For any and all of you who are willing to pray for us during our trip, I’ve posted a guide under the “Adoption” tab at the top of this page. Click on it to join us!
20
Dec
Dec
Memories of Great Grandma on Day 50
December 20, 2010
Days since our paperwork was given a date stamp at the C*C*A*A* in China. Chugging right along to our LSC….
We had the chance to watch Samuel see “Santa Claus” for the first time yesterday. I don’t think “Santa” knew Samuel was Skyping in the office when he came to retrieve the presents for the preschool party. They had to grab him real quick so he didn’t spin right off the office chair in his eagerness to turn around and see him! LOL
Needless to say we had a fairly short visit with him this Sunday, but it was so amazing to hear that he was going off to be a Shepherd in the Nativity story that they were putting on. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. is all I have to say.
Stephen’s grandma went to be with Jesus this weekend and so we will be participating in the funeral. When asked about our favourite memories of Grandma, Stephen remembered hanging around her house watching game shows with her (he didn’t have a t.v. at his house) and also how he could often score a cookie if he “helped out” in the kitchen while she worked on her baking. 🙂 My favourite memory was getting a phone call after we were engaged (at the Bible College – not easy for her to track me down) and asking me to come over for lunch. She taught me to bake buns and she and Grandpa visited with me over lunch. What a wonderful welcome into the family! We all remember her telling the egg story (Stephen as a little boy on the farm) at our wedding and playing many games of Mexican Train. Our oldest two kids remember her pouring milk and grape juice out of her glass pitchers and being allowed to sit up at the dining room table and use her pretty China dishes. As Faith put it, “I’m SOOO glad that Great Grandma is with Jesus!”
It’s good to be with family this Christmas and to know our little man is being taught the most important story of all time. My heart is very full.
Out of the many, MANY photos taken, this at least shows most everyone’s face on Stephen’s side of the family (When you have this many, sometimes that is all you can hope for! ha). With the exception, of course, of grandchild #12. 🙂
7
Nov
Nov
Samuel’s Warriors
November 7, 2010
Today is Orphan Sunday.
Many churches around North America choose this day to bring awareness to the enormous global Orphan Crisis.
There are numerous ways that one can help those who wait for families (at least 98 million, although the numbers have been tabulated into the 200 million range by some).
So many options:
-
befriend a foster child, family or foster parent group in your community
-
give financially or in kind
-
sponsor children abroad
-
help a family bring home their child
-
adopt a child and give them a place to call their forever home
So many ways.
One other way that is not often mentioned directly is all of the behind the scenes work of a secret army of tireless men and women.
They do not hold earthly weapons.
They do not always congregate in companies and legions.
But they do daily storm the gates of Heaven for those that wait,
the Orphan.
To many of us, the Orphan is a faceless, nameless blur.
A Concept.
An Abstract Idea.
And then sometimes, Someone, a Face, will cross their paths and suddenly that Warrior Heart rises up and we can do nothing but rally and plead for that One.
That Orphan.
That Child.
These warriors sometimes are seen.
And sometimes they are not.
Sometimes they share their passion with others and let them know that the need is great.
And sometimes they quietly interceed for that Child.
Until Heaven moves.
And that child waits no more.
My son was that One.
He was abandoned.
Placed.
At the gates of a rural civil affairs office.
And then he was Found.
Taken into the care of a Foster Grandmother.
After 18 months, the Director found a new place for him.
A New Day had come.
His photo was posted online.
And many of those same Warriors began to rise up.
Across an ocean Hearts of a Family began to be stirred.
And another Battle was won.
Our Son would wait no more.
So today, on Orphan Sunday, I ask that you consider the ideas to help that I posted above.
But perhaps more so, I ask you to rise up alongside these quiet Warriors.
Join them and fight.
Plead.
Pray.
Trust.
But do not forget.
Until the One who waits,
becomes None.
Once our eyes are opened, we can not pretend we do not know what to do.
God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act.
Proverbs 24:12
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May I, with {MUCH} gratitude, share with you just a few folks off of the long list of Samuel’s Warriors?
These are just a few of the ones that have public blogs.
They have invested finances, time, prayer and much heart in advocating for our little man.
Will you say a pray of thanksgiving for each of them and the many who have contacted us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photos courtesy of a very kind former volunteer from ND. 🙂
(Samuel was trying his best to sport the ever present “V” sign with his little fingers.)
5
Nov
Nov
Grace’s Friend is Coming Home!
November 5, 2010
I can’t even describe how excited I am for our new friends Barb & Mike.
They just received their Travel Approval and are hoping to leave in about 3 weeks to bring their daughter, Nora, home.
That special little girl is also very special to my little girl.
{You might remember my posts here & here, which led to our amazement when this happened.}They’ve shared many years in their orphanage together.
Nora has watched Grace leave.
And now it’s Nora’s turn.
PRAISE GOD!
Hop on over to their blog and congratulate them, won’t you?
Let’s throw them a party to remember – something special to tell Nora about once she’s home!
(And just in case you are looking, I know of at least 2 more little girls from the same orphanage who are looking for their forever family… just thought I’d mention that!)
26
Oct
Oct
Catching up on an Amazing Day
October 26, 2010
Here’s my effort to catch up on a very full day as quickly as possible…
- Woke up and saw a pile of photos in my inbox. Samuel received our package. He’s such a little guy. To think it is only the beginning of his long life with us absolutely overwhelms me. I’m so thankful.
- Our facilitator called China to see if our LID was issued, and they have not received our dossier as of yet. In response, they asked for and received our extension (1 month). Sweet relief.
- Met with our friend who hosted the Healing Prayer training. Told her about Garnet’s healing. Much rejoicing. My faith was strengthened.
- Stephen & I met with our kids’ pediatrician. We’
- We discussed a variety of concerns we have had with Garnet. We’ve been waiting for this appointment for many, many months. We are trying to get help for our busy, optimistic, tender hearted little man. He heard us out, spoke back to us his own sense, and offered a life line. We feel so affirmed.
- Faith’s birthday is next week. Stephen & I managed to get out and do a bit of shopping. We even threw in dinner (Burgers) & a movie (Red). I remember love & laughter.
(The candy is not for Samuel! Just in case you Mamas are concerned. Haha)
23
Oct
Oct
Modern Day Miracle
October 23, 2010
Follow my trail of thoughts….
10 days ago we received our son Garnet’s allergy test results.
He was diagnosed with cat allergies.
Prescription: “Remove Cats”.
It was o.n.e. m.o.r.e. t.h.i.n.g.
I was in tears.
God spoke through someone close to me.
“Ask me for healing.”
I called a friend, who is known for her involvement in a local healing ministry.
I told her, “I want to believe. I know he heals. But for me? For my children? There was a time when he did not heal me.”
She replied, “Come to my home tomorrow. I am training my new volunteers. You can observe.”
And miraculously our usually hectic weekend schedule…
was wide open!
“Okay”, I told her.
Perhaps even more miraculous?
Stephen wanted to come too.
We needed God’s renewal.
A fresh wave of His Spirit in our home.
We observed.
We chatted.
We dined.
And then it was time to go.
“Let us pray for you before you leave”, said our friends.
They prayed.
The Holy Spirit was very much felt by us.
Burdens were lifted.
Hearts encouraged.
We went home.
We peeked at our son’s skin.,
usually covered with eczema.
It was the same,
but we held onto hope.
We had asked Him for healing.
The next morning.
I looked again.
His skin,
IT WAS CLEAR!
I ran my hands over his arms,
his legs.
NOTHING.
Absolutely no Eczema.
I watched him this week.
No cortizone creams.
No allergy medicine.
He hugged our cats.
In shorts.
With a bare tummy.
The eczema that he had had since the day we met him in China
was gone.
It’s stayed gone.
It’s never before stayed away for this long.
The tip of the iceberg?
I wonder.
{Photos taken in early October 2010.}
{My Dad took Stephen & Garnet fishing.}
{Garnet caught his first (4!) fish that day.}
{Stephen even tried using Garnet’s rod and yet with much laughter on the men’s part, Garnet continued to catch fish!}
{Garnet also staunchly refused to touch any of his big catch.}
{When he finally braved up to it, well, take a look at his face in the last photo.}
{“Ewwww – they’re slimy!”}
30
Aug
Aug
Meant to Be
August 30, 2010
I’ve never been crazy about that phrase when used in the way of describing that my kids were “meant to be adopted by us”. No. Instead I try to remind folks that while it did not catch God off guard, it was certainly not the ideal. That would be making too little of my kids’ losses in life. However, Steven Curtis Chapman just released this video for the upcoming Veggie Tales video, It’s a Meaningful Life. And in this case, I agree with him. Especially as I’ve been thinking about my kids and the unique way God made each one of them. Our kids are meant to be just whom God created them to be and it is amazing to watch them grow in that.
Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.