Quick Update

Hey Family All Over the World,


Happy New Year!

Thanks for being Patient with me as I figure out my new season of life. I arrived back in the States in September and its been a lot of adjusting and figuring out Now What?

I start a New Job next week and I started University on the 2nd so I have a lot more change in front of me again right now.

 I have had a hard time Processing and writing down these last 6 months. Since being back I have had nightmares at night and Anxiety during the day. It has been just as hard as I imagined it would be moving back to a first world country and back to my parents house. ( well, my parents have been pretty good to me)

I have so much to share and write about, I just need to be in the right head space to do it. 

I pray this year brings us peace and a deeper love of our heavenly father.


Whitney

All the New in January

I’m Back Home. People say home is where your heart is. But what happens with your heart belongs to so many different places? My heart belongs to places in America like Aptos, San Ramon, Livermore, Stockton, Memphis and Bolton Landing.  My heart is at Refilwe Community Project and Onthatile Children’s Ministry. And I have bits of my heart all over Europe In Sweden, Holland, Denmark, Finland and South Africa!  

I got back and when I visited all the kids one of them said.” Auntie Whitney  I haven't seen you in soooooo long!” I was actually surprised that they remembered me since I have known them for such a short time. My office was filled with donations to be sorted and lots of meetings to sit in. Sitting at the police station for 4 hours waiting for a birth mother to show (she didn’t). Since the moment the plane wheels hit the grown in South Africa, I have felt like I am running everywhere.  The year definitely started off with a bang.

On the wettest day of the year, Jan 7th the Kirby’s ( founders of Onthatile) oldest daughter got married. It was a beautiful ceremony and considering it was a large wedding everyone coped well with the tight space considering  the fact that God decided to end our 2 year drought in one day : ) It poured the whole day and the roads were floods everywhere. I think my favorite part were the hymns that were sung throughout the ceremony. they fit perfectly. I have been apart of a wedding with a song or two but usually its not a sing along with the guests. This church family has wonderful loud singing
voices which made a difference. One of my favorite memories was: I had the small baby N all day. I absolutely loved it. Trying to get the carseat and pram (stroller) in and out of the car, pouring rain, in red mud, long dress, and heels was a hilarious and adventurous task. I almost fell in the mud twice and getting to the wedding wasn't too bad but by the time i got in the car trying to go home I was wringing out the water from my hair and dress to the floor of my car. I looked like I stepped under a shower tap.  I had a good laugh. Driving home was absolutely terrifying but we did make it home safe and sound with no troubles.

My Wedding Date Baby N

Last Picture with Baby R

Adoptions!

Baby R is with her forever mommy and daddy! Her forever parents cried tears of joy through the whole placement. They just adored all the little things that make her a unique little person. They definitely showed a lot of first time parenting mannerisms. I am excited to see how they have bonded with their daughter in a few weeks when they come back for a visit to El Roi before heading to Finland.

Toddler M is finally with his family!!!!! Wow, what a journey this has been. M’s paper work has been sitting in court for months and some other legal issues. When a child is old enough they get to see the profile with pictures of their new family. He loved that book so much caring it around the week before his placement. It was very precious to watch during my visits at El Roi. The placement itself was one of the most relaxed placements we have ever had. M is a third adopted child for this family. His new brother and sister loved playing with him. Excited for him to grow and flourish in Sweden!

Last Pic with M

M with his forever brother and sister

We got Updates! I got a first update from Toddler L in Sweden and it was so much fun to read. Mom basically summed up all the things we already love about her. She doesn't love too many cuddles and loves playing and drinking water all day long if she could. I love reading about how her family is learning about their daughter. She seems super settled and loved by her forever family.

drum roll please…….. 

I got an update from my little Minnie Mouse!  I have waited 459 days to hear something. Anything. It was my Christmas present from Cindy. I am telling you that going from being completely okay to uncontrollable sobs in seconds in possible. The update is a year old from January 2016 and its a social worker update but it has settled my heart in ways i cannot describe. She is so happy and mom and dad are very intentional about making her feel safe. One of the pictures is a very typical picture of her on her knees playing with a toy, One is with her big brother, her being christened with her mommy and daddy, the last one is my favorite. She is standing outside with a hat on and a in a big winter coat that seems to swallow her up. I woke up the next morning with the biggest smile on my face because it wasn't a dream, those blurry black and white pictures were still on my kitchen table.

Prayer Requests:


1. Adoptions! There are still so many babies that need families! Baby N at Onthatile is waiting to be with is family! We are waiting for judges to sign papers. We are praying he will get to be with his family in next week! Toddler N, Toddler S and Toddler J are all turning 4 this year at El Roi. Please be praying that the correct legal process happen quickly so they also can with their families this year. Especially Since their best buddy M has gone to his family they are asking more than ever about their families and their “book” (family profile). My heart is in pieces.

2. New Babies. We have had many potential new babies at Onthatile but all of them have been either a blank end or directed somewhere else. Please pray for patience as we wait for a baby and be praying for that perfect baby that God has for this house!

3. Financial Support. I am about 70% funded for the year. I am looking for people who would be willing to come along side me for monthly support. Any Amount is a blessing! There is a link to my paypal on the right side of my blog. Also there is directions on how to give a tax deductible donation to Valley Bible Church. If you have any questions or would like to talk through Skype or have a meal or coffee next time I'm home to talk about different ways you can help. Please email me or FB message me. If you don't know me, thats okay too! I love meeting new people! (ill be in California in May!!)

4. Settling into my new house! Im in my new cottage and still unpacking and trying to figure the different pieces of the puzzles that I still need. I finally got dishes so i can stop eating off a laminated sheet of paper I have. lol #thestruggleisreal

My Cottage im Renting

Hand Sandwich. Love these boys!

N hanging out in our new chair!

Christmas in America 2016

Hey Family All over the world,


America! America was great. I started my whirlwind trip in Tennessee where I got to spend about 40 hours with my favorite Southern Person Kate Jenkins or as Refilwe affectionately calls her, KJ.

The first night I was so Jet Lagged that honestly its a bit of a blur. Something about a tattoo, really good chilly cheese fries, needing a dill pickle and successfully melting two pints of our favorite Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Chunky Monkey on accident. And through it all sounding completely delirious, sleep deprived and a cross between Southern English and South African English. It was a bit of a mess.

Half way home!

London Sunrise

Day two is much clearer. We got breakfast at Chick-Fil-A! My first ever experience at chick-fil-a and it was incredible! I now understand why everyone talks about it! If you don't know what it is i suggest you find the nearest one and figure out how to get there… If your not in america I am so sorry and the only thing I can say is that it is Not in the same category at KFC. Not even close.


I got to See Memphis University and Feel like a College student again. Beautiful Campus. Kj took me to Downtown and we had some memphis BBQ and stopped in Arkansas for about 5 minutes, literally. We stopped for a Selfie with a sign that said Arkansas and drove back. I went to the STAKS Museum which is a museum about the history of Soul Music. I got a caffeine headache from too much sweet tea. (I’m weak lol) KJ volunteers at a after school program for primary(elementary) age and she took me with her. We got two sweet boys (grade 2) to help with their homework and do some ‘extra help papers’ and it was so much fun. It made me remember how much i enjoy teaching. Then we drove to KJ’s parents house for dinner. They are some of the sweetest people.

Memphis BBQ

Arkansas!!!!

The last Morning we had breakfast and i got to try Grits for the 2nd time. It had butter and cheese on top and it just seemed so wrong to be eating it so early in the morning. However, I wanted to be as southern as possible so I ate it anyways.  We drove to Mississippi were we did the same thing, took a picture with a sign and drove back. After our #threestatesthreedays accomplishment we stopped at chick-fil-a for lunch (where we got stuck in the lunch madness) and dove to the airport to drop me off!  Whew… that was 40 hours…

I had such a wonderful time stopping in Tennessee and I am so Thankful for KJ for hosting me and taking the time to show me her Memphis.

Mississippi

My first week in California was very nice. I can actually say very restful and got to catch up on a lot of my shows, netflix and Sleep. It helped that everyone else was either at work, school, or Dialysis and my brother had my car at school.

On the 10th of December the McDaniel family hosted another  donor dinner for me. Lots of people came and I got to share about South Africa and what my 2016 looked like and what my 2017 is shaping  up to be in my new ministry and new role. I left feeling so encouraged and lots of money was raised. (Im so sad I have very few pictures from that night)

I had a fun surprise on that night. My Aunt Connie, Cousin Greta and her son Jack surprised me from Oregon. It was so wonderful to see them and I finally got to meet Jack who is adopted from China. There is something special about people who are genuinely excited about what is happening in your life.

The rest of my weeks were filled with High Tea with my grandmother (Mimi), lunches and dinners with Dear friends. I met a precious little girl for the first time who was born while I was away. I met with a lot of old friends and made some new ones too. I sat with my mom at Dialysis a few times and got to know some of her tech’s.

Christmas was fun. it was very different than a traditional Eitzen Christmas but it was special all the same. My Aunt, Uncle and grandparents came for Christmas day which was wonderful. We had a great dinner and lots of laughs.

Snowbelle

Princess

One of my favorite meals in America Phô

Picking out a Christmas tree

My dad and Noah playing at church on Christmas Morning

Girls night out watching the Moscow Nutcracker

Christmas Eve

Prayer Requests:

Financial Support. I am about 70% funded for the year. I am looking for people who would be willing to come along side me with either a one time gift or monthly support. There is a link to my paypal on the right side of my blog. Also there is directions on how to give a tax deductible donation to Valley Bible Church. If you have any questions or would like to talk through Skype or have a meal or coffee next time I'm home to talk about different ways you can help. Please email me or FB message me. If you don't know me, thats okay too! I love meeting new people! (ill be in California in May!!)
My Heart as I continue to Transition. I have a lot of change this year. New House, New Car, New Job, New friends, New Church, and New Town. Its hard. It hard not to get discouraged. Its hard not to get frustrated.  Its hard to remember how confident I feel that this is where God wants me to be. Its hard to not become overwhelmed with anxiety and fear.

However

I know I serve a mighty God.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for this who love God all things work together for good, for this who are called according to his purpose.  Romans 8: 26-28

The Lord is at hand; Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

Miss Ramiyah

Mom and I at a Ice Hockey Game

Hanging out with Mom at Dialysis

Spoiling this little girl. Love you Ramiyah!

A New Life at.....

Dear Family all over the world,

wow, I didn't think it was going to be so scary to post this.

This blog is a very special and close to my heart. I get to make an announcement for the first time….

After over three wonderful years at Refilwe I am taking a huge leap of faith and have accepted a position as a Baby House Manager for Onthatile Children’s Ministries! Onthatile (On-Ta-Tea-Lay) is a small non-profit organization started by an American couple 4 years ago. They currently have a small baby home that is connected to their family home. They have hopes to have foster families living on site as well as a preschool and adding more babies too, to their 5 acre property!
    As of January 1st, I will be officially on Staff at Onthatile here in South Africa. Some of my duties will remain similar to my position at Refilwe such as everyday baby care. In addition, as baby house manager I will be responsible for general overseeing of the baby home, coordinating the babies’ schedules, doctors appointments, social worker visits, and adoptions, as well as overseeing the staff and interns that come through the ministry. I am so excited about this opportunity and trusting that God will guide and use me in this new position for his glory.  

I feel as if I have had to muster up all my courage  to take on this new journey. This  is definitely something I didn’t expect or even a road I thought I would travel but I am so confident that God has been directing my steps. I feel like God has and will continue to equip me as I move forward. I also know that stepping out of my comfort zone will make me rely on Jesus a little more everyday, which can only be for my benefit! I am so excited about this new season of life.

I will be moving into a small cottage about 2 miles away from the baby house and will commute everyday. There will be many weeks of transition as well as trial and error. I will need to find a new church in my area as well as all new routes and short cuts. Please be praying that I can build good relationships with the social workers, the staff at Onthatile, the staff at our local hospital, and with my new neighbors. This  will continue to be a volunteer position and I will  still seek  your prayerful support. I will also continue to work on avenues for fundraising for this upcoming year. I am confident that with the added costs of this new journey I know God will provide the support that I need in all different areas. 

I am so thankful for Refilwe Community Project and what a wonderful family they all have become. While volunteering at Refilwe, I have learned so much about myself and  other people but also about my Heavenly Father. I have built friendships that will continue to grow and memories that I will carry with me forever. I am thankful that Refilwe has been so supportive of me during this transition and has helped in every way that they are able.


You can check out my new ministry at: www.onthatile.org

Thank you so much for everyone who filled out my adoption survey. It has been so enlightening to read everyones responses and different perspectives. It will be incredibly helpful to know how we can help in the adoption process best! People still have a few days to fill it out or send out a reminder to other people before the December 1st deadline!

https://goo.gl/forms/cOG8AP6Q9zkPYfKH3

I will be in America in one week! I am SO EXCITED! I cannot wait to see my family, eat american food, and have coffee and meals with people! If you would like to see pictures and hear stories about my time in South Africa, PLEASE EMAIL ME!

whit.eitzen@gmail.com

Please Be praying for safe travels. I will be leaving RSA on the 28th and Arriving to my parents on the 1st!

Summer Beginnings

Hey Family all over the world,

October has been a very exciting month! We celebrated two Birthdays and two adoptions!
 

Baby EJ and Baby K turned one! We had so much fun celebrating their birthdays! 

EJ loved his cake! He shoved his whole hand into his cake and frosting was everywhere! His thoughts on his presents were less than exciting. Every present put on this tray was quickly thrown on the floor. After two times he decided that he was funny. Im sure all the parents out there know exactly what I'm talking about. haha

Miss K had a somewhat opposite reaction. She didn't care for her cake. She didn't  want to touch it although, she thought it was quite nice when an auntie helped her taste it. : ) She loved her presents. She loved her little Giraffe and baby doll. She didn't want to put her Hello Kitty rattle down.

All the big kids know the song “happy birthday” very well, so EJ and K were celebrated with what I think was the loudest ‘Happy Birthday’ to date!  Sad that our next birthday isn't till January! 

When the day gets hot sleep with a plotted plant. silly cat

I am excited to announce that Miss AB is with her forever family! God has been extremely kind with this situation since a year ago we were thinking she would need to go to a forever foster family! I am proud to say that she not in a  foster family but  legally adopted by a beautiful local family! Her mom is a pediatric nurse who is so sweet and loves pink just like her daughter. Her daddy is in the  police force and can scare all the monsters in her room and slay all the dragons for his princess. They sent a picture the next day and AB had cute Princess Elsa shirt and a smile. It makes my heart so happy. It has been a pleasure to love this little girl for the last 2 1/2 years.

Walking into her new house with her mommy!

Saying good-bye to her friends

Little EJ had a really rough start in life. Probably one of more traumatic stories I have had to hear. I am so thankful that his story didn't end on that day but he has thrived into a rambunctious 1 year old. He is now in the arms of his wonderful parents and brother (5) from Denmark. The pictures from his adoption are so sweet and precious. He rocked the plaid shirt : )

Reminder: 

 Dont forget to pass along my adoption Survey! My goal is to get another 15 people to fill it out before December 1st! It is completely Anonymous and will help us in the baby homes prepare our kids better for their futures and come along side parents to support them the best we can! The responses have been wonderful so far and very insightful. You can email the link, Post it on Facebook, Twitter, You can even rent a large billboard and post the link if you wanted to. lol That last option might be a little much. Thank you so  much for your help!





https://goo.gl/forms/Okz7oYnSwB5uGlt22

REFILWE has a Calendar!!!!!!!!!!  

Only Two Days Left to Order! The Calendars are about R200. Which ends up being around $14.50 plus it will ship to your door before Christmas! It is a great gift and has a lot of great pictures from Refilwe and around South Africa. Quick and Order one now! (pssst I have a few pictures in in the Calendar!)









https://www.givengain.com/cause/2671/campaigns/17416/


Also, the end of the year is coming up! Would you Pray about committing to support me for 2017? There is a few ways to do that.

-Support me Financially either with a one time gift or monthly support. Every Little bit Counts!
-Let me know you are praying for me! Prayer is so powerful!
-Ask me about my Needs list for 2017.  I would be more than happy to email it to you
-Have Coffee with me while I'm in America! (or if your in SA too) Time of Sharing, Encouragement and Prayer is so necessary while im home.  I love catching up with people, a lot happens in a year! Ill be in America For the whole month of December 2016!

Even though it is Summer I found a Gingerbread Latte

He loves his Lovie

Bye to little AB

This is Hans

Hans is from Holland and Volunteers at Refilwe helping with Repairs on Fridays. I had a 2 hour conversation with him about his life. Its pretty incredible. The earliest date he mentioned was 1944 but he was a little boy then so im not sure exactly how old he is but, he is about as wise as they come. He is the first person I have ever met (at least that i remember) who was in Europe during WWII. His Family went into hiding in this cottage for 10 months hiding from the Nazi's. His Dad was captured but he escaped before he was taken to a working camp. He hid in Holland till the war was over. I dont remember how long that was however, he said his dad was gone for a long time.  His mom, Baby Sister and himself stayed in the cottage and it saved their lives! He has pictures, paintings and drawings of this cottage all over his house. It was captivating to see how much it meant to him and his family. Every year he goes back to Holland and any family that is around gather to the cottage and retell the story. Apparently the cottage is now owned by the government and houses underprivileged kids from the city to the country on school holidays.
He misses his wife dearly who passed about 4 years ago. He showed me the white roses she planted and some of her things are still around the house too. I definitely had one of the moments where I thought "wow, I hope one day I get to have a husband who loves me this much" Im not trying to be sappy about it just was a rare thing to see these days and it  was truly beautiful. I wish I could have known her.