and DO have po boxes. You can mail letters or packages to the po box. I would not recommend mailing anything of high value in case it "gets lost." In case you would like to a send care package....we would rather you send items for Nathan's birthmom (size medium) and brother (4 yr old).
Our address is:

Dennis & Kathy Irwin
PO Box 4012
Majuro, Marshall Islands 96960

My understanding is that it will take about a 1-2 weeks for things to arrive & it should only cost US prices (a letter would cost 44 cents). Remember -- don't send very valuable items.

Our cell number from the states is 011-692-456-6650. I think this DOES cost a lot to call here. Our service is not great, so you take your chances on getting us. We can accept text messages.

Keep us in your prayers.
Love you all,
Kathy

Nathan with Rickson, his biological brother

Doing well

We are REALLY struggling with internet service -- so please don't be offended if we have not responded to an email. We've not been able to get our email in 2 days. Our power was out most of the day yesterday (everyone needs to THANK GOD for KUB, right now!).
We are doing well. Nathan is cooing more and more each day. He is such a happy baby. We are struggling finding food that we like, but today we found a GREAT grilled cheese sandwich for only $4. Great! Erica did get her spaghetti last night -- we made it at the apartment -- with no meat. I'm scared of the meat at the grocery stores - refrigeration isn't the same here.
We took some candy and bubbles to Nathan's birthmom's community & you would have thought we brought them the world! It was great to see all the sweet smiles. will post more soon.

Kathy

A few pics

I'm struggling with the internet here, so pictures are limited. But you can trust me, Nathan is SOOOOOOO cute! He is starting to coo & we just want to eat him up!!!! We are so in love!
We are now in an apartment but living conditions are still challenging, but we are adjusting well. We hope to find a safe beach tomorrow. Have found out that swimming in the lagoon is risky due to e.coli from sewage. We've also found out that the CDC has issued a TB warning for this island and we've been warned to stay away from the hospital unless it is critical. We've rented a car for only 1 week - can't afford any longer, so riding in the taxi cabs has me concerned with the TB warning. We will be staying in a lot and walking a lot to get to places. We will stock up on groceries and supplies during this week with a car.
We are so glad we packed our Wii. Dennis bought a TV and coffee pot today - we are in heaven!!
Love you all.
Kathy

December 14, 2009 is Nathan's "gotcha day!"

Court date went well and Nathan Atner is our new son. We are excited beyond measure and totally worn out! After one more meeting with the lawyer, our visa paperwork will head off to Manila! And then we wait.
We have moved to an apartment, bigger, but still very modest conditions. I will update more soon (with more pics)!
Kathy

We met Nathan Atner!

We made it to Majuro and within 2 hours, I was able to hold Nathan in my arms. He is smaller than I expected, but very alert. We met 2 other couples also adopting. One is at our hotel. We (us and other couple) were able to take our babies' birth moms out for lunch. The language barrier is somewhat difficult. We also took Nathan for his passport picture. Our court date is Monday at 9:00am (Sunday 4pm Knoxville time).

We went to the grocery store which was a different experience. We paid $10.20 for a case of diet mountain dew, but trust me, in this heat, it was the BEST we had ever had. We cannot get enough fluids in.

Kids are in bed now, Dennis and I tried to calculate how long it had been since we got up in Hawaii, but it was too hard. With crossing the international date line, and arriving in the NEXT day, we just couldn't "do the math." I just know we are all tired.
Please continue to pray, especially for this dear birth mom during this difficult time.
Pictures may be kinda few and far between, the internet is very slow.
Love you all,
Kathy

In Honolulu

We have arrived in Honolulu for our 14 hour layover. The flights were good so far, Joel tolerated them well.
Dennis and Erica are out trying to find something to eat (Joel is ready for bed) It is 6:30pm honolulu time, 11:30 knoxville time.
Tomorrow (Friday), we leave out on a 6:55am flight to Majuro, Marshall Islands. We will cross the international dateline, therefore when we arrive in the marshall islands, it will be Saturday afternoon.
Thanks for following this journey with us!
Kathy

Busy, busy, busy

Wow, the last few days have been a whirlwind. Preparing to leave the country for 6 weeks is harder than I thought!

Many of you may be scratching your head thinking, "I thought they asked for a girl." Well, to make a long story short, Yes, we were expecting a match with a girl, but due to an error, we were matched with our precious Nathan Atner. We choose to believe the LORD worked this out, leading us to our son. We are just so in love with him.

My church family is throwing together a last minute shower for us, this coming Monday night. Can't believe they would get this together for us so quickly, and during the busiest season of the year. I KNOW how busy everyone is, I am so grateful for my church family. They are SOOO excited with us! I can't wait for Nathan to meet them & know this wonderful group of people who will watch him grow, teach him about Jesus, and love him unconditionally. Even one of our youngest members (2 yr old) is excited for his arrival. All our AWANAs kids are praying for Nathan, and our Sparkies have his picture on their world map to mark the Marshall Islands. We are all so blessed.

This will be a crazy busy week, as we continue to prepare. We both have jobs that we love and will be working hard this week to prepare our workplaces for our "maternity" leave. Erica's state meet is also this weekend, so we will travel to Nashville for that (Go Erica!).

We have our airline tickets! They were less than expected!! Yeah! Please pray specifically that Joel will tolerate the long flight. This will likely be hard on him.

Can't believe I will have Nathan in my arms in 12 days!

Kathy
"But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 18:16

Our court date is Dec 14th!!!!

We are so excited to have our court date of Dec 14th. We also received more medical records and Nathan's current ht/wt. It appears he is healthy and growing well.

Plans are to leave town on Dec 10th, be in Hawaii on Dec 11th, in Majuro, MI on Dec 12. Shew! Tired, just thinking about it!

Please pray for us as we make these travel arrangements, as this is a very costly part of this adoption. Please pray that the airline tickets will be "less" than expected!

Can't wait to kiss his sweet face!!!!
Kathy

It's a BOY!!, Yep, a BOY!!!!!

We are so excited to announce our referral of Nathan Atner Irwin, born in the Republic of the Marshall Islands on October 4, 2009! We hope to travel very soon!

Kathy
"Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O servants of the LORD" Psalm 135:1

Will the phone ever ring??

"Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:31

Holding our breath.......

We are praying that this is the week that we learn more about the baby girl God has planned for our family. We started this journey 2 years and 7 months ago and it is growing so exciting to think that the time may be close.

We updated our church family a couple weeks ago. It has been so exciting to share this time with them. They are truly our extended family -- they will be a large part of our baby's life, just as they are with our other children.

I hope this week brings news of "who" she is, what she looks like, when she was born, what her given name is, how soon we can grab her into our arms. And oh.... to see her picture....I feel like a love-struck teenager, always dreaming of "the day."

Keep us in your prayers and that our late minute arrangements will all fall into place.

Kathy
"...I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing." Ezekiel 34:26

I'm dreaming of a TROPICAL Christmas...

Nothing is official......but I think we are really close to being matched with our baby girl. The long awaited day!! Once we receive our referral, our travel date will be right around the corner (travel 2-6 wks later). Once we arrive in the Marshall Islands, the adoption will be complete in a couple of days. But we will be in the islands 4-6 weeks, waiting on her paperwork to travel around the world (literally) so she can enter the US. Once we hit US soil, she is an official US citizen!!

This week, the lawyer has asked us for clarifications, more documents, etc. If I were a "half-empty" kinda girl, I would say this is all such a hassle. But the "half-full" girl in me knows that it is a good sign when the lawyer is fine-toothing thru the paperwork!!! Our agency coordinator also asked me how I feel about spending Christmas in the islands. Hmmmmm, let me think about it a minute.....

....On a tropical island with my family (including my new baby), far away from all the commercialism, all the deadlines, the alarm clocks, all the busy days the holidays brings. Quiet, simple, time alone with my family to celebrate the birth of our LORD......it will truly be paradise! Don't get me wrong, I love all the Christmas parties with family and friends. But just this once.....how great it will be to focus on the real meaning of Christmas! How real the Savior's birth will seem, as I sit quietly, holding the precious gift that took us half-way across the world and 2.5 years to realize. So, yes, I will not mind spending Christmas in the islands!
Keep us in your prayers!
Kathy
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

.....still waiting

Nothing to report. Still waiting on the call. On a good note, the family in front of us on "the list" now has a travel date. Such an answered to prayer.
I keep thinking we will get a call any day. I really thought we would be there and back by now, but we wait.
Keep praying.
Kathy

EXCITING news....

We just received word that we are the NEXT family on the list to receive a referral for a baby/little girl!!!! There are currently 3 babies in the program that are due in the next 3 months. Could one be our baby girl???
Gotta focus on "nesting" this weekend and get ready for my baby girl!!!!
Keep praying!
Kathy
"Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints."Psalm 149:1

Go Vols! Look what one famous VOL did -- international adoption!

Most of you know that we are big UT fans. And when we saw the below article in the paper last Sunday, we are thrilled! Mike Hamilton (UT athletic director) and his wife just completed a fabulous adoption of 3 children from Ethiopia (well, the 3rd child is hopefully close to completion). It is a great story that truly puts adoption in perspective --- many kids need a home, we've got a home. No brainer!

Mike Hamilton's adoption story

Kathy
"We serve an amazing God." Beth Hamilton

The LORD will provide.

Nothing new to report as far as the adoption. There have not been any babies born in the last month, but several are expected very soon.

I just wanted to give the LORD credit for His working in our adoption. One of the biggest steps of faith that this journey demands is the financial step of faith. Our next financial requirement will be the BIG one and we continue to fight our fear by constantly reminding each other that the LORD provides when we follow His direction.

We are using a home equity loan to finance the adoption, and we are so very thankful to have this resource. But it is almost overwhelming when we think of the indebtedness this will bring.

Well, just this past month, the LORD provided a large fencing project for Dennis & also provided the staff to accomplish the work! It is MORE than a coincidence that this timing coincides with the coming adoption fee. It is in no way large enough to cover it all, but GOD IS PROVIDING!! It amazes me how He blesses us and I wish I would STOP being so shocked when He provides. That is the way GOD does things....we step out on faith...to the point that it is uncomfortable...and then He provides.

I just can't help but PRAISE Him for His goodness. This also serves as a confirmation that this adoption is FROM Him and not just a selfish desire to parent another child. I just LOVE watching my Lord work! I'm so blessed to have a small role in it.

Please continue your prayers. I'm also depending on Him to give me strength to chase after a small child (at my age!). This truly IS a spiritual journey!

Kathy
"If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." I Peter 4:11b

Fabulous family!

We have such a great family. I just can't explain what a fabulous family we have. My sister and her husband came over tonight, and out of the blue, gave us $500 to go towards the travel expenses to bring our baby home! They have already given us a gift previously, back near the beginning of our adoption journey.
But you know, the best part is not the financial generosity. The best part is knowing that our child will have not only the love and support of our immediate family, but the truly unconditional love of our extended family. She'll be a part of fun family gatherings, family vacations, ballgames, birthdays, good times (and bad times). Never alone. So blessed. And she will be taught to trust in the LORD in all things, for He is trustworthy. She'll see that truth lived out not only in her immediate family, but in all the family around her. No, we are no where near the "perfect family," but there has never been a family more blessed than our family.

Can't wait for her to meet them all!!

Kathy
"He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers." Deuteronomy 7:13a

No news yet, check out the weather in the RMI...

Weather report from the Marshall Islands.....
"When you visit the Marshall Islands, leave your winter clothes at home! Our tropical weather averages about 81 F (27 C) with little variation during the year. The waters in the lagoon are a comfortable 80F (26 C) year round. The region is known for mild winds and tropical showers.

The normal conditions are dry with low rainfall. Trade winds cool the atolls much of the year and the calm water months fall between June and September.

Our seasons are typical of the tropics. The rainy season runs from September through November. The dry season begins in January and lasts for 3 months.

Typhoons are not common in our part of the Marshall Islands."

Praise the LORD for that last statement...because that's a small little island! And how selfish would it be to pray for travel before the rainy season starts???

Kathy
"But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to
me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these..."
Luke 18:16

Wow, what a plane ride....

While we wait, I looked up different flight options on expedia.com. On our trip to the Marshall Islands, we will change planes 8 times (I said eight times)!!!! I dread this, mostly for the kids. Most of the flight options have a 12 hour lay-over in Guam which will let us catch some sleep, but wow! It will take 44 hours to get there. (By the way, Guam is a US territory). We will likely to go Houston to Tokyo to Guam, then 5 more planes before arriving in the Marshall Islands. The good news is that the trip home will only involve 4 planes (MI to Honolulu to San Fransico to Chicago to Knoxville). I'm so thankful for that, as Dennis will go home with the kids and then I will travel home with the baby a few weeks later.

The price of the tickets range anywhere from $1600 to $3600 each. yikes. I hope the rumor that I hear about prices going down is TRUE!

Kathy
But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure. Romans 8: 25

A little about the Marshall Islands...

This is Majuro, the atoll (island) where we will be staying...

Tiny country. I found a website of the missionaries who started the only Baptist church in the islands. Cool to read about their work by clicking here The Utter family I've included some pictures of the church below. Can't wait to worship there!
I also found a good description of the islands from one of their websites...
"There are 29 atolls and 5 islands which comprise the Marshalls. An atoll is a ring of coral reef with a lagoon in the middle. The rings are not contiguous and are oval or irregular in shape. On Majuro, the island averages just less than 1/4 mile wide. It is approximately 1/2 mile wide at its widest point. The highest point is about 10 or 12 feet above sea level. The total land area of all the Marshalls is about 70 square miles, yet they cover over 70,000 square miles of ocean. If a map of the Marshalls were overlaid on top of the eastern US, they would extend from Michigan to northern Florida.

Laura Baptist Church, Majuro, Marshall Islands

Continue your prayers.
Kathy
"I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again,strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:32

Number 4 on the list and counting down...

We have moved to number 4 on the list and counting down. One family ahead of us is expected to be matched soon, moving us to #3 family! Yeah! We are so very excited. Our agency told us that we could expect a referral within the next 3 months.

Now....we need to dust off the baby's room (been ready for 2+ years now) and think about how this really appears to be happening!!!

Kathy
"Rejoice in the LORD always; again I say rejoice." Philippians 4:4

Closer still....

Even better news came today in the mail. Our FINAL USCIS approval came in the mail today. This means we may move up a little further on the adoption agency's list. Exciting. Do you think the LORD is really going to bring this about?? Can I let down my guard now???

Not really sure how to prepare. When we receive our referral, we will receive a travel date pretty quickly. I will be in country 4-6 weeks. Dennis and the kids will be there for at least 10 days. My hope is that it is during Christmas break & that they could stay the whole time. Of course, this is the peek of Erica's gymnastics meet season. She has worked so hard, in the gym daily, preparing for the coming season. We will let her decide if she feels she can sacrifice that much time away from the gym. I'm also checking into gyms in the RMI - but I have my doubts that I will find one.

I looked up some info on the RMI today. The population is 68,000. This is about 1/2 the crowd that fills Neyland Stadium every Saturday in the fall (UT football). Conditions in country sound very modest, yet expensive. I've been in touch with a few families that have traveled recently, so I love getting the tips from them. Sounds like I need to figure out how to take most of the supplies I need - diapers, bottles, formula, etc or expect to pay big $$. I've heard of one lodging place that is $85 per night. Sounded good, until I multiplied it by 35 days. Yikes. Hopefully, I can find somewhere cheaper, although most will not have a kitchen. Can't imagine a new baby without a kitchen. I feel the LORD has many, many lessons in store for us in the coming months. He has always been faithful, even when I've been whiney! He will provide.
Keep us in your prayers.

Kathy

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Great news today - We are closer!

Today our adoption agency (Journeys of the Heart) contacted us, rushing us to finish the last loose ends of our dossier. They are expecting several babies to be born in the next 1-4 months and they believe ONE could be OURS!!!!!!! We are so excited.

I've guarded my heart for so long now, I've decided I'm gonna "let loose" and let myself get excited. The thought of having our baby girl by Christmas is overwhelming to me!!

Everyone -- Please pray that the LORD's timing is perfect and that He is preparing us as well as this precious birth family for the change in our lives.

Kathy

"O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." Psalm 47:1

Quick update...

Our agency told us this week that we will probably travel this winter. Exciting. I really have a peace -- I'm not in a huge hurry (like before), I'm just waiting for the right baby at the right time.
Keep praying. The birth mom of our child-to-be is probably expecting by now - pray for her.
kathy
God is still in control!

Step by step

Dennis and I are off to Nashville to get our CIS fingerprints. We had these done nearly 2 yrs ago, but they expired (what?? how silly). To make it even MORE silly, we had fingerprints taken a few weeks ago for our FBI check - 5 copies of them. But can the FBI & the CIS share?? No, the CIS makes us go to Nashville (a set appt that we had no control of WHEN it was set).

Now think about this a minute --- if I committed a horrific crime, ANYone in the federal gov't could find me in a heartbeat (because they have my fingerprints). So why is it that the CIS can't trust the FBI's fingerprinting?? Do they NOT do a good enough job to clear people for adoption (yet good enough to convict of crimes??). Why, oh why, does our own government make it so hard to adopt???? Frustrating.

As far as the little boy goes, we are still not sure if we will be the family chosen for him or not. We've not heard back on more information about him. Regardless, we plug on, knowing with each step, we are one step closer to the child chosen to join our family.

We appreciate your prayers.

Kathy
"Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded." Ezekeil 47:5 --- Lord, help me to have deep water faith...KI

Direction??

We are not really sure what is going on with our adoption right now. We have told our agency that we are interested in a 2-yr old boy from the Marshall Islands, but there are a few other families also interested. They will chose the family that is closest to getting their paperwork complete. And as many of you in the adoption world know, it is hard to say. It is a world full of waiting.....on fingerprint appointments, CIS approval, FBI notices. It is all so complicated.

Please pray that we are open and willing to follow the path that the LORD has already prepared for us and our next child.
Kathy
"...Then they said, 'Let us arise and build.' So they put their hands to the good work." Nehemiah 2:18b

We did it! Marshall Islands it is!

Drum roll..........We've turned in our adoption application with Journeys of the Heart Adoption agency. We are excited to be stepping out on a new journey after months of indecision. We both have a peace that this is the direction the LORD is leading us. The program is extra, extra small. Only 1 US agency is licensed there (good thing). Although we've stated that we are open to a baby girl to age 3 years, we will most likely adopt an infant. The program is quite a bit different than many other programs. We are very excited. Help us pray for wisdom, patience and peace as the LORD prepares us for this journey.
Kathy
"Thou are the helper of the orphan." Psalm 10:14b