Tonight we had our first homestudy appointment. I think it went well. Of course, Eman had a connection with the social worker - he knows her husband and has memories that go back to when he was a little boy of this man! Apparently he used to have Richard Marx hair...? Eman seems to find someone he knows everywhere he goes. In fact, my brother used to live in KY and we went to visit him once. While we were there, Eman ran into someone he knew from the TriCities at a minor league baseball game! I have learned to just keep walking when he stops to chat at Walmart...
Back to topic, we had our first appointment today! We sent a lot of paperwork home with her to enter into the computer. Eman and I are going to do our best to make sure that we stay ahead of our social worker on paperwork so we can go through this process as quickly as possible. I am going to be contacting a clinic in Seattle that specializes in adoption. We need to know what we can expect for our little Jie. I know that the Dr will be making an educated guess, but he will be giving me an idea of things that I havent thought of. I am super nervous to find out what he is going to say, but can only cling to the promise that the Lord is directing our path and He will be caring us through.
I cannot wait to get more pictures of our son (if that is even possible) but am even more anxious to get him into my hands to care for and love him. I know that Lord is going to equip me to be the very best mama I can be for this little boy. I am excited to see how Jie is going to change our family and lives! I am excited to see how he grows and develops - I want to hear him laugh, see him smile, feel his soft touch. I want to hear him say MAMA! I cannot wait for him to meet his brothers and have the freedom and strength to move and play. My big boys have so much to teach this little boy.
I cannot wait to see how John & Jacob grow and develop as a result of opening up their hearts to a little boy desperate for love. I cannot wait to see how Jie, through Jesus, changes them.
Please, Lord Jesus, comfort my Jie. Give him a hope and a knowledge that change and something good is coming - soon! Snuggle him and stroke his sweet little face. Send angels to sing him sweet lullabies to sleep. Remind him that he is valuable not only to us, but to You as well! Thank you for bringing us together.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
uganda... in 2 years?
This weekend I went to my parents with the boys while Eman was at the men's retreat. I left in the morning on Friday and he left later in the day, after work. Well, apparently he had quite the ordeal getting out of town and actually to the ranch. Thank goodness he got there in one piece, having driven through a torrential down pour that included lightening. Oh, and he was riding his motorcycle! He called me this morning letting me know he was headed home and that he had an amazing time and the Lord really spoke to him. On Friday, I had suggested to Eman, on a whim, that he seek out a man from our fellowship that has adopted a gazillion children from all over the world with his wife. So, of course, I was thinking that the Lord had told Eman that we would be adding another child to what we were already doing. Of course. And, of course, the Lord told Eman something TOTALLY different. Of course. :) During our conversation tonight, Eman asked me to blog about this just to keep track of what we feel like God is doing in our lives - same reason I have been doing the blog in the first place. I told him he was more than welcome to blog himself, but he didnt want to. Maybe it is too girly? ;)
So, I guess to start at the beginning, we have been tossing the idea around of getting a different vehicle to accommodate our growing family. Eman's dream is an older Toyota Land Cruiser. He already had a love for these but drove one while in Uganda last summer and that totally sealed the deal. On Friday as he was leaving work, he ran into a gal that drives a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser that was planning to list her rig on craig's list on Friday. She told Eman that she wasnt in a big hurry to sell it, but that they just didnt need that big of a vehicle any more. So, Eman told her he was interested but needed to sell his beloved truck first. This, by the way, is a big deal because Eman LOVES his truck.
Eman is also going to be testing tomorrow for a corporal's position at work - if he got this position, it would mean a lot of changes and sacrifices for our family as a whole. Right now, Eman works four 10's with Sat-Mon off. Ideal, right? If he got this new job, Eman would go back to working in the jail for 12 hour days, rotating shifts. This would mean 6 weeks of day shift, 6 weeks of night shift. Blech. We havent had to deal with night shifts since Jacob was little. They, obviously, are not fun or easy. However, if this is God's plan for our lives, then we will make it work - with His help.
When we were getting ready for Eman to go to Uganda last summer, we were day dreaming/brainstorming why God would want to send him to Africa. We wondered if He wanted us to end up there and help run an orphanage with the Pastor in Northern Uganda. Neither of us have any skills whatsoever to offer, but we can love those kids and that is what they need. Ever since Eman has come back, he has had vivid dreams of Uganda, and EVERYTHING reminds him of it.
All of these things, plus everything else going on, come together to equal something - we just arent sure what. Eman feels like he is slowly starting to see puzzle pieces shifting and starting to come together to reveal part of God's plan. He used the conversation with the man I had suggested he find. When Eman found this man, he was in the midst of a conversation with another man about how they had gotten to 21 kids. Eman joined the conversation and told the man about the little boy we are adopting and things that have been going on in our lives lately, as well as his feelings and thoughts for Uganda. Eman felt like the Lord used this conversation to soften his heart and was telling him this: our little Chinese boy will be our family's "adoption for dummies" course to prepare us for a life in Uganda - a country full of orphans. Say what?! Eman feels like the time frame for this happening is 2 years. (Interestingly enough, this would be within the same time frame the Lord gave another family for when they would be moving to Uganda. It would also put our boys at 9/10ish and 7/8ish (Jacob and our Chinese boy are six months apart).) The pastor in Pajule hopes to build a medical clinic and orphanage in his village. Eman feels like the Lord has a plan for us to help care for these kids.
All of this feels really crazy, but is not at all surprising. The thoughts and ideas we shared together last summer were so detailed and comfortable! I know that I am fully capable of coming up with plans on my own, without the Lord's prompting. But, I also know that the Lord gave me peace about going to Uganda a month or so after Eman came back. This peace, I thought, was for me to go on my own trip, this August. Eman was not sure about me going by myself and really wanted to be able to go together. So, now, who knows what the Lord has planned, but I know that He has been busy growing us both up a lot this year. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out
I pray that I stay open and excited about following the Lord's plan - no matter where he leads me as an individual as well as us as a family. Please keep my eyes on YOU, Lord.
So, I guess to start at the beginning, we have been tossing the idea around of getting a different vehicle to accommodate our growing family. Eman's dream is an older Toyota Land Cruiser. He already had a love for these but drove one while in Uganda last summer and that totally sealed the deal. On Friday as he was leaving work, he ran into a gal that drives a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser that was planning to list her rig on craig's list on Friday. She told Eman that she wasnt in a big hurry to sell it, but that they just didnt need that big of a vehicle any more. So, Eman told her he was interested but needed to sell his beloved truck first. This, by the way, is a big deal because Eman LOVES his truck.
Eman is also going to be testing tomorrow for a corporal's position at work - if he got this position, it would mean a lot of changes and sacrifices for our family as a whole. Right now, Eman works four 10's with Sat-Mon off. Ideal, right? If he got this new job, Eman would go back to working in the jail for 12 hour days, rotating shifts. This would mean 6 weeks of day shift, 6 weeks of night shift. Blech. We havent had to deal with night shifts since Jacob was little. They, obviously, are not fun or easy. However, if this is God's plan for our lives, then we will make it work - with His help.
When we were getting ready for Eman to go to Uganda last summer, we were day dreaming/brainstorming why God would want to send him to Africa. We wondered if He wanted us to end up there and help run an orphanage with the Pastor in Northern Uganda. Neither of us have any skills whatsoever to offer, but we can love those kids and that is what they need. Ever since Eman has come back, he has had vivid dreams of Uganda, and EVERYTHING reminds him of it.
All of these things, plus everything else going on, come together to equal something - we just arent sure what. Eman feels like he is slowly starting to see puzzle pieces shifting and starting to come together to reveal part of God's plan. He used the conversation with the man I had suggested he find. When Eman found this man, he was in the midst of a conversation with another man about how they had gotten to 21 kids. Eman joined the conversation and told the man about the little boy we are adopting and things that have been going on in our lives lately, as well as his feelings and thoughts for Uganda. Eman felt like the Lord used this conversation to soften his heart and was telling him this: our little Chinese boy will be our family's "adoption for dummies" course to prepare us for a life in Uganda - a country full of orphans. Say what?! Eman feels like the time frame for this happening is 2 years. (Interestingly enough, this would be within the same time frame the Lord gave another family for when they would be moving to Uganda. It would also put our boys at 9/10ish and 7/8ish (Jacob and our Chinese boy are six months apart).) The pastor in Pajule hopes to build a medical clinic and orphanage in his village. Eman feels like the Lord has a plan for us to help care for these kids.
All of this feels really crazy, but is not at all surprising. The thoughts and ideas we shared together last summer were so detailed and comfortable! I know that I am fully capable of coming up with plans on my own, without the Lord's prompting. But, I also know that the Lord gave me peace about going to Uganda a month or so after Eman came back. This peace, I thought, was for me to go on my own trip, this August. Eman was not sure about me going by myself and really wanted to be able to go together. So, now, who knows what the Lord has planned, but I know that He has been busy growing us both up a lot this year. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out
I pray that I stay open and excited about following the Lord's plan - no matter where he leads me as an individual as well as us as a family. Please keep my eyes on YOU, Lord.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Psalm 139 - Amplified
O Lord, you have searched me (thoroughly) and have known me.
You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off.
You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and you are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue (still unuttered), but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
You have beset me and shut me in - behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me.
Your (infinite) knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it.
Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, You are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be (the only) light about me,
even the darkness hides nothing from you, but the night shines as the day;
the darkness and the light are both alike to you.
For you did form my inward parts; you did knit me together in my mother's womb.
I will confess and praise you for you are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are your works, and that my inner self knows right well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was being formed in secret (and) intricately and curiously wrought (as if embroidered with various colors) in the depths of the earth
(a region of darkness and mystery).
Your eyes saw my unformed substance,
and in your book all the days (of my life) were written before ever they took shape,
when as yet there was none of them.
How precious and weighty also are your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand.
When I awoke, (could I count to the end) I would still be with You.
If you would (only) slay the wicked, O God,
and the men of blood depart from me - who speak against you wickedly,
your enemies who take your name in vain!
Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate you?
And am I not grieved and do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies.
Search me (thoroughly), O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
wisdom..
Proverbs 2:6 - For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
This is the commentary that came with the scripture:
Many of us have started our Christian walk with studying the Scripture, but we can ease into our own views of "common sense". We must remember that whether we have walked with Jesus for six days or sixty years, our wisdom, knowledge and understanding must come from the words of God. If left unchecked, we will default to choosing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but God has given us His word so that we can make a daily choice to eat from the tree of life.
This is so appropriate for me right now - not that I am walking away from the Lord, but because I am being questioned. It is so, so important to stay in Godly fellowship (church, bible study, etc) and even more important to be in the Word DAILY! Daily is a struggle for me, but I am learning everyday how necessary this renewal is!
God has called Eman and I to bring this little boy home (hopefully soon we will decide on a name for him..). We did not choose to add an unknown child to our family. We did (and do) choose to obey what the Lord has asked us to do. It may be a difficult change once he is home, and it may not be. I am preparing for the worst, as best as I can. But, I am prayful and hopeful that this little boy will gain strength both physically, mentally and spiritually once he is in our home. I know that these things are only possible if his Father wills it. When I am faced with discouragement, it is harder to trust in my Father's plan. Which, brings me full circle to how important it is to be renewing my mind EVERY DAY!
This is what the Lord calls ALL of us believers to do:
Matt 25:35-40 - "..for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see you a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."
James 1:27 - "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." (NKJV)
The Amplified version says it this way: "External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world."
(emphasis mine)
We just need to choose to obey his calling - and we are answering with a resounding YES! We want to bring this little boy out of China to love him and care for him.
Isaiah 40: 4 - "Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Isaiah 40: 28 - 31 - "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might he increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Thank you, Father, for these promises! I cannot wait for our little boy to come home. Please, sweet Jesus, bring him home soon.
This is the commentary that came with the scripture:
Many of us have started our Christian walk with studying the Scripture, but we can ease into our own views of "common sense". We must remember that whether we have walked with Jesus for six days or sixty years, our wisdom, knowledge and understanding must come from the words of God. If left unchecked, we will default to choosing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but God has given us His word so that we can make a daily choice to eat from the tree of life.
This is so appropriate for me right now - not that I am walking away from the Lord, but because I am being questioned. It is so, so important to stay in Godly fellowship (church, bible study, etc) and even more important to be in the Word DAILY! Daily is a struggle for me, but I am learning everyday how necessary this renewal is!
God has called Eman and I to bring this little boy home (hopefully soon we will decide on a name for him..). We did not choose to add an unknown child to our family. We did (and do) choose to obey what the Lord has asked us to do. It may be a difficult change once he is home, and it may not be. I am preparing for the worst, as best as I can. But, I am prayful and hopeful that this little boy will gain strength both physically, mentally and spiritually once he is in our home. I know that these things are only possible if his Father wills it. When I am faced with discouragement, it is harder to trust in my Father's plan. Which, brings me full circle to how important it is to be renewing my mind EVERY DAY!
This is what the Lord calls ALL of us believers to do:
Matt 25:35-40 - "..for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see you a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."
James 1:27 - "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." (NKJV)
The Amplified version says it this way: "External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world."
(emphasis mine)
We just need to choose to obey his calling - and we are answering with a resounding YES! We want to bring this little boy out of China to love him and care for him.
Isaiah 40: 4 - "Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Isaiah 40: 28 - 31 - "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might he increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Thank you, Father, for these promises! I cannot wait for our little boy to come home. Please, sweet Jesus, bring him home soon.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
I love how HE loves us!
Today we had a yard sale to try and raise the balance of what we owe on our first payment. We instead raised a whopping $52 and change. It was DEAD. At around 10:30 or 11 Eman decided to put up a free sign up in the yard and we sat back and watched the cars swarm. Seriously, swarm. I, of course, was annoyed thinking of what we could have made from these people. But, then I relaxed and realized that it wasnt such a big deal. We got so many honestly grateful thank you's from the people that came and took away our yard sale leftovers. I am at a place in my heart where I am able to trust Eman and know that he is trusting the Lord to provide, which, of course, allows me to trust Him too. Early in the afternoon I was out chatting with a friend and another person came up with his son. He chatted with me for a minute and then handed me an envelope. I know the family's intention was to give anonymously, but I ruined that by being outside. ;) Anyhow, the amount they gave combined with what we had saved plus what we made today at the yard sale, will pay for our payment, our co-pays on our physicals that happen Monday AND our postage to mail the check to AL almost exactly (if not perfectly)!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
$41.28 one way...
Our FBI fingerprints have been mailed - finally! Overnight, am delivery is definitely not cheap. And, we get to pay it one more time when the results are mailed back in a few short months...
Before God told us we were adopting a little boy from China, I had signed up to go on a mission trip to Uganda. After we found out God had a different plan for us, I started to pray about whether I was still supposed to go on this trip. From all I had found out, the trip to Africa would not interfere with our trip to China other than I would need to continue to raise the money for that trip at the same time as raising money for China. Obviously, my heart was torn. My priorities had shifted to seeing the urgency in getting our little boy out of China ASAP. I didn't really feel like God was telling me one way or the other whether I was supposed to stay home or still go. This past weekend, I felt like I really needed to devote some serious time to prayer to find out what God's will was. I was bummed, but also relieved when I felt like he was telling me to not go to Africa. Unfortunately for the other team members, another gal also backed out so now there are not enough people going to make the trip affordable. I am especially bummed for my friend since she was really looking forward to going back to visit her Ugandan friends. I am praying that she will still be able to go visit, just on her own. Please Lord, provide a way!
This weekend we will be having another yard sale. We will be combining the profit we make with what we have already saved to pay our first big payment. Please, Father, multiply our profits so we have what we need. After that is done, we will be able to schedule our first home study appointment. I am hoping to get as much as we can done on our own to give to our social worker when we meet her for the first time. I think that the amount of time it takes to get through this step will be dependent on that, and some on how quickly our SW works too. ;)
Before God told us we were adopting a little boy from China, I had signed up to go on a mission trip to Uganda. After we found out God had a different plan for us, I started to pray about whether I was still supposed to go on this trip. From all I had found out, the trip to Africa would not interfere with our trip to China other than I would need to continue to raise the money for that trip at the same time as raising money for China. Obviously, my heart was torn. My priorities had shifted to seeing the urgency in getting our little boy out of China ASAP. I didn't really feel like God was telling me one way or the other whether I was supposed to stay home or still go. This past weekend, I felt like I really needed to devote some serious time to prayer to find out what God's will was. I was bummed, but also relieved when I felt like he was telling me to not go to Africa. Unfortunately for the other team members, another gal also backed out so now there are not enough people going to make the trip affordable. I am especially bummed for my friend since she was really looking forward to going back to visit her Ugandan friends. I am praying that she will still be able to go visit, just on her own. Please Lord, provide a way!
This weekend we will be having another yard sale. We will be combining the profit we make with what we have already saved to pay our first big payment. Please, Father, multiply our profits so we have what we need. After that is done, we will be able to schedule our first home study appointment. I am hoping to get as much as we can done on our own to give to our social worker when we meet her for the first time. I think that the amount of time it takes to get through this step will be dependent on that, and some on how quickly our SW works too. ;)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Give me strength!
I just read through an article on how to care for a severely malnourished child.. Please, heal our little boy, Lord! If he is still severely malnourished when we get him, we can anticipate a stay in the hospital and a lot of work. Of course, we knew this when we agreed with the Lord to adopt this little boy, but reading what really happens, is kind of scary.
The article also talks about what physical activities the parent should do. And, thank you Jesus! These are all things I did with my boys when they were little and starting to discover their world around them. I AM equipped for that! Phew!
Please, give me strength and confidence that I can care for this little boy, Lord! I can do all things through YOU because YOU strengthen me.
The article also talks about what physical activities the parent should do. And, thank you Jesus! These are all things I did with my boys when they were little and starting to discover their world around them. I AM equipped for that! Phew!
Please, give me strength and confidence that I can care for this little boy, Lord! I can do all things through YOU because YOU strengthen me.
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