After many weeks of seeking our sovereign God and relying on His guidance we can see that continuing with Costa Rica is Gods plan for our family. Graciously God continues to point is in this direction. I am so thankful for His faithfulness. Although we definitely suffered disappointment from not being able to adopt a little girl in Kenya through our good friends in Kenya, our main prayer has been that the Lord would make our desires His, and do what is best for her. I believe that the Lord has done this and that he has a plan for her that is greater than any plan that we can imagine. We are in the process now of submitting our paperwork to immigration in Costa Rica so that we can be matched with a child there. Once we are matched we will send in our dossier and then make plans for travel to spend six weeks in Costa Rica! It has been a really neat to see how the Lord has confirmed and continues to lead us to this country through friends, through prayer and through His Word. All glory be to Him!
Something that honestly has concerned us, although the Lord cntinues to give great peace after praying about this, is the cost of adoption in Costa Rica. It is a few thousand dollars more than adoption in China. I keep feeling the Lord's assurance that He will provide. We have several grant applications that we are filling out this month and next. They are lengthy and tedious but hopefully they will be worth it! Now that the busyness of moving is over we are going to hit this hard! Thank you all for your praying for and supporting our family through all of this!!
Monday, December 1, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
A Very Difficult Couple of Months....
The last few months have been very hard and we have had many questions about what God was doing...
After being matched with who we thought would be our daughter we were told that China could not be an option for our family for international adoption.
You can imagine our shock and disbelief after receiving our PA and being pre-approved by the Chinese government. At this point we had already sent this precious little girl photographs of all of us: her family that was waiting for her. We sent her birthday gifts and sent all of her information to specialists in Birmingham who were reviewing her files with us and were getting us set up for physical and speech therapy. Then the call came. The agency reviewed our home study and saw that from ages 17-22 (11 years ago), before he was a Christian, Jeff smoked marijuana...and China has a NO drug tolerance. My heart sank. Izzy was with me when I got the call, so I tried not to burst into tears in front of her, but my efforts were a failure. I couldn't understand why this was happening. I have not been able to write about it until today partially because a good friend encouraged me to do so.
How could this have been overlooked for so long? What was God doing? How could we have gotten as far as we did in this process without this being noticed? After all we shared all of this information in one of our first "full disclosure" phone meetings with our social workers. That's when our social worker that works, not locally with us, but that specializes in the China department, reminded me of how the phones were working poorly the day of that phone meeting and that she was cut off during that part of the interview. Somehow that information had "slipped through the cracks" for the entire process.
I had a range of emotions. I wish I could say that I rested and rejoiced in Gods sovereignty the whole time but that just isn't the case. Even as I type this I am brought to tears as I think about sweet little Zoey and the fact that she is still in an orphanage and still no inquiries have been made on her.
I have to say that the agency that we were working with has been amazing in helping us after all this and admitting that they were to blame for it all. I know everyone makes mistakes and things are overlooked and I just couldn't help but wonder how God was going to use this. Our agency told us that they would petition the CCCWA to get Zoeys file because before we inquired about her, she was on the shared list. They did indeed get her file and assured me that they would advocate for her and that we would be updated on all information related to her. I hope and pray a loving family who is open to her possible disabilities will inquire about her and adopt her soon!
So what now.... that is what everyone is asking. For several weeks I just didn't know. I was at a loss for words. Confused. Seeking God. We were afraid to lose money so we didn't want to change agencies but with our current agency our options were very limited. So we waited and prayed. We eventually decided to stay with our agency. They have treated us with so much love. Jeff's job was also so gracious as to agree to him leaving work for 6 weeks in order to complete the adoption process out of the country. So we agreed on Costa Rica. Latin American countries had not been an option for us before because of the long out of country stays although because of my background and fluent spanish it was definitely something we had considered. So with the support of Jeff's job at Strong Tower we decided to move forward. We are now in the process of switching everything over to Costa Rica with losing very money and little to no time.
And then another call came. A call from a friend in Kenya who has a little 5 year old girl with no living family other than her very young birth mother. This little girl was dropped off at an orphanage when she was almost 3. She had suffered what seemed to be severe abuse from her mothers boyfriend who is now her husband. The question of our willingness to adopt her came up and I emphatically said yes! I was told that in order to make this possible, her mother would have to sign her rights to Jeff and I directly and that she would be approached with this question in the next couple of weeks. Please pray for Gods will for this precious child!
So friends, it has been an eventful and emotional couple of months. We are at this point continuing to pursue both the adoption in Kenya and the adoption in Costa Rica. I am so thankful for everyone's prayers and support and I will make every effort to keep everyone posted more regularly!
After being matched with who we thought would be our daughter we were told that China could not be an option for our family for international adoption.
You can imagine our shock and disbelief after receiving our PA and being pre-approved by the Chinese government. At this point we had already sent this precious little girl photographs of all of us: her family that was waiting for her. We sent her birthday gifts and sent all of her information to specialists in Birmingham who were reviewing her files with us and were getting us set up for physical and speech therapy. Then the call came. The agency reviewed our home study and saw that from ages 17-22 (11 years ago), before he was a Christian, Jeff smoked marijuana...and China has a NO drug tolerance. My heart sank. Izzy was with me when I got the call, so I tried not to burst into tears in front of her, but my efforts were a failure. I couldn't understand why this was happening. I have not been able to write about it until today partially because a good friend encouraged me to do so.
How could this have been overlooked for so long? What was God doing? How could we have gotten as far as we did in this process without this being noticed? After all we shared all of this information in one of our first "full disclosure" phone meetings with our social workers. That's when our social worker that works, not locally with us, but that specializes in the China department, reminded me of how the phones were working poorly the day of that phone meeting and that she was cut off during that part of the interview. Somehow that information had "slipped through the cracks" for the entire process.
I had a range of emotions. I wish I could say that I rested and rejoiced in Gods sovereignty the whole time but that just isn't the case. Even as I type this I am brought to tears as I think about sweet little Zoey and the fact that she is still in an orphanage and still no inquiries have been made on her.
I have to say that the agency that we were working with has been amazing in helping us after all this and admitting that they were to blame for it all. I know everyone makes mistakes and things are overlooked and I just couldn't help but wonder how God was going to use this. Our agency told us that they would petition the CCCWA to get Zoeys file because before we inquired about her, she was on the shared list. They did indeed get her file and assured me that they would advocate for her and that we would be updated on all information related to her. I hope and pray a loving family who is open to her possible disabilities will inquire about her and adopt her soon!
So what now.... that is what everyone is asking. For several weeks I just didn't know. I was at a loss for words. Confused. Seeking God. We were afraid to lose money so we didn't want to change agencies but with our current agency our options were very limited. So we waited and prayed. We eventually decided to stay with our agency. They have treated us with so much love. Jeff's job was also so gracious as to agree to him leaving work for 6 weeks in order to complete the adoption process out of the country. So we agreed on Costa Rica. Latin American countries had not been an option for us before because of the long out of country stays although because of my background and fluent spanish it was definitely something we had considered. So with the support of Jeff's job at Strong Tower we decided to move forward. We are now in the process of switching everything over to Costa Rica with losing very money and little to no time.
And then another call came. A call from a friend in Kenya who has a little 5 year old girl with no living family other than her very young birth mother. This little girl was dropped off at an orphanage when she was almost 3. She had suffered what seemed to be severe abuse from her mothers boyfriend who is now her husband. The question of our willingness to adopt her came up and I emphatically said yes! I was told that in order to make this possible, her mother would have to sign her rights to Jeff and I directly and that she would be approached with this question in the next couple of weeks. Please pray for Gods will for this precious child!
So friends, it has been an eventful and emotional couple of months. We are at this point continuing to pursue both the adoption in Kenya and the adoption in Costa Rica. I am so thankful for everyone's prayers and support and I will make every effort to keep everyone posted more regularly!
Saturday, August 23, 2014
We got our PA!
Today I bought three sets of PJ's for my sweet baby girl. Yes! We got our PA on 8/01/14! We have decided to name our daughter Zoey and to keep her Chinese name for her middle name. Due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the way she got her name we were not sure if we would keep it but are planning on it for now. Sweet Zoey's birthday is estimated to be about September 1st so that is when we will celebrate it. We send her a book and a blanket and small musical toy since the orphanage informed us that she likes music :) ,we also sent her a child's photo album with pictures of us so that she can begin to recognize us! This service is offered through our adoption agency. We covet everyone's prayers as we continue in the process of adopting this sweet special focus child. We are so thankful to be matched with Zoey and are trusting that God will equip us to be able to care for her and be the parents God intends us to be for all three of our girls. God bless.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence... (2 Peter 1:3 ESV)
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
I read this passage this morning:
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6 ESV)
My heart was overwhelmed with thankfulness! It reminded me of the beauty of my own adoption. Going through the adoption process is making these truths, if possible, even more powerful and meaningful in my life. It is helping me understand my adoption by God on a whole new level. When Jeff told me he wanted to adopt he wrote, "How could I not want to adopt? I myself am adopted." Praise God.
T-Shirts are here!!! (and have been I'm just terrible at updating.) These t-shirts are for sale for 15.00 a peice. 10.00 of the proceeds go toward the adoption. These T-Shirts are designed by our daughter Faith :) and by Justin Henderson. You can get them in indigo or coral and the country of China is actually in mint green. Thank you to Josh Conley and Urban Seed Exchange for making these shirts at cost for us! Please comment on this blog or email me at Jeffandjenniferhand@gmail.com for your order!
Monday, April 21, 2014
Do you LOVE good, fair trade coffee?
If you love coffee check out this site! www.justlovecoffee.com/handadoption About 30% of the proceeds go strait towards funding our adoption! This coffee is very good, fair trade and slave free! Please visit this site via this link today!
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Photography Fundraiser
Thank you so much to Kristina Partin for all of the hard work she did taking beautiful spring pictures to raise money for the adoption! She donated ALL of the proceeds for the day that was fully booked towards the adoption. We raised 520.00 on that day! That puts us almost halfway to the total we need for the adoption! Please check out her website at www.p226photos.com or check her out on facebook! Her pictures are beautiful!!!
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Moes Update!
Our Moe's fundraiser was very successful! We raised 340.62 which was 25% of the overall sales for the night from 5-9 pm. It was so good to see everyone there. We were truly humbled by how many friends, family members, and neighbors came to join us for food, fellowship and to support bringing our daughter home!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Welcome to Moe's!
We are now officially accepted by China for their program and starting our home study! I cannot believe how much paper work we have already had to do and I know there's a lot more where that came from. Hearing our social worker constantly refer to "our little one" make this so real.
I would like to invite everyone to please please please come eat at Moe's on Zelda Road this Friday night, April 4th between the hours of 5 pm and 9 pm. If you put your receipt in the bucket by the register Moes is donating 20% of their sales during those hours towards the adoption. If their sales are over 1,000.00 they will donate 25%! So please come, and invite everyone you know, to eat at Moes on Zelda Road this Friday!!!
I would like to invite everyone to please please please come eat at Moe's on Zelda Road this Friday night, April 4th between the hours of 5 pm and 9 pm. If you put your receipt in the bucket by the register Moes is donating 20% of their sales during those hours towards the adoption. If their sales are over 1,000.00 they will donate 25%! So please come, and invite everyone you know, to eat at Moes on Zelda Road this Friday!!!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Simple Encouraging Things..and Canvas Project is Under Way!
I have to mention that some really encouraging things that have happened recently...
My niece and nephew were dedicated this morning. Unfortunately I missed it because the little one and I are sick. But I got a text message from both my sister-in-laws, (Kristina and Laura) full of exclamation points telling me the sermon was on adoption! How awesome that the Lord would continue to confirm His will for us! This Sunday most of my family visited this church in order to witness these two little ones being dedicated and got to listen to a sermon on adoption. Wow. This makes my heart happy along with these other encouraging things..
Following my now 13 year old on Pinterest and seeing all her pins on China adoption.
Watching my six year old, Izzy, carry her Chinese baby doll around everywhere that she has had for a while but has new found interest for...(yes, she is wearing leggings, high heels, a tutu and gloves...this is her home-school swag)
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Watching my husband diligently fill out forms despite any distractions, rapping, drumming...the usual...
AND just my house family in general..
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Monday, February 24, 2014
Local Art and Fundraising
Ok, so today has been CRAZY. From homeschooling to having friends over, hanging out with neighbors, and then the Lord really coming through and helping a friend move into a stable place, and dinner and cleaning and laundry...and through all that I just can't get the adoption and this neat idea I heard about out of my mind..so here it is..
I know I already have a fundraising thermometer with a timeline explanation in this blog. I anticipate putting 700.00 a month toward the adoption from extra work Jeff and I are picking up, plus 8,000.00 of what is shown that is already raised is from a tax credit that we plan to use towards the trip to China. But if you look down on the time line you will see that we will have 2,213.75 due VERY SOON. So a way to come up with the remainder of that money and to come up with some of it soon is the "Canvas Fundraiser." I read about this in a fundraising book, so it's so not my idea, but it's a great one and I think it fits our family well with our love for local art.
We have a 20x24 canvas. We are dividing that canvas into 480 squares. We are asking our friends, family, or anyone who wants to be a part of bringing our daughter home to buy a square for $20. (Or as many squares as they like) Then either we, or they, can paint the square or write on it. When every square is sold we will have raised enough to bring her home and we will have a beautiful peice of art to hang in her room as a reminder of all who contributed to her getting here!
If you want to buy a square in the canvas please just post in
the comment section and let me know if you want to paint it or if you want us to paint
it, what color or colors you want it to be, and/or what you want it to
say. The donation can be made via paypal on this blog or you can
email me at jeffandjenniferhand@gmail.com.
My mind immediately goes to "I don't know 480 people!" But I feel sure that God has not let this idea leave my mind for a reason! I am excited, and hopeful. :)
I know I already have a fundraising thermometer with a timeline explanation in this blog. I anticipate putting 700.00 a month toward the adoption from extra work Jeff and I are picking up, plus 8,000.00 of what is shown that is already raised is from a tax credit that we plan to use towards the trip to China. But if you look down on the time line you will see that we will have 2,213.75 due VERY SOON. So a way to come up with the remainder of that money and to come up with some of it soon is the "Canvas Fundraiser." I read about this in a fundraising book, so it's so not my idea, but it's a great one and I think it fits our family well with our love for local art.
We have a 20x24 canvas. We are dividing that canvas into 480 squares. We are asking our friends, family, or anyone who wants to be a part of bringing our daughter home to buy a square for $20. (Or as many squares as they like) Then either we, or they, can paint the square or write on it. When every square is sold we will have raised enough to bring her home and we will have a beautiful peice of art to hang in her room as a reminder of all who contributed to her getting here!
My mind immediately goes to "I don't know 480 people!" But I feel sure that God has not let this idea leave my mind for a reason! I am excited, and hopeful. :)
Adoption
Wow. So I've been working on this blog and talking a lot with my husband, my mom, my dear sister-in-laws Kristina and Laura, and my sweet friend Amanda who lives with us, and this morning Laura posted this blog on Facebook! (I do little to no social media so this is very exciting) It is all becoming so real!
We are adopting a little girl age 2-3 from China. We just started the process and are working hard to make extra money to be able to put $700.00 a month toward the adoption!! Jeff also sold his car because with us living, schooling, working, and going to church all in the same neighborhood we decided for now only one car is needed. This will help with expenses too but we still need a lot of help!
It's crazy to think that RIGHT now our daughter is alive, and in an over crowded, under staffed orphanage on the other side of the world. She has been abandoned. I pray that our faithful God would plant a seed of hope in her young heart, and that somehow, she will know, we are coming for her!
We are adopting a little girl age 2-3 from China. We just started the process and are working hard to make extra money to be able to put $700.00 a month toward the adoption!! Jeff also sold his car because with us living, schooling, working, and going to church all in the same neighborhood we decided for now only one car is needed. This will help with expenses too but we still need a lot of help!
It's crazy to think that RIGHT now our daughter is alive, and in an over crowded, under staffed orphanage on the other side of the world. She has been abandoned. I pray that our faithful God would plant a seed of hope in her young heart, and that somehow, she will know, we are coming for her!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Love
"So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13
What is love? Paul's idea of love is that he will spend himself for people, and they may give him praise or give him blame, it will make no difference. So long as there is a human being that does not know Jesus Christ, he would be their debtor to serve them until they do.
The main spring of Paul's service was not love for men, but Christ's love for him and in turn his love for Jesus Christ.
"We love because He first loved us" 1 John 4:19
Love is a word that is definitely misused in our language, and culture, and time. We love our spouse, and we love Mexican food. True love for someone puts their well being and gain in front of our own. It means telling someone the truth in love because it is the best thing for them, even if it risks you no longer being liked by them.
"...love your neighbor like yourself..." Mark 12:31
This is the second greatest commandment after loving God with all of our heart, mind and soul. But what does that look like? What does that mean? How on earth do we do that? For me it takes little to no effort to love my children but some mornings I wake up and just don't "feel" like loving my neighbors. Dare I say that some mornings I wake up and don't "feel" like loving God.
Our love HAS to come as an overflow of meditating on and basking in God's love for us. Meditating on the truth of the Gospel is one way to do this, then we will be able to love freely and fully.
What is love? Paul's idea of love is that he will spend himself for people, and they may give him praise or give him blame, it will make no difference. So long as there is a human being that does not know Jesus Christ, he would be their debtor to serve them until they do.
The main spring of Paul's service was not love for men, but Christ's love for him and in turn his love for Jesus Christ.
"We love because He first loved us" 1 John 4:19
Love is a word that is definitely misused in our language, and culture, and time. We love our spouse, and we love Mexican food. True love for someone puts their well being and gain in front of our own. It means telling someone the truth in love because it is the best thing for them, even if it risks you no longer being liked by them.
"...love your neighbor like yourself..." Mark 12:31
This is the second greatest commandment after loving God with all of our heart, mind and soul. But what does that look like? What does that mean? How on earth do we do that? For me it takes little to no effort to love my children but some mornings I wake up and just don't "feel" like loving my neighbors. Dare I say that some mornings I wake up and don't "feel" like loving God.
Our love HAS to come as an overflow of meditating on and basking in God's love for us. Meditating on the truth of the Gospel is one way to do this, then we will be able to love freely and fully.
Community.
My husband Jeff and I, and our daughters Faith and Izzy, are so blessed to be part of such amazing community. The community we live in, the community in our home, and the community in our church is such a blessing and a constant reminder of God's grace and goodness.
About four years ago Jeff and I felt led to share our home and to keep our doors constantly open by having our home be a community itself, hosting various bible studies and discipleship meetings, as well as a worship service held each Friday night. Almost two years ago Jeff was called into full time ministry to work at House to House, a ministry that shares the gospel and rebuilds dilapidated housing in an impoverished neighborhood. Shortly after, I began working there part time as their discipleship coordinator. Last year we moved into that community.
These events, along with joining a wonderful church in the community, have let us experience some radically fulfilling love and community much like the love and community I read about in the bible. Our pastors, friends and neighbors constantly model what it means to need each other, serve each other and love each other. I am very thankful; we know some amazing people.
About four years ago Jeff and I felt led to share our home and to keep our doors constantly open by having our home be a community itself, hosting various bible studies and discipleship meetings, as well as a worship service held each Friday night. Almost two years ago Jeff was called into full time ministry to work at House to House, a ministry that shares the gospel and rebuilds dilapidated housing in an impoverished neighborhood. Shortly after, I began working there part time as their discipleship coordinator. Last year we moved into that community.
These events, along with joining a wonderful church in the community, have let us experience some radically fulfilling love and community much like the love and community I read about in the bible. Our pastors, friends and neighbors constantly model what it means to need each other, serve each other and love each other. I am very thankful; we know some amazing people.
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