One Last Post ~ By Tiffany

I have been intending to write “just one more post” ever since returning to the States to begin our new life here and finally almost 6 months later I am getting to that – wow, time sure does fly!  So although the news is a little old, I cannot resist sharing the beautiful things God has done and the ways He has provided for this next step in life!

As most of you know, we chose to leave China after completing our second year.  This decision was made final when Eli joined our family.  We knew that he would need medical attention, and to play catch up educationally being 7 and not yet knowing his own language.  We were unable to provide those things in China, to the level he needed, due to the language barrier and the limited resources there for the deaf.   So although it was very hard to leave a work that was going so well, we knew that it was God’s work, not our own and He would carry it on to completion.  He was the one who lead us to adopt, so if adoption was leading us back to the States then we could trust that was where we needed to be.   

Deryk knew that he wanted to preach but how does one go about deciding where to send a resume?  To just search online when you know nothing of the people or place seemed off.  We didn’t want it to be us choosing so we decided to wait on the Lord.  We prayed that God would open the right doors and direct our steps.   We knew He would – He has shown Himself to be so faithful.  But, we also knew that God’s timing was different than ours and that He had a way of providing what was needed, RIGHT when it was needed – AKA not with a lot of advance notice.  As our time to return drew nearer and we still did not know where we would go, I’m sure to the world around us it seemed like we weren’t doing anything.  Perhaps it seemed a bit irresponsible.   That was hard but we only wanted to be somewhere we knew God had placed us – so we continued to wait.  Then one day a good friend of ours that we served with in Cuenca, Ecuador, Ron Mc Clung, sent us a message on Facebook asking when we were coming back to the U. S. and what we planned to do.  Deryk wrote him back and told him we planned to return in just a couple of months and that he wanted to preach and asked Ron to keep him posted if he knew of anything.  Ron wrote right back and said that he was at lunch at that very time with his dear friend who is a preacher – a preacher who wanted to retire.  They were discussing how to go about finding a replacement preacher without just posting it online and getting people you know nothing about!  He told us we should send our resume to their congregation.  We did, and then we continued to pray and wait.    We received a call from the church of Christ in Cedar Hill, Texas, and made a couple of visits down to meet them and preach.  We could clearly see and feel God’s hand in the whole thing.  From the vision of the elders to the warm welcome and involvement of the members it was an easy decision on our end.  They called and offered the job and we were there within just a couple of weeks!  We settled in quickly and got to work after just two weeks.   After being out one night visiting with a member who was going through a really rough time, Deryk came back home and said with a contented smile, “I was made for this”!   He is feeling much contentment and peace in being where we are at and doing what he is doing.   He sees God is changing him day by day to better equip him for the job He has put before him.  We feel very blessed!   What indescribable peace comes from walking in His leading.

To add to the obvious way the Lord had gone before us, we found out that there was a charter school established for the deaf that is located just 20 miles from our home.  Several years later the school has come to have more hearing students than deaf, but they all learn to sign and the teachers sign while talking so that all students are included!  Despite the fact that there were over 100 children on the waiting list, the principal called and said she wanted Eli to come and join the school because they wanted to help serve him in his unique situation!   She even worked out a bus route that would pick Eli up only 6 minutes from our house!  He is learning quickly and LOVING school.  He loves the routine and the fact that each day he is learning to communicate more and more.  He is also learning to read and it is all so beautiful to watch! 

I love how God provides!   Before leaving for China we decided to downsize in a big way. We didn’t sell everything because we knew that would create a huge expense upon our return that didn’t seem wise, but we also couldn’t see storing things that someone else was currently in need of.  So we asked God to show us who needed what, and that is exactly what He did.  People began calling us or telling us about someone they knew who was in need – a bed, a couch, a dryer, kitchen appliances etc., so little by little we were able to pass things on to just the right people.  Two years passed and we returned to the States.  Remember me saying how God has a way of providing right when the need presents itself?  Well, we were on our way to the store to get a bed for ourselves and our newest member of the family when we get a call from one of the elders at the church we were going to.  He wanted to know if we had need for a bed.  He had one in his barn just sitting there that we were welcome to use!  Then we got to Cedar Hill and arrived to our new home where we found our brothers and sisters waiting to help us unload.  What a kind welcome!  They unloaded everything, set up beds and even had food waiting – I think it was all done within just a couple of hours!  Then a brother said that he and his wife wanted to get us a dryer for a house warming gift!  I didn’t even go one day without.  First night in our home and I was able to do laundry for all those blankets and sheets that had been packed away for the last two years.      Next we went to the store to buy some things we needed to get – one being a vacuum and before we could even get it out of the box, another member of the church called and asked if we needed a vacuum because she had a brand new one that she could not use because it was too heavy!  These people didn’t know we needed most of those things specifically but God put it on their hearts to ask and they were the exact things we needed.  He replaced everything we had given away and then some!  The stories could go on and on, bikes, a play set, a grill and even money for those random things we might need to restock.     Just like that we had a home, vehicles, couch and all the other little things you can think of.  He overwhelms me with His provision!

Hannah jumped right in to a new school within only three days of moving.  She has been a trouper of all troupers!  We knew that there would be some challenges with so many changes all at once, but it was Hannah that came to us and said she thought she could do more good there than to stay at home another year.   It has always been our intent to homeschool them in order to prepare them to one day go out and be a light and that is what she felt ready to do.  We could clearly see from the very start the ways in which God had been preparing her and us for the very specific things she was facing.  It is a mission field of its own and she is there for the Lord.  He is giving her a voice there as she recently ran for student council and was elected secretary.  We are blessed to watch Him work through her and blessed that He uses us period! 

Saying goodbye and being separated from our dear friends in China has pulled on our hearts in deeper ways than I can even begin to describe, but God is faithful to provide wherever He guides.  That is why we wait on Him.  We would have it no other way but to know that we are where He would have us to be.  Because of this, even when times are tough or uncertain we know without a doubt that it is still ok.  He has shown us over and over again that we can trust Him, and so we will.  Remembering all He has done reminds us of His promises and His faithfulness to them.  So that is why we love to share His stories with others - that they too may remember and take heart!   Thank you for allowing us to do that with you over the last two years while we were in China - what a blessing it has been!                                                                                          

Signing off~  The Pritchards

Stabilization- by Eric

The last four weeks have been full of ups and downs.  The downs have been pretty deep but things are certainly beginning to stabilize.  Pierce is now full of smiles and quick to laugh.  He LOVES badminton! I can't remember a time when he's the one who has chosen to stop playing once we begin.  It usually takes him about 5 attempts before he hits it and rarely hits it when we hit it to him, but he absolutely loves it.  He enjoys being part of the family and doing whatever we are doing around the house at any given time: washing dishes, laundry, sweeping, etc.

If he's asked to do something- that's a different story. :-)  However, he's already come a LONG way in regards to obedience.  During the first 10 days or so any simple request from us ("please come here", "please don't touch that") would be met with defiance on his part.  "Don't touch the computer" would be followed shortly by a mischievous smile and a hit to the computer screen, which would then be followed by 30-90 minutes of enraged screaming, hitting, spitting, etc. as we asked him to sit in a timeout chair.  Those fits are now only occurring about every other day and lasting only about 5-10 minutes.  We continually remind ourselves that we are not the victim.  He has been a victim for 6 years and we have the privilege of loving and praying him through the healing process.  It isn't easy but we know we are where we're supposed to be doing what we're supposed to be doing.  

Pierce's obedience is already getting closer to that of any other young child.  He obeys a majority of the time but his attitude in obedience still needs some work. :-)  Developmentally he is closer to a 3-4 year old, which is to be expected having spent all of his 6 years in an institution.  His little hands are constantly moving and constantly searching for something to touch.  We try to provide toys, play-dough, and as many manipulatives we can find but his hands still consistently find the things that are off limits.  Thankfully bedtime, playtime (20 minutes), waking up, and school time at the table have slowly fallen into place. I'm sure it's good for the little guy to learn the routine and know what to expect. It's certainly good for us. He seems so much more relaxed and comfortable with us. 

Brinson and Aiden are beautifully loving him with patience and gentleness.  Having already gone through this adjustment once with Sheldon they seem to be veterans.  Sheldon bore the brunt of hearing the screaming since he shares a room with him and can't just go outside and play by himself like the two big brothers can.  He seems to be handling all of that really well. Sometimes we wonder if he can even hear it because he just goes on about his business.  He is wrestling with some rivalry/jealousy stuff and is having a hard time understanding why the rules and expectations are a little different between him and Pierce.  We find ourselves having the same conversations with him that we had with Brinson and Aiden 5 months ago about Sheldon. We remind him that Pierce has a lot to learn, that we don't speak Chinese and he doesn't speak English, and that he is going through a big adjustment.  We need to be patient with him and just shower him with love and smiles.

The language barrier is a big barrier.  We're using all the Chinese we know and are able to communicate simple things. But that's not enough to communicate expectations nor the deeper heart issues we want to pour into him.  Sheldon's ability to understand Chinese has picked up exponentially.  He's now able to tell us just about everything that Pierce is saying to us.  This is a huge help and cuts down on the frustration.  We have a couple of friends that we call to translate if there's something we want to communicate to him.

In all honesty, we're feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of our roles and responsibilities.  Doing 100% of the schooling for Brinson and Aiden (instead of 50% like the past two years with the Pritchards), beginning kindergarden with Sheldon, watching Pierce's every move to ensure he doesn't damage himself or the apartment, teaching at the college, and having students over creates days and weeks that are filled to the brim.  Not to mention cooking, cleaning, and shopping.  We go to bed exhausted each evening.  We're praying for His filling and that He'll provide us with everything we need for each person, each task, each moment.  He's been faithful up to this point and we know that will continue.  His track record is pretty solid. 

Adoption Trip: first 3 days --Eric

We are finishing up day three as a family of 6 and we've already seen the beginnings of the beautiful transformation that He will bring about over time.

As you might imagine, day 1 was pretty difficult. Pierce has spent all his life in an institution and has little ability to connect or interact in healthy ways. In the morning we spent about 2 hours at the civil affairs office signing papers after our initial meeting with him.  He wept, screamed, and shouted over and over again "I want to go home. Mama, please let me go home."  He was terrified of us and desperate to return "home".  Once we left the office to return to the hotel he screamed at the top of his lungs all the way up the elevator and for the next hour in our room.

Eventually he began to calm down. We ate noodles in our room and spent 4 hours at the hotel pool. Pierce loved swimming!  Throughout the afternoon we got many smiles and much laughter out of the little guy. He continued to ask about going home but the question wasn't accompanied with the tears any longer.  The day ended well as we sang songs and prayed as a family.  Each night we sing this song together inserting a different family members' name for each verse: "Pierce, Pierce, Pierce, you are very special. With your black hair and your brown eyes God made you very special." By night 2 Pierce had begun trying to sing along and as I type this post, he is singing it to himself in the bed next to me while looking at books.  We look forward to the day that as a result of the Father's love he knows for certain the truth of those words.

Sheldon was somewhat confused by hearing Pierce's constant pleading to go home. Finally he asked us, "why don't you let him go home? He says he wants to go home." It was really confusing for the little guy.  We did the best we could in explaining to him that it is good for Pierce to have a family and that he will grow to love us all. He still seemed a bit skeptical.

Day 2 began with a trip back to the civil affairs office where Pierce was to see some of the workers of the orphanage again. It was a night and day difference from the previous day.  Instead of screaming and crying as they left or as we left, he calmly said goodbye to them and happily held our hand down the stairs and into a taxi. The tense, nervously shaking body we had held on day 1 was now calm and relaxed.  Already trust was being built.

We continue to shower him with love, smiles, gentleness, and prayer, and know that the Holy Spirit will renew, fill, and redeem the hurts and voids of his past.

As one might expect, he has numerous behavioral issues that are quite difficult to see and deal with. In other words, we have a long way to go. But whether it's his "Wo ai ni" (I love you) response to us telling him we love him, or his "please" and "thank you", or the returned smile, or the joy he shows occasionally after obeying us....we already see glimpses of what's to come. Each night we go to bed exhausted because of the need to constantly watch his every move (he's a very active child, with very active hands, and isn't used to boundaries and expectations).  But each night we can sense progress has been made.

We continue to praise God for bringing him to us and know that He will continue to supply all we need.

Didn't see that coming!-- Eric

It's great to be back home! Our 28 hour journey went extremely smooth and we arrived back in Shiyan just in time for the first sunny day with no rain the city has had in 12 days.  We're enjoying catching up with dear friends and making new ones.  The overwhelming feeling we all have is that this truly feels like home- and for that we are thankful.

A new family has moved into the Pritchard's old apartment. They have a 12 year old boy and 8 year old girl.  Although we're missing the Pritchards a great deal, it's been good getting to know this wonderful family.  We're so thankful the boys have some friends to roam the campus with.

During our 10 weeks in America Sheldon grew 1 1/4 inches. The little guy is thriving in every way! However, something totally unexpected and shocking has happened.  Sheldon forgot how to speak Chinese....completely!  At first he had a hard time even understanding what people were saying- which shocked and appalled those whom he had spoken with regularly last semester.  They would speak to him and he would look confused and say, "I'm sorry, I don't understand."  It seems that after a couple of days of hearing it he can understand most things that people say now but he only replies in English.  We even had a student tell him basic vocabulary such as hand, foot, hair, eyes, etc., and asked him to repeat it.  He sounded like me speaking Chinese! His pronunciation and tone was completely off.  You'd think it would jar his memory and he'd access that part of his brain again but so far it's as though he's never spoken Chinese prior to this.  This is sad for us.  We really wanted him to retain his native language.  We're going to be very deliberate and determined to keep up his "Chinese lessons" once we return from getting Pierce.

Our train leaves in 6 hours!  We will have him in our arms Sunday evening American time.

One Journey Ends and Another Begins- Eric

After a wonderful summer crisscrossing America visiting family and friends we are about to settle back into life in China.  We return to a life and place that has become home for us, although home will be different this year.  As planned, Deryk, Tiffany, Hannah, Ayden, and Eli have moved back to America.  The "Pritch" portion of team Pritchport will be dearly missed. We're so thankful for the gift of the past two years.  They are such a special family and such dear friends.  May God bless your new beginning and may He fill your lives with His presence in new and exciting ways!  We love you!

Three days after arriving back in Shiyan we will be traveling to Wuhan to get Pierce!  This much anticipated moment will be the culmination of so many prayers and tears.  On Saturday, September 22, 2012 we first laid eyes on him and named him Pierce- because he pierced our hearts. In the physical, all the doors to adoption were firmly closed and it seemed the answer was absolutely "no." Yet we came to realize that in the spiritual the answer was positively "yes" and we would need to simply wait for His timing and His might to move mountains.  As it turns out our "gotcha moment" will be September 22, two years to the day of our first meeting.  We've only seen him a handful of times since that moment but he has been a constant presence in our hearts and prayers.  His little world is about to get rocked but we know that God will continue to fill his heart with His love and enable him to attach with his new family.

This whole process has been a faith stretching, faith strengthening journey.  Our whole family has grown in our reliance and trust in His good, pleasing, and perfect plan. Our God is faithful and our God is powerful! Thank you Father for choosing us for Sheldon and Pierce. And thank you for never leaving us alone but always giving us exactly what we need each step of the way.  As we finally and forever scoop Pierce up into our arms we conclude the journey towards adoption as we simultaneously begin a new journey towards bonding as a family of six.  Thank you for your many prayers along the way!
 

5 about to be 6...in awe! - by Eric

Overwhelmed. That's my answer when asked how I'm doing after the first three weeks of having our precious Sheldon with us. Not a stressed, frantic overwhelmed; more like a goofy grin, eye-brows raised, "Are you sure you think we can handle this?" kind of overwhelmed. Life is good- crazy, yes, but good.  We feel God's presence and His leading and that is honestly the absolute only reason why the overwhelmed, inadequate, 'how in the world' feeling doesn't swamp us. Sheldon is a treasure and we are eternally grateful (and humbled) God led us to each other.

The overwhelmed feeling began the day we left to get Sheldon. A couple hours before we got on the train we get the call that unofficially Beijing has agreed to allow us to adopt Pierce. An immediate deluge of tears and prayers was released as our family (and the student who happened to be at our apartment) fell to our knees in blubbering worship and thanksgiving. Two weeks later, the day we arrive back at our apartment with Sheldon, we got the call that Beijing had officially given Pierce's file (the file the orphanage said they would never start) to our agency. God's timing is perfect- and humorous! More than a year of "no" and "no way" had finally given way to "yes!" God has changed hearts and moved mountains. We are overwhelmed by His grace, provision, and presence. And yet, we are also overwhelmed at the reality of doubling our boy-load in the span of just a few months and the prospect of coming up with $15,000 in the next 3 months.

We'll be picking Pierce up and bringing him home around the end of August or beginning of September.  Please, please surround all 6 of us in prayer. If you are in a position to help provide the money for the adoption please, please consider sending it our way. Or, if you know of any organizations or churches who have adoption grants please, please let us know.  We are fully confident of God's leading us to adopt these two boys in the span of just a few months, yet we are overwhelmed- by His provision and plan, and by the weight of it all.

Grace and peace to you from the Davenport clan!

If you'd like to contribute you can send a check made payable to "Lifesong for Ophans" (in the memo write: Davenport family-3956) and mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744
OR you can give online: www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate . Select 'Give to an adoptive family'. Complete the online form and fill in 3956 for the 'Family account number' and Davenport for 'family name'. 

Home at last...as 5! ----by Eric

Finally after a year of red tape, lots of waiting and praying, and a whirlwind 15 days in which we spent 60+ hours on trains our family is back home in Shiyan and settling into a new rhythm for a family of 5.

As we waited inside a room at Shepherd's Field Children's Village (the foster care facility he's lived at for the past 16 months) awaiting the moment when Sheldon would tromp across the playground to meet his forever family we knew all kinds of confusion, fears, nerves, doubts and emotions would be swirling around his little heart.  This would mark the 4th major upheaval of his young life- all the faces, routines, and places which had grown familiar suddenly removed and replaced with unknowns.  So much for a little one to process even once in a lifetime!  It's now been 17 days since the moment he entered that room and into our family and there's been not a hint of anything other than excitement and full acceptance of his new family and life.

We've been praying for such a long time that God will prepare us for him and him for us and we can now see how the prayers have been answered.  We give praise to our Heavenly Father and to his caregivers at SFCV who did such a marvelous job preparing him for a family.  We're realistic in anticipating that new emotions, questions, and phases of grief will surface in the weeks, months, and years ahead, but we're thankful that the immediate transition has seemed so smooth for him.  And that's with us all living in 1 hotel room for 2 weeks!  By the end of the 2 weeks I was having emotions and griefs surface! :0)

Obviously there's been significant adjustments to be made by all 5 of us and each day has it's share of ups and downs but the ups are slowly beginning to dominate the downs.  Having a 6 year old little brother has been a shock to the system for Brinson and Aiden, but they are making the transition and have already planned or made a few movies with the newest member of Brother Alliance.

Sheldon is such a happy little guy! (unless of course it's bedtime or he's being asked to do something he would rather not do, in which case he acts as you'd expect. :) But he's even making huge strides in that regard as well!)  He absolutely adores his two big brothers ("Franceen" and Aiden) and is quick to join in anything they are doing. This helps with teaching and training. We'll say: "Brinson, it's time to wash your hands and go to the table," and Brinson will say, "yes sir" and head to the sink.  "Aiden, it's time to wash your hands and go to the table" and Sheldon will answer along with Aiden "yes sir" and follow to the sink. He's observing everything they do and is real quick to remind them to say "thank you" for any and everything that he does for them.

We've discovered that Sheldon LOVES to help around the house which has been a great way for us to bond throughout the day.  He cooks with us, does laundry with us, and wants do the dishes alongside us.

Although the aunties who cared for Sheldon each day at SFCV spoke only Chinese there were several foreigners who lived there which made white faces and the English language less foreign for him.  The older children (ages 5-19) have classes in one of the buildings each weekday for several hours with English being one of the many subjects learned.  Sheldon came to us knowing many of his ABCs, 123s, and several simple phrases.  His basic English and our basic Chinese allow us to communicate everyday needs without much problem.  Are you hungry? Time to wash our hands. Time to go to sleep. Do you need to use the bathroom? etc, etc. has been pretty simple.  His English has already made huge strides. Everyday he busts out with a couple new phrases we haven't heard from him before which he apparently picked up by hearing us.  Needless to say, our Chinese has improved quite a bit as well.  We also have friends we've invited over to translate for us when there is something really important we need to tell him.

Today is the first day our family gets back to teaching and studying and so we're still going day-by-day in figuring out how life is going to work.  There's a lot going on but it's all good.  We're made aware each day of our need and dependance on Him for strength, patience, energy, and grace.  Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for bringing Sheldon into our life and giving us all that we need each and every day.

Our first few weeks as a family of 5! by Tiffany

Where do I even start?  I knew that letting so much time pass would make it hard to write, but it seemed all I could do at the time!   

First of all I must say that God is so good!  In all the ups and downs of the past 3 weeks we have clearly felt His presence, His changing power, His encouragement and His faithfulness. 

Thank you Lord.

So, here goes in no particular order – sorry it’s so lengthy, obviously you can just pick through what you’d like to read:

·         The night before our “Gotcha Day”(the day we got to pick up Eli) I was lying in bed talking with Hannah and as the reality of what was about to happen started to sink in, a whole range of emotions swept over me.   To be completely honest, one of these was sadness for the loss of the family we have always known and what that would mean for Hannah and Ayden.  I knew there would be a lot of good, but I also knew that there would be many challenges ahead and that things would never be the same.  So I began to pray and within the first few minutes of sharing with God, I believe He so clearly spoke to my heart and mind interrupting my own thoughts, different than my own thoughts, came this message as clear as day, “Do not look back – no one who looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.”  I felt instant excitement and peace.  I didn’t have to fear anything because we were right where God wanted us to be, right where He called us and led us and He would work out all the other details.  Then a series of thoughts that weren’t quite so clear followed:  something to the effect of “I have given you x# of years like things are now and it has been a great blessing.  Now I am giving something new, but if you spend all your time looking back, you will miss it. I want to bless you all here.  I will be with you.”  Thank you God!  I consider that message a great treasure!  You have taken away all doubt and fear. 

·         Our trip consisted of two parts: one week in Taiyuan – the capital of Eli’s home province and one week in Guangzhou where the U.S. Consulate is.  Over these 14 days, we essentially were waiting for lots of paperwork to come through with just an occasional meeting here and there so we had LOTS of time to fill.  We would walk around the city and do all sorts of things like visit parks, eat out at restaurants we do not have in our town like Starbucks and Pizza Hut and go to stores that we do not have in Shiyan.    We rented and rode a paddle boat, went to a book store, navigated the subway to many scenic or historic spots in the city and did school work in the hotel. We also got to go to an amusement park with a precious family of 12 we met who were adopting there 7^th (now that helped put things in perspective for me).  So needless to say, our two weeks were certainly not your normal day to day routine.  We got to experience many firsts with Eli that he seemed to really enjoy!  So even though being away from home and in a hotel for that long was actually kind of hard,  we had a lot of focused time together as a family with little distraction so that was a real blessing.  For about a week after arriving home, Eli would keep asking if we could go on the boat not realizing that those things aren’t things we do every day!

·         Although Eli got used to sleeping with us in the hotel, and he was not very happy to find out that the second pillow on Deryk and my bed at home was not his, he now goes happily to his own bed in a matter of minutes without a fuss.  We count this a real blessing as he is quite a handful in his waking moments – I am thankful that the sleeping ones are truly restful!

·         He jumped right into wrestling with Deryk and Ayden – he can hold his own too!

·         I love watching the way he just joins right in with all our family traditions.  Some things he doesn’t even understand but he is learning that they are what our family does and he is happily taking part! 

·         He seems to be used to doing what he wants to do - without a lot of instruction, correction and follow through – so I must say he is certainly trying to see just how far he can push things!    It is an added challenge to do all this teaching with a language barrier, but I must say that even so, each and every day we are encouraged by something he does that shows he is getting it and he will come around with time!   It reminds me of the way God changes us into His likeness little by little because all at once would be more painful than we could bear.  I am thankful we have a patient God and I am being challenged to be much more patient myself. 

·         We are looking up “signs” seemingly every other minute!  I am thankful for free ASL Dictionary Apps!  We are trying to help him transition from a lifelong habit of communicating through pushing and grunts to using Sign Language.  Sometimes he doesn’t want to use them, but for the most part he is trying and really thinking of the right sign to use.   When this clicks, he is just going to take off!  How exciting it will be for him to have his little world opened up! 

·         He is literally the ONLY Chinese person I know who does not absolutely LOVE either rice or noodles.  Not only does he not absolutely love one of them, he doesn’t even like either of them?!  What he wants instead is MEAT, meat and more meat. 

·         This time has proven to be one in which God is teaching me many lessons.  I knew I still had a lot of growing to do, but these last few weeks have magnified my awareness of just how much and in exactly which ways.  I am being reminded to constantly fall before the throne of God and ask Him to fill me by His Spirit with wisdom, patience, selflessness, humility and love.  I am so thankful He is willing and able to change us and patient enough to do so with mercy.

·         I am grateful that although a transition like the one Eli was required to make (from a life in an orphanage to a home) would seem incredibly hard, he seems to genuinely like being with us.  Of course, he doesn’t like the new boundaries that he has been given and he constantly tries to push them, but that is to be expected at first.  What he does love is all the things that make us a family.  Cleaning, cooking and eating together (he is my ever present helper and doesn’t like a dish to be left in the sink – sometimes out of nowhere he will sign to me “let’s go wash dishes or cook” and then just wiggle with excitement), and our routines of quiet time, school time, play time outside and bedtime.  Going to the store together and having a say in what we pick out and helping me with the laundry – all these things seem to give him a comforting sense of belonging and purpose and he seems very happy in that and for that I am thankful.

·         Many children that grow up in an orphanage have a felt need to hoard things and carry them around in their pockets or place them under their pillows.  This can range from food to their toys or even someone else’s stuff.  This has certainly proven true with Eli.  Sometimes it is just cute when you look at him and his pockets are bulging with his toy cars, a flashlight and boxes of raisins.  Just the other day, he asked me if he could change pants because the ones he had on weren’t tight enough around the waist to hold up the stash in his pockets!  However, sometimes it is not so cute as we are also finding that he occasionally takes things that do not belongs to him without asking and you can see from the sneakiness and the look on his face that he is fully aware that he should not have done it.  We are praying faithfully that God will bring healing to whatever it is inside of him that has felt the need for this.  Please join us in prayer for healing and for wisdom as to how to best correct and guide him in these times. 

·         I often think of just how odd you would think it would feel, from Eli’s perspective, to just hop right into someone’s family you don’t even know.  Eat their food, wear the clothes they give you, go where they tell you to go even when you have no clue where that is or what is next, snuggle up to them and let them help you in the bathroom if you have a need etc., etc. and I realize just what a trooper he really is.  He is just going with the flow really.  And yet, not only is he going with the flow but he seems to be really enjoying it!  It is sweet and sad – sad that he would feel such a need in those areas that it would only feel good and not odd (not knowing that is how he feels but judging so from his actions) but sweet that he is experiencing the joy of those needs being met.

·         Poor kiddo, we had to get him to the dentist right away as so many of his teeth are rotten.  Three root canals on the first visit and he needs 4 more on the next and then 2 teeth must be pulled.  He was impressively brave for a large part of the visit until the pain just got too much and then fear kicked in.  After his first appointment we let him pick a balloon from a vendor out front of the hospital.  As he was reaching and pointing upward I realized he wanted the biggest one – Hello Kitty which was even bigger than him.  You should have seen us on the bus ride!  Hello Kitty practically needed her own seat!  Thankfully he seemed fine once we got home and didn’t seem to associate the painful situation with us. 

·         Eli is a kisser and a snuggler!  I think he is making up for lost time.  And I guess because he can’t hear, his kisses come out a little different – more like a puff of air and saliva but he means well!  He also still likes to be held even though he is 7 and quite big – Hannah loves this part and is therefore acquiring quite the muscles!

·         Eli often stares at people with a blank look or sometimes even a kind of mean look, so I am trying to teach him to smile.  It is the cutest things because when I remind him, he instantly puts on a huge grin with his little under bite and crooked teach and it just warms my soul!

·         One day, in the hotel, Hannah realized that she couldn’t find Herby – a tiny mouse stuffed animal she has had since she was 7.  Although stuffed animals have taken on a different meaning at her age, Herby was still really special to her, full of many wonderful memories and had accompanied her on many big adventures.   So we looked and looked for him.   After searching everywhere, talking to the housekeeper and the front desk and searching Eli’s bags and pockets (poor guy but at the time being we just don’t know), all we could figure is that Herby, small as he was, had gotten swept up with the laundry when the maids changed the sheets.  After 2 or 3 days had passed with no Herby - I laid in bed and prayed,  "God, not because finding Herby is really a must, but just because You can, would you please help us find Herby because things are a little hard right now and it would just be really special for Hannah."  Then the next morning - we were standing in the hall of our 9 story hotel, waiting for the elevator to come and there was Herby staring me right in the face!  You know those cigarette trash cans that has a place on top for cigarettes and a small rectangular opening for trash below - well Herby was positioned perfectly in that rectangle just looking me straight in the eyes!  It was crazy cool!  He wasn't in there mixed with all the trash or upside down or anything, it was as if he were balanced on the bag itself - up high sitting right and proper!  It was such a blessing – not just to have Herby back, but it was a reminder that God is with us, He hears and He provides so much more than our needs – so he will certainly provide our needs!  What a gift J

·         The first couple of days with Eli, he didn’t act very nice towards Ayden.  All I can figure is that he was possibly not treated very kindly by the older boys he was around in his deaf school and he was on his guard.  This was a little hard for Ayden and obviously not good for bonding.  However, one evening as we were chatting in bed, Ayden said someone had come up to him that day (on one of those hard days) and asked if Eli was his little brother and Ayden answered yes.  Ayden told me with excitement, “it felt so good to be able to say yes!”  I was so grateful that even during the rough times he still thought that.   Thankfully, after about 3 days I guess Eli realized Ayden was “safe” and you could see a big change and  connection forming there.  Now he copies Ayden and has the, “little brother is amazed by big brother” thing going on!

·         I tried to sign to Eli that we would be going on a plane – I even got out a toy plane and a picture of a plane to try to show him but he did not want to listen.  For some reason, I guess because he has gotten by for 7 years without signing, he isn’t always quick to want to sign (although thankfully that seems to be lessening every day).  So I said ok and stopped trying, figuring he we figure it out soon enough.  So we sit down in the airport and he looks out the window and sees a huge plane only yards away and he about jumps out of his sit, begins hitting me on the leg and is filled with excitement!  It was cute!  He had a blast on the plane and especially loved that they brought him food and drinks!

·         Then it was time for our train ride home – our 20 hour train ride home!   Although I must say it wasn’t quite as “relaxing” as the 20 hour train ride there, Eli really did do quite well!  What impressed me the most was the way he shared my Kindle with a little 3 year old boy who sat near us.  Eli has an unhealthy love for all things electronic.  If you pull one out – phone, iPod, Kindle, iPad whatever – he will either crawl into your lap or very near (depending on how well he knows you) then he showers you with smiles and kisses (again depending on how well he knows you) as the excitement of possibly using it comes over him.  Realizing this, we have chosen to use them VERY little to help him gain a healthier perspective.   So after he had played it for about 15 minutes, I told him we were going to share it with the other little boy.  He said no but I said yes and I called the little boy over and let him take a turn.  After he played for a bit, I tried to communicate that Eli could join the little boy and they could play together.  It was so neat to watch just how gentle Eli was with him.  I saw a hint of this as I watched him in his orphanage with the much younger children.  He seems to have a heart for them and something beautiful comes over him when he is around little ones!

·         You could tell Eli understood as we got in a taxi – we were on our way home!  He was very excited!  We showed him all around and acquainted him with all of his new goodies – then without skipping a beat he wanted to help me cook and he has been doing it ever since!  The last week here at home has consisted of recouping from all of our travels, establishing a new norm and helping Eli learn many, many things – while we ourselves are leaning as well.  It has not all been easy but it has been good! We find it a beautiful thing to know that God is making two very needed things happen simultaneously:  Eli is receiving a family as he needed  (as God intended all children to have), and we are receiving the opportunity to be formed more into Christ’s likeness as we were needing; and both of them are happening to the glory of God – which is what it is all about! 

Love and blessings to you all and thank you so much for your prayers~  Tiffany

This is it! by Tiffany

This is the letter we have been waiting to write!   We received notification that we have been granted final travel approval by China to go and get Eli!  It is official!  We will be picking him up on April 21^st! 

So, so much waiting and now it is here and just right around the corner!  It is hard to wrap our minds around it honestly.  As a family we have prayed and watched God work through others and learned and worked and saved and read and practiced sign language and readied his room and so on, but when are you “ready” for such a huge change that takes place practically overnight? 

As I grow older, it seems like every day I grow more and more aware of my shortcomings – my inadequacies in and of myself.  And yet each day I feel like I also learn more and more about His grace and sufficiency for me - His mercy and overwhelming love just because He is good.  I know we will face many things on this journey, but I know that God’s faithful promise to always walk with us will hold true and He will be enough. 

We will take it one day at a time - loving Eli, learning with him and following God’s lead.  He brought us to this journey and I believe wholeheartedly that He will continue to lead and provide. 

Thank you all for your loving prayers.  They are both humbling and encouraging and God is faithfully answering.  Please add praying specifically for little Eli about his upcoming change.  Although this change will be a blessing for him, it will also cause yet another loss in his life for him to have to work through.   And in his short 7 years, he has already lost so much.   First major loss was when he was left in a train station at two and a half years old.   At that time, he was sent to a foster family where he stayed for a few months but then he was made to transfer to a foster care center.  I am not certain why, possibly because of the needs that being deaf presents, but at 5 (almost 6) he was required to move yet again to his current foster care center.  This center has become his “home” and the nannies there and the other children have become his family – they are what he knows and he will miss them.  

Thankfully we have a God who is a healer, because Eli’s little heart will need much mending. 

Psalm 147:3  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 30:2  O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

Praise God that He is able to do more than all we ask or imagine!

Blessings to you all~

Love, Tiffany

Spring, Adoption, Visitors and more! by Tiffany

 

All around us the plants and trees and grass and flowers are waking up!  It is an amazing gift to be able to take part in, watching day by day as things seem to grow before my very eyes.   I never cease to be amazed by our God.  His beauty and creativity are overwhelming!

 

 

 One of the many grandparents on our campus, with his grandbaby, who spend their days walking around and enjoying community.

One of my many classes.  I just love these students!

We have been working lots of extra hours lately, doubling up on the classes that we teach each week.  We are trying to get ahead by two weeks so that when it is time to go pick up Eli, we can take that time off.  It is drawing ever nearer!  Yesterday we received the last of the papers we needed from the U.S. government and now everything will all be sent to China for their government to wrap it all up.  We were told that will take between 2 to 4 weeks.  At that point, China will issue our travel approval and then we will be allowed to make the trip to pick up Eli anywhere from 10 to 21 days later!  Please keep him in your prayers, I have spoken to the director there at his foster care center and she said that he has been feeling down recently.  Eli now knows that he has a Daddy, Mommy, sister and brother but I don’t think he understands why he is not yet with us.  Because of being deaf, fairly new to signing and living in a foster home where there are no fluent signers he is not able to communicate with or be communicated with fully.  However, from my understanding, he has somewhat recently begun receiving schooling 2 or 3 partial days a week at a school for the deaf.   He seems to be picking things up quite quickly from a wonderful teacher whom he loves deeply.  He is smart and very eager to be poured into.  What fun that will be to do the “pouring”!  We are praying that God will comfort him and that His Spirit will communicate with Eli’s, understanding beyond words. 

We have visitors coming!  My Mom and George will be here in just a week!  We are super excited to show them all around, introduce them to our friends and just let them experience a little bit our lives here in China.  We are making a list – I hope they come well rested and ready to go! 

We keep you close in our prayers even though we are far away in distance.  We miss you. 

Many blessings to you all~  Deryk, Tiffany, Hannah and Ayden

Adoption Update by Tiffany

Elishama

 

We have wonderful news!   Last week we completed the LAST of our paperwork!  All we are waiting on now is the final approval from the U.S. government and a final travel date can be issued and we will be all set.  As of now, we have been given a tentative timeframe of mid-April to early May.  It is hard to believe that it is almost here.  I am blown away when I think about all that God has done to bring us to this very point.  He is SO amazing!  And I am excited as I think about all that He is going to do to make the future possible.  So much that we don't know - his language, specifics on his health, all that he has been through up to this point, how to make such a huge adjustment - but what we do know far outweighs what we don't and that is that our God is able to do exceedingly more than all we ask or imagine.  We have seen Him do it multiple times before and we will watch in awe as He does it again! 

We would greatly appreciate your prayers for what needs to happen to finalize the adoption as well as for all the changes that are about to take place, for Eli, Hannah and Ayden, and Deryk and me, too.  Thank you so much and may God bless you~

 

Miscellaneous Moments... by Tiffany

Well we are back in the swing of things again!  All the students have returned from their vacation and school is in its second week!
Our kiddos have been back in school for a month now because we told them they could not have all the Chinese holidays AND the American ones!
Things are moving along well with the adoption process.  Although we still don't have an exact date, we have been given a range of April-May.  We are getting quite excited, realizing that it will be here before we know it!   
It has been a special past few weeks:

Celebrated a traditional  Chinese New Year

with one of our fellow teachers in the college and his family!

 Making Dumplings!

We celebrated Hannah's 13 birthday!

 A day full of many special memories!

~

Purposefully blessing her in some of the ways she is always blessing others!

We got some SNOW!

 

 The campus and the city is quite different during Spring Festival.  Very few people around (compared to normal), but the ones that are here are in "relax mode" as you can see by the pajamas they wear around town -

VERY fluffy, warm pajamas - it is great!

Working on Science Fair Projects!

Ayden is making a telephone and Hannah a telegraph machine.

Ayden has taken up the ukulele and is now able to play along with Deryk on a couple of songs!

 Valentine's Day!  We all planned something special to do for each other!

 

We continue to be so very blessed to be here.  We are thankful beyond our ability to describe!  Praying that God will lead us clearly and use us powerfully as we go about these next few months - our last few months here in China.  We miss you all there in the States and keep you close in prayer~

 

A Trip That Has Left Us Forever Changed~ by Tiffany

We were blessed beyond measure to have the opportunity to visit my cousin Hilary and her husband David in the Philippines over our winter break from teaching.  They have lived there for the past 10 years working in beautiful ways to serve the Lord!  It was such a huge gift to be able to go and work along side them, worship and pray together and by the Lord working through them, grow in our walk with the God.  I feel like I see Jesus more clearly now!

 My new, precious friend that still has part of my heart there with him.  He one of the little ones that Hilary and David are loving and serving.  His favorite word is "wow" which we all find ourselves constantly saying and then smiling as we think of him!

 

 

 Hilary opened a clinic to provide care for mothers who could not afford it otherwise but it is so much more than just that.  The staff worships together, prays over the clinic and studies the word together daily. They also study and pray with the moms that deliver with them.  It is a beautiful outreach and peoples lives are being changed - both those that come in for help, and those that work there!

 The staff was just great!  They loved on our kiddos and they welcomed us right in, kindly letting us work alongside them! 

 We were allowed to "assist" with some of the deliveries which was such an amazing blessing!  I have been on the other side of this miracle before, but never on the side where I got to watch it all happen!  How beautiful and amazing!  Hannah got to catch the placenta upon delivery, Adyen got to cut the umbilical cord and we all got to pray over the babies in their first moments, asking God to bless their precious lives!

 

 One of the Moms choose to give her child up for adoption, so we had the opportunity to love on this precious baby girl until it was time for her to go to the orphanage.

 

 Hannah and Ayden made many new friends with the children playing in the street outside the clinic.

 

 

Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines.  These vehicles were originally made from the U.S. military jeeps left over from World War II

 

 Tricycles serve as a kind of taxi here!

 

The following pictures are from some of the other works that Hilary and David are involved in within the community there in Cebu.

The Dumpsite

 Houses build on top of the trash in the dumpsite.

 

 Adyen helped to lead games for the children in the dumpsite while Hilary and her staff talked to the Moms about family planning, did medical exams and made appointments for them to come into the clinic.

 

We were so blessed to be able to just love on these precious little ones!

 

 

The Red Light District

Weekly visits and check-ups for those living and working in the Red Light District in Cebu.   

 

The Men's Prison & Woman's Jail

 

The Leprosy Colony

A couple of the sweet, precious women we met at the Leprosy Colony.  Such loving people!

 

How do I even begin to sum these things up?  Things that went beyond anything I have ever seen or experienced.  At the prison we were able to go and just share what God put on our hearts and watch these men cry out to God as His Spirit moved among them and we prayed over them.  In the jail I noticed that the woman there were no different than you or me - just broken people that need Jesus just as we do - and I was filled with love for them.  At the Dumpsite, I saw people just trying to survive by finding food to eat and things to recycle for income.  My kiddos were touched by the looks of joy that were still on their faces amongst such difficulty.  In the Red Light District I felt much compassion for these people, realizing that many of them do what they do because they were either trafficked at a young age, or they grew up in this environment knowing nothing else.  At the Leprosy Colony I was overcome with sorrow for their suffering so I cried with them and told them I was so very sorry.   I was blessed as I watched my children step outside of their comfort zones and stand up and share what they felt God was putting on their hearts as they spoke to the Lepers.  Then we handed out lots of hugs and reminded them that they are dearly loved.

At one point, I remember watching Hilary put some ointment on one of the little ones sores in the Red Light District and I thought to myself, what good is that going to do when she is surrounded by the filth that is her home.  But then as quickly as that thought came, came another.  It is not about the medicine inside that ointment, it is the love.  They need the "ointment" of God's love and that is what Hilary and others are bringing to them - along with a smile and a hug - week after week.  It is God's Kingdom breaking into this dark world bringing His light, and it is beautiful! 

God keeps reminding me that it is not about getting all the words or actions right, it is about being faithful and just trusting God to speak and act through you when you show up.  Trusting Him to multiply the "fishes" that we bring, believing that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. 

One day this world will be whole as He created it to be - I just saw it get a little closer.

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