143 Million

Orphans of the World

These faces represent 143 million orphans on earth today
That is 1 in every 13 children!
That is more than the population of Canada and Mexico combined!

Rwanda

Guatemala

Philippines

Ethiopia

Myanmar

Swaziland

South Korea

Uzbekistan

Honduras

Colombia

Zambia

China

Romania

United States

United States

Vietnam

Vietnam

Zimbabwe

Philippines

Russia

Uganda

Ukraine

Moldova

Mongolia

Iraq

Thailand

Kenya

Malawi

Mexico

Mexico

Haiti

India

India

Kazakhstan

China

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe

Afghanistan

Brazil

Cameroon

China - an AIDS orphan

So many orphans! Lord, show me how I can help. So many, and yet it is so hard to even bring one home! Please show us the way.

*An Adoption Anniversary

One year ago today was our first blog. The new look represents a new year. I started this journal of our process to keep family and friends updated, to inform other prospective adoptive parents of the process, and to share with Liv someday.

A lot has changed since we began this process a year ago, and were just deciding on an agency. We are still happy with the choices we've made along the way, and do believe the Lord has been our guide. Although things are looking a little more hopeless with Vietnam, I do still have hope and trust the Lord to guide us to our daughter.

That's not to say I haven't struggled with the current uncertainty. Friends all around me are having babies and getting pregnant with their second children, and sometimes I feel like I'm getting behind. I know it's not a race, and I shouldn't compare, but it has always been my nature to do so. Yesterday Koen was begging me to follow him and be involved in all of his play. He is ready for a little playmate brother or sister. Thankfully, he has lots of church friends and the neighbor boys.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Please continue to pray for us and our daughter.

Got Milk?

*Important: Campaign for Vietnam Adoptions

Sorry about the change in layout. I was a little overexcited to update the blog's background, and not really knowing what I was doing, messed it up. We'll work on getting it back in shape, but it's not high enough on Keith's to do list.

Just checked out Adoption Integrity's website, and they had info from the JCICS. JCICS is putting together a campaign for Child's Rights in Vietnam and asking us to contact our congressmen in their support. The effort is to give children in Vietnam the right to be adopted, and to clean up the system, without Vietnam closing to US adoptions. It gave me a lot of hope to read it. Please join in this campaign, and pray for it's success. Do so quickly, as it is time-sensitive. Here's the link: Voices for Vietnam Adoption Integrity and the Campaign : JCICS Child's Right Campaign

And on this Memorial Day, I am so thankful for all the men and women who gave their lives for me and this nation. What an amazing and honorable sacrifice! And thank you to all who are serving in the forces currently. We are in debt to you, and pray God's protection over you.

Thank you!

New Nephew

Very early last Sunday, my second nephew was born. Joel Isaac came 4 weeks early (but a big 6 lb, 15 oz!) and was delivered at home (not by choice). My sister-in-law was alone when Joel decided to come out. Mom is doing fine, and Joel is improving gradually. His little lungs and digestive system weren't quite as ready as he was to get out, so he is at a children's hospital where they live on the east coast.

2 Days Old with Daddy.

7 Days old and off the breathing machine!

7 Days old and starting to get "Feisty"

Welcome Joel! We pray God blesses your life abundantly, and that you grow to be healthy and strong in the next couple weeks. We pray you know God's amazing love for you and choose to walk in His ways. We can't wait to meet you. Love, Uncle Keith, Aunt Kelly, and Cousin Koen

In Memory of Maria

Our hearts were saddened this morning to hear that Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman lost their youngest daughter in a car accident yesterday. This is an amazing Christian family who has adopted several children from China and are founders of Shaohannah's Hope, the organization that is helping us and many families adopt. Steven is an accomplished Christian music artist. Please pray for the family as they mourn.

Here is what is posted on Shaohannah's website:

In memory of Maria Sue Chapman (2003-2008)

Maria Sue Chapman, adopted and youngest daughter to Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed Wednesday night in a tragic accident in the family drivewIay on Wednesday evening. She was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital but for only reasons God can explain she went home to Him. In lieu of flowers, the Chapmans request any gifts be directed to Shaohannah’s Hope. You can donate below to give to the Maria Fund in memory of Maria Chapman. For donations by mail, send to Shaohannah's Hope, c/o Maria's Miracle Fund, PO Box 647, Franklin TN, 37065.

*No Decisions Yet

I talked to Amy, our adoption coordinator this Monday. She was just checking in to see how we were doing with all the bad news lately. After our conversation I have a little more hope. I learned that Vietnam is scheduled to become Hague accredited in March of 2009. That would mean that even if it closes in September, once they are Hague accredited, any other country that is Hague accredited would be able to adopt from there without any other signed agreements. In order for Vietnam to get Hague accredited, they would have to have a clean system, and I believe all adoptions would have to be the same - have similar financial requirements..... I hope I'm not putting too much hope into this possibility.

Other good news was that our agency received 4 referrals lately - 3 girls, one boy, which moves us up on the waiting list. We are still in the early 20's, but we must be in the earlier early 20's. If our agency continues to receive 3-4 referrals a month which was the trend before the latest issues, we would be somewhere between 8-12 on the list by September 1st. That means that if it closes, we would not be able to complete our adoption. However, if Vietnam reopens in March, we would stay in order on the waiting list, and likely receive our referral within a few months, and travel within a few months - probably next summer.

So, I have hope that with all these issues, it will merely mean we will have to wait a bit longer to hold our little girl. I do believe that the Lord has all this in His good and perfect plan for our lives, and that He will bring us together at the right time. Please pray that our faith would stay strong.

We still wonder if we should start an adoption in another country right now or not- especially if Vietnam never does reopen. Amy said that many other waiting families are pursuing other routes at the same time. One option in Nepal through our agency, but more likely for us is China special needs. Still, I think we will likely wait until September to make any decisions.

We even talk about Africa a bit more - or former Soviet states, but the reality is that it is very costly to do two adoptions at once, and we're not ready to pull out of Vietnam. We have grown accustomed to imagining a little Asian girl as part of our family, and the Lord will have to do some work to change that picture.

With the news that we will likely not receive a referral until at least next spring, we wonder if we should do something adventurous with the next year of our lives. The Lord has sure given us a passion for orphans, and we are researching and contemplating going abroad for a year and helping orphans hands-on while we wait for our second child. Not sure how or if it would work, but we'll see.

Into the Kingdom!

Keith got to lead a college students at an area community college to Christ last night. At one of the last CRU meetings of the year, there was a student who had come for the past couple weeks. This student, thought he was a Christian, but when Keith asked him a few questions, it became clear he wasn't. Keith got to explain the Good News of Jesus Christ to him. Praise Jesus for saving this student's soul, and for allowing Keith the opportunity to give him guidance. Please pray that he would be good soil, and that Keith would be able to arrange follow-up with him.

Great Movie!

I am in a little bit of a time warp. We are finally home. We were travelling for one day short of two weeks, and it is strange to me that it is the middle of May now, when we left in April. It is nice to be back in our beds, and in the beautiful green state of Washington.

Here's another tidbit I wanted to share from the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference last week. Eduardo Verastegui, the lead actor in the wonderful movie, Bella, shared briefly with us about the film and how God is using it to save babies that would have been aborted. Keith and I loved seeing this movie when it was in the theaters. It has a wonderful message, but it is not in your face at all. It is clean, inspiring, and very artfully done. Go see the movie!!! I think it came out on DVD this week. I hope to buy it - and that says a lot as I have only ever bought one other movie (Phantom of the Opera:).

Anyway, Eduardo shared with us one partucular story that has resulted from his role in the movie. A friend of his from across the country called him up late one evening and told him of another mutual friends' situation, and fried Eduard hadn't been in contact with in years. This friend had gotten his girlfriend pregnant, and although she wanted to keep the baby, he didn't. They had an abortion scheduled for the next morning. This friend was asking Eduardo to call him up and try to convince him to keep the baby. After playing the lead characted in this touching film, Eduardo has himself taken up the role of advocating for unborn children, and agreed to call the mutual friend. Although it was very late and his friend would have been asleep, Eduardo nervously called, and after small talking for a while, told his friend that he was aware of their situation, and that he would like to adopt the unborn baby (don't read here if you haven't seen the movie yet : this is what his character in the movie does.) His friend is silent for some time, and Eduardo is nervous that he is now a dad (although he is single, and this would be a major adjustment!) They continue to talk a little and the friend agrees to temporarily cancel the abortion appointment the next morning. Eduardo flies out and shows the couple the movie, and they decide to keep the baby. There is now a little baby girl named Bella with a godfather named Eduardo Verastegui.

Many in the conference were tearing up (me too of course) as Eduardo shared this amazing story. His heart and many have been softened through the message of Bella. Go see it and show it to your friends!

Trip Pictures

Here are some pictures from our two weeks traveling. Before the conference Keith and I got to enjoy Florida for a day and a half. We headed the the northern Florida Keys and went on a glass bottom boat trip off of Key Largo to the 3rd largest reef in the world. We got to see a sea turtle, a little shark, and all kinds of pretty fish. We had hoped to go snorkeling, but because it was very windy, they were only taking experiences snorkelers. We opted for the boat ride.

A windy beach in Miami

After the Christian Alliance for Orphans Conference we flew back to Oregon and picked up Koen from Gramma's house in Salem. Our next conference was a Campus Crusade regional staff conference in Sun River, Oregon. We ended up having okay weather for it, and enjoyed good fellowship, and great teaching from Gary Breshears of Western Seminary.

Koen and Papa in the pool

Koen and a buddy playing in the "waterfall" - a big highlight for him

My 2 year old is getting pretty good at climbing!