Update on "E"

Just wanted to give you an update on "E".....keep praying!

Click here for update on "E".

Off to USCIS....finally

Finally got a copy of our homestudy and mailed it along with our I-800A to USCIS today. That's adoption talk for....we mailed in our application to Immigration/Homeland Security to be approved to adopt from China. It sure has taken quite a bit longer than expected....amazingly, I've had the patience to go with it. Got to be a God thing! Just trying to trust God's timing in all of this. He's been so gracious to show us His hand at work along the way, and I know He has a plan. Now, we wait for appointments for fingerprinting.

Along this journey, we've learned of so many families adopting. I want to share two of them with you. They've touched my heart so deeply. I hope you will pray for them. I'm not very good at writing and telling stories, so hopefully I can figure out how to post a link to each. God bless!

 Click here for "E"

Click here for "K"

"With man this is impossible,

but not with God;

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!"

Mark 10:27

 

A Word from God

The past week or so has been an emotional one.  There has been some disappointment in our process related to two little ones that we were beginning to get attached to.  It's funny how attached you get to someone that you have never met.  We have only seen pictures, most a few years old, and read some medical reports that told us about the heart defects.  It turns out that the children that we thought might be "the ones" for us may not be at all.  Weird that we can be heart broken over feedback on a person that we never met and lives a world away. I know Bethany will have more to add to this but from where I am in this, I watched my wife as she was blessed by a friend with nothing more than a phone number for a doctor.  She had said, "I need a word from God today" and as we walked into church Sunday she was handed this little piece of paper with that name and number on it. This particular doctor is a specialist that travels to China to perform heart surgery on orphans...are you kidding?! Bethany has said several times that she feels very led to doing more for orphans and getting involved in some way, to allow God to use her to serve these kids wherever they are.  During the service Frank showed a video about orphans in Romania and how we can help.  There is a mission trip coming up this summer.  Here is an opportunity to step into God's work, to provide some hope and love to a group of people that truly have nothing. Another touch from God.  Also, we are hoping to host a ladies tea and were trying to figure out how we are going to pull all of that together.  Renting/borrowing tables was an issue and I know it sounds like a small one but Sunday Darren from Calvary sat with us for a minute and let us know that he had just purchased 25 tables for the church.  One more blessing that we didn't see coming, one more hurdle removed, one more Word from God.  It may seem like a small thing but the amount of stress a little practical thing like that can relieve is amazing. 

Lesson; be careful when you ask to hear from God...He might just respond. 

Evidence of God's Grace, part 2

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths."  --Micah 4:2



 

pics taken in 2005 in Aspen, CO

This weekend I was privileged to meet another family who has been down this path of adoption....adoption from China in fact. Their daughter who is now 12 is going back to China this summer for the first time since she was adopted 11 years ago. Wow! It is amazing to me how God is placing more and more people in our lives who have also travelled this road. And...I think the "road" is one of the main parts of this.

I've learned so much about God during this process...how He loves us; how He shows us that love in mercy and grace; how His hand is in the small details; how He comforts and encourages this not so confident mom that He hears my prayers and that His grace abounds when mine does not. Sometimes, with all the overwhelming paperwork and waiting for this and that, I get discouraged. But, God is so good. That's when His grace flows down. He sends me some encouragement.

I had the great blessing of chatting with a special friend from San Antonio not too long ago. She and her family were the first friends the Knox family had when we moved to TX. Alexandra met the oldest daughter of the family at Bible Study Fellowship the first few days we were in TX and found out they were home-schoolers as well...first person she met = God's grace. That sweet family introduced us to our home school group, many friends and our fabulous church. (Wayside Chapel--just in case you're ever in San Antonio and looking for a church to visit) They have five beautiful, biological children, and since we've been in Tennessee, they have been traveling the adoption road as well. It was such a treat to talk with her. She confirmed something I had been thinking of as well by saying, "I have learned so much about God. My relationship with Him has grown so much...just because we have followed Him down this path. I still pray that if this isn't His will that He would close the door of adoption to us. In my heart of hearts, of course, I hope we end up with a child, but I never would have know Him like this if we hadn't followed Him into adoption." Wow! That's just exactly what I was thinking! Just another bit of evidence of His grace....another mom echoing my heart.

Sometimes this path is scary, exciting, confusing, heartbreaking, challenging, joyful, discouraging, heart-filling... all rolled in together; but it's not lonely. God is here, and He is gracious enough to give me the gift of others who have gone before me or those who are also on their adoption journey. Thank You, Jesus!

"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."

Ephesians 2:4-5

Evidence of His Grace

"When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts." Acts 11:23

Thank You, Father, for the grace you rain down on me.

Pics from Christmas Day...

This Christmas was extra special. First time in our new home. A blanket of snow covered everything. An unexpected gift. The gift actually came a little after Christmas because of the snow...it delayed family. Chris' mom had let us know that she had a surprise and that we would like it. We thought it was something she got....a new car, a cat...we just didn't know. Well, it wasn't a car or a cat. When she arrived, she handed us an envelope and told us it was from a friend of her coworker...someone we had never met. Someone she had never met. The friend had heard about us adopting when Ann shared our blog with her coworker, and the friend wanted to help. Inside the envelope was a few hundred dollars! Wow! Chris and I just looked at each other in disbelief, and, of course, I got teary. Whether she knew it or not, whether she's a believer in the Lord Jesus or not, God had used her to bless us! Someone who never met us! This surprise was evidence of God's grace. God's grace is still so amazing to me!

You see, most people who check into international adoption end up not adopting because of the cost. I have to admit that was my first thought...how can we do this? We don't have that much money. Will we ever have it? My mom asked me, "Out of all the adoption stories you have heard, how many have been about someone not going through with it because of money?" I said, "None. It's always how God has provided. How miraculously He has provided." I say all this to encourage those of you who have considered adopting but are concerned about coming up with the money. I've been there, and sometimes I still go there...but not for long because God shows us evidence of His grace. Money is nothing to the Creator.

From our family to yours...

We wish you a...

Merry Christmas!!!

and one just for fun...

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavely host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

May God bless you this Christmas and in the coming year!



Last of the papers!!!

Dropped off the last few papers to our Home Study case worker, Janet, on Monday!!!

Along with those papers were some very special items....
Janet asked Alexandra and Hunter to write a letter or draw a picture about the adoption. Here is what they did....

Hunter, of course, drew pictures.

This is Hunter with his new brother next Christmas. Don't you love the Lego people!!

And now with his new sister...who is apparently going to receive Polly Pockets.

Ali isn't really into drawing, but she does like to write...well, sometimes. :)
This was her letter:

Dear Ms. Jenkins,

     The main reason I'm excited to adopt is because I'll get to tell my little brother and sister about Jesus. I know that sounds like an answer you would hear in Sunday School, but it's the truth. I feel a need to lead little kids to Christ. I also look forward to dressing up and playing with dolls with my little sister and building with wooden blocks with my little brother. Tucking them in at night is one of the biggest things I look forward to. Thanks for helping us during this process.                                                                                               

Can't wait,
Ali Knox

How blessed Chris and I are to have such awesome kids!!!