Time to Go!

Quite unexpectedley, we recieved our travel date yesterday! Rejoice with us as we prepare to leave for Cali Colombia on the 24th of September! We were expecting to have 3 to 5 weeks of advance notice - not 2 weeks- yikkes!! We know that God's plans and His ways are perfect and so we have begun the scramble to get everything done so we can leave on the 24th.

As you can guess, we are feeling every emotion you can think of from excitement to stress and everything in between. Most though we feel joy and anticipation for the opportunity that God has given us to love and nurture these little ones for Him.

We covet your prayers in so many ways. Just to mention a few:

Travel arrangements/ safe travel

That God will prepare Anyi and Jose's hearts for our first meeting

For our accomodations in Cali

Speedy processing in country and a quick return

Safety for Betty when I return before her

The children will integrate well and quickly

They will come to know Christ as Savior

I will remain calm and patient travelling with 9 children including two 2 year olds!

Jose and Anyi will see our love for them

WISDOM

Jim

One step closer

The pace of our third adoption is beginning to pick up speed. First we received our referral for J and A when we had been told no referrals were coming out of Colombia. Now today the notoriously slow CIS has acted QUICKLY!!!!!

Today we received our I 800 from CIS. This is the second and final document  we need from immigration.  We now have the final approval to bring A and J into the US as our son and daughter.
Praise God!  We still don't know our travel date, but it is now closer than we had been expecting.

As I sit here tonight writing this post ....  I wonder if they know about us. I wonder if they are excited for the new adventure life has in store for them.  I wonder if they are scared at the prospects of a new family, a new home, a new language, a new country.... A new life. I wonder about these things because if I was to face this I would surely feel all these things and more. My prayers go out to them tonight that God will give them His peace in their hearts. I pray that the tears I will shed when we meet will help them to see the depth of the love I already feel for them.

I wonder what they feel tonight in the depth of their hearts- especially the unspoken emotions that have been held back these years since thier parents were murdered. God give these children of yours healing for their broken hearts and compassion for my heart to love them unconditionally as you love me. I pray simply for the wisdom to know how to raise them in the way they should go. Hasten the time LORD when I may hold them in my arms and whisper in their ears "Mi hijo,  Mi hija" "Amo a mis hijos".

The kids on Easter

 Our grandchildren

For the twins birthday, we had a Mickey Mouse themed party.

Having fun at Lake Michigan

I Hope Something Good Happens Today

After a particularly rough day yesterday, my wife Betty said to Brianne and Kaitlyn this morning, “I hope something good happens today.” Today started out as a very busy and chaotic day and then……

While Betty and Katie were getting their hair cut and Betty received a call from Children’s Hope International. Have you ever had a day where events just send your adrenaline levels through the roof. Betty’s adrenaline rush shot her off like a rocket and she still not come back to earth!

Nicole told her WE HAVE A REFERRAL!!!!!!! She was just as excited as we are as this is the first Colombian referral Children’s Hope has received in the last 4 months. The Colombian program has slowed down as I mentioned in my last post because of an internal review of their procedures. We have really not been expecting a referral because of this internal review. This phone call took us completely by surprise and we are still trying to internalize all the news. We share an overwhelming sense that God’s hand is behind this referral, even though the details of the referral is not what we had asked Colombia for. We are so excited and grateful to God.

We will not be able to share photos for several weeks still, but here is what we can share:

We have been referred a sibling group of a 9 year old girl and a 6 year old boy from Cali, Colombia. They were orphaned in 2008. We are very limited in being able to share anything else until we are MUCH further along in the process. Keep us in your prayers and our new children as well. We will refer to them as A. and J. in future updates. Rejoice with us.

Jim

Dedication of our family tree

Last spring I planted a tree. My thought was that this would be our family tree.

Now I know it sounds a bit silly to dedicate a scraggly little tree (that came in a small box in the mail) as our family tree. If you can humor me for a moment and think of me as the trunk of the family tree, then maybe the connection makes more sense. When Betty and I started our life together I was definitely a scraggly wisp of a man. And I mean that physically, spiritually and emotionally. This spring there was one delicate and beautiful blossom on my cherry tree and that too reminded me of our beginnings- in my eye Betty was and still is the most beautiful flower my eyes have ever seen. This tree is such a reflection of our lives beginning together.

This tree is a fitting symbol of our family in so many ways. We began our life together as very young and very idyllic youth, just beginning to sprout and grow. Betty was 19 and I was but 20. Most people didn’t think we stood a chance getting married so young. And I confess there were many times if Betty had been in her right mind she would have traded me in on a flashier model! I praise God He never allowed her to be in her right mind. This tree is going to grow and as it does I hope it will be a reminder to all of us of how we have grown together over the years.

One of the ways this tree will remind us of our family, is that it is a cherry tree, but not just any cherry tree. This tree has a trunk onto which have been grafted three different varieties of cherries. As all of you know, God has blessed us in such a way - that by His hand and by His provisioning and by His power our family tree also has three varieties grafted onto it. He has blessed us with 8 children by birth, 3 (soon to be 5) children from Colombia, South America, and also the twins from Texas. The fruit this tree will bear will be three different colors. Our children like the fruit of this tree look different, ah but each one is a unique and special delight to Betty and I and to God for whom we steward them. Just as the fruit of this tree will one day be a delight to our palates. All of these children – God has grafted lovingly and deliberately onto the Porter family tree are a delight to Him. Together we are all shoots off the trunk, but one family as the branches on this tree together make up one tree.

And yet we are individuals, unique creations of God. The fruit of this tree will all be sweet but will have their own unique flavor. So too each of our children are given special gifts and talents that will allow them to produce different fruits to the glory of God. As they branch out and pursue God’s calling on their lives, each of their fruits will look and taste different (so to speak), but will all be a sweetness on God’s lips. It is commonly said that a fruit tree takes years to produce fruit from the day it is planted. The branches of our tree also must grow for a time before they can begin to bear fruit for God. Betty and I pray that we will be able to tenderly care for each branch so that in the appointed time each will produce much fruit.

As a dad, I find myself often joking and saying that I do not plan to tell any of my children that they are adopted. Of course this is something I would never need to tell them since they are so different from me in appearance that they absolutely will know that. We bought t-shirts for Makenzie and Isaiah that say, “Don’t tell parents, but they don’t look a bit like me”. They will know, and we would not want to hide this fact from them. On further reflection though, I think I will tell ALL of my children that they all are adopted. I will also want them to know that Betty and I are adopted. In a bigger sense, this little cherry tree represents the family of God. In Galatians 4:4-7 we read:

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

So as this tree grows, it will remind us of this great truth that we are all adopted into the family of God through our common faith in Jesus. I hope to one day be able to look each of my children in the eye and tell them they indeed are adopted. It is this middle aged man’s prayer that there will be many braches (grandchildren and great grandchildren) added to this family tree. I pray for many generations who will be adopted as sons of the most high God, many who will cry out to Him “Abba, Father”.

Jim

Still Waiting

We continue to wait.  We have been hearing lately that all Colombian adoptions are on hold as the country goes through a review of its internal processess and proceedures. They are conducting the review to make sure they are doing everything in the best possible way to both place children needing homes and to make sure all their proceedures are in strict compliance with Colombian law. Hence our waiting time has been longer than we expected.

We did find out yesterday that out Dossier has been moved from the national office to the regional office in Cali. Yee Haw- any news is better than no news!

Jim and Betty

Life Has Value

Last summer, I listened to a radio talk show that recounted the story of a popular entertainer who was being criticized for daring to have a fourth child. That broadcast made me feel compelled to share my thoughts in response. In the short spot during that broadcast, this man was condemned by the "enlightened people" of the entertainment industry. They wanted to condemn the family because they dared to have a 4th child. If only they knew of my family. I am proud to be the father of 13 children, yes that's right 13. The “enlightened people” would be even more appalled to know that I will soon be the father of 15 maybe 16 children. I am immensely proud of each one of my children. Normally, when asked, I tell people I ONLY have 13 children. The ONLY generally causes people to not ask all the follow on questions you can imagine they think of. My children range in age from 32 years old to twins who are 2 years old. Eight of these children are biological children (yes all by my ONE wife of 34 years). When we could no longer conceive children of our own, we felt that God was still not finished with us as parents. We felt a calling to expand our family through adoption. Three years ago, we adopted a sibling group of 3 children from one of the slums surrounding Bogota, Colombia. Two summers ago we had the amazing opportunity to adopt infant twins from San Antonio, Texas. Our son Isaiah very nearly did not survive his 2 month premature birth weight of 2 pounds 13 ounces. My wife Betty and I had always wanted twins - just never expected to have them in our 50s. More shocking to the opponents of children (because fundamentally that's who they are) we in the process of adoption again. We have also had multiple children lost through miscarriage. Had we not adopted our three Colombian kids, they were destined for abject poverty and probably death on the streets of Bogota. I suspect those who criticized the gentleman expecting his fourth child would not have grieved for them or the millions like them. I also believe they would have screamed at the unwed mother who gave the twins to us through adoption that she should have aborted them. Ah if only you could see my son Isaiah and his four dimples when he smiles for me his daddy. We don't know where God will bring us our next children from, but I feel secure many would say that their lives are of no value and should have never been conceived. I say they are so sadly and totally wrong.


Life has value. Even when we don't value it, life has value. It is the gift of the Creator of the universe.

What ever happened to us in America? What happened to the days when children were valued as the gift of God. In my father's generation, the birth of a child was considered a cause for celebration. A son was the apple of a father's eye! The entire community rejoiced with the family. What ever happened in America that has brought us to the low place we now find ourselves where children are no longer a blessing, no longer valued for the future they represent? Whatever happened to America? What has cause so many in America and the other Western Countries to now view children as burden, a financial liability, and a drain on their pursuit of self indulgence and self gratification? What ever happened to America?

I suspect it has changed dramatically from the vision our founding fathers had. I suspect they never expected we would push the God they served and the values they held out of our public square. I suspect they never imagined how far morality would sink in the Home of the Brave. I suspect they never imagined a day when the phrase we do ordain for ourselves and our posterity would be replaced with the phrase we do ordain for ourselves and no longer desire posterity. I suspect they never imagined the day that a man would not view his role as a father as the greatest role he would ever play. I suspect they never imagined a day like today.

As we in the western world devalue children, Latin America, Islam and other places where children are valued continue to grow because they VALUE children. Opponents of children and larger families will eventually loose this battle, but they will not loose it to man like me, but rather to cultures and ideologies who open their arms to accept the blessing of children, and in that day I wonder if America will any longer bear any resemblance to its beginnings. I find myself wondering if we in America will go the way of Japan and western European countries. Will our birth rate become so low we will simply become extinct? Yes, I wonder, whatever happened to America.

Could it be that we are loosing favor in the sight of God who commanded us to be fruitful and multiply? Could it be that when we as a nation evicted God from our classrooms that He in turn might choose to with hold His blessing from our nation? Could it be that when we stripped the ten commandments from the walls of our courthouses and other public places that He might choose to abandon us as a nation to our own depravity to live in the absence of the moral law which was so apply stated in His ten commandments. Has He returned us to the time of the book of Judges where every man does as he desires in his own heart – without restraint? Could it be that as we as a nation have devised unimaginable forms of birth control and abortions, that He has allowed the darkness of our deeds to snuff out our ability to see the perfection of His light?

Yes, I wonder, what hope remains for my beloved America that has banished God from so many places in our lives. If you know my Lord, then you know even in these times filled with discouragement, we have hope, and that hope has a name. Yes, a name that is above every other name. The name is Jesus, the Christ. While we yet wait for His return, we as His people have great hope though we live in what seams to be hopeless times. When He comes He will surely judge the nations, but we His people will rejoice and be glad in that day. And in that day, it will not matter what has happened to America.

I don't hold a lot of degrees or powerful positions in my community. I would say that I am relatively unknown except for a couple of articles I published about adoption that few have probably read. I have served this county's Army for 20 years, and my God for 40 years. I am nobody special and nobody of any significance except perhaps to those 13 who call me daddy, and that is all that matters. I will raise them to value life, and faith and family.
 
Jim

The Little Chap Who Follows Me

We were reminded recently of the poem entitle The Little Chap Who Follows Me. The poem is below to remind you, you have probably read it or heard it before:


The Little Chap Who Follows Me!
Author: Unknown

A careful man I want to be;
A little fellow follows me.
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he'll go the self same way.

I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate'er he sees me do, he tries.
Like me he says he's going to be;
The little chap who follows me.

He thinks that I'm so very fine,
Believes in every word of mine.
The base in me he must not see;
The little chap who follows me.

I must remember as I go
Through summer's sun and winter's snow,
I'm building for the years to be;
The little chap who follows me.

As a family, we are blessed to be able to gather around the table 3 times a day, most days. This time together is so important for families. It is our tradition for each child to have a turn offering a blessing over the meal in rotation. Recently, I happened to look up during one of these prayers to find my barely two year old son Isaiah as you see him in the photo below. We did not teach him this- he just learned from watching us!The poem is so true in so many ways. Dads- our children do watch and act on everything they see us do. I have seen this played out so many times in my 32 years of fathering. I pray I will always remember the little chaps (and their sisters!) who watch and follow me. I pray that what they see and emulate of me will be pleasing to my Heavenly Father as this picture of Isaiah must. I trust as He looked down upon Isaiah, He smiled as I did. Since I noticed that day, we can get him to repeat the moment anytime we tell him it is time to pray. I am so glad to know in at least one way I am as the poem says "building for the years to be". May all my children always be so eager to pray as Isaiah is today. I know God will hear them- and answer according to His perfect will.

Jim

Waiting anew

Received notice from Colombia late this afternoon. Our referal for Carolina and Neydali has been withdrawn by ICBF. God has closed this door, we trust He has another door
He wants us to walk through by having faith and trusting Him.

Thank you for your prayers.

Delayed Again

Job said it best. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.


This note is to let you know that we have had a development in our effort to follow God’s calling to adopt Carolina and Neydali. Let me explain. Yesterday we received a call from Children’s Hope. We had been expecting a call to be told our final document had been received from Immigration. We were at Joshua’s final basketball tournament of the year and did not hear the phone. We eagerly called back, only to face some very unexpected and shocking news. Although almost everything was complete in Colombia, the girls birth mother has somehow petitioned to stop the adoption and get her girls back. This was totally unexpected. The birth mother has not had any contact that we are aware of for 4 years and only a very few contacts in the 3 years before that. We do know that her parental rights were terminated and the girls have been legally place up for adoption by the Columbian government. We have read in great detail the birth family circumstances and the reasons they were taken from the mother- Nedali from the time she was 4 months old.

This comes as a complete shock to us. If their birth mother is now able to care for them and there has been dramatic change in her life circumstances, we do not want to stand in the way, even though we already love these two girls desperately. If the circumstances of extreme poverty and suffering have not changed we hope that Carolina and Neydali will be protected from that.

This sort of thing simply does not happen in international adoption. Nobody we are working through knows how to respond or what to expect. We don’t know if this means a delay of weeks or months or that God may be closing this door. We are in a state of disbelief and don’t know what to think or do. We were expecting to travel in in 3 or 4 weeks – now we wait.

While we don’t know what to do or think, we do know that God is still on His throne, and His hand is still on this endeavor. We do not pretend to understand the mind of God, nor de we desire to second guess His will in this adoption. Rather, we pray that His will be done. We know if we do not become Carolina and Neydali’s parents, we will grieve for them. Whatever the outcome we praise Him. He is our God and we love Him and submit to Him fully. We hope to get more information on what all this means over the next two weeks.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

We covet your prayers. Please pray:

1) That God will allow this to be resolved quickly
2) That He will comfort us in our grief if we loose Carolina and Neydali
3) That God will make clear what is do be done for these girls
4) That Carolina and Neydali will be happy and well cared for

Disconnected thoughts of a dad

Last time we posted we thought things were picking up speed. Well maybe not. Things have not moved out of CIS as fast as we had thought. Still waiting. We have been waiting on the final approval form CIS for about three weeks now. It has supposedly been sent three time. The first time, nothing arrived at our house or at Children’s Hope. Then came the second attempt. Much to our surprise Children's Hope received our CIS approval- to adopt from China!!! Now as much as we are willing to follow God's call to adopt from China, our dossier is in Colombia not China. It seams the worker at CIS was working requests from three different families with our same last name. So we wait for the third attempt to get our final approval! International adoption can be very frustrating..... but only if you let it. We believe nothing happens apart from the perfect will of God. We don't pretend to understand why all of these things are happening, but we trust that God not only knows, but also that His hand guides all of this for His purpose and He has chosen the date to put Carolina and Neydali into our arms. So we wait. Some days patiently and other days to my shame - impatiently.
We wait and are at the whim of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). So all this delay is a result of this thing called citizenship. Tonight as I write and as I think on these things I took the time to look up the secular definition of citizenship. Webster's tells me:

Definition of CITIZENSHIP
1: the status of being a citizen
2a : membership in a community (as a college) b : the quality of an individual's response to membership in a community

Hmmm. We most often think of citizenship in terms of our country of origin or a country we have been legally accepted into. 1: the status of being a citizen. I was born in Canada, but that is not what I claim as my citizenship. I have US naturalization papers; again that is not what I claim as my citizenship. God's word teaches me that this world is not my home, and so I cannot claim citizenship of an earthly county. Instead, because of Christ's sacrifice for me, and because I have accepted him by grace through faith, He has gone to prepare a place for me. A place His word tells me where there are many mansions. This I find consistent with Webster's 2a definition of citizenship. Membership in a community. Not that I am deserving of it mind you, but my citizenship is in heaven. I am a member of a community of believers in Christ. I am His and He is mine. He has adopted me as a child of God.

Webster's definition 2b - the quality of an individual's response to a membership in a community. Hmmm. Here is the essence of why I wait. It is my response to my membership in the community of Christ Jesus. His response in establishing this community was to die a horrible death on a cross- for me personally, and for you as well. Each of us who are members of this group (citizens) are called by God to respond because of that membership. He does not call each of us to exactly the same response, since He has many members and many required responses to fulfill His purposes on this earth. For Betty and me the response He has called us to as His citizens is to raise up His children for His glory. So we wait, sometimes patiently sometimes not so patiently, but we wait. Always knowing that the reward is so worth the wait. Being a dad is not about me. It is not even about the children I have been blessed with. It is about Christ. He has entrusted to me these 15 precious children (who knows maybe even more) to lead them to Him that they too may become citizens in His kingdom and know the response He has created them for. My prayer tonight is God will be satisfied with the quality of my response to Him as a dad. I pray also He will bless my response and through my children both adopted and biological He will find clay waiting to be molded by His hands and for His purpose. We wait.

Disconnected thought number 2! We all have our pet rocks- you know those little things others do that really annoy us. Yes I've got my pet rocks too! I'm not proud of them, but they are there. One of mine is shoes left on the porch or on the steps leading into the house from the garage or even on the back porch blocking the door. The thing about this particular pet rock is that it doesn't bother anyone in the family but me- HOW FRUSTRATING! Now think about it. 15 kids. 10 (soon to be 12) who live at home plus my amazing wife. That’s a lot of feet, AND that’s a lot of shoes. A lot of shoes, especially when you consider 6 (soon to be 8) of those feet are female type feet. Do you have any idea of how many shoes come with 12 (soon to be 16) female feet (not to mention 10 male type feet). We have thousands of shoes. Did you know that it is possible to pile 17,234 shoes in front of one doorway- it is. I counted them. I have three doorways- I'm drowning in an ocean of shoes. OK maybe I am exaggerating a little bit, there were only 17233 shoes on the front porch! Does anyone care about this out there? Dads help me out here. OK, never mind. God has been working on my heart about shoes of all things. Recently, I asked my wife if she could remember our house ever being quiet. She just smiled, and I told her one day it will be again. And then I will be very sad. I love my house, I love my life and I love my noisy house. I pray God will never let it be quiet again. I still don't like shoes on the porch... God has been helping me to see the shoes are there because of all the beautiful feet He has put into my life. Beautiful feet need piles of shoes on the front porch. I'm learning to get over it. I now look at the shoes and think of the beautiful feet, and hands and faces that smile at me and say "I love you daddy". But still when nobody is looking I give that big pile of shoes A BIG KICK. Doesn't accomplish anything- but I feel better. Here’s to the four new feet I can't wait to pile shoes on my porch.

I'm so glad God loves me the way I am. He loves me in spite of all the annoying (and sinful) things I do.

Disconnected thought number 3! When I was a young man, other men would talk about cars. They would tell me of their desires; Mercedes, BMWs Audis among many others. Having started my family at a young age, I would find myself telling them all I wanted was a station wagon! They though I was a little weird- OK a lot weird. As our family grew and grew, these guys that talked of fast cars would ask me what I drove. Over time I would say a station wagon (yep - got my dream car!), then a mini van, and finally a 12 passenger van. All along the way I would joke with people and say we had a school bus. Some of them actually believed me (does that say anything about the lovers of fast cars!). Be careful what you joke about. In a few weeks we will outgrow the 12 passenger van. Now I really do want a bus. Betty and I have been looking into used 20 passenger busses (this time I want room to grow- never know when God will plop in another dozen children or so). We have been praying that God will show us His plan for transportation. We can't afford any of the busses we have found. Perhaps it is not His will for us. We submit to Him in this fully, knowing He loves us and will care for us as the perfect father that He is. We can always take the van and the car everywhere we go. Many around the world have only their feet. We are so blessed. I am thanking Him tonight for the abundant blessings I have. God is good.

Getting closer now

A lot of things have happened in the last couple of weeks, but we have been so crazy busy, we have not had time for a blog post- sorry!


Things have begun to move faster than we expected. A little over a week ago we received word from citizenship and immigration service (CIS) that they had approved the update to our home study. This update specifically recommended us for the specific special needs that Carolina and Neydali are dealing with. This approval came back weeks earlier than we expected. This just confirms in our hearts and minds that God is sovereign and it reminds us that He is in control of the time table and is not limited by the "projected waiting times" established by mere mortal men.

God continues to answer prayer in providing support. We received a generous check from a family from across the country we have never met. We will not mention their names as we don't know if they intended this to be an anonymous gift or not. We do want them to know how much we appreciate their gift that will help us bring our girls home. Thank you and God bless you! We followed their adoption journey while it was going on. They adopted from Medellin- same city where we will be going this time.

Last weekend, we got to visit our good friends the Rimas who have adopted 14 children from Colombia. We met them while we were in Bogota on our first adoption journey. They are an inspiration to us and an example for everyone.

The next big event happened two days ago when we found we have been given our final CIS approval. We don't yet have the document, because we had to resubmit a supporting document that was lost. We should have the documentation this coming week. This approval from CIS comes several weeks before we expected to see it! We had been told we should expect to travel around the end of March to mid April. This early approval from CIS blows that time line to pieces! We are not sure exactly how much the time line has moved, but we now anticipate meeting Carolina and Neydali in very early March. YIKES!!! That is only a month away- we are feeling excited and terrified all at once! This week we should get some more clarity on how soon our travel date will come. We will also be able to post pictures soon - hopefully this week.

After all the waiting and all the work that goes into pursuing an international adoption, it is hard to believe that the time is almost at hand. So many hours have been spent compiling documents, running down notaries, racing to the state capital for apostilles, and sending off those overnight deliveries. Each task has been done with love in our hearts for these two precious ones who God is entrusting to our care. We have prayed for them with every thing we needed to accomplish knowing that our God was able to sustain us to the finish line. The journey to this point has been exhilarating even if at time it was exhausting. We have persevered not because of our own strength, but because of Him who strengthens us, because of Him who equips us for every good work, because of Him who is strong when we are weak and weary, and His strength He has shared with Betty and I - always when we needed it most.

Our paperwork process has involved 3 places in Canada, Alaska, Virginia, South Carolina, Hawaii, and West Virginia. We have been fingerprinted so many times our fingertips are permanently dyed from the ink. We have had our names checked with child abuse registries in 9 different states, been checked with local, state, and federal law enforcement- all checks were squeaky clean! Every T has been crossed and every I has been neatly dotted. The mountain of paperwork is complete without spot or blemish. We have spent untold hours in the process (most of the hours by Betty)- and why? All has been done in obedience to the call God has placed on our hearts - all for the reward of hearing two little words:

Mami
Papi

And the reward of 4 tiny arms holding fast around our necks as hot tears of joy stream down our cheeks.

God Bless you.
Jim and Betty

Referal - At Last!

Well, back on 17 November 2011, we were asked if we would consider adopting two sisters with special needs. I wrote about this in our blog back on 20 November. We requested Neydali (age 6) and Carolina (age 9) on 21 November. On 7 December, the authorities (ICBF) in Medellin met to consider this request. At that time they approved for us to become the adoptive parents of Neydali and Carolina!!! They then spent the next 20 days gathering medical records and other documents to put together our referral document. Our referral was received by Children’s Hope International earlier this week. It took a few days, but the entire packet was translated into English- all 90 plus pages of information. This is the most extensive referral packet we have heard of. Everything we have read has served to reinforce in our hearts that these are the girls God has intended for us every since He knit them together in their mother’s womb. In our hearts and through our eyes, we see them as perfectly perfect. We hope you see them through the same lens and hope you rejoice with us.


As we enter into the sanctity of life month, I cannot help but reflect on what God has been teaching me about the value of life over the last couple of years. So often as Christians, we think about the sanctity of life only as it relates to abortion. God has impressed upon my heart that the idea of being prolife is so much bigger than just standing against abortion. Being prolife means to embrace all life in whatever form or fashion God chooses to call it into existence. He does not make mistakes. All of His handiwork is perfect and suited to the purpose for which He has intended it.

God began to awaken in me through the gift of my son Isaiah that what the world may see as flawed He sees as perfect. God does not view things as man sees them, and He calls us to see His people through His eyes. I have often failed in this throughout my life. As we began to identify some of the medical concerns that Isaiah will face, God reminded me He intentionally created Isaiah just the way he is. In the eyes of Isaiah’s daddy and his Heavenly father, Isaiah IS perfectly created. God has great purpose for this little man of mine- Isaiah lives with more joy and enthusiasm than most people I know. As I awakened to these things God brought back to my mind some of the prayers I had offered in my earlier years as a father. And I was so ashamed. I recall always praying that my biological children would be born without spot or blemish. I think we have all prayed that our children would be born 10 tiny toes and 10 tiny fingers- no medical issues. Now these are not necessarily “bad” prayers. But…. My shame comes in the realization that in my own mind and heart, I defined perfection for God and then demanded that He give it to me- nothing more nothing less. My error is in daring to define perfection for the God and Creator of the Universe rather than trusting Him to define perfection and wait patiently for Him to bless me according to His perfect plans for my life. I am beginning to see a little more clearly now.

In my renewed view of life, I can recognize that God creates nothing but perfection, and that He creates for His intended purposes. My God and Savior has created Neydali and Carolina exactly as they are and He has great purpose for them. Betty and I count ourselves most fortunate that He has chosen us to steward them on His behalf. It will be our great privileged to love and nurture them and watch as God uses them to bear much fruit for His own glory. It will be our great privilege to teach them about the great love of Jesus. We ache for the day we will welcome them into our family.

We will return our acceptance of the referral on Monday. The process has changes somewhat since our first Colombian adoption. The process is now much slower. It will take us 8 to 12 weeks to leave the US to meet our new daughters. As we move forward, we covet your continued prayers. We will be able to post pictures in another 4 to 6 weeks.

Here are some specific ways you can pray:



1) For everything to come together administratively so that we can travel.

2) Safety while there. Jim can only stay two weeks this time. Betty and Katie will remain the rest.

3) God's provisioning for our remaining costs. There are still several cost we are praying about and trusting God for. Pray for Him to provision for these needs in such a way He will receive all of the Golry.

4) Transportation- we currently have a 12 passenger van. With the new girls, there will be 14 of us still living at home. We pray that God will provide a 15 passenger van or a small bus. This is our greatest need at this point. We ask you to pray and to ask your churches, families and friends to pray for this. We trust that God is able, and that the prayers of the righteous availeth much!

God Bless,

Jim

Pictures

Happy Birthday Joshua

Joshua Turned 13 yesterday. On Friday night, we had a gathering of men to welcome him as he begins to transition into biblical manhood.  Several men came to gether to give him encouragement and challenges for the journey. I appreciate everyone who came to stand beside him. Here are the words I spoke to my son:

Joshua,

Tonight is a special night. All of these men and their sons have come together tonight to offer you words of encouragement and challenges for you to consider as you begin your transition from boyhood into Biblical manhood. Tonight does not make you a man, but it does put you on notice that you are no longer a boy. Tonight starts your journey, by hearing all these words you can begin to discern for yourself what it means to be a Godly man. Because you belong to Christ and have been redeemed by His blood, all of us here tonight can accept nothing less from you than that you become the man God created you to be and fulfill the purpose He has created you for. It has been said that to whom much is given, much is expected. Because of Christ Jesus you have been given a place in heaven, a seat at His banquet table, the underserved gift of eternal life in the very presence of the Creator of the universe. My son, I expect much of you in light of the immeasurable riches you have been given in Christ.

In days gone by, boys like you dreamed of becoming a knight. To become a knight a boy passed through stages to earn Knighthood. Once becoming a knight, the man was expected to swear his allegiance to his king, commit himself to an honorable life, and service to the kingdom. I want you to view this night as your first step towards becoming a knight of King Jesus. A knight is a warrior, a man who is prepared to lay down his life for others and for his cause. You are called as a knight of King Jesus to put on the full armor of God. It says in Ephesians 6:10-17

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

Joshua, you come from a linage of warriors. Eight generations before you, Mitchell fought in the American Revolution. Five generations before you James Monroe  fought in the American Civil war on the side of the south at 17 years old. Three generations ago, Wesley entered World War I as an American Doughboy. Two generations before you, both your grandfathers served in Vietnam. Three of my mom’s brothers served in World War II, one in the British Navy and her twin brothers Sylvester and Thomas in the Canadian Army. Sylvester watched his twin brother die in the twisted barb wire on a lonely battlefield in Europe. You know that I served in the Army for 20 years, my only brother in the Air Force for 17 years. His son has served in Iraq and is now in Afghanistan. Your brother in law James has recently returned from Qatar. You come from a linage of warriors, but this is not the sort of warrior that I challenge you to be. I call on you to commit yourself to be a spiritual warrior for Christ. Before you, you see the trappings of a warrior. The boots, the shield, the flak jacket, the helmet and the sword are the visual representations of a warrior’s preparation for battle. But in Ephesians Chapter 6 you will find the things you need to prepare yourself to be a knight of the true King. I challenge to put on full armor of God:

Stand Firm
Gird your loins with truth
Put on the breastplate of righteousness
Shod your feet with the Gospel of Peace
Take up the shield of faith
Take the helmet of salvation
Take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God

If you do these things you will be fully prepared to battle as a Knight of King Jesus.

Also before you tonight is a quiver of arrows. Warriors require weapons and fellow warriors in the faith. This quiver is mine. It is a visual representation of Psalm 127 which reads:

1Unless the LORD builds the house,those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain. 2It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5Blessed is the manwho fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
I’d like to reflect tonight on verses 4 and 5 - children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.

For many years I had an inadequate understanding of these verses. My view had been that the point was to fill my quiver and be blessed. I have recently come to understand that the reason a warrior has arrows is to is not to rejoice in the fullness of the quiver, but rather the warrior has arrows to shoot at and kill his enemy. Joshua, you are one of my arrows. I have tried to live my life as a Knight of the King. Any victories I am proud of are only those won for our God and Savior. Notice one of the arrows in the quiver has your name on it. Also notice that one fletching is white and two are black. These colors were deliberately chosen. The first black fletching I chose to represent the first Adam who allowed sin into the world and brought to each of us spiritual death and a need for redemption. The second black fletching represents you my son. You were born into this world under the blackness of sin, loved of God, but in need of a savior. The white fletching has two meanings. First, the white fletching represents the second Adam who is Jesus. He is the perfect sacrifice for our sins - yours and mine. Because of that sacrifice, the white fletching also represents you - now that you are in Christ. He has made you white as snow.

This night is meant to be about you, so why have I brought MY quiver here tonight? Because tonight as you begin your transition into manhood, I as your warrior father draw an arrow from my quiver. You are the arrow, tonight I nock your arrow and draw back my bowstring and take aim with all that you will become and fire you at the enemy. God did not put you in my quiver merely for my pleasure, but for His purpose that is your life. He has allowed me to keep you in my quiver until you were needed for the battle. That need is now here, it is your time to join the ranks of spiritual warriors. It is your time hone your warrior skills and complete the journey started here towards the goal of becoming a Knight. As I draw back my bow I can only aim you at the target of Godly manhood. As I let you fly you must fly true to the mark and plunge deeply into the heart of the enemy. You have much ground to cover before you complete your flight. As I said earlier, a warrior needs weapons and also fellow warriors in the fight.

All of these men who have challenged you tonight are your fellow Knights of King Jesus. We are all gathered here because we commit to help you grow as a warrior and are determined to help you fly true to your mark. Alone a warrior is venerable, but together we are very strong. Each warrior must stand in his place in the battle line. This means we all have unique talents and gifts from God that we are to use for victories in His name not in our name. Each of us must stand in our place on the battle line and defeat the enemy who is directly in front of us. If any of us as warriors fail, then the battle line is breached and the enemy may flood through the gap and wreak havoc behind the lines where our families are. Tonight we challenge you to stand your place and fight for your King by the life you will lead. Joshua son of James, do you commit to become a Knight of the King?

In light of your answer, I have three gifts for you. The first gift is a journal I have been writing for you over the last two years. In it are the things I want you to remember about the journey to biblical manhood. It is written in my own hand and is my love letter to you my son. I have embossed on the cover Joshua son of James. Second, I have for you the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. I have chosen a study bible for you – spend much time in the Word and it will keep you sharp and battle ready. I have embossed the cover your name Joshua. Lastly, I have a gift that is intended to always remind you that you are destined to be a Knight of King Jesus. The last gift is an Army Officer’s sword which will be your visual reminder that you are a knight of King Jesus.

Son I love you and wish all the best of God’s blessings for you.