Friends –
We are overdue in updating our blog, having allowed the
fullness of our lives to delay our posting. Thank you for your continued
interest in our adoption journey, displayed by your inquiries in person and
otherwise. Each month we receive an update as to the waiting list, and we are
celebrating signs of progress. We receive your interest as valued signs of
support.
As we have continued to wait for a referral from the
adoption agency, we have busied ourselves by working toward some goals we hope
to accomplish (or at least make strides toward!) before Baby #3 arrives. In
fact, we often agree that this year has been filled with the most commitments
of any year since we have been married. Thankfully, all our many tasks have
been positive.
Nathan continues his schoolwork he began last July, spending
evenings and weekend working on his dissertation. Well, not every evening, but
some. His work at Trinity has been exciting as the church continues to grow and
transitions into new senior pastor leadership. Kameron continues her 110-mile
round-trip commute to the Alabama School for the Deaf to teach children with
hearing loss how to talk. She has added tele-therapy (therapy via Skype) with
several families after school and on weekends too, as a part of a research
project through the Moog School in St. Louis, MO. Additionally, she has been
teaching some online graduate classes in linguistics.
J. Henry is enjoying piano lessons and will start spring
baseball this week. He has had a wonderful 1st grade year and is
looking forward to his 7th birthday in May. Amelia is a big “3 and a
half” now and doesn’t let her size or age prohibit her from sharing her
opinion. She enjoys taking dance lessons each Wednesday afternoon. Both
children express very positive feelings anticipating the arrival of Baby #3 –
let’s hope that lasts :0)
In the midst of this year, we are striving to not allow our
busy schedules to lead to hurried lives. As writer John Ortberg surmises, busy
is an external condition of having many things to do. Hurry is an inward
condition of being distracted and un-present with others and ourselves. While
we are anxiously awaiting the phone call that will tell us our child will join
us, we also don’t want to miss the opportunities provided to us during this
waiting period to learn patience and trust. We pray for our child, his/her
mother, and the people who will care for them before we bring them home.
Patience is not easy and we may not be getting any better at
it. But we are allowing the wait to challenge us to use this time
constructively. Because we believe that prayer, while nearly invisible and
mostly immeasurable, is the most essential thing we can do.
We deeply desire to show God’s love to one of His
own by making him or her one of our own. Please pray for all five us during
this journey.
In God’s Grace,
Nathan, Kameron, J. Henry, Amelia
(and Baby #3!)
