What about Wyatt?

One of the things we considered when we first started talking about living in Honduras was whether or not we could meet our son Wyatt’s needs if we made the move.  Wyatt is deaf.  When he became a Robinson in 2013, he was almost 3 and had virtually no language at all.  We had a lot of support in our area when Wyatt was younger through an early intervention program in our county.  We started learning ASL right away but language development in all of us has been so slow. 

Wyatt with his language teacher (and our dear friend) Julie

Rural Georgia doesn’t offer much in the way of community and resources for school-aged children who are deaf, though, and Wyatt is 6 now.  We were at a point where we had to do something to improve Wyatt’s access to language, and fast, and up and moving to Central America wasn’t among the top strategies for serving Wyatt’s needs well.

Right in the middle of all the figuring out, we had an opportunity to travel to Honduras in May where I shared about trauma and child development at a conference in Siguatepeque.  The trip turned out to be a divine appointment that changed the trajectory of our lives, as divine appointments do.  As we were talking with our friends and hosts during our trip, they suggested that we meet their neighbors who minister to the deaf here in Honduras. We actually had the opportunity later that same day to meet Martha and hear all about the ministry she and her husband Mike began here almost 10 years ago.  They lead a deaf church, teach sign language classes, and minister to the deaf in and around Siguatepeque. I still marvel that as we were trying to figure out something complicated and outside of our knowledge base, God housed us in Honduras next door to a family who could unravel some of the complicated things and expand our knowledge base.  So awesome!

Soon after our feet were back on US soil, I reached out to my friend Becky Lloyd with Signs for Hope, who graciously answers frequent calls from me that typically begin with something like, “Becky, what should I do?”  We were feeling led to Honduras but were struggling to see how it would all work.  Becky listened and shared ideas, and when I said, “I don’t know what to do,” she did.  She posted an ad on the Signs for Hope webpage…an ad for a language instructor…an ad for a language instructor willing to step away from life in the US and move with us to Honduras so that we could continue to learn ASL as a family and Wyatt could have access to a good education.  Less than a week later, I was introduced to our new friend Ellie.

As I sit here this morning, 5 days away from welcoming Ellie to Honduras, I am overcome with gratitude and more confident of God’s leading in our lives than ever, which is blessed assurance indeed.  Ellie and I talked and prayed all through last summer, and then God told her, “yes.”  In September she met our family in Atlanta, at Ikea of all places.  We meandered through the store, stopping to sit on couches and talk while the kids played house in the model kitchens. (I’m so sorry, Ikea.  You may not know this but playing house in your model kitchens is a favorite Team Robinson past time.   There are enough model kitchens for the children to each have their own where they can host and invite each other over for tea parties and dinner gatherings.)  We finished off our day with Ellie at Chick-fil-a and we left there excited for what God had in store for us all.

Team Robinson with Ellie

During the months that followed, my sweet friend Becky talked with me often and listened to all my ramblings, as God continued to lead us to Honduras. It felt almost too good to be true when 5 days before our move to Honduras, Becky and I both ended up in Bluffton, SC at the same time.  I even had Wyatt with me on that trip.  We all had dinner together, and today the memory of our time together is a beautiful gift. God has blessed us so much through rich friendships we wouldn’t have had if Wyatt wasn’t a part of our family. 

Wyatt with Becky

Since we arrived here, God has continued to connect the dots for us as we’ve tried to figure out all the ins and outs of life in Honduras.  We’ve met so many people and made new friends.  We’ve loved and been loved well.  We’re speaking Spanish and have been so blessed by the experiences we've had through our language school.  One of the most incredible things we’ve experienced here has to do with Wyatt, though. All the confusion over what to do…all the complicated decisions that we just couldn’t figure out…Well, here in Honduras, the pieces are coming together. We reconnected with Mike and Martha and a few days later Martha was driving me to a parents’ meeting at a school 2 blocks from our house. I was introduced to the director and teachers who use sign language in the classroom, and Wyatt was invited to join the kindergarten class. He started school on Monday and LOVES it.  Well, he loved it until Wednesday when he caught a stomach virus, but he can’t wait to go back on Monday. 

We're only here in Siguatepeque for another 6 weeks, but guess what?  Just try to guess what just opened in the city where we will move in 6 weeks.  A new school for the deaf, run by friends from Mission UpReach.  Just amazing!

God continues to shape and refine us for His purpose and glory, and we couldn’t be more thankful. 

Thanks for reading along.  Your prayers, encouragement, love, and support are so appreciated!  

Love, the Robinsons

Our First Fiasco

If you have one of these...

And you have two of these...

You could end up with something like this...

And then you'll need something like this...

So that when your love gets home he can do something like this.

Tonight I'm thankful for a husband who can fix things, a quick thinking son who knew how to turn off the water, a store that sells sealant two blocks from my house, generous friends who keep PVC on hand, and the opportunity to meet one of our neighbors and then immediately ask him if we could borrow his ladder.  All in all, it was a great day in Siguatepeque.  

2 weeks In....

We’re loving all the “firsts” that the past two weeks have brought our way. We've been busy setting up house, buyings groceries and SIM cards, and setting up Honduran phone numbers.   

Our grocery store is quite the change from the Piggly Wiggly in Manchester, GA.

The grocery store even has an aisle labeled "gourmet products.  This is where they shelve the Spam!!

At first we were excited to see the real maple syrup that we buy in the States on the shelf here in Honduras.  Then we saw the $24 price tag and abandoned our high syrup standards in favor of the cheap stuff on the bottom shelf. 

After our first checkout at our little Wal-mart owned market, Dean and our friend Jaden stopped to process the whole  experience.  My receipt reminded me of home.  

Two weeks in, Dean has mastered the meat counter.  IN SPANISH, EVEN!  Here, he's ordering 15 leg quarters for dinner.

Trips out are pretty quick and easy.  We don’t have a car, so we walk nearly everywhere we need to go.  The kids love running down to the pulperia (a little corner market) to buy things for me.  When where we need to go is too far to walk, friends have given us rides, and we’ve learned all about taxis.  You can grab a taxi here in Siguat and be at the grocery store $1 and 5 minutes later.  We're pros now at walking to school and back...uphill both ways through the snow!  Just kidding!  We don't have snow, but we do have cows, herds of them right in the road!

There seem to be unattended cows everywhere.  When a cow grazes by our gate, the kids all run outside yelling, "COW!!!!" - every single time. Our neighbors think it's pretty funny. 

We are pretty excited about the fresh milk, bread, and tortillas we pick up from one of the stores close to us.  The kids loved the treat of ice cream we picked up for them there, too.

We started language school a week ago Monday. The grownups and the teens attend an intensive study program at the language school, while the younger kids work through their curriculum at home.  School is challenging, but we’re enjoying the company and instruction of our teachers.  We work one-on-one with our teachers for four-hour sessions, five days a week. Some of us go to school in the morning, while some go in the afternoon.  This way there’s always someone here with the younger ones and we can keep the cooking, cleaning, and laundry going.  The classes move quickly and afterschool we have homework and have to practice a lot.

The kiddos keep asking when we’ll take them on an adventure. We sorta feel like we’re already on one, which is hysterical to me.  Being in a new country with so many new and unusual things, it’s easy to feel like there should be an amazing adventure around every corner just waiting to be experienced.  Don't get me wrong, it is adventurous, but most of the time life here is somewhat similar to life in the States:  worship, school, homework, cooking, cleaning, playing, reading, working, studying, etc. Y’all pray I can make all these things seem adventurous to the ones among us who formed all their ideas about living in Honduras from watching REI commercials and videos!!

Ultimately, as we work through all the ins and outs of setting up life, we are mindful of the real reason we’re here.  Long ago God opened our eyes to the plight of the orphaned and at risk child.  He’s moved on our hearts with the promise that He places the lonely in families, and He’s given us the desire and power to do what pleases Him.  The time we spend here in language school is so important in our preparation to work with orphaned and at risk children and their families here in Honduras, and this will truly be an adventure. 

Thanks for reading along.  Your prayers, encouragement, love, and support are so appreciated!  Love, the Robinsons

About the Dog

Lots of people have asked questions about the dog, so I thought I’d share a little bit about our very special family member, Max.  Max joined Team Robinson in April 2014.  Before coming to live with us, Max was loved by friends of ours who felt like the farm and the family at our place would give him wide open spaces, abundant entertainment, and extravagant attention.  They were right!

Max is almost 4 years old now.  He’s a hairy and happy goldendoodle who has a very important job with Team Robinson.  Before I show you how adorable he is, I want to share a story about something that happened on Thursday at the airport and a few other long, rambling thoughts, if you don’t mind.

My story begins just after we survived security.  We all quickly put our shoes back on, headed down the escalator and elevator, and were waiting on the train to carry us to Terminal E.  Several people commented on Max and were surprised that we had him in the airport.   Most were kind and wanted to fawn over our handsome, furry, family member. One woman, though, turned to her companion and whispered something we couldn’t hear.  He responded to her loudly while rolling his eyes toward our Max, “That’s just a scam to get to travel with your dog.”  

I almost got angry, the kind of angry I get when people say things to or about my kids like, “What happened to her real parents?” or “Do you have any kids of your own?” but then I figured, maybe he just doesn’t understand disability and the supports available now for those with disabilities.  It’s possible that he doesn’t.  A few years ago, I didn’t either. 

Dean and I have been parenting children from places of harm for over 16 years now.  We’ve worked with many professionals over the years that have helped us learn what to do and what not to do to help children heal from the harm they experienced before coming to us.  I really don’t know what we would’ve done without the training and support of amazing social workers, physicians, and therapists who guided us through foster placements and forming a family through adoption.  Even today with so much training and many years of experience, we feel like we have a lot left to learn in order to do this job of rebuilding walls and lives well. 

Because of the joys and challenges of fostering and adoption, we’ve learned a lot about the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  One of the things we’ve learned is that the use of a service animal by a person with a disability is a right protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the ADA, a service animal has been trained to perform a specific task for the person with a disability.  People with disabilities can benefit from having a service animal in so many ways. A guide dog is trained to assist a person with visual impairments or who is blind, increasing their ability to move around safely.  A hearing dog is trained to alert someone who has hearing loss or is deaf of a sound.  A sensory signal dog is trained to assist a person with autism by alerting him or her of repetitive movements like hand flapping, spinning, or rocking or keeping an individual safe from danger.  A psychiatric service dog is trained to do things scan a room or turn on the lights, which may not seem like much but can really help someone with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Through the joys and challenges I mentioned before, we’ve also learned a lot about the profound and complex impact of trauma, abuse, and neglect on the development of children. Did you know that children who’ve experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect are also at risk of the trajectory of mental heath disability?  Fortunately there have been significant gains in the field of mental health treatment for children from places of harm, including the use of psychiatric service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs.   Emotional support animals and therapy dogs do not carry the same protections under the ADA, neither do they have to have special training.  However, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) requires airlines to allow both service dogs and emotional support animals, including therapy dogs, to travel with their handlers – even in the cabin of an aircraft. Because of this important piece of federal legislation, people with disabilities can travel with valuable support that can improve their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive functioning. 

Just for clarity, it’s important that you know, though, that you just can’t waltz onto an airplane with a dog – even a dog as awesome as Max.  Unless your dog is a service animal trained to perform a specific supportive task for a person with a disability, documentation of a mental health disability from a physician or licensed mental health professional is required by the airlines. 

I’m not going to go into all the hows and whys because of the obvious need to protect the privacy of my children, but our Max was able to legally travel with us on the airplane. He was a perfect gentleman throughout the flight, except for the moment when he broke the rules and climbed up into the seat with Wyatt.  I probably shouldn’t have snapped pictures of him and posted them on the internet, because he was supposed to sit on the floor throughout the flight.

Thanks for reading along about our Max.  We’re thankful for him and that he’s here with us in Honduras.

We are in Honduras

I can’t believe we are here in Honduras!!!  In my very best dreams, today couldn’t have gone better.  So many people teamed up to make today as smooth as possible, and we are beyond thankful. Everyone woke up at 3:00 in a good mood and cooperative.  My precious friend Andrea had picked up our luggage yesterday, so when 4:30 rolled around we just prayed, loaded up, and left.  We had first class transportation to the airport via our County Line Church bus, with Pastor Bill in the driver’s seat and dear friends who got up before the crack of dawn to ride with us to Atlanta. Our church family has loved us so well and it was awesome to see them just before leaving the country.

Our friends, Andrea and Kent, got to the airport with our luggage a few minutes before we did.  They had already notified Delta of the pending onslaught of people and stuff when we pulled up to the curb behind them. 

All the stuff was moved inside and tearful goodbyes were said, and then Dee Dee and Tree, our Delta check-in angels, did their thing.  They were amazing, and we were finished in no time.

The kids all sat on the floor like angel babies, weighing their things on an unused scale while we waited.  I kept glancing over there and thinking, “This is like a dream.” (I know that sounds like shameless bragging, and I’m sorta sorry, but I had so much anxiety about the potential chaos, and God was truly merciful, so I had to share in run-on sentence fashion.)

Delta gave us gate passes for my parents and Blake, which was a tremendous blessing.  Not only did we get to enjoy them longer, the extra hands made everything go smoothly.  I think all the other passengers were a little overwhelmed when the announcement was made that those who need extra time could board first.  It was a bit of a spectacle and not exactly comfortable, especially when people started taking pictures.  Fortunately all my people were well-behaved throughout the process.

The kids were so cute on the plane.  Only one little person yelled out, “Mommy, I spilled my drink all in my lap.”  Of course.  I'm thankful the cups are small and sprite is colorless. We all watched movies and napped, and I praise God for traveling mercies. 

Our flight landed here just after noon.  We stayed put until everyone had exited the plane and then made our way with all our stuff to passport control.  It was a little chaotic getting through with all the little people.  We sent Dean and the big kids through first so they could grab our luggage and boxes from baggage claim.  You should’ve seen the pile of personal items, pillows, carryons, suitcases, and boxes!! 

Customs went well.  I think they just wanted us to get our stuff and get out of the way.  We were getting excited about our quick and easy exit and then they approached us about Max.  It seems that there’s an inspection required by the agriculture department for dogs coming into country.  The kids were beginning to look droopy so we set the little kids against the wall and stood Olivia over them as a guard, while I went with Max to the agriculture office and Dean went with the luggage to the van. 

An hour later we were finally cleared to go.  It wouldn’t have taken so long but it seems that Max brought a plague of fleas into Honduras.  They found a flea on him.  One flea.  A plague, indeed.  We paid the plague of fleas fee of $35 and made our way through the crowd to the van, happy and excited to finally be here!

Our new friends Mike and Mark picked us up and carried us home to Siguatepeque. We arrived at our new home around 5:30 and headed out to the grocery and to Pizza Hut to pick up dinner.  The kids ran around this place for hours – literally running circles around the outside of our house – and are finally asleep on their pallets on the floor.  Tomorrow is set-up the house and find beds for all these kids day!

Thanks for reading along.  Your prayers, encouragement, love, and support are so appreciated!