Counting Down!!!

When I post this we will have about 15 days and 5+ hours until we get on a plane to Beijing.

We've been counting down the days.  They sure are passing by quickly!

We aren't really "rushing" them, because they are bittersweet days.

We are spending some good time with our family.  Just yesterday we spent part of the afternoon choosing Austin's Senior Portraits--I  still can't believe I have a child graduating from high school!!!  This weekend we will take his casual pics at driftwood beach.  (Prayer Here--Could you pray for me as we are leaving Austin and Jordan behind on this trip.  We have Nana and Papa, our youth pastor, and a family friend coming to stay with them on various nights, but my heart is sad about them not getting to come on this trip.  I know that they can't miss that much school and that they have jobs, but still--it is hard.)

We are also spending time with our friends who will move while we are in China.  We know that sweet friendship should not be taken lightly.  So we are cherishing time together.

Tonight I get to love on our friends newest treasures from foster care.  So glad to get to help them out!

This weekend I get to be my sister's date to her highschool reunion.  I graduated a year after her and know pretty much all of the people that will be there.  Can't wait Karen!

Next weekend, we get to spend Saturday morning/afternoon with other families who have adopted domestically, and internationally.  I'm very excitied to get to catch-up with our friends!

Then we will be in CRAZY PACKING mode!

Here are a few pics of us celebrating God providing all of the funds with our friends Ed & Kim and their girls--Kaitlin & Ashley.  The other pics are of our "Going to China Countdown"

Davis Family

Yummy Cake and IceCream!

Leighanne and Zach fighting  deciding who
gets to pull down the first panda.

Zach won was chosen!

IT IS TIME TO SHOUT!

Remember this verse that I posted on 8/22/2011?  "Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout (emphasis mine). Then shout!" (Jos 6:10 NLT)

It is time to SHOUT!!!!!!!

God is so faithful!   When this all began in 2010 we didn’t have ANY money set aside for an adoption because we were not planning on adopting.  We didn’t even have the money to get the home study started, but God provided and provided and provided and provided (get the idea yet)?  God was never early and never late – just on time.  You have watched Julie and I struggle for a year now with simply trusting God.  We didn’t know why, but God told us to be silent about what our specific needs were and we did, though often struggling with it.  Faith (whether faith in action or saving faith) is not not having any doubts – it is taking the steps God tells you to take even in the face of the doubts.  Faith wouldn’t be so hard if we didn’t have doubts,  but we do and therefore in many ways it takes even more faith to take the step anyway when the doubts are present.  Many times the money we needed came in the form of extra money that was “ours” (it wasn’t given for the adoption – it was ours to choose what to do with).  We could have taken a nice vacation, but God told us he was providing it for the adoption.  Sometimes people would slip us a $20 or a $100 or more for the adoption and it was always just what we needed for that moment to either pay a bill that was due with the adoption or to re-assure us that he was in control and he was providing.  These little pick-me-ups always came just when God knew we needed it most.  A check that completes the financial needs arrived today.  Although this seems “early”, it is once again right on time because it has to clear the bank before we have access to the money.

We have made sacrifices, but our kids too have made sacrifices, mostly out of their own choosing.  We are so proud of our kids and who they are becoming.  I am thankful that we have a Youth Pastor that doesn’t just entertain, but teaches our youth about sacrifice, giving, and obeying God.  I am thankful that we have a Pastor who faithfully teaches the word of God in its entirety and not just the easy scriptures and expects the church to obey God.  I am thankful for the many people in our lives who have prayed and heard God and have made their own sacrifices to make these adoptions possible.  I am thankful for the people in our lives that have stepped up to be here with our older two children while we are gone.  One day we will share more about exactly how God has done this, but for now just take it that we are thankful for all of it!

Our God is Faithful!!!!!  We had many mountains with these adoptions – just one of which was the money.  Sara turns 14 on November 19^th and her adoption has to be completed by then, but Austin turns 18 on November 6^th and for us to meet the November 19^th deadline we have to have the adoptions completed by November 6^th.  God has opened doors, expedited paperwork, and broke down barriers to make it possible to meet these deadlines.  Most agencies don't allow their families to travel in October because of holidays and trade fares that make travel difficult in China, but we are traveling right in the middle of it.  We will depart for China on October 13^th, but the adoptions won’t be complete until November 1^st – just in time for Austin to turn 18 with two new sisters.

The mountains are gone, but there are still some small hills.  Although the way is completely paved for Hannah and Sara’s adoptions, there are things that have to take place to be 100% ready to travel.  Please join us as we shout from the rooftop and praise God for who he is and continue to pray with us for his mighty work to continue until it is completed.

Once we complete these adoptions on November 1^st it will close one chapter in this journey but open a new one.  We will then have two more girls that God has given us stewardship over to teach right from wrong, to provide for, and to lead them to have a personal relationship with the God we serve.  These girls have had many years without instruction from God.  As far as we know neither of these girls speak any English and we certainly do not speak much Chinese. (Hello and thank you really don't count ) We don't even know if they both speak the same dialect of Chinese.  Please continue to pray with us and follow our blog after the adoptions are complete because God’s mighty work will have just begun in the lives of these girls.  We are thankful for a Chinese couple that God has put in our lives to help us with this transition!

God is great not because of what he has done,
but he has done this because he is great! 

What a mighty God we serve!!!

Ben

3! Three! San! (Chinese Pinyin)

3 Weeks From Today!!! 

WooHoo!

China Bound Baby!

And no--still not packed--yet!

Want to see something that will make you smile?

Our November calendar!!!

I just scheduled our 1st Post Placement Home Visit  for November 19th. 

AND THEN . . .

I looked at the rest of the calendar.  YIKES!!

Here's what it looks like:

November 1st: Consulate Appointment

November 3rd: Return home from China

November 6th: Austin turns 18--Have his pizza party and icecream cake(at his request) Then he wants to go skydiving and get a tatoo. (Not necessarily in that order. :)  Oh--these young men and a mom's heart!

November 14th: My 42nd Birthday!

November 18th: Leighanne's Gotcha Day Celebration

November 19th: Sara's 14th Birthday and 1st Post Placement appointment. (Should be interesting to swing all of this)

November 24th: Thanksgiving (Celebrate big time--we will be so thankful to be home with our whole family!)

November 28th: Jordan's 17th Birthday(who knows what he will want to do--I better get to asking)

Besides those dates we have 2 nephews who have birthdays and a brother-in-law with a birthday also in the month.

So much for coming home and taking it easy for a few weeks!

REALITY

RE*AL*I*TY is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined.

Sometimes REALITY stinks!!!

Last weekend I cried a Big Girl Cry when I had to face Reality.

This weekend I got ANGRY with REALITY!

Today--I'm Processing REALITY.

My Best Girl Friend in St. Marys is moving in about 4 weeks.  That's difficult for me, but it gets trickier because her daughters are Leighanne's Best Friends!  And our husbands are great buds(or whatever macho words they have for those terms)

AND Ed (Kim's husband) is the Senior Pastor at our church.  (Double Whammy!)

So today I am processing that when we leave for China, our friends will leave for their new home.  I am happy for them, and I believe that they are following God's Call.  I know they have prayed over this descision for a while, this has not been a quick descision.  I know that we have prayed with them, and I know their hearts---they want to Chase Jesus! 

Selfishly, I'm sad.   I'm grieving the dreams of our girls, Hannah & Leighanne and Kaitlin & Ashley playing together at our homes and church. 

Even though we had prepared Leighanne for this news, It didn't hit her until during church on Sunday when she realized that Pastor Ed would no longer be her preacher.  Little tears were running down her face and she asked, "Mama,who's going to preach?"

During my Bible Study time, I felt a sweet peace that only God can give.  I know that we will spend time with this sweet family in the years to come.  I know that God's plans are better than ours.  I know that He has great and mighty plans for the Davis family.  I know that God's ways are not my ways.  I know that He will sustain us when we miss our friends. 

THAT IS REALITY!

One Month from Today

We will board a plane to China.

I can hardly believe that almost a year ago--I was preparing for Orphan Sunday and it happened.

We Saw Hannah's Sweet Face!

On a waiting child's list. 

I believe on that day that there were over 2,000 children waiting for families.

That was just on one list.

God tugged on our hearts, He spoke softly.  "She's yours."

So many other people looking for children passed by that sweet face and didn't choose her.

That's because there was a force at work, behind the scenes.

A force compelling us to take a chance--risk our hearts again.  Step out in FAITH.

"She's Yours.  DO you TRUST ME?"

We took baby steps . . .

We agreed to pray for her to find a family.

We called the agency--was she available?

We completed the application--just in case the other family decides not to proceed.

Then the call--Do you want her file--the other family said, "no".

We took the file--we prayed over the information--we processed her needs--we spoke to 2 different doctors.

Baby Steps turned in walking.  Walking changed to running.

Isn't that AMAZING--THAT GOD in His infinite wisdom--knew we would have to led--drawn toward action.

In time--we BELIEVED that this was God at work again.

Then a curve ball came out of know where.

A harmless video at church--describing how "God always has room for one more in his family."  Spoken by a 13 year old who had recently joined her forever family.

An email arrived--Can you advocate for this 13 year old--she has the same need as Hannah?

God said--"DO you trust ME?  She is yours--I want you to bring home Sara also.  She is YOURS!"

Really God?  Another child?  2 at 1 time?

God do you know we can't afford that?

God do you know that we won't have many years to teach her about you or to show her the love of our family? 

"She's Yours.  Do you TRUST ME?"

Ben and I agreeing separately then together. God working in both of our hearts at the same time.

Another race--more paperwork.

Then waiting--for government officials.  Finally, All approvals are here.

Still God is whispering, "Do you Trust me?  They are Yours."

I don't know HOW God is going to overcome the last obstacles--But I do Trust in Him.

I know a month from today we will leave to go get our two girls--because they are OURS!

Gotcha Days!

Okay, I think we (mostly Julie) have teased you long enough about the extra special announcement......

Our agency requested the Consulate Appointment confirmation yesterday afternoon for 11/1 or 11/2 and said it normally took 2 to 5 business days to get a confirmation, so we were resisting the urge to hope for it on Monday of next week.  We were blessed with a wonderful e-mail this morning confirming our Consulate Appointment for 11/1 and giving us the rest of our itinerary.  We will go to Hunan Province first to get Hannah.  Hannah's gotcha day will be 10/17.  We will then go to Fujian Province to get Sara.  Sara's gotcha day will be 10/23.  Our Consulate Appointment is on 11/1 and we will be on the way home by 11/3.  The agency now wants us to send them tentative airline flights Monday morning so they can approve them and we get them purchased.

God is faithful and has removed all of the bureaucratic mountains and He is faithfully working on the financial mountain.  We have received word from I CARE that $6,350 has been generously given to them towards our adoption.  Please continue to pray with us (now is the time to fast if you fast) that God will continue to remove the financial mountains.

Ben

The will of God is never exactly what you expect it to be. It may seem to be much worse, but in the end it's going to be a lot better and a lot bigger. ~Elisabeth Elliot

 

I'm not sure exactly what God has going on behind the scenes--but I am thankful that God is in charge of this journey we've been on.

 

If it had been up to me--we would be on a plane to China next week. :)

 

But God has other plans.  I am grateful.

 

His plans include all kind of blessings that I would not have included.  I would have gone for speed, efficiency, quickest route to China.

 

Now--I'll be taking slow steps--keeping my eyes open to the possibilities God has in store for us.

 

What ministry opportunity would we have missed had we traveled next week?

 

I really feel there must be something we are supposed to be apart of before we leave.

 

Pray for me to keep my eyes focused on God.  I don't want to miss out.

 

 

In other news--We do have some exciting news to share--but  I can't tell you till it's 100% confirmed.

 

I'll give you a small hint:  It has to do with "gotcha days".

 

Julie

We have TA!!!

"Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you." –George Mueller

I told you God has a sense of HUMOR!!!

Guess what we got today???

T.A.!!!!!!

So what does that mean?  Well it means that we will travel sometime in October.  We will discuss all possibilities with our agency tomorrow.  

God knows are exact needs and He has the plan.

We are so excited with joy and thanksgiving!!

Blessed be His Name!

Fairytales vs. God's Ways

I guess I set myself up for failure yesterday. (My peace about TA went out the window--for a little while.)

I had this idea in my head that we were supposed to travel in September to go get our girls. 

I guess somewhere in all of this raw emotion floating around  I thought that God would bring us our TA, level the mountain with one swoop, and off to China we would go to get our girls.

BUT  it didn't happen that way.  That was the fairytale version.  My thoughts.  My vision.

I don't doubt that God's going to accomplish this task.  I really believe He will bring our girls home.

The problem lies within--I'm still trying to get God to work within my world.  (That makes me laugh to myself as I type it!)

Just who do I think I am?  Really? 

God does have a sense of humor in all of this.  Want to know what my quiet time was on today?  Taking your eyes off of yourself and trying to see the world through God's eyes. 

So today--I realize again-- that this story will not be written by me or on my timetable.  It will have the perfect ending written and directed by God.

And the peace has returned--thank you for continuing to pray and for letting us know that you are praying.

When we get TA we will let it be known and then we will get to bring our girls home.

Julie

God IS Moving!

All I can say is that God is moving the mountain--slowly--but hey--Gods ways are not my ways!  (You can be thankful for that!)

No--We do not have TA yet.  And Really--We have given that over to God.  It will get here in His timing.

I'd like to say that I have been extremely patient, but that would be a big fib.

So I'll tell you what I have been doing:

• Checking the weather in Beijing, Changsha, Fuzhou, and Guangzhou, China--Daily. (As if it is going to change 30 + or - overnight. :)
• Packing suitcases for Sara and Hannah --almost done!
• Getting school squared away for Zach and Leighanne.
• Making grocery lists and menus for the next few weeks and for while we are gone.  (Yes--I know my boys and whichever male chaperone is here with them will probably look at the menu and order Dominoes, but at least I know there was a healthy meal planned.)
• Walk from room to room forgetting what I went in there for.--GUILTY!  I swear I have inherited ADHD during the last few weeks of this process.)
• And Seriously--We have Prayed

and Prayed!

AND PRAYED!  It seems that God is reminding me with every song I hear, with every scripture I read that I can trust Him.  You know what--I BELIEVE HIM!