A Two-Continent Mother

1. She is constantly looking at the clock and counting 5 hours ahead to determine what half of her children are doing.

2. She takes lots of photos of the two kids that she is driving around and tucking in and cheering on and she CONSTANTLY stalks facebook for photos of the other two kids who are on the other side of the world. 

3. She forgets everything! She spends hours picking a select few gifts to send on a plane to the other continent for her precious kids only to remember she forgot to bring the shoes her son politely requested. So then she drives an hour and half round trip to get them only to forget that her physically-present son has a basketball game. He missed the game.

4. She cries a lot. When she forgets the shoes. When she forgets the basketball game. When she looks at the empty beds. When she gets new pictures from the other continent. When she hears one son or daughter pray for the other son or daughter on the other side of the world. When the embassy emails. When the embassy doesn't email. When the agency calls. When the agency doesn't call. 

5. She wakes up often in the middle of the night. (See item #1)

6. She tries so hard to be polite and sweet, but half her heart is on another continent and it is hard. 

7. She is SO VERY weak but she also knows with all her heart that Christ's power is made perfect in her weakness. What does that mean? It means when you see her smile, even with a few tears, and tell you she trusts God, she really means it. 

God has NEVER let her down. Even when she struggles, He assures her that He is still in control and that He cares so much. Sometimes He shows her He cares through a song, or a scripture. He might have even showed her He cared this week by delivering a dozen yummy cupcakes to her door. (Well, I'm pretty sure God likes to use people and He has probably given her some of the BEST people He has created to show her His love during this difficult time.....people that know she likes chocolate cupcakes with no hint of peanut butter mixed in at all!)

Doesn't this look like God's love!?!

She is definitely not SUPERMOM. Her house is pretty messy. She usually has dog hair all over her and she might even wear the same clothes for a few days. But, she REALLY loves to glorify God and she knows that even in a difficult time of waiting she can do that. I'm sure she also knows that even when all of her children are on the same continent it will still be pretty hard sometimes. Good thing she is not relying on her own strength because.....have you seen her lately?!?!?  She is an absolute mess!!!

Thank you friends!  You really are some of the best people that God created and I am blessed to have you!

A few informational updates:

-Debo's visa has printed and she is ready for America. Yay!!

-Gabriel's mother was interviewed by the Embassy and is very supportive of the adoption and his new family (us). Apparently, her interviews went well but now they would like to interview some "other family members". I don't really know who or when or why. Those are questions I have asked and I don't think I will get an answer. I know it is very hard to understand. Believe me. I know. It really doesn't make a lot of sense. The only explanation I can give is this: Ghana stopped all adoptions because there was a lot of corruption happening in adoptions. Some biological mothers were being paid money for their children. Some were being told their children will go to America and get a good education and then come back in a few years and take care of them. I imagine Gabriel's mother was asked if these things had happened to her. We KNOW beyond any doubt that everything in our case has happened ethically and without corruption but the Embassy is doing their due diligence to make sure no more corruption happens while the process is being "cleaned up." I imagine they want to ask the family members to verify what his mother told them. That is just my best guess and it makes sense to me so I will embrace it for now. Apparently, the people that they would like to interview all live close to the city so hopefully that means they will be easy to reach and will be able to come in quickly. I don't anticipate to get any word until the interviews are completed and his visa is ready to print. I don't know if that will take one week, one month or one year. I have no idea! I PROMISE I will update the blog as soon as anything happens. In the meantime we will wait. We will bring them home together. We will trust God's perfect timing and try to glorify Him while we wait. 

Out family is so grateful for everyone's support, encouragement and prayers throughout this long process. Thank you so much for sticking by us and caring so much. We are so grateful.  

As most of you know, our children have been with another little boy for the past 10 months. He has also been adopted by a family that lives very close to us. We have become great friends and I cannot imagine doing this journey without them. His mom made a very difficult decision to leave her two home-grown kids here and fly to Ghana on Monday to spend some time with her son there. (They are also in a holding pattern right now waiting for his visa.) She was able to deliver those few gifts I mentioned above to our kids with some hugs and lots of reminders that we love them and will be coming soon. Apparently our kids love their special treats:

Gabriel: "Thank you!!! God bless them, I want to come there soon, I Love my spiderman and I miss them!!!" 

Debo: "Thank you, thank you, I like the books and my this shirt (Hello Kitty) and underwear and my shoes, I want to stay America!"

Then as Debo was looking at my facebook profile picture which is a picture of me and Adam she said, "This and this...I am happy for them!" while pointing at me and Adam. I think that means she love us in her limited English. :-)

Some new pajamas for our sweeties! Look! They sleep in a comfy bed now. They are staying at a "transitional home" instead of an orphanage. It is like a foster home. 

Apparently, Gabriel really likes his new clothes and Debo won't put down the photo book we made for her. She also has a new headband and some "fancy" necklaces. The lady in the middle is an angel on earth, our social worker in Ghana. Seriously people. Angel.On.Earth.

This silly boy loves spiderman! This DVD was a Christmas gift from Granny and Papa.

Back to this continent....CAEL TURNED 10 on Sunday! My baby boy is a decade old. It is so hard to believe!!!  We celebrated by taking him and a few of his closest friends to a skating, laser tag, playzone place for hours of fun. He is pretty easy to please and he greatly enjoyed the day. Happy Birthday Cael! 

I'm pretty sure if all my kids were on one continent I would have had his hair cut before this picture!  Who am I kidding...it's only going to get harder to make time for a haircut with 4 kids. Good thing he is still so cute with long shaggy hair!

 I guess I can't leave Liz out of this post. She is the best 6th grade 12 year old that I know! Thankful to have her as the eldest of our troop. She spends every moment possible flipping, stretching, jumping and stunting. Our little cheerleader in more ways than one. She's also a little silly!

That's all sweet friends! Thanks for caring enough to read to the end. 

Ghana...here we come!

We got an email yesterday. The administrative review for Debora is complete and her visa is ready to be printed! We are so thankful and happy and excited and blessed!!!

They are still processing Gabriel's visa and would like to meet with his biological mother before completing the review. This meeting will happen on Monday.

We are hopeful all will go well on Monday and both of our children will have their visas next week. God willing, we are hoping and planning to fly to Ghana on Monday, January 20th to get our children and bring them home!!!

Lord, your will be done. We trust you with this and all things. Amen

Feeling so thankful and blessed...

The Jewish people expected a king to rule on a throne...the long awaited Savior.

They expected an outward display of power and wisdom and authority...a mighty ruler that would sit on a throne and give them justice and leadership. 

I imagine they expected this long-awaited ruler to bring them an easier and better life. 

A king came. 

A Savior came.

His power and wisdom and authority was not obvious to the person passing by. 

He did not look all that mighty wrapped in cloth and laying in a feeding trough for cattle. 

Would He make life easier and better for them/us? 

He had a FAR GREATER plan! 

He said, "I have come so that you might have life to the full!" (John 10:10) 

His plan was not for a season or a term. 

It was not for a kingly reign on earth. 

His plan was to send His only Son as a baby who would grow up to make a way for us to have ETERNAL life. 

He would live a perfect life, setting an example to us for how we should live. 

He would pay the price for all of our sins so that we could live forever with Him....THAT will be the "easier" and "better" life. 

Right now, we live in a broken world. There is cancer. There are orphans. There is pain and disappointment. We look around and watch the news and we can't even take it all in. This is NOT "easier" and "better". This is hard and painful.

Then, we get tastes of heaven.

A baby is born and put into the loving arms of a mama.

A sunrise or sunset that takes our breath away.

A beautiful mountain view.

A song or scripture that speaks straight to our heart. 

God promised that when we accept this Savior. When we give Him the primary place in our life that He will never leave us. He will allow His Holy Spirit to live in us. That is our most amazing taste of heaven...God's presence with us ALWAYS. 

This Christmas was not what I expected. I bought gifts for four children and I imagined them all with me to celebrate our Savior's birth. I was excited to introduce Gabriel and Debora Grace to our extended family this Christmas. I had imagined they would have already been home and accustomed to life in America for a few months and that by Christmas time we would all feel comfortable traveling and meeting many cousins and aunt and uncles and grandparents. They are still in Ghana. They cry for us now and they cry for other losses with no parents to comfort them. THIS is not the "easier" and "better" life. This is temporary. We cling to that fact. 

While we wait, we KNOW God's peace. It seems almost unfathomable that we could feel such peace. It is a fruit of God's Spirit living in us and it is a major gift. 

Do we get frustrated sometimes? Do we feel sad? Is there a constant longing for the email or call or message that we can come and get them? ABSOLUTELY! 

But, God is so faithful to us. He reminds us over and over again that His plan is an eternal plan. It is not bogged down by visas and paperwork and timelines and red tape. He knows exactly what He is doing and He is SO TRUSTWORTHY. 

So...we continue waiting and trusting. And while we do we are grateful for these glimpses of His goodness to us. (ADOPTION UPDATE BELOW ALL THE PICTURES)

A few pieces of information:

1) We are still waiting for the US Embassy to issue visas for Gabe and Debo to be able to come home. The country of Ghana is closed for international adoptions right now which has put us in a situation that is even more unpredictable than usual for Ghana.  As far as we know the US Department of State is waiting for a "clearance letter" from the National Minister of Ghana before they will issue our visas. That could come at any time and then we will travel to Ghana to get our kids. 

2) Our children were living at an amazing orphanage in Bawjiase, Ghana called United Hearts. They had many friends there and the staff and volunteers showed our children great love and care. Two weeks ago our children were moved to a "transitional home" in Accra, Ghana called Goods for Ghana. This has allowed them to be closer to the social workers and doctors and other appointments needed for their visa paperwork. There are very few children in this home and it resembles a much more traditional family setting. We know our children miss their friends at the orphanage but we can see how their new "home" is really preparing them for their move to America. We are so grateful to United Hearts and Goods for Ghana! Both places will always hold a very special place in our hearts. If you are ever looking for a good ministry to support in Ghana please consider these two. They both have pages on facebook and websites.

3) We got to Skype with our children last week!!!!!  One AMAZING blessing of living closer to city is access to internet that is capable of skype. So, last Tuesday, I checked Liz and Cael out of school and the siblings were able to "meet" virtually!!! It was by far my best Christmas gift this year. I watched as my oldest two children introduced their younger siblings to our home and their beds and bikes and toys. I watched as my bright eyed, dark skin sweeties clapped for the piano duet performed by my enthusiastic, light skin sweeties. I watched as both sets of siblings sung songs to each other and danced around. Makes me cry just thinking about it! January 6th is our next skype date and hopefully daddy will get to witness and participate in the fun this time!!!

4) After the Skype call Debo asked the social worker through her tears, "How do I get into the computer to be with them?" Then, Debo woke up this morning and asked for her "mommy in the computer". Oh, how I look forward to the day that we can be a real family!

That's all for now! Thank you so much for your love and prayers. We are feeling so thankful and blessed!!

While I'm Waiting...

Christmas is almost here.

I love this time of year. I love buying thoughtful gifts for people I care about. I love decorating enjoying the seasonal decorations. I love having people over. I love going to parties and special dinners. I love getting together with family and friends. I love having a fire in the fireplace and one of my children or husband cuddled close. I love Christmas songs. The excitement of it all makes me giddy.

This Christmas I am learning to love something else. The advent.

Advent: a time of expectant waiting; arrival

Every Christmas we get to reflect on the time leading up to the birth of Jesus and what that might have been like for the people of that time. They were waiting expectantly for their Savior.  The time from the last prophesy to the birth of Jesus was 400 years.  Imagine that! They hadn't heard anything from God for 400 years. I'm sure they were growing very impatient.

Then, at just the right moment in time, Jesus was born. The waiting was over and the Savior was born. He didn't come as they expected. Thankfully, He didn't just meet their expectations. His plan far exceeded anything they could have imagined. It didn't make sense to them at the time. Many people were confused and are still confused regarding God's plan. He would not just be an earthly ruler to help make their temporary circumstances better. He would take on the sins of the world and offer eternal life to all of us.

I have been in a season of advent. Sometimes I feel almost desperate to get my other two children home. And then I am gently reminded. My expectations are SO SMALL compared to God's HUGE plan. I know His peace in a way I never would have without this wait. I see His hand carefully handling many details and when I don't see His hand physically at work I still know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is still working. I don't want to limit God to my expectations and timeline. He is so much wiser than me.

In this season of advent I am learning that God's timing is always perfect and He is so trustworthy. I will praise Him "While I'm Waiting."



I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

We have no new news regarding when we will get to bring Gabriel and Debora Grace home. We are just waiting for a clearance letter from the National Minister of Ghana so that the US Embassy can process our children's visas. The children called today. They were so sweet and excited to talk to me. I sang to Debo our special song, "If Your Happy and you Know it" and the worker said she was clapping her hands while I sang. They both told me they loved me and I assured them we would come and get them as soon as possible. I trust God is holding them as close as He is holding me. Here are a couple of new pictures I got yesterday and one of Liz and Cael. 

Gabriel with his friend, Alibaba

Sweet girl

Oh, how I love these two kids!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support.  Please join me in trying to enjoy the "waiting" instead of just rushing ahead to the arrival. It WILL come. Jesus came in a manger. Christmas Day will come and go. Jesus WILL return someday soon. My kids WILL come home. 

Worshipping while I wait.....join me?

How Can I Keep from Singing?

I was blow drying my hair this morning when an email flashed on my iphone. The "from" address was Accra@adoptions.org. This was the email I have been waiting for!!!!!  I have been checking my email constantly for months for this email. When I say constantly, I mean like non-stop, morning, noon and night. People who are in the middle of adoption know what I am talking about. It is a slightly neurotic tendency for those of us waiting for some news. 

Well....I expected the email to say, "The visas for your children will be printing this week and you can make plans to come and get them". 

Um....It didn't say that. Basically, it said ,"we cannot offer you a timeline, and expect this processing will take a significant amount of time due to staffing and resources."  What!?!?  

I felt shocked, frustrated, sad, confused, angry. I will admit there was quite a bit of ugly crying happening in my house this morning and I was the only one home. ;-) Needless to say, we are trying to figure things out but we really do know that God already has the whole thing figured out. This bump in the road is no surprise to Him and we feel very thankful that He is in charge. 

I don't know when we are bringing our sweeties home but I do know a few things FOR SURE:

1) God loves them even more then we do and He is taking care of them every day. 

2) In the big picture this wait will just be a small blip in our memory.

3) We serve a loving and faithful God who cares so much about us and our children....all of them. 

4) I can praise God in the waiting as much as I can praise Him when they come home. 

Chris Tomlin's song, "How Can I Keep From Singing" came on this morning during my crying, praying, processing and I realized that it said exactly what I know and believe.  "I can sing in the troubled times, sing when I win . I can sing when I lose my step, and fall down again. I can sing 'cause You pick me up, Sing 'cause You're there. Sing cause you hear me Lord when I call to you in prayer."

Thanks for walking this journey with us. Please continue to pray that things will be resolved and that we will be able to bring them home soon. In the meantime, Gabriel has malaria again and Debo is getting braided hair extensions. That's the latest news from the orphanage. I know it is a little random and kind of different but it is what I know about my kids today so I thought I would share it with you. Oh, and I got a couple new pictures of them. Enjoy!

There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne