Prayer and Families Needed

My heart is with the older children who wait.  Maybe it's because I was "adopted" as an "older child" into God's family at the age of 34.  While I've had nearly 20 years of walking with Jesus, the sense of wasted time never really goes away.  And while I had an easy life compared to that of orphans, I have a deep sense of sadness for the time I spent away from the family of God.  "Why didn't he call me sooner?" and "Why did he let me wait?"  These are the same questions I occasionally hear from my children - especially Jenny - who is only 2 months younger than Rachel, yet has the added burden of knowing "we were right there" getting Rachel while she continued to wait another 10 years.  10 years of being unloved, unfairly and unkindly treated by those who should have protected her, and without the knowledge of a God who loves and cherishes her.  My answer is always the same; we didn't know.

But I do know about others - who will surely have the same questions.  Some who have waited for more than 5 years on waiting lists - and mostly boys.  Please listen to their stories and spread the word.  Many of their friends have already aged out and will never know the love of a family - but we pray they'll know the love of their heavenly Father who will never leave or abandon them.

This is Gideon:

Gideon is in my favorite city, GZ, and at the same orphanage as my dd Katie.  He has waited there for years and been on many different waiting lists at different agencies.  His SN is mild hemophilia - and it doesn't even require medication!  His medical information has been evaluated by a local Medical University and I can make that available to anyone who is interested.  He is a straight A student, loved my his foster family's neighborhood, and loves playing chess, reading, and running.  He will age out this summer.  There is a video of him from one of the first agency camps he participated in here.

This is Charlie:

Charlie has waited for more than 8 years and is at an orphanage in Shanghai.  Here is his first picture from many years ago.

It breaks my heart that he's waited this long.  His development and school work is on target and he has watch so many children leave over the years.  He desperately wants a family and should have no further medical needs.  You can see a video of him here and read more about him here.

Last but not least, Troy - who is from Sarah's hometown.  He also has hemophilia - but it doesn't hinder him at all.  He prays every night for a family.

Many people have met him at a "Bring Me Hope" camp and are praying for him, too.  This is what they have to say about him:

"Troy has a very sweet and loving personality. He loves sharing whatever he has with other people. He puts others before him and helps take care of those younger than him. He says thank you often and is always grateful for what he has. He loves to play baseball, badminton, and card games. He also really enjoys being outside. Troy listens well and does things as soon as he is asked. His smile could light up a room. He seems to always be happy." 

A cheerful personality can overcome so much in life.  You can read more about him and see lots of pics HERE.

Please pray, advocate for, or consider these children as a part of your family.  And pray for me as there is another I've prayed about for years - but circumstances have prevented him being available until recently.  We're out of room in our home - but not in our hearts.

Blessings,

Kim

Fall Collection

With the advent of Facebook, I've become lazy in updating our blog.  Life has become routine and unfortunately a little complacent.  I forget that if someone hadn't taken the time to post about Jenny, she wouldn't be our dd today.  So here is one more plea for "Gideon" who will soon age out.

He's in my favorite city, GZ, and has a very mild hemophilia - doesn't even require medication.  He would be such a blessing to his family.  Contact me for more info!

Here are some updated photos of our fall activities - we've been very busy! :)  The girls are enjoying running more and more, and ran the IOP Connector 5K in October.  I can no longer keep up with them - they're quite fast!

Perry and I attended the Lifeline Adoption Agency auction and had a wonderful time with Angie and other friends from the local adoption community.  We also got to meet the Hong Kong staff - wonderful fellow sisters in Christ.

The girls have me running to orthodontic appointments, handbells, piano lessons, and Bible studies each week - we keep busy trying to keep up with their quick size changes in clothes and shoes at this age as well!  We finished off the last few warm days at the beach and have been walking and running the bridge regularly.

And now we're settling in for some Fall Fun.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Nanny's house.

And celebrating my dad's Birthday!

We are enjoying our new healthy lifestyle and the girls are becoming excellent cooks!

We've been able to enjoy the fruits of our labor in better health and wellness - as well as improved growth and cognitive skills.  Diet is a huge factor and we've come late to that realization.  We're preparing for the Christmas season now, and hoping we have a few more warm days to enjoy our outdoor activities.  Our nutritional plan has become a small business for me as I help others feel healthier and slim down as well.  I keep office on my new carbon frame road bike - perfect for older bones - and drink my healthy shakes after exercise!

Enjoying life and keeping Christ at the center - wondering what God has in store for us next.

Blessings,

Kim