::..:: gathering my way ::..::
September 27, 2003
choices, life is full of them. the choices we have made have caused us a lot of pain, but i wouldnt change a thing. every choice we make has consequences both good and bad. when we were adopting isaiah and micah my friend vincent who grew up in soweto kept asking me why these two, why should they be the lucky ones, you could drive your self nuts trying to logically solve that one. i have found that logic does little good in solving any of lifes difficult issues. every choice you make will have a negative effect for someone or something and also a positive. we have been told lately that it is the choices we have made that have caused us some problems. yet i would rather choose the path we have taken then another. there are so many choices to make each day, should i lie or be truthful, if i tell the person the truth it may hurt them and so on. i would choose honesty i think over a lie, although i have failed this one many times. not sure were i am going with this except to say make a choice to confront something wrong with the world over one of personal comfort or self service and you will have a joy that is undescriable, even if it hurts while you get there.
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September 23, 2003
crazy times. sydney is in baltimore with her father and his wife, her brother and sister spending her final visit with her father. he is dying of liver cancer and she wanted to have one last visit. she has called me several times in tears for various reasons. it has been a rough week for her. she said goodbye to her belgium father friday also, this was probably her last visit with him also. when he left he told sydney he was going to regret not seeing our children grow up. not sure when sydney will be home so i am here with the kids plus my neice, who is a joy. all my kids are upset cause mommy is gone and for some who have never seen their grandpa its confusing. for our four kids from ethiopia this is a familiar thing they have had many people they love die and they know the pain their mother is feeling, three of them have talked with my father inlaw and told him they loved him. for them if their mommy loves him so do they no questions. maybe thats a picture of grace, and a lessson for me to love others because God already loves everyone.
i also talked with my congressman's office yesterday about getting some help with the us embassy in addis ababa and our journey to bring riley and avery's siblings here. so things are moving there.
i need to attempt to get some work done so thats all for now
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i also talked with my congressman's office yesterday about getting some help with the us embassy in addis ababa and our journey to bring riley and avery's siblings here. so things are moving there.
i need to attempt to get some work done so thats all for now
September 18, 2003
sydney, my wife has had her belgian father here for two weeks, she was an exchange student in belgium 27 years ago and has stayed very close to the family. Vake as she calls him which means father in flemish is 81 and doesnt get around very well, but is amazing how he lets our kids just be with him plays cards with them or whatever they want, never his agenda always theirs. he leaves tomorrow night and sydney will probably never see him again. he is such a blessing in her life and her whole attitude changes when he is here. thanks God for him and what he has meant for my wife.
saturday sydney goes to see her father who is dying of liver cancer. she got a flight to baltimore for $123 so she is going for two days to see him before he dies. it has been a contrast having Vake here and her leaving to see Bob i know God gave her Vake to replace what she didnt have with her father. pray for her travel and that she will know how to handle the time with her father.
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saturday sydney goes to see her father who is dying of liver cancer. she got a flight to baltimore for $123 so she is going for two days to see him before he dies. it has been a contrast having Vake here and her leaving to see Bob i know God gave her Vake to replace what she didnt have with her father. pray for her travel and that she will know how to handle the time with her father.
wow my last post had a record of comments. not sure what i said that stirred up so much conversation. thanks for all the comments.
we are still proceeding with the adoption of riley and avery's siblings. and yes we dont have the money to pay for the fees right now. yet we know this is something we are suppose to be doing. it has nothing to do with rescue we just feel that we have the ability to give these kids the brothers and sisters of our children and need to get them here. maybe i need to clarify what i mean when i say i dont have the money. we dont have the money to pay for the initial fees, which are criminally high for no good reason. we can do the day to day and it is amazing how we get help from people without asking for it. got a check for $500 from someone at church the other day, it was wonderful we bought some school books. for me thats what the "church" is about helping each other in need. we have gotten too focused on a worldview that values self sufficiency and self improvement. we have lost the ability to serve each other. i had the honor of interviewing rev fred shuttlesworth, one of the main leaders of the civil rights movement and ask him if a christian can be a christian and not be seeking social justice or in other words serving others no matter who they are or what they believe his answer was a simple no. no one can call themsleves a follower of christ unless they are about fighting against injustice. maybe thats what we are doing maybe not. i just know that God as put this path before us and we will continue to travel it no matter what the costs.
also watched bowling for columbine and was inspired to make a film about adoption and all the crap. corruption, greed, compassion, joy, pain and love that is part of that, any ideas how. we need more people like michael moore making films like bowling for columbine.
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we are still proceeding with the adoption of riley and avery's siblings. and yes we dont have the money to pay for the fees right now. yet we know this is something we are suppose to be doing. it has nothing to do with rescue we just feel that we have the ability to give these kids the brothers and sisters of our children and need to get them here. maybe i need to clarify what i mean when i say i dont have the money. we dont have the money to pay for the initial fees, which are criminally high for no good reason. we can do the day to day and it is amazing how we get help from people without asking for it. got a check for $500 from someone at church the other day, it was wonderful we bought some school books. for me thats what the "church" is about helping each other in need. we have gotten too focused on a worldview that values self sufficiency and self improvement. we have lost the ability to serve each other. i had the honor of interviewing rev fred shuttlesworth, one of the main leaders of the civil rights movement and ask him if a christian can be a christian and not be seeking social justice or in other words serving others no matter who they are or what they believe his answer was a simple no. no one can call themsleves a follower of christ unless they are about fighting against injustice. maybe thats what we are doing maybe not. i just know that God as put this path before us and we will continue to travel it no matter what the costs.
also watched bowling for columbine and was inspired to make a film about adoption and all the crap. corruption, greed, compassion, joy, pain and love that is part of that, any ideas how. we need more people like michael moore making films like bowling for columbine.
September 01, 2003
i have been finding it very difficult to get any time on the internet lately. life has been chaotic. sydney and i got away for a few days last week. found a bed and breakfast in ontario on lake huron. it was wonderful to be alone with the person i love the most. we just hung out on the beach and talked for three days. it was great just to be with each other without anyone else demanding our attention.
we have made a decision to try and bring three of riley and avery's siblings into our home. their oldest sister is 20 and married with a child. some how we will try and help her get here also. right now we are trying to figure out how to make this happen. we have many hurdles to surmount. the red tape is the worst. samson is 16 so he will have to have bone density testing (which is not always accurate) and other affitdavits attesting to his age. it amazes me some times how difficult our country makes it to bring a child here. these kids have nothing and all we are trying to do is give them a little more. we also have no money right now to make this happen but that has never stopped us before.
we covet your prayers and any help you can give us in this adventure. our lives are filled with confirmation that we are doing the right thing. last night we went to try and watch a fireworks display in cincy and while at wendy's enjoying a frosty with the kids a women came up and told us how cool it was to see our family and then handed us 20 dollars. things like this a beginning to become a common occurence. anyway we will keep updating this adventure
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we have made a decision to try and bring three of riley and avery's siblings into our home. their oldest sister is 20 and married with a child. some how we will try and help her get here also. right now we are trying to figure out how to make this happen. we have many hurdles to surmount. the red tape is the worst. samson is 16 so he will have to have bone density testing (which is not always accurate) and other affitdavits attesting to his age. it amazes me some times how difficult our country makes it to bring a child here. these kids have nothing and all we are trying to do is give them a little more. we also have no money right now to make this happen but that has never stopped us before.
we covet your prayers and any help you can give us in this adventure. our lives are filled with confirmation that we are doing the right thing. last night we went to try and watch a fireworks display in cincy and while at wendy's enjoying a frosty with the kids a women came up and told us how cool it was to see our family and then handed us 20 dollars. things like this a beginning to become a common occurence. anyway we will keep updating this adventure
