Happy Birthday Wesley!

I posted this earlier this year, but today is this guy's 10th birthday.  Happy Birthday, son....

Wesley--I love this kid!

At age 9 Wesley brags to his friends that his mom can do the moonwalk and that she is a tetherball champion.

(I was....in 6th grade.)

How much longer do you think that will last?

He likes to draw, paint, and make books.

Usually has something to do with Star Wars.

He loves both his sisters

but Savannah is his favorite.

There's no denying it!

I wish I could copy his entire Rwanda trip journal on here---but I don't think everyone else would enjoy it as much as I do.  (plus it took me a month to get my journal on here!)

So here are a few little tidbits about our Rwanda trip

 in his own words:

11.19.10 My favorite part about going through airport security is taking off my shoes, it is really fun.


11.20.10 When our 3rd plane landed in Kigali Rwanda everyone got really excited especially me!  But we all got there really late. And it is the night I got to sleep in Africa.  It's also the very first time I've been below the equator.  In other words the first time I've been to the southern hemisphere.  (hehehehehehe!!  love that!!!!!!)

11.24.10 Today in the morning we went to Home of Innocence.  We raced cars and built our 2nd rabbit hutch.  It was really fun until we went to the Gahanga orphanage.  Worst orphanage ever!  Then we went back to Christine's house to show us her house.  Finally we went back to Ms. Lisa's house to eat dinner.  We ate pizza and it was good.  I can't wait until thanksgiving day tomorrow but tonight me and my dad had a little talk about the Gahanga orphanage.  And he told me that some are offcast and really different and when you're doing it for them you're doing it for Jesus.

11.27.10  Today is our last day in Africa.  Imagine being in 3 continents in 1 day.  Africa, Europe, North America.

=)

I love this kid!

He thinks a lot.

He asks questions.

He likes to be right, first, and doesn't want to miss out on anything.

ANYTHING.

He is competitive

Finishing his first triathlon

He loves to play games as a family. 

He enjoys, I mean, gets as giddy and tickled as can be when he knows something cool or funny is about to happen to somebody else.

Sometimes Jeremy calls him "ball"

~ which is short...

for goofball 

He has such a sweet heart.

Did I tell ya that I love this kid??

Saying YES...Part 4

This is the part of the story that I can't share everything YET.  Because this is the internet and because we are still praying about a lot of things, I have to ask you to forgive me for not telling the WHOLE story.

Weeks after our Rwanda trip and after the Christmas rush, when things got back to normal, well, what is normal for us anyway, I heard that whisper again...felt that nudging again....to be open to whatever--To not limit God, limit myself,  to only waiting and dreaming about adoption in Rwanda.

So almost unconsciously my prayer changed...

Lord, don't let me miss you in the waiting.

 

Do you have more children for our family before Rwanda adoptions are opened up again?

I can tell you what I am learning about saying yes.  Recently, Jeremy and I participated in some triathlons and we had the whole weekend to ourselves.  (sigh)  The day we headed out, I got an email from a friend who shares our love for the orphan.  Orphan Hope International was looking for families to host about 17 orphans from Colombia.  They would be coming to the States for 3 weeks this summer in hopes to connect with forever families. 

These kids are close to aging out.

As I was on the bike (my 2nd least favorite part of the tri, the swim being my least favorite), I was thinking

shoulders down, butt back, cadence high....

AND about all the opportunities around us to love kids who do not have moms and dads.

We had recently talked about "when do we say no?"

And we are finding that for us, at this time, as we see opportunity around us (right here, right now), as we wait on the Lord, as we plan our next Rwanda mission trip, as we start a new chapter with homeschooling, as we seek His face, to know His heart more, and desire to follow Him...

we can't say no.

We will say YES. 

YES to whatever. 

And let Him say "No."

This is not the final part to "Saying YES"

It is still being written.

So we plan to host up to 4 kids from Colombia and share them with you! 

Have you ever thought about adoption? 

Are you on the edge of your seat looking for God to show you His plan? 

You will have many opportunities to meet all of these kids between July 15 - August 7---please please let me know if you want more info! 

Just say YES

Saying YES...Part 3

February 2010
We contacted All God's Children International (the ONLY adoption and orphan care ministry that I found that ALSO offers mission trips to the orphanages).  After hearing what we were interested in doing, the mission coordinator asked,

"What about Rwanda?"

I heard the music! 

You know when you KNOW that you KNOW something is right.

We began planning our first trip, raising money, and inviting others to join us.  We brought 3 others with our family (leaving Savannah with grandparents for this first trip).  Our trip was set for November 2010 and we would put all adoption plans on hold until we accomplished this trip. 

August 2010
Rwanda stops all adoptions until they enter the Hague Convention.  No one knows how long it will be before that process is complete.  It's a good thing.  But the waiting is hard....especially for those families already in process (sending prayers up for you guys!)

November 2010
You can read all about our amazing trip here.  I shared highlights about it last November and December.  We were most impacted  by and surprised by how much we fell in love with the older kids.  The kids getting closer to "aging out."  We knew we would fall in love with the babies, but these older kids....we really love THEM.

This trip to Rwanda, solidified for us our desire and love for older kids who do not have moms and dads. 

That is huge.

And we are just beginning to see how HUGE that is for us.

Saying YES...Part 2

Fall 2009
One Sunday night we sat on the couch and opened the conversation up again.  I wrote about this in an earlier post....

We had several speakers come through our church in the Fall sharing God's heart for the orphan.  One Sunday morning, a guest speaker was showing pictures of different orphans around the world and he asked what came to our minds. 

People in the congregation started speaking up.....

"Love"

"Desperation"

"Guilt"

"Compassion"

All I could think is

"That's my child."

I did not speak up in church but that night Jeremy and I talked.  We both wanted to go somewhere and work with orphans.



We had originally thought that all five of us would go somewhere this past summer for 3-6 weeks.  We knew we wanted to work with an organization or a country that we would at least have the opportunity to pursue adoption.  I knew that my heart was already wide open to welcome more children into our home.  In fact, Jeremy and I had already let our first adoption agency know that we were feeling led to open our home to a sibling group.  New Life would keep us in mind in case they had a special situation come up.  We did not know if it meant foster care or adoption, but we just knew we needed to first say "yes" to the nudging in our hearts to be open.


January 2010
So we began to set our sights abroad--serving orphans in some other part of the world on a short term mission trip.  It wasn't until January 2010 when we really looked, asked questions, and spoke to people like Harris III (who shared about Holt International at his show) and Will McGinniss (formerly with Audio Adrenaline, now works with The Hands and Feet Project). 

As I looked at different opportunities, my heart was drawn to Africa and I could not help myself from automatically thinking ADOPTION.  I had to make Jeremy very aware that one, two, or three weeks in an orphanage will ONLY make me more sure, more in love, and more ready to adopt adopt adopt!

He understood...

completely.

=)

Saying YES--the story begins...

Yes, LORD, whatever you want.

A little over two years ago, God began nudging.  Have you ever felt that nudge?  When you feel pulled in a certain direction, led down a particular path, compelled to speak or do something that is different than what you are doing right now?

December 2008
Jeremy and I were away for the weekend for our anniversary and having a yummy dinner in a quaint German restaurant.  I was nervous to bring up my thoughts to him.  We had fulfilled "our dream" of having 3 kids.  Savannah was then 18 months old, Wesley was 7 and Emily was 9. 

And we were blessed!

But God seemed to be nudging me again, opening my mind and heart to the possibility of extending our family even more.  I was nervous because it was nothing but an act of God alone that moved Jeremy to a place of wanting to adopt back in 2006.

But I could not ignore this nudging.

So with a smile I told him what I had been thinking about in recent weeks.  How I felt like we were "not through."  How I thought there are more kids out there for our family--either through foster care or adoption.  I told him I did not know what it meant, I did not have a plan, but I just wanted him to know.

He sat across from me and just smiled. 

He took it in. 

A little to my surprise, he did not make opposing statements. 

And that was it.

That night, we celebrated our 13th anniversary and I think we reached a very sweet place in our relationship.  I could share my crazy ideas and dreams with him and they would be accepted.  He listened to me.  He did not have to answer, tell me all the reasons why it was not a good idea, how we couldn't afford it, etc.  He had learned something during the process of adopting Savannah.

We both had.

Through our first adoption, we saw how mightily God worked in so many ways.  I think we both realized that it doesn't matter if we haven't figured it all out when we take a step of faith. 

When we just say "YES." 

God is GOD.

All He wants from us is a willing heart.

We just need to say YES.

Yes to whatever.

whatever.HE.wants.

We tucked that conversation away and waited to hear more from the Lord on how He wanted to enlarge our family.....

Answers Part 3 -- The Next Rwanda Trip

Finally....the last part of our Answers from a fast not long ago....and this one involves YOU...

Ever since we were in Rwanda last November, we started praying about when we could go back.  Our hope was to go again by the end of this year or early part of next year.  God kinda makes me chuckle sometimes, because we are actually doing BOTH! 

And we want you to join us!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"  Then I said, "Here am I.  Send me!"

Isaiah 6:8

This trip is for.....

SINGLES who want to ring in the new year like never before!

Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.

Matthew 18:4-5

This trip is for....

COUPLES who want to love babies, kids, teenagers, & young adults who have no mom or dad, no grandparents, no family.

This trip is for....

FAMILIES who desire to serve together, connecting your kids with kids the same age in Rwanda, relating to people in a way you could not if you came alone.

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.

Matthew 25:35

This trip is for

YOU! 

...Truly I say to you to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.

Matthew 25:40

Get involved by

PRAYING

GIVING

GOING

Join us the last week of December 2011 through the first week of January 2012!

Interested???  We will be having an interest meeting in May (TBA soon).
We want to bring school supplies, backpacks, new clothes and new shoes for 50 orphans!

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress....

James 1:27

Realizing dreams

Recently I shared some of my big dreams with you. 

WOW---it is so cool to see some of these things unfolding right before our eyes!! 

I really cannot keep up.  I want to just share everything with you right here right now, but I can't!!!!!!! 

And it is really hard not too!!!!

Let me just say....that marriage we have been praying for is holding on. 

God is working.  YEA!!!

(you have no idea how big the mountain range is that God is moving!)

Remember how I wanted to get some bunk beds, just to be ready for "whatever?"

Well, bunk bed #1 has been ordered!

And mattresses are waiting for it's arrival.

Can't say much else about the "whatever" part......yet!

We are starting to share our plans about homeschooling with the kids' schools and it is hard to say good-bye.  We will all miss these people and places that we have known the last few years! 

And I am slowly figuring out what and how we will start this summer with the next chapter ~ really excited about how that is going!

Our next trip to Rwanda....is in the works! 

 

I will share about when we're going

and what we'll be doing

and how YOU can be involved

in the next post! 

(This is the long-awaited Part 3 to our Answers!)