Waiting Through the Rain

 

If you want it to rain in south/central Texas, just plan a garage sale with 2 garages full and no where to walk, sit or place things! It is pouring here. I mean.... the loudest rain I have heard. Kind of like last weekend.... when our huge garage sale was supposed to happen. There was a hurricane nearby. I have no idea what is bringing today's rain. 

The garage sale was moved to tomorrow, yet I hear it's supposed to be like this for at least 24 more hours. What's the deal? It's a garage sale, right? My stuff is in my garage, right? Yes. But my neighborhood doesn't allow garage sales. 1/7th of my stuff is at my parents' house, where this sale is supposed to happen.

I don't understand. 

I know that God is bigger than this rain. I even read this morning in Amos 4:13: For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind {{and rain! I'm adding that!}},  and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

I know that God is bigger than our expenses... that have a deadline.... that needed these garage sales to happen.... 

While I'm waiting, and listening to the rain, I saw that someone posted this incredible article. It made me cry. It made me want to shout some of these things as loud as I could. I'm thankful for new Facebook friends who are also adopting, because they can understand. I want my other friends to read this... to help understand some of the feelings I have.

I want to post every word of this article, but I know that's not good in blog-land. I'll give a few highlights and then please go visit it for a read. It expresses so many of my feelings... written way better than I can. And it explains my tears this morning, as this rain falls.

Ok - I'll post #2 on her incredible list. "It’s possible. So possible. It’s irrational and crazy but it’s reality. Does she love them like she will once she gets to know them? No. But she loves them. She wakes up loving them and goes to sleep loving them. She drives to the grocery store and aches to have them safe and snug in the carseat waiting for them. She pushes her cart around the store and hears a child cry and her heart pounds wondering if her child is crying? Alone? Hungry? She might even have to leave an entire grocery cart full of food in the yogurt aisle to go home and cry because it just is too hard. Way too hard."

#8 also resonates: "She isn’t sure they’re coming home."

Please read this -

dear friends of waiting adoptive moms: some things to know (also, we’re sorry)

Thank you for reading it. I love y'all.

Double Jointed Pinky

I have a double jointed pinky finger. I guess I've always had it. I didn't really notice it until about 16 years ago.

A few friends (with God's help) planned to start this Gen-X church in Denver many years ago.  I was asked to join the team, when they were about to launch it. I was to lead worship for the church. In addition, I led worship for the singles group at Colorado Community Church. One Friday night, the bass player scheduled to play on Sunday, couldn't make it. I really wanted a bass player. I thought, "How hard could it be?"

Thankfully, I was friends with some folks in a band called Five Iron Frenzy and their bass player let me use one of his basses and amps to teach myself to play bass that Saturday. I spent the day learning to play a few of the songs and noticed that my pinky finger really hated to be forced down on a string. It seemed to get angry and pop back up. It took all the strength I could muster in my little finger to press that string and hold it.

Sunday morning, I showed up with my gold, glittery bass. I played the opening song (first time playing in front of anyone, as well as leading vocals). It seemed to go okay. The little pinky popped up once, but no one noticed. I played a couple songs on bass, then moved to the keys (my comfort zone). That day I happened to accompany someone with flute, also. I remember that, as I heard for that next year how it was wild to see the worship leader switch to three different instruments in one set. I also remember it, because my little finger felt a little sore that day.  For the record: I continued to play bass for about 6 more months with that glittery gold bass.

My piano students have asked to see my "bass hand reach" on the piano over the years, and I have occasionally felt that pinky... when it was being forced to do something it didn't feel like doing that particular day. It's the only reason I haven't played the guitar. I'd like to play the guitar, but it won't let me press it down and it hurts. {unless I play left handed, and I've learned lessons from my "overachiever" days of 1999.}

Why am I telling you this odd fact?

Today, we went to get our USCIS fingerprints. It was an easy appointment - in and out... for my husband. For me... not as quickly as I had hoped. Why? That wild little pinky of mine. We've had our fingerprints taken for this adoption process before, but immigration is even more "hard-core" than our FBI ones. They need to see every crevice of every finger. 

I didn't even notice it was a problem. There were a couple fingers she had to try twice. Then, when I thought it was over, she said, "Let me try that little finger again." She tried again. And again. FAIL. And again. She said, "It's just not going to take." I said, "No, please. It's a weird finger that doesn't like feeling stressed." {said the crazy lady} She said, "Maam. It's not going to take." I begged her to try again. She told me to relax it. I did. FAIL. She was ready to give up. I prayed, while saying, "One last time." 

The weird thing is that she was holding the pinky, so it wasn't literally popping up.  

She said, "It's only one finger." I told her I've heard of adoptions being held up for things that are smaller than this. I want my three kids. 

Dear Lord, please help this bizarre finger that you created do its job!

PASS

I was very happy to see the green light and that word, instead of fail.

I grabbed Ray from the waiting area and then we were both out. Praise God!

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:13-4

Career Week

Career Week!

Drawing contest for "the most interesting profession in my family"

Career Education Contest

Guide to the World of Professions

Parents with representatives of various professions

Opening the doors to professions!

These are the headlines I translated from Sunshine's school newsletter this week. I love learning about things at her school, but I also wonder what she feels about these parents coming in to talk about their professions. Has she been an orphan so long that it doesn't phase her? Is it painful to see other students get excited about seeing their parents come in? Does she watch, with sadness, as they may jump up to hug their parents?

Oh, how I long for her to be able to hug her {new} parents and for us to hug her!

Our dossier has finally left us. Ray went to get it apostilled yesterday. 57 documents. He then sent it, via UPS, to our agency. They will receive it tomorrow and send it over to little Sunshine's country for translation. Then it heads to the ministry there.

Whew! Let's do this!! Even though we are now in the waiting period, can you please pray with me?
Requests:
-Sunshine, Iceman and Lulu - peace, protection, health, safety, and all the other things you pray for your own kids and orphans around the world.
-Finances - we've already *spent* $14,300 to date. We owe $3,500 more by November 15. The good news is that our credit card bill is due on December 1. We hope all these fundraisers will help with some of these finances.
-Logistics - we are purging this entire house and selling any and everything we can get our hands on. Please pray for wisdom for ways in which to sell (garage sale, Varage sale, online yard sales, Craigslist, etc.) Also, pray for safety for personal transactions.
-Lightning speed translation times and lightning speed for the ministry to give us a referral to get our kids!

We have many more requests, but I will leave it at that. Thank you for praying with us!

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:13

Karen

I've blogged about this gal before, over the years... but I wish you all could know my friend, Karen. We've been "thick as thieves" for the past decade.  She is brilliant and kind and gives good gifts. I say that, because she's my friend who came up with the AWESOME "Deployment Sunday Meal Plan". She and her family have been there for me, through my husband's deployments. When he was in Iraq one year, she decided that she would make me a big meal each January Sunday and bring it over. That's right! 

She's been there for me when she hosted my second son's baby shower (when we only had three week's notice that a child was available for adoption). She was with me through the thick and thin of Jared's first diagnosis. She has written references for us for adopting 4 out of 5 kids, as well as a home safety visit report for orphan hosting. Her kind words will always be recorded in all our paperwork, as well as beautiful cards throughout the years. 

So, why am I writing about her now? Well, not only is she loaning us some great event supplies for our barn party, she's donating some great race opportunities for our auction. I'm sooooooo blessed.  

We work together, in some stress filled situations and I'm still amazed she still wants to hang out and spend our birthdays or Christmas Eve together. There are times where I can't believe that. I know I can get on her nerves, more often than I'd like, yet she still sticks by us. I love our incredible friend and her family!

She and her husband own a race company and there are some great races coming up. She is donating certificates for two of them in our upcoming auction. Check them out!

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” C.S. Lewis

A Simple Way to Share

We decided to start a crowd funding site for the adoption. I figured it would be easier than to tell certain people to pay one agency and others to pay another agency, etc. We thought we could raise some of the funds this way. It's tax-deductible. You can easily share this page: 
https://www.adopttogether.org/coopers



In addition, we have a Jamberry nail fundraiser happening this month {thanks to our sweet friend, Stephanie}. You can find it at https://sathy73.jamberry.com/party/?uid=2685ecea-6060-4c37-ab0b-7c3568043c8d 
You can order now through October 30th. 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Romans 11:33

freaky-high-high-low-low-emotional-adoption-disorder.

After I wrote that post yesterday, the emotions started flowing. I feel like I have this new freaky-high-high-low-low-emotional-adoption-disorder. I can't explain it. When we were first married, my husband called me an emotionless robot. I've never been much of a crier. I could be in a room of people, who were all sad or touched by something, and I just didn't seem to "feel" what they felt. There were rare occasions when people saw me cry. 

Then we found out my child had a number of neurological differences 5 years ago, and I started allowing the tears to fall more often. Parenting a special needs child can be quite an emotional ride. But, for the most part, I held it together.

However, this adoption... WHEW! I didn't know I could have so many emotions. 

I called my mom last night and shared with her {with quivering voice} about how alone I was feeling... since the few people who are supposed to be the closest, actual human beings to me, have not said one word about this adoption to me or supported us in any way. Not a text. Not a phone call. Not a $15 t-shirt purchased. Nada. 

I went to school today and my fabulous friend, Cherith, was wearing the same adoption shirt. Yay! [side note: wearing this shirt means so much to our family. Even J saw her and said, "Mom, she cares about our orphans! She's great!"] Then we started talking about peace and anxiety, because we were working on our chapel lesson.  And, the tears came to my eyes once again.
freaky-high-high-low-low-emotional-adoption-disorder

At that same moment, my mom decided to "go on a war path", as she called it. If she couldn't get those people to support us, she was going to get some of her family to do something. I did not know that she had chosen to do this. The next thing I knew, I got a text from a cousin. Then Ifound out another cousin donated. Then an uncle donated some more. Granted, I felt mortified because I didn't realize exactly what my mom said to them; but she was determined to make up for my hurt, by getting other people to write checks. She also told me a man at her church sent a check to our adoption agency today. This fear of my mom guilting people into donating to us added to my
freaky-high-high-low-low-emotional-adoption-disorder.

You know what else adds to it? A busy day. Not only did I have to teach, grade, teach again, and facilitate chapel, it was a busy adoption day. I had fundraiser people contact me to start fundraisers. One fundraiser actually began. Our crowdfunding site went live. Our dossier became ready to be notarized. We went to the bank to notarize it, but then came home to find out one page had the wrong address. We went back to the bank, right before closing, to get a new page notarized... but then came home to find we needed a few extra pages done. Are you sensing any of my freaky-high-high-low-low-emotional-adoption-disorder? I know this is the norm for many adopting families.

In our mailbox today, I found an incredible {unexpected} donation from a precious woman who attended our church over 10 years ago. I was blown away by the generosity. After adding that up along with the other checks, we received $2,900 in donations today!! Isn't that soooo astounding? I'm a little concerned about the way my mom went about some of those, but I have contacted my favorite cousin and all seems to be fine. 

And, how did this day end? My sweet friend, Cherith, donated {again} to our cause, by being the first donation on our Adopt Together page. This patient and kind sister, who listens to my freaky-high-high-low-low-emotional-adoption-disorder when she doesn't have to, rounded out our donations totaling $3,000 today. It seems surreal to even write that.

Last night, I was focused on the "moving mountains to cross an ocean" instead of on the Mountain Mover. Yet, He still blessed us and continues to bless us throughout this process. Did I think coming up with $3,000 in one day would even be possible for this adoption? Not really. Good thing that He's in charge and my friend, Cherith, can constantly remind me of that when I'm experiencing my freaky-high-high-low-low-emotional-adoption-disorder.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Adding It Up

So far, we've had a t-shirt fundraiser, a cross fundraiser, a Thirty One Gifts fundraiser, and we're currently in the midst of a Simply Stamped fundraiser. Although, I do not know (yet) how much we made with our Thirty One Gifts sale, I believe it's about $100. We raised $1,600 on our t-shirts and $1,200 for our crosses.

When you raise $1,600 on your first fundraiser, you feel pretty confident. However, if you look at the money we need to raise, it equals 3% of our total needs. Now, I shouldn't look at things that way, but I'm really hoping we get more donations for our next fundraisers.

I applied for our first adoption grant last Friday. I will be applying for any grant that I can. I don't know if we'll get any of these grants, as we make more than $60,000 per year. That seems to be the magical number as to if you need money. I guess some people believe that anyone who makes more than $60,000 could surely come up with $55,000 within 5 months. Maybe other families have that kind of cash in their savings, but we do not. I know we'll come up with it, but we need HELP!  

We have this secret page on Facebook to share about our adoption. If every member of that group, donated $5 (tax deductible), we'd get nearly $3,000! 

I need to hit the streets and start asking business owners (a.k.a. strangers). It is looking like that might be where the majority of our support comes from... strangers.

My friend, Sara, said something so incredible the other day. When I was sharing with her how sad I was that most friends and family don't seem very supportive, asking how they can help us, or even letting us know they're praying with us, she said, "Don't they know that this is the best investment they could make? It says that in the Bible! They are missing out!" If I had more friends like Sara, supporting us and being a cheerleader for us, I couldn't imagine not reaching our goal. I mean, if I had 5-10 friends like Sara, not letting me leave their houses without praying with me - for our family - for our children overseas.... 
Well, instead of saying that, I need to pray that. I am praying that we, as a family, find more support than we are receiving right now. This is a hard road we're on, and knowing that people are thinking and praying for us would mean so much.

 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Are You Coming?

 

 Hey - did you heard about our incredible barn party? This place. I cannot express it in words. You have to come see it. It's way better than my lousy photos.

And, you must come to our party! 

Oh, and I don't really know how to fit photos into this blog very well. I apologize.