A Spring Day

We found out today that it may take up to five months to bring Josue home. In many ways that feels like an eternity, but I am trying to be patient and look a the time as a way to really prepare for his arrival. After all, in most cases God gives us 9 months to prepare for a baby, so 5 months to prepare for a toddler shouldn't be bad. I tell myself this, but I don't think I really believe it. We took the kids for a walk the other day and I captured this picture. When I came home and downloaded it I just thought it was a perfect glimpse of our day, but couldn't help but think someone was missing.

Our first glimpse...

We finally have our first glimpse of Josue. We are so excited to finally have a face to put with a name! Our paperwork is being personally delivered this week to the DRC to begin the formal process. The gentleman who is delivering our paperwork will also be taking pictures and providing us with more information about Josue. We hadn't expected to see pictures until later in the week, so we were pleasantly surprised yesterday to wake up to our first photos! I can't wait to see more images this week - hopefully of him smiling :)

This entire process has been amazing. We found out about Josue 7 weeks ago and have been tirelessly compiling paperwork and patiently waiting for photos. With all that behind us, now we wait again. Please pray with us that the information we receive this week about Josue is positive and that the paperwork goes smoothly and quickly. We don't really have a timeline at this point, but the sooner the better. We know the orphanage can only handle so many children, so the sooner we are able to bring him home, the sooner another child can be brought into Jamma Letu orphanage. More to come.

The Greatest Silence...

Tonight HBO is airing The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo at 10pm EST. If you have HBO, please take the time to see this moving and important account of what is happening in the DRC. There will also be a conference call to discuss the film tomorrow evening. Visit www.hbo.com to learn more.

If this doesn't work into your schedule, please take the time today to learn a little more about the DRC through some of the websites we have listed on our blog. There is so much we can do to help end the violence in the DRC. Visit www.enoughproject.org to learn more about the movement to end violence in this part of the world.

Lastly, take a moment to pray for the millions of people (especially children) worldwide who do not enjoy the same freedoms and protection we so often take for granted.

Simple Gifts

I have always loved the Shaker hymn, Simple Gifts...

'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

To be simple. How hard that is and yet so easy. I just spent a week in Mexico with my family and I will tell you, it was the simple things that were the most memorable. Caleb dug holes in the sand (yes, big enough to get in to) and Amelia loved splashing in the water in picking up broken seashells. The most simple of tasks, yet so enjoyable. Sometimes being out of our element we take the time a little more to see the sights around us and notice the simple things. I learned I loved Mexico! Even the most simple things in Mexico were wonderful and I can't wait to go back. Somehow, the sun setting over an ocean could be easily missed during a busy dinner, but we tried to see as many as we could. Not exactly simple, but extraordinary.

We came home on Monday and the kids still had a week off school. That means, for 5 solid days the kids and I had nothing to do. I will admit, I had a large amount of anxiety about this. Remarkably, tomorrow is Friday and I am sad the week is over. We have had a great week doing nothing, staying in our pjs and enjoying the most simple things. I thought it was because I was on a beach in Mexico that everything seemed so special, but I am reminded this week that even at home, with mess, clutter and chaos, simple things are also beautiful if we only take the time to look. I am writing this refreshed after two weeks of vacation, we'll see how long my optimism lasts :) It is my goal however to be more simple in every sort of way. I think God wants from us that simplicity and humbleness that is truly beautiful.

We did arrive home to some exciting news. Josue's AIDs test came back negative. We still do not have a picture, however a colleague of our adoption specialist will be traveling to DRC on April 21st. He will be at the orphanage and will be able to take some pictures and meet Josue. We are very excited about this! We are finding out that the paperwork and money transfer may take longer than we thought. Please pray with us that the paperwork moves along quickly and our wait is short. It would be great for all of us to be able to spend part of the summer together!