One Thousand Gifts (continued)

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

"Who will go to bat for us?"

This is the question that I asked Paul after hearing about more delays in our adoption process, yet again.

The High Commissions requested clarification about two documents a few weeks ago.  Our agency sent those documents to the High Commissions, which we were able to track with a DHL tracking number.  It arrived, and a signature was given to show that it was received.

Last week, we were checking our e-mail, obsessively as we eagerly anticipated the news of Seber's Visa.  However, we received news from the High Commissions requesting for the DHL tracking number for the two documents.
This wasn't the news that we were waiting for.
We would love to fly to Nairobi and start searching people's desks for these documents.
We were wrestling again with the feelings of  helplessness.

Who will go to bat for us?
God is the answer.
He already went to bat for us on the cross because of His love for us. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

We are praying for divine intervention.
We are praying that He will retrieve those documents.  We are praying that He will place them in the hands of the right person and that He will put the pen in the hands of the right person to sign and issue Seber's Visa this week!! We are praying that we will be able to soon bring home our precious son to his forever family!
Please join us in praying for divine intervention!

Continuing to give thanks...
-that God goes to bat for us
-that He is our strength when we are weak
-prayers and support from loving family and friends
-that His grace is sufficient

-my best friend, my confidant, my soul mate

-enjoying God's beauty

-how she loves flowers and taking pictures, just like her Dad

-showing off her new glasses

-how she willingly wears her new glasses and takes pretty good care of them!

-how she loves to play

-enjoying the new play structure made by her super handy uncle

-his diligent, hard, detailed work

-our adorable super heroes

-lunch outside with Beppe

-having fun with colour!

-enjoying March break at the park together as a family

-testing out his new cleats
-his love for sports

-how she's fitting in so well with the family

One Thousand Gifts (continued)

"A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps" 

(Proverbs16:9). 

  I was trying to buy shoes today for Seber.  Size 10 or size 11?  It's rather difficult to know what size he is when he's half way around the world.  I really should have checked that out when we visited him, but I didn't think of that as I savoured the moments playing with him and spending time with him.

This isn't how I envisioned my life to be.
So many unknowns. YET...
so much to look forward to!

I love the poem, "Welcome to Holland", written by an advocate of Down syndrome.

If I read that poem from a Christian perspective, I'm reminded of the many blessings we would miss out on if we didn't follow God's call in our lives.  Even though we may have planned on going to Italy, we are going to Holland (which is awesome, because I love Holland, and I can't wait to experience the joys and blessings that await us)!!  

Longtime Sesame Street writer Emily Perl Kingsley has been advocating for people with disabilities since 1974, when her son, Jason (co-author of Count Us In: Growing Up With Down Syndrome), was born with Down syndrome. In 1987, she wrote Welcome To Holland, which has remained a source of comfort and inspiration ever since.  

Welcome to Holland

BY EMILY PERL KINGSLEY

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you never would have met. It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around...and you begin to notice Holland has windmills...and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss.

But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to go to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things...about Holland.

***

©1987 BY EMILY PERL KINGSLEY.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

- See more at: http://www.ndss.org/Resources/New-Expectant-Parents/A-Parents-Perspective/#sthash.fb3IWjnF.dpuf



Continuing to give thanks...
-having lunch with awesome, supportive, adoption mommy friends
-waking up to an e-mail that says the last document has been received and is on its way to the High Commissions!  (hurry, Visa, hurry)!!
-sharing stories at dinner time
-deep theological discussions with our 6 year old!

-surviving exams

-her study buddies

 -winter wonderland

 -getting as much backyard ice time as possible
-skating buddies

 -filling in as a goalie (and shutting down his uncle)!

 -our dinner guest and how they love to play games together

 -bakyard winter hikes

 -sledding with cousins

 -no injuries!

 -pure joy going down the hills!

 -how the dog takes part in our fun activities!

-our renovated toy room (before and after)

-how he loves wood working, even when under strict supervision of his niece

 -his artistic abilities (his self-portrait; it looks just like him!!)

 -how she loves arts and crafts

 -how she tucks in her babies on the living room floor

-God's beautiful creation

One Thousand Gifts (continued)

"Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity" (Ephesians 5:15,16)

 I am often asked if I ever will go back to teaching in the classroom.  Of course, I do not know what the future holds, and so often I have eaten my own words.  Therefore, I try to answer that question carefully.  Although there are many things that I miss about teaching, I am thrilled about the new opportunities that God has given me.  When one door closes, God opens another one.

I am particularly looking forward to speaking in all of the classes next week about Down syndrome.  I am very humbled by this opportunity, but I am embracing the opportunity with joy to be able to bring awareness about Down syndrome to the students.  I look forward to helping the children learn that we are more alike than we are different, and that we are ALL God's masterpieces, created by Him! I am excited to use the props (dolls) that my awesome, crafty, talented friend made!

For every missed opportunity, there is a new opportunity!

I am so grateful for new opportunities, and I pray that I will use them to glorify God!
Continuing to give thanks...
-new opportunities

-my crafty, talented life long friend
-the upcoming opportunity to speak about Down syndrome

-end of the semester skating party

 -a great group of friends

-great skating weather

-a hike through the back fields

 -how they loved it that we both were able to go sledding with them

 -perfect weather for sledding

 -enjoying their P.D. day

 -her stay home days
-afternoon snuggles (and naps)
-playing games together
-giggles and laughter (making it difficult to drink her milk)
-lunch with dear friends
-awesome afternoon with my hairdresser (therapy, as Paul calls it)
-her generosity and kind heart