Well, it's been way too long since I've posted anything so here goes. Instead of boring you to tears with the nitty gritty details of the adoption paperwork process, I thought I would give a glimpse into the emotional side of adoption. When we were starting the process, someone told us it'll be a ride of highs and lows but at the end you'll look back and say, "that wasn't so bad now was it." Kind of like pregnancy and labor but this one will continue not for just 40 weeks but 23 months. That's right, 23 months is the current wait time in Ethiopia once your dossier is submitted. That's a lot of waiting but God has been showing me how much I need to grow in this area. Day by day, Emmalyn is teaching me patience as only a 21 month old bundle of energy can. I'm thankful for my daughter and the lessons she teaches me every day. I probably need 23 months to be refined by the Lord through teachable moments every day to practice patience and humor when things aren't going quite like you hoped.
As of October 1, we have been officially on the wait list for our little girl. Just the completion of the paperwork process (we still have one more form to send in) was a huge relief and weight off my shoulders. The waiting process will be long and hard, but for now I'm content to "Be still and know that I am God." God has a plan and will work it all out in His perfect timing. In the coming months as emotions run high and low, I hope to reflect on this time of contentment as we eagerly await the arrival of our daughter.
I wanted to share a prayer I recorded in my journal.
"I praise you for the plan that you have in place now for her. I pray for her birthfamily. Protect her and them as she is conceived, born, and lives on the other side of the globe. I pray that you, God, would orchestrate events so we could meet her birthparents. Open up doors for the gospel to be shared with them. Thank you for demonstrating adoption to us first as we are adopted as sons and daughters into your family through Jesus."
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Yard Sale Success and Home Study
Whew! It's been a crazy month or so and it's time for an update on the adoption front. A few weeks ago we had a yard sale to raise some money for our adoption. We were blown away by the generosity of our friends and family. It was a gorgeous weekend and we ended up raising about $1300!
We finally heard from our social worker who will be conducting our home study. We have our individual interviews scheduled for next Thursday. At the beginning of the process, the home study stressed me out, but it's not as big of a deal as I thought it would be. I've also been busy working on getting our dossier documents together. They are not kidding about that; it really is a pain, but it will be so worth it. We also have a lot of education to complete sometime soon, a workbook and several online lessons. Much to do right now!
Emmalyn is excited for her little sister!
Haley and Owen trying out the lemonade stand.
The stuff for sale
We finally heard from our social worker who will be conducting our home study. We have our individual interviews scheduled for next Thursday. At the beginning of the process, the home study stressed me out, but it's not as big of a deal as I thought it would be. I've also been busy working on getting our dossier documents together. They are not kidding about that; it really is a pain, but it will be so worth it. We also have a lot of education to complete sometime soon, a workbook and several online lessons. Much to do right now!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Let the paperwork begin...
After much prayer and leading from the Lord, we have selected an adoption agency! We will be adopting from Ethiopia through All God's Children International. What? Ethiopia? What about Haiti? As many know, Haiti is very dear to my heart. We thought for a long time that we would try to adopt a Haitian child, but adoption in Haiti is extremely difficult not to mention we don't meet the requirements. Adoption is risky enough on it own and felt the door open to adopt from Ethiopia, a country with 5 million orphans.
We have already filled out an application and been accepted into the program! So far AGCI has been phenomenal. We had our orientation call a couple of weeks ago and have been working on completing our first batch of paperwork. This week will be our first "faith test" as we send in our completed contracts and fees.
We have already filled out an application and been accepted into the program! So far AGCI has been phenomenal. We had our orientation call a couple of weeks ago and have been working on completing our first batch of paperwork. This week will be our first "faith test" as we send in our completed contracts and fees.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The Call of Adoption
Adoption has been on our hearts for a long time. Before we were married we talked about how we would love to adopt one day. Since kids were in the future we didn't give it much more thought and enjoyed life as a newly married couple. In the spring of 2009, I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti (see previous post) and minister to about 100 of the neediest and poorest orphans in the world. My heart broke for these kids and I felt God calling us to adoption like never before. Even though God was speaking to us about adoption we did want to have one biological child, if we could, so in the fall of 2009 we started trying to get pregnant. Eight months later we were and our daughter, Emmalyn, was born in January 2011.
So here we are a year later and ready to embark on our own international adoption journey. We often get questions like why are you adopting, why internationally, etc? Adoption is close to our hearts because our great God first adopted us as His children. We were destined for death and wrath but He intervened and sent Jesus to die in my place so I could be called a child of God. I am welcomed into His family. Throughout the Bible, we see that God's heart is for the orphan and the fatherless.
So here we are a year later and ready to embark on our own international adoption journey. We often get questions like why are you adopting, why internationally, etc? Adoption is close to our hearts because our great God first adopted us as His children. We were destined for death and wrath but He intervened and sent Jesus to die in my place so I could be called a child of God. I am welcomed into His family. Throughout the Bible, we see that God's heart is for the orphan and the fatherless.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9
"...because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them." Job 29:12
"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." Psalm 82:3
"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
Why internationally? Aren't there kids right here in America that need homes? Yes, there are many needy and fatherless kids in our own country. But we feel that God has provided resources and blessed us so we in turn can bless others. So many orphans are in other countries without access to basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter not to mention the love and support they need to thrive and a chance to hear the Gospel and become a Christ-follower one day.
The worldwide statistic on orphans and needy children is 163 million. I realize that this number is skewed somewhat as this is the number of kids that have lost one parent so some of them are not orphans as we tend to think of it. It is still a staggering number in the millions. As a Christ-follower, I cannot sit and do nothing and pretend there is not a hurting world out there that needs Jesus.
I'm tired of mediocre American Christianity that refuses to take a risk for Jesus. I want to risk it all and do the hard thing, go to difficult places, rescue kids from extreme poverty and introduce them to Jesus. Yeah, it's going to cost something. It's going to be expensive, emotionally draining, and time intensive. But eternity hangs in the balance and the reward will be great. I read a book Kisses for Katie recently about a high school graduate who risked it all and moved to Uganda to serve orphans. In the book, she gives a statistic that the number of Christians in the world are 2.1 billion and that if only 8% of those would rescue just one child there would be no more statistics. So what are you going to do Christian?
Please pray for us as we research and choose an agency to facilitate this priceless journey. Stay tuned for more!
"...because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them." Job 29:12
"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." Psalm 82:3
"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
Why internationally? Aren't there kids right here in America that need homes? Yes, there are many needy and fatherless kids in our own country. But we feel that God has provided resources and blessed us so we in turn can bless others. So many orphans are in other countries without access to basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter not to mention the love and support they need to thrive and a chance to hear the Gospel and become a Christ-follower one day.
The worldwide statistic on orphans and needy children is 163 million. I realize that this number is skewed somewhat as this is the number of kids that have lost one parent so some of them are not orphans as we tend to think of it. It is still a staggering number in the millions. As a Christ-follower, I cannot sit and do nothing and pretend there is not a hurting world out there that needs Jesus.
I'm tired of mediocre American Christianity that refuses to take a risk for Jesus. I want to risk it all and do the hard thing, go to difficult places, rescue kids from extreme poverty and introduce them to Jesus. Yeah, it's going to cost something. It's going to be expensive, emotionally draining, and time intensive. But eternity hangs in the balance and the reward will be great. I read a book Kisses for Katie recently about a high school graduate who risked it all and moved to Uganda to serve orphans. In the book, she gives a statistic that the number of Christians in the world are 2.1 billion and that if only 8% of those would rescue just one child there would be no more statistics. So what are you going to do Christian?
Please pray for us as we research and choose an agency to facilitate this priceless journey. Stay tuned for more!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Father to the Fatherless
Last night, I was listening to a sermon by Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle entitled Marriage and Men. Here is the link to it: http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/trial/marriage-and-men. Before you listen, (and I recommend that every man listens to this) be warned that this message is not for the faint of heart or for boys; it's for men who want to lead their families and do something about this problem that is gripping our nation in it's iron claws.
First of all, I am not a man and I don't write this to bust on men. I write this to call men to greatness. It's not too hard to look around our society and see the devastating effects of the absence of men. Our society is in a crisis and many are unaware of it treating the symptoms instead of the cause. The family has been redefined thereby destroyed. Kids are growing up without fathers and turning to drugs, sex and friends to fill the void of their father. Wives are caught in the trap of working to help support their family while their family is falling apart right before their very eyes. And this is happening just as much in the church as it is in the world. Yet nothing is done. I applaud the courage of Driscoll to speak hard truth man to man. I pray for more pastors like him to rail on the fatherless state of our society.
It is estimated that 40% of babies are born out of wedlock. This fact was unthinkable in the 1950s a mere 60 years ago. How far we have fallen! In two generations, we have forsaken traditional family values, embraced tolerance, feminism, and individual freedom all at the expense of the family. I would argue that the role of the father is more important than the role of the mother in a family. Most women embrace motherhood and are adequate nurturers, how God has designed it. But most men, struggle with leading their family as part of the curse. Both are important no doubt, but I believe the father is much more critical to the health of the family. God has designed that the husband is the head of the household not to domineer over everyone, but to lovingly serve and lead his family. Without this, the family is a ship without a captain heading for the rocks on the shore.
Since many boys are growing up without dads, they have no example to look to of godly leadership in the family. Here's where the church comes in to pick up the pieces. Thank God we can get what we lacked from our natural families through the church. I learned an incredible amount from watching and observing godly ladies in my church. I have much more to learn, but am thankful for them. It's time the older godly men, teach the younger ones about being a man. If you don't someone else less godly than you will with detrimental consequences.
Men, I challenge you to man up and lead your family loving your wife like Christ loved the church. Find godly counsel and an example and learn from them. If no example can be found, look to Your Heavenly Father who is perfect. He sent Jesus to die for all sin. He stands ready to forgive and restore what is broken. Your family is at stake. Your wife wants you to lead, trust me. Your kids demand that you do. The time is short and the time is now to act.
Thanks for listening.
First of all, I am not a man and I don't write this to bust on men. I write this to call men to greatness. It's not too hard to look around our society and see the devastating effects of the absence of men. Our society is in a crisis and many are unaware of it treating the symptoms instead of the cause. The family has been redefined thereby destroyed. Kids are growing up without fathers and turning to drugs, sex and friends to fill the void of their father. Wives are caught in the trap of working to help support their family while their family is falling apart right before their very eyes. And this is happening just as much in the church as it is in the world. Yet nothing is done. I applaud the courage of Driscoll to speak hard truth man to man. I pray for more pastors like him to rail on the fatherless state of our society.
It is estimated that 40% of babies are born out of wedlock. This fact was unthinkable in the 1950s a mere 60 years ago. How far we have fallen! In two generations, we have forsaken traditional family values, embraced tolerance, feminism, and individual freedom all at the expense of the family. I would argue that the role of the father is more important than the role of the mother in a family. Most women embrace motherhood and are adequate nurturers, how God has designed it. But most men, struggle with leading their family as part of the curse. Both are important no doubt, but I believe the father is much more critical to the health of the family. God has designed that the husband is the head of the household not to domineer over everyone, but to lovingly serve and lead his family. Without this, the family is a ship without a captain heading for the rocks on the shore.
Since many boys are growing up without dads, they have no example to look to of godly leadership in the family. Here's where the church comes in to pick up the pieces. Thank God we can get what we lacked from our natural families through the church. I learned an incredible amount from watching and observing godly ladies in my church. I have much more to learn, but am thankful for them. It's time the older godly men, teach the younger ones about being a man. If you don't someone else less godly than you will with detrimental consequences.
Men, I challenge you to man up and lead your family loving your wife like Christ loved the church. Find godly counsel and an example and learn from them. If no example can be found, look to Your Heavenly Father who is perfect. He sent Jesus to die for all sin. He stands ready to forgive and restore what is broken. Your family is at stake. Your wife wants you to lead, trust me. Your kids demand that you do. The time is short and the time is now to act.
Thanks for listening.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Children of Haiti
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to travel to
The next day, we spent the entire day at the orphanage. When we arrived, they were finishing up school for the younger kids (the older kids had already left for school). The kids were served a breakfast of spaghetti, a portion large enough for an adult. Every child ate every morsel even the smallest one of them.
We shared the Gospel with them through a book written in Creole, their native language. We played, sang songs, made balloon art (which took me forever to figure out, because Susan was teaching me left-handed which didn’t make sense to me). They sang to us in Creole which was beautiful. We sang the hokey-pokey to them which was not so beautiful. When the older kids returned from school, they greeted each one of us with "Bonswa" and a kiss on the cheek. How precious and sweet is that! During our time there, the kids were on you constantly, starved of human contact. One little boy(picture below) begged for me to hold him a large part of the day. If I tried to put him down, he began to cry. Chris and I are now sponsoring him through One Vision International so he can eat and have medicine. Please prayerfully consider how you can become involved in these kids' lives. For just $50/month, a child will be provided with food and medicines. For more information go to www.onevisioninternational.org.
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