This is an excerpt that I read on Justin Taylor's Blog this afternoon:
From Russell Moore’s post “Don’t Adopt!”
Children shatter your life-plan. Adoption certainly does.
It’s worth it.
But Jesus tells us we ought to know that a king going into battle must measure his troops, a tower-builder must count the expenses of the project (Lk. 14:28-31). Those who see adoption as a warm, sentimental way of having a baby are mistaken and dangerous. There are far too many who plunge in without counsel, without a commitment to fidelity no matter what. They search around for a baby who fits their specifications. And babies never fit your specifications…at least not when they grow up.
If what’s behind all of this isn’t crucified, war-fighting, eyes-open commitment, you are going to wind up with a child who is twice orphaned. He or she will be abandoned the first time by fatherlessness and the second time by the rejection of failing to live up to the expectations of parents who had no business imposing such expectations in the first place.
We need a battalion of Christians ready to adopt, foster, and minister to orphans. But that means we need Christians ready to care for real orphans, with all the brokenness and risk that comes with it. We need Christians who can reflect the adopting power of the gospel, which didn’t seek out a boutique nursery but a household of ex-orphans who were found wallowing in our own blood, with Satan’s genes in our bloodstreams.
If what you like is the idea of a baby who fulfills your needs and meets your expectations, just buy a cat. Decorate the nursery, if you’d like. Dress it up in pink or blue, and take pictures. And be sure to have it declawed.
The rest of the post is available here.
I can certainly testify to the fact that adoption, just like most things in life, seems much more glamorous and romantic on the front end. Don't get me wrong, I dearly love my children, and they are great blessings in my life, but the days are not always easy and the transitions are not always perfectly smooth. I must agree with Dr. Moore that we cannot bring orphans into our home to satisfy a longing in us...just as we should not marry to satisfy a longing or do a whole slew of things that we think will "make everything better". Only God can fully satisfy, so our purpose behind adoption must be to imitate the gospel and grace of Jesus. We love because He first loved us. We, who were once far off, have been brought near to God...are given the Spirit of sonship and have the grace of calling to the God of the Universe "Abba, Father."
May we, as recipients of this grace, champion adoption and extend grace to "the least of these" as an expression of love for our Father and care for the defenseless rather than seek our own selfish fulfillment in what cannot fulfill. I pray that more children find families but also pray that those families realize that the call of adoption is not an easy road by the standards of this world, but, as are all things that God calls us to, is good and joyful and life-changing.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
DeYoung Article about Children and Stress
I feel stressed often these days...typically multiple times a day. I find myself much more easily angered than I even used to be as well as much more exhausted. While this article doesn't give a fix-it formula for parental stress, it does caution me to be aware of my attitude around my children and remind me that I am not alone.
One man's comment to DeYoung's article was: "I never knew I was such an angry person until I had a house full of little kids.” This is what I find myself saying to friends who ask how we’re doing. Perhaps it was the lack of stress before we had 4 kids in 6 years (and recently moved across the country) that I never realized the selfishness and anger lurking within me.
But now I am called to die to myself every day, in very practical ways. And I’m not good at it. I’d rather be angry and pout.
But once recently while doing the dishes and grumbling, an inaudible voice told me: “you said you want to be a servant, right?”
After all, if anyone wants the be first, he must be very last, and a servant of all. May the Lord grant us forgiveness, and faith to trust Him and walk in His way as servants."
Here is Kevin DeYoung's article: click here.
My hope and prayer is that God, in His grace, will go before me, strengthen me, and change me from the inside-out.
One man's comment to DeYoung's article was: "I never knew I was such an angry person until I had a house full of little kids.” This is what I find myself saying to friends who ask how we’re doing. Perhaps it was the lack of stress before we had 4 kids in 6 years (and recently moved across the country) that I never realized the selfishness and anger lurking within me.
But now I am called to die to myself every day, in very practical ways. And I’m not good at it. I’d rather be angry and pout.
But once recently while doing the dishes and grumbling, an inaudible voice told me: “you said you want to be a servant, right?”
After all, if anyone wants the be first, he must be very last, and a servant of all. May the Lord grant us forgiveness, and faith to trust Him and walk in His way as servants."
Here is Kevin DeYoung's article: click here.
My hope and prayer is that God, in His grace, will go before me, strengthen me, and change me from the inside-out.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Christmas Card vs. Reality
We all like to show the world the cookie cutter family photo, where everyone is smiling and everything appears perfect. Growing up, the Lovejoy family Christmas photo would inevitably look lovely, but without fail my youngest sister would cry during the photo shoot because Sarah and I were being so mean (sorry Rachel...).
So, after getting family photos taken from the wonderful and talented Chambers clan, I thought that I'd take the opportunity to contrast what will likely be our Christmas card with reality...which though crazy and sometimes stressful, is a bit more fun to look at it.
Say Cheese....
VS.
We certainly aren't perfect and the days are wild, but I wouldn't trade it...most days! :)
So, after getting family photos taken from the wonderful and talented Chambers clan, I thought that I'd take the opportunity to contrast what will likely be our Christmas card with reality...which though crazy and sometimes stressful, is a bit more fun to look at it.
Say Cheese....
VS.
We certainly aren't perfect and the days are wild, but I wouldn't trade it...most days! :)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Review of the new movie: The Help
There is a new movie out called "The Help", which is based off a best-selling book written by Kathryn Stockett. After seeing the previews and hearing great things about the book, I do hope to see it, especially because I figure the movie fits into my life a bit better than reading the book these days!
This review from Her.meneutics seemed thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Enjoy!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Quatro
Well...the news is out...Andy and I are expecting our FOURTH child. I am 11 weeks and due at the end of February. If you are doing the math, we will in fact have 4 children under 32 months (Your prayer are welcomed!). This unexpected surprise has taken and will continue to take a lot of processing. Here are some lessons that I've learned so far...
-Birth Control is only 99.9% effective. We tried to have "control" over the birth of our children, and God has ordained otherwise. May this also be a lesson to all you ladies out there...99.9% ain't 100% ha
-The thought of life is overwhelming to me, BUT the reality is probably easier. We have help and Silas and Mercy are at a good life stage. The are content to sit and play with toys; however, tides are soon changing as they start cruising and crawling around the house. But God graciously has postponed lots of movement until the end of this trimester.
-Sunday I felt convicted about the fact that the child that is growing in my belly is the Lord's and not mine. Of course I will Lord willing birth this baby, Andy and I will name him or her and raise the child just as we are our other three; however, he or she, like our other 3, is God's. I may not have planned this, but God did. I may not be super excited about feeling tired, overwhelmed and scared, but God had fashioned a little person for His glory.
-My new life verse is Isaiah 46:4 "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." May He do so...
-Birth Control is only 99.9% effective. We tried to have "control" over the birth of our children, and God has ordained otherwise. May this also be a lesson to all you ladies out there...99.9% ain't 100% ha
-The thought of life is overwhelming to me, BUT the reality is probably easier. We have help and Silas and Mercy are at a good life stage. The are content to sit and play with toys; however, tides are soon changing as they start cruising and crawling around the house. But God graciously has postponed lots of movement until the end of this trimester.
-Sunday I felt convicted about the fact that the child that is growing in my belly is the Lord's and not mine. Of course I will Lord willing birth this baby, Andy and I will name him or her and raise the child just as we are our other three; however, he or she, like our other 3, is God's. I may not have planned this, but God did. I may not be super excited about feeling tired, overwhelmed and scared, but God had fashioned a little person for His glory.
-My new life verse is Isaiah 46:4 "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." May He do so...
Thursday, July 14, 2011
We are HOME!!!!
Sunday night at 5:20pm we made it to the Bloomington-Normal airport after 40 hours of travel! It was amazing to have family and friends meet us there, and will be a great memory to share with the kids. Thank you so much for those of you who came. After weeks of frustrations and waiting, we felt so loved and blessed...and THANKFUL to be HOME!!
To see some pictures of the evening, see: susanchambersdesigns.blogspot.com or https://picasaweb.google.com/115608502401191262645/HuetteFamilyArrival?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOWjrOm2lbeyRw&feat=directlink
The kids are doing well so far and are adjusting to a new life in the States.
More to follow.
To see some pictures of the evening, see: susanchambersdesigns.blogspot.com or https://picasaweb.google.com/115608502401191262645/HuetteFamilyArrival?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOWjrOm2lbeyRw&feat=directlink
The kids are doing well so far and are adjusting to a new life in the States.
More to follow.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Barnabas Showed Up
It's been a few days since we've had internet, so we haven't posted anything, but the internet is up and running again and we're still alive and still here in Congo.
The woman we arrived here with, Cristy Ford, just got the excellent news that her exit letter is issued and that she will get to leave either tomorrow or Friday. We are super happy for her, as she has been over here flying solo with a 6 month old and a 4 year old. This also means that our exit letter should not be far behind--possibly even tomorrow.
On Monday a dad named Nic Heywood came over here to pick up his little guy and I've learned a lesson in encouragement from Nic. Nic's presence has been like Red Bull for my soul. I was dragging, easily angered (if not outwardly, certainly inwardly), and becoming increasingly cynical. Nic showed up Monday morning at breakfast and was joyful and uplifting. I told Abby the other night, "I want to be like Nic." I want to have encouraged people and spoken timely words of truth. I want to view my words as tools that God can use to truly bless people. The Scripture speaks much about how to use our words, and I have witnessed in Nic, one who redeems conversations in order to build up others. As a kid, I remember that my Sunday School teacher made us memorize Eph. 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is helpful for building others up according to their needs, so that it may benefit those who listen" (Our teacher allowed us to punch others in the arm who were speaking negatively if we had the verse memorized!) Anyhow, Nic has modeled for me what it is to "build others up according to their needs" and to "benefit those who listen." I thank God for him. Waiting here has not been easy, but he has been a grace into my life.
Abby and I have prayed repeatedly for the Lord to let us go home. Not only so, but many of our friends and family have prayed the same. So, we've been wondering, "Lord, are you listening? Why are we still here?" He can easily put a stamp on an exit letter, so why hasn't He?
I'm not sure, exactly, why we're still here, but it has occurred to me in recent days that God's highest priority isn't to make me comfortable. In fact, I'm finally (after two weeks) seeing what is clear in Scripture in many places. Spiritual growth happens in trial. God forms our souls on the anvil of trial. He throws people out in the desert and works them over. I feel dumb even calling this a trial--there are many in the church family at home who are in much more severe trial than me right now and certainly, many in the town where I sit who daily endure trials more severe than I will ever know. Yet, for me and Abby, it has been trying. And God's o.k. with that. He's more than o.k with that, because it's precisely in the waiting and the testing that he beats the selfishness, impatience, and a million other dirty things out of us.
So, please pray that we come home soon, but don't only pray that. Pray that Abby and I will not miss the lessons that God has ordained for us to learn in this time of waiting.
Andy
" . . . We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been give to us." Romans 5
The woman we arrived here with, Cristy Ford, just got the excellent news that her exit letter is issued and that she will get to leave either tomorrow or Friday. We are super happy for her, as she has been over here flying solo with a 6 month old and a 4 year old. This also means that our exit letter should not be far behind--possibly even tomorrow.
On Monday a dad named Nic Heywood came over here to pick up his little guy and I've learned a lesson in encouragement from Nic. Nic's presence has been like Red Bull for my soul. I was dragging, easily angered (if not outwardly, certainly inwardly), and becoming increasingly cynical. Nic showed up Monday morning at breakfast and was joyful and uplifting. I told Abby the other night, "I want to be like Nic." I want to have encouraged people and spoken timely words of truth. I want to view my words as tools that God can use to truly bless people. The Scripture speaks much about how to use our words, and I have witnessed in Nic, one who redeems conversations in order to build up others. As a kid, I remember that my Sunday School teacher made us memorize Eph. 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is helpful for building others up according to their needs, so that it may benefit those who listen" (Our teacher allowed us to punch others in the arm who were speaking negatively if we had the verse memorized!) Anyhow, Nic has modeled for me what it is to "build others up according to their needs" and to "benefit those who listen." I thank God for him. Waiting here has not been easy, but he has been a grace into my life.
Abby and I have prayed repeatedly for the Lord to let us go home. Not only so, but many of our friends and family have prayed the same. So, we've been wondering, "Lord, are you listening? Why are we still here?" He can easily put a stamp on an exit letter, so why hasn't He?
I'm not sure, exactly, why we're still here, but it has occurred to me in recent days that God's highest priority isn't to make me comfortable. In fact, I'm finally (after two weeks) seeing what is clear in Scripture in many places. Spiritual growth happens in trial. God forms our souls on the anvil of trial. He throws people out in the desert and works them over. I feel dumb even calling this a trial--there are many in the church family at home who are in much more severe trial than me right now and certainly, many in the town where I sit who daily endure trials more severe than I will ever know. Yet, for me and Abby, it has been trying. And God's o.k. with that. He's more than o.k with that, because it's precisely in the waiting and the testing that he beats the selfishness, impatience, and a million other dirty things out of us.
So, please pray that we come home soon, but don't only pray that. Pray that Abby and I will not miss the lessons that God has ordained for us to learn in this time of waiting.
Andy
" . . . We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been give to us." Romans 5
Friday, July 1, 2011
Spoiled Americans at Heart
First, I must say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our precious daughter, Elly, who is 2 today. We are sad to miss her big day, but we are thankful that she's too young to even know what a birthday is :) We'll make up for it once we're home.
Now for the update:
Today was a break from the daily grind. We woke up to the power being turned off, which means no hot water, no electricity, and no internet. What's a girl to do?
Luckily, before I had time to get grouchy, our translator showed up, and we set out to run some errands. First we went by the airlines to adjust our tickets. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to make our Sunday return flight, so we have tentatively bumped them back to Friday the 8th, though we are hoping for sooner. Please pray that the DGM process is efficient and swift so that we can get home.
Following the airlines, we went to a grocery store near the Embassy. I broke out into a big smile upon first entrance...There were rows of food, and eveything from motorcycles to toys to diapers for purchase. Kinshasa's form of WalMart. We loaded up on water (which is $3 per large bottle at the hotel) and pop ($2 at MaCampagne) along with other goodies...some healthy and some not :)
To top off the morning, we went to N'Ice, a local ice cream shop. For those who don't know....I LOVE ice cream. It was awesome! Andy and I both got two scoops. I opted for mint chocolate chip and Obama cookie (which was double chocolate). Sidenote: They LOVE Obama here...people wear Obama t-shirts and can't fathom that an American wouldn't vote for him, which might appall my father-in-law.
Yesterday was rough around here because there was nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one was working on our papers because DGM was closed for Independence Day. But God's mercies are new every morning, and this morning was a treat.
Additional thoughts from Congo:
--We are RICH. I don't think of myself as rich. We will never make 6 figures...we drive Kias...and we shop at Meijer, but nevertheless, we are rich. The fact that we have white skin in Kinshasa makes us elite. To tell people that we are staying at MaCampagne is to say that we are rich. (It is nice here, but certainly not nearly as nice as most hotels in America) In comparison with most of the world, you and I are rich. And it is easy to forget that most live with infinitely less, especially when the US is our standard instead of the World. The question then becomes, what will we do with the vast wealth that we have been given?
--The Kids:
Mercy has received medicine for various types of intestinal worms and parasites and is on the mend. She no longer blows out of 2+ outfits per day! She is the easiest baby and rarely makes a peep, though she's starting to exert herself a bit more in recent days. She's sweet but fiesty and very mobile. She will push up on all fours, like a pushup position and then drop down on her belly and do the Superwoman move. She is really really close to crawling, which worries me because she's so quiet. I'll have to have an eagle eye on her or else she'll be into all kinds of stuff without my knowing :)
We have been trying to come up with a good nickname for Silas. Among the options are: Bubba, Tubby, Buster, Big Boy, Chunky, and our personal favorite Jumbotron. Needless to say...he's huge! He was held a lot I believe, so he requires more than sweet little Mercy, who is half his size. My arms are tired!! The good news is that he's getting a bit better at putting himself to sleep instead of needing to be rocked and he is usually really smiley. I think that once he can stand up to cruise around and is able to stop compulsively itching all the time, he is going to be in heaven! (We have applied cream for scabies but the crazy itching continues. His diaper rash is also better, but will quickly bleed if we let him try to scratch...so sad) We have been working on clapping and he has the Miss America wave down :)
Neither kid has eaten many solids. We have been trying to introduce them each day as a I brought rice cereal, squash and sweet potatoes, but what they really need are puffs and other goodies to munch on throughout the day. As it stands, Silas is consuming MASSIVE quantities of formula...we are bumping down to 6oz bottles instead of 8 b/c he was drinking 56oz of formula per day, which is enough for 2 babies! He hasn't seemed to mind.
We will keep you posted on our paperwork. Pray that we can come home sooner than expected. We are more than ready!
Now for the update:
Today was a break from the daily grind. We woke up to the power being turned off, which means no hot water, no electricity, and no internet. What's a girl to do?
Luckily, before I had time to get grouchy, our translator showed up, and we set out to run some errands. First we went by the airlines to adjust our tickets. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to make our Sunday return flight, so we have tentatively bumped them back to Friday the 8th, though we are hoping for sooner. Please pray that the DGM process is efficient and swift so that we can get home.
Following the airlines, we went to a grocery store near the Embassy. I broke out into a big smile upon first entrance...There were rows of food, and eveything from motorcycles to toys to diapers for purchase. Kinshasa's form of WalMart. We loaded up on water (which is $3 per large bottle at the hotel) and pop ($2 at MaCampagne) along with other goodies...some healthy and some not :)
To top off the morning, we went to N'Ice, a local ice cream shop. For those who don't know....I LOVE ice cream. It was awesome! Andy and I both got two scoops. I opted for mint chocolate chip and Obama cookie (which was double chocolate). Sidenote: They LOVE Obama here...people wear Obama t-shirts and can't fathom that an American wouldn't vote for him, which might appall my father-in-law.
Yesterday was rough around here because there was nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one was working on our papers because DGM was closed for Independence Day. But God's mercies are new every morning, and this morning was a treat.
Additional thoughts from Congo:
--We are RICH. I don't think of myself as rich. We will never make 6 figures...we drive Kias...and we shop at Meijer, but nevertheless, we are rich. The fact that we have white skin in Kinshasa makes us elite. To tell people that we are staying at MaCampagne is to say that we are rich. (It is nice here, but certainly not nearly as nice as most hotels in America) In comparison with most of the world, you and I are rich. And it is easy to forget that most live with infinitely less, especially when the US is our standard instead of the World. The question then becomes, what will we do with the vast wealth that we have been given?
--The Kids:
Mercy has received medicine for various types of intestinal worms and parasites and is on the mend. She no longer blows out of 2+ outfits per day! She is the easiest baby and rarely makes a peep, though she's starting to exert herself a bit more in recent days. She's sweet but fiesty and very mobile. She will push up on all fours, like a pushup position and then drop down on her belly and do the Superwoman move. She is really really close to crawling, which worries me because she's so quiet. I'll have to have an eagle eye on her or else she'll be into all kinds of stuff without my knowing :)
We have been trying to come up with a good nickname for Silas. Among the options are: Bubba, Tubby, Buster, Big Boy, Chunky, and our personal favorite Jumbotron. Needless to say...he's huge! He was held a lot I believe, so he requires more than sweet little Mercy, who is half his size. My arms are tired!! The good news is that he's getting a bit better at putting himself to sleep instead of needing to be rocked and he is usually really smiley. I think that once he can stand up to cruise around and is able to stop compulsively itching all the time, he is going to be in heaven! (We have applied cream for scabies but the crazy itching continues. His diaper rash is also better, but will quickly bleed if we let him try to scratch...so sad) We have been working on clapping and he has the Miss America wave down :)
Neither kid has eaten many solids. We have been trying to introduce them each day as a I brought rice cereal, squash and sweet potatoes, but what they really need are puffs and other goodies to munch on throughout the day. As it stands, Silas is consuming MASSIVE quantities of formula...we are bumping down to 6oz bottles instead of 8 b/c he was drinking 56oz of formula per day, which is enough for 2 babies! He hasn't seemed to mind.
We will keep you posted on our paperwork. Pray that we can come home sooner than expected. We are more than ready!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
39 Years, 50 1/2 Weeks To Go
Abby and I have had a ton of joy playing with the kids. They smile a lot and are ticklish and tackle each other (Silas uses the Sumo approach, but Mercy usually wins). When they laugh, cuddle, and smile I often think about how my family and friends back home will love meet them and how their lives will be filled with so many more smiles as they are held and kissed in the days and years to come. We are so so so thankful God put them in our family, even though I'm still getting used to wiping the foulest smelling butterscotch and pistachio pudding off their rear ends at all hours of the night.
That's the fun side of our trip.
The other side is one of waiting and waiting and waiting. On one hand, I know the end will come. We'll go home eventually and this will all be in the past and it's all good. But on the other hand, it's easy to get discouraged or ticked off when paperwork is promised to be done and then it turns out to not get done. So we wait here largely confined to the guest house. It's not hostile or super unsafe in the streets, but it's not Mr. Roger's neighborhood either. It's not really the best idea just to meander around in the streets because we stick out so much and people come up and try to ask us about them in French of Lingala--and I just say "ING-LISH", and they laugh.
Thus, we're kinda stuck here, just hanging out.
So today I thought about Israel. I was eating Ramen noodles for the second time today and it occurred to me that the Israelites waited 40 years and ate the same stuff as they awaited to go home to the promised land. It's really hard for me not to complain. Even at times when complaining isn't coming out of my mouth, it's definitely going on in my head. I'm pretty sure that if I was an Israelite, I would have been struck down in the wilderness. I think I would have been in the first batch to get struck down. I'm about 39 years and 50 1/2 weeks short of the Israelties, and here I am with my "Woe is me" attitude.
Home is a great place, and I long to be there and by the grace of God we'll be home soon. I can't wait to see that other little girl of ours and for her to meet her brother and sister! But for now, we must wait.
We did get to leave the guest house for a bit today to go to an orphanage called Georgette's. There were thirty or so kids there and we got to give them some gifts and play games with them. It was a highlight for us. A sweet woman who was in charge welcomed us and we prayed together and the kids sang, and then we enjoyed playing checkers, legos, soccer, and catch with them. We looked around the orphanage and saw that they have some major needs. The word "orphanage" it may conjure up an image of a big building with lots of little dorm rooms, but this was more like a 6-7 room concrete block building, with rebar across open-air windows, concrete floors, block and mortar walls, and just a few bunk beds crammed into a few rooms. One room had colorful paint, and there were two tiled bathrooms, but there's no running water. We hope to use some of the money that some of the folks from church have donated to meet some of their needs.
That's all for now, time to try to sneak into bed without waking up the kiddos next to me---so far I'm about 0 for 10!
Andy
That's the fun side of our trip.
The other side is one of waiting and waiting and waiting. On one hand, I know the end will come. We'll go home eventually and this will all be in the past and it's all good. But on the other hand, it's easy to get discouraged or ticked off when paperwork is promised to be done and then it turns out to not get done. So we wait here largely confined to the guest house. It's not hostile or super unsafe in the streets, but it's not Mr. Roger's neighborhood either. It's not really the best idea just to meander around in the streets because we stick out so much and people come up and try to ask us about them in French of Lingala--and I just say "ING-LISH", and they laugh.
Thus, we're kinda stuck here, just hanging out.
So today I thought about Israel. I was eating Ramen noodles for the second time today and it occurred to me that the Israelites waited 40 years and ate the same stuff as they awaited to go home to the promised land. It's really hard for me not to complain. Even at times when complaining isn't coming out of my mouth, it's definitely going on in my head. I'm pretty sure that if I was an Israelite, I would have been struck down in the wilderness. I think I would have been in the first batch to get struck down. I'm about 39 years and 50 1/2 weeks short of the Israelties, and here I am with my "Woe is me" attitude.
Home is a great place, and I long to be there and by the grace of God we'll be home soon. I can't wait to see that other little girl of ours and for her to meet her brother and sister! But for now, we must wait.
We did get to leave the guest house for a bit today to go to an orphanage called Georgette's. There were thirty or so kids there and we got to give them some gifts and play games with them. It was a highlight for us. A sweet woman who was in charge welcomed us and we prayed together and the kids sang, and then we enjoyed playing checkers, legos, soccer, and catch with them. We looked around the orphanage and saw that they have some major needs. The word "orphanage" it may conjure up an image of a big building with lots of little dorm rooms, but this was more like a 6-7 room concrete block building, with rebar across open-air windows, concrete floors, block and mortar walls, and just a few bunk beds crammed into a few rooms. One room had colorful paint, and there were two tiled bathrooms, but there's no running water. We hope to use some of the money that some of the folks from church have donated to meet some of their needs.
That's all for now, time to try to sneak into bed without waking up the kiddos next to me---so far I'm about 0 for 10!
Andy
Monday, June 27, 2011
Visiting the orphanage that our babies came from...
Here is a video from the orphanage, which we visited yesterday. This is the orphanage that both of our children came from. There are close to 100 children, 2 sleeping rooms with about 10 bunk beds in each room, and very little food. We brought lunch for the kids, which consisted of peanut butter sandwiches, porridge, and bananas. We are going back tomorrow to drop off rice, beans and fish for the orphanage before visiting a second orphanage.
It was very sad to visit the first, but it also put our trip in perspective. What is 2-3 weeks at a decent hotel compared to a life there? What is the challenge of raising 3 kids under 2.5 when two of them would have been living/dying at this place.
Despite the trauma there...the kids danced. They laughed. Children, by God's grace, are amazingly resilient. Some were horribly sad and wouldn't eat, but the majority of those kids are survivors. Though they will never have moms and dads. The need is great...not just for adoption but more so for orphan care. Adoption affects a few children, but sustained orphan care support helps so many more.
I've been trying to load a video of them dancing for hours but it won't. I may try again another day!
It was very sad to visit the first, but it also put our trip in perspective. What is 2-3 weeks at a decent hotel compared to a life there? What is the challenge of raising 3 kids under 2.5 when two of them would have been living/dying at this place.
Despite the trauma there...the kids danced. They laughed. Children, by God's grace, are amazingly resilient. Some were horribly sad and wouldn't eat, but the majority of those kids are survivors. Though they will never have moms and dads. The need is great...not just for adoption but more so for orphan care. Adoption affects a few children, but sustained orphan care support helps so many more.
I've been trying to load a video of them dancing for hours but it won't. I may try again another day!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sabbath Day of Rest
Well it is Sunday in Kinshasa, and we are certainly resting this Sabbath. Pastor Loma, who we work with here, is preaching at a new church that is far away, so we were not able to attend his service. Instead, we are hoping to log on to the First United Service at 3pm our time.
One of the families that was here with us left this morning. I was sad to see them leave (and jealous!). They arrived a bit before us and their process went really quickly.
Mercy has been really really ill with diarrhea and some vomiting. After a day of pedialyte only we are slowly adding a bit of formula back into the diet. It has been so sad to see her sick. It will be so good to get her to the doctor and fix her discomforts and nurse her back to full health.
Silas, on the other hand, is a bruiser. He has eaten enough for 2 children since we've been here...including waking up every 3 hours on the dot at night time to eat (grrr...) It's a bit to early to make him cry it out, but I am certain that he doesn't need the calories! ha He is twice the weight of Mercy I believe and has been spoiled. He isn't sure how to self-soothe and requires a lot of rocking and holding to get to sleep etc...The wonderful news is that his diaper rash is getting lots better and he is beginning to play on his own and smile and giggle like a normal happy baby. He is doing much better than I had expected attaching to us.
Andy and I are entertaining ourselves however we can...we lost one of our dice, so our farkle game cannot continue. We are planning to have a small workout session later (ha!), have listened to music, read books, played with the babies, eaten snacks, walked around, and try to watch at least one episode of season 1 of 24 per night.
We have a few outings planned over the next few days. Tomorrow we plan to go the Embassy to get Silas's visa. Apparently there was an issue with the printing of it on Thursday, so we are hopeful that it will be done, so that we can start the DGM process. Tuesday we are dropping food off at the Lisanga orphanage, where we delivered lunch yesterday, and then we will proceed to Georgette's orphanage for a visit. Georgettes is where the majority of our donations will go, including all of the fitted sheets.
We do not know how long we will need to stay. It totally depends on when our DGM process starts and how long it takes...it could go really quickly if the pastor can push for ours to go with the other family's who is here...or it could take longer. There currently isn't a great likelihood of us making our flight home next Sunday. The next few days should at least give us an idea...no timeline is guaranteed though.
We are hanging in there and will hopefully get good news from the Embassy tomorrow. Update soon to follow.
Love and miss you all-- A&A
One of the families that was here with us left this morning. I was sad to see them leave (and jealous!). They arrived a bit before us and their process went really quickly.
Mercy has been really really ill with diarrhea and some vomiting. After a day of pedialyte only we are slowly adding a bit of formula back into the diet. It has been so sad to see her sick. It will be so good to get her to the doctor and fix her discomforts and nurse her back to full health.
Silas, on the other hand, is a bruiser. He has eaten enough for 2 children since we've been here...including waking up every 3 hours on the dot at night time to eat (grrr...) It's a bit to early to make him cry it out, but I am certain that he doesn't need the calories! ha He is twice the weight of Mercy I believe and has been spoiled. He isn't sure how to self-soothe and requires a lot of rocking and holding to get to sleep etc...The wonderful news is that his diaper rash is getting lots better and he is beginning to play on his own and smile and giggle like a normal happy baby. He is doing much better than I had expected attaching to us.
Andy and I are entertaining ourselves however we can...we lost one of our dice, so our farkle game cannot continue. We are planning to have a small workout session later (ha!), have listened to music, read books, played with the babies, eaten snacks, walked around, and try to watch at least one episode of season 1 of 24 per night.
We have a few outings planned over the next few days. Tomorrow we plan to go the Embassy to get Silas's visa. Apparently there was an issue with the printing of it on Thursday, so we are hopeful that it will be done, so that we can start the DGM process. Tuesday we are dropping food off at the Lisanga orphanage, where we delivered lunch yesterday, and then we will proceed to Georgette's orphanage for a visit. Georgettes is where the majority of our donations will go, including all of the fitted sheets.
We do not know how long we will need to stay. It totally depends on when our DGM process starts and how long it takes...it could go really quickly if the pastor can push for ours to go with the other family's who is here...or it could take longer. There currently isn't a great likelihood of us making our flight home next Sunday. The next few days should at least give us an idea...no timeline is guaranteed though.
We are hanging in there and will hopefully get good news from the Embassy tomorrow. Update soon to follow.
Love and miss you all-- A&A
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Bonjour
It's Saturday a.m. and we just finished up the usual breakfast of eggs and bread. It's not too bad. The kids are smiley, but mommy and daddy are a bit groggy after a night of cleaning poopy diapers. Both of the kids have some digestive issues (probably parasites) and they have provided our room with quite a distinct smell.
Today we will get to go to an orphanage and feed the kids lunch and drop off some items that people back home donated. Other than that, we will be passing the time by taking care of the kids, playing farkle, reading, and working our way through season one of "24", which we watch on a laptop.
It's fun to see the kids' personalities beginning to come out. Silas is still in a lot of pain from a wicked diaper rash and scabbies. Thanks so much for the prayers!
Andy
Today we will get to go to an orphanage and feed the kids lunch and drop off some items that people back home donated. Other than that, we will be passing the time by taking care of the kids, playing farkle, reading, and working our way through season one of "24", which we watch on a laptop.
It's fun to see the kids' personalities beginning to come out. Silas is still in a lot of pain from a wicked diaper rash and scabbies. Thanks so much for the prayers!
Andy
Friday, June 24, 2011
Quick Update
Greetings from Kinshasa!
It has been "cold" here according to the locals, which has been loving! It's perfect weather and we have had electricity and water fairly consistently.
The kids are doing well, though we look forward to bringing them home and visiting the doctors. Their tolerance for pain and discomfort is much greater than ours.
We got Mercy's visa yesterday and Silas's was misprinted, so they were supposed to have it corrected by this morning. If that is the case, the Pastor should be dropping our documents off at DGM (Department of General Migration in Congo), who will hopefully issue us exit letters to leave the country. In a few days, they will request our passports and a fee for each child and we will wait for a letter that says we have the go-ahead to get on a plane and head home. The pastor that we work with says that this has been taking only a week lately, so we are praying that is the case as our return flight is Sunday. (The other woman traveling with us has a return flight for Saturday, so if ours comes through with hers, we could switch to a day earlier, which would be lovely :)
All is well. Silas is sitting up and close crawling, believe it or not. Mercy is scooting all over on her belly. These babies are going to be moving in no time and this mama is going to be tired.
Ways to Pray:
-Quick DGM process!
-Sustained health (healing for Mercy's tummy...pedialyte has been the steady diet...and healing for Silas's diaper rash
-For me to be able to sleep...the grace of rest
-Continued good bonding with the kids (it has been great so far)
-Safe travel for the 2 families coming home this weekend
-For us to be a blessing to the orphanage that we visit tomorrow, where Silas and Mercy came from
Thank you for praying alongside with us!!
It has been "cold" here according to the locals, which has been loving! It's perfect weather and we have had electricity and water fairly consistently.
The kids are doing well, though we look forward to bringing them home and visiting the doctors. Their tolerance for pain and discomfort is much greater than ours.
We got Mercy's visa yesterday and Silas's was misprinted, so they were supposed to have it corrected by this morning. If that is the case, the Pastor should be dropping our documents off at DGM (Department of General Migration in Congo), who will hopefully issue us exit letters to leave the country. In a few days, they will request our passports and a fee for each child and we will wait for a letter that says we have the go-ahead to get on a plane and head home. The pastor that we work with says that this has been taking only a week lately, so we are praying that is the case as our return flight is Sunday. (The other woman traveling with us has a return flight for Saturday, so if ours comes through with hers, we could switch to a day earlier, which would be lovely :)
All is well. Silas is sitting up and close crawling, believe it or not. Mercy is scooting all over on her belly. These babies are going to be moving in no time and this mama is going to be tired.
Ways to Pray:
-Quick DGM process!
-Sustained health (healing for Mercy's tummy...pedialyte has been the steady diet...and healing for Silas's diaper rash
-For me to be able to sleep...the grace of rest
-Continued good bonding with the kids (it has been great so far)
-Safe travel for the 2 families coming home this weekend
-For us to be a blessing to the orphanage that we visit tomorrow, where Silas and Mercy came from
Thank you for praying alongside with us!!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Just Passing Through
Abby and I got the kids this morning around 830 a.m. and have enjoyed being with them today. Their foster mom, Therese, was sad to let them go and Abby and I are so thankful for her love and care. I made a quick trip to the U.S. Embassy to check up on our Visas, and they said that they would finish them today. If they weren’t just feeding me a line, then it looks like tomorrow we’ll be able to start our final step in the process, which is getting exit letters from Congolese Immigration.
This afternoon, I met a young guy—25ish?—from Canada who is staying here before he heads out to the jungle for 9 months to study chimpanzees. He was super interesting to talk to and I learned that he has studied bears, coyotes, and birds in the past (I now know what to do if I’m attacked by a Bear and I’ve also learned that Coyotes are beginning to make their way into cities like raccoons). Anyhow, he was wanting to go out on a walk to look for some food, so I strapped Mercy on in a baby carrier and he and I and another guy went outside the walls of our safe little hotel. The guy had taken a little French in high school and since he wasn’t afraid of wild bears and had a thick beard, he seemed like a trustworthy tour guide out in the streets.
We walked around for about an hour and a half and hundreds of people stared at me. We saw no other white people and there were definitely no men holding babies. A white guy with a black baby tends to be a bit out of place around these parts. One time when my “guide” stopped to bravely buy some food, a small crowd gathered around and some pointed and giggled. I could never understand what people were saying, but I did see pointing and laughing on more than one occasion as we walked down the bustling streets.
The cool thing was that after a while, getting stared at started to feel more normal. I remember one time when I was sitting outside a grocery store at home and I saw a white family with two black kids walk in and it caught my attention. I stared. It’s noticeable. It’s different. When we get back home, we’ll have to adjust to being different. Most of the comments and stares will be innocent, but even if they’re not, I pray that Abby and I (and the kids someday) will be gracious instead of defensive and that we will be secure in the Lord. Maybe it will never feel completely normal to have people stare, but that’s o.k., we’re just passing through.
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Phil. 3:20
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Congo Bound!
The day is here. We leave for DRC and will be there until we can bring our children home!
Our flight leaves O'Hare at 6am, so we will be leaving home around 2:15am for the airport.
Our bags are packed and filled to the absolute brim!
Prayer Requests:
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
-Please pray that God's grace abounds in us so that we are prepared to do this good work of caring for and parenting Silas and Mercy.
-For safe travels and protection over us during our stay in Congo. It is common for travelers to get sick, so please pray that God protects us from illness and sustains our strength as we care for our babies.
-For Silas and Mercy as they are permanently placed in our care. Their worlds are forever changing, so we ask you to pray that God gives them the grace to adjust quickly and feel secure with Andy and I.
-For Silas and Mercy's health. That we will be able to assess their needs and use the meds that we are bringing to address minor issues. Also for God to sustain their health until we can get them home to doctor.
-For Elly as she is on vacation with my parents and sister's family this week. So far she's been doing great, and we are very thankful! Pray also for her transition this upcoming weekend into Andy's parents' care.
-For Silas and Mercy's visas to be issued early this week so that we can start the second phase of our wait to bring them home. The sooner they are issued, the sooner we can get home and can have a more accurate timeline of returning.
-For good attitudes despite the lack of comforts that we are used to and for Andy and I to really enjoy these weeks together and with the kids.
Thank you for going to the Father on our behalf! We have been so blessed by the community of friends and family that God has given us. We covet your prayers over the next few weeks!
We will update as often as we are able, depending on the availability of electricity and wi-fi.
God is faithful to finish what He starts. We are so thankful to see this adoption process finish, so that we can begin the good work of parenting these two sweet babies.
Our flight leaves O'Hare at 6am, so we will be leaving home around 2:15am for the airport.
Our bags are packed and filled to the absolute brim!
Prayer Requests:
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
-Please pray that God's grace abounds in us so that we are prepared to do this good work of caring for and parenting Silas and Mercy.
-For safe travels and protection over us during our stay in Congo. It is common for travelers to get sick, so please pray that God protects us from illness and sustains our strength as we care for our babies.
-For Silas and Mercy as they are permanently placed in our care. Their worlds are forever changing, so we ask you to pray that God gives them the grace to adjust quickly and feel secure with Andy and I.
-For Silas and Mercy's health. That we will be able to assess their needs and use the meds that we are bringing to address minor issues. Also for God to sustain their health until we can get them home to doctor.
-For Elly as she is on vacation with my parents and sister's family this week. So far she's been doing great, and we are very thankful! Pray also for her transition this upcoming weekend into Andy's parents' care.
-For Silas and Mercy's visas to be issued early this week so that we can start the second phase of our wait to bring them home. The sooner they are issued, the sooner we can get home and can have a more accurate timeline of returning.
-For good attitudes despite the lack of comforts that we are used to and for Andy and I to really enjoy these weeks together and with the kids.
Thank you for going to the Father on our behalf! We have been so blessed by the community of friends and family that God has given us. We covet your prayers over the next few weeks!
We will update as often as we are able, depending on the availability of electricity and wi-fi.
God is faithful to finish what He starts. We are so thankful to see this adoption process finish, so that we can begin the good work of parenting these two sweet babies.
Monday, June 13, 2011
"How Boys and Girls are Different"
Elly has two little boyfriends, Sam and Finn. It is common to see Elly daintily pushing her babies around in the baby stroller and then for one of the boys to come up and ram the stroller into a wall or slam it up and down. Even from a young age, "Boys and Girls are Different." (That was the title of a book that my parents got for Sarah at the same time that they got me "How Boys and Girls are Changing" HA...oh I am not looking forward to having to have those talks with my kids)
I digress...
This video makes me laugh because regardless of the culture, age, etc...God made boys and girls differently. Studies have shown that women feel the need to say well over twice the number of words per day that men do. Mercy apparently fits this mold. Similarly, boys seem to have an innate desire to hit/wrestle, use everyday items as weapons and in general appear more gruff than their female counterparts.
So enjoy...Mercy chatting away while Silas silently slams a bag around.
I digress...
This video makes me laugh because regardless of the culture, age, etc...God made boys and girls differently. Studies have shown that women feel the need to say well over twice the number of words per day that men do. Mercy apparently fits this mold. Similarly, boys seem to have an innate desire to hit/wrestle, use everyday items as weapons and in general appear more gruff than their female counterparts.
So enjoy...Mercy chatting away while Silas silently slams a bag around.
Tickets Purchased!
For a quick update, we have not received Silas and Mercy's visas yet; however, Andy and I went ahead and booked tickets for Monday (20th) with a tentative return date of July 3rd (arriving in Chicago on the 4th).
We could get their visas this Wednesday, next Wednesday or anytime in between, so our timeline is very sketchy. Nevertheless, on Monday at 6am (woohoo...leaving our house around 2am...) we will go to D.C. then take a plane that looks like this:
And head to our final destination here:
Ways to Pray:
1. For Silas and Mercy's visas to be issued quickly and smoothly.
2. For Elly to be comforted by our wonderful families who are stepping into our shoes while we are away. And for God to prepare her little heart for the changes ahead.
3. For Silas and Mercy to remember Andy and be able to transition quickly into our care. For the Lord's protection over their health until we can get them home.
4. For our time in DRC to be positive. For our minds to be focused on "things above not on earthly things" (like miserable heat, bugs or lack of running water!). For great bonding with the kids, tangible ways to serve in orphanages and fond memories for Andy and I.
We are praising God for His faithfulness and provision. The long wait is nearly over...and then the real craziness will begin! :)
We could get their visas this Wednesday, next Wednesday or anytime in between, so our timeline is very sketchy. Nevertheless, on Monday at 6am (woohoo...leaving our house around 2am...) we will go to D.C. then take a plane that looks like this:
And head to our final destination here:
Ways to Pray:
1. For Silas and Mercy's visas to be issued quickly and smoothly.
2. For Elly to be comforted by our wonderful families who are stepping into our shoes while we are away. And for God to prepare her little heart for the changes ahead.
3. For Silas and Mercy to remember Andy and be able to transition quickly into our care. For the Lord's protection over their health until we can get them home.
4. For our time in DRC to be positive. For our minds to be focused on "things above not on earthly things" (like miserable heat, bugs or lack of running water!). For great bonding with the kids, tangible ways to serve in orphanages and fond memories for Andy and I.
We are praising God for His faithfulness and provision. The long wait is nearly over...and then the real craziness will begin! :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
5 years down, 50 to go (if the Lord allows)
Not sure how optimistic that title is, but I am thankful for my husband of 5 years and look forward to many more anniversaries ahead. As I look back on the last five years, a lot has happened: We worked together at Cornerstone, Youth pastored, renovated a home, got free burritos at Moe's for a year, drove many a mile from Normal to Gridley and back, made the decision to move to Gridley to pastor at First United, had one child and are almost done adopting 2 more. A nearly full minivan in five years seems like either an accomplishment...or insanity!
Through thick and thin, Andy has taught me much, encouraged me and been my best friend. This truth was highlighted the week that he was away in DRC. I missed having my best friend around, but was also really thankful that I have a husband who is sacrifical and capable of surviving 4 days alone with two babies...and not just surviving but caring for them and loving them well.
The following video made me giggle. This is Andy: Up for a challenge, never complaining, and much more organized than myself.
Please pray for our marriage today. That God will bless it and strengthen it. That adding two more children will build our marriage and give us joy rather than stress and frustration. That God will use Andy in ministry and show me how to be a good helpmate. That our children will walk in obedience to Christ and grow to know and love the gospel and that we will have wisdom to train them well.
Through thick and thin, Andy has taught me much, encouraged me and been my best friend. This truth was highlighted the week that he was away in DRC. I missed having my best friend around, but was also really thankful that I have a husband who is sacrifical and capable of surviving 4 days alone with two babies...and not just surviving but caring for them and loving them well.
The following video made me giggle. This is Andy: Up for a challenge, never complaining, and much more organized than myself.
Please pray for our marriage today. That God will bless it and strengthen it. That adding two more children will build our marriage and give us joy rather than stress and frustration. That God will use Andy in ministry and show me how to be a good helpmate. That our children will walk in obedience to Christ and grow to know and love the gospel and that we will have wisdom to train them well.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The Covenant of Marriage
5 years ago tomorrow, Andy and I said, "I do."
This video, which was posted on Justin Taylor's blog at the Gospel Coalition, is a great reminder that "I do" is forever. We may change, our emotions may ebb and flow, but the covenant of marriage is sustained by faithfulness over a lifetime. Enjoy the thoughts of these three godly, wise men in this video. To view click here.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a tribute to my husband, which will include a video that I find quite humorous from his week in Congo.
This video, which was posted on Justin Taylor's blog at the Gospel Coalition, is a great reminder that "I do" is forever. We may change, our emotions may ebb and flow, but the covenant of marriage is sustained by faithfulness over a lifetime. Enjoy the thoughts of these three godly, wise men in this video. To view click here.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a tribute to my husband, which will include a video that I find quite humorous from his week in Congo.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Quick Update
We learned today that the US Embassy expects to take at least 2 weeks from the interview date (Andy's was June 1) to issue visas for children. For clarification, the visas that Silas and Mercy will receive will allow them to enter US soil. These 2ish weeks are spent researching their abandonment stories and reviewing court documents to confirm that they are in fact abandoned orphans and not children who were bought off the streets, etc...
I would ask you to pray with us that our visas will be issued by next Wednesday (or sooner!). The timing would work out really well for Elly if we can get our visas by then as well. Please also pray that Sarah will process our documents and that they will not stall our process unnecessarily.
Elly has had a difficult past week, so we would also appreciate prayers that God, in His grace, will cover her during this time. That she will have peace with us being gone and that she will be filled with an unexplainable love for Silas and Mercy rather than jealousy, anger, etc...
God has been good, He has called us to this task of adoption, and He will see it through. He will see Elly through these changes, and He will strengthen and prepare Andy and I for the difficulties ahead as well. We covet your prayers and are so thankful for your support and encouragement!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Hooray for Power In Kinshasa!
Andy sent me an email for the first time on his trip. Apparently the entire town of Kinshasa has been without power and water for these several days. Crazy...the capital city of a huge country with a population of over 8 million is without power and water for days. Well...in his e-mail, he sent me a few pictures! So here's a glimpse at our babies.
Fun, I Think.
It's about 1030 local time and the two little bundles of joy are sleeping on a mattress on the floor next to me. Tonight is the first time I've had internet this week, and saw I thought I'd tap out a few thoughts from the week. I suspect they won't be that coherent, but I don't want to forget this experience, so I'll try to memorialize it in cyberspace.
-God has been so kind to me. I love the fact that the church is praying for me and the kids and there have been numerous times that it's almost like I've sensed it. (My air conditioner just peed on the floor!-it does that all night and and sometimes splashes on me. Speaking of pee, I was changing Silas today, or yesterday maybe, and I bent down in front of the desk he was laying on to throw something away and all of a sudden it started raining! Changing boys is new territory for me and I learned never to stick your head in the line of fire.) Anyways, back to prayer . . . I KNOW that the Lord has been pleased to answer prayer this trip. My arms have been full of two babies for three days and he has made them so well behaved, has given me joy, and has helped us to bond really well.
-Speaking of bonding, Silas cries when other people hold him, but when I pick him up, he stops. THAT'S MY BOY!
-Mercy is the jolliest little booger I've ever met. I think she'll give Edie Stauter a run for her money on the "laid-back" factor. Sure enough, as soon as I typed that she woke up! Time for a bottle.
-I'm back with Mercy on my lap rockin' a bottle. I love it! I think it's time for a list of things to be thankful for: Paved roads. Striped roads. Stoplights. Stop signs. Seatbelts. People not driving by and hitting your car with their hand. Fresh air. Sewers. Protein bars. Electricity. An economy that allows people who want to work the chance to go find a job (There are hardly any jobs here and part of the reason that everything takes so long in the adoption is that many of the government jobs are simply given to family members who are unqualified,but who can earn a decent wage and milk foreigners for bribes).
-When I landed at the aiport and and hopped in a taxi (i.e. "car that is so beat up I can't think of any functioning car in the U.S. that would be worse") it was the scariest ride of my life. We drove for about 45 minutes and there were thousands of people walking along side of the road in the dark with little stands set up alongside the road trying to sell stuff by candlelight, thick smog/smoke in the air, vans loaded down beyond capacity with people which would swerve every which way and we would be jarred from time to time by potholes that would we 8 inches deep and 3 feet wide (seriously--today there was a guy in the road who charged people to put down a board over a pothole so that cars could drive across "his" pothole). We've used the same taxi driver the whole time, but every time I get in a taxi, I'm thinking I'm moments from seeing Jesus. I'm not kidding, multiple times today, we almost got in an accident. Thankfully, there's no need for airbags, because we generally ride with so many bodies crammed in the car that there's no room to move.
-I love it when Silas and Mercy wrestle over the same toy or the other night when I saw them touching hands while they slept. They are really comfortable with each other. Silas is really comfortable in the baby carrier. Today he was in for four hours straight! Let me explain. The main reason I made this trip was for an appointment at the U.S. Embassy so they could see me with the kids. Today, that journey took four hours. The journey began with another death-taxi ride. Then at 1130 our translator told us that we should go to our airline office before the appointment (which was scheduled for noon). Pretty much the sole purpose for making this trip was to be at this appointment at noon, so when he said that we were going to "swing in" by the airline office at 1130, I'm thinking this is not a good idea. Sure enough, he gets a call that they need Mercy's passport ASAP at the Embassy. So we speed over there, he drops me off with two kids in my hands, holding a bottle with my chin that's in Silas' mouth in the baby carrier and we head into the Embassy. In the Embassy, we repeated get called into a series of rooms behind doors numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4. Every so often, they would call your name and tell you which door to go in, and then I'd go in and try to get money or a passport or who knows what out of my pockets all while cramming milk down the throat of one of the two kids. There were about 15 Congolese people in the waiting room who were looking like me like I was an absolute moron. I've often felt socially awkward on this trip (the white dude with the chick-like baby carrier with a one little black baby in it and another in his arm). Like I said, I KNOW people were praying for this, because I'm sitting here reflecting on it and I'm absolutely baffled at how good the kids were and all the i's got dotted today.
-For the kids, I think this is like a long Thanksgiving weekend. I've been giving them a ton of milk and sometimes they pass out almost like they are drunk after the bottle.
-The place I'm staying at is like a guest house and a restaurant. It's kind of like the place in the movie Hotel Rwanda. In the afternoon or evenings, some people come to eat dinner in the courtyard and one thing that I love is that they take a long time to eat. They sit there and talk for hours. The African pace of life is slower, which is great thing. I was thinking to myself as I observed them, why do I think I need to be so busy. Why in the world should anyone have trouble scheduling a date with his wife?! One of the workers here wanted to practice his English with me so we were talking and I was trying to explain to him life in America. I told him it was fast paced and that everyone has calendars on the phone that they use all the time. I know that my calendar on my phone is a good thing, but it sounded like a silly way to live when it came out of my mouth to a man who has no conception of that kind of life.
-Speaking of that man, he really wants me to get him an official invite to America (and place to stay I think). He's a computer science major, a younger man, who has been working at the guest house for two years because he could find no work anywhere else. He said he was saving money to come to the U.S. and would work at any job. When I told him what minimum wage was he literally yelled and turned around to a guy a bit behind him and said something in French and the two of them about fell down on the ground. He turned back to me in English and said, "So you mean if I work ten hours in a day, I will make over seventy dollars in ONE DAY?!" I said, "Well, Obama will take some first (they love him here)!" I then explained the cost of living was different, but nevertheless, he can't wait to come to America and work.
-I think showering is overated. Maybe we'd have time to sit down and talk for a while at meals if we stopped taking showers every day.
-There's another man adopting through the same organization that I met yesterday at a dr. appointment for the kids. His daughter screamed like crazy whenever he'd hold her and she only wanted to be with her foster dad. I think when we get adopted into the family of God, sometimes we come kicking and screaming. It's hard to leave our old way of life because we can't see the life that lies ahead (citation: Abby Huette).
-It's going to be hard to give the kids back to their foster mom tomorrow. I love them and it's been the weirdest fun I've ever had. I don't know if fun is the right word. It hasn't really been fun--it's been . . . wonderful. That's the word. It's a great wonder to me that God placed these two little creatures into my life and that I get the privilege of being their dad. It's truly a wonder. The past couple days have been really hard, but God has often reminded me of the privilege it is to care for Silas and Mercy. When I consider the privilege, it is fun.
-God has been so kind to me. I love the fact that the church is praying for me and the kids and there have been numerous times that it's almost like I've sensed it. (My air conditioner just peed on the floor!-it does that all night and and sometimes splashes on me. Speaking of pee, I was changing Silas today, or yesterday maybe, and I bent down in front of the desk he was laying on to throw something away and all of a sudden it started raining! Changing boys is new territory for me and I learned never to stick your head in the line of fire.) Anyways, back to prayer . . . I KNOW that the Lord has been pleased to answer prayer this trip. My arms have been full of two babies for three days and he has made them so well behaved, has given me joy, and has helped us to bond really well.
-Speaking of bonding, Silas cries when other people hold him, but when I pick him up, he stops. THAT'S MY BOY!
-Mercy is the jolliest little booger I've ever met. I think she'll give Edie Stauter a run for her money on the "laid-back" factor. Sure enough, as soon as I typed that she woke up! Time for a bottle.
-I'm back with Mercy on my lap rockin' a bottle. I love it! I think it's time for a list of things to be thankful for: Paved roads. Striped roads. Stoplights. Stop signs. Seatbelts. People not driving by and hitting your car with their hand. Fresh air. Sewers. Protein bars. Electricity. An economy that allows people who want to work the chance to go find a job (There are hardly any jobs here and part of the reason that everything takes so long in the adoption is that many of the government jobs are simply given to family members who are unqualified,but who can earn a decent wage and milk foreigners for bribes).
-When I landed at the aiport and and hopped in a taxi (i.e. "car that is so beat up I can't think of any functioning car in the U.S. that would be worse") it was the scariest ride of my life. We drove for about 45 minutes and there were thousands of people walking along side of the road in the dark with little stands set up alongside the road trying to sell stuff by candlelight, thick smog/smoke in the air, vans loaded down beyond capacity with people which would swerve every which way and we would be jarred from time to time by potholes that would we 8 inches deep and 3 feet wide (seriously--today there was a guy in the road who charged people to put down a board over a pothole so that cars could drive across "his" pothole). We've used the same taxi driver the whole time, but every time I get in a taxi, I'm thinking I'm moments from seeing Jesus. I'm not kidding, multiple times today, we almost got in an accident. Thankfully, there's no need for airbags, because we generally ride with so many bodies crammed in the car that there's no room to move.
-I love it when Silas and Mercy wrestle over the same toy or the other night when I saw them touching hands while they slept. They are really comfortable with each other. Silas is really comfortable in the baby carrier. Today he was in for four hours straight! Let me explain. The main reason I made this trip was for an appointment at the U.S. Embassy so they could see me with the kids. Today, that journey took four hours. The journey began with another death-taxi ride. Then at 1130 our translator told us that we should go to our airline office before the appointment (which was scheduled for noon). Pretty much the sole purpose for making this trip was to be at this appointment at noon, so when he said that we were going to "swing in" by the airline office at 1130, I'm thinking this is not a good idea. Sure enough, he gets a call that they need Mercy's passport ASAP at the Embassy. So we speed over there, he drops me off with two kids in my hands, holding a bottle with my chin that's in Silas' mouth in the baby carrier and we head into the Embassy. In the Embassy, we repeated get called into a series of rooms behind doors numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4. Every so often, they would call your name and tell you which door to go in, and then I'd go in and try to get money or a passport or who knows what out of my pockets all while cramming milk down the throat of one of the two kids. There were about 15 Congolese people in the waiting room who were looking like me like I was an absolute moron. I've often felt socially awkward on this trip (the white dude with the chick-like baby carrier with a one little black baby in it and another in his arm). Like I said, I KNOW people were praying for this, because I'm sitting here reflecting on it and I'm absolutely baffled at how good the kids were and all the i's got dotted today.
-For the kids, I think this is like a long Thanksgiving weekend. I've been giving them a ton of milk and sometimes they pass out almost like they are drunk after the bottle.
-The place I'm staying at is like a guest house and a restaurant. It's kind of like the place in the movie Hotel Rwanda. In the afternoon or evenings, some people come to eat dinner in the courtyard and one thing that I love is that they take a long time to eat. They sit there and talk for hours. The African pace of life is slower, which is great thing. I was thinking to myself as I observed them, why do I think I need to be so busy. Why in the world should anyone have trouble scheduling a date with his wife?! One of the workers here wanted to practice his English with me so we were talking and I was trying to explain to him life in America. I told him it was fast paced and that everyone has calendars on the phone that they use all the time. I know that my calendar on my phone is a good thing, but it sounded like a silly way to live when it came out of my mouth to a man who has no conception of that kind of life.
-Speaking of that man, he really wants me to get him an official invite to America (and place to stay I think). He's a computer science major, a younger man, who has been working at the guest house for two years because he could find no work anywhere else. He said he was saving money to come to the U.S. and would work at any job. When I told him what minimum wage was he literally yelled and turned around to a guy a bit behind him and said something in French and the two of them about fell down on the ground. He turned back to me in English and said, "So you mean if I work ten hours in a day, I will make over seventy dollars in ONE DAY?!" I said, "Well, Obama will take some first (they love him here)!" I then explained the cost of living was different, but nevertheless, he can't wait to come to America and work.
-I think showering is overated. Maybe we'd have time to sit down and talk for a while at meals if we stopped taking showers every day.
-There's another man adopting through the same organization that I met yesterday at a dr. appointment for the kids. His daughter screamed like crazy whenever he'd hold her and she only wanted to be with her foster dad. I think when we get adopted into the family of God, sometimes we come kicking and screaming. It's hard to leave our old way of life because we can't see the life that lies ahead (citation: Abby Huette).
-It's going to be hard to give the kids back to their foster mom tomorrow. I love them and it's been the weirdest fun I've ever had. I don't know if fun is the right word. It hasn't really been fun--it's been . . . wonderful. That's the word. It's a great wonder to me that God placed these two little creatures into my life and that I get the privilege of being their dad. It's truly a wonder. The past couple days have been really hard, but God has often reminded me of the privilege it is to care for Silas and Mercy. When I consider the privilege, it is fun.
Musing from Travel To Congo
-I think God’s goodness was on display in a small way when I boarded the bus in Pontiac to head to O’hare. I sat next to a man from Brussels who was on the bus with his wife, his 3 year old daughter, and his twin 9 month old babies. We talked for about an hour and he seemed sane—an encouraging picture of my new life.
-From Montreal to Brussels, I sat next to a single man in his twenties from Albania. He was very friendly and talkative and after we had talked for sometime he mentioned that he was a Muslim. He looked like a typical Midwestern guy, so my Muslim stereotype was shattered. When I asked him if he practiced the Five Pillars, he said that he did not and it seemed as though he was Muslim by family heritage only. My struggle in such situations is that I feel relatively comfortable spouting off about taking the Gospel to all nations from behind a pulpit in largely Christianized small-town America, but I have a hard time talking about Jesus to a Muslim sitting next to me in an airplane. I thought—like any good Christian raised in youth group culture in the later 1990’s—“W.W.J.D?”, but it was to no avail. I know Jesus would love the man sitting next to him, but I’m not sure what he would say.
-It’s 7:56 a.m. CST, which means that the worship band is warming up in the sanctuary at First United Church. Hopefully Duane Otto is awake and planning on coming to preach. If not, maybe the Lord will deconstruct the way that church is normally done and someone will stand up and freestyle preach the Word that’s on their heart. Anyhow, as I’ve been sitting on this planning thinking about Church at First United this morning, I have realized that there is no place I’d rather be than there. Sunday morning at 9 a.m. is my favorite time of the week. It’s when I’m with my family and it’s when I intentionally consider the greatness of God. Church isn’t perfect, but I love it.
-I’m looking out the window and I still see sand. We’ve been over the Sahara desert now for a few hours! I am in awe of how enormous and desolate the Sahara is. It’s amazing to me that God thought it good to put a gigantic wasteland right in the middle of the inhabitable world, which makes me think that it must serve a purposeful function. The hypothesis that I’ve been mulling over is that the Sahara might be the Earth’s version of eye-black, like professional baseball players wear to keep the sun out of their eyes. Maybe the Sahara attracts and retains heat from the sun that serves to regulate ocean temperatures and weather patterns, which allows for the necessary climate for rainforests to thrive in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hmmm. . . maybe the “deserts” in our lives allow us to thrive in other ways.
-I sat next to an African dad and his little boy who was 9 months to a 1 year (my motherly guess) on the flight across the Atlantic. The little guy was a champ—no fussing, just sipping his bottle and napping on daddy’s lap. I got a vision of what it will be like to bring Silas and Mercy home—because I’m sure that they won’t fuss at all.
-Sat next to a guy from Texas in the airpot getting ready to fly to Angola to work on an oil rig. People from Texas like to talk about Texas.
-From Montreal to Brussels, I sat next to a single man in his twenties from Albania. He was very friendly and talkative and after we had talked for sometime he mentioned that he was a Muslim. He looked like a typical Midwestern guy, so my Muslim stereotype was shattered. When I asked him if he practiced the Five Pillars, he said that he did not and it seemed as though he was Muslim by family heritage only. My struggle in such situations is that I feel relatively comfortable spouting off about taking the Gospel to all nations from behind a pulpit in largely Christianized small-town America, but I have a hard time talking about Jesus to a Muslim sitting next to me in an airplane. I thought—like any good Christian raised in youth group culture in the later 1990’s—“W.W.J.D?”, but it was to no avail. I know Jesus would love the man sitting next to him, but I’m not sure what he would say.
-It’s 7:56 a.m. CST, which means that the worship band is warming up in the sanctuary at First United Church. Hopefully Duane Otto is awake and planning on coming to preach. If not, maybe the Lord will deconstruct the way that church is normally done and someone will stand up and freestyle preach the Word that’s on their heart. Anyhow, as I’ve been sitting on this planning thinking about Church at First United this morning, I have realized that there is no place I’d rather be than there. Sunday morning at 9 a.m. is my favorite time of the week. It’s when I’m with my family and it’s when I intentionally consider the greatness of God. Church isn’t perfect, but I love it.
-I’m looking out the window and I still see sand. We’ve been over the Sahara desert now for a few hours! I am in awe of how enormous and desolate the Sahara is. It’s amazing to me that God thought it good to put a gigantic wasteland right in the middle of the inhabitable world, which makes me think that it must serve a purposeful function. The hypothesis that I’ve been mulling over is that the Sahara might be the Earth’s version of eye-black, like professional baseball players wear to keep the sun out of their eyes. Maybe the Sahara attracts and retains heat from the sun that serves to regulate ocean temperatures and weather patterns, which allows for the necessary climate for rainforests to thrive in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hmmm. . . maybe the “deserts” in our lives allow us to thrive in other ways.
-I sat next to an African dad and his little boy who was 9 months to a 1 year (my motherly guess) on the flight across the Atlantic. The little guy was a champ—no fussing, just sipping his bottle and napping on daddy’s lap. I got a vision of what it will be like to bring Silas and Mercy home—because I’m sure that they won’t fuss at all.
-Sat next to a guy from Texas in the airpot getting ready to fly to Angola to work on an oil rig. People from Texas like to talk about Texas.
The Final Night of Trip 1
"Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?' For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:33-36
While it is easy for me to get wrapped up in the details and the supposed timelines, it is appropriate to sit back and praise God for His goodness. On a large scale, He has adopted us as His children. He has given us a hope and a future. He has placed His Spirit within us and has given us Jesus as a Savior and mediator. In the small stuff of our lives, He has placed just the right kids into our family. He has sustained Andy through long days. He has brought us through rollercoaster after rollercoaster, always walking with us, deepening our faith and trust in Him. He truly deserves all the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Final Trip 1 Congo Update:
I have spoken with Andy twice today, and he is doing well. Despite the lack of showers and being so hot that he just wants to drink water all day, he said that we have great kids and he's sad to return them to foster care tomorrow morning.
He told me that he feels like people must be praying for him around the clock because he has made it through some wild days. He said that the Lord hasn't given him more than he can handle, but He has given him as much as he can handle!
Silas slept through the night last night, and Mercy only woke up once. Andy spent a few hours this morning just playing on the bed with both babies. Mercy just smiles and giggles and never fusses. Silas was more giggly today. His health isn't as good as Mercy's (though it certainty isn't terrible) and he has really bad diaper rash, which makes him uncomfortable...poor guy. Overall, the kids have been great but Andy's been so busy and hot that he's hardly had time to eat!
The Embassy interview was quick, and all 3 adoptive families were told that the kids' visas would take 1-3 weeks (This is the visa that will allow them to enter US soil). Please pray that ours are on the shorter side of this timeline. I know that God will command the timing and that I have no control, but I would appreciate prayer that the Embassy would not hassle us over paperwork and will issue the visas quicker than expected. However, Andy said that if they say 1-3 weeks in the Congo, we should expect 4. Ugh...I am ready to meet my babies and would ask you to pray for God's mercy in giving me peace in the waiting and His covering over the visa process.
Andy's flight leaves Kinshasa at 10pm tomorrow night (4pm CST), and I will be picking him in at O'Hare at 6:30 Friday night.
Thank you for partnering with us in prayer through this wild journey.
Expect to see pictures of the babies in the next few days! Woohoo!
Ways to Pray:
1. For Silas and Mercy's visas to be issued quickly, so that we can return to Congo and bring them home.
2. For the Embassy to issue visas without unnecessarily scrutinizing documents or hassling us.
3. For Andy to travel safely home.
4. For the children to adjust back to foster care for a short time and to not be too confused over the change of settings.
5. For them to remember Andy when we return and especially Silas to not be as scared on trip 2.
6. For God to prepare Elly's heart for the changes ahead...specifically for her to have an unexplainable, deep love for Silas and Mercy rather than jealousy. For the timing of our travels to work out so that she can go on Lovejoy family vacation while we are gone (this will hopefully be a better distraction than being in our home for 2 weeks without us).
7. For God to prepare Andy and I and Silas and Mercy for the changes ahead. For us to get a good glimpse of the Congo and to be a blessing to the orphanages that we visit. That God will show us to how to die to ourselves as we raise 3 little children.
While it is easy for me to get wrapped up in the details and the supposed timelines, it is appropriate to sit back and praise God for His goodness. On a large scale, He has adopted us as His children. He has given us a hope and a future. He has placed His Spirit within us and has given us Jesus as a Savior and mediator. In the small stuff of our lives, He has placed just the right kids into our family. He has sustained Andy through long days. He has brought us through rollercoaster after rollercoaster, always walking with us, deepening our faith and trust in Him. He truly deserves all the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Final Trip 1 Congo Update:
I have spoken with Andy twice today, and he is doing well. Despite the lack of showers and being so hot that he just wants to drink water all day, he said that we have great kids and he's sad to return them to foster care tomorrow morning.
He told me that he feels like people must be praying for him around the clock because he has made it through some wild days. He said that the Lord hasn't given him more than he can handle, but He has given him as much as he can handle!
Silas slept through the night last night, and Mercy only woke up once. Andy spent a few hours this morning just playing on the bed with both babies. Mercy just smiles and giggles and never fusses. Silas was more giggly today. His health isn't as good as Mercy's (though it certainty isn't terrible) and he has really bad diaper rash, which makes him uncomfortable...poor guy. Overall, the kids have been great but Andy's been so busy and hot that he's hardly had time to eat!
The Embassy interview was quick, and all 3 adoptive families were told that the kids' visas would take 1-3 weeks (This is the visa that will allow them to enter US soil). Please pray that ours are on the shorter side of this timeline. I know that God will command the timing and that I have no control, but I would appreciate prayer that the Embassy would not hassle us over paperwork and will issue the visas quicker than expected. However, Andy said that if they say 1-3 weeks in the Congo, we should expect 4. Ugh...I am ready to meet my babies and would ask you to pray for God's mercy in giving me peace in the waiting and His covering over the visa process.
Andy's flight leaves Kinshasa at 10pm tomorrow night (4pm CST), and I will be picking him in at O'Hare at 6:30 Friday night.
Thank you for partnering with us in prayer through this wild journey.
Expect to see pictures of the babies in the next few days! Woohoo!
Ways to Pray:
1. For Silas and Mercy's visas to be issued quickly, so that we can return to Congo and bring them home.
2. For the Embassy to issue visas without unnecessarily scrutinizing documents or hassling us.
3. For Andy to travel safely home.
4. For the children to adjust back to foster care for a short time and to not be too confused over the change of settings.
5. For them to remember Andy when we return and especially Silas to not be as scared on trip 2.
6. For God to prepare Elly's heart for the changes ahead...specifically for her to have an unexplainable, deep love for Silas and Mercy rather than jealousy. For the timing of our travels to work out so that she can go on Lovejoy family vacation while we are gone (this will hopefully be a better distraction than being in our home for 2 weeks without us).
7. For God to prepare Andy and I and Silas and Mercy for the changes ahead. For us to get a good glimpse of the Congo and to be a blessing to the orphanages that we visit. That God will show us to how to die to ourselves as we raise 3 little children.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Rocking 2 Kids
I have been able to speak to Andy a few times in the last 24 hours that he has been with the kids.
He seems to be doing really well, and I'm very proud of my very capable husband! I haven't heard one word of complaint, and he told me that being with Silas and Mercy has affirmed our decision to adopt 2 kids.
Mercy has been super easy and slept 11 hours straight last night...plus she woke up with a smile on her face! He has described her as a gem, a doll, precious, nearly perfect, and very easy going. She is nearly able to crawl despite being much more petite than Silas.
Silas had a rough first day, as he was probably pretty attached to his foster mom. He didn't eat much, so he woke up three times in the night for bottles. After getting through a confusing first day, Andy described him as being a daddy's boy today...he only wants Andy to hold him. He likes to nestle into Andy's shoulder and is happy if held.
When Andy called at 2 am (yes, I am getting up in the middle of night with the kids too, I feel like :) Silas and Mercy were laying on their mattress holding hands. So sweet...and I can't wait to see the pictures and videos.
They are currently at their Embassy doctor's appointment.
Please pray:
1. For Andy to get rest tonight and to remain encouraged.
2. For the kids to remain healthy and to have peace knowing that Andy loves them and will meet their needs (particularly Silas)
3. For Andy to do well in his interview tomorrow. It is at 7 am CST.
4. For the Embassy to be able to give him a good idea of when their visas should be done, so that we can plan our return trip.
5. For Sarah to process of documents, issue our visas, and for there not to be unnecessary snags in the process. We would like to return quickly to minimize the confusion for the kids and to get them home.
He seems to be doing really well, and I'm very proud of my very capable husband! I haven't heard one word of complaint, and he told me that being with Silas and Mercy has affirmed our decision to adopt 2 kids.
Mercy has been super easy and slept 11 hours straight last night...plus she woke up with a smile on her face! He has described her as a gem, a doll, precious, nearly perfect, and very easy going. She is nearly able to crawl despite being much more petite than Silas.
Silas had a rough first day, as he was probably pretty attached to his foster mom. He didn't eat much, so he woke up three times in the night for bottles. After getting through a confusing first day, Andy described him as being a daddy's boy today...he only wants Andy to hold him. He likes to nestle into Andy's shoulder and is happy if held.
When Andy called at 2 am (yes, I am getting up in the middle of night with the kids too, I feel like :) Silas and Mercy were laying on their mattress holding hands. So sweet...and I can't wait to see the pictures and videos.
They are currently at their Embassy doctor's appointment.
Please pray:
1. For Andy to get rest tonight and to remain encouraged.
2. For the kids to remain healthy and to have peace knowing that Andy loves them and will meet their needs (particularly Silas)
3. For Andy to do well in his interview tomorrow. It is at 7 am CST.
4. For the Embassy to be able to give him a good idea of when their visas should be done, so that we can plan our return trip.
5. For Sarah to process of documents, issue our visas, and for there not to be unnecessary snags in the process. We would like to return quickly to minimize the confusion for the kids and to get them home.
Monday, May 30, 2011
The kiddos arrived!
I missed Andy's call this morning, but he told me on voicemail that Silas and Mercy made it! The other adoptive mom traveling at the same time, Cristy, is a lifesaver he said...she was holding Silas, and Andy had Mercy in the baby carrier.
His Brief Descriptions of the Kids:
-Silas is a tank and appears to be healthy (Thank You Jesus!)
-Mercy is a doll
My heart is as full as Andy's hands are.
There doesn't appear to be internet where he is staying, but I will post pictures if I get them.
Thank you for your prayers!
His Brief Descriptions of the Kids:
-Silas is a tank and appears to be healthy (Thank You Jesus!)
-Mercy is a doll
My heart is as full as Andy's hands are.
There doesn't appear to be internet where he is staying, but I will post pictures if I get them.
Thank you for your prayers!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Eagle as Landed
I just got a call from Andy, and he is in Kinshasa, DRC and safely arrived at his guest house. He will see the kids tomorrow around 11am, which is 5am our time. I can hardly believe that this day is here...and he can't either.
He had a LONG day and travel and was ready for sleep, but he is glad that he made it and his bags did as well!
The other mom who is there with her 2 kids will be a great help, I'm sure. He said that she is full of energy, so they should get along nicely. :)
I am praising God for His faithfulness and gracious love and care for our family. He is worthy of all praise. God has been gracious, He has allowed our travel date to work, and He is working to bring our children home. To Him be the glory!
Prayer:
-Andy's time with Silas and Mercy
-For them to have peace instead of distress and joy instead of lots of tears
-For him to catch up on sleep before caring for the kids
-For continued prayer over his Embassy interview and our binders of documents...that Sarah would process our paperwork and issue visas within a week of Andy's interview, so that we can return quickly. (This might be an optimistic timeline, but it doesn't hurt to pray!)
-For Andy to remain healthy over the next few days...no awful stomach bugs from the water, etc...
He had a LONG day and travel and was ready for sleep, but he is glad that he made it and his bags did as well!
The other mom who is there with her 2 kids will be a great help, I'm sure. He said that she is full of energy, so they should get along nicely. :)
I am praising God for His faithfulness and gracious love and care for our family. He is worthy of all praise. God has been gracious, He has allowed our travel date to work, and He is working to bring our children home. To Him be the glory!
Prayer:
-Andy's time with Silas and Mercy
-For them to have peace instead of distress and joy instead of lots of tears
-For him to catch up on sleep before caring for the kids
-For continued prayer over his Embassy interview and our binders of documents...that Sarah would process our paperwork and issue visas within a week of Andy's interview, so that we can return quickly. (This might be an optimistic timeline, but it doesn't hurt to pray!)
-For Andy to remain healthy over the next few days...no awful stomach bugs from the water, etc...
Saturday, May 28, 2011
In case you have an hour of free time...
This podcast from the Orphan Summit Adoption Conference is worth the hour it takes to listen to. Voddie Bacham and Dr. Russell Moore on Biblical adoption and the Gospel. Edifying, encouraging and Amen-worthy.
To listen, click here.
To listen, click here.
Up Up and Away!
7:00am Elly and I escorted Andy to Pontiac where he boarded this:
All day I've heard, "Daddy, Bus...Bus, Daddy"
This bus took him to O'Hare, where at 1:30 he boarded this:
"Where's he going," we asked Elly. "Tondo" is the response.
"Who will he see there?"
"Si Si and Mercy."
Originally we thought that Andy would spend some time with the kids on Tuesday and Wednesday; however, yesterday we learned that they will be with him the entire time that he's there, including overnight. :) The woman in the picture is their foster mom. Replace her with Andy and you will get a glimpse of his next 4 days! It's hard to believe that we are actually going to be their parents after praying for them for so long! I can't wait to learn about their personalities and little quirks from Andy's few days with them...what a blessing!
Needless to say, our plan of attack for packing changed because he needed enough formula, bottles, and clothes for the kids in his carry-on to last those 4 days in case his luggage was lost. Thank you for those of you who donated goods to us to take over. He has a bag filled to the brim with pedialyte, fitted sheets, cloth diapers, and ESL material. And we have a room filled with clothes to deliver on our second trip. Please pray that these goods are a blessing to the orphanages where they are distributed. We plan to deliver all donations when we return together in mid-June...all materials that Andy brought will be stored until we return.
He will be a champ and will be wonderful with the kids! I have no doubt...though the stories will be interesting!!
I plan to post pictures and video if I receive them from him and will update as able. The Internet is supposed to be spotty at the guest house he is at.
Prayer Requests:
-For Silas and Mercy to have good health while with Andy...no doctors visits
-For them to have peace and joy despite the new environment and caregiver
-For Andy to have joy and patience and wisdom and multiplied time to meet their needs
-For Andy to be a light to people that he comes into contact with
-For his Embassy interview to go well on Wednesday (7 am CST)
-For Sarah to process our paperwork and issue swift visas, so that we can return to bring our kids home quickly
-For safety over our family, for Andy, Silas and Mercy to get some sleep, and for Elly and I to have peace while Andy is gone...She has already cried twice for Daddy to come home...and he just left this morning!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Oh Baby-s!
Exciting News! Andy is officially going to be boarding a Kinshasa-bound plane on Saturday at 1:30! WooHoo!!!
Though we don't have much information about what documents were placed in the binders, we learned this morning that our Embassy binders were delivered and were supposedly complete (meaning all the missing docs were there).
Miraculously, the Embassy accepted the binders even though Silas and Mercy's passports weren't in them. They were supposed to be done on Tuesday and weren't. Usually in such a case, the Embassy will tell the Pastor dropping them off to go home and reschedule the appointment for when everything is done. Praise God that they didn't do that! They took the binders and are letting him drop the passports off later.
Now I've gotta get some suitcases packed! I had been waiting to know that our binders were delivered, so that I wouldn't have to stare at 2 ready-to-go bags in the event that everything got postponed for a month! Praise God who GRACIOUSLY provides! He has been very generous to us!
We have heaps of fitted sheets, pedialyte, clothes, cloth diapers, and books to deliver. Thank you for your generosity!
Now for more prayer requests:
1. For Andy to arrive safely in Kinshasa
2. For him to have good time with the children and for them not to be too sick from the long travel to see him or scared of him (They aren't used to English or being around white people)
3. For some sort of internet connection...I want to be able to see pictures and videos :)
4. For the Embassy interview to go well and for Andy to know how to best answer all the questions that they ask
5. For the passports to be done and for Mercy's birthdate to be correct on hers
6. For the visas to be issued quickly, so that we can return to Congo have them placed into our care for good!
7. For the Lord to sustain Silas and Mercy's health until we can get them home.
Though we don't have much information about what documents were placed in the binders, we learned this morning that our Embassy binders were delivered and were supposedly complete (meaning all the missing docs were there).
Miraculously, the Embassy accepted the binders even though Silas and Mercy's passports weren't in them. They were supposed to be done on Tuesday and weren't. Usually in such a case, the Embassy will tell the Pastor dropping them off to go home and reschedule the appointment for when everything is done. Praise God that they didn't do that! They took the binders and are letting him drop the passports off later.
Now I've gotta get some suitcases packed! I had been waiting to know that our binders were delivered, so that I wouldn't have to stare at 2 ready-to-go bags in the event that everything got postponed for a month! Praise God who GRACIOUSLY provides! He has been very generous to us!
We have heaps of fitted sheets, pedialyte, clothes, cloth diapers, and books to deliver. Thank you for your generosity!
Now for more prayer requests:
1. For Andy to arrive safely in Kinshasa
2. For him to have good time with the children and for them not to be too sick from the long travel to see him or scared of him (They aren't used to English or being around white people)
3. For some sort of internet connection...I want to be able to see pictures and videos :)
4. For the Embassy interview to go well and for Andy to know how to best answer all the questions that they ask
5. For the passports to be done and for Mercy's birthdate to be correct on hers
6. For the visas to be issued quickly, so that we can return to Congo have them placed into our care for good!
7. For the Lord to sustain Silas and Mercy's health until we can get them home.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Praying without Ceasing
A quick update:
We mailed binders full of documents for our children last Thursday, and they have arrived in Kinshasa, DRC.
Tomorrow (Thursday) at 1 pm there...or 7 am CST...these binders will be taken to the US Embassy in Kinshasa to be dropped off. They will be reviewed by the Embassy over the next few days leading up to an interview appointment that Andy is scheduled to attend at the US Embassy in Kinshasa next Wednesday at 1 pm there...or 7 am here.
While it is wonderful that the binders made it to Congo, they were not mailed complete. Both binders have a few documents that are missing because we did not receive them in time. Additionally, there is a place in each binder for Silas and Mercy's passports to go. As it stands, we are still missing those documents and have not received the passports. These items are very important, and if they do not show up, our binders will not go to the Embassy tomorrow, which means that Andy will not leave Saturday.
I have seen God provide for our needs to this point. It did not seem possible to keep our Embassy date two weeks ago, and God provided just enough to allow us to keep it. And then it did not seem possible to mail the binders last week, and HE made a way.
We must trust in His good plans, and His faithful provision.
Will you please pray with us? Specifically for these documents and passports to be complete, accurate and placed in that binder before 7 am CST tomorrow? Please pray that they are dropped off and taken by an Embassy employee who doesn't ask a lot of questions of the pastor dropping them off for us.
Everything with adoption seems to be at the very last minute...and these needs are no exception. We covet your prayers!
We mailed binders full of documents for our children last Thursday, and they have arrived in Kinshasa, DRC.
Tomorrow (Thursday) at 1 pm there...or 7 am CST...these binders will be taken to the US Embassy in Kinshasa to be dropped off. They will be reviewed by the Embassy over the next few days leading up to an interview appointment that Andy is scheduled to attend at the US Embassy in Kinshasa next Wednesday at 1 pm there...or 7 am here.
While it is wonderful that the binders made it to Congo, they were not mailed complete. Both binders have a few documents that are missing because we did not receive them in time. Additionally, there is a place in each binder for Silas and Mercy's passports to go. As it stands, we are still missing those documents and have not received the passports. These items are very important, and if they do not show up, our binders will not go to the Embassy tomorrow, which means that Andy will not leave Saturday.
I have seen God provide for our needs to this point. It did not seem possible to keep our Embassy date two weeks ago, and God provided just enough to allow us to keep it. And then it did not seem possible to mail the binders last week, and HE made a way.
We must trust in His good plans, and His faithful provision.
Will you please pray with us? Specifically for these documents and passports to be complete, accurate and placed in that binder before 7 am CST tomorrow? Please pray that they are dropped off and taken by an Embassy employee who doesn't ask a lot of questions of the pastor dropping them off for us.
Everything with adoption seems to be at the very last minute...and these needs are no exception. We covet your prayers!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Ways to Pray
Requests:
1. Prompt issuing of Andy's visa and clarity about whether he should try to travel earlier than scheduled.
2. For Adrien (a man that we may hire to help put our documents together) to be willing to assist us, to have clear communication with us in the next week, and to be able to complete our binders.
3. For all of the missing documents to be produced AND put in the right spot in our binders.
4. That our binders will be complete enough to be dropped off at 1pm on Thursay May 26, so that Andy can attend the Embassy interview with both children on June 1 at 1pm.
5. For God's providence over which employee at the US Embassy in DRC accepts our binder and processes our paperwork. This can affect how quickly visas are issued (the range is 2 days to 5 weeks! depending on issues with paperwork)
6. For God's protection over our children until we get them home, and for a smooth, swift transition into our care. That they will know that we are their mom and dad...that they are safe with us, and that we will provide for their needs and not leave them. Mercy has been bumped around to several homes in her first 5ish months of life, so we want her to know that we aren't going to leave her. Silas will be leaving the only mother he has known...Therese, his foster mom. Both will be leaving the language they know, the culture they know, everything that is familiar...so we want to cover their transition in prayer.
1. Prompt issuing of Andy's visa and clarity about whether he should try to travel earlier than scheduled.
2. For Adrien (a man that we may hire to help put our documents together) to be willing to assist us, to have clear communication with us in the next week, and to be able to complete our binders.
3. For all of the missing documents to be produced AND put in the right spot in our binders.
4. That our binders will be complete enough to be dropped off at 1pm on Thursay May 26, so that Andy can attend the Embassy interview with both children on June 1 at 1pm.
5. For God's providence over which employee at the US Embassy in DRC accepts our binder and processes our paperwork. This can affect how quickly visas are issued (the range is 2 days to 5 weeks! depending on issues with paperwork)
6. For God's protection over our children until we get them home, and for a smooth, swift transition into our care. That they will know that we are their mom and dad...that they are safe with us, and that we will provide for their needs and not leave them. Mercy has been bumped around to several homes in her first 5ish months of life, so we want her to know that we aren't going to leave her. Silas will be leaving the only mother he has known...Therese, his foster mom. Both will be leaving the language they know, the culture they know, everything that is familiar...so we want to cover their transition in prayer.
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