First week at Home

Getting braver with Jack

I'm trying to post more pics on Jon's blog so that he can see them...Jon doesn't have access to Facebook or email attachments right now. We're having some sleep issues, but overall, the first week has been really good.

Making cookies with Joel while Joshua cleans up

Princess play dress over pajamas...she discovered she can twirl in it!

My Daughter's Voice

Being on deployment can be a very difficult thing, especally when your daughter is coming home for the very first time!  I'm not the first to miss this experience, but it is still very difficult. 

Last night, (it was very late my time) I called Joshua to find out what time they would be arriving in Portland at the airport.  He told me (very very late my time) and I told him that I would be calling when I knew they were on the ground.  I called and talked to Janice for a couple minutes and then she said "Would you like to speak to your daughter?" 

"Of course I would!"  I said.  Then, for the first time in my life (other than hearing her laugh on a video) I heard my daughter's voice!!! In the middle of the night, in the middle of the ocean, I was able to hear the voice of my daughter!  What an amazing, glorious moment!   I was so happy.  I told her "Seh-lahm, Eh-Nay ah-BAH-tish negn" which I hope is Amharic for "Hello, I am your Daddy."  Then I said this:  "Eh-wuh-dih-SHAL-loh."  which means "I love you."  She said to me:  "Eh-wuh-dih-SHAL-loh."  I absolutely lost it!!!

It's 5 hours later, I have slept since then, and I am still smiling!  Praise God! 

Adoption Sermon on the USS Enterprise

Last Sunday night was the night Janice and Justin flew from Maine to Ethiopia to bring Netsanet home forever.  I was thinking about that all week, and God laid it on my heart to do a sermon based on the theme of Adoption.  I preached out of Eph 1: 1-6 as my text and the following is an outline of what I said:

There are 7 truths about my daughter that are also true of every single person who has every believed the Gospel and been adopted into God's family.

1  My daughter was loved and chosen by me (Janice and me) before she knew I (we) existed.

         We chose her before she knew we existed - before she even knew she needed a family!
          Eph 1:4 says we were "chosen in Him before the foundation of the world."
Piper said:

"Before the creation of the world and before we existed, God looked on us in our need, and He looked upon His Son crucified and risen as the all sufficient atonement for our sin, and because of that, He chose us to be holy and blameless."

So our adoption is not based on our fitness, our worth, or our intelligence.  Puritan Thomas Watson said this: 
"We have enough in us to move God to correct us, but nothing to move Him to adopt us, therefore exalt free grace, begin the work of angels here; bless Him with your praises who hath blessed you in making you His sons and daughters."

2  My daughter was given good news that she was being brought into a family

I don't know, probably never will know what it was like for her to be placed into an orphanage - did she understand what was happening to her?  Probably not.  Did she understand when someone from the adoption agency told her that she was being brought into our family?  Maybe a little, I'll probably never know....but I do know and remember distinctly that day when someone told me the good news that I was being brought into a family - God's family through Jesus Christ by faith in His finished work on the cross! That day I was told that I was an adopted son - adopted by God the Father through Jesus according to the purpose of His will!

3  My daughter received a letter from her father, promising to bring her out of an orphanage and into his home that was being prepared for her ! 

As soon as we could, we put together a letter to send to Netsanet.  The letter told her she was loved, that we were her new family and that one day soon, we were coming to bring her to her new home. 

In the same way, if you are a child of God, He has written you a letter, telling you that you are loved - Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love." 

Just like the letter we wrote to our daughter told her that we were coming soon to take her home, God's letter, the Scriptures tell us that our Father is coming soon to take us home! 

4  She became part of my family before she ever met me face to face.

Without her knowing it - she wouldn't understand the paperwork part anyway, she became part of our family on April 11th, 2011.  She had met my wife face to face, she had seen a video that I recorded for her, but I to this day still have not seen her face to face.  She is my daughter, I am her father - but we've never actually seen each other.  I love her, I long to see her, to hold her in my arms - and when I do, the promise I made to her that I would be her Daddy, and the longing I have to actually "BE" her Father will become a reality.  Being able to hold her will make it more real to both of us!

Right now, she has not yet experienced the joy of her father, but she will!  I've imagined it a thousand times - that day when I will get back to Maine to see my family - and I can see my daughter for the first time...It will be an amazing moment - there may be tears in my eyes, but my heart will be full of JOY!

You and I don't completely understand this, but at the moment of our conversion, a legal transaction was made - the righteousness of Christ was credited (imputed) to our account - and before God we were legally declared to be righteous. 

We are not righteous yet, but we will be the day that we look upon His face - when we enter into His presence and see our Saviour face to face, we will be what He has declared us to be - righteous and holy and blameless.  He will actually "BE" our Heavenly Father in a new way that is more real than we can experience now.

Luke 15:10 says this:
"Just so, I tell you there is JOY before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Whose joy?  The angels?  That's how I've heard it preached many times, but no, it's not the angel's joy, it's God's joy - notice it says there is joy BEFORE the angels...who is before the angels?  God is!!

God rejoices over us when we become part of His family!
Zephaniah 3:17 says:
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing."

Eph 1:5-6 says:
"He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace." 

The goal of your adoption is that the glory of God's grace would be praised. 

Piper:  "We are adopted 'to the praise of the glory of His grace.'  It will take an eternity for the glory of that grace to be fully displayed.  Therefore, we will be increasingly happy in God forever and ever. This is the final meaning of adoption."

5  My daughter recieved gifts from me (us), to show her that she is loved and as a reminder of the promises I (we) made to her.

We mailed several "care packages" - each one had pictures and photos, letters from us as well as clothes and toys and treats.  We gave her these gifts because we love her and want to give her things, but also, because we were not able to be there physically with her - and we wanted to remind her of the promises we made to her. 

That's what God does for His adopted children - He gives us good gifts that are a reminder of the promises He has made to us!

Eph 1:13-14
"In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory."
(See also Eph 4:8)

6  She had a place prepared for her in her father's house.

My boys have given up a lot for this adoption.  They have done it willingly and with a loving and caring heart.  My 13 year old son, Joel gave up his bedroom!  We converted it from a boys room to a room for a little girl.  We bought a bed and bedroom furniture - little girl sheets and blankets and all the stuff a little girl would enjoy (actually her mother did most of this!!)

Just like Janice, Joshua, Justin, Joel and I have prepared a place for Jenny, our Elder Brother - Jesus and our Father have prepared a place for us in heaven. 

John 14:
"In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also." 

7  My daughter is an heir of her father, a joint heir with her brothers

She is already on my Page 2, when I update my will, she will be on there also. 
Whatever inhertance my wife and I leave, as meager as it may be, she will share with her brothers.

You and I as believers will inherit all the promises of God to Jesus - He is the One who inherits all the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - Psalm 2:8:
"The nations your heritage, and the ends of the Earth your possession."

Galatians 4:4-7 says this:  , “ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father.” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

The Apostle Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to use the language of adoption in his writings on the doctrine of salvation.

 In Paul’s day, adoption was an important feature of the Roman world. It meant that someone important had set his love upon you and adopted you to be his son, his heir.

Paul has in mind a legal change of status: if you believe in Jesus, God has bestowed upon you the status of son of the Most High God.

Notice this is not translated sons and daughters.

Janice Settlemoir, my lovely wife said this:

As a side note, don’t get offended or tripped up here being called a son. The Greek word for “sons” huioi is a legal term used in the adoption and inheritance laws of first-century Rome.

Because of the cultural analogy that Paul is using (that is a slave in the household being adopted as a son) being called a son here bumps up the women… In the culture of the time, the adoption of daughters did not have the same legal rights as the adoption of sons.

 If Paul had said the adoption of sons and daughters, the text would not have nearly the impact for the women in the church of his culture.  An adopted son had rights and standing in that culture than an adopted daughter would not have had. So, when Paul refers to all believers as adopted sons, he is upping the rights and privileges for the women in the church of his time.

Dan Cruver, director of Together for Adoption, puts it like this,

“God is an adoptive Father. Jesus, our Elder Brother, is God the Father’s eternal, only-begotten, natural Son. We believers are His sons through adoption. This identity is fundamental to who we are.

As adopted son, we enjoy all the rights and privileges of the relationship that God the Father enjoys with His eternal Son. To be God’s sons through adoption means that we are co-heirs with Jesus.

This is an amazing reality and eternal privilege! We will forever be God’s sons through the miracle of adoption.

Theologian J. I. Packer says, “In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship – He establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater!”

And we cry out, Abba Father…

Hebrew adults as well as children addressed their fathers as Abba so it’s not a baby word “Da da”… Don’t make Abba Father into a cutesy thing…It’s a cry for help, for deliverance.

Dr. Russell Moore (dean of theology at Southern Seminary) says the Abba cry in the context of Scripture is not infantile cooing. It’s less the sound of a baby giggling and more the sound of a child screaming “Daddy, Help.”

Because even though we know we are His adopted children, we’re still living in the orphanage…this corrupt, decaying world. This is not our real home. We are still awaiting the full realization of our adoption.

Romans 8:23 says, “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

And, when we look around us, we see that this world shouldn’t be this way. 113 people killed, 200 still missing this last week in the earthquake in New Zealand. From Romans 8:22, We know that the whole creation groans…

 We cry out, Abba Father,Deliver us from this world. 

There are 143 million orphaned children in this world. And, God’s Spirit within us cries out – this is wrong, this is what sin has done. Abba Father, Deliver us, Help us.

I want to tell you a little bit about Ethiopia:

The average income (converted to dollars) is a $100 a year. Almost 82% of the population lives on less than $1 a day.

In the United States the doctor to patient ratio is 1 to 390; Ethiopia's is 1 to 33,500

Half of the children in Ethiopia will never attend school

60% of children suffer from severe malnutrition

One in ten children die before their first birthday

One in six children die before their fifth birthday

4 and ½ million orphans in Ethiopia

 1  My daughter was loved and chosen by me (Janice and me) before she knew I (we) existed

 2  My daughter was given good news that she was being brought into a family
 3  My daughter received a letter from her father, promising to bring her out of an orphanage  and    into his home that was being prepared for her ! 
4  She became part of my family before she ever met me face to face. 
5  My daughter recieved gifts from me (us), to show her that she is loved and as a reminder of the promises I (we) made to her.
6  She had a place prepared for her in her father's house
7  My daughter is an heir of her father, a joint heir with her brothers

One more thing and we are done,

My daughter is a beautiful, sweet child – it’s not hard to fall in love with a little 4 year old with big brown eyes, her hair all fixed up, in a pretty white dress….

That’s not what God did…..

We . . . were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:3)

God did not find us irresistibly cute. He found us ugly and evil and rebellious. We were not attractive. We would not be easy children to deal with. And, what’s worse, God himself was angry with us. He hates sin and rebellion. We were then doubly “children of wrath.”

These are the ones God pursued in adoption. Therefore, all of God’s adoptions crossed a greater moral and cultural divide than my adoption could.

The distance between what we are, and what God is, is infinitely greater than any distance between me and my daughter.

God crossed the greatest cultural barrier to redeem and adopt us.

Let me close with this verse from  John 1:12-13

“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born not o f blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Memorial Day - Words of Encouragement

Happy Memorial Day!

Deployments take a toll on everyone, military members as well as families and loved ones.  Being away from our familiar surroundings and the ones we love is a difficult but necessary sacrifice for freedom and the calling God has entrusted to each of us.  

These deployments, combat and separation are just a way of life for Sailors and Marines.  While we here aboard Enterprise follow in the footsteps of great men and women who have served this nation wearing the uniform, our families are just as bravely taking care of matters at home and faithfully awaiting our return from the fight.  As a husband and a father of four (three before the deployment!), I cannot begin to express my deepest admiration and respect for my wife and children’s sacrifice and devotion to this cause. 

Personally, being aboard this ship during combat operations brings alive the memories and the sacrifices of those warriors who have gone before us.  We must remember their honor, courage, and commitment to this nation, and the cause of freedom.  One such man who exhibited our core values was Andrew Hines Jr.   Hines Jr. was a B-17 navigator for the US Army Air Corps in World War II.  He flew several missions out of Foggia air base in Italy, including raids over Belgrade, but he was eventually shot down and spent the remainder of the war in a German prison camp.  He was eventually liberated by Patton’s Third Army.  Many years later, he captured in a poem the experience of what it was like for him to be a warrior.  This poem is called “The Somme, 1914-1918”:

We drove across the Somme today

Where war’s flail once struck hard

And all was peaceful and serene

But graves stood as on guard.

The endless rows of sugar beets

Bespoke a fertile earth

But richer dust is buried here

Beneath the dark green turf.

And battles sometimes futile seem

Not worth the heavy cost

But each must stand in his own time

Or see his freedom lost.

I love those last two lines!  This is our time.  We must follow in the footsteps of brave warriors like Andrew Hines and fulfill the calling God has placed on our lives.  The Divine Creator is the One who has chosen this particular time and this specific place in which we were brought into the world.  We are here for a purpose, each one of us.  Our role is to fulfill that calling, to join in a long list of those who have gone before us. 

When the sword is passed to the next generation of warriors and their families, our legacy will be what sustains them for the trials and the battles they will face.  In the words of Scripture, let us be:
“strong and very courageous, for the Lord [our]God will be with [us]wherever we go.” – Joshua 1:9

Christ is better than a smooth adoption process

  I've struggled this week with the temptation of being angry and resentful of new paperwork hassles. I have felt like our agency should have kept us in the loop better. Two days before leaving for Ethiopia and I still have forms to fill out and have not heard yet if more federal forms will need to be signed by Jon (and whether the embassy will accept scanned copies from Jon since he can't get mail to us in time). But, I've also had to prepare a talk for Saturday, and the Lord has reminded me again that Christ is all! He's better than a smooth adoption process; He's better than the comfort I would have if Jon were home. Writing “The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ” is easier than walking through it. But, writing it has reminded me again of the treasure of our Lord.

"The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ"

A few weeks ago when the terrible tsunami hit Japan, Marie and I were talking about that, and I shared with her that my mother was Japanese and I have family in Japan, but they have not wanted to stay in touch with me or my sister since my mother passed away. My mother met my father while he was stationed in Japan during the Vietnam conflict. She became a Christian, and they married and she moved to the United States which did not make her family happy at all. They kept in touch with her, but they did not approve of her faith or her marriage to an American soldier. It was a strained relationship. Anyway, when Marie later asked me to speak at this month’s breakfast, she said she hoped I would say something about the example of my mother. My mother had a very intimate relationship with the Lord.  In thinking about her and my own desire to know Christ and have an intimate relationship with Him, to treasure Him above all other relationships, I was reminded of Philippians 3:8 (ESV), “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

V. 7, whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. – What was the gain he had? To understand what Paul considered now to be rubbish, we need to back up and look at the beginning of Philippians 3.

Let’s read  Philippians 3:1-11.

In chapter 3, Paul is giving the church at Philipi a warning (notice verse 1, for me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe…it is for their safety – for their protection against false teachers) …to “look out for the dogs” He’s referring to the Judaizers who insisted Christians had to obey all the ceremonial law of the Old Covenant.  They are evildoers –not that the Law was evil, of course not, it was holy and good, but the evil here is that the Judaizers were turning people away from trusting in the perfect work of Christ and teaching that the Law (which Christ has fulfilled) had to be followed.

Do you see what a big deal this was to Paul? Not just..well, they have it wrong. You don’t have to add anything to the gospel. But, they are dogs, evil doers… because they were distorting the truth of the gospel. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. The churches of Galatia were also being troubled by Judaizers. Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit in writing the Word of God says in Galatians 1:7-9, “.. but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (i.e. that is anathema…assigned to hell)

Dr. John MacArthur puts it this way, “the Judaizers prided themselves on being workers of righteousness. Yet Paul described their works as evil, since any attempt to please God by one’s own efforts and draw attention away from Christ’s accomplished redemption is the worst kind of wickedness.”

Notice Paul’s irony here…He says they mutilate the flesh (the Judaizers said that Christians had to be circumcised), but true believers are the circumcision and they worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. John Calvin said “everything that is outside of Christ” is of the flesh.

Paul says if anyone has reason to put confidence in the flesh it is him. If you want to talk circumcision, he was circumcised on the 8^th day. In other words, his circumcision was done exactly according to the law. But, he’s not putting his confidence in that. He also tells them that he is of Israel (he’s not a Gentile) not only an Israelite, but from the very noble tribe of Benjamin (remember Benjamin was Jacob’s son by Rachel, the favorite wife, Benjamin the beloved baby …). The tribe of Benjamin was known for their courage as soldiers. When Israel went into battle, the soldiers from the tribe of Benjamin were on the front line. When the territory of the Promised Land was divided up, the tribe of Benjamin was given land that included the holy city of Jerusalem. So, Paul comes from a very distinguished tribe.

He also says he is a Hebrew of the Hebrews, that is, he was born to Hebrew parents who kept the traditions and Hebrew language even while surrounded by a pagan culture.

 He was a Pharisee… a member of the strictest sect within the Jewish religion of his day. He was a prominent man, in Acts 22, Paul tells us that he was brought up in Jerusalem he says at the feet of Gamaliel , who was the most celebrated rabbi of that day. So, Paul was a leading Pharisee. He would have been admired by his contemporaries. (And, don’t we just love admiration? We want people to think well of us.)

Concerning zeal…you see, zeal was considered the highest religious virtue a Jew could have…it combined love and hate. He loved Judaism so much that he hated “the Way” (i.e. Christianity) which he believed was an enemy to Judaism and he did everything he could to stop it including persecuting the church. So, Paul gives us his resume here of who he was (his lineage and religious background and education) and what he did and he says.

None of these makes me, Paul, of the circumcision”. What is being of the circumcision? Physical circumcision in the Old Testament was a sign that the Israelites were part of the covenant that God established with His people. When Paul says in the New Testament, we who are the circumcision, he is saying, we are in God’s family now under the new covenant.

To come at this from our perspective, we might say, I was born in the United State of America – a so-called Christian nation, not only that, but I was born in a Christian family, I cut my teeth on the back of the church pew. My family has been church members for generations, etc. I’ve always been Southern Baptist, etc.     Those things might be counted as gain in the eyes of some, but the apostle Paul would tell you…I glory in Christ Jesus…I put no confidence in who I am or what I have done…all that is loss. No amount of prestige puts you in the circumcision.  Paul uses business/accounting terms here...what I had in the gain column, just draw a line through that…count that as loss for the sake of Christ.  

Then as he thinks about this (look at v.8) He wants to emphasize..this was not something he just did at salvation. The verb tense shifts to a present, ongoing state…Indeed…I count everything as loss---any comfort I have in this world---LOSS! because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Christ is all! Knowing Him is worth far more than anything else.

Look at  verse 9 – Paul says he wants the righteousness from God that depends on faith in Christ. What does Hebrews 11:6 tell us? …without faith it is impossible to please Him (that is God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him. And, what is the reward? We get Christ….the surpassing worth of knowing Him!

Does Paul’s language of counting all as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ remind you of any of the parables? Listen to Jesus’ words in Matthew 13 (verse 44 ), “the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field”…The supreme value of that treasure is worth far more than any sacrifice the man could make to acquire it so he sells all he has.

Verse 45, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Kingdom of heaven – is the realm of salvation over which God rules– so you could say having a relationship with our Savior is the treasure, Christ is the pearl of great price.

The greatness, the worth of knowing Christ – not just intellectually knowing of Him, but to know Him “experientially.”  1 John 5:20, the apostle John writes,  “And we know  that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may  know  Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal l life.” It’s not just knowing of Him, but being in Him.

That’s what Paul wanted. That’s what I want. To be in Him, to experientially know the surpassing worth of Christ. Everything else can be counted as loss..

Counting all as loss…was it just a perceived loss on Paul’s part (willing to give up) or actual loss? Paul experienced great physical suffering (lashed by the Jews 5 times, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked, he says in perils of robbers, of Gentiles, of Jews, of the wilderness, in the sea, sleeplessness, hunger, cold, etc.) and on top of that, the concerns and problems in the churches. Was God not good to Paul? Paul thought he was...he counted all as loss for Christ.

The psalmist writes in Psalm 84:11, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield (He's protection and provision); The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

If it’s good for us, God will give it to us. He always always does what is good for us. We really don’t believe that. If we did, we would sin less knowing what He offers is of greater value, more satisfying, will bring more joy into our lives.

We need to have that ingrained into our minds and hearts so that when (not if, but when) the suffering comes,  we can rest in the truth that Christ is better.

When you are called to give up something for the sake of Christ, you can go through that gladly and with joy knowing that Christ is better. He’s better than a good reputation; He’s better than being understood (be willing to be misunderstood); He‘s better than a good marriage or your friendships, He’s better than the safety and security of the American dream.

What do we gain? The knowledge of Christ and the  righteousness of  Christ. Verse 9, "And may be found in Him not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith."  Paul had spent his whole  life before conversion trying to gain a righteousness of his own derived from the law.  Paul writes in Romans 3:20, “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.” But now he has the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, and we also if we believe.

What else did Paul gain?

the power of Jesus Christ verse 10,  The power of His resurrection

 There was no power in the law to overcome sin. There was no real power for spiritual service in the flesh. In His resurrection Christ demonstrated his power over the physical and spiritual world.

What did Paul gain? Look at Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, “.In Christ, there's power over sin, there's power over temptation, there's power for service, power for witness, power to endure trials.  That's why Paul could count it all loss for the power that's in Christ.

Paul also gained fellowship with Jesus. V. 10 “The fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” He had already been conformed to His death in the saving sense that when he believed in Christ he was buried with Him in baptism. Here Paul is talking about Not a saving union with Christ in His death and resurrection, but a fellowship, a partnership, of suffering. One of the things I gain in Christ is somebody to fellowship with when I suffer.  I receive a companion in my suffering. The deepest moments intimacy with Christ are during times of  intense suffering, aren’t they?

And, we also gain the glory of Jesus Christ…the resurrection from the dead.. The phrase literally means “the resurrection out from the corpses.” He’s talking about the resurrection that accompanies the rapture of the church  that moment when the dead in Christ rise and those that are alive are caught up together to meet them in the air to meet the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4 and I Corinthians 15)

Jesus asked (Mark 8:37) What will a man give in exchange for his soul?

How would Paul answer that?  Paul would say, “everything.” Because Christ is worth more than all…

Lord, we want to know You better, we want to go deeper with You. Please come and make Yourself so real to us that we see the infinite value of You. The only way we can count all as loss is if You allow us to experience, to delight in the beautiful, priceless treasure You are.

Homecoming!

We received an appointment with the Embassy for June 2nd !  That means that after that appointment, Janice can bring Jenny home.  She and Justin will travel this coming Sunday, have the appointment on Thursday, and bring Jenny home on Friday! 

I am so excited that we are at the end of this part of our adoption; the separation and the waiting will very soon be over and we will have our daughter home.   Our boys have been so patient and helpful and encouraging - I am so proud of them for the way they have embraced the idea of a new sister.  I know they will be excellent big brothers - she is going to be very well protected. 

For Janice, had we known at the beginning of this process that she would be making two trips to Ethiopia without me and finishing up this adoption without me being there to help - we probably would have never started...sometimes God keeps information from us for our own good!   And so here we are, two weeks away from seeing the fulfillment a God-given vision. 

To everyone who has prayed, given, and encouraged us through this process, we are so grateful!  You are a big part in what God has done for our family.  Thank you so much for loving us - thank you for loving our daughter!  

Submitted to Embassy

Due to some document regulation changes that just occurred, I was very concerned that we would have to wait  two or more weeks for our case to be submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.  However, after overnighting our stuff (thank you UPS) last Thursday to another America World adopting family who live in Texas,  our documents were hand delivered to our agency's in-country staff by this family when they traveled last Friday to bring their baby home. Yesterday, we finally received the much awaited email from America World that our paperwork has been submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa! We are so grateful to the Lord for bringing our family to this point.
The embassy will either issue us a visa appointment within the next couple of weeks or open an "orphan investigation." Of course, we are hoping and praying for the visa appointment! When that is given, Justin and Janice will fly to Ethiopia and bring Jenny Netsanet home to Maine! (I'm also praying that Justin will keep up with his schoolwork and that this trip will not hurt him academically. He has semester tests coming up in June so I'm hoping we will be back from Ethiopia in time for the review sessions.)
Jenny is recovering from chicken pox and impetigo. I know there will be big adjustments for everyone, but I'm so eager to get her home so that I can really "mother" her.
Blessings, Janice