Saturday, July 21, 2012
update from 5/22/12
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Waiting is the Hardest part....
This waiting is so hard.....I know there is nothing left for us to do but pray and wait on the Lord....and I am.. praying and waiting on the Lord....but I'm also her mommy. I'm supposed to meet her needs. I'm supposed to protect her, advocate for her, stand up for her and be her voice....I'm supposed to bathe her, rock her, hold her when she sleeps. I never knew you could miss someone you've never met until I adopted my two children from China. I miss her. I truly ache to hold her. I watch the days go by on the calendar and am so frustrated. Today I pulled out her dresses and shoes and a few other things and matched them up and took a picture of them. I guess just to have something to do. A reason to touch her things, to envision her in her sweet clothes that have been chosen and bought just for her. A dear friend told me that God woke her up and had her pray for Claire first thing this morning. He showed her Claire all wrapped up in a blanket of many bright colors and she was safe and warm. I was holding her. She told me that God wants me to know that we will have her home SOON!! He wants me to know that she is ok, and that He is holding her until we can get there. Oh, how great is our God?!?! I am receiving every single promise that He is sending us about our sweet girl. There is a song by Gungor that I claim over her little life. I sing her name in it in place of the word "me". It is called "Beautiful Things". If you have never heard it go listen to it on Youtube. It is amazing! And I envision our sweet girl blossoming and blooming and bursting forth with color and vibrance! I envision her with her head thrown back laughing! I envision her twirling in a "spinny dress" and running barefooted! I see her as healthy, rosy, with glistening black hair, smiling and full of life and love...Oh thank you, Lord, that You make things new, that You are making Claire new! Please pray with us that we leave to go get her in July!!!!
Evan and Grace are in Jamaica on mission trip. They will be gone a total of a week. They are building very crude houses and serving the village of Harmons, Jamaica. They work and save and plan for this all year. This is their second trip. We can't wait to have them home and hear their awesome stories.
Jack is doing great! He is growing like a weed! He has another surgery on June 21, to revise his lip and nose, and hopefully try to re-close the nasal fistula that has re-opened. I know it will go well. Jack is a rockstar at recovering, and Dr. Jiang is a rockstar surgeon and doctor. All will be great. This should be his last one for several years. Let's hope!
We hope that you are all having safe and fun summers. Gotta love sleeping in, late nights, and ice cream!!
Love to all. In Him,
Leslie
Evan and Grace are in Jamaica on mission trip. They will be gone a total of a week. They are building very crude houses and serving the village of Harmons, Jamaica. They work and save and plan for this all year. This is their second trip. We can't wait to have them home and hear their awesome stories.
Jack is doing great! He is growing like a weed! He has another surgery on June 21, to revise his lip and nose, and hopefully try to re-close the nasal fistula that has re-opened. I know it will go well. Jack is a rockstar at recovering, and Dr. Jiang is a rockstar surgeon and doctor. All will be great. This should be his last one for several years. Let's hope!
We hope that you are all having safe and fun summers. Gotta love sleeping in, late nights, and ice cream!!
Love to all. In Him,
Leslie
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Isaiah 40:31
Hello Dear Friends and Family,
Well, it's been an awful long time since I've blogged. Life has been crazy!! Let's see....since we last "talked", a lot has happened. For one, Evan went to Prom with a sweet Senior friend, Cara Hartwig, and had a great time. He is working and paying for all of his responsibilities, including a mission trip to Jamaica. He's such a great guy! Grace has worked her little tail off babysitting and has pretty much all of her money earned for her mission trip to Jamaica this June. She is an amazing girl! Cate won third overall in her category at the greater K.C. area Science Fair so we all went downtown to the Science award ceremony and see her receive her ribbon. So proud of her!! Jack has sailed through his roughest surgery yet; a premaxillary setback with nasal fistula closure. Whew, that was a scary one, but he did fantastic! Next surgery is scheduled for June 21; a lip and nose revision. He has also been invited to be a part of a pilot program at Blue Springs Schools, a Transitional Kindergarten Program. Next year he will have 8 kids and two teachers and a para. So we are super excited for him to be given this chance to excel in a low-key environment with caring teachers. He will also get to stay with his beloved private speech teacher, so that's a relief.
And for our adoption.....well, for me, this has been a very rough season emotionally. I have had a very hard time picking and staying with a name, and we (ok, I) have finally chosen to go with my favorite name right now, Claire. So, as you can see by the title, it will be Claire Sophia Jia Fuller. I love it!! The hard part has come into play in that all the "stuff" that just happens....the stuff that happens to everyone all the time....hit all at once and the enemy had me convinced that this adoption was just NOT a good idea or even possible anymore. The A/C went out in the house, the dishwasher, dryer, and vacuum broke, the house payment went up, someone "hit and ran" into Evan's car, Chris is making less at this new job until we get overtime after this initial orientation period, we have to fork over all the deductible for insurance coverage that we just met in February for Jack's speech....it just went on and on!! And guess who came down with strep throat again after having a tonsilectomy and enduring the most painful 3 weeks of her life??? ME!!! I was so so defeated! I even had the phone in hand to call our agency and tell them that we were out-this adoption was not going to happen. But, my sweet husband kept showing me her photo and saying, "look at her Les...this is what it's all about....the enemy wants her to be an orphan...the enemy wants her to not have proper medical care and thrive...the enemy wants her to be thrust into prostitution or even organ harvesting when she 'ages out"....and so I prayed...a LOT! that God would help me. Then that Sunday our pastor's sermon was on: How the enemy uses discouragement, deception, and division to hinder what God has called us to do. Are you kidding me?!?! So, as Monday came, I shared with our life group our struggles and fears. They prayed with us and were so encouraging. On Tuesday, my dear friend Dawn and I were talking and sharing with each other and she was so encouraging. Then on Tuesday, she brought me a brand new vacuum! See, she had one given to her, and then another one given to her, and so she gave one to me!! Now, I know it's just a vacuum, but it was the wind that I needed under my sagging wings to get back up and fly with my Lord. Then on Tuesday morning, two friends from life group showed up at my door and yelled, "Woman! Answer the door! We brought you a dishwasher!" And they hauled in a brand new, in the box, with a beautiful bow, dishwasher!!! Again, I could hear the Lord saying to me, "Les...trust me, I've got this. I will supply all of your needs". And that night Chris told me that he talked to the home loan company and the house payment will NOT be going up, and we will be receiving a $500 check from overpayment in the 2011 tax year! To say that God lifted us up is an understatement!! I watched HIM provide not only our needs, but even down to a dishwasher! Oh, what a generous God we serve!!! So.....I'm back on track. I'm flying high again. Dawn suggested (strongly) that we throw together a garage sale, and today we raised another $637 for our travel fees!!! We also decided this week to not take Jack with us to China to get Claire, for many reasons, and that has greatly reduced our financial burden. So, within a handful of days, our lives have been so touched by the hand of God! We KNOW that we were called on this journey! We KNOW that God has set our sweet daughter apart, and that HE is working diligently to bring her home! We KNOW that she is WORTH the tears, overcoming fears, fundraising frustrations, and wait that we are going through right now. She is WORTH it!!! Please continue to pray that God will squash the enemy and all of his lies as we move forward to bring Claire home.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I wish you each a wonderful day full of pampering, love, celebration, memories, and joy. Thank you so much for all of the prayers, support, encouragement, and help on this journey.
In Him,
Leslie
Well, it's been an awful long time since I've blogged. Life has been crazy!! Let's see....since we last "talked", a lot has happened. For one, Evan went to Prom with a sweet Senior friend, Cara Hartwig, and had a great time. He is working and paying for all of his responsibilities, including a mission trip to Jamaica. He's such a great guy! Grace has worked her little tail off babysitting and has pretty much all of her money earned for her mission trip to Jamaica this June. She is an amazing girl! Cate won third overall in her category at the greater K.C. area Science Fair so we all went downtown to the Science award ceremony and see her receive her ribbon. So proud of her!! Jack has sailed through his roughest surgery yet; a premaxillary setback with nasal fistula closure. Whew, that was a scary one, but he did fantastic! Next surgery is scheduled for June 21; a lip and nose revision. He has also been invited to be a part of a pilot program at Blue Springs Schools, a Transitional Kindergarten Program. Next year he will have 8 kids and two teachers and a para. So we are super excited for him to be given this chance to excel in a low-key environment with caring teachers. He will also get to stay with his beloved private speech teacher, so that's a relief.
And for our adoption.....well, for me, this has been a very rough season emotionally. I have had a very hard time picking and staying with a name, and we (ok, I) have finally chosen to go with my favorite name right now, Claire. So, as you can see by the title, it will be Claire Sophia Jia Fuller. I love it!! The hard part has come into play in that all the "stuff" that just happens....the stuff that happens to everyone all the time....hit all at once and the enemy had me convinced that this adoption was just NOT a good idea or even possible anymore. The A/C went out in the house, the dishwasher, dryer, and vacuum broke, the house payment went up, someone "hit and ran" into Evan's car, Chris is making less at this new job until we get overtime after this initial orientation period, we have to fork over all the deductible for insurance coverage that we just met in February for Jack's speech....it just went on and on!! And guess who came down with strep throat again after having a tonsilectomy and enduring the most painful 3 weeks of her life??? ME!!! I was so so defeated! I even had the phone in hand to call our agency and tell them that we were out-this adoption was not going to happen. But, my sweet husband kept showing me her photo and saying, "look at her Les...this is what it's all about....the enemy wants her to be an orphan...the enemy wants her to not have proper medical care and thrive...the enemy wants her to be thrust into prostitution or even organ harvesting when she 'ages out"....and so I prayed...a LOT! that God would help me. Then that Sunday our pastor's sermon was on: How the enemy uses discouragement, deception, and division to hinder what God has called us to do. Are you kidding me?!?! So, as Monday came, I shared with our life group our struggles and fears. They prayed with us and were so encouraging. On Tuesday, my dear friend Dawn and I were talking and sharing with each other and she was so encouraging. Then on Tuesday, she brought me a brand new vacuum! See, she had one given to her, and then another one given to her, and so she gave one to me!! Now, I know it's just a vacuum, but it was the wind that I needed under my sagging wings to get back up and fly with my Lord. Then on Tuesday morning, two friends from life group showed up at my door and yelled, "Woman! Answer the door! We brought you a dishwasher!" And they hauled in a brand new, in the box, with a beautiful bow, dishwasher!!! Again, I could hear the Lord saying to me, "Les...trust me, I've got this. I will supply all of your needs". And that night Chris told me that he talked to the home loan company and the house payment will NOT be going up, and we will be receiving a $500 check from overpayment in the 2011 tax year! To say that God lifted us up is an understatement!! I watched HIM provide not only our needs, but even down to a dishwasher! Oh, what a generous God we serve!!! So.....I'm back on track. I'm flying high again. Dawn suggested (strongly) that we throw together a garage sale, and today we raised another $637 for our travel fees!!! We also decided this week to not take Jack with us to China to get Claire, for many reasons, and that has greatly reduced our financial burden. So, within a handful of days, our lives have been so touched by the hand of God! We KNOW that we were called on this journey! We KNOW that God has set our sweet daughter apart, and that HE is working diligently to bring her home! We KNOW that she is WORTH the tears, overcoming fears, fundraising frustrations, and wait that we are going through right now. She is WORTH it!!! Please continue to pray that God will squash the enemy and all of his lies as we move forward to bring Claire home.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I wish you each a wonderful day full of pampering, love, celebration, memories, and joy. Thank you so much for all of the prayers, support, encouragement, and help on this journey.
In Him,
Leslie
Thursday, March 22, 2012
And, they're off!!!
Hello All~
Wow! Life has been Craaa-zyyy since I last blogged! Illnesses, surgeries, and more illnesses!! We are all finally on the mend (knock on wood), and things seem to be slowing down.....sort-of. We are on spring break this week, and it's been a nice repieve from the bussiness of life. Evan is working now at Mongolian Barbeque, as a "grilla", Grace is babysitting and doing all that she can to raise money for another trip to Jamiaca this summer, Cate is dancing and hanging out with Josy a lot, and Jack is loving school and all the time he can spend outside. And.....our dossier will finally be in China TOMORROW!!! Yay!!! So, it looks like we will be traveling this summer, hopefully in June, and HOPEFULLY have her in our arms before she spends another birthday without us. That is June 28. Jack has a huge surgery scheduled for April 5, tentatively, and this will really change the way he looks. We want him to be strong and fully recovered before we head to China with him this summer. He is such a trooper and seems to recover so nicely. We now need to finsish raising the money we need to pay for the adoption. We have two grants that we should hear from soon, and we are praying and believing that God is going to provide every last penny.....He called us, so He will provide, no doubt! Jack's amazing surgeon is traveling the end of June to get his new little girl from China...wouldn't it be special to be there at the same time? Once you get to Gounzhou there is time to visit and take walks and look around, and the play room at the White Swan is such a great place to hear other people's stories of adoption and how God provides. It would be even cooler to sit and visit with Dr. Jiang in the White Swan play room! We are trying to get rooms organized and ready for our sweet Sophie....I can't believe we will have 5 kids!!! Holy Cow!!! Well, we only get one life, and we might as well make as much of a difference and enjoy it as much as possible. We can't wait to bring our girl home!! Life will be busy....but so rewarding and fun! Please pray that the wait for travel will be very, very short!! Our girl has waited way too long already to have a family!!!
Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful spring. Isn't the green just gorgeous?!
Leslie
Wow! Life has been Craaa-zyyy since I last blogged! Illnesses, surgeries, and more illnesses!! We are all finally on the mend (knock on wood), and things seem to be slowing down.....sort-of. We are on spring break this week, and it's been a nice repieve from the bussiness of life. Evan is working now at Mongolian Barbeque, as a "grilla", Grace is babysitting and doing all that she can to raise money for another trip to Jamiaca this summer, Cate is dancing and hanging out with Josy a lot, and Jack is loving school and all the time he can spend outside. And.....our dossier will finally be in China TOMORROW!!! Yay!!! So, it looks like we will be traveling this summer, hopefully in June, and HOPEFULLY have her in our arms before she spends another birthday without us. That is June 28. Jack has a huge surgery scheduled for April 5, tentatively, and this will really change the way he looks. We want him to be strong and fully recovered before we head to China with him this summer. He is such a trooper and seems to recover so nicely. We now need to finsish raising the money we need to pay for the adoption. We have two grants that we should hear from soon, and we are praying and believing that God is going to provide every last penny.....He called us, so He will provide, no doubt! Jack's amazing surgeon is traveling the end of June to get his new little girl from China...wouldn't it be special to be there at the same time? Once you get to Gounzhou there is time to visit and take walks and look around, and the play room at the White Swan is such a great place to hear other people's stories of adoption and how God provides. It would be even cooler to sit and visit with Dr. Jiang in the White Swan play room! We are trying to get rooms organized and ready for our sweet Sophie....I can't believe we will have 5 kids!!! Holy Cow!!! Well, we only get one life, and we might as well make as much of a difference and enjoy it as much as possible. We can't wait to bring our girl home!! Life will be busy....but so rewarding and fun! Please pray that the wait for travel will be very, very short!! Our girl has waited way too long already to have a family!!!
Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful spring. Isn't the green just gorgeous?!
Leslie
Friday, January 27, 2012
We got an update!
Well, we finally received the update on Sophie that we had asked for. We only got one new photo, but it was a good one! As you can see, the photo is a picture of her standing. That is a huge blessing. If you remember, many families had opted not to pursue Sophie because of the fact that she couldn't walk. We felt that God asked us to bring her home regardless. After reviewing her file, and seeing how malnurished she was and how little attention she gets, we figured that she would be able to walk eventually. This picture validates those beliefs. We have prayed from the beginning that God will just supernaturally nurish her little body and keep her safe. Now, instead of asking for these things, we have shifted into thanking God for the nurishment and protection He has and continues to provide for little Sophie. She is so beautiful and we can not wait to get that little doodle home.
We are still waiting for our paperwork from Homeland Security. Once that comes in, we can get our paperwork headed to China. Ug...this seams like such a long drawn out process! It's painful when you already have accepted these children as your own, to know that they are sitting in an orphanage (and all that entails) waiting for their mommy & daddy. I don't want to wish my life away, but we need to get that baby girl home!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Holidays Are Here...
Hello friends and family~
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you. My heart is so full today as I was able to see pictures of our friends' new little one that they met today in China! He is sooo beautiful and precious! We are so happy for you Joel and Melissa! Check out their blog at http://www.fromchinatochambers.blogspot.com/. They are a wonderful family, and they brought their daughter Iris home last year from China. Congratulations, Chambers!! We can't wait to meet Owen!
We are so ready to be on a plane to meet our new little girl! I want to hear her laugh, see her smile, hold her and watch her while she sleeps...Oh, how my arms long to hold her! Its such a hard feeling to try to explain to others how you really can MISS someone you have never met. My mind races with thoughts like, "how will we fit another child in this house?" Or, " should we bunk Jack and Sophie, or not?" I have so many questions like that. But none of that is important, is it? I mean, who thinks that she cares? Doesn't life have a way of showing you whats really important? Healthy food every day, medications and medical attention when needed, love and care, a family. Those are things that matter. Those are NEEDS, the rest is just fluff. The rest is just incidentals. We have more than enough space for her and all her things. I just want her HOME!!!! Please continue to pray with us that the paperwork and waiting process go SUPER fast! Pray that God will put her file on the top of every stack! Pray that God will blow our minds in how He provides the money for her to come home. Oh, how I love Him!!
Merry Christmas!!!!
Leslie
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you. My heart is so full today as I was able to see pictures of our friends' new little one that they met today in China! He is sooo beautiful and precious! We are so happy for you Joel and Melissa! Check out their blog at http://www.fromchinatochambers.blogspot.com/. They are a wonderful family, and they brought their daughter Iris home last year from China. Congratulations, Chambers!! We can't wait to meet Owen!
We are so ready to be on a plane to meet our new little girl! I want to hear her laugh, see her smile, hold her and watch her while she sleeps...Oh, how my arms long to hold her! Its such a hard feeling to try to explain to others how you really can MISS someone you have never met. My mind races with thoughts like, "how will we fit another child in this house?" Or, " should we bunk Jack and Sophie, or not?" I have so many questions like that. But none of that is important, is it? I mean, who thinks that she cares? Doesn't life have a way of showing you whats really important? Healthy food every day, medications and medical attention when needed, love and care, a family. Those are things that matter. Those are NEEDS, the rest is just fluff. The rest is just incidentals. We have more than enough space for her and all her things. I just want her HOME!!!! Please continue to pray with us that the paperwork and waiting process go SUPER fast! Pray that God will put her file on the top of every stack! Pray that God will blow our minds in how He provides the money for her to come home. Oh, how I love Him!!
Merry Christmas!!!!
Leslie
Saturday, October 22, 2011
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