tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74798324031224904502024-03-05T13:08:57.800-05:00The Jansen ExpansionThis blog will share the journey of the Jansen Expansion.....following God's call to Ethiopia and adoption....to provide a home and forever family.Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-41175114996586022872017-11-30T16:37:00.000-05:002017-11-30T16:37:07.393-05:00And so it goes....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Lalli has been home almost 4 months already and we thought it's good to share an update on several issues....<br />
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First, Ethiopia and its adoption situation. As you know, we were very anxious about getting Lalli home before the end of the year, because of his age. But, there was also a lot of complications with the future of Ethiopian Adoptions. As of right now, there continues to be complications with the future of Ethiopian Adoptions. Here is a recent update <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/adoptionsabroad/en/country-information/alerts-and-notices/EthiopiaUpdateonSuspensionofAdoptions.html">https://travel.state.gov/content/adoptionsabroad/en/country-information/alerts-and-notices/EthiopiaUpdateonSuspensionofAdoptions.html </a>It does seem to be changing from week to week and no one seems to know what the future will hold for sure. We would ask for your prayers - there are some wonderful people who are ready to bring home children from Ethiopia - some of them who have been in process for years - and they may not be able to bring their children home. It is heartbreaking - so many true orphans who need and deserve a family. Pray for the country of Ethiopia to make decisions that are based on what is best for the children.<br />
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Second, an update on Lalli~<br />
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What's been good....<br />
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He's had a lot of "new" thrown at him and overall, he has handled it very well. He has hearing aids now and is still getting used to having them. He is attending Speech Therapy twice a month. This speech therapy is currently more about helping him listen and learn and not necessarily for him to learn how to speak. We are still considering a cochlear implant in at least one ear in the future...we'd appreciate your prayers for wisdom on that decision. He's been assessed and tested in all sorts of ways in order for his IEP (Individualized Education Plan) to be done so he could start school. He started attending school at The Ohio School for the Deaf in October. He was able to play in a few of their soccer games before the season came to an end. (This boy LOVES soccer and watches soccer any time he can on TV or on the Computer). All of these things are good but have taken a lot of time and coordination - especially on Dave's part (He rocks!). We are extremely grateful for Nationwide Children's Hospital, Olentangy Local School District and The Ohio School for the Deaf and all the ways they are partnering with us as parents. Indeed, it does take a Village!!<br />
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What's been rough.....<br />
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Lalli's homecoming has made Martha ask a lot more questions about adoption and why she was adopted, etc. It has reminded us again that adoption is beautiful and yet so hard. There are questions that can't always be answered and pieces of the puzzle that may never be put together. Adoption is a journey....never really an end point.<br />
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Lalli had been in orphanages for many years. Possibly since he was 4 or 5. That's a very long, long time. Life in an orphanage is much different than life in a family unit. He was used to living in a room full of boys and be under the direction of nannies. How has that translated to being home? First - delight at having a Father. He adores Dave and has quickly connected to him. Second, he and Josh have meshed very well. They enjoy video games, throwing a football or playing soccer together, and messing around together. It has been beautiful to watch. But, because he was used to being with boys and nannies, it's been much harder to bond with his sisters and Mom. He isn't quite sure what to do with Ellie and Martha and that transition has been a little difficult on both sides. And, he has seemed to have an even harder time with Vicki as a Mom. He has, in many ways, treated her as a nanny. And, since Vicki is home the most with him, that has been hard on Vicki. We have tried to do some role playing, some discussions, etc with him about family relationships, respect, etc. But, it is going to be a process ....family relationships are foreign to him in so many ways. Vicki's trying to fully envelop him as her son, but he is cautious and unsure and that comes out in different ways, not always good ways. It's hard some days to not take that personally. Thankfully God has provided other adoptive Momma's who are walking the same roads.....we remind each other of our kids past lives and the "stuff" they've brought home with them, we remind each other that we were called to this, we check in with each other and give lots of "you got this" to each other.<br />
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Why do we share this? Because we decided a long time ago in this blog, that we're gonna be real and honest. We've had some hard days on this adoption journey. Momma tears have been shed. We've had to really dig deep and keep going some days. Adoption is not for the faint of heart.....it is hard and beautiful and exhausting and complicated and worth it. Always worth it. <br />
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And again, it reminds us of God's love for us. <i><u>We know He'd always say that we're worth it.</u></i> We're worth it for Him to pursue us again and again. We're worth it in that He'd send His only son as a baby at Christmas to have his life sacrificed for us. Even when we thwart God's attempts at loving us or push Him away or don't accept His love, it's still there. The Heavenly Father that is the perfect parent.....Oh How He Loves Us....and because of that, we continue loving too.</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-52662514816981852592017-09-19T19:02:00.002-04:002017-09-19T19:18:08.129-04:00Shout outs!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Whenever you experience something significant in life there are people and memories that become extra special. This recent adoption journey is no different. That's why this blog is a "Shout out" - a Shout Out to those who helped us make it through - because without them, we never would have made it!<br />
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Shout out #1 - to Vicki's sister Jan and our kids Jon, Anna, Ellie and Joshua. These five people were the best team we could have ever left in charge while we were gone. They rocked it out and kept our home front (and especially Martha) humming right along. Our gratitude runs deep, very deep. We love you all and we're glad to partner with y'all in life!<br />
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Shout out #2 - to all of you who donated funds, came to a fund raiser, helped with Martha care while we were gone, brought food for our family, sent a note of encouragement, prayed or a myriad of other things that happened - Thank you! You have no idea how those small acts of kindness put our hearts at peace. The number of details we had to manage was overwhelming and having others take care of some of those details was such a blessing!<br />
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Shout out #3 - Fekadu - the best driver in all of Ethiopia (especially because he could scare Dave Jansen while he was in the passenger seat!). Not only did Fekadu get us to Court from the airport in about 20 minutes (amazing in Addis Ababa), he drove us to Embassy, the Birth Certificate Agency, the Passport Tent, a bunch of other places, brought us to great restaurants (and guaranteed they were safe for us Americans), helped interpret, kept the Worship music going in his Van, helped negotiate purchases, but most importantly, he became a friend of ours that we love and highly respect. His story is hard but beautiful and a testimony that God is our Good, Good Father. Fekadu - thanks for your witness and integrity and love for Jesus. You inspire us!<br />
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Shout out #4 - to our fellow adoptive parents - you inspire us as well! You have all worked so hard to fight for your children and once they're home, we all know we have to keep fighting - through paperwork, medical appointments, bonding and attachment, a whole host of things. Your love and commitment to your kids, even before meeting them face to face is amazing. And, we know many of you that are home now are weary and in the thick of it, but you just keep on keeping on. It's a beautiful example of Christ's love for us as His children...He never gives up. To meet so many adoptive parents on this journey has been a blessing - and we are grateful for the continued support system you bring to our lives.<br />
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Shout out #5 - Ordinary Hero Guest House (www.ohguesthouse.com) We've made 4 trips to Addis Ababa and stayed at 4 different places. This one was our absolute favorite! The place was clean, the rooms were roomy, the eating area provided plenty of room to spread out on couches, play cards/games and just hang out, room outside to play football and soccer, and the staff was so kind and considerate! It was a wonderful place to "land" at the end of each day as this trip was probably the most difficult of all four we've made. Oh, and then there's the view from our room......<br />
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Shout out #6 - Our US Embassy Staff in Addis Ababa. We walked into the Embassy around 1 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon without an appointment and with plane tickets purchased to fly home that night (loooong story - it'll be shared in a future blog) not knowing if they would be willing to process our paperwork and provide a Visa for Lalli. They were so kind and caring and sent us on our way shortly after 4 p.m. (many times parents are told to return the following day to pick up the Visa). It was a long afternoon of anxious waiting, but they did their very best and granted the Visa. The staff there had heart and compassion and we were so impressed by the way they handled our situation as well as the situation of another family having a very difficult time getting home. They weren't just pushing paperwork, they were caring about kids and families and their kindness does not go unnoticed. </div>
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Shout out #7 - To Pamela at Pat Tiberi's office in Worthington, Ohio who made phone calls, emails and connections to help Lalli come home and was an encouragement during every contact we had. And also to other politicians across the nation who were a major force during the Ethiopian Adoption Closure and continue to fight for the families still waiting to bring their children home. There are many....please keep these families in your prayers. We pray those children are all home SOON!</div>
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We're sure that we've forgotten many.....because it really does take a village to adopt a child. We thank you Village - you have been amazing and lives have been changed because of you!</div>
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Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-58548710109815572642017-08-26T19:09:00.000-04:002017-08-26T21:14:50.220-04:00Transitions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Transition: <br />
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;">noun <b> </b><span style="background-color: white;"><b>1.</b> </span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-weight: lighter;">the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.</span><br />
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<i>verb<b> 1. </b></i><span style="font-weight: lighter;">undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The most common question we've heard recently - "How's it going?". And, the answer is usually "good", "very well", or "as good as it can be", because all in all it is. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Lalli has been home with us for just over 2 weeks. It is hard to believe that just over a month ago we had returned from our first trip and were making plans to return back in less than two weeks. And, now we're home. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">We'll save the details from our second trip for another blog update (it was quite the trip!). But, for now, we'll share about being home. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">We arrived home on Thursday, August 10th around supper time. After quick introductions at the Airport we came home for a meal together with our SIX kids and spent some time outside playing around and trying to make Lalli feel as comfortable as possible. The majority of the next day was spent at Nationwide Children's International Adoption Clinic (Can we give a shout out to them? They rock!) where Lalli was poked and prodded and run through all sorts of tests and evaluations. On Saturday and Sunday we just stayed home and allowed him to rest and try to get acclimated in any way he could. Then, Monday, Vicki started up daycare for the school year and on Wednesday, Ellie, Josh and Martha returned to school full time for the year. It was a crazy few days to say the least and somewhat of a blur. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Those first days were tough. We were tired. Traveling the distance/amount that we did within two weeks of each trip is hard enough when you do it for fun. Throw in the emotional aspect of adoption and you are <i>wiped out</i>. Josh and Ellie were tired from lots of Martha care and the thought of going back to school. Vicki also had some sort of allergic/viral reaction to something just hours before we left Ethiopia (resulting in MAJOR hives & 14 days of predisone once we got home). Dave returned to work. Cross Country season began. Martha started going to school every day and was<i> tired</i>. Communication was rough. One of our showers our broke. Lalli was overwhelmed and tired and shy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Good stress is still stress. Good change is still change. And change can take a while to get used to.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Transitions. That's where we are. We are in transition. Changing from having 5 to 6 kids. Changing from living years in an orphanage to being part of a family unit. Learning new skills and seeing new things and eating new foods and being with new people. Trying to figure out best methods of communication in order to assess Lalli to see which school setting is best for him. Trying to keep him busy and challenged and yet not force too much on him as he waits for school meetings and evaluations. Trying to build relationships without pushing them. Filling out forms - lots of forms. Insurance, school, County, post-adoption reports. Prepare for Post adoption Home Visit with Social worker. Appointments for hearing aids and school stuff and dentist and ear doctor. Balance socializing without overwhelming. Changes. More smiles from Lalli. Two 15 year old brothers picking on each other. Lalli tells us he's happy. He tastes every new food we've introduced. He is initiating more conversation with us. We get to introduce him to a walk in the woods. To S'mores. To our Church family and community. Transitions.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">All in all - it is very good. But, the balance of all sorts of things is a work in progress and probably will be for a very long time yet. We are thrilled that Lalli is here and we are grateful for the Village of people in our lives who made that happen in a million different ways. Thank you for giving us our space, your support and most of all your prayers. We are so grateful for be parents to Lalli and eager to see what big plans God has in store for him!</span></div>
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Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-67801664046027837482017-07-24T11:27:00.001-04:002017-07-24T11:27:26.705-04:00Home. For Now.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We had an amazing time in Ethiopia. Our love for the country and its people expanded more than before. Our time with our son was nothing short of amazing. He is a wonderful young man and we can't wait to have him join the rest of the family. Obviously, communication will take a while on his end and on ours, but we will get there. Realistically, we are dealing with three different languages.....Ethiopian sign language, American sign language and then English. It's going to take a while...but we all seem to be pretty determined. :-)<br />
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We spent our time with our son playing lots of games - Uno, Bounce Off, etc. He also enjoys throwing the football and kicking the soccer ball around and has a great sense of humor (necessary in our family!). We also spent some time each visit comparing signs in our own language, spelling words and trying to just learn more about each other. He did a great job testifying to the judge (with the help of his wonderful teacher) and was clearly discouraged when the judge said we needed to place another newspaper ad to see if his birthparents respond. His testimony was clear....he wants to come home with us. He's spent at least 8 years in an orphanage and has watched numerous kiddos leave with their adoptive families. He's more than ready. We were delighted to learn that he remembers Martha from when they were at the orphanage together - what a gift that is!<br />
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We were also blessed to see and experience Ethiopia - the beauty of its landscape, the culture, the generous and welcoming people. We were able to worship Jesus Christ together with believers from all over the world - a little taste of heaven! And, visiting a Young Life Camp in Ethiopia was definitely a highlight. We also had our hearts broken again by some of what we saw....the poverty, the harshness of living on less than $2.00 a day for so many people. It's hard to wrap our minds around so much of it and impossible to describe it.<br />
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For now, we're home. And, our bodies, inner time clocks (and tummies) are still adjusting. And, right now, we could really use your prayers. We have a few decisions to make in a very short amount of time (like less than 24 hours most likely) and because we don't feel well rested /re-aclimated (and thus aren't sure we trust our decision making right now), we just need God to make things very clear. We'd like to put out a fleece like Gideon (Judges 6:36-38) and have it that clear. These decisions aren't easy - they involve lots of money, schedules, our family, other people and the possibility of one or both of us returning to Ethiopia in just a week - we don't take them lightly. Would you please pray that we make the best decisions for everyone involved? We depend on your prayers and the nudging of the Holy Spirit.....to God be the Glory!</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-51576740181332207392017-07-07T11:38:00.000-04:002017-07-07T11:38:04.742-04:00Stressed and Blessed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As we are down to single digits before we leave for Ethiopia....my stress level is off the charts! I'm a pretty detail oriented, organized person, so I am making list upon list, pile upon pile and my brain is in total overdrive (so much so, that I am having trouble sleeping....a rare thing for me. And, certainly doesn't help anything at all). Dave is also trying to pre-plan and prepare as much as possible from the work/church end. So - you can imagine neither of us are feeling the calmest of spirits.<br />
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I am trying to cover every detail imaginable on the US side....finances for adoption and day to day life here while we're gone, food, plans for the kids, sanity for my sister as she stays here, and just about anything I can possibly think of. It's a lot. <br />
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Then, there's the Ethiopia side. Making sure we have a place to stay and transportation. Hoping to see a Young Life Camp and also some special friends while we're there (because when you travel that far, you need to pack it all in), and then there's our son. Meeting him for the first time, spending time with him, seeing his world. And, the main reason for it all....trying to get him HOME. This will involve a lot of waiting, praying, talking and probably more waiting. That's hard, this hurry up and wait stuff. More than hard sometime, it's heart wrenching. And, then (probably because I'm tired) my brain jumps to all the "what if's"......what if this trip doesn't help at all? What if his case just gets pushed aside....for months? What if we have to stay and run out of finances to get all 3 of us home? What if something happens back at home? What if? What if? WHAT IF?<br />
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And, then I try to calm myself down with some deep breaths, wipe away some tears and listen to that voice that is trying to break through....."TRUST ME. My plans are better than yours. They are BEST." And, then I put out a call for help with some meals for the kids while we're gone.....and the response is overwhelming. And, then we receive another baked good donation for the bake sale. And, then someone I just met tells me she has been praying for our family this past week. <br />
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So, instead of "What if?" my phrase needs to change to "And, then"<br />
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"And, then" because I know that I can trust my Lord Jesus, my Savior. I know He holds my future and my family in His hands, not my own. "And, then" because God is writing this story of ours and He has plans that I can't even see. "And, then" because I'm going to re-tell this story in the future by saying "And, then, God did this....and this.....and this."<br />
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I'm crazy stressed out, so why am I taking the time to blog? Because it just forced me to sit down, refocus, slow down and remember "And, then".<br />
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God is good. All the time.</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-36154084861741312722017-06-21T09:26:00.001-04:002017-06-21T09:26:20.514-04:00Traveling and treats!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have booked flights, a hotel and are getting ready to travel to Ethiopia! We (Dave & Vicki) leave July 13 for Addis Ababa to meet our boy!! We are so excited to spend time with him and be back in Ethiopia and experience it again. <br />
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We will also be going to see what we can do to try to expedite his case - we would greatly appreciate your prayers that we can see that happen in some way. We are praying BIG and need you to join us in that. There is some movement in Ethiopian adoptions again, but we are a bit anxious as to how long that will last and as to what extent.<br />
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We will be having a Bake Sale Fundraiser and "Lemonade for Lalli" stand on Sunday, July 9 from 3 - 6 p.m. at CenterPoint Lewis Center (7750 Greenmeadows Dr N. Lewis Center) to help offset some of the travel costs and childcare costs that we pay monthly. Your support and help would be great - please stop by for some baked goods and lemonade and just to hang out for a while! Weather permitting we'll be outside and would love to have our "village" come out in full force!<br />
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Thank you for your continued prayers and support in bringing our boy HOME.</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-31416850590946107232017-05-31T19:45:00.001-04:002017-05-31T19:45:51.998-04:00No news....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We are so grateful for so many of you who are praying and checking in on us and our adoption situation. As they say, adoption is not for the faint hearted....TRUTH.<br />
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The recent visits to Washington D.C. by some Ethiopian Adoptive parents were well received and we feel good about what happened there, the results and the support of some of our Government officials.<br />
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Currently, there is no news about our specific case. There have been updates on the adoption situation from various sources, but unfortunately, nothing really for us to grab on to. The news and updates we receive seem to make us hopeful and then take the wind out of our sails, all in the same day. And this seems to be happening every other day at least. It's a bit exhausting and we<i> try</i> not to hang our hopes and hearts on any of it so much.....probably for our own protection. <br />
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As always, we plead for your prayers on behalf of our boy, our family and the over 200 other U.S. families in similar situations. We continue to put our trust in God.....not in man. Please join us in praying and knocking on Heaven's door as we continue to pray for a summer miracle!</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-78751938196003916482017-05-21T20:48:00.000-04:002017-05-21T20:48:19.316-04:00Big Stuff = Big Prayers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The journey continues.....there is potential for some big happenings tomorrow with the Adoption situation with Ethiopia and <u>all families involved could use some BIG prayers ALL day long....</u><br />
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*There are 4 adoptive Momma's in process of Ethiopian adoptions spending the day tomorrow in Washington D.C. They have scheduled meetings with 7 Senators and 2 Representatives. Some of those they are meeting with are on the Foreign Affairs Committee or Adoption Council. These meetings start at 10 a.m. and the last one starts at 4 p.m. At each of these meetings they will be leaving a "one sheet" from all families that sent them one (Yes. You know we did!) These "one sheets" have pictures of our families and information about our adoption process/status. I believe these amazing Momma's will also have extra copies available for impromptu meetings they hope to have with other politicians that they might run into. <br />
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*There is also a phone call scheduled at 2 p.m. tomorrow that Senator Blunt (MO) said he is participating in specifically about the Ethiopian Adoption situation. In addition to your prayers, we'd ask you to CALL YOUR SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE MONDAY MORNING AND ASK THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PHONE CALL with Senator Blunt - or to at least call his office for more information. Thank you!!<br />
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*We do have a Huge PRAISE from this past week. A few years ago, the Democratic Republic of Congo had a similar situation with all of their adoptions. The parents of DRC parents heard about the Ethiopian situation and started to reach out. They have been a wealth of support, encouragement, contacts and ideas on how to navigate this process. The meetings and "one sheets" for tomorrow mainly come from their wealth of knowledge. What an amazing part of the details that God has worked out! <br />
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Please spend a few minutes out of your Monday and PRAY BIG for our boy (feel free to set your cell phone for 12:24 and pray for him everyday).<br />
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PRAY BIG for the government officials involved in the U.S. and in Ethiopia. Pray for soft hearts with a passion for children to be loved and in families.<br />
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PRAY BIG for all of the parents on this journey....it is hard to explain how we can all love kiddos we haven't meant, but God does that in our hearts and it's an amazing, beautiful, miraculous thing. And, when we parents love Big, the heartache and worry is big right now too. <br />
<br />
Thank you!!<br />
<br /></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-77588186411208130402017-05-08T20:29:00.000-04:002017-05-08T20:29:08.484-04:00Prayers and Politics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We knew Adoption was a roller coaster....<br />
<br />If you haven't seen our Facebook updates, here is the latest~<br />
<br />
On April 21st, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia declared a suspension on all intercountry adoptions. This suspension was declared with no advance warning.<br />
<br />
We were able to participate today in a phone call with the U.S. State Department and USCIS. They are actively trying to get answers for all of the families currently involved. There has been no reason given by Ethiopia for the suspension and no idea on how long the suspension will last. The State Department is actively advocating for all cases which currently have a referral/match - of which we do. We went into this phone call with pretty low expectations and after completing it, those expectations were met. There just doesn't seem to be a lot that can currently be done and doesn't seem to be much currently happening. From our understanding, this is the situation of a little over 200 other families....some of whom are currently in Ethiopia with their children but can not take them home (some are even formally adopted). It doesn't make sense and surely doesn't seem right for any of these kiddos who need a home and family. This is just so beyond our understanding!<br />
<br />
So - when the politics of this world don't seem to make sense - we turn to prayer. We'd ask you to join us in setting your phone/watch to pray every day at 12:24 for our boy. We have committed to do this until he is HOME. <br />
<br />
Here are some of our prayer requests:<br />
<br />
*That the powers that be in Ethiopia would change this adoption situation as soon as possible.<br />
*That our boy (who knows he is to be adopted by us) would not be worried or concerned with the amount of time it is taking for us to get there. Pray that he would have peace.<br />
*Pray for peace and joy for us....this is a dark cloud with us all the time.<br />
*Pray for financial issues.....even though there is a suspension in place, we are still making monthly childcare payments, etc. We had planned to do this, but can only do that for so long until we need to do some more fundraising. <br />
*Pray for the uncertainty....and that we can enjoy summer, make memories, possibly vacation if we don't travel to ET. It's just hard to plan anything right now.<br />
*For all the children and families involved.<br />
*For our adoption case workers - they are often the messengers of bad news like this and it is beyond their control. They still press on tirelessly to try to help children and families...but they get weary and discouraged too.<br />
*<i><b>Pray that our case would be expedited due to the special needs and age of our son. He's been waiting many years for a family.....it's so unfair that he needs to keep waiting.</b></i><br />
*That's the big picture of it all.....PLEASE JUST PRAY. <span style="font-size: x-large;">PRAY.</span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-79390188403976024952017-04-13T22:13:00.000-04:002017-04-13T22:13:34.542-04:00Prayer Request<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For some reason, this week has been a little bit more difficult.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's the fact that Easter is here and all of our family will be together....without the one we wait for. <br />
<br />
Maybe it's because we had to sign a new POA (Power of Attorney) that we hope will catch up with our Dossier in Ethiopia very soon. We had to have a new one done because of requirement changes....so that meant another notary stamp/signature, County Seal, State Seal and then sending the paper to D.C. for it's visit to the Embassy and State Department, then back to our Agency and finally on to Ethiopia soon. This one piece of paper could slow things down significantly if it doesn't get matched up with our Dossier. <br />
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Maybe it's just that we know summer is coming. Summer is when we pray he'll be home. Summer is when Court in Ethiopia closes for a while because of the rainy season. If we don't get him home this summer we will be extremely worried about whether or not we can get him home at all because we'll get closer to his birthday.....the birthday where he'll age out. Summer coming brings a range of emotions right now.<br />
<br />
Here is what we are waiting on:<br />
1) First Court Hearing - we do not attend<br />
2) MOWCYA Letter of Consent - This is the approval/review letter that will be submitted to court before the 2nd Court hearing is scheduled<br />
3) 2nd Court Hearing - this one we must attend<br />
4) US Embassy/Visa appointment (usually within 2-4 weeks after step 3)<br />
<br />
The time period between 1, 2 and 3 can be months.....and months and even greater than a year for some. In our situation, we don't have that kind of time. <u><b>We would greatly appreciate everyone knocking hard on Heaven's doors this next month that steps 1 - 3 happen soon and in pretty quick succession. Maybe we are overly optimistic, but we know we have a God who still does miracles today!</b></u><br />
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We are deeply thankful for your prayers and look forward to sharing with you what God does! <br />
<br />
Have a wonderful Resurrection Celebration this weekend! He is Risen!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-33303517429373499862017-03-12T21:50:00.000-04:002017-03-12T21:50:07.266-04:00The In Between...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First of all, an update. We received word from the Embassy in Addis Ababa that they have sent our case back to the USCIS here in the States. That is a good sign and we anticipate final confirmation on our PAIR letter soon. That will allow us to check one more item off the list before we travel. After the PAIR letter is recieved, we just wait for our Court Date to be given by the Ethiopian Court system.<br />
<br />
When we started this 2nd adoption process, I (Vicki) anticipated it would be so much easier than the first time. You see, during our first adoption process, I cried a lot (I know, I know - so hard to believe if you really know me). The anticipation of so many unknowns was hard for me. I thought that because we already had our referral, the process this time would seem like a piece of cake. And, I had been doing pretty well until recently. Now, as we (hopefully) are moving closer to traveling, I'm a little messy sometimes. I've narrowed it down to two things.....<br />
<br />
1) I'm a Momma. Deep, deep down, through and through. Having kids on both sides of the world right now is messing with me. I so much just want to have everyone in one place. And, as I anticipate traveling and being in Ethiopia for possibly three weeks, my list of "what if's" while I'm gone and away from 5 of my kids is growing longer and my stresses grow. <br />
<br />
2) I'm a planner. Always have been, always will be. It's a blessing and a curse. :-) So, right now we are "In Between". All our paperwork is done. There is no busy work. There is just waiting. And, in that waiting, there is only so much preparation that can be done for travel, because we just have no idea when we'll travel. So - there's lots of time that allows a mind to wander.<br />
<br />
What do I remember in the "In Between"? That God is sovereign. He's in control and all the plans for travel, for all of my kids, finances still needed.....He's got it covered. He just doesn't have to show me all of His plans yet because He is the God of the Universe. He's the ultimate Parent and the perfect planner. He's got this.....even during the "In Between". </div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-45519132095542333992017-01-30T17:00:00.005-05:002017-01-30T17:00:58.592-05:00Questions......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First of all, thanks to all of you who came out to support us at our Pancake Breakfast! We are so grateful and loved seeing so many of you face to face - such a blessing!<br />
<br />
We've had plenty of questions lately and thought we'd offer some answers - to the best of our ability. <br />
<br />
<b>Where are you in the process?</b> Currently, there are two things happening. First, our Dossier, is going to Ethiopia to be translated into the Amharic language and will then go through MOWCYA (<b>M</b>inistry <b>O</b>f <b>W</b>omen and <b>C</b>hildrens and <b>Y</b>outh <b>A</b>ffairs) to be studied and approved. After their approval, we will be submitted to Court and we will be given a court date. Secondly, we have applied to USCIS (US Center for Immigration Services) for our PAIR letter. This is a letter determining whether or not our child is eligible to immigrate to the United States. We have done all we can for both of these items and must WAIT (not so patiently) to hear about their approvals. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Are you concerned about the current immigration situation? Will it affect the adoption? </b>Yes, we are concerned. Internationally adopted children are considered immigrants, so we are of course, concerned We do not think it will affect the adoption, but we do not know for sure. For all sorts of reasons - it could trickle down to at least complicating our paperwork process because of all that seems to be happening at the USCIS. We pray this will not be the case and pray for all those affected by recent events and decisions. It is heartbreaking to us.<br />
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<b>Why does it take so long? Why does it cost so much? </b>This link seems to offer a wonderful explanation - better then we ever could. http://lifelinechild.org/why-is-international-adoption-so-expensive/<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Are you meeting the financial needs for the process? </b>Slowly. Surely. God is GOOD and we trust His provision.<br />
<br />
<b>When will you travel?</b> We have no idea - it all depends on when the Ethiopian Courts give us a Court date. Sometimes it's hard not to worry about when we'll travel and how that timing with work out. We would love to travel late Spring/early summer. This would be ideal - on our calendars. But, we know it is beyond our control and as time comes closer, we just have to trust God's plan. We are currently also trying to figure out if we make one trip (probably 3 weeks long) or two trips of one week each. There are pros and cons for both options....financially, relational, work wise, children wise, etc etc. We'd greatly appreciate your prayers that we make the best decision for our entire family and your specific prayers that we travel in late May/early June. :-)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>How are ASL classes going? </b>We're learning. Slowly. :-) <br />
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Thanks for checking in and for asking questions and being interested. Pray for our Boy over there - big changes are coming his way and we pray for his, and our preparation. May He know the love, acceptance and belonging of a Family. Forever. <br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-32523700940789974342017-01-17T06:39:00.000-05:002017-01-17T06:39:04.955-05:00Pancakes!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Central Ohio Friends - You're all invited to a Jansen Expansion Pancake Breakfast to help raise funds to bring our boy home! Come join us THIS Saturday, January 21 from 9-11 a.m. at The Barn at CenterPoint, 620 McCutcheon in Gahanna (not too far from Easton). We'd love to have you join us! </div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-71608946476645327902016-12-18T22:58:00.000-05:002016-12-18T23:03:23.820-05:00Paperwork, Pictures and Prayers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This last week or so has been some great adoption news and also continued concerns in the process.....as always, adoption is a lot of ups and downs.<br />
<br />
We recently got some new pictures of our boy and he looks like he is doing well. We are grateful! We also received some new documents in regard to him. These were wonderful to receive but also made us grieve a bit.....there's so much of his story we don't know and so much we wonder about - and maybe we always will. And, it made us all the more eager to be his <u><i>family</i></u> and provide a <i><u>home</u></i> for him because for so much of his life he has had neither. On Christmas Eve our boy will have a birthday and turn 15.....we look forward to having him here and celebrating his 16th birthday with him next year.<br />
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We went to get our fingerprints a little over a week ago for our USCIS petition and were told via email that our petition has been approved.....so now we will stalk the mailbox for the official 171-H :-) This document is needed so that we can send our Dossier to Ethiopia. The Dossier is ready to go except for that approval form. We can't wait to send it off.....after finalizing and getting State Seals, final notarization's and other final details taken care of before it leaves our hands.....<br />
<br />
We also need to fill out another form for USCIS in order to receive a PAIR letter. The PAIR letter is necessary for our adoption case to continue. From what we've heard - this letter can sometimes take a long time and can become a slowdown in the process. Ugh. This was something that didn't need to be done in Martha's adoption process so it is totally new to us and causes a little anxiety. <br />
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We'd greatly appreciate your prayers in some specific areas right now:<br />
<br />
*Paperwork details - the Dossier, the 171-H, the PAIR letter, final translated (into English) documents we still need and all of these eventually relating to our case being submitted to Ethiopian Court. It's a whole lot of paperwork that all needs to come together yet.<br />
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*That December 24, 2016 would be the LAST Birthday our boy has without a family!<br />
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*There are still some financial details being finalized and we continue to pray for God's provision. As was the case in our first adoption process (or maybe it's just because it's 5 years later?) we seem to be having car problems beyond belief! 3 out of 4 cars seems to need something or other currently. The joke around the house is that we must be adopting again and God is making sure we keep trusting Him by giving us car troubles. We're trying to laugh it off.....trying :-)<br />
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*Timing - we are trying to not get caught up in our timeline or the timeline of the school year or Dave's Church responsibilities. We are reminding ourselves that God made the timing absolutely perfect for our whole family when we brought Martha home and we know He will do that again. (But sometimes we forget it's His time and not ours). Please also pray for our Bio kids....they dream of going to Ethiopia and each have a strong desire to see that beautiful Country of their Ethiopian siblings. We wish that were to be possible, but it won't be. Please pray that sometime their desire would turn into reality....thanks!<br />
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*Dave & Vicki start American Sign Language classes in January....pray that we are good learners.<br />
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Thank you for your prayers and support......we are grateful for each of you who stop and ask how things are going or those who say they've said a prayer, etc. It makes such a difference to us! We wish you all the best Christmas Celebration - so thankful for the little baby born so long ago - who came to save us and adopt us into God's family. O Come Let Us adore Him!</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-45301664696927344372016-11-20T22:51:00.000-05:002016-11-20T22:51:50.679-05:00Where we're at......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Many have asked lately for an update.....<br />
<br />
If you're familiar with International Adoption, you'll know that it's a lot of "Hurry up and Wait". And, we are at that stage again. We recently had our Home Study completed and approved. And, just this past week, we sent off our I600 (I think it had 14 pages) to the USCIS (United States Center for Immigration Services). The I600 is a Petition to Classify an Orphan as an immediate relative. Part of this process involves getting our Fingerprints done on the Federal level.....but we must wait until the USCIS grants us that appointment and then we can get approval for our I600. We'd appreciate your prayers that our Fingerprint appointment would be set up soon and that this whole paperwork process would continue in an extra timely fashion. <br />
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We are working a bit on our ASL (American Sign Language) and will begin taking a class in January. It's a slow progress, but we are making some steps forward. Please pray that the ASL we are learning and the ASL that our son knows will have more in common than not in common. As in any language, there are many dialects to ASL.<br />
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Later this week, our Social Worker will be traveling to Ethiopia to do some face to face work for a few of her cases. She will be ironing out some details in our case in the area of finances. There is a lot of background to our upcoming adoption involving different agencies and a lot of history (much too complicated to explain here.....). Would you please pray for her trip to be productive on all levels and that our case and others (who have been stuck for a while) would make great strides in bringing Children home?<br />
<br />
Another part of her trip will be telling our Son that he HAS a family! She will be taking a few things from us to give him - and that small package will include a letter and a picture of our Family. Please pray for him as he receives this package and news. We have been told by other adoptive families that he is eager for a family and has been waiting for a very, very long time. Please pray for excitement at this long awaited answer - but also peace as it means MAJOR life change for him and probably a lot of anxiety and fears.<br />
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Finally - continue to pray for Ethiopia. In addition to major political upheaval lately, there is also a lot of insecurity in other areas. Our recent Ethiopia update from Compassion states that 10.2 million Ethiopians urgently need food assistance; 6 million children are currently at risk of hunger, disease and lack of water because of the recent drought and 458,000 children are expected to be treated for severe malnutrition in 2016, up from the usual 250,000 annually. It is a Country that needs help and prayers......and as you go about your Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping, eating and celebrating.....please remember how blessed we are in this Country. If you have that one person on your list that you never know what to buy for - please consider this: <a href="https://www.compassion.com/charitable-gift-catalog.htm">https://www.compassion.com/charitable-gift-catalog.htm</a><br />
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Thanks for your continued prayers - Thanks Be to God for His Gifts!</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-27224156644235051582016-10-09T07:29:00.001-04:002016-10-09T07:29:37.932-04:00Fervent Prayers Needed ~<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Friends -<br />
<br />
While we are progressing quite well Stateside on our Paperwork for this Adoption Process, we have deep concerns for those we love across the world. Would you please pray for this beautiful Country that we love and for its people? Unfortunately, you probably won't see this in your local newscast, but it is real and true and those in Ethiopia matter to God and to us - please, please pray for them. Our hearts are heavy with concern today~<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/ethiopia-declares-state-of-emergency/">http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/ethiopia-declares-state-of-emergency/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://addisfortune.net/articles/breaking-news-the-federal-government-has-declared-a-state-of-emergency/">http://addisfortune.net/articles/breaking-news-the-federal-government-has-declared-a-state-of-emergency/</a><br />
<br />
Thank you~</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-29213929544597376592016-09-04T15:52:00.000-04:002016-09-28T11:04:45.033-04:00The Adventure Continues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
God is amazing isn't He? Here we are back at the Jansen Expansion Blog.....<br />
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As many of you know, Martha's adoption and our trips to Ethiopia changed us significantly. They opened our eyes and hearts more than we ever thought they would. So much so, that after completing the adoption process the first time, we always said to God that if he ever wanted us to do it again, we would be open to His call, but He would have to provide the financial resources and make it abundantly clear that it was what He was calling us to do.<br />
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Well, God has done just that! And we are excited to share that we are going to be adopting again! Through a series of circumstances and people, God HAS made it abundantly clear that we need to proceed in the pursuit of the adoption of a 14 year old young man, who is hearing impaired, from Ethiopia. If we didn't proceed at this point, we feel it would be being disobedient to what God has asked us to do. And, we know that living in God's will and plan is the absolute best place to be! We ask for your prayers as we join God on this God-sized adventure! Pray for all the necessary steps that need to happen and pray for our family and this young man as we prepare to do life as a family. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
We are currently starting our Home Study, which will involve checking into almost every nook and cranny of our lives...... :-) and then we will proceed with next steps. Our hope and prayer is that this young man will be home with us by December of 2017. We know that sounds like a long time from now, but in the international adoption world, that is a pretty short timetable. We need him to be home by then, because otherwise he will turn 16 and will not be able to get him a Visa to come to the US. And, added to that......he will probably be released from the Orphanage when he turns 16 and have to live on his own. <br />
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One of the ways that God clarified this to us, is through a couple of very special people who came to us, feeling that they were called to fund about 2/3's of this adoption. When that happened, we knew God was up to something! We are eternally thankful to people who respond to God's call to help children be in a family in whichever way God has equipped them to do so. We also had wonderful friends that asked us if they could start a GoFundMe page to help cover some of the other costs....travel expenses for two trips to Ethiopia, miscellaneous paperwork costs (there are many), shots for travel, the Home Study, Sign Language Classes and more. If you feel led to help a child come home to their family by donating through that, here is the link: <br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/jansenadopt">https://www.gofundme.com/jansenadopt</a></b><br />
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More than anything - we ask for your prayers. God is on the move and we are thrilled to be a part of His plan!</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-23884077174857630842014-05-24T11:39:00.000-04:002014-05-24T11:39:30.705-04:00Still Stuck<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's hard to believe that two years ago this weekend, we left for our Embassy Trip to Ethiopia and to bring Martha home. Time has flown by and brought so many changes to Martha and our family as a whole. God has been so good - all the time!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, there are still kids at the orphanage that Martha was at, that haven't seen much change. They are still stuck. And, in particular, the one little boy that many of you are aware of and have been asked to pray for in previous posts. He is still there and not much in his situation has changed. This breaks our hearts.<br />
<br />
Would you please pray for this little boy in particular? Pray for those involved in his life to make the changes needed to help him in the long run. Pray heavily for God to intervene in these next few days and weeks as some are seeking hard to help him out in some way. We don't know which way that will be - there are a couple of options. But, please pray for some sort of change to come about for his life and that his story will begin to unfold, instead of being still stuck.<br />
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Thank you - from deep in our hearts - thank you~</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-13915175444745016442014-04-07T14:25:00.002-04:002014-04-07T14:25:55.859-04:00Happy Birthday!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_da4VPBZoIuiWnR9_9ZrwSuBIhgszFMQ1M-lXHYoE_WQ6RkLnhSKNFa0jdsm0HTGvdW8LaTPnjE_9gYwo5Ns2kJAYAOcEL0LzhF2N3cxrfJM2zWZ8Q8d-P3r_-Lit7c31nvoNcIxsqQ8/s1600/2014-04-06+12.51.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_da4VPBZoIuiWnR9_9ZrwSuBIhgszFMQ1M-lXHYoE_WQ6RkLnhSKNFa0jdsm0HTGvdW8LaTPnjE_9gYwo5Ns2kJAYAOcEL0LzhF2N3cxrfJM2zWZ8Q8d-P3r_-Lit7c31nvoNcIxsqQ8/s1600/2014-04-06+12.51.24.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Happy Birthday to our favorite THREE year old, Martha Joy!<br /></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-74952451662103058922014-04-01T22:17:00.000-04:002016-09-19T20:47:04.691-04:00The predicament.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; letter-spacing: 0.1248px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Boston College Law Assistant Professor Paulo Barrozo calls the predicament of unparented children – orphaned, institutionalized, abandoned to the streets or otherwise without the care of a loving parent – “the greatest unrecognized humanitarian crisis of our time.” </span><a href="http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/publications/chronicle/FeaturesNewsTopstories/2014/news/barrozo-advocates-for-unparented-children.html">http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/publications/chronicle/FeaturesNewsTopstories/2014/news/barrozo-advocates-for-unparented-children.html</a> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; letter-spacing: 0.1248px; line-height: 17px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12479999661445618px; line-height: 17px;">This quote has been stuck in my mind ever since I read it last week. Dave and I still have hearts that beat hard for orphans. It seems that recently, we have heard about children that need homes and parents who want to care for them and things that stand in the way.....paperwork, stubborn hearts, lack of paperwork, a signature, more tests or requirements suddenly put in the way of a process and a bunch of other items and situations that keep children sitting in orphanages, stuck in situations where they are not thriving, and not being loved and cared for. It breaks my heart and makes my spirit get angry and frustrated. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12479999661445618px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12479999661445618px; line-height: 17px;">When we were "in process" of adopting, someone remarked that adoptive parents get addicted to adoption because they often do it again and they "must get addicted to the thrill". Well, it's not a thrill, trust me. It is a painstaking, heart wrenching process that you've got to be a little bit crazy (yep, we're not in denial about that) to get through to the other side of. Two years ago this month, we took our first trip to meet Martha and see many, many other children in Ethiopia. It changed both of us in ways we didn't see coming. If you call that addiction - so be it. But, we are still haunted by what we saw - the conditions, the lack of stimulation/means for proper growth and development and the lack of real, deep relationships with parents. We wish there was more we could do to help.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><span style="background-color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12479999661445618px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.1248px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="background-color: white;">And, yes, we are still haunted by that certain little boy who got under our skin and into our hearts. Another adoptive parent recently visited that orphanage and sent us pictures of that visit. It made our hearts skip a beat. But, the word on this little boy was the same......."not adoptable". His orphanage is struggling and may close soon due to lack of funds. The children have minimal supervision. Food and funding is minimal. And, this, this is what is best for these children????? Most likely they will soon be sent to a Government orphanage and stay there until they are too old and then be sent out on their own.....with no family, minimal schooling and not nearly enough "life" preparation. This keeps me awake at night.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12479999661445618px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12479999661445618px; line-height: 17px;">So, will you join us in praying</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; letter-spacing: 0.1248px; line-height: 17px;"> for and remembering the </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12479999661445618px; line-height: 17px;"><i><u>"</u></i></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.1248px; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: underline;">predicament of unparented children – orphaned, institutionalized, abandoned to the streets or otherwise without the care of a loving parent</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; letter-spacing: 0.1248px; line-height: 17px;"><u style="font-style: italic;"> "</u> We don't have any other means right now except to plead before the Father to protect and change situations for the lives of these children. Please join us in pleading on behalf of these children. Thank You~</span></span></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-55862548692521832022013-12-18T18:57:00.001-05:002013-12-18T18:57:52.043-05:00The most wonderful time of the year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's the most wonderful time of the year......if you can stay on top of the to do list, not get stressed out, not spend too much money and keep all the Christmas time schedules straight. Thankfully, we have scaled back in many of those areas in recent years and our Christmas seasons seem to get simpler and more wonderful each year. Of course, the childlike wonder of having a 2 1/2 year old in the house again helps also - Martha is fascinated by the Christmas lights, thinks that candy canes are the most wonderful thing in the world and finds the Baby Jesus everywhere and often starts to sing Happy Birthday Jesus. Simply Christmas. Lessons for all of us through the eyes of a child. Beauty. Wonder. Pure Joy.<br />
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Martha had the honor of being the flower girl in a wedding this past weekend. She was asked by Anna's Young Life leader to be in her wedding. It was a beautiful wedding of two wonderful people who love Jesus and couldn't wait to start their lives together to serve Him. Martha did great in her flower girl role, LOVED wearing her "pretty dress" and tore up the dance floor during the reception - she probably would've stayed and closed down the party if we had let her. :-) <br />
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Another thing that has simplified our Christmas this year is that we just haven't gotten to Christmas cards and have come to the conclusion that this year, it's okay. So, through this blog, we want to wish you the joy and peace that only that Baby Jesus can bring and wish you God's blessings on your New Year. We leave you also with two pictures of our family....the first one a picture which would be what you expect of us when you first get to know us......<br />
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And then, a picture of what we're really like after you get to know us a bit.......<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Merry Christmas to all!</span></div>
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Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-72415052029344410362013-11-06T20:56:00.000-05:002013-11-06T20:56:31.552-05:00Caught Off Guard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The month of November is National Adoption Month. It's a month where adoption is celebrated and the media, organizations and those touched by adoption try to help others understand some of the ins and outs of it all. Sometimes all the sad, bad and horror stories are what comes to mind when thinking of adoption - but this month it's always a delight to see the many beautiful stories of lives changed - children, parents, families. The Today Show is featuring adoption stories all week long this week, so this morning I remembered to tune in, just in time to catch the adoption story of the day. It was a story about one of their regular contributors (Dr.Nancy Snyderman), her adopted daughter and the reunion with her birth mother. I really enjoyed watching the story but was <i>Caught Off Guard </i>by the emotions it brought up in me. I was an absolute teary, running nose, blubbering mess! I think about Martha's birth mom often still, but today I was overwhelmed by her sacrifice to Martha. Absolutely overwhelmed. She gained nothing by relinquishing Martha. In fact, Martha might have been all she really had. But, she wanted more for Martha and so she made the decision to have her adopted, so that she could have a different sort of life. The rest of the day, I couldn't get her birth Mom off of my mind. We met her when we traveled to Ethiopia on our first trip, but I quickly realized I didn't ask enough questions and since then have thought of so many more things I'd like to know and like to tell her too. I still can't begin to imagine saying good-bye to my biological child and know that they were going a world away. I wonder if she thinks of Martha often or if she tries to stay busy so she doesn't have to wonder if she's okay. I believe my heart would break if that were me. I don't think I will ever understand how she did it but I know I will be grateful for the rest of my life. And totally overwhelmed at her amazing sacrifice. To every birth Mom out there - THANK YOU. And know that an adoptive Mom does not take you for granted. We deeply, humbly and forever hold you in our hearts and pray that you know the blessing you have given.<br />
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As I looked at Martha today, I realized some of the things she has, that we take for granted. A chance to get a flu shot this year. A chance to have Tuberculosis medication before her latent diagnosis went active. A chance to wear clean clothes every day. A chance to ask for her milk cup to be filled up. A chance to be bathed in clean water. A chance to have brothers and sisters who play with her. A chance to have three full meals of a variety of food. I still glance at her and can't believe she is here with us - from the other side of the world. Only God could do that. Again - absolutely overwhelmed.<br />
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This month is also "Operation Christmas Child" time. Our family has been doing shoeboxes for OCC for years. We find such joy in sending a box of small gifts to children all around the world. It is but a small way to touch lives on the other side of the world and helps us remember that Christmas isn't about us. If you aren't familiar with Operation Christmas Child - please google it and see how easy and fun it is to pack a shoebox! And - if you need to drop off your shoebox, please let me know. Our Church is collecting boxes until November 24. And.......we have a goal of 300 boxes and we'd love to count your box in that! My husband has agreed to have "OCC" shaved in the back of his head if CenterPoint Church collects 300 or more boxes - so c'mon contibute to the cause for kids and for his head shaving! :-)<br />
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During this National Adoption Month, remember those Birth Parents whose sacrifices have blessed others in amazing ways. And, pray for all those children around the world who still need a family......and pray for families to open their hearts to these children. Thank you~</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-12918895053876422582013-08-22T22:23:00.000-04:002013-08-22T22:23:36.779-04:00Unanswered Questions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the last couple of weeks, there have been two questions directed to us a number of times. The first is "Have you heard about the Sabbatical yet?" and the second is "What's going on with that little boy?" So, here are the answers, which of course, bring more questions......<br />
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First, the Sabbatical.......we found out this past Sunday that we did not get the grant. We knew we had a 50/50 chance at it, but we, along with some members from our Church, worked really hard on getting details, writing the narrative, praying, planning, doing research, etc. Applying for this Grant was NOT a small project. So, in addition to taking away some hopes and dreams, it felt like we wrote a major final research paper and got a great big "F" on it. VERY frustrating. We are still hoping that Dave (and the rest of us) will get some sort of Sabbatical next summer - we know that our spirits need one. We know God is Sovereign and that His plans are always best - so we wait (a little impatiently) to see what else God might have in store for the summer of 2014. We trust that He knows exactly what our family needs. The other part, that to me is even more maddening, saddening and confusing about the Sabbatical leads to the other question....<br />
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"What's going on with that little boy?" (see Blog from June 13, 2013) We were emailed some pictures this past Friday by an adoptive Mom who was in Ethiopia to attend Court. The pictures brought tears to my eyes! He has grown some and his smile just lights up a room (at least in my opinion) :-) But, he is still not available for adoption - no reason given and the conversation was ended as quickly as it began between the adoptive Mom who sent the pictures and the person she asked in ET. So, soon, that adoptive Mom will return for Embassy and take her two daughters home.....and he will again watch someone leave with a family. And, soon, another family from our agency will go there and take their daughter home.....and he will again watch someone leave with a family. Can you imagine being 5 years old (our guesstimate) and month after month watch your friends and buddies leave......with a FAMILY? And, you continue to stay at an orphanage STUCK. It seems wrong, IT IS wrong and I'm so frustrated that there doesn't seem anything immediate that we can do for him. And, now that we did not receive the Sabbatical Grant, my hopes of seeing him again, trying to help, somehow do something for him - or at least spend lots of time loving on him next summer - are gone. And, that is the hardest part of not getting the Grant for this Momma. I still believe that God had that little guy climb into our hearts for some reason - and he's still there. So, for now, I will keep praying for him and giving him and his future over to God - 'cuz he knows best.<br />
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And, maybe God put him in my heart so that I could share his story with you......and if we keep sharing this story and praying for a different ending for him.......maybe someday there will be a new story and a FAMILY and lots and lots of Love for him. Please help spread the story.......because every child deserves a family. <br />
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Thank You~</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-1052628292511600932013-06-13T15:31:00.001-04:002013-06-13T15:31:29.445-04:00A Heavy Brick<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On our first trip to Ethiopia, there was a little boy in Martha's room that absolutely stole our hearts. Some of you have even heard us talk about him. How cute he was, the oodles of personality he had and the sad fact that he didn't even have an official name. All of the other kids in Martha's room were designated (had a family coming soon) but this little guy didn't at that point. We were sure that when we returned for our second trip last summer he would be placed and have a plan to go somewhere.<br />
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But, on that second trip, we asked the orphanage staff if he had a family yet. He didn't. We didn't understand and gave him extra attention while we were there. He loved the extra time and attention. He loved Martha - helping her where needed and giving her lots of kisses when we left with her.<br />
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This little boy stayed in our hearts and we inquired about him through our agency. (Yes - we know you're thinking we're crazy, and we probably are - but you don't know the power of connection and attachment and the way a child can get under your skin. We dare you to open yourself to it - it's a frightening, exhilarating God sized ride). They checked and were told that at that time he was not adoptable. It was a very confusing answer, but we took it for what it seemed to be - the answer for us and for him. <br />
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Fast forward to this past Winter, when staff from our Agency went to Ethiopia. The little guy was still there. Agency staff realized it was the same boy and took a picture and sent it to us. Our hearts. Oh My. Agency staff felt deeply that this little guy needed a family. Would we be interested still? Head = we are crazy. Heart = who knows what God is up to? Answer = our Agency was told that he remains not adoptable<br />
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Neither we, nor our Agency understand this. We have a little more information about him (that we don't want to share here) but none of it explains why he is not available for a home and family. What does this mean? Most likely, that he will eventually age out and be on his own - most likely fending his way in the streets. There doesn't seem to be any other plan or at least answers given for him. <br />
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Where does this leave us? Confused. Deeply confused. We wrestled with all of this for a while and found we couldn't forget about him. We decided, that as a couple, we would commit to 40 days of defined prayer for this little boy. For his emotional and physical health, his protection, his future, that he would come to know Jesus. That the plan God has for him would be known and that it would somehow include the unconditional love of a family - somewhere. Anywhere. We are praying about whether or not we should pay and have an investigation done to find out his story - which would then hopefully give him more of a future. Praying. Praying. Praying again.<br />
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Yesterday, at day 31, I was driving one of the kids somewhere, not really even thinking about this little guy. And, suddenly, I had this feeling on my chest - like someone was pushing a heavy brick on it. I don't know how to describe it, but it was actually physically heavy somehow. It was powerful. It was strong and deliberate. And, all I could see was the face of this boy. And, then the tears started and I couldn't stop them. I was so overwhelmed by this "outside" pressure upon me, I pulled over and called Dave. We both prayed heavily for this boy. We didn't know if he was suddenly in danger or had some wonderful happen to him, but we knew that we needed to pray - and PRAY BIG. I have no way to describe what happened yesterday as anything but a God Thing, a Holy Spirit thing. That there is still some reason why this boy captured our hearts - even if it is only to have someone praying for him. <br />
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Why do I share all this? Because I believe in prayer and its power. I believe it's time to share this and ask YOU to pray for him too. I can't give you a name to pray for - because he doesn't really have one. But, God knows who he is and will hear you knocking on heaven's door. Please join us in that. Please PRAY BIG for him and the millions of other children around the world who need someone to pray for them. God is listening. Thank You~</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7479832403122490450.post-57122922765055023122013-06-02T07:24:00.000-04:002013-06-02T07:24:01.248-04:00 HOME one year!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One year ago today, we got off a plane in Columbus, Ohio and tried not to run through the airport. We were so eager to see family members there waiting for us and so eager for them to meet Martha!<br />
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It just doesn't seem possible that it is a full year later. God has been so faithful to us. Dave & I have been going through day by day of our 2nd trip to Ethiopia this past week. The memories are still very clear - sort of like our delivery room/first days in the hospital with the other kids. Picking her up at the orphanage, the coffee ceremony with the staff there to say good-bye, the ride to the hotel when she feel asleep........all of it amazing.<br />
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Martha rolled with everything those first days and now we are the ones who try to roll with her, or at least keep up with her! She is smart, mischievous, busy, fast and very adventurous. She loves all of her siblings and is always happy to see them when they get home. She has learned the art of putting off her bedtime by saying "cuddle" every time we try to put her down to sleep. I think we still feel like we missed all those cuddles of that first year of her life, so we often grant her wish and give her a few more minutes of "cuddle". All of our worries about having a much younger child around the house quickly gave way and we are again used to toys all over the floor and diaper changes. It has all felt very natural. Martha has grown about 7 inches since she came home and went from having no teeth to now having 13 of them. She still continues in speech therapy, but is making continued progress. She is a pretty good eater and loves to drink her milk. She shows some healthy attachment to us and we are deeply grateful for that.<br />
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We know that Martha may still have difficult days ahead. We know that any child of adoption can have identity issues, later attachment issues, etc- some of those in the early days of elementary, some in those teenage years, and some even later. We pray that if those issues do surface, that they are minor for her - and for now, we just keep praising God and asking for Him to bless her and prepare her for whatever comes in her life. <br />
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Ethiopia still burns in our hearts - and the many orphans there are never far from our thoughts. We still keep up on adoption issues there, other families still in process and ministries there. Dave is taking a sabbatical during the summer of 2014 and we have put in a grant proposal for that. If we receive the grant (we won't know until late August), we will return to Ethiopia - with all five of the kids! We want our kids to see where Martha is from and also have an understanding of another part of the world. If we go, we will do some orphan care, Dave will do some training of church planting pastors and we would also meet our Compassion Child - the boy who we have prayed for and supported for 6 years now - it was through that relationship that we fell in love with Ethiopia. Who knew God would work in such a way!? It is so wonderful to reflect on God's working - behind the scenes - in so many ways to stretch and change and bless our family. <br />
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This *picture is of Martha one week ago. She's come so far in this past year - we hope the world is ready!<br />
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P.S. If you want to keep praying for the "Jansen Expansion" please pray that the Grant Proposal is accepted. We would really appreciate your prayers on that!<br />
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*Photo courtesy of Ruth Jansen</div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17714657674941850710noreply@blogger.com0