We've Moved

We've moved!! 

Both literally (Kigali, Rwanda) and digitally (we have a new blog).

Keep up with all the comings and goings of the Davenport clan: 

http://davenportsonmission.blogspot.com/

Difficult Goodbyes and Anticipating Reunions- by Eric

On March 29th we purchased 6 one-way tickets to Rwanda with our credit card. This was done in faith seeing how at the time we had barely begun to receive funds, but we felt complete peace in the decision. Our confidence in His calling us to Kigali and in His ability to provide all that we would need allowed us to proceed.  

Our thanksgiving to Him is being poured out! Two churches and 12 individuals/families have partnered with us, including 6 monthly partners.  It all adds up to us being fully funded through May 2016!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  Any additional funds we receive will go towards expenses for June 2016-May 2017.  A big 'Thank You' to all of you, our community of faith, literally scattered around the globe. Thank you for your prayers and support.

We have six days remaining in China. Each of us are processing the approaching transition in different ways. Waves of excitement, sadness, anticipation, and heartache take turns sweeping over us.  The reality of saying goodbye to our life here has hit Brinson and Aiden pretty hard in recent days.  Wendy and I are so very thankful for their excitement for what is next in Rwanda.  Without that anticipation it would be pretty tough on them.  They are excited to see family and friends this summer, and excited, even though it's hard to visualize, life in Kigali.  But these three years have been huge for them and they will truly miss it.  We're encouraging them to fully feel whatever it is that they are going to feel, and we're visiting special people and places one last time.  

Pierce has been talking about going to America and seeing all his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins nearly nonstop for about 6 weeks.  He is stoked and ready to go!  He's packed and repacked his clothes and toys many times in recent weeks. Sheldon too is excited but he isn't quite as verbal about it.

Wendy and I are busy finishing classes and exams, saying goodbye to dear friends and passing along our work to others who will remain this summer and next semester.  Although it isn't fun to leave friends who we've had so many good discussions with and have seen come so far, we know that it isn't our work but His.

  

In keeping with Davenport tradition, we made a last minute stop to the ER. 

Sheldon broke his wrist while rollerblading.

Our whirlwind five weeks through America begins soon. We'll hit California, Florida, and Texas. Lots of doctor, vision, and dental visits, hugs and reunions, debriefing and reporting await us. Then we'll get packed up and move our family to Africa.  

Our God is big and our God is good, all the time.  It's an honor to be His children and follow His lead.

The Davenport Clan

Good Times and Good Friends- by Eric

 Hard to believe this is our last semester in China. Here's a quick look at life these past few weeks.....

Having dinner in our home with a student and his parents. They were really excited to see and taste western food. We made a Thanksgiving style meal and they were blown away by the various seasoning and spices we used. Chinese cuisine typically only include 3 or 4 spices.

Our Saturday evening group.

An incredible evening. We had 6 of Pierce's former nannies over for dinner. He was a bit unsure and standoffish, but they were overjoyed to see him again. It was really good for us to observe the love and concern they showed for him upon seeing him again for the first time in six months.

Pierce enjoys sitting quietly next to me as I teach and talk with students.

We're really gonna miss these guys! I've been meeting weekly with these young men for a very long time.

Our friend Nancy is simply indescribable. She's a hoot.

 Nancy's "fox face."

The Brother Alliance enjoying an early Spring afternoon at a stream. All four are in their element out in nature.

We got to catch up with a dear friend who showed back up in Shiyan for a short time after being gone the past few months. 

Rwanda here we come!! - by Eric

As our time in China begins to draw to a close, we're looking ahead with much excitement to what’s next for our family. We've treasured our time in China, along with her people and culture.  We’re thankful for the numerous opportunities HE has given us to reach out within our community and campus.  We’ll miss China dearly along with our friends and family here.  With all of the things that will be hard to leave behind, there have been challenges as well. Having lived in Central China for three years now, one of these is that our children are quite isolated.  Our boys have had 2 English speaking friends each year during our time here.  Additionally, homeschooling four boys on the fifth floor of a high rise is not for the faint at heart. Even with that being said, we have come to feel that our hearts and God’s desire is for us to continue serving abroad.  So we have been in fervent prayer about our next chapter; one that provides the opportunity to continue serving the Kingdom but also provides different options for our children. God has been very good and has presented us with a wonderful opportunity that answers so many of these and other specific prayers.

We are thrilled to share with you that our family is moving to Rwanda! I've accepted the role of Spiritual Life Coordinator at the Kigali International Community School and will start at the end of July.  Since taking a three week family mission trip to Zambia in 2009, we have had Africa on our hearts.  Brinson and Aiden have felt a longing and connection to the continent and have dreamed of moving there. This seems like a perfect fit for our family and we are so thankful to the Father for sending us this way!  The opportunities this provides for all 6 of us are exciting.

Zambia 2009

Wendy will once again be able to use her medical training and passion for the fatherless in countless ways, ways that have been closed in China.  She's been coordinating with a midwife who works closely in a nearby village and plans to serve alongside her.  She also plans to serve in a local orphanage and/or through foster care.

 

Zambia 2009

Equally as exciting, all four boys will go to a highly diverse, American styled school.  Although KICS serves students from over 30 countries, 40% of the students are Rwandan.  The school has a unique role as it reaches out into the community, shares Christ's love with students of various religions, and provides an American styled school for missionary kids in the surrounding area, allowing missionary families to stay on the field rather than return to their native countries for their children's educational needs.  Many of the students are the children of those working in the numerous embassies present in Kigali, the capital city.  I'm excited to have a voice and influence in their lives.

Zambia 2009

You may remember Rwanda as the sight of a horrific genocide in 1994 which shockingly claimed the lives of nearly 1 million people in 100 days.  Although this haunting history still lingers and impacts the lives of Rwandans, a beautiful new story is being written, a story marked with reconciliation, forgiveness, and renewal.  Our family is eager to play a small role in this emerging story and help connect Rwanda's story with the ultimate source of reconciliation, forgiveness, and renewal.  

All employees at KICS are missionary-educators and therefore raise most of their financial support.  So we find ourselves joining the ranks of countless missionaries before us in asking His people to help provide financial support for what He has planned to do through us.  We're needing to raise $20,000 by July to purchase airline tickets, medical insurance, and other one-time expenses.  Then beginning in August, we'll need $1,600 each month.  

From a human perspective this seems overwhelming. However, we feel perfect peace in His leading, and as we have experienced previously, when He leads He also provides.  

When Paul was faced with the task of raising monetary support he encouraged Christians with this promise: "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." This is absolutely our family's prayer and hope, that God will receive thanksgiving and praise through the generosity and provision of His people. 

And so, we're asking you to please pray and consider supporting our family financially as we move to Rwanda. As you've heard many times before from many different sources, every little bit helps.  Furthermore, even though this is a strange time of year to be raising funds, if you think your church or organization might be interested in partnering with us, please pass on this information or let us know.

We're receiving funds through the Sunset Avenue Church of Christ. Checks can be made out to Sunset Ave, memo line: Davenport-Rwanda, and mailed to:

Sunset Avenue Church of Christ
600 Orchard Ave
Madera, CA 93637

Much love from the Davenport clan

Eric, Wendy, Brinson, Aiden, Sheldon, and Pierce

Lately...(it's been too long since our last post)

Wowser! Has it really been 4 months since our last post?! Reading back over my last entry is a jolting reminder of how far He has led us as a family in such a short time- although, as is usually the case, it didn’t seem so short in the midst of it.  Pierce is doing fantastic now. The rough (really rough) first 6-8 weeks are quickly fading out of sight in the rearview mirror and we’re basking in his beautiful true-self as it emerges more each week. We’re so very thankful for the glorious future He has planned for him.  Pierce is a joyful, smiling, silly, adjusted member of the family. He still has his stubborn, disobedient moments each day (don’t we all) and is still working on being gentle with his words and body. We find ourselves saying, “let’s try again” numerous times each day as we try to gently correct and redirect him, but overall he’s working through things that most 4 year olds are being trained in. {Pierce is 6 but developmentally he’s closer to 4}.

As the last step in the adoption process we traveled to the American embassy in Guangzhou a few weeks ago to get Pierce’s visa for entry into the States this coming summer.  During his medical exam the physician and social worker asked what his disabilities were. Upon hearing that there were none, they questioned how he was labeled “waiting child” by Beijing last spring. Quick reminder: if Pierce hadn’t been labeled “waiting child” last May then his folder would have hit the worldwide system then there would have been virtually no chance of us being matched with him. That’s why EVERYONE, even our own agency, told us for over a year that it simply wasn't going to happen and we needed to be realistic about it. A classification of “waiting child” is given to children who might be harder to find adoptive parents for, either because of health or age. Wendy told them he was labeled this way because of his age. They appeared puzzled and said that children must be 9 years old before they’re classified as such. They got on the phone and called our provincial capital to verify and seek clarification. Now mind you, Pierce’s adoption is final, so there was no danger in anything being reversed. The physician and social worker spend each work day doing the exams and filing the proper paperwork for international adoptions, and they had never heard of such a thing before. They were just baffled by it. We weren’t.  Pierce’s adoption into our family was directed by the King of Kings.  He moved mountains, changed hearts, and cut red tape to bring us together. Nothing was going to stop Him, not even technicalities in the system.  This somewhat humorous exchange was a great reminder of our Father’s care and sovereignty. We continue to give Him praise and honor and thanksgiving for all He did! For over a year, with tears and many sleepless nights we pleaded, questioned, and ultimately surrendered the whole process to Him as we waited in faith. Now that it is over we want to ensure that our thanksgiving is at least that long- but in reality it will be for eternity! I praise you Father and love you dearly. You are faithful and you are good in all you do. Through all our worries and questions you had it all under control and your timing was perfect. Thank you for your patience and grace.

One more bit of praise. In total, Sheldon and Pierce’s adoptions cost $45,000. That’s about $45,000 more than we had. J Many of you supported us in prayer and in finances to bring these little guys home. We thank you and we thank our Father for being our provider. It’s simply beautiful to watch a segment of the Kingdom unite together to accomplish something eternal. We are eternally grateful.

This will be our last semester in China. We’re praying through our options for what is next, but want to finish strong here.  We welcome back the students and begin a new semester in 10 days after enjoying several weeks of rest and renewal during the winter holiday.  It will be good to see our dear students again, although each semester we are saying goodbye to more and more precious friends as they graduate and move on.  Several students who spent many afternoons and evenings in our home left at the end of last semester. This semester will be different without them, but He continues to put new people in our path.  More to come……..Grace and peace.

Here's a quick video of Pierce singing his and Sheldon's favorite song:

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.