We got it!...Permission to bring Salem home:)
A few weeks ago, we spoke with our postman on his daily rounds and told him about the important envelope. He's been looking for it almost as earnestly as we have:) The doorbell rang yesterday afternoon, and I opened the door to reveal the postman with a package. (We leave for Peru tomorrow on a mission inquiry trip and the parents of one of the missionaries sent a package to us to bring to their daughter in Chiclayo.) As he handed it to me, he also handed a small white envelope and said..."and I believe that you might be looking for this as well." Needless to say, a little squeal erupted from my elated face. Suzanna said we should have taken a picture with the postman for the scrapbook. Maybe we will run him down one day for the commemorative picture:)
We prayed that it would come before leaving for Peru. Although trusted friends are getting our mail, we wanted to have it in hand. It would have been preferable to have had time to gather all documents and have our Dossier on its way to Grand Rapids by now. However,with Mary out of the Bethany office until Tuesday and the on-site notary out today, we concluded that it would be wise and promote much peace in our hearts to wait until we return so that we can sit down together and make sure we have everything in place. Besides, it gives us something to look forward to:) And peace abides as we continue to trust the Lord and His plans.
Please pray for our trip. We will be flying into Lima tomorrow night, spending the night, then driving 10 hours on the PanAmerican Highway to Chiclayo on Sunday. Monday we will drive from Chiclayo into the Andes mountains at 10,000 feet into a town called Incawasi. We will spend the next few days meeting with the people in the Lambayeque region on Northern Peru, praying for wisdom and direction from the Lord. We will be assessing the needs of the people, speaking with local pastors, and praying for a glimpse of what the Lord is doing among the people there. On Thursday, we will return to Chiclayo, then to Lima on Friday, then back home on Sunday.
Our job is to gather as much information as we can about this region and its people (98% of which have never had access to the gospel), report back to our local body of believers here at Concord, and seek the Lord in this together to see if He may be calling our church to partner with this people group over the next five to six years. Please pray for our safety, the Lord to be at work in us, and for our eyes to be open to His plans, whatever they may be. This is an incredibly exciting adventure! May the Lord's Name be glorified and may His fame spread to the ends of the earth.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Friday, May 05, 2006
Answers:)
Our wait for the paperwork from the INS was expected to take 6-9 weeks, give or take some. But, when the 13th week rolled around, we started getting nervous, wondering if it had been lost in the mail or in the shuffle of credit card applications. I called Mary to let her know. I thank the Lord for prompting me to call when I did. As we have said before, we have prayed for a peace that passes all understanding.
When I talked to Mary on Wednesday, she was surprised that we hadn't received our paperwork. We initially assumed that the paper bog was increasing and that it was just taking longer. But, a "quick" call to the INS answered some of our questions. Drew tried to contact the INS a few weeks ago, but was unable to get any information, so when Mary offered to communicate to them for us, I was excited that we may have some answers soon:)
Mary has been trying to contact the INS to try to expedite paperwork for a family who is adopting a sibling from Guatemala for the child they have already brought home. The birthmother wants to move to Mexico, and they want to travel as soon as possible to secure the child in their home. Mary said that when she recieved the call from them regarding this family that she would ask about our paperwork as well. Considering it had been a few weeks since she first tried to call, and followed with several more tries, I assumed it would be a while before we heard from her. At least we had a venue for some answers, just to know if it was on its way. However, yesterday, when I came home from school, there was a message on our answering machine from Mary. They called her back!!! She had answers for us! Our fingerprints HAVE been processed, but they didn't have our Home Study (HS). When we went to Nashville in February, we were told that they would look at our HS, stamp it and make note that we were approved for adoption, then give it back. But, somewhere along the way, the HS was lost in the mix. Soooooo, Mary is overnighting the HS to the INS and hopefully we will see the final link in our mailbox soon. Keep praying for all the pieces to come together, for the family waiting to recieve their child from Guatemala, and for Salem.
Thanks for joining our journey to find Salem:)
When I talked to Mary on Wednesday, she was surprised that we hadn't received our paperwork. We initially assumed that the paper bog was increasing and that it was just taking longer. But, a "quick" call to the INS answered some of our questions. Drew tried to contact the INS a few weeks ago, but was unable to get any information, so when Mary offered to communicate to them for us, I was excited that we may have some answers soon:)
Mary has been trying to contact the INS to try to expedite paperwork for a family who is adopting a sibling from Guatemala for the child they have already brought home. The birthmother wants to move to Mexico, and they want to travel as soon as possible to secure the child in their home. Mary said that when she recieved the call from them regarding this family that she would ask about our paperwork as well. Considering it had been a few weeks since she first tried to call, and followed with several more tries, I assumed it would be a while before we heard from her. At least we had a venue for some answers, just to know if it was on its way. However, yesterday, when I came home from school, there was a message on our answering machine from Mary. They called her back!!! She had answers for us! Our fingerprints HAVE been processed, but they didn't have our Home Study (HS). When we went to Nashville in February, we were told that they would look at our HS, stamp it and make note that we were approved for adoption, then give it back. But, somewhere along the way, the HS was lost in the mix. Soooooo, Mary is overnighting the HS to the INS and hopefully we will see the final link in our mailbox soon. Keep praying for all the pieces to come together, for the family waiting to recieve their child from Guatemala, and for Salem.
Thanks for joining our journey to find Salem:)
Monday, May 01, 2006
Amy's Eligible!!!
Yeaaaaaa:) The 30s are fabulous already! I was going to post on my actual birthday, but mom came into town to celebrate with us and wanted to spend as much time with her as we could. Thanks, Mom!!! And thank you to Drew and all my beloved friends who helped to make the day special. To be able to celebrate this day on a Sunday was an extra gift from our Father:) Waking up to worship the One who holds our family's future was sweet.
It seems so real now, knowing Salem's little heart is beating out there and we are so close to bringing her home. Please continue to pray as we wait for THE envelope in the mail. As soon as it comes, we will beeline to Bethany, downtown Chattanooga, and to Nashville for the final preparations of our dossier. Even the mailman knows it is coming and is anxious to find it for us:) So, we wait.....and trust the Lord:)
Our friends, the Nichols, who are also adopting from China have their dossier already logged in. They are hoping to travel in November. As you pray for the Lord to prepare us, pray for them as well. They will be paving the way for us. We can't wait to meet their little "Peanut."
The Lord brought this verse to mind today. I have been praying for the Lord to keep my heart from anxiousness. While we hoped our paperwork would be on its way to China by now, we know that His plans are bigger and better than any of our expectations or hopes. Read it an be encouraged in your heart today and trust alongside us.......
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!.......do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:5-7
It seems so real now, knowing Salem's little heart is beating out there and we are so close to bringing her home. Please continue to pray as we wait for THE envelope in the mail. As soon as it comes, we will beeline to Bethany, downtown Chattanooga, and to Nashville for the final preparations of our dossier. Even the mailman knows it is coming and is anxious to find it for us:) So, we wait.....and trust the Lord:)
Our friends, the Nichols, who are also adopting from China have their dossier already logged in. They are hoping to travel in November. As you pray for the Lord to prepare us, pray for them as well. They will be paving the way for us. We can't wait to meet their little "Peanut."
The Lord brought this verse to mind today. I have been praying for the Lord to keep my heart from anxiousness. While we hoped our paperwork would be on its way to China by now, we know that His plans are bigger and better than any of our expectations or hopes. Read it an be encouraged in your heart today and trust alongside us.......
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!.......do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:5-7
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