Holdin' on to Hope

Wow! How fast the month of July has gone - we just realized that it'll be a month tomorrow since we've posted on the blog. We've been enjoying the summer and can't believe that in a month, we will be back in school! (Vicki returns to school August 22, the kids start back on August 24). Unfortunately, we don't have any big news to share about our adoption....but, we are excited that we seem to have some signs of hope.....and our prayer request now is that we might be able to share Christmas together fully "expanded" as the Jansen's.

Please join us as we try to continue this journey ~ "Being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" Romans 12:12

We continue finding great comfort in knowing that God is in control of all the details - big and little. God is good - all the time!!

Build Us Back

Welcome to July! For us, it meant another monthly update from our agency. There were 5 children blessed enough to be referred to their "forever families". We are so happy for those kids and share the joy of their new parents. They, too have waited long for their referrals and been dealing with the uncertainty of adoption in Ethiopia.

But, it was a downer for us at the same time. Some of these families sent in their Dossiers after we did. Some of these families have an idea of when they will go to Ethiopia to meet their child. And, we still wait. We are not trying to start a pity party - we don't want any one's pity. But, we are going to be honest again and just say that this is very, very hard. We (Dave & Vicki) are usually taking turns picking each other up when we are frustrated, tired of waiting, etc. But, more and more, we seem to be having the bad moments at the same time. The waiting just wears a person down after a while. We knew this process would be hard and still signed up. And, we KNOW that it will all be worth it. We have no doubt. The yearning in our hearts just deepens as we wait and that yearning won't be fulfilled until our family is complete here in Lewis Center, Ohio. Please pray for us and our kids here. Pray for our child in Ethiopia - that they are safe, warm, well fed, free from any sort of harm and their heart and mind are being fully prepared for the changes to come in their young life. Pray that God keeps Building Us Back.....the words of that song sung by the Newsboys has been echoing in my heart all day - only God can continue to "Build Us Back".

Build Us Back

We've been crumbled, we've been crushed
City walls have turned to dust
Broken hands and blistered feet
We walk for miles to find relief

When the thief takes, when our hopes cave
You build us back
You build us back

When the earth shakes, when the world breaks
You build us back
You build us back

We are scared, we are poor
All our safety nets are torn
We've been humbled to our knees
From these ruins, we believe

When the thief takes, when our hopes cave
You build us back
You build us back

When the earth shakes, when the world breaks
You build us back
You build us back

Redeemer, redeem us
Restorer, restore us
Oh build us back
Though the mountains be shaken, the hills be removed
Your unfailing love remains
After all that's been taken, Your promise, still sacred
You build us back with precious stones

Lord Jesus, thank you for Building Us Back each time our hopes cave. We know that you are building us into the people you want us to be and we Praise you!