We just got the summer daycare schedule today. Kaylen will be moving up to a different classroom the first week in June. They don't take naps anymore in that classroom (not that she really does anyway - hasn't for over a year). June, July, and the first week in August are chock full of field trips and fun activities! (The younger kids have the field trips (bounce house, traveling zoo, clowns, etc) come to them, because they can't transport the little ones.)
They're going to the pool every Wednesday, and every Tuesday they're either going somewhere or have a fun activity. They're going to the beach (yes, I know there aren't many beaches in Iowa), a local pizza shop for a tour and make-your-own, the zoo, a dance studio, and a local wading pool, and will take a walk to a close-by park. They're going to make tye-dye shirts, have movie/pajama/popcorn day, make flubber, have a (bring your favorite) board game day, have a (bring your own) ball-playing day, and have a local baseball team's mascot visit. And all that for only $35 for the summer extras! I've got pages after pages of permission slips to fill out!
Can you believe it? Work - shmerk! I wanna go to daycare this summer - don't you?!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Why Not?
I saw this article today, and it reminded me of some thoughts from a while back, after returning from Haiti and visiting with several people about our trip.
Common questions we encounter are: Why don't Americans know about Haiti? Why do people in America not know about the poverty stricken lives that the people in Haiti live? Why do Americans not know about the struggles that nearly every Haitian faces daily, just to survive? They struggle to find jobs; they struggle for food to eat; they struggle for clean water to drink; they struggle to remain safe in their own homes – if they even live in a home; they struggle to find medical care when they need it. They either struggle for these things daily, or they don't even seek it out, knowing that if they do seek it out and find it, they most likely would not be able to pay for whatever they do find. These are things that we Americans take for granted!
Now, of course, I’m generalizing here, so please take lightly my use of the words “Americans”, and “people”, as I know these things are not true of many... Although, that being said, I include myself in that group as well. There are so many things in life that I’ve taken for granted – and still do. And, before three years ago, I'm not sure I’d ever heard of Haiti either. Until this past year, I had little idea the poverty that exists in Haiti.
Many Americans, when they think about poverty-stricken areas of the world, think of Africa. There are other places as well, however, they do not typically think of Haiti. Why is that? It can’t be because it’s too far away – it’s only about 713 miles (according to American Airlines) off the coast of Florida – about a 2-hour flight from Miami. It can’t be because there aren’t many people suffering there – there are about 8 or 9 million people living there, and from the stats I’ve seen, most of them are probably suffering in one way or another. See here or here for more disturbing statistics.
So, why not? It is because it is such a small country? Other countries that are very well-know and thought of as poverty-stricken countries are small as well. Do people just not want to hear about it being so close to us? Do people use the distance of other poverty-stricken areas as their excuse to not be able to make a difference? Do people only want to help out in countries where things are well-known? Why is it? And, what can we do to change this?
We are trying to do our part. Going through the adoption process and having visited there, has opened up many opportunities for us to spread the message, to our friends, our families, our co-workers, and others. God didn’t give me a good speaking voice to be able to tell our story very well, but I believe that people telling their own very personal stories is one of the best ways people can learn and become interested in something.
Any other thoughts?
Common questions we encounter are: Why don't Americans know about Haiti? Why do people in America not know about the poverty stricken lives that the people in Haiti live? Why do Americans not know about the struggles that nearly every Haitian faces daily, just to survive? They struggle to find jobs; they struggle for food to eat; they struggle for clean water to drink; they struggle to remain safe in their own homes – if they even live in a home; they struggle to find medical care when they need it. They either struggle for these things daily, or they don't even seek it out, knowing that if they do seek it out and find it, they most likely would not be able to pay for whatever they do find. These are things that we Americans take for granted!
Now, of course, I’m generalizing here, so please take lightly my use of the words “Americans”, and “people”, as I know these things are not true of many... Although, that being said, I include myself in that group as well. There are so many things in life that I’ve taken for granted – and still do. And, before three years ago, I'm not sure I’d ever heard of Haiti either. Until this past year, I had little idea the poverty that exists in Haiti.
Many Americans, when they think about poverty-stricken areas of the world, think of Africa. There are other places as well, however, they do not typically think of Haiti. Why is that? It can’t be because it’s too far away – it’s only about 713 miles (according to American Airlines) off the coast of Florida – about a 2-hour flight from Miami. It can’t be because there aren’t many people suffering there – there are about 8 or 9 million people living there, and from the stats I’ve seen, most of them are probably suffering in one way or another. See here or here for more disturbing statistics.
So, why not? It is because it is such a small country? Other countries that are very well-know and thought of as poverty-stricken countries are small as well. Do people just not want to hear about it being so close to us? Do people use the distance of other poverty-stricken areas as their excuse to not be able to make a difference? Do people only want to help out in countries where things are well-known? Why is it? And, what can we do to change this?
We are trying to do our part. Going through the adoption process and having visited there, has opened up many opportunities for us to spread the message, to our friends, our families, our co-workers, and others. God didn’t give me a good speaking voice to be able to tell our story very well, but I believe that people telling their own very personal stories is one of the best ways people can learn and become interested in something.
Any other thoughts?
Friday, April 25, 2008
For HIS Glory Raise the Rent Update
An update from FHG follows...
Dear Ministry Partners,
We want to thank you so much for your enthusiasm in getting our Raise the Rent Campaign up and off the ground!
First, we want to update you on how things are in Haiti. The food riots that were being reported last week have calmed down. In an article dated April 22, 2008 printed in the Washington Times, the following was said:
We started the campaign with $4,564.50. After the last email letting all of you know about our Campaign, there was another $2265 donated. That amount was matched with the $5000 matching donation offer for a total of $4530. The total we have to send for rent as of today is $9094.50.
We are so close to meeting our goal of $14,400, but rent is due May 7th and it is coming up quickly. We just need $2735 more and with the matching donation, we will meet our goal of $14,400 for 6 months of rent! Thank you for participating!!
In addition over the past two months we have been working on a donation drive. We have close to 15,000 lbs in donations! Thousands of pounds of this is much needed rice, beans, peanut butter, jelly and tuna. It will cost $2,636 to ship the food and we found an organization that will help clear our donations thru Customs in Haiti for $2,000! This shipment is worth well over $150,000 and will help offset the monthly budget with all the food that has been donated. We are hoping to ship these items by the 28th.
We realize this is a challenging time as we are raising money for the rent at the same time as we are trying to ship much needed items to Haiti. We thank you all so much for helping us get to this amount of rent being covered already! What an amazing group of partners!
We would like to ask if you would be willing to pass this information on to 4 or 5 of your friends to share our goals. Please visit the urgent section of our site and click on the button called 'Tell your family and friends'. There you can enter up to 10 of your friends and families names and email addresses at one time, and with a message from you, forward this on. If we exceed the goal of another $2735 for rent, any extra donations will go toward the shipment to Haiti. We cannot ship until we have the full amount of $4,636 is paid. The organization that will help us with Customs requires that we pay them in advance, so the items will all stay put until we can raise the funding.
Again, we don't want to overwhelm you with needs, but we know and believe in our hearts that many hands make light work! Please be praying for all of these needs to be met as we also know wherever two or more gather in our great God's name, there He is!
Believing God,
For His Glory Outreach
Dear Ministry Partners,
We want to thank you so much for your enthusiasm in getting our Raise the Rent Campaign up and off the ground!
First, we want to update you on how things are in Haiti. The food riots that were being reported last week have calmed down. In an article dated April 22, 2008 printed in the Washington Times, the following was said:
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — In slums and villages across this country, the poor speak of 'Clorox hunger' — a hunger so painful it feels like your stomach is being eaten by bleach or battery acid.
Nowhere in the world have rising food prices — which have sparked protests and riots in several countries — had such a devastating impact as in Haiti, the poorest
country in the Americas, where about 80 percent of the population lives on less
than $2 a day.
'Everything has changed' as rice prices nearly doubled over the past five months, said 30-year-old street vendor Hernite Joseph.
We started the campaign with $4,564.50. After the last email letting all of you know about our Campaign, there was another $2265 donated. That amount was matched with the $5000 matching donation offer for a total of $4530. The total we have to send for rent as of today is $9094.50.
We are so close to meeting our goal of $14,400, but rent is due May 7th and it is coming up quickly. We just need $2735 more and with the matching donation, we will meet our goal of $14,400 for 6 months of rent! Thank you for participating!!
In addition over the past two months we have been working on a donation drive. We have close to 15,000 lbs in donations! Thousands of pounds of this is much needed rice, beans, peanut butter, jelly and tuna. It will cost $2,636 to ship the food and we found an organization that will help clear our donations thru Customs in Haiti for $2,000! This shipment is worth well over $150,000 and will help offset the monthly budget with all the food that has been donated. We are hoping to ship these items by the 28th.
We realize this is a challenging time as we are raising money for the rent at the same time as we are trying to ship much needed items to Haiti. We thank you all so much for helping us get to this amount of rent being covered already! What an amazing group of partners!
We would like to ask if you would be willing to pass this information on to 4 or 5 of your friends to share our goals. Please visit the urgent section of our site and click on the button called 'Tell your family and friends'. There you can enter up to 10 of your friends and families names and email addresses at one time, and with a message from you, forward this on. If we exceed the goal of another $2735 for rent, any extra donations will go toward the shipment to Haiti. We cannot ship until we have the full amount of $4,636 is paid. The organization that will help us with Customs requires that we pay them in advance, so the items will all stay put until we can raise the funding.
Again, we don't want to overwhelm you with needs, but we know and believe in our hearts that many hands make light work! Please be praying for all of these needs to be met as we also know wherever two or more gather in our great God's name, there He is!
Believing God,
For His Glory Outreach
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Spring Planting?
Well, it was a mostly nice day outside today - in the upper 60s, although it didn't quite feel like it with the wind. We went to my niece's state gymnastics meet this morning, then I went out for lunch with Amy and Grace, before coming home to relax for a couple hours. Then, I got up and started working on the plants. We don't really have a garden (yet) at this house, but our indoor plants needed some work.
My peace lily from my mom's funeral over three years ago hadn't ever been split. We'd trimmed and thinned out the leaves several times, but never split it. The entire pot was one enormous root-ball. No wonder it never bloomed anymore, the leaves never got big and only turned yellow and died. It was still spawning new little peace lillies, but that's about the extent of it. Well, it's now a much more sparse and manageable plant. Looks kind of strange right now, but it'll grow out again.
We had the cutest basket of little green plants. (I honestly don't have a clue what they all are.) I split them up because it was impossible to water them in that shallow basket, and I think their growth was stunted. I still need to put them in better pots and put dishes under them, but I've arranged three of them on our entertainment center. I think they look really cute there. The rest are on the kitchen sink window-sill for now.
My dieffenbachia was just really sad - I think the soil in it was just starting to rot. It was getting watered regularly, but not getting enough light since we'd put up new darker curtains in the room it was in. I put in clean soil and am going to put it in a sunnier window. I also had previously cut a few shoots to see if I can get them to root out and re-grow the bulk of the plant, as the one large stem with just a couple leaves on the end looks crazy - if that works, I'll cut down the long ones and re-pot the rest too. We'll see how it does - it's a bit more temperamental than my ivy or the peace lily. However, I'm a little partial to it, because it was also a plant from my mom's funeral, from some good friends of mine.
I still need to re-pot my other peace lily that came from my grandpa's funeral last December. It's still in good shape though, I think. Do you know how hard it is to find pots in the middle of winter in Iowa?! A couple older plants of ours that were in our kitchen window behind the sink need some work again. And, we have some more landscaping we'd like to fix up outside, but those items will have to wait for other nights or weekends - I'm beat!
I also noticed that some little creature - likely a bunny (they're rampant in these parts!) - ate my crocus flowers that were out around our maple tree. Bummer! Not sure what I'll do about that. Thought I'd look up if there was anything I could put on them that would deter creatures from eating it - like the powder stuff you can use in your vegetable garden. If you have any handy-dandy tricks for that, please let me know. I might call Earl May or the extension and see if they have any ideas for me if I can't find anything on the internet. They better stay away from my lillies that are coming up. I've got a flower bud on one of them already too!
My peace lily from my mom's funeral over three years ago hadn't ever been split. We'd trimmed and thinned out the leaves several times, but never split it. The entire pot was one enormous root-ball. No wonder it never bloomed anymore, the leaves never got big and only turned yellow and died. It was still spawning new little peace lillies, but that's about the extent of it. Well, it's now a much more sparse and manageable plant. Looks kind of strange right now, but it'll grow out again.
We had the cutest basket of little green plants. (I honestly don't have a clue what they all are.) I split them up because it was impossible to water them in that shallow basket, and I think their growth was stunted. I still need to put them in better pots and put dishes under them, but I've arranged three of them on our entertainment center. I think they look really cute there. The rest are on the kitchen sink window-sill for now.
My dieffenbachia was just really sad - I think the soil in it was just starting to rot. It was getting watered regularly, but not getting enough light since we'd put up new darker curtains in the room it was in. I put in clean soil and am going to put it in a sunnier window. I also had previously cut a few shoots to see if I can get them to root out and re-grow the bulk of the plant, as the one large stem with just a couple leaves on the end looks crazy - if that works, I'll cut down the long ones and re-pot the rest too. We'll see how it does - it's a bit more temperamental than my ivy or the peace lily. However, I'm a little partial to it, because it was also a plant from my mom's funeral, from some good friends of mine.I still need to re-pot my other peace lily that came from my grandpa's funeral last December. It's still in good shape though, I think. Do you know how hard it is to find pots in the middle of winter in Iowa?! A couple older plants of ours that were in our kitchen window behind the sink need some work again. And, we have some more landscaping we'd like to fix up outside, but those items will have to wait for other nights or weekends - I'm beat!
I also noticed that some little creature - likely a bunny (they're rampant in these parts!) - ate my crocus flowers that were out around our maple tree. Bummer! Not sure what I'll do about that. Thought I'd look up if there was anything I could put on them that would deter creatures from eating it - like the powder stuff you can use in your vegetable garden. If you have any handy-dandy tricks for that, please let me know. I might call Earl May or the extension and see if they have any ideas for me if I can't find anything on the internet. They better stay away from my lillies that are coming up. I've got a flower bud on one of them already too!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Coffee Fundraiser
An article titled, "US Organizations Need Help to Feed More in Haiti," caught my eye this evening, as For His Glory is also actively working on fundraising. There are many efforts under way, to suit just about any interest. Periodically, I'm going to be sharing information about them. If you'd like more information, please let me know, and I'll email you the details. There is quite a diverse group on the fundraising committee, so there's bound to be something you're be interested in.
The first fundraiser I'm aware of is selling coffee as part of their Raise the Rent Campaign. The orphanage pays rent in 6-month increments, and just over $14,000 is due in May. A generous donor has pledged a $5,000 matching donation. There are many varieties of coffee (whole beans or ground) that are for sale - organic, fair trade, several signature blends or single origin beans. They sell regular or decaf of most of their varieties. They also sell espresso and syrups. They donate between $4 and $7 per bag to the fundraiser.
OK - I cheated on this quiz - did it several times until I found something that wasn't too off-base with my true self - but it still wasn't quite right. I couldn't decide on an answer for several questions, as I'm not a coffee drinker or even much of a caffiene drinker. So if there'd have been none-of-the-above answers on a few of these, that'd be me. However, I know many of you are coffee drinkers, so this one's for you!
Watch for more on other fundraisers soon...
The first fundraiser I'm aware of is selling coffee as part of their Raise the Rent Campaign. The orphanage pays rent in 6-month increments, and just over $14,000 is due in May. A generous donor has pledged a $5,000 matching donation. There are many varieties of coffee (whole beans or ground) that are for sale - organic, fair trade, several signature blends or single origin beans. They sell regular or decaf of most of their varieties. They also sell espresso and syrups. They donate between $4 and $7 per bag to the fundraiser.
You Are a Frappacino |
 At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low |
OK - I cheated on this quiz - did it several times until I found something that wasn't too off-base with my true self - but it still wasn't quite right. I couldn't decide on an answer for several questions, as I'm not a coffee drinker or even much of a caffiene drinker. So if there'd have been none-of-the-above answers on a few of these, that'd be me. However, I know many of you are coffee drinkers, so this one's for you!
Watch for more on other fundraisers soon...
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
It's beginning to look a lot like...
No, not Christmas... Spring!
The grass is greening up, and our maple is growing new shoots and the leaves are starting to come out.
The crocus bulbs that we planted last fall are flowering already!
The daylillies and the other
bulbs that we planted last fall are coming up. (I'll remember what the other bulbs are are when they flower - maybe :) And yes, we still need to mulch around our daylillies - we've got lots of landscaping projects to do this summer - another tree to plant in the back, and some of mulching and border plantings.
And the weather has been more springy the last week or so - lots of rain, and a few warm days. Today was in the 60s and beautiful. If it hadn't been so windy (wind advisories and all!), it would have been a great day to bike to the park. Kaylen probably would have gotten blown off her bike today though, so we stuck around home.
The grass is greening up, and our maple is growing new shoots and the leaves are starting to come out.
The crocus bulbs that we planted last fall are flowering already!
The daylillies and the other
bulbs that we planted last fall are coming up. (I'll remember what the other bulbs are are when they flower - maybe :) And yes, we still need to mulch around our daylillies - we've got lots of landscaping projects to do this summer - another tree to plant in the back, and some of mulching and border plantings.And the weather has been more springy the last week or so - lots of rain, and a few warm days. Today was in the 60s and beautiful. If it hadn't been so windy (wind advisories and all!), it would have been a great day to bike to the park. Kaylen probably would have gotten blown off her bike today though, so we stuck around home.
Monday, April 14, 2008
April '08 Update Photos
Elijah Ralph at 20.5 months:
Josephine Celena at 11.5 months:
From the quarterly updates: Elijah is gentle and quiet, and does not cry often. He walks and talks a little. He's healthy, eats well, and is growing tall - 31", 23 lbs. Josephine is sweet, quiet, and rarely cries. She has two teeth, loves to smile, and is always happy. She also is healthy and eats well, and is 26.5" and 16.25 lbs. The characterizations are vague, but good depictions of their personalities we got to know a bit when we were there. If the measurements are accurate, he's about the same weight, and she's filling out a bit. I don't remember their heights from when we were there (I have them written down somewhere though), but Elijah's weight is about the same. Josephine was only about 14.4 lbs when we were there, and just seemed tiny - I hope that these are accurate and she's really gaining weight a little more now.
Aren't they adorable? They've got those big cute smiles again this month. I'm just imagining Elijah's low chuckle - I'm sure he was laughing in that picture. And with her, she's gurgling and cooing sweetly like she does. I miss them so much, but hey look so happy! It makes the wait a little bit easier, knowing they're happy and well cared-for.
Josephine Celena at 11.5 months:
From the quarterly updates: Elijah is gentle and quiet, and does not cry often. He walks and talks a little. He's healthy, eats well, and is growing tall - 31", 23 lbs. Josephine is sweet, quiet, and rarely cries. She has two teeth, loves to smile, and is always happy. She also is healthy and eats well, and is 26.5" and 16.25 lbs. The characterizations are vague, but good depictions of their personalities we got to know a bit when we were there. If the measurements are accurate, he's about the same weight, and she's filling out a bit. I don't remember their heights from when we were there (I have them written down somewhere though), but Elijah's weight is about the same. Josephine was only about 14.4 lbs when we were there, and just seemed tiny - I hope that these are accurate and she's really gaining weight a little more now.
Aren't they adorable? They've got those big cute smiles again this month. I'm just imagining Elijah's low chuckle - I'm sure he was laughing in that picture. And with her, she's gurgling and cooing sweetly like she does. I miss them so much, but hey look so happy! It makes the wait a little bit easier, knowing they're happy and well cared-for.
The blog
Apparently my blog was having some font issues earlier today. I think maybe because I emailed my last post instead of posting it from blogger. I think I've got it fixed now.
Haiti Situation Update 4/14
The situation in Haiti has eased some. Apparently Friday and Saturday at the orphanage, the nannies were able to switch out, and the director was able to get truck-water and drinking-water brought in to the orphanage. They didn't run out, but were concerned that if the civil unrest erupted again, that they didn't want to have to dip too low. I don't know how long they can go without replenishing. I think they are being very mindful of the situation, and watching to see what happens now. The nannies are preparing to stay longer this week in case things flare up again and it's not safe for them to travel, and I'm sure they're also watching their water supplies very carefully as well.
I've included below links to a few articles. Apparently the prime minister (second-in-command to President Preval) was ousted by the senate. The president also spoke on Thursday and again on Saturday, lowering the price of rice - a key staple in any Haitian meal. Other countries have pledged $$ and shipments of food, but that has come with mixed reactions, due to the jammed ports presumed to be holding containers of rotting food, and the length of time it takes for either the food or the $$ to make it to the people.
A chronology of recent news:
http://haitisupport.gn.apc.org/fea_news_index.html
(Thanks to Kendra for posting this link - I'm book-marking it!)
Some recent single news articles:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-12-haiti-food_N.htm?csp=23&RM_Exclude=aol
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/imf-warns-rising-food-prices-may-spark-more-riots-like-haiti-808649.html
http://www.cnbc.com/id/23954331/for/cnbc
I've included below links to a few articles. Apparently the prime minister (second-in-command to President Preval) was ousted by the senate. The president also spoke on Thursday and again on Saturday, lowering the price of rice - a key staple in any Haitian meal. Other countries have pledged $$ and shipments of food, but that has come with mixed reactions, due to the jammed ports presumed to be holding containers of rotting food, and the length of time it takes for either the food or the $$ to make it to the people.
A chronology of recent news:
http://haitisupport.gn.apc.org/fea_news_index.html
(Thanks to Kendra for posting this link - I'm book-marking it!)
Some recent single news articles:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-12-haiti-food_N.htm?csp=23&RM_Exclude=aol
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/imf-warns-rising-food-prices-may-spark-more-riots-like-haiti-808649.html
http://www.cnbc.com/id/23954331/for/cnbc
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Situation in Haiti
Please pray for the situation in Haiti. Here are some references for you to read about what's going on:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24031850/
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/caribbean/sfl-haiti,0,5762688.storygallery (several articles)
http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2008/04/food-prices.html & http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2008/04/thoughts-from-portauprince-resident.html(blog of a US missionary family living in Haiti - the Livesay's)
We've heard from our orphanage, and they are safe there. However, they are concerned for their water supply and for their staff. They depend on big trucks to bring water. I *think* that the pumper trucks come in daily to refill the water tank on the roof that is used for washing, toilets, and bathing. I *think* the drinking water comes every few days, but I'm not sure on those details. The nannies and nurse that are there now have been there for two days straight, as it is not safe for them to come and go right now. I'm sure the nonstop care is waring on everyone after two days straight. The older kids don't have school, as the teachers can't come, but they don't understand what's going on. They are helping the nannies with the babies and toddlers where they can though.
Please pray - this is difficult now and could get much worse if this continues. I don't have any solutions other than to pray - for the violence to end, for the solutions to be found - not just to end the violence and riots, but for a solution to the food crisis. The costs there really put in perspective our inflation recently, and my attitude towards the rising costs of bread, eggs, milk, gasoline, etc...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24031850/
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/caribbean/sfl-haiti,0,5762688.storygallery (several articles)
http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2008/04/food-prices.html & http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2008/04/thoughts-from-portauprince-resident.html(blog of a US missionary family living in Haiti - the Livesay's)
We've heard from our orphanage, and they are safe there. However, they are concerned for their water supply and for their staff. They depend on big trucks to bring water. I *think* that the pumper trucks come in daily to refill the water tank on the roof that is used for washing, toilets, and bathing. I *think* the drinking water comes every few days, but I'm not sure on those details. The nannies and nurse that are there now have been there for two days straight, as it is not safe for them to come and go right now. I'm sure the nonstop care is waring on everyone after two days straight. The older kids don't have school, as the teachers can't come, but they don't understand what's going on. They are helping the nannies with the babies and toddlers where they can though.
Please pray - this is difficult now and could get much worse if this continues. I don't have any solutions other than to pray - for the violence to end, for the solutions to be found - not just to end the violence and riots, but for a solution to the food crisis. The costs there really put in perspective our inflation recently, and my attitude towards the rising costs of bread, eggs, milk, gasoline, etc...
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Hungry & Broken
This week has been tough. Tuesday we got our monthly process update, and basically there was no news. We are still in IBESR. This frustrates me and discourages me. I was at work, and had to go to the bathroom and pray and cry for a bit. However, it wasn't like a normal prayer - more pleading and begging involved. I'm just sad and angry and sick about it. I haven't really gotten much beyond it - but at least to the point of being able to post about it now. It's been over 6 months now since we entered IBESR, and we were told it would be 4-7 months. I suppose we're still in that timeframe, but I was under the impression that things were moving more quickly than that now.
Friday night we went to our friends' church. These friends of ours have been such a blessing to us, as they are also adopting, three children, from the same orphanage. They were about at the same point as us in their processing, so we've been going through this together. Several of their church members gathered to pray for our adoption processing, and it was such a wonderful experience. I mostly cried, praying quietly while they prayed aloud for both us families that were present, as well as many others who weren't. We also fasted that day, and prayed in petition to God for our process. It was avery powerful day/evening, and such a blessing to me.
I'm still in that discouraged, frustrated, sad place, but this morning in church was also good. We've been going through the book of Isaiah since January. This week focused on Isaiah 36-39, where King Hezekiah is praying through three crises he was going through. Our pastor's message was on prayer, and it really spoke to my hurting heart today. A few key points and supporting scripture verses:
- God hears the prayer that expresses dependence on His character - start our prayers with who God is, not what we want. (Isaiah 37:14-21, Luke 11:2)
- God hears the prayer that expresses obedience to His commands. (Isaiah 38:2-6, Psalm 66: 18-19, 1John 1:7-9, James 5:13-16)
- God makes no promises to hear us when we express pride and self-reliance. (Isaiah 39, 1John 5:14-15)
The praise band also sang a song that I've heard once or twice before, that I just love. The gal who led it has a beautiful voice, and it makes it even more meaningful. I cried most of the way through it today. It perfectly fit what I've been going through this week. Here are the lyrics below. I found a version of it and put it on my playlist so you can hear what it sounds like, but it's not as good as Patty and our church's praise band singing it...
Hungry I come to You
For I know You satisfy
I am empty
But I know Your love does not run dry
And I wait
And I wait
So I wait for You
So I wait for You
I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me
Jesus You're all this heart is living for
Broken I run to You
For Your arms are open wide
I am weary but I know Your touch restores my life
So I wait for You
So I wait for You
Lyrics of "Hungry (Falling on My Knees)" by Kara Williamson
I hesitate posting this even now, because I don't want people to take this the wrong way. I still believe with all my heart that Elijah and Josephine are two children that God has created and chosen for our family. However long and hard this process is, we will persevere through however long it takes to bring them home.Please continue praying for our adoption processing, and for strength through this journey. May our papers move along through the process quickly, and may we give the glory to God when good news comes our way!
Praise God - Jen & Bryan's papers have gotten IBESR approval - they found out of their approval a few hours before we got together to pray on Friday. We're so excited for them to be on to their next step! A few others also have gotten good news (no others from IBESR that we know of, but from other steps in the process).
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