Here we come Sam!

Hey guys.

This is going to be about our upcoming trip to Ethiopia July 21-31. I'm going to inform you by asking you to pray for several things and then ask you to give something.

Itenerary and Prayer

We'll be leaving for South Carolina on July 21 to deliver our kids to my parents. They'll be loving on them all week. So pray for:

-Safe travel
-A sweet last few days as a family before we leave
-A godly, submissive, content heart for our kids while we're gone
-Patience and joy for my parents as they serve our family so well
-Time will fly for them all so that missing each other will be minimal

We then fly to Frankfurt, Germany and then Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 22. This is about a 30 hour total trip through several time zones. So pray for:

-Us not to die or get sick
-Minimal jet lag effects
-Smooth travel, no snags
-My leadership to be gracious and servant hearted and gentle

We'll arrive in Ethiopia on July 24 and will have to wait until the 25th to see, hold, snuggle, and kiss Sam. Our court date is July 28. This will give us legal custody of Sam. So pray for:

-Parent/Child Bonding with Sam (Don't want to expect too much, but we're hopeful)
-Patience while we are in a country that is not our own
-Grace and humility while we're in a country that is not our own
-Appreciation for the creation of God, cultivate a heart for the nations
-Opportunities to talk about Jesus
-Favor with all the legal officials/process so we can pass court

We'll leave Ethiopia on July 29 and will arrive in South Caroline in the early hours of the 31st. So pray:

-for our energy on a long trip home. We'll likely be running on fumes at this point.
-thankfulness to God regardless of how our week will have gone
-that we'll not die or get sick
-that we'll be encouraged and excited to return soon in order to bring Sam home rather than be discouraged that we're leaving our son for several more weeks

Please pray for all of these things as you think of us. Perhaps some of you will print or write out these needs and pray daily?

Giving

The orphanage where Sam is staying has provided us with a list of needs.

--Small toys such as bubbles, hotwheels, blow up beach balls or soft balls. Get creative folks.
--Diaper rash ointment
--Anti fungal cream
--Zinc Oxide ointment
--Hyrdrocortisone Cream
--Infant Multivitamins
--Cloth Diapers
--Baby Lotion (0-2years)

I'd love for us to provide all of this to the orphanage. I'm a toy guy myself. I want to spoil them to death, don't you? But let's do both. If you'd like to support this effort, bring any of these items that you can to our house. You can also bring them to Crew on Sunday if that's easier. We can't accept anything later than Tuesday July 19.

Alright we have 9 days. Let's do this! Thanks for praying and supporting us. We love you all!

So what from here?

Just wanted to explain a few things to help everyone understand how all this crazy adoption stuff works. Also knowing more will help you know how to pray for us!

Referral - is when our united states international adoption agency matches us with a little one who fits our request (male, 0-18m). They will call us and tell us they have a baby for us, then email us pictures and a health history. We then will have I think 24-48hrs to "accept" the referral. Then we send in $8,235 bucks to our agency. We will not be allowed to post pictures of our little Sam yet...because he won't be ours legally at this point. You will have to come by our house to get your sneak peek!!

We then will wait to get our court date. Once we receive a court date, we then will travel over for our 1st trip to appear in court. 1st trips are typically 8 weeks or so after your referral. We will meet and spend several days with little Sam while there as well!! BUT then we have to leave him there:(

We will come home for another 6-8 weeks. Our second trip we will appear before the embassy and then Sam will be legally ours and be a U S citizen. We get to bring him home with us forever at this point!!

So as you can see even though we are moving pretty quick on the wait list for a referral (we have moved from #45, since Sept. 24th to #24 currently) we still have a little while before he is ours and we get to bring him home with us. Thanks so much for praying with us/for us guys!!

Sent

We sent the kiddoes off to school for another year. Danny (3rd grade). Jack (1st grade). Alli (Kindergarten). We're so thankful that our kids are healthy and developing normally (if there is such a thing). We thanked God this morning for our transition and prayed for those who have special needs kids. We can't imagine the first day of school for them.

But, I wanted to post about my wife, Sarah. It's days like this that are hardest on her. She loves her family. Our home and our kids aren't accessories or hobbies or frustrations to her. You get that feeling listening to other moms. Sarah gets that we have been given an unbelievable opportunity to love God and enjoy God in a way that many don't get and many who do get, waste. Rather than pursue some fleeting insignifcant name for herself. Trust me it wouldn't be hard for Sarah to become extremely well known if that was her desire. Rather than try to generate some 6 figure salary (as if that's a lot of money anyway). Trust me she could earn if she wanted to. Instead she has decided to leverage our home, her time, and the deep development of 3 people created in the image of God for the glory of God in our city.

And so her success, in these early formative years, has resulted in our 3rd child being released into the world on her own. This phase of discipleship is over. And now a more dangerous and in my opinion more pivotal one begins (Resisting to do a whole blog on that statement).

So in this parenthesis, between Alli Cat going to school and our 4th child yet to arrive, Sarah is grieving a bit. Her response has been tears. Of course. But it's also been: who now will I invest in for the glory of Christ from 7am-3pm?

So:

To all of our friends and family, pray for Sarah.

To all men, earn so your wife stays home.

To all women, stay home with your kids.

To Dan, Jack, and Alli, love Jesus more than your mom, but kiss her all the time.

To the daughter we've yet to meet, you have a mom who cries for joy over you.

To my Sarah, well...freakin...done.

Standing in applause,

Josh

Unknown

There's more that we don't know than know about the adoption process. We are asked the following questions more than any other:

1. Do you know who you're adopting? The answer is nope.

2. Do you have all the money you need to complete the process yet? The answer is nope.

3. Do you know when you're going to Ethiopia yet? The answer is nope.

4. Do you know when you'll be finished with the process? The answer is nope.

We don't know if our daughter has even been born yet. We don't know how much it will actually cost or where the rest of the money will come from. We don't know dates of travel, what will happen over there, or the culture as much as we'd like. We don't know, we don't know, we don't know. But...

Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say,“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them

He knows. That's enough.

My Birthday...Hers?

Turned 33 today. I wonder if my daughter has been born yet.

Update on our Wait

What's going on adoption wise? I'm back after a month to give you a heads up on that. Waiting is apparently the way the adoption process goes these days. There are intense short flurries of activity and then you wait. We're still in the wait, but I wanted to give you some prayer requests and updates on what we're doing in the wait:

--Switching our health insurance carrier in order to save $$ and get a carrier that is adoption friendly. Assurant is not.

--Gathering as many items as we can for a fundraising yard sale. If you have anything at all that you want to give us please email: josh@crewcommunity.org. We want it.

--References for our Home Study and for our Homestudy application to process. A home study is a few month process of in home interviews and assessment to make sure we're legit and should be parents.

--Praying that the adoption travel requirements stay at 1 rather than 2. It appears 2 trips are going to be required as of now. It's in debate, so pray it stays at 1.

So, there you go. Keep praying and giving us $$ for this baby girl. Peace.

Ways To Partner With Us

We’re Adopting a Child!

You know by now something of our desire to adopt a girl from Ethiopia. Many of you have already encouraged us with your words, prayer, and $$. Thanks for how you’ve supported us, are supporting us, and for the further support you’ll give. We’re continually being asked how all of our friends and family can be a part of this. Thus this post.

Why Are You Adopting?

I’ve posted several entries as to why we’re adopting. Please take the time to read those here: http://jponajourney.blogspot.com/.

How You Can Partner with Us

Prayer. We’re on a roller coaster of emotions. The process is a flurry of activity one day and sit around and wait another. We are misunderstood on one hand and greatly encouraged on the other. Pray that we stay patient, joyful, and loving. Pray that we find favor in the eyes of the “system” every step of the way. Pray that our family experience unity. Pray that we bring in a ton of money to pay for this. Pray that we gain opportunities to share the gospel.

Money. From start to finish we anticipate needing to raise $20,000. So, we’re asking our friends and family to give us as they desire and are able in order to make this adoption happen. Some of you can give very little. Thank you. Some of you can give very large amounts. Thank you. No gift will go unappreciated. Please consider financially supporting us on this journey.

Encouragement. Many of you have commented on our facebook page, called us, written us, and met with us to affirm our decision. You don’t even know how much we need that. Don’t stop. Don’t forget about us. Don’t withhold your love.

Ways to Give

Mail: Simply send us a check to

1925 Wiltshire Bld
Huntington, WV 25701

Online: You can give online at: http://jponajourney.blogspot.com/.