Friend's encouraging dream..

 A friend wrote today about a dream she had last night from the Lord.

"Happy Sunday. I had the COOLEST dream last night. I was in a theater... like a movie theater, and it was FULL. EVERYONE was praying out loud and ALL the prayers were for F!  It was such a blessing.    Praying for tomorrow! "

My response: "Thank you...making me tear up. Praying here too. For all of us waiting for courts. We could likely fill a theater with all the folks praying for him around the world!"

"I believe that's what I saw in my dream!  It was a BIG theater. Such a blessing. Every now and then Jesus gives me dreams that I KNOW are from him. That was one of them. I'm sure you were there.... probably on stage with Jesus!"

So blessed by all our praying friends. How wonderful to imagine all of us in one place: people who know us, who know F, or who know about our story celebrating the Lord's power that brought us together as a family.

I've been thinking recently about the Biblical widow who Elijah asked to make a small cake with her remaining flour and oil. Did trusting the Lord for provisions get easier after that first time? I'm sure she had prayed and prayed for provisions for herself and family. I'm also sure she did not have a clue how the Lord planned to answer those prayers.

Did she have days she didn't think twice about using the oil and flour or did some days the fear creep back into her mind as she wondered if it would finally be the last?

One way the Lord has already answered prayers during our long adoption journey is for faithfully supplying us with hope and supportive friends for each day. Yes, some days and weeks are easier than  others. But at the end of the day-He's faithful. He's there. He is Love.

The trouble with a drought is that one must survive to the end. It does no good to make it a day, a week or a few years if one does not last until then next harvest time or is able to leave the area.

Each day is a choice. We pray that tomorrow the court case happens and the needed paper is obtained.    If not we will continue to trust in the Lord and praise His name. Prayer is more about reminding ourselves who God is because He doesn't need a reminder about courts. He knows. He cares.

I think as well that praying is in a way prophesying. We are thanking the Lord for future acts on our behalf. For the day that He opens the door for our paperwork to advance. For the day that F can come home! For the day we can travel with F and introduce many of you in person to our youngest son.

Between a rock and a hard place...God is there

African tulip tree at the school

Life is just so complicated, I can't help but sigh and focus on the Lord once again.

He knows so much more than tiny, limited us, and He feels for us who struggle with emotions and confusion.

I once read a blog about someone with extreme health issues who noted that pain is pain. Basically, while some pain is so great that it consumes life, that does not and should not negate the pain of a small paper cut. Both hurt.

It hurts that non-criminal court cases were delayed for a second week. Knowing that children waiting to join families will continue to wait...hurts. Our son lives in a good place, surrounded by people and friends who love him...but it still hurts.

However, knowing that some prisoners live under inhuman conditions, slowly dying of starvation and lack of hope for months to years without a day in court is horrible!

We know that some of these people's only crime is to have angered someone with more power who took revenge by having them put in jail.

I can easily picture a family or church members praying, begging, crying out to the Lord for a day in court to free their loved one... day after day.... week after week.... month to month...and tragically sometimes years.

I think that the children of these prisoners are in a way orphans as well, growing up in a very difficult situation without the missing parent present to love and to help them.

Thankfully the Lord loves us all. He knows how we feel. He is always with us. He has a plan. He is our good Father.

Lord, we pray that you will help the judges and court staff to work effectively and fairly. May justice be served. May the Light of your Truth be seen and strip away the devil's lies and deception. Provide for and protect Your little ones who need You. Turn our eyes to you!

One step forward!

African Desert Rose mid May '16

While we remain unclear about what happened or did not happen in family court in November we do know that F's mom and aunt traveled to Port-au-Prince this week to meet with some special doctors.

Apparently the doctors refused to come north.

This took a lot of coordination and prayers. Our social worker called it a miracle!  Several families needed to travel together with the adoption coordinator who had to locate all the families and make sure that they all could travel and make it to the appointment at the same time.

Thank you Lord!

So as we understand the next few steps:

February 3 '17

• Doctors report: 'should be finishing up their reports this week' [Praying that they can focus, go to work, and not get distracted by the presidential inauguration on Feb. 7th]
• Reports travel north to the judge
• Judge finishes up the extra paperwork that IBESR requested back late spring
• Paperwork goes to IBESR [praying it can make our file the first time it is submitted]
• ?? Once again we wait for signature(s) to exit
• Exit!!!!!!!!

Praying hard we can finally get out of IBESR and that they do not come up with something else that they need.

Day 1115 in IBESR.

Early in our adoption journey I blogged it was liking putting a small boat in the river not knowing if it would get stuck or enjoy smooth sailing.

It feels like our boat got caught in a deep freeze with no movement during the last year or so. Now new hope feels like hearing the ice cracking and popping after a long, hard winter. 

Will the spring thaw come releasing our small boat to continue on its journey or will another cold wind come and silence our hopes?

The Lord knows. He sustains us. He holds us. He guides us. He loves us!

Christmas 2016.

I think back at the mixture of hope and disappointment that accompanied Christmas last year and could have never dreamed that it would once again be with us as we celebrate Christmas 2016.

Every year the weight of waiting grows. Seeing the pictures of F warm my heart but at the same time stirs up pain as we see him growing up without being home.

Every day minutes and hours slip by that could have been filled with family time and memories, that we will never get to experience with him.

I can picture him here as I look at the stocking with his name on it hung in the middle of the others.

As I look at each family gathering and the cousins all laughing and enjoying family, I can't help to think about F and wonder about what he is doing.


I look at the Christmas tree ornaments that Grandma carved for him and wonder when he will get to hang them on the tree.

I think about the ornament that holds the picture of the twins, baby boys who joined my family so many years ago on LaGonave...the dream to adopt that did not happen due to the legal process in Haiti.

I know the Lord had a plan for them even though they never legally joined the family and only lived in our home for 6 months. I know that the prayers over the years have been a positive impact in their lives.

We do not know what 2017 will hold but we trust the Lord. He is good. He loves F and our family and has a plan. He is in control even when we hurt and don't understand.

Lord surround each of us with Your love, peace, and patience. Please open the doors to bring F home soon. We thank You for starting us on this journey and making F part of our family even through we remain apart. We give you the glory and honor. Thank you.

Four years...the door opened.

I just went back and read my first two posts...

African desert roses

That Friday morning we did not have a clue about the journey that the Lord was about to start us on by opening our hearts up for adoption.

No idea of the ups and downs, confusion, hurt, frustration that would occur before and after the joy of meeting F and spending time with him.

No notion that four years later we would remain in IBESR and not have one or more children at home bonding as part of our family.

No concept of the prayer and emotional support this walk would require from our friends or about the new friends we would gain along with way.

Chou Chou beach-old picture

I think the biggest surprise for me remains..how the process changed me and my faith.

Stretched, refined, sifted, shaken, blown to dust-my expectations now look nothing like they did at the beginning.

As I shared in the last blog, the Lord just keeps whispering to me " Trust me".

While we continue to pray for miracles and movement, we worship and wait.

We are F's family. We don't need a paper or signature to tell us what we know in our hearts and minds. We will be in his life, for as long and as much as as the Lord will allow us.

Doesn't mean we like waiting but we will wait. F's more than worth it.

The lesson--trust

Found with no dirt, no leaves but still beautiful. 

Yesterday we heard from our social worker...

-they are insisting on the new paperwork about F's parents
-the creche is asking other creches for help and a sample letter
-it could be October before they get this paper if it has to go before a judge
-a new staff member with law background has been asked to work on our case

I'm struggling.

-it is very likely our visa paperwork will expire.
     -options for new visa not clear as we live in Haiti, not the USA.
-'any day now' now looking at months
-what could happen if they can't get this paperwork or it isn't want IBERS needs/wants?

I had the following in draft written just before we learned of the new paperwork issue -guess I need to listen to myself.

Written a week or so ago...

Cory called it the 'never give up' flower.

I do better with waiting and delays when I understand why. So I've asked lots of questions during our adoption journey especially in the last few years of waiting in IBESR for our referral and now to exit.

The limbo of unknowns remains uncomfortable to me. So I keep trying to figure out the why, the reason, the lessons.

While my head knows that the Lord's reasons may not be revealed to us now or later I keep looking. Lessons to learn...maybe if I learn that one, it will be the key to progress and moving forward. 

So in the last couple of years some things I've pondered or tried: increased church, increased prayer, fasting, different prayers, lots of books on prayer and waiting, increased gratitude, thanking before something happens, working on problem areas, being content, reading more about adoption-prayers-worship-attachement-contentment..... 

Results: I've changed. I think I've improved in some areas with the Lord's help [maybe hard to see yesterday and today]. But I think most of the lessons boil down to 'Trust me'. 

Why the wait?                                                                        Trust me.

Why can't F come home?                                                       Trust me.

Wouldn't it have be better to be a family of 5 for a bit.           Trust me.

What if our visa paperwork expires?                                      Trust me.

What if its hard to get a visa as we live overseas?                  Trust me. 

What about school?                                                                 Trust me.

What if our papers are lost or misplaced?                               Trust me.

What if corruption or revenge is causing the delay.                Trust me.

What if the government destabilizes?                                     Trust me.

What if we can't travel for another year or so with F?            Trust me.

What if he thinks we don't love him and gets discouraged?    Trust me.

Should we be doing more?                                                       Trust me.

What should we do?                      Just trust me.

Added today...
       What if the new requested document takes months?                        Trust me.

       What if the information is not what they want or need?                   Trust me.
        What if.........TRUST ME!

Waiting = Grief.

Thankful to receive a bit of news today that F continues to do well and had a few really good weeks.

Thankful for all the prayers for him and our adoption.

I've lately come to the realization that our long wait for our referral and now to exit IBESR, has me cycling through the Kugler-Ross stages of grief.


Denial-it will not take us that long. Maybe TODAY. Maybe the next stages will go fast. Maybe soon..

Anger-being mad at the IBESR folks, for red tape, at governments, for the folks who messed up in the past causing more rules and regulations to be put in place to safeguard children and families, and even mad at God for not stepping in with a miracle or two, for not meeting our expectations in a timely fashion. At myself for not trusting enough, for getting depressed and stressed, for not having the faith to move mountains, for not learning what every lesson it is that I should have down by now but still don't...because maybe if I GOT IT then the Lord would allow us to move forward.

Bargaining-what if we do this, we're willing to do x,y, and z. What if I fast more? What if I go to church every day? What if we get more people to pray? What if....

Depression-Sadness I rapid cycle with this stage and often it occurs along with the other stages. I mourn the time we've lost, the days and smiles that we will never share with F. Each holiday that passes, each week, each day that turns into history means memories that we will not share with F or he with us.

Acceptance-this one comes rarer but it does come. Never lasts long but the peace that accompanies accepting the Lord's plan soothes the soul. Makes me fight all the harder to focus on the Lord and pray for His will. Striving for it sends me into the Word and on to my knees because...I know I can only get to and stay in this stage with the Lord's help. I need His help to STOP striving and let Him act on our behalf. I need to trust. I need to rest in His love, rest that His plan is good. His power enough.

Some days I may spend a bit of time in each stage and other days I may remain in one. Some days like holidays I can predict will be harder to stay positive but other days I jump from stage to stage in sporadic randomness. Both ways drain and tire.

Like playing a non-fun game that's full of delays, skip a turn, go-back-to start, but no fast forward cards. This week the doors of IBESR will remain closed due to Carnival [maybe also politics?]

Praying the staff remain safe, enjoy their break and all head back to work on Monday the 15th ready to make major progress in the waiting cases.

Praying that Haiti's new interim government, who will work to get elections set up during the next few months will allow IBESR to continue as normal, as well as the other stages of adoptions in Haiti.

Praying that our faith continues to grow as we wait. Praying to wait well. Praying to learn to trust more and spend more time in the 'acceptance' zone. Praying we're ready to act when the Lord says act!

Praying that F continues to do well and grow and thrive. Thankful for those caring and loving him during the wait.

Thank you Lord.

Coping with the wait.

With a long wait you would think one would adjust to waiting, that it would become 'normal'.

I really thought back in October when we filled for another I-600 extension that it would be the last time. My hopes rose with the thought that in three months we may have all the documents needed and would be rejoicing in the progress made... but today filling for yet another I-600 extension [number 3] I just wonder if anything will happen in the next three months.

Some feelings do become predictable...the increased hope on a Monday morning, the average sustained hope through Tuesday, Wednesday with starts to wane sometime on Thursday only to surge a bit on Fridays, pumped up with the desperate thought that surely you will NOT have to wait another weekend for news.

The clock moves slow some of the time and others it seems to rush to the end of business hours-killing the hopes for that day.

Some of my 'normal' coping strategies for stress in my life remain firm like music, chocolate, and reading.

Other strategies come and go...some days I do my best to fill my schedule with mind occupying jobs so to distract me away from checking e-mails frequency while other days I may stay occupied on the computer so I can see each email as it enters the in-box.

For a long time it was hard to hang out and interact with the smaller children on campus but now it helps.

The first few years of this journey I could count on going to church to be positive but now it's becoming more and more tinged with sorrow and frustration.

Some weeks I can read adoption books or blogs and then I avoid them for a while.

I generally try to start new healthy habits throughout the year and therefore do not make New Year's resolutions. This year I did turn over a new leaf... have already turned over thousands of new leaves, and old leaves.

Most afternoons you can now find me, for an hour or two in the tree nursery.

POSITIVES: helping Cory get jobs off his to-do-list, extra one-on-one time with Cory to talk, when alone-more music and prayer time, hours of weeding done, nicer looking yard/nursery, being outside, exercise, many trees-potted/planted, not watching the clock or checking e-mails/facebook.

NEGATIVES: need to put on lots of bug spray, mosquitos, fire aunts, itchy plants, scrubbing hands and feet especially under the nails every night, thorns, slivers.

Praising the Lord of miracles.

This morning we headed out before sunrise to visit a church that starts early so that their pastor can rapidly leave after service because he covers two churches, about one hour apart.

 A poorer church, the people met under a tin roof but the worship touched me.

Pastor Mano preached on Psalm 114. He referred back to the spies going into the promise land; ten returned discouraged but two stood on the Lord's promise. Numbers 14: 9 "Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them"

I will continue to praise the Lord for this adoption journey.  I will refocus my hopes and thoughts on the Lord when my feelings overwhelm me, and I start to focus on the problems and obstacles in our path.

We serve a God of miracles. Psalm 114 reminds us that the Lord parted the Red Sea and the Jordan. He makes the mountains, and hills skip. I thought of the mountains of adoption paperwork sitting in the IBESR office in Port-au-Prince.

I picture those charts moving to the exit desk!

Pastor reminded us that the Father God we serve is Powerful and Faithful. He hears us. He will act.

I do not know if our chart will exit IBESR before Christmas. We earnestly pray that it will so that we can enter the adoption courts. Nevertheless, if it does not happen, still we will praise Him.  

Expiration Date

Cory says that I worry too much, but I'm asking the Lord to increase my faith!

I'm not extremely stressed or obsessing over this, which shows my level of progress. I will admit to some butterflies in my stomach knowing that today our fingerprints expire for our I-600A, USA visa paperwork.

I know we did everything we could short of flying to the USA. I know that we possess the e-mail from the immigration officer saying that if they expire 'it's no big deal', 'no penalty' and 'can't run them to be refreshed until the others expire' but still.......

Plan to e-mail him back next week to see if they can refresh the prints.

No word about a referral. Next week will mark one year since we learned we entered IBESR and the last sign of any progress in our case.

Someone suggested this week in the Haiti adoption group that the charts should contain GPS markers so one could tell if the chart moved at all... while I understand the desire to see progress, I think it would end up being a big waste of time for me and depressing. Hope would soar every time someone moved the chart to clean or just to reshuffle their desk.

This week a neighbor shared a short devotional about doubting Thomas. Thomas heard about the miracle of the Lord's Resurrection but wanted physical proof. He prayed we would all have faith that God was working in our lives even when we don't see any evidence or when we cannot feel it.

I know that God called us to pursue adoption. I know I've changed in the last couple years through this process. I know God's plan; His timing remains the best plan for our lives. I'm thankful for those praying with us on this journey. I know He can open closed doors, move mountains and part the deep waters.

Lord, teach me to wait well. Lord, help me to increase my faith and confidence in You.

[Picture is a dead palm with a new tree growing on the top. Hoping the dead tree symbolizes our expired prints while the new young one represents our 'refreshed' prints.]

One Year, IBESR

One year ago our chart entered IBESR. Number 43.

We received the news January 29th...and nothing since.

Our chart could be sitting on the same desk where it arrived a year ago.

But we pray many steps occurred in the last year.

We pray that it may be sitting on a desk along with the charts of our children just waiting for someone to pick up the phone, or hit send on an e-mail to let our agency know about the match.

We pray for the Lord's plan, His will, His choice of children, His choice of crèche, His timing...but our hearts long to know names, ages, faces, where, when, who...

We start to think about updating our chart and shutter to hear stories of families updating for the 4th time during the adoption process. Please, no Lord.

Please move the blockades. Please pour out pity and compassion. Please work miracles.

But if not....still we will praise Him.

Lord, help us to wait well. Help shape us into the family our children need us to be. Help us to learn the lessons well while we wait. Increase our faith.

Thank You! Thank you Lord, for being with our charts and children. Thank You for interceding on our behalf when we can do nothing. Thank You for leading us on this journey every step, every day, every prayer.

New Year, new hope, more waiting..

Been thinking for a while about the first post of 2015. Considered focusing on our fingerprints 'refreshing' which no one has contacted us about since we visited the Embassy on Dec. 10.

Or reviewing that if we don't get a match before the end of February will need to seriously start exploring how we will renew our home study, which will expire on May 21.

A year ago we waited for news that our case entered into IBESR. Our case entered on January 14 as number 43. We received the information on January 29th, 2014 the day that my parents arrived in Haiti for a visit.

I prayed last year to receive our referral during my parents visit. So many major family events we've shared over the last 17 years by short phone calls or E-mails. I cherish the major family moments that we can share in person. They plan to leave Haiti on January 21st.

Since January 29th no news on our case. We pray that our children's charts moved through many steps last year. We pray for our referral to occur in His timing. We pray for the committee that will be matching children with family under the new process.

Knowing that little would be occurring over the holidays gave us a bit of a break from the normal 'Wonder if we will hear anything today?' thought that frequently crosses my mind during the work week.

During the last few days already thoughts about the start of a new year, a new week, a new day have started to increase in frequency. The 'what if's'....of 2015.

Pastor's sermon today hit the mark with me. Psalm 37:7-8. "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways..."

My notes: Confidence in God. Hope in God. Stay bound to Him. Sit quietly. Not for us to act, He will act. [Read sea parting] Calm and confident in all circumstances. God dominates all. Victory in Him.  Verse 25..'I have never seen the righteous forsaken' God never let's us go. He hears those who walk straight when they call for help and He will deliver you. Guarantied. When we don't have hope-God gives us hope. Don't get worried, worked up about your needs. Wait calmly before God. Answers, successes, healing, deliverance, victory, all in the Hand of God. 

Goals for the year.....waiting well. Confidence in Him. His plan. His timing. His will.

Waiting.

Andy Stanley " Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise."

A year ago today we learned of our dossier's arrival in Haiti.

Bud Irish wrote a letter home during WWII to his sweetheart "It would be so different if a fellow knew he just had a certain length of time to be here in the army. He could say "Well, just X days to go." Instead it's just another day gone by and a lot more coming up. June 27, 1943 page 134 from the book A THOUSAND LETTERS HOME.

I echo Bud's sentiments but substitute the adoption for the army. Some days I really wish I knew how much longer. Even if it turned out to be a long time one could then easier push things to the back of one's mind I think. I'd add countdown lists to our computers, to our calendars and have other ways to show us visibly where we were in the countdown.

But although we cannot see the referral date, the Lord can so we fix our eyes on Him.

But maybe then the intensity of my prayers would fade. Perhaps I would fall victim to procrastination. The willingness to work to improve may weaken. My reliance may shift to man and away from the Lord.

I've changed up my prayers a bit of late. No longer 'Lord open the doors of IBESR to start referrals and getting folks out of IBESR. Now my prayers sound more like "LORD blast the doors off so that they cannot be closed again. Let referrals start and CONTINUE. Fight for your children!

[At least one family in the Facebook group was released from IBESR this week and one family entered and exited MOI [Ministry of Interior] in 17 days!!]

Praying that we learn the lessons we need to learn during the wait. May I wait well! Singing His praises while focusing on His love, power and plan.

Hope in strange places.

Sometimes hope comes from strange places. 

I expect to find hope in the Bible, in my devotions or when chatting with my Mom who encourages me to look to the Lord. 

I did not expect to find it yesterday in a school book. 

As I read to Anna from The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty, this passage referring to those on the Mayflower voyage struck me from page 39-40. 

"Among the passengers there was a sense of excitement and anticipation. This was not an ordinary landing after a long voyage. There was a deep and strong feeling among them of something immense and heroic and biblical, beyond the personal happenings of their individual lives. They did not know what the ordeal might be ahead, only that they would never turn back. Something was being left behind forever. Something new and bright and glorious was beginning. They were ready to face untold hardship. They were confident of wide new freedom. Vague, deep thoughts that could find no words drew them together in purpose and high resolve."  

 

It made me long for the day when our children come home. I think we will share some of these feelings at that time. I post it here so I remember. 

 

As the days march on without information of any new referrals I often remind myself of some advice from a friend. She said later it will be like when they hand you your newborn, the pain that just moments before encompassed your life rapidly fades into a vague memory. That same type of thing will happen when you match with your children and the wait ends.   

Waiting to find out if she's right. 

Wondering

I wonder what happened to the lady and the baby she offered us two years ago July 27th, opening the door for our adoption journey.

I wonder if the Facebook comment that IBESR asked agencies to hold off on charts for a while, so they can deal with the 900+ already occupying desk space is true.

I wonder where our chart spent the last six months in IBESR...and pray it's not lost behind a file cabinet somewhere. 

I wonder when we'll get our referral notice… next month, next year? Praying not more than three years like one family as that would bring us dangerously close to the age limit. 

Mostly, I wonder about our children...

I wonder so much about you. Names. Ages. Personalities. Health. History.

What do you think about? What do you remember? What do you need?

What are your days like? Who do you care about? Where are you living?


Are you little enough to only focus on eating and having fun?

Do you long for things you do not understand and cannot name?

Do you wonder if you'll be kept together as a family, or if you'll loose your last blood ties?

Do you wonder when the other children leave with a new family if it will ever happen to you?

Do you want to go back home? Return to the life that once was yours?

Do you go to school? Do you long to see the world or just to have a place to call your own?

Do you have friends? Or hang out at the edge of a crowd wanting to belong?

Does someone dry your tears or do they drop unnoticed? Or have you given up on tears instead relying on an inner strength to bury the pain.

Do you go to bed at night tired after a good day of playing or lay awake at night hungry and in pain?

Do you know Jesus loves you? Do you learn to praise Him in song and to bring Him your needs in prayer?

Do you pray for a new family? Do you pray for us?

Courage.

Adoption process like boating.

I think that a good word picture for the adoption process in Haiti is to liken it to placing a small toy boat in a creek.

We prepare the boat the best we can [putting together one's dossier] and then release.

Some boats remain in the middle of the stream making steady progress with no problems.

Many bump from shore to shore hitting small snags now and then but still make pretty good time to the finish line.

Winds may help or may push boats off course.

Other boats capsize at the start. They run into obstacle after obstacle or hit a major blockage and sit there...for months or even years. Hope grows thin.

At the beginning all hope and pray that they will make it through without problems. Maybe they will be the family with the miracle time frames.

They think they can do this, they have the strength, the patience, the courage!

Even the strong grow weary with the struggles and fighting in time.

Please pray for the families who now count their journey by years not months.
             Those loosing hope.
             Those longing to see the finish line and finally take their children home.
             Those missing another birthday, holiday or developmental milestone.

Pray for:

•  those like us just starting the journey but already counting the wait in months.
•  those with charts at the Haitian Ministry of the Interior who learned today it will be closed for a while.
• the 2 families in the last post who now both finally get to enjoy their new daughters living at home but still transitioning.
• the crèches trying to get parents to show up for their IBESR interviews.
• the IBESR staff as they learn new ways to do things.
• the court process as they try to improve things as well, find a new lawyer, a office location and new staff.
•  Haitian families making the heart breaking decisions to give up their children and that once they decide they can arrive on time for the meetings they need to attend.
• that most Haitian families can find the means to keep and provide well for their children.

Pray for:

•  our little ones. That they can know soon that a family wants them and that they can stay together.
•  them to feel God's love and care for them as He provides and protects them.
• patience as the days and weeks go by without word. We want as much time as a whole family as possible before Eli heads to college, fall of 2015.
• us while we wait that we stay close to the Lord, trusting in Him and not becoming discouraged.
• our dossier. That it does not become lost.

Thank you.