Maybe you can Help...

Without going into detail, we have been learning a little more about the situation in Liberia, and some specifics as to why adoptions have been halted. While I am so sad not that our hands are tied as to moving forward to bring Kelvin and Hawa home, I am SO GLAD that things are being restructured. This truly is the best thing for agencies operating there, birth families, adoptive families, and for the children. Agencies have been accused of things they were innocent of, adoptive families have made poor choices to take things into their own hands regarding their adoptions, and governmental officials have tried to benefit monetarily. These things need to stop if adoptions are to continue at all. And they must continue! We desire to see our countries working together to find healthy, committed parents to adopt and love the children who are in desperate need of families. If the system tries to continue on in the state it's in, it sounds like it will cease to function at all.

Obviously, we desire that this happen QUICKLY! We are asking that adoptions that are already in progress be allowed to continue, as we work with the new requirements that may be asked of us.

It is time, we have been told, to seek the help of our Congressmen and women, in trying to implore quick action, and a measure of accountability on the matter of adoptions in Liberia. We have written our Congresswoman, and would ask that if you are willing to do the same, on our behalf, that you contact us via e-mail, and we will give you some help in knowing what to ask for by sending you a sample letter and addresses to write. Gratefully, our district is represented by Michelle Bachmann, a godly woman who loves the Lord and boldly stands for the things that we hold dear. You can e-mail her office, as well as your own Representative.

There will be some families specifically seeking the Lord each week on behalf of the children who have been matched with familes, but can't come home. If you desire to pray for them by name, please e-mail me, and I can get you a list of the ones I know of. We desire to see God move to release these kids into their families' arms. God can move hearts and change minds, so we trust that he can and will do that within the government officials that are in position to make these changes.

Beware; These resources may open your eyes... and your Heart!

If you have a moment, please watch these...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6WEcrfCIwI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4BBtJRsKWE&feature=related



Some excellent resources for learning about God's heart for the fatherless, the orphan, and the widow;

Fields of the Fatherless - Tom C. Davis

Red Letters - Tom C. Davis

Adoption as a Ministry; Adoption as a Blessing - Gardner

The Strength of Mercy - Beazely

The Treasure Principle - Alcorn


I have the top 3 if anyone wants to borrow them... library may have them... ALL are worth owning!

Websites:
http://www.hopechest.org/

http://www.redletterscampaign.com/

http://members.shaohannahshope.org/site/PageServer


Ways to learn about & help Kelvin and Hawa's orphanage directly:

http://www.africanchildsponsorship.com

Paperwork and Thank You's...

Yesterday we were thankful to receive our US Citizenship & Immigration approval document. ( Yeah! )

While I am very glad to have this final US portion of the adoption process finished, I don't feel like I thought I would. I thought we would get this in the mail, freak out a little... jump up and down, act giddy, and be ecstatic. Since the adoption suspension occurred, this all-important piece of paper became less of a "WOW" moment. (It is still very important, and and we are thankful for the processing to have gone smoothly and quickly.) It's just that if the country were still open, it's at this point that we would have sent our dossier to Liberia, the kids would have been told about us & would have begun anticipating their new family, and the Liberia paperwork would have been underway. There would have been a countdown!



Now, of course, this paper will just sit until the policies are re-written in Liberia, or until it expires. OR- MAYBE GOD WILL DO CRAZY-COOL THINGS AND MAKE A WAY WHERE THERE IS NO WAY... and this paper will be used to bring our children home SOON. And by "SOON", I'm asking for SOOOOOOOOOOOOOON! :) Please pray that God moves and acts on the behalf of these many children; those who will be adopted, and those who will be raised in orphanages by the support of people who care for their cause.



We are also incredibly thankful for the body of Christ. And when I say that, I mean our godly families, our faithful accountability groups, our dear friends, and our local church body as well! Since hearing the country suspended adoptions, SO many people have expressed that they are praying for us, and for Kelvin and Hawa... for ALL the children that are struggling to hang on to life and hope in Liberia. We are so grateful!!! We have been lifted in prayer by so many of you. Even if I didn't KNOW it as a fact, I would suspect it, because we have peace beyond understanding right now. We have real joy and are not defeated or dismayed! That is only because God is merciful and good, and because you have interceded on our behalf.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.



It could be a long wait. It could. But I sense that God is gonna do something amazing. I place my hope in him, and that hope does not disappoint, even if I don't "get my way".





Rom 5:3-5
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Quick update

No real changes in Liberia's announcement to suspend adoptions. Our agency coordinator for Liberia, along with another agency coordinator, will be petitioning the government to allow "in-process" adoptions to continue while they revise the adoption practices. They will be offering their help to assist the commitee who will be dealing with all of this. Both ladies will be in Liberia shortly and meeting personally with the decision-makers. We do not have any reason to think that we will be allowed to move forward any time soon, but we are praying for that anyway!!

We have been asked to send in all of our remaining dossier documents... so our side of things is pretty much done at this point. None of the rest is up to us...(as if ANY of this process has been in our hands! :) But it feels good to know that we've done all we can. Angel will personally deliver these things to Liberia into the correct hands for the time when adoptions resume.

We have also sent in the photo albums and letters to the kids, so that when the time is right, the staff of the orphanage can give those to them, and read them their letters from us. I really can't say when this might happen, most likely not for a long while... but to know that things are ready for when the timing is appropriate, is fun.

I must say that I CANNOT wait to get the pictures of the kids that Angel will take for us! We have stared at the 2 little faces in our only photos of them for so long, it will be strange and WONDERFUL to see them in a new picture... especially if they happen to be smiling!

Thank you to so many of you who have been an encouragement to us as we found out that Liberia had halted things. We are incredibly peaceful right now. We have no idea what the future holds, but we trust that the Lord does... and that he will bring this to completion. Obviously, we are praying that he moves in the hearts of those individuals who will be making decisions in Liberia. We hope they will be softened and allow our kids, and many others, to come home. Ultimately we are thankful that Liberia is seeking to protect their children by revising their policies, and we are asking God's wisdom and discernment for the policy-makers.

My Sunshine

So, yesterday was Anika's birthday. (We were so busy with birthday fun that I did not have time to post this until today!) She turned 9 years old. Wow. Can't believe it.

I cannot tell you how proud I am of her! Her character, her compassion, her love, her "sunshine-quality"... they blow me away. What a privilege to be her Mama.

My prayer for her is that she follow Jesus all the days of her life; unswervingly, unabashedly, un-apologetically... that others would be drawn to God because of the joy and hope and smile that she possesses... that she would have abundant adventures as she trusts in the faithfulness of her God.

I also hope for her all sorts of silly and fun things like the experience of an enormous jello fight between friends, up-side-down belly-laughing, reading a book that's so good she cries, having a horse for a best friend, traveling to open her eyes to the world out there, annual spaghetti-flinging events, volunteering at the Special Olympics, eating something strange (like pickled pigs' feet) just so she can say she did, and many, many more.

She always has been, and always will be, my sunshine. :)

Then Came Yesterday...

So, on Tuesday, because of some letters from our Liberia director, I was getting the feeling that it was gonna take several months longer to get Kelvin and Hawa home than we were expecting. I struggled with that. From a purely selfish standpoint, we have been waiting for a year and a half to bring children into our family. And, here, as we were 3 to 4 months away from having them join us, we were being advised that it would be even longer. I felt unsure what to ask of the Lord anymore. I've been asking him for big miracles for the last year and a half. I've been sure that He is able to accomplish amazing things... but He has not chosen to say yes to me in those big ways. I have, however, been blown away as he meets me right where I'm at... in my need... and calms my heart and reassures me, and restores peace. That to me is miraculous in it's own way. So, anyway, I'm just not sure how to pray. Do I keep asking big things, even though the temptation for me is to be discouraged when He chooses not to do them? Or do I try to accept the reality of the situation and weather through whatever He chooses to allow?

I think the answer is both somehow, but I needed to ask him to encourage me. S0, I spent some time with him, and he, as usual, met me right where I was and gave me some amazing verses that were just like having him next to me, speaking them to my heart.

Psalm 111:7-9 "The works of his hands are faithful and just; all of his precepts are trustworthy. They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness."

2 Kings 23 - speaks of turning to the Lord with all of our heart and soul and strength

Isaiah 40:25-31 "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. (emphasis mine) He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

That last passage in Isaiah was like a chastizement to me. Why am I complaining that God does not "see my cause"? He is the everlasting God. Enough said. But because he's not only firm with me when he needs to be, but also gentle because he loves me deeply, he goes on to tell me that while I will grow tired and weary (which I am), he does not. And if I hope in him, my strength will be renewed and I will be able to go on.

He was once again reminding me that this whole adoption thing is not about me. It's not even about Kelvin and Hawa (which goes against everything I feel). It is really just about Him. He will do what he will... and he has a purpose for it all, and he will refine us and grow us and test our faith the whole way.

So, Jason and I spent some time praying that our faith would be tested, and that we would pass that test and please the Lord. And also that he would do mighty things to get Kelvin and Hawa home soon, no matter what the world says... because our hope is not in the US paperwork, or in the Liberian government. Our hope is in the Lord.

THEN came yesterday...

...and I realized that what the Lord had impressed on us the night before was a preparation of what was to come.

We learned yesterday afternoon that adoptions in Liberia have been suspended. There will be no adoptions again until the country of Liberia re-writes their policies and procedures. We are still reeling from this very unexpected news, and don't have all the details yet, but it means that our adoption process halts right here, right now. It sounds like we can choose to pursue adopting Kelvin and Hawa... but that we do so with the knowledge that it will most likely take a very, very long time. Many, many months ... to maybe years when it's all said and done, we just don't know. Unless the Lord tells us to stop things altogether, we will not change course. Kelvin and Hawa are already a part of our hearts and our family, and we cannot imagine walking away from the hope we have to bring them home.

We covet your prayers. This is very painful. It feels very much like the miscarriage I had many years ago. We'll be OK, we know God is faithful. But this is hard. I am concerned about all the kids in the orphanage... the money they receive from the adoptions goes to feed all the children, so if adoptions are halted for a year or so, that will affect them significantly. I am concerned for Kelvin and Hawa... we already love them, and yet will not be able to be a family to them. I am also sad for us. All of the things that I have thought of and dreamed of... of beginning our lives with our new kiddos... it's all very painful to think about now.

Yesterday I cried a lot. Today I feel kind of numb. Disbelief. I want to handle this right. I want to take what I learned from the Lord on Tuesday, and apply it now. He knows our cause and he does not grow weary. Yesterday he led me to Zephaniah (not a place I usually spend much time).

Zeph 3 "Do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. ... I will deal with all those who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. ... At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home... "

As Jason said yesterday, nothing has really changed. We still do not hope in the US paperwork, or in the Liberian government... our hope is in the Lord. He is still in control, he still knows the outcome (He was not surprised by this), and we can still trust in his faithfulness. Now, if he chooses to do miracles, it will be that much more apparent to all those watching. I pray that's what's going to happen... that we will be in awe of how he works this out despite that it looks impossible.

Here are the details of this decision in Liberia:
"On Monday evening, the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, gave the following statement in her annual speech to the nation:"The gross mismanagement of the adoption program (which aims primarily at placing orphans in homes in the United States), by both Liberian and U.S. personnel in the concerned NGO is the subject of a report by a Special Committee which I appointed for this purpose. Essentially, we have discovered that many of the children in these orphanages are not in fact orphans but children taken from their living parents on the promise of support and a good life in America. Moreover, we found that young children were being sexually abused at some of these orphanages, while others including officials of government, have used the program to extort money from potential adoptors. We have thus suspended the adoption program until laws, policies and proper guidelines have been established and we have asked our concerned friends and partners in the United States to be patient as we try to correct the serious malpractices which exist. We expect the National Social Welfare Policy and National Adoption Act which will be submitted to you during the course of the year, will provide guidance and prevent such abuses in the future."

At this time, all adoptions from Liberia have been suspended. This includes adoptions in process as well as those that have been finalized in the Liberian court system and are awaiting visas at the U.S. Embassy. We do not know at this time how long the suspension will last."



"Oh Christ, be the center of our lives, be the place we fix our eyes."


Corrie asked me (Jason) to write a little bit too. I think there isn't much to add, but just a few of my own thoughts, much of which is similar to Corrie's. In all things (this included) I want Jesus Christ to have the pre-eminence. I desire to push on and lay hold of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. This present time seems like hopelessness and suffering, but we know that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope. That is pretty neat and worth pressing in for. Part of me doesn't know how much of this is a spiritual battle because we know we don't fight against flesh and blood. I believe that there are many lofty opinions and arguments that oppose God. Much in this could be part of it and so it is a time to be prepared to do sipritual battle. In the end, we submit to what the Lord has, and find joy in being obedient. If we are not, we trust always that he is faithful to refine us and bring us to where we need to be. God is good!

First Tooth Lost.. FINALLY!

So that family can see Asher's greatest cause for happiness recently, I posted this picture for you. :) He was in anguish as a newly-turned 7 year old never having had lost a tooth yet. Ah, the relief of being like everybody else...