Jerm. 29:11 Continued... Continued...UPDATED

God's so great! Yesterday I shared with you my post about receiving Jer. 29: 12-13. Well, later that afternoon I received an email from our Pastor. God has led us to an exciting involvement with a church that is just getting started in our neighborhood. The email from our Pastor had a link to check out the new and updated website for the church. I clicked on it and the very first words on the website is the verse Jer. 29:11! No joke!!! I flipped out and got really excited. Here is the link to the website: http://www.calvaryeastvale.org/ . I just now went back to it to get the link and since I was on there last they have added a song to the site titled: Need you- which includes words to nearly exactly what I shared with you about me crying out to God.

Then this morning I received this verse:
Encouraging Word:
Saturday 6/16/2007
Keep on asking...you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking...you will find. Keep on knocking...the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8, NLT

I have an overwelming feeling that God has some very exciting news for us and am filled again with a great hope and very excited!!!! I'll keep you posted...........

Update 6-16-07: It came up again totally unexpectedly today. We were getting ready to leave for a while and as I was getting in the car I saw a book someone loaned us. Believe it or not it was about just about the only thing in our rarely clean minivan. I thought "Oh there's that book..I've been wanting to read it!" I picked it up and looked at the back cover and the very first words were Jer. 29:11!!! I can't wait to see what God's got in mind for us!!!

Jeremiah 29:11 Continued....

Hi all,

I've shared with you many times how precious the verse Jer. 29:11 has become to us. God's used it again and again to confirm our adoptions and encourage us. It never fails that Jer. 29:11 will pop up in a message, on the radio, on a flier, in an email, on a sign... you name it just suddenly appears unexpectedly and we ALWAYS get news about the adoption! It's been such a neat gift that God has given us.
For those of you wondering...

Jer. 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Well, now I'm going to get very honest with you. This week has been a really crummy one. I'm tired and sore. We just got back from a family party that I really believed that at least 3 of our children would certainly be home for, and also yet another of Lovenie's birthday's passed by without her home. There are a few kids coming home or very close to coming home that started the process of adoption long after us (since I'm being honest, I'm thrilled for them and frusterated for us). I have been in a crummy mood and praying rarely and yet when I do I have felt like there is just silence... no answers or comfort from God, but even while I prayed my attitude was just really crummy. Last night I broke down and just cried out to God, telling him that I hurt, I'm sad, I'm being crummy and I'm sorry but I just really really need Him, and need to know that He hears my prayers and knows how I feel and is still in control.

This morning I checked my emails and received a bible verse that said:

In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Exactly what I needed to hear, right when I needed to hear it! God is so very good! Then as if that was not a blessing enough I noticed that the verse is from Jer. 29: 12-13. The verses following the verse God has used to bless us over and over again. Thank you Lord!!

Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

(No, the above photo is not of me but it does look kind of fun to try this! I thought it expressed well how I'm feeling. I'm wondering what bet she lost, or was it truth or dare?)

When our son Johnny was around 2 years old he used to always yell "Stuck" only he would really drag it out. The funny thing was he was never stuck but wanted us to run over and save him anyways. We thought it was funny and had no idea why he did it. (He did many other not so funny things that we now know is likely because of his autism). One time he went out to lunch with my parents and was sitting in a high chair. My Dad had the nerve to say the word "no" to him and he burst into tears and yelled Stuuuuuuuuuuuuck. We all have a good laugh about it sometimes and will playfully yell Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuck about things.

I was thinking about that this morning when I was thinking about how our adoption paper work just seems stuck. It was all I could do this morning to not throw open our door and yell as loud and long as I can "Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck." As a matter of fact I just might do it, might be therapeutic. :) Do you think our neighbors would call the police? Haha. Can you imagine me trying to explain that one?

Why adopt from Haiti?

We are asked often why we would adopt from Haiti instead of our country or elsewhere. Our answer is blissfully simple: it's where God led us...end of subject. It was not that we chose Haiti, or chose not to adopt from America or a different country but it is where our children are that God brought to us.

I did come across this article today and thought it was interesting to share:

Why Adopt From Haiti?
Out of all the countries one could choose to adopt from, why would or should Haiti be considered?
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and has been plagued by violence for most of its history. I have traveled to Viet Nam, Ethiopia, and Mexico, and still the poverty of Haiti shocked me. Haiti has an estimated 8.2 million people. The unemployment rate is about 80%. The majority of the Haitian population lives on less than a $1 a day, with the median income about $60 per year. Only 25 percent of the population has access to safe drinking water, and less than 30 percent of the population has access to adequate sanitation. Just under half of the population is literate. In addition, the average life expectancy for Haitians is less than 50 years. About 70% of the population is children, with approximately 23% of the children under five suffering from malnutrition, and 10% of the children dying before the age of four. Between extreme poverty and death, there are an estimated 1.2 million orphans in Haiti. There is an obvious need for adoptive families in Haiti.
Other pros for Haitian adoption include:
• The Haitian people are beautiful.• Haiti has an interesting history and rich culture, and is one of the least expensive countries to adopt from.• You can have your child escorted home, or you can travel and bring them home yourself; with an in-country stay of 3-5 days.• Some agencies/facilitators allow parents to visit their child(ren) while in process.• The children are generally healthy.• Infants are available, as are toddlers, preschoolers and older children.• Sibling groups are also available (you can also adopt two unrelated children at the same time).• You can usually request the gender of your child.• You can adopt with the help of an adoption agency, or save money and adopt independently.• Single women can adopt.
If you are currently deciding which country to adopt from, please consider Haiti.

What have we been up to??

Sunday- Went to church with my Grandparents for the first time in years (usually go with my parents to church when I visit)
My Parents: Watching all their Grandchildren playing together (except for the 5 in Haiti) at a very fun park.

Playing at the park in Sand and Mud: Johnny, Luke, Janna (my neice), Jake (my nephew), and Kyle, and another boy at the park that we did not know.

My nephews Jesse and Jake running through the water play area of the park

Janna laying on top of the rocks, Kyle walking the tight rope in the front and Johnny in the back.

Jesse and Luke hanging out together

Sleepover in the RV: Jake on the couch/bed watching a movie and Johnny and Jesse working on a light bright picture together while Luke is sound asleep in the RV bed and Kyle and Janna fell asleep in the house (they were upset the next morning that they did not get to camp out in the RV with us)

Big 60th Anniversary party for my Wonderful Grandparents. Family came from all over, many that we had not seen in years and even some that had never met my husband or kids! My Grandparents are sporting their baseball caps that say bride and groom.

Jesse, Kyle, Johnny, and Luke play with the bubble machine while we decorated for the party

Some of the party going on.

Dad and "his boys" playing on their new basketball hoop and wishing the rest of their teammates were home from Haiti to play with them!

A very sweet family tree

This weekend was the 60th anniversary party for my Grandparents. The above is what I thought was one of the neatest gifts I've ever seen. My Aunt and cousin ordered this family tree picture online. In the upper left hand corner is our family with all 8 of our children listed after our names (if you click on the picture it will enlarge it and you can see it). It was so touching to read that they had included Jacques, Stephanie, Jude, Lovenie, and Vilner. It was an outdoor party and I was grateful to be wearing sunglasses because I teared up right away. I went over and hugged my cousin and thanked her for including our children that are not home with us also. Her response was "Of course, they are our family." I was so moved by such thoughtfulness that I had to retreat to my parents nearby RV where I sat in the bathroom and had a really big cry. We really believed that Stephanie, Jude, and Lovenie would be home and at that party with us. Also with Lovenie's birthday just 2 days away-- I was hit with a flood of emotions.

I know God has a great purpose for the wait, but it is still very difficult. This was such a beautiful gesture by our family to let us know that they love all of our kids the way that we do!

Happy Birthday Darling Lovenie!!!!

Today our baby girl turns three! It's so hard to believe that God led us to adopt her at just 10 months old and she is still not home. We love her so much and every birthday we miss is so hard and sad. We have been traveling all day but will be having a birthday cake in her honor tonight and I will bring her a special present when I go to Haiti in a few weeks. Each year on her birthday I have cried and cried to be so far away from her. Last year we said "Just think we will never spend another birthday without her again." Well, here we are... another birthday without her.

I'm going to try and email the kids and see if they will go and love on her for us. Could you please pray with us that we would not miss any more of our children's birthdays, and pray for extra blessings today for our precious little girl?

I have not blogged for a while as we have been out of town and very very busy. We are home now and have so much to share so will be blogging lots soon. For now I will make dinner and see if I can manage making it through the night without tears (doubt it). While it is so sad to miss her I continue to be so very thankful that God has blessed us with such a sweet and beautiful daughter!

Dear Woman Here is your son

John 19: 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

"Dear Woman, Here is your son". This is a very touching verse to me because it shows yet another beautiful example of adoption. As Jesus was on the cross he took the time to appoint John and Mary as Mother and son. There was no paperwork, no red tape, no asking permission or jumping through hoops. Simply the Lord said it and it was so. I believe God still appoints families in this way. This is something I think I can especially relate to while going through the adoption process. It is not a matter for us that as soon as our paper work leaves 2nd Legal they will become our children. God has already appointed them to us as our children, and us as their parents. We will certainly celebrate when that is recognized by the government, however, God has said to us in His way "Jim and Angela this is your sons and daughters". That is all it took for us to have a God given love for our children as our sons and daughters papers or no papers.

Today I was reminded of this verse and touched by a woman that I really admire and respect. She is not in a situation to legally adopt a child that she loves as her son but that does not change the fact that she has a God given love for him as her son and has committed to being there for him as his Mother for the rest of his life. I think it's just a beautiful example of how we should all live. Does being a Father to the Fatherless or a Mother to the Motherless mean we have to legally adopt and bring children into our home... not if that is not part of God's plan for your life. However, look around at all the hurting children. They are not hard to find, the ones that just want someone to love them. Listen to the Lord and see if you hear him say the words to you "Dear Woman (or Man), this is your son or daughter" and then see how you can invest in that childs life allowing God to love them through you. What kind of difference could we make in this world if we all cared enough to look at the lost and hurting children and see if God says these beautiful words to you, whether it means adoption in the legal since or just commiting to being there for a child that needs you- the adoption of the heart.

Memorial Day BBQ/Eastvale Fellowship

Above photo's are some of the many great people that attend the Calvary Eastvale Fellowship. They have become like family to us and are such a precious gift to our family!

Kyle cruising at the park on his Harley Motorcycle

Our friend Mathew taking Johnny's truck for a spin.

Luke's as good of a driver as he is cute!

Johnny had a swinging good time.

We played the water balloon toss game. One look at this picture and you can tell what team lost! Jim and Luke surprisingly came out the champions!

Johnny trying to blow up a balloon and friends Kyle and Mathew trying to fit into the truck together

This was our funnest time at the park as the balloon is filled with water and we as a team had to keep it on the blanket or risk the chance of getting wet. This was the first time we played this game and we all laughed and laughed and were disappointed when we broke our last balloon (which suspiciously always seemed to land next to me...I'm just saying....)

To see a 26 second video of this funny game in action click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAOf0cuNo58

Another Family Fun Day!

Scandia

Jim's parents were here for a visit (Nana and Papa) and when we were trying to decide what to do with our day together Nana suggested a place that she always sees from the freeway and wants to take the kids to called Scandia. It's pretty close to our house and so it was decided that they would take us all there for a birthday present to Luke (who turns 4 next month)

Nana, Papa, Johnny, Jim, Kyle, and Johnny playing miniature golf.

When we started playing Kyle and Johnny kept calling our shots birdies, eagles, bogies, or par. I wondered how they knew these terms and then remembered that they have a golf Playstation 2 game. :) I made a hole in one at the 18th (and last) hole and a siren went off and I won a ticket for a free game in the future.
Kyle, Luke, Jim, and Johnny in front of the castle on the miniature golf course

Me and Kyle speeding by on the race cars

Kyle waving to Papa as we make another lap around the race track (we had passed Dad and Johnny). Kyle got braver and by the end of the day was driving the race car himself. I was thinking of Jacques, Stephanie, and Jude and how I can't wait for them to come home and race with us too. They would all be big enough to drive their own race cars.

Jim and Johnny: You can barely see the top of Johnny's head over Jim's knee. Poor Jim is so tall that his legs stuck out of everything or he had to sit kind of sideways on the rides. On the roller coaster there was a sign that if you are over 6 feet tall you can not raise your hands on the ride or you might hit beams. Sure enough there were some pretty low beams and he couldn't raise his hands and said if he were any taller he would have to duck! I got to raise my hands all I wanted on the roller coaster-- the joy of being short!

Luke finally got brave enough to ride the race cars too. Doesn't he look so tiny in the picture? Once he did it we had to do it again and again. I thought he would be afraid of it but when I was going full speed he yelled to me "Can't this go any faster?"

Me and Luke on the pink elephant and Kyle behind us on the green dragon. Luke was too scared to go on it without me at first and there is a lever you can pull to make it go up and down and he only wanted to stay down. By the end of the day he wanted to ride alone and spent the whole ride as high in the air as he could get it. This ride was called something that had to do with a zoo... I want to know where you can find a zoo with a green dragon!

Johnny getting ready to take off on his flying green dragon.

Kyle, Johnny, and Me with Luke at the top of the giant slide

On our way down. This is a picture of Kyle and Johnny breaking the rules as you are supposed to only slide down sitting up. We did not know those rules until later and the person working there never said anything so they did not get in trouble for it but once I saw the sign I did make them go down following the rules.

Kyle, Johnny, Me and Luke at the bottom of the slide. Luke may not look very happy but as soon as we would stop he would jump up and run to the stairs to go down again!

Bumper Boats: Jim, Kyle, and Johnny battled it out on the water with their bumper boats with. They each had their own boat and we were impressed with how well Johnny and Kyle could drive theirs. Jim got stuck under one of the fountains that shoots out a stream of water and his boat died with him right under it and he couldn't get out. We laughed and laughed and Jim and the boys all got off the ride soaked! They were so cold and shivering and I ran to the car to get them sweatshirts that I thought to grab right before leaving the house. They were very grateful for them.

Jim and Johnny colliding as Kyle makes his escape.

Luke and Me in a little airplane. This is while he still wouldn't go on the ride by himself and only wanted to stay down on the rides that went up.

Luke got over his fears and flying high by himself on an airplane. Will he be a pilot someday like his Papa?

We had such a great time with Nana and Papa and this day was such a treat to our family.

May Update Photo

Every month we get an update photo from the orphanage. We always look forward to it! This is the first time they have included Jacques in the update photo so it's extra special. We miss them so much. They are all healthy and doing well. Lovenie turns 3 in a couple of weeks and still only weighs 19 lbs. Our paper work is still stuck and has not moved at all but the good news is that there are some things happening with Jacques adoption that is reassuring. The only one not in the photo is little brother Vilner age 1. He is still at home with his mother and will be there with her as long as she is able to care for him and continue to nurse him. I'm so glad I got to meet him (and their Mom) while in Haiti and I'm so happy they have this time together. Please continue to pray for their health and safety.

We have received wonderful letters mostly from Jacques as his English is very good. We sent Dr. Bernard (the orphanage director and lawyer) an email letting him know that if we can't get Jacques home we will need his help finding us a job in Haiti because we have to be with our son. He responded to us in good humour and reassured us that, Lord Willing, all will be done to make Jacques a US citizen.

Jacques reads our blog so I'm going to add this for him: Bonswa Cheri, Ki kote souri ou? Ou tre bel. Mwen renmen ou anpil. Renmen, Mom

3 Teenage boys have found their families!!!

Jefthe, Kez, and Emmanuel
Job at the pizza party

Bernadin and Kez

Anyone that knows me or follows my blog knows that while in Haiti I just totally fell in love with the teen boys and want so much for them to find a home. Not only is it way less likely for a child to be adopted in their teen years but girls are adopted even more often then boys are so the odds of teen boys finding a home become so slim. These were some of the neatest boys I had ever met and Kez and I began to pray specifically that the teen boys would find homes.

Not long after that a mission team spent some time with them and now that they are home the process has been started by two different families to adopt Jefthe, Bernadin, and Job. Bernadin and Job are going to be brothers! I've met these boys and they are each so sweet. I've also talked with their new Mom's by email and they are going to really loving homes that are so excited to have them. Also in the photo above is Emmanuel. I had posted him in the past as a teen looking for a home. I met him and just adore him. He has however turned 16 already and is no longer legally adoptable. So we will just keep praying for him from here in America.

I've also heard there is another family from the mission trip that is praying about possibly adopting another really neat teen boy who is 15 and will turn 16 soon. I won't post who he is because I know that my blog is sometimes read by the kids in Haiti. I'll update you if the family commits officially to the adoption.

Next month I have the honor of going with a great mission team. Please pray that God would prepare all of our hearts to go and love on these great kids and thank Him for the answered prayers as the teen boys are finding homes!!! God's so good.

Riddles Contest- Updated

You never know what you're going to get on this blog. Sometimes it's jokes and inspiration, sometimes it's family and adoption updates...but today it is Riddles. Let's see if you can figure these out:

1) One morning while she was eating breakfast, Laura's diamond ring slipped off her finger and fell into a full cup of coffee, but the ring didn't get wet. Why not?

2) What grows down while it grows up?

3) What is the only professional sport which neither the players nor the spectators know the score until the match is over?

4) What turns everything around but does not move itself?

5) What is the worlds greatest world-wide use of cowhide?

6) I know a man who can shave 10 times a day and still have a full beard. Who is he?

If you think you know the answer to any of these riddles please post as many answers as you can in the comments section. I'll post the answers to them soon!

Encouraging bible verse:
I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. John 12:46, NLT

Here are the answers to the above riddles:

1) The cup was filled with dry, ground coffee
2) A goose
3) Boxing
4) mirror
5) to cover cows
6) He's a barber

Another update: Smarty pants! I showed Jim (my husband) the riddles without showing him the answers and then sat back and listened to him processing each question and got every one of them right!!!

Way to go Jim: You are the winner of the riddles from Uncle John's Slightly Irregular Bathroom Reader. I'll work on getting you a trophy. I consider it my "duty" to do so!

Rollin' in the family Limo?

Soon we will need a vehicle that will hold at least our 10 family members and I would love to be able to take at least a couple more people in our vehicle as well for when we have company or the kids want to bring a friend somewhere with us. So our options had pretty much just been the 12-15 passenger vans. They tend to be fairly expensive, hard to find, and quite honestly... I don't exactly get excited about the idea of a great big van (sorry Ange, not to say the Schneider bus is not very cool!). I came across an add for a limo for sale and thought "Why not." At first it was just kind of a joke but has since become a fairly serious discussion of our future vehicle. It seats just as many but at least it seems to me that it would be a whole lot of fun! The more we look into it the more we feel it's actually pretty sensible. The mileage tends to be less then on the limo's then big vans and they are often way less expensive. For example the above photo is of a limo for sale for only $10K. As I began to think about it more I presented it to a large adoption chat group. While it mostly got some laughs and lot's of "Why not's" I also learned of other people who have used limo's for their large family vehicles and received an email from someone else that is shopping for one for their large family. Maybe it's not such a crazy idea.

Then yesterday someone sent me this link: http://www.aolvideoblog.com/2007/05/16/family-buys-limo-by-mistake/

I'm pretty sure word leaked out and they stole my idea but am unsure of how to prove it. :) Look out world: The next generation of family cars is no longer the van (mini or otherwise) but the Limo.

The Pretty Princess and Sleeping beauty

Stephanie all dolled up for church and wearing her new shoes

Stephanie's new princess sandles

Bon nwit Jacques, Domi Byen Cheri

Here are the most recent pictures from Haiti. Stephanie is styling and stunning in a dress I brought to her when I went to Haiti, that was given to her by a friend and sandels that Nikki, the new missionary, delivered to her as a gift from us. We sent the boys watches. We have not heard if they like them yet, but we are hopeing that they do. The shoes look so pretty on Stephanie!

Jacques looks so handsome and peaceful while he sleeps. I can not wait until he is sleeping here at home! Sometimes I can't believe that he looks so grown up already. I may have missed a lot of his growing up but I am so very thankful God would let me be a Mom to him for the rest of his many years to come! I hope he grows up just like his Dad and treats his future wife the way that his Dad treats me, and that she will love him as much as I love his Dad.

A day of Goodbye's

Today is a day of sad goodbyes, especially for two women that I love as sisters and am many miles away from. Today is the Memorial Day for our friend Bill in Texas. Please pray for his wife and two young sons and everyone who loves Bill as we all say Goodbye for now, but we will see you again soon. I have a beautiful picture of Bill with his family but can not get it to scan and post. I'll share it soon if I can get it to work. Bill was a very kind man with a great laugh. We had the honor of knowing him and his family for several years and I love his wife Shelley like a sister. I remember when I first met her and we talked about her sons who I found out they adopted from Russia together (long before we knew we would be adopting internationally also). When I asked her about how they managed all the costs she told me about all the ways they scraped and saved, worked extra jobs, and the thing that I remember most was her telling me that Bill sold his Harley Davidson to help with the adoption fees. Last week I was praying for Shelley and I had an image flash in my mind of Bill flying fast by on a Harley, laughing loud, while he zoomed down streets of gold! I wish I were able to be in Texas to hug Shelley and our many friends. I will instead be here in CA quietly saying our goodbye for nows to Bill and sending up many prayers for my dear friend Shelley.

Above photo is of Jefthe, Kez, and Emmanuel


Today is also a day of sad goodbye's for Kez and the kids of Hope for the children of Haiti and New Life Link. Kez has been living with them for several months and has such a great bond with them. There are many tears already, and I'm sure many more to come. It is especially hard for the children/teens to say goodbye to someone they love when they have questions like: Why does everyone I love leave me? Knowing this also makes it harder on Kez. They will keep in touch by email but they are all feeling a lot of pain from goodbye's today as she is down to just hours left with them.

Please join me in prayer today for my sisters Shelley and Kez, and for Shelley's children and the children of HFC and NLL. Thank you.

Mom's Cool Cuts Station

Johnny's Mohawk front view

Johnny's Mokawk side view

No Mohawk for Luke. He is our pickiest about his hair and he likes it nice and long.

Back view of Luke's hair cut and "Mom's Cool Cut's" Station

So when Kyle decide to go for it with his Mohawk Johnny told us over and over again that he would let me cut his hair but NO MOHAWK. He said it so many times and kept making us say we wouldn't do it. Then I did Kyle's Mohawk and Johnny surprised us all by thinking it was very cool and requesting one also. No way for Luke. He would be happy to wear his hair as long as he can which is fine with me because I think he pulls off the long haired look really cute. Then he was mistaken for a girl twice recently (maybe I should stop putting him in pink dresses) and he was ready to agree to let me cut it, but just a little bit.

The boys love the treat of going to a specialty kid's haircut place that has movies and games to choose from while you get your hair cut. So that they wouldn't feel too bummed about not going there Jim surprised them with a small tv and Playstation 2 in a bathroom that is almost never used (except for haircuts). They were so excited about it and called it Mom's Cool Cuts.