Luko's Graduation!

I just received an email from the 60 Feet sponsorship coordinator that is worthy of

BIG PRAISE!!!

Ben meeting Luko while in Uganda last March

Our boy, Luko, that we have sponsored through 60 Feet has just graduated from

the U.C.C Vocational Training Institute.

He is one of the first ten graduates of the sponsorship program and we are so proud of him for sticking with it even when the going got tough. 

Several months back, we received word that Luko was struggling in school and had been suspended.  Thankfully, he was given a second chance and was allowed to return to school.  The 60 Feet team prayed with him in Uganda and we prayed for him from Minnesota.

Praise Jesus that our God is a God of second chances (and third, and fourth, etc).

Luko now has a degree in catering and we were able to bless him with a graduation gift of several cooking supplies that he'll need to get his career started!  Here he is with his boxes of cooking supplies!!

It has been such a blessing to be a part of this young mans life from across the world.

Sixty Feet did a great job keeping us connected with how he was doing in school through emails and letters.  We are so thankful for this, because it brought tremendous 

Life,

Purpose,

Intention, 

and Reality

to the entire sponsorship process for our entire family.  

Here are a few words from the 60 Feet interns in Uganda about graduation day:

"It's not every day that you get to attend the graduation of formerly imprisoned kids in Uganda.  It rained all day, but that didn't stop the celebration.  There was a DJ, a traditional dance, and about 200 smiling graduates.  It was so encouraging to see 10 of our sponsored kids among them, proudly wearing their caps and gowns.  These kids have defied the odds.  Some of them had spent a lot of time away from school before they were given this chance, so they had to struggle hard to catch up with the other kids.  Some of them had to push through being looked down on for being poor or because they were in prison.  But they made it.  They have earned not just their certificates, but also the respect of their friends and family."

Please join us in praising God for His work in Luko's life!

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24

Aaaaggghh!

Well.....it's been one of those weekends.  

You know the type...

Dad's gone,

kids are fighting,

Mom's patience is wearing thin,

snotty noses, 

fevers,

teething,

did I already mention the pathetic example of patience displayed by Mom?

All I can say is that I am beyond thankful for new days,

fresh starts,

forgiveness,

and Jesus.

It's through the tough days that I learn that I can do nothing on my own.

It's the tough days that I find myself crying out to God for strength.

It's at the end of those tough days

-when the kids are asleep-

that those difficult moments seem so small

and my reaction to them seems 

so BIG

so disproportionate.

I am thankful that all of this brought about a great teaching moment for us.

I shared with the kids that I asked God for His forgiveness last night for my behavior.

Then I asked for forgiveness from them.

We talked about the fruits of the spirit:

Love,

Joy,

Peace,

Patience,

Kindness,

Goodness,

Gentleness,

Faithfulness,

Self-Control.

I am thankful that today was a better day.  

Devotional/prayer time/singing with the kids to reflect on Orphan Sunday.

Making handmade "Get well soon" cards for Great-Grandpa in the hospital.

Enjoying taco-in-a-bag that benefitted an amazing family.

Afternoon movie with popcorn at home.

Sledding and hot chocolate.

Watching Avery help Sawyer with his sight words.

Pizza.

Tucking my freshly bathed kiddos into warm beds.

Choosing to see the positive in today.

Childlike Faith

I just have to share something that made my heart smile this week!  It's a song that was written by my oldest daughter, Avery.  She's seven years old, but has a faith and understanding that far exceeds her years.  I am so thankful that God has grabbed ahold of her heart at such a young age and I can't wait to see how He uses her!  

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity." 

1 Timothy 4:12

A "bump" in the road!

Remember in that first post when I said that we expected to face some bumps during this process??  Well.......we have hit our first real bump...and you can find it on me!!

To say we were surprised would be an understatement!  Upon finding out we were pregnant, we experienced a whole series of emotions from confusion, sadness, anger, disappointment, and loss.  I know that sounds crazy, but you must understand that we were so focused on our adoption path that this unexpected fifth pregnancy made all of those adoption hopes and dreams come to a screeching halt.  A good friend of mine put it into perspective as we were grieving the loss of Baby Burundi--she said that it was normal to feel that way and compared it somewhat to the feelings of loss and grief one experiences with a miscarriage.  We had been praying/dreaming/talking about this child for quite some time and now God was re-routing our path.  But when we really thought about it...what a gift...loss wrapped in life.

As we journeyed through our emotions, we felt God pouring out His peace and love.  It wasn't for us to understand the why of it all.  Why we started the process only to have it stopped so suddenly.  Why God wouldn't want us to adopt a child that needed a family.  Trusting that we're going to look back on this time and see so clearly why God re-directed our path.  Trusting that this is all going to make sense and that he has an even better plan for our family.  

On a positive side---we are extremely humbled, blessed, and thankful for this newest little life God has entrusted to us.  It just took us a good week or so to wrap our brains around the reality that I was really pregnant!!  We are now full of excitement and anticipation at what God has in our future!  ALL life is precious and we hope you can understand where our mixed feelings came from at the beginning.  This whole experience has really taught us a lot about trusting God when life doesn't make much sense.

So, what does this mean for our adoption, you ask??  Well, according to our agency policy we had to close our file for Baby Burundi and we have the option of resuming once our youngest child is one year old.  This does NOT mean that we have closed the book on adopting.  We feel that God has laid this on our hearts for a reason and so we are using this time as a gift to really pray, discern, and research where God is leading us.  Perhaps Burundi was just not where God has our child?  Maybe He is just saying, "slow down"?  What we do know is that we are completely at peace with this redirection.  His plan will be revealed in time.

As far as those of you that have supported us through the purchase of OH or Wild Olive gear....those purchases were not for nothing.  Not only did you support a couple of amazing non-profit organizations that give back, but by wearing those shirts you will be raising awareness of the needs of the orphaned....and we THANK YOU for that!!  So much awareness needs to be raised......so please, continue to wear those shirts proudly!!  We plan to gift our OH funds to an awesome Grand Forks family, The Adams, who are adopting from Uganda and also fundraising through OH.  To follow their journey visit their blog @ www.walkinghumblyinlove.blogspot.com.   We plan to gift our Wild Olive funds to another adoptive family as well and again we can't thank you enough for your kind words and prayers of support and encouragement throughout all of this.

Oh, and baby Horken #5 is due around April 6th!  :)

Sixty Feet

Last winter on our mission trip to Uganda I experienced something that shook me to the core and affected me in such a way that I want everyone to know and be aware of the immense suffering and injustice that is happening to children, God's children, in Uganda.

I personally invite you to come and learn about the ministry of Sixty Feet as two of their founders share a documentary film about what this ministry is doing to improve the lives and restore hope, in the name of Jesus, to the imprisoned children of Africa.  The work that God is doing through these ordinary men and women is nothing short of amazing!

WHAT:  Showing of the 60 Feet film, Beloved

WHERE:  Hope Church Grand Forks, ND

WHEN:  Sunday, September 16th at 7:30pm

(childcare available)

Open to the public

The things I saw, experienced, and felt while working with this ministry will forever be etched into my mind and heart.  Holding a too small for her age 18 month old in my arms that has been "imprisoned"for almost a year....feeling the smooth, raised areas of burn scars that covered her little body....wondering what could have happened that would have caused those scars and what kind of "scars" is she holding onto from within.
Just sitting with this little one as she melted onto my body and rested her little head on my shoulder.  Allowing her to lay on me for a couple of hours, knowing that it's been far too long since she's felt a mothers love.  Feeding this precious, emotionless child her posho and beans with my bare hands while sitting on the concrete floor surrounded by far too many other children.    Again, letting this same sweet child sleep longer in my arms once finished with her meal.  I almost couldn't let my thoughts run free for fear that I would break down sobbing.
As our team leader said it was time to say our good-byes to the children, I looked around to see who would take my spot in holding this perfect little girl as she slept so soundly.  It was then that I realized that once we left-so did all of the available and eager arms to embrace these children and tell them how loved they are.  Reality hit when not only was there no one to hold this child, but there was nowhere to lay her down to sleep.  I felt a lump forming in my throat when a child, no older than 8, was instructed by one of the far to few caretakers to take the child from my arms and lay her down with the others.  I knew what this meant as I walked away....she was not being taken to a cozy crib to sleep...no...no...she was laid in the corner of the room in which we ate, on a cold, concrete floor along with about 5 other children her age all slumped together.  As a mother, my heart broke!  The thought that this was daily life for these children!  Naked little bottoms exposed, wearing only rags of clothing on top and sleeping on a concrete floor....unimaginable!

This place is only one of several places like it in Uganda where children are often wrongfully "imprisoned",  abandoned, and forgotten.  Sixty Feet is working to remove the most vulnerable children, restore hope, share and show the love of Christ, provide clean water, sanitation, medicine, and provide educational opportunities.

Come.  Listen.  Learn.  And see for yourself how ordinary people can make an extra-ordinary difference for God's kingdom!  We'd love to see you there!

For more information on Sixty Feet visit:  www.sixtyfeet.org
    

An Exercise in Trust

     Since we don't have anything new or exciting to share in regards to our adoption I am choosing to use this quiet time as a gift to just "be still and know that He is God". ---Psalm 46:10.  Now, this is very difficult for me to do because I have a terrible habit of needing...wanting...demanding to know what the next step is and what is coming around the corner.  However, when I really sit back and think about what it means to TRUST God, it means the exact opposite.
     Merriam Webster's definition of the word trust is, "assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; one in which confidence is placed."
     My constant desire to know what God's next move is actually me not fully trusting God and His perfect plans for my life.  The truth of it is, in our culture, how often have we really had to TRUST God?  I mean really trust Him.  For most of us (me included) we can say we're trusting God, but in reality we're  pretty good at being self-sufficient.  Our cupboards and freezers are fully stocked with a variety of foods to last us way beyond a few weeks of no trips to the grocery store.  Our closets are over-flowing with clothing options.  Our homes function more as entertainment centers (full of toys and electronic gadgets) rather than a shelter to keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  What I'm trying to get at is that although God has given us all jobs that enable us to have these luxuries-we have them in excess.  And because all of these things are at our fingertips whenever we want, we've excessed our way out of relying on God for life's necessities.
     I think that's why I am struggling with trust right now.  Because when I think back on how many times I have actually had to blindly trust God when things are out of my control.....those times are really very few.  I am really good at playing tug-of-war with God when it comes to control----constantly pulling back against Him, so that I feel more in control.  So, I am choosing to be thankful for this time of uncertainty and unpredictability because it is causing me to exercise my TRUST in our Heavenly Father.
     Proverbs 3:5-6 keeps coming to mind,
     "TRUST in the Lord with ALL your heart, on your own intelligence DO NO RELY; In ALL your ways be mindful of him, and he will MAKE STRAIGHT YOUR PATHS."
     I mean, let's be real, whose intelligence is it better to rely on---mine or God's?  I think the answer is pretty obvious!!

A Very "General" Timeline...Subject To Change!

One of the main questions I've been asked lately is, "When will your baby come home?"  Oh, if only I had my Magic Eight Ball from childhood that I could ask that very same question to!!  I have a feeling that more than likely it's response would be (after giving it a real good shake)... "ASK AGAIN LATER" or "YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT"

Thankfully, we don't operate based on the answers of a foolish toy!  Our agency has given us a breakdown of a very general timeline for the whole process.  Keep in mind, in the adoption world things can change very quickly-especially when dealing with a country that is new to international adoption.  Here is a rough look at what's to come:

1.)  At this moment-working on the mandatory 10hrs of pre-adoption education.

2.)  Mid September-go to St. Paul for one day on-site training.

3.)  Begin home study process after training completion----that process takes 3-4 months.

4.)  After completed and approved home study-begin & submit Dossier---2-6 mo.

****A dossier is a compilation of paperwork said to demonstrate your "fitness" to adopt.**** 

5.)  Receive Child referral

6.)  Upon acceptance of referral--wait 2-3 months before traveling to bring our child home!!  

7.)  Once in-country we expect to spend 7-10 days in Burundi and then an additional 5 days in Kenya to complete the U.S. Visa processing.  

8.)  Then, home to be a family!!!