I feel like this has been a week full of distractions. Distractions that are trying to take our focus off of what God has called us to do. To care for orphans in distress (James 1:27- Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep ones self unstained by the world.)
To be honest, we have questioned God's call more than once this week concerning going forward with our adoption. We are feeling confirmation in our quiet times alone and together that God is reaffirming our call to adopt a child fom Haiti. We know it will be a long process, and already feels daunting, but I am being reminded that I need to stay alert, on guard against the enemy working in my mind. (I Peter 5:8) I know doubt is not from the Holy Spirit, but from devil. Please pray that we will have clear discernment in these times!
Last weekend, we had been working diligently on getting papers ready for our file. In addition, we had 80 letters ready to send out Monday. We considered waiting, or not sending them at all. We took a day to pray about it, and prayed over the letters. We prayed that they would be received the way we intended, and not appearing to seek selfish gain. After hesitating, and more joint prayer, we decided to send our first 80 in the mail, and now have 30 more ready to send tomorrow!
I have always loved the comfort of Jer 29:11- For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not evil to give you a future and a hope.
I am holding on to that truth and we are so excited to know God is in control of our lives every step of this process. Please, please pray for our family during this process. I will do my best to continue to keep you informed of our journey, but right now we covet your prayers and encouragment.
I am so thankful for the living word of God and the ecouragement it is to me! And I am reminded once again to keep pressing on!
Phi 3:14- I press on toward to goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Naomi and Ruth
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
We are moving forward
Today has been a day full of progress toward our trip/adoption. First, we had a meeting with our team going to Haiti, and not only met new faces, but also gained more excitment towards our trip. We spoke with Michael Robison on skype, and got some questions answered. I'll admit, I am a little scared, but I am confident in God's strength we'll bring glory to His name!
All week, we've planned that today would be a day of paperwork frenzy to accomplish a list we haven't had time to tackle. We made a dent, but now have a new list of calls, and visits to accomplish this week. We know this journey won't be easy, but we are encouraged at the process we are making so far.
2 passports on their way: check!
3 official birth certificates on the way: check!
4 criminal record checks in progress: check!
4 child abuse clearnaces: check!
lots of bank papers copied: check!
That's a good start for one day. We had a couple hold ups, and I'll need to call when offices are open this week, but our file is starting to take shape. More to come....
:o)
Melissa
All week, we've planned that today would be a day of paperwork frenzy to accomplish a list we haven't had time to tackle. We made a dent, but now have a new list of calls, and visits to accomplish this week. We know this journey won't be easy, but we are encouraged at the process we are making so far.
2 passports on their way: check!
3 official birth certificates on the way: check!
4 criminal record checks in progress: check!
4 child abuse clearnaces: check!
lots of bank papers copied: check!
That's a good start for one day. We had a couple hold ups, and I'll need to call when offices are open this week, but our file is starting to take shape. More to come....
:o)
Melissa
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Surprise blessings
Don't you just love it when God blesses you in a way you haven't even asked!?!?! I mean, there are things I pray for, and know I am supposed to wait on God's timing (doing that a lot lately), but then there are times you know God has protected you, like driving past an accident that you know you could have been in, if you hadn't been held up a minute before? Or like receiving news that the trip to Haiti we are taking has been paid-in-full by someone without us even mentioning a need?!
A blessing, indeed! Paid-in-full! Thank you, Lord for knowing our every need and for working in someone's heart without us speaking it. Thank you to you, friend, for your obedience to God! You WILL be blessed. I don't doubt that! We are so thankful for this opportunity to go to Haiti in June. It's on our minds all day every day. There are so many ways we are seeing God's hand in this planning.
First of all, for a couple weeks we spent time writing and laboring over the words to "tactfully" use to ask for money towards our trip, and in turn, our adoption. This is not an easy step for us, but we are learning there's a lesson in pride to be learned. We had only just gotten the letter finished, with proofing help from a friend (thanks Jen!). We haven't even gotten a chance to print it when we received news that someone has given ALL we need for BOTH of us to go to Haiti!
Secondly, God has opened up an opportunity for me to put my 'degree to work' temporarily. I am working part time for 10 weeks as I fill in for a maternity leave. This is providing extra income for us to put directly towards the funds we need to start our adoption.
Also, the "practice" of being away from my boys is part of God's plan too. I admit it's one that I really, really, really don't like, but it is preparing my boys and me for the week we will be separated in June. Please continue to pray for our whole family concerning this! It is truely heavy on my heart. This first week of being away from them has been more difficult than I had imagined. But I am so thankful for God's provison, and for the testimony it is for our boys to see the way He provides for our EVERY need (whether mommy is there or not).
There are so many more generous blessings we've experienced and are seeing in our lives daily. The friends that showered us with bags and bags of items too numerous to list. The offer of 'handy man work' for Jason so he can earn money to put towards our adoption. The help of friends watching our boys out of kindness so we can put the money towards our upcoming fees. A husband that is sweet enough to sacrifice restaurant meals, to save money in any way we can bring our child home. We are experiencing God's goodness everyday through, you--- our friends. You are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are humbled, and we thank you!
We know we will continue to have needs, financially. We believe God will call others to give. I'm not asking for money, but I am asking that you seek God's leading in your heart and if you feel His leading that you will want to donate to our adoption costs. I am working on setting up a Pay Pal link, so donations can be made here......coming soon :o)
Once again, we say THANK YOU!
Melissa
A blessing, indeed! Paid-in-full! Thank you, Lord for knowing our every need and for working in someone's heart without us speaking it. Thank you to you, friend, for your obedience to God! You WILL be blessed. I don't doubt that! We are so thankful for this opportunity to go to Haiti in June. It's on our minds all day every day. There are so many ways we are seeing God's hand in this planning.
First of all, for a couple weeks we spent time writing and laboring over the words to "tactfully" use to ask for money towards our trip, and in turn, our adoption. This is not an easy step for us, but we are learning there's a lesson in pride to be learned. We had only just gotten the letter finished, with proofing help from a friend (thanks Jen!). We haven't even gotten a chance to print it when we received news that someone has given ALL we need for BOTH of us to go to Haiti!
Secondly, God has opened up an opportunity for me to put my 'degree to work' temporarily. I am working part time for 10 weeks as I fill in for a maternity leave. This is providing extra income for us to put directly towards the funds we need to start our adoption.
Also, the "practice" of being away from my boys is part of God's plan too. I admit it's one that I really, really, really don't like, but it is preparing my boys and me for the week we will be separated in June. Please continue to pray for our whole family concerning this! It is truely heavy on my heart. This first week of being away from them has been more difficult than I had imagined. But I am so thankful for God's provison, and for the testimony it is for our boys to see the way He provides for our EVERY need (whether mommy is there or not).
There are so many more generous blessings we've experienced and are seeing in our lives daily. The friends that showered us with bags and bags of items too numerous to list. The offer of 'handy man work' for Jason so he can earn money to put towards our adoption. The help of friends watching our boys out of kindness so we can put the money towards our upcoming fees. A husband that is sweet enough to sacrifice restaurant meals, to save money in any way we can bring our child home. We are experiencing God's goodness everyday through, you--- our friends. You are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are humbled, and we thank you!
We know we will continue to have needs, financially. We believe God will call others to give. I'm not asking for money, but I am asking that you seek God's leading in your heart and if you feel His leading that you will want to donate to our adoption costs. I am working on setting up a Pay Pal link, so donations can be made here......coming soon :o)
Once again, we say THANK YOU!
Melissa
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
They have agreed!!!
A little background:
One of the first decisions we knew we had to make once we made the commitment to our Lord to begin the process of adoption, was to choose an agency to guide us to our child. Choosing an agency is possibly one of the hardest decisions along the way...ok there have already been a couple challenging decisions that I hope to share in days to come, but I want to fast forward to help bring you up to date.
Almost a month ago, we met with our Pastor to seek his guidance and wisdom as we realized are facing something much larger than ourselves. He offered us many encouraging words, and tangible advice. As we spoke, he mentioned a friend of his whom we had met in January, 2011 named Michael Robison. I knew Michael had a passion for adoption, and I knew he had adopted a beautiful little girl from Ethiopia early in 2010. Our Pastor also reminded us of the oportunity to join our church's team to Haiti planned this June. He suggested if we were sensing a call to international adotion, this would be a perfect opportunity to take a step in that direction. What we DIDN"T know at that time is that, Michael Robison, who is leading our team to Haiti in June, is also personally in the midst of adopting from Haiti currnetly. AND he has a team that is beginning to facilitate Haitian adoptions.....do you see where I am going???
Yes, we are going to Haiti on a mission trip with Zion Church this June, because we feel God leading us in that direction to reach our child. The seed of adoption was planted in our hearts first, and the trip to Haiti has followed God's perfect timing and preparation in our hearts.
After some emails, phone call and more emails, we have picked Michael Robison's brain. He has offered us so much advice my legal pad is filling up! His answer to my question, "where do we start?" was for us to pray, pRaY, PRAY that this is truely a call from God, and not our own desire. Then he said he'd have to ask his team if they were willing to take on another family to begin the arduous process, if we were wanting to go that direction. (They have only completed 6 adoptions, so their organization is brand new at accepting families.) But they are in the midst of the poverty and wreckage and broken lives in Haiti. They are the hands and feet in the orphanages.
As much as we want to "help" give a home to an orphan, and as appealling as it sounds to add to our family, and all the other reasons we are drawn to adoption; we believe in order for our journey to be successful, it has to be God's will for our family! Any other reason, albeit noble, is really of selfish motivation, and will fail :(
We did pray and have prayed incessantly together, with our boys, and independantly for weeks about this decision. We have asked friends to pray, and I ask that you will continue! We truely feel it is God's leading and believe He has put this desire in our hearts for a purpose. We desire to be obedient to His will, and have committed to perservere til we bring our child home.
We have begun the paperwork gathering stage, and are working on more presently. We know there is a mountain ahead of us, but we know God can get us there!!
Fast Forward to today:
........SOOOO, we contacted Michael, and asked if his team would agree to take us on. We have been waiting for almost 2 weeks for his answer. We received his answer tonight.......They have agreed!!!
Here we go!!!
One of the first decisions we knew we had to make once we made the commitment to our Lord to begin the process of adoption, was to choose an agency to guide us to our child. Choosing an agency is possibly one of the hardest decisions along the way...ok there have already been a couple challenging decisions that I hope to share in days to come, but I want to fast forward to help bring you up to date.
Almost a month ago, we met with our Pastor to seek his guidance and wisdom as we realized are facing something much larger than ourselves. He offered us many encouraging words, and tangible advice. As we spoke, he mentioned a friend of his whom we had met in January, 2011 named Michael Robison. I knew Michael had a passion for adoption, and I knew he had adopted a beautiful little girl from Ethiopia early in 2010. Our Pastor also reminded us of the oportunity to join our church's team to Haiti planned this June. He suggested if we were sensing a call to international adotion, this would be a perfect opportunity to take a step in that direction. What we DIDN"T know at that time is that, Michael Robison, who is leading our team to Haiti in June, is also personally in the midst of adopting from Haiti currnetly. AND he has a team that is beginning to facilitate Haitian adoptions.....do you see where I am going???
Yes, we are going to Haiti on a mission trip with Zion Church this June, because we feel God leading us in that direction to reach our child. The seed of adoption was planted in our hearts first, and the trip to Haiti has followed God's perfect timing and preparation in our hearts.
After some emails, phone call and more emails, we have picked Michael Robison's brain. He has offered us so much advice my legal pad is filling up! His answer to my question, "where do we start?" was for us to pray, pRaY, PRAY that this is truely a call from God, and not our own desire. Then he said he'd have to ask his team if they were willing to take on another family to begin the arduous process, if we were wanting to go that direction. (They have only completed 6 adoptions, so their organization is brand new at accepting families.) But they are in the midst of the poverty and wreckage and broken lives in Haiti. They are the hands and feet in the orphanages.
As much as we want to "help" give a home to an orphan, and as appealling as it sounds to add to our family, and all the other reasons we are drawn to adoption; we believe in order for our journey to be successful, it has to be God's will for our family! Any other reason, albeit noble, is really of selfish motivation, and will fail :(
We did pray and have prayed incessantly together, with our boys, and independantly for weeks about this decision. We have asked friends to pray, and I ask that you will continue! We truely feel it is God's leading and believe He has put this desire in our hearts for a purpose. We desire to be obedient to His will, and have committed to perservere til we bring our child home.
We have begun the paperwork gathering stage, and are working on more presently. We know there is a mountain ahead of us, but we know God can get us there!!
Fast Forward to today:
........SOOOO, we contacted Michael, and asked if his team would agree to take us on. We have been waiting for almost 2 weeks for his answer. We received his answer tonight.......They have agreed!!!
Here we go!!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Let's begin again
I love having a second chance! Now, I'm not talking anything too deep, right now. But after recieving (wise) counsel from friends yesterday to start blogging, I started last night. Then I deleted it, deleted it again, and now I've wasted precious time I didn't think I had to start yet again. I don't promise anything too thought provoking, but my family and I find ourselves in the midst of a journey. A journey that has begun in our hearts a long time ago, but is now starting to have hands and feet. Ok, that's a bad play on words. I've been feeling like we are keeping a secret for far too long, and I am anxious to tell the world what God is doing. If you know me, you know I need to learn to tell my story in 10 words instead of 10,000. That's something Ill (try to) work on, but in the meantime, I warn you, I might be lengthly :o)
These past few weeks have been packed full of decision making and prayer! Our prayer lives are growing deeper with our Savior, and I am excited to share that it's brought Jason and me together on a deeper level. Knowing that God is working in the life of our family is humbling! We are scared to death, realizing the full scope of what lies ahead for us, but it is so encouraging knowing that God's strength is sufficient for all our needs.
We have realized God is calling our family to adopt a child. Specifically,to adopt internationally!! YAY! I said it, I've been bursting out of my seams for too long, and I"m thrilled to share this experience with ...you. We have begun taking steps to begin this arduous process, and covet your prayers. Please pray for our whole family as we face this l.o.n.g. difficult process!
I don't consider myself a blogger I don't intend to do it long term, but I hope to be able to keep you posted along our journey. I hope to update you until we come to the day we are able to bring the child God has chosen for us- the Dunkleberger's.... HOME!
I am excited to share some of what God is doing and has been teaching us, but for that you'll have to return :)
Joyfully,
Melissa
These past few weeks have been packed full of decision making and prayer! Our prayer lives are growing deeper with our Savior, and I am excited to share that it's brought Jason and me together on a deeper level. Knowing that God is working in the life of our family is humbling! We are scared to death, realizing the full scope of what lies ahead for us, but it is so encouraging knowing that God's strength is sufficient for all our needs.
We have realized God is calling our family to adopt a child. Specifically,to adopt internationally!! YAY! I said it, I've been bursting out of my seams for too long, and I"m thrilled to share this experience with ...you. We have begun taking steps to begin this arduous process, and covet your prayers. Please pray for our whole family as we face this l.o.n.g. difficult process!
I don't consider myself a blogger I don't intend to do it long term, but I hope to be able to keep you posted along our journey. I hope to update you until we come to the day we are able to bring the child God has chosen for us- the Dunkleberger's.... HOME!
I am excited to share some of what God is doing and has been teaching us, but for that you'll have to return :)
Joyfully,
Melissa
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