Friday, July 18, 2008
Thrilling adoption update and prayer need #2
We were pretty sure that we weren't going to be able to adopt them because of the new laws which seemed inevitable. It's in God's hands and we are open to other types of adoptions or whatever God has in mind. We weren't pursuing other adoptions because we kept feeling that God wanted us to wait until He gave us closure about Simeon and Patrick.
Sometimes we have such a longing to have them here where we can take care of them and get to know them and introduce them to Jesus. Then we think that that longing may just be God's way to get us to pray for them. So we do. It would be so amazing to get to have them after all; My sons. We are all filled with eagerness and love.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
thrilling adoption update and prayer need
We have had some shocking and wonderful news this morning. We found out that while the restructuring of the new adoption laws in Liberia is still ongoing, a new system is temporarily in place allowing Angels Haven to continue with the adoptions which are in process. Pastor Joe is going to apply with the courts for a "court order" which will require the Ministry to provide the necessary paperwork to finish our adoption.
This is in hopes that if the new laws come out our case will not be effected by them (for instance, if they should require travel with the new laws).
Please pray with us that Pastor Joe and Angels Haven will be able to finish the adoption soon. Thank you so much for your love and prayers. It's impossible to communicate in writing how much your prayers mean to our whole family.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
catching up
I feel like I need to catch up this week. We have been busy getting everyone bathed, vacuuming, sour dough, mowing the lawn, planting more vegies, watering everything, sewing a couple new outfits for Havilah and myself, having a camp out in our woods, new chicks and rabbits, getting sick, taking a day to swim in Spirit Lake, spending a day in the state forest, BBQ's etc. Thank the Lord for our brother and sister Claude and Rachel. I haven't been able to make the usual phone calls or emails or blogs. Here is my quick attempt to communicate to a few of you at one time.Here at our home we are not waiting but, living in readiness and expectation. This is no tame God that we serve and have pledged our lives and very desires to.
Ephraim just past me in height! He is 13 now and our relationship is settling into a new normal. Leon helps me to relate to him appropriately for his age and maturity. He has bought the goats from us and is now earning income from selling the milk to me. I was overhearing a little impromptu speech that he was giving Leon the other day. He was saying that 'it's so much better out here for us than it was in the city. Out every window, we see God. We can walk out the back door and into the woods. Things seem easier here, slower, better.' He went on and on like that. I wish I could have had a recording of it. Leon agreed.
Havilah is 11 now. She has a chicken business in which she sells me the eggs. She has 15 laying hens and 15 more adolescent hens which aren't laying yet. She loves to be outside. I love having another woman to help me with the daily work and talk girl talk with.
Asaph is 9. He is the same handsome, outgoing, dilligent boy as ever. He can see a need and meet it before the needy even thought to ask. We are trying to teach him to say, "no" and not be taken advantage of. He likes to take care of his rabbits and build things with wood.
Zuriel is 6. She has become a different person lately. I love listening to here stories and ideas. She is a great bike rider.
Naphtali is a smart, adorable 4 year old. He is hilarious. We never know what he's going to say or do. He has us laughing every day. He is very snuggly but, at other times he wants to be considered one of the men. He brought load after load of wood of his own accord in a couple weeks ago and I didn't have the heart to tell him that we wouldn't need it because it's summer. It's still sitting down there waiting for the first chill.
Nehemiah is walking! He's one now. He walks like a drunken sailor, with his mouth open in a big wet smile. He loves kefir, green drink, Kombucha, and pretty much anything that he sees me eat or drink. His siblings play with him or love on him most of the day.
We have truly had the maturity and ability to enjoy each of our babies more than we could enjoy the one before. Of course we loved them all the same but, we had to learn how to be better mama's and papa's as we went along. That has been part of our path toward becoming more and more like our Papa Jesus.