Tristan's 1st Hockey Game Jan.16,10

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Foster Family

Yes our family has decided to go through the foster program. We are actually getting dual licenses, foster and adoption. We went to the orientation in Nov and after praying about it we decided to move forward. We started our PS MAPPS classes and have 9 weeks left, these classes will end mid March. We will not place a child or children in our home until Amara gets home but we figured this was the prefect time to do it...while we wait!

It simply blows my mind that there are so many children that need stable homes and theres so few that step up to the plate. Are the 3 hour classes that we have to attend once a week for 10 weeks a pain or an inconvenience? Yes. Do we feel like going through a whole new home study because Iowa won't accept our International one and than updating our International one mid Feb? No. Are the children all our ideal children? No. Will most of them need counseling or other professional help? Yes. Will it be easy all the time? No. Are we scared? Heck no, God's leading us. Are we sad for all the kids in foster homes or orphanages? Yes very much and that's why we're doing this. God has promised that he will not harm us so we are trusting him.

Please pray for our family as we head into yet another uncertain journey. We have no idea what the future holds but one thing we know for sure...we're super excited about it. 2010 is going to be AMAZING.

Maybe fostering isn't for you or your family, maybe adoption isn't for you or your family either but take some time and pray. There are many ways you can help besides opening your home. Ask God to lead you. For us, he's asked us to open our home and leave the door open until He closes it.

I better go spend some time with my hubby, he leaves at noon tomorrow to go hunting with my brother and my uncle. Pssst remember some time back I posted about the broken relationship between me and my brother? God is so good and he's knocking down the walls between us...my hubby and my brother are going hunting. Yippee!!!!

For me and the boys...its HOCKEY time. Tristan has 3 games this weekend and the coach has decided to play him. He didn't think he'd play until next year since we just started, the season is already 1/2 over and he never played before but we've been going to every open skate we can and coach says he's come a long ways and is ready to put him on the ice. Game Time. hehe I love being a mom!

Hope all of you are doing wonderful.

Love Jill

Update from Orphanage

Thank you Lord, our agency has had contact with the orphanage where Amara is and she is doing well with no changes, meaning nobody has been there to visit her. We are still hoping that we get called to go see her at the end of April but God willing it could be earlier.

As we near the half way mark I have this great feeling of peace and contentment. I believe and trust with everything that's in me that the Lord has his mighty long arm wrapped around her, protecting her for our family!

A friend shared this with me and we've been doing this for some time, I like the way it feels. We've been praying that God would put our faces in Amara's dreams, so that when she sees us, she knows us and is not afraid. I love it...those are the things our great God can do, things that are impossible to humans.

We started at 192 days and we're down to...




Hang on sweet girl, mom and dad are still coming...there may be a change in passengers on the last trip. More to come on that. We're still praying about it!

God loves you and so do we!
Love Mom, Dad, Tristan and Austin

Parmelee pictures and update

I finally got pictures from our mission trip uploaded. There are two places on the Indian Reservation that we went to, Parmelee and Corn Creek SD. They are about 10 mins apart. On this trip we had 34 people aging from 8 to 72. The woman and girls spent time in Parmelee working in the girls and boys home and building relationships while the men delivered wood and gifts to both places. They need the wood to heat their homes. There is a building in Corn Creek that needs to be fixed up in the hopes to be able to worship there so Jamie and a few guys are making plans to head back there within a few weeks to see what supplies/man power will be needed to get it fixed and ready.






I spoke with our agency today and she informed me that nothing has changed and we are still waiting. Again she said that if there is any change the coordinator would inform them asap. No news is good news! I asked her if she would be able to email the coordinator, I just want to hear that she's see Amara (Anna). I guess I needed a little more reassurance today. She said she would gladly do that and would let me know the response as soon as she got one but wanted to remind me that they are on holiday break until next week. So we wait....

Philippians 4:6 (New International Version)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Interesting

3 months, 3 weeks and 6 days can also be converted to one of these units:
* 116 days, 15 hours, 29 minutes
* 10,078,140 seconds
* 167,969 minutes
* 2799 hours
* 16 weeks

These are calcualting to 12:01am on May 1st, 2010. The day our sweet Amara clears the database. God willing I pray we're in Russia on this day!! 3 months sounds long to me I like 16 weeks :)

Has it really been that long?

I know my updates are slim to none when I start getting emails and phone calls to find out what's going on. It's not like I didn't know I was absent and I'll be honest...I haven't felt like updating, I guess after I got the wind knocked outta me a few months back it's hard to get back into it but I'm going to try. I know there's many of you that are curious to know what's happening in our lives. I'm truly at a great place of peace however every time I thought about updating I was like no that's not important, and even though my news on the adoption is going to be very very little I can let you all know what we're doing and that we're still alive.

We are officially a hockey family. Tristan started hockey mid season and we've been busy running him to 2 practices a week plus open skate every chance he gets. This is the 1st year for him on the ice so he will be sitting the bench for home games as he needs practice on his skills. He was relieved about this decision. The guys on his team have been great sports about having a new player start in the middle of their season. Beginner or not he has a proud mom and one that's been polishing up on her ice skating skills as well. Alot of times he wants to go to open skate without friends so he can work on the skills so if I have to sit there for 2 hours I figure I may as well skate. I'll admit, I'm secretly enjoying this myself :)

Jamie is continuing to work outside but now that the thermometer reads -25 he may be home doing the honey do list. I have a partner in my Nutrition Club which gives me 2 full days off and I'm loving that, it gives me time to get my housework done and all my errands. Besides that 3 days a week will be plenty when Amara comes home, 0 would be even better....if I could only find a stay at home job besides daycare :)

The boys have been enjoying the time off from school and are not excited about going back on Wednesday. Boys will be boys and sometimes things got alittle out of hand but all in all its been fun having them home and I'm going to miss them.

We really don't have any news on the adoption. Our agency said that no news is good news and that they would call once in awhile to check in. I usually talk to them around the 1st so I will be calling them sometime this week. There are a few things that we do know 1) we love her and can't wait for Russia to say, Come! 2) we need to start redoing all our paperwork in Feb. 3) there's only 117 days left until she clears the database and that number makes us happy considering we started at 192!! Yippeee we'll be going before we know it.

The room where my home office used to be is redone besides the carpet because we can't decide on color, it's now the toy/play room . We still put all her toys in that room and its adorable. A friend of mine gave me tons of stuff from her daughter. Little Tikes kitchen, washer, and dryer. I love it now we just need little Amara in there.

We got home late last night from a Native American reservation. Our family went with a group from our church and another church to do mission work. It was an eye opener for us and the boys. Its sad to see how little some people live with when we have so much. This group goes about every other month and we plan to go as much as possible. We know that when Amara comes home it wont work to take her at such a young age so Jamie and I would have to take turns going or have my parents take her. The people of Parmelee have blessed us and for that we're thankful. God has been so good to us and our promise to Him is that as we wait, we will continue to serve Him. Our prayer as a family is that as we are doing things here on earth we as humans will never think we deserve something in return and that all the glory goes to the Lord. For it is because of Him.

After I speak to our agency I will update, I'm sure we wont know anymore than we do right now but at least you won't be wondering.

Please continue to pray for Amara and her caretakers and for all the people that are in the adoption process especially those who are waiting or those who are going through a rough time. A fellow blogger just lost their referral before Christmas and I can't imagine the pain that brings but we need to prayer for those people, that God provides strength as even though that was not the child for them their daughter is still out there and she needs this family to find her no matter the suffering!

Love you all and can't wait to see what 2010 has in store for all of us.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are
taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily
understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your
own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My
birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in
which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get
rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene
on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any
need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of
them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday
tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can
remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish:
I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in
relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten
that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my
wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is
being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from
home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they
tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them
personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the
cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that
you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It
will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and
they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth,
and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and
remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own
life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you
don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile;
it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the
holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm
smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry
Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop
shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that
day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their
families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary--
especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never
heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your
town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they
have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some
food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other
charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and
loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret
that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that
you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do
what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the
list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is
now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those
whom you love and remember :
I LOVE YOU,

JESUS