Catching our Breath

Hi friends,

It’s been a little bit since perhaps you’ve heard an update from us.  There’s a reason for that. Here’s the story.

A few weeks ago, we went in for our second official interview with our adoption agent. We absolutely love her. She’s wonderful & has such an incredible heart for adoption.  She sat down with us and we started to talk over some fees. Great News- The Korean program is moving faster than it ever has! We could get our referral within weeks of finishing up our paperwork (not years). Great News- there are three waiting children right now, that can’t wait for their forever family! Great News- our paperwork is well on its way.  Hard News-  $3000 is due up front and another $25,200 in a couple of months (upon referral).

So, then we cried.  And prayed. And thought about it.  Here’s the deal- we knew that there would be these fees, we just thought they would come in about a year from now, not a few months from now.  We are so grateful for Josh’s new job, but we hadn’t even received his first paycheck yet.  We decided to take a few weeks to breathe. To process. To come up with a plan.

We feel like we’ve been going full force ahead- Not only were we jumping in with adoption, but Josh started a job, plus we are keeping our own business (thus had been working nights and weekends), and we had even started house hunting. Not to mention two very active toddlers, and all that goes along with that.  So… we felt like we needed to take a step back and breathe.  And here we are, a few breaths later.

That said, we still believe this is what the Lord wants us to do.

God is not restricted by finances. He’s not restricted by our fears or things that seem crazy or impossible.  Not once in the Bible is God’s plan or call on someone stopped due to money.  He is the provider, and he can see to it.  I also believe that God uses His people to answer prayers and to provide.  We may need to back up a little, we may need a little bit more of a “plan” but sometimes you just have to leap in and take a step of faith.

So, over the next few months we have some exciting things in store.  We are planning on saving half and raising half the cost, and we have some super fun fundraisers in the midst of it.  If anyone knows us, we love involving others in what God’s doing.

We’ve decided it’s easier if we break it into bite size chunks. Let me give you a breakdown of what the next steps in our adoption will look like, and we’ll be referring to these often. Basically, it breaks into five phases, each has a cost and a wait. We hope to have some event or fundraiser associated with each phase.  We’ll get into that more as we go along.

  • Phase 1: Home Study
  • Phase 2: Referral
  • Phase 3: Wait
  • Phase 4: Meet Up
  • Phase 5: Pick Up

This post is getting long, so I’ll stop there for now. We will have a post soon letting people know more details and what’s to come!!

 

Prayer Point: Ask that we could continue to trust God and step out in faith, even when things seem impossible. Ask for clarity and wisdom in moving forward.  Please pray for our little one (Jireh) as he or she is probably already born. Thanks!

 

 

 

Sneak Peak: Here’s a sneak peak at what’s to come. The first two phases & upcoming fundraisers!

  • Phase 1: Home Study ($3000, Goal: $1500): Portraits in the Park (April 24)
  • Phase 2: Referral ($25,200, Goal: $12,000): Super Awesome Puzzle Fundraiser (May)

As we get closer to travel, we plan on having some other things such as a possible art auction, local eatery fundraisers, etc. We’ll keep you posted!

 

 

 

 

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Gloriously Ruined

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Gloriously ruined is being different. Gloriously ruined is seeing things differently. Gloriously ruined is about being changed for the better.

Kim and I are gloriously ruined, and I’m okay with that. Ever since we came home from the mission field we realize more and more that we’re different, and can’t ever go back to being who we used to be. This is a by-product of being immersed in a different culture for so long.

Reverse culture shock is measured in the amount of time you’re overseas, the amount of exposure you have to the culture, and how much things have changed back home. So really it’s a formula:

Amount of time overseas + degree of exposure + factors back home = amount of reverse culture shock

We’ve been exposed to a lot. We’ve seen alternate ways of doing things. Does that mean we’re better? No. It only means we have options, and we’re not limited to one way of thinking.

So we’re ruined. . . for the better. And it means we may never really fully fit in with America culture anymore. We’ll always have that different perspective. This different perspective is manifested in the way we talk to people, the way we respond to events, the way we view church. . . It shows up in how I treat people at work, the way I interact with my apartment neighbors, and how I feel about family. It runs deep.

It also effects my understanding of God. I’ve seen how much of a global God he is. Not that all roads lead to God, but that there is a road, a very small, narrow road that mysteriously manifests itself in the most unlikely places. That is one reason I know God is real. He shows up in the least likely places. And I’ve seen how we in America so greatly complicate the issue. We put so much doctrine and rules in front of God that we forget Jesus’ simple command. “If you love me you will obey me”. Wouldn’t it be great if we were less concerned about salvation, and more concerned about loving Jesus and being His disciple. And doing what He says? Yes, that would be nice. To me God is both simple and great at the same time.

So I confess that I’m gloriously ruined. I see things differently. May I have the courage and wisdom to apply this perspective in the right places at the right time for His glory.

“Lord, use our perspective for your benefit. May we speak the appropriate word at the right time. May we love other people in a way that you want us to. May we not be encumbered by the status quo, or the limitations of our culture, to do the right thing. May we be your followers in the simplest possible ways. Thank you Lord for what you’ve done with our life. You’re not finished yet. We trust you. Amen.”

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Mounds of Paperwork!

So, we have started what is termed “the paper chase”…. ie one paper after another, after another! And you know what?! I’m actually kind of enjoying it. Now, you may laugh. I know it’s only the beginning. However, I will say this kind of reminds me of visa application- and we have done loads of that! Thankfully Josh and I are quite organized (due to before mentioned visa applications).

So here I am, sending in for background checks (did you know we have to have a check done everywhere we have lived since we were 18?! Those of you who know us may know that we have lived A LOT of places. That would be five states and four countries. We were pleased to hear that the countries we’ve lived in don’t keep background info for this sort of thing, so that makes life a little easier). We have also filled out paperwork for driving records, agency stuff, agreements, emergency planning (in WI), and have started physicals… About 20 papers down, I’d say maybe 10 more to go.  Then we have some trainings, a couples interview, two individual interviews, and a home study! Whew! Then we wait…

All that said, filling out papers kind of makes me excited. All this paperwork gets us one step closer to our little one.  I suppose these could be called labor pains- but as any mama can tell you, it’s all worth it in the end.

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