My Valentines

I love my two special Valentines. Keith has been my Valentine officially now for 7 years, and Koen for 2. I love you two. You bring me so much joy!

Following the adoption time frame I've set in my mind as likely, I expect to at least have a picture of Liv by Valentine's Day next year. It depends on where she is in Vietnam, on how long after our referral we'll have to wait for her. That's the part I dread the most.

Congratulations to Heather and Ryan who finally got to hold their daughter Elia this week. You can follow their blog at tovietnam.blogspot.com. They took lots of pictures of other children from Tam Binh orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, an orphanage where our child may live (our agency works with Tam Binh). I wonder if she is there right now?

Koen helped make and decorate cookies today, as well as put stickers on valentine cards for friends and family. It's fun to be able to do some crafty things with him, and he really enjoys it.

First cupcake, personally decorated.

*Our First Tet

Happy Tet everyone! Today is the first day of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, and the most important holiday in Vietnam. Most Vietnamese celebrate with family and go to temple. They also use fireworks to celebrate. Today ushers in the year of the Rat. This year is considered a special year, occurring only once in about 600 years, that is considered a very lucky year to be born. For that reason it is expected that the birth rate will go up in the country, that is already overcrowded and can't provide for it's children. I read today that Vietnam has a very, very high abortion rate. The government is hoping to promote "family planning" to help with the problem, but it is not likely to be effective this year.

Maybe Liv will be born in this "lucky" year. I don't believe in luck, and I hope that isn't why her mother gets pregnant. But, maybe it will also reduce the abortion rate. They're are lots of people here wanting to adopt those extra babies!

It's interesting that for the first time, I can kind of imagine what Liv's birth mom might be doing today. She is celebrating what is likely her favorite holiday, with those she loves.

Lord, please watch of Liv's mother. Help her to make wise decisions in how she takes care of her body. Provide the nutrition and emotional support she needs. Draw her heart to you, and assure her that her child will be very, very loved. Thank you.

Doesn't he look like a "Who?" (Keith playing with a camera lense)

Koen, pretending he's "in car", using tuperware for a steering wheel.

More Dreams

We've been DTV 4 months as of the 1st now. It has gone pretty fast until the last two weeks when I've been doubting we'll be able to hold her within a year if the country closes. Here are my latest finds for Liv - from the monthly 25 cent sale at a local children's consignment shop:

Some cute, Asian looking pants

Last night the three of us and my mom went out to Pho to celebrate Tet, the Vietnamese new year festival that begins on Feb 7th this year. Koen sure likes the noodles. It was good. Maybe I'll try making some myself on the 7th.

God encouraged me through the sermon at church this morning. The topic was dreaming, taken from Nehemiah. This seems to be a theme the Lord has for me lately : to dream big and let myself be used by God. Here's one quote by Pastor Paul: "The problem (with the world) that infuriates you the most is often the problem that God has assigned you to solve." And "Those who unlock your compassion are those God has called you to serve."

Even during the worship this morning, before the sermon I was thinking of those children in my last blog, that have no hope of adoption, and tearing up for them. God has definitely given me compassion for them and orphans like them, and I know he is guiding me to do something with this feeling. As I was listening, I was trying to figure out how practically, we can serve them, and I start imagining us moving to Vietnam, living in a shack somewhere next door to an orphanage. I imagine us setting up a house to take orphans in after they have graduated out of the orphanage, but before they have somewhere to go next. I imagine visiting the orphanage daily and just loving those kids, hoping that one day they will accept the love of Christ, share it with others, and begin to change the culture there into a culture that cares for orphans.

Or, maybe it's a little more practical to do that here in our own country and be a foster parent. Both ideas excite me, but seem to big for me.

Because I lived in Russia for a year as a missionary, I have counted the cost and I know it is hard to leave home, family, the comforts of America.... I enjoy all those now, but have felt no more satisfied in my core now that I have them again. I think the spiritual desert I have experienced since returning 7 years ago, is preparing me to sacrifice these things once again.

Forgive me for using this as a journal to work through these thoughts. I don't know if this is what God is calling us to do, or even if it is possible, but this is some of the thoughts I'm having and I wanted to write them down.

Pastor Paul finished the sermon with a surprising first step in the direction of our dreams: "Wait." We can't jump ahead of His timing to complete these dreams. He is preparing us now.

So, I guess we will wait and pray, and continue to cry over the situation many orphans around the world live in. I'd love to hear if you have any practical suggestions for how we could apply this passion He's given us. Any ministries you know of that we could serve with.... Or any similar thoughts you share.

Thanks.

Why not?

I'm feeling a little down tonight about all this. I checked to see if I could find more info on Baby Sinh, who I mentioned a while back, and can't find any. I want her to know she is loved. I also have been thinking about all the kids in Vietnam who live in orphanages that are not licensed to adopt internationally. I don't know why that is, but it is so heart-breaking. Tons of families are waiting in line to adopt children from a few orphanages, and all the true orphans are likely to get adopted from those, but there are others who will never even have the hope of adoption. For more, see adoptionbuzz.org (where I got these pics).

Lord, please change this, and open those orphanages to adoption. Love on those children. Give them hope and a future. Be with Baby Sinh, and take away any pain she may feel. Please show me how to help, and guide us to our child. Thank you. Amen.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11