Trusting in the Promises

As each day goes by, I am wrestling with my emotions. With the Lords help, I am trying to speak truth to my heart that my head knows. Have you ever been there?
This is the Scripture that the Lord has used in my heart the last few days. It is found in an obscure book of the Bible that is often hidden in the Old Testament.
Habbakuk 3:17-19, "Even though the fid trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine, even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren, even though the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD! I WILL BE JOYFUL IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION. THE SOVEREIGN LORD IS MY STRENGTH! HE WILL MAKE ME AS SUREFOOTED AS A DEER AND BRING ME SAFELY OVER THE MOUNTAINS!"
For today I know that I must choose to rejoice and have joy in the Lord. Not in my circumstances.
Please rejoice with me in the Sovereign hand of our God. Please continue to pray that Evan's visa will be approved. They officially have till Feb 12th.

Our Kids Make the News

Our daughter Kayla kept us inpired when we didn't have much hope. About four years ago, when she was only SIX, God grew a secret seed of compassion in her heart for adopting. Kim and I had talked about adopting, but the financial costs overwhelmed us and kept us from acting. However, money seemed like such a small obstacle to this six year old. So for an entire year, she saved up her allowance and then presented a whopping $21 to us as her Christmas gift! The faith of a child. No wonder Jesus said that to enter the Kingdom of heaven we must have the faith of a CHILD!

She did it again, not just once, but two more times at Christmas. Our faith in God's provision shook at the core of our hearts. How could we tell this child of great faith, later in life, that we didn't adopt, not because we didn't want to, but because we couldn't affort to?! She gave all she had... how could we do anything less?

During our adoption journey, one of the most common expressions we recieve about adoption is "Isn't it REALLY expensive?" Well, I guess it all depends on what we are comparing it to -- a house, a car, luxury vacations, etc... Its amazing how we begin to see things differently. When I see a new car, I no longer think about it in dollars, but in adoptions - that family could have adopted TWO children for the same price as that car. Some things of this world no longer have the appeal they used to.

I've gained many of these perspectives from the faith of a child... gratefully a child who also lives under the safe roof as I do:)

Here is the link to a newspaper article written on her: http://www.snponline.com/articles/2008/01/22/worthington_news/news/woorphans%20_20080122_0118pm_4.txt

Encouragement from God's word and prayer

"Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit everything you do to the Lord . Trust Him and He will help you. . . Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act" Psalm 37: 4,5,7

Today I am seeking to delight in the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act. Everything in me wants to DO SOMETHING! So this is what I will seek to do.

Please pray for Eric Alexander and Mary Ann Russell. They are the cheif consulars at the embassys in Vietnam who must approve our sons visa paperwork. Pray that they would look favorably on our paperwork and approve it soon.

Thank you for you support of our family and your prayers!

Getting ready for nap time

Another family who traveled to Vietnam got this video of Evan. He was getting ready for his nap. His caregiver is giving him the book we sent via this family. I was wondering if he was a thumb sucker! Looks like he prefers his fingers!

Missing the child you've never met

Right now I sit here missing the son I haven't even met. I know that our time to go is coming soon, but it doesn't stop my mommy heart from wanting my little boy in my arms right now. I see his sweet picture and want to hold him, want to tell him that I love him, want to tell him how much I have prayed for and longed for him to be home. So Jesus, please watch over my baby and please take us to him very soon!

Videos of Orphanages in Vietnam

This is a moving video we came across. Its from a graduate student who spent a month in Vietnam working with orphangages and disabled children. I hope it'll move your heart as much as it did ours.

A video and an update

A friend was able to take this ten second video for us last week when she picked up her son. We have watched it over and over again. It has just taken me until now, with the help of my sister-in-law to figure out how to get it posted.
I hope you enjoy seeing our little sweetie!
We found out last week that we will not be traveling to Vietnam in January. Most likely, still waiting for our immigration papers, we will travel mid February. The delay is due to the celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. The country closes down for a couple of weeks to celebrate. If we left before, we could be stuck in VN for extra time. I am thankful to now know. It helps to know how to plan our families lives for the next month.
Please continue to pray for our paperwork to clear so we can travel around Feb 15th. Please continue to pray for Evan's protection and provision.
Blessings,
Kim

A New Picture

We have met some dear friends through the adoption community, even though we only know one another through the web. We have been able to be in regular contact with individuals who are adopting through our agency from the same orphanage where Evan is. One of the families had the great joy of going to get their son this week. They sent us two pictures. Evan is looking at the wife while her husband took the picture. Don't you think he is wondering when HIS mommy and daddy are coming? He is wearing the same shirt that he had on during his 9 month pictures. It does look a little better fitting now. I think I may ask if I can have it when we go to the orphanage, in exchange for something else of course.
Here is a verse of scripture that has been a huge comfort to me this week:
"In repentance and rest you will be saved; in quietness and trust is your strength. . . The Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him." Is. 30:15, 18
Trusting in the Lord one day at a time,
Kim

Maybe this week!

I have had a real peace about all that is going on with our waiting. The Lord is amazing.
I am hoping and praying that maybe this week we will get our approval from the US embassy in Vietnam. Then it will be two crazy weeks until we travel.
We started homeschooling again last Wednesday. I am trying to pack our days full of schooling so that we can relax a little when Evan comes home. The blessing of having three children at home is that the weeks go by so quickly because they are sooo very full.

Gifts are all purchased

Tonight my daughter and I went to do our final gift shopping for the gifts we need to take with us to Vietnam. I love Target clearance! We did get slightly distracted in the baby section, which I am finding is quite easy to do these days. I have put a freeze on "Evan spending" because I want to know what size he is before I get anything else. His last record shows he should be in 6-9 month clothing. It is just so hard to see him being that small. Since he is standing and cruising around, in my mind he should be much bigger.
We know that they are working on our I600 paperwork because they requested an additional document from our agency. That gives us great hope that things are moving! God is working and answering prayer.
We pray protection over Evan and we pray that God would release us soon to go to bring him home!
Good night son, I can't wait until I can kiss your precious face and rock you to sleep!
Mommy

Here he is

On December 27th, we got the call from our agency, Holt International, that we have been cleard by the Vietnamese government to travel to Vietnam. For now we are waiting and praying that we will get our immigration paperwork approved by the US embassy in Vietnam so we can travel. Please join us in praying that we can travel to bring Evan home very soon!