Night Strike: My first encounter with the real world

This post has nothing to do with our adoption, I just felt like I should put it up.

Seven o'clock, Thursday night. Worship, then serving the Homeless Under the Burnside bridge. There's something for everyone: Hair cutting, Prayer walk, Walk-abouts, Table host, Serving food, clothing station, Dignity station, Foot washing station, Disney duty... the list goes on. You try to sign up for the thing that you would say, "I'm not doing that" or, "Definatly not that" to. You do those so you can stretch yourself and grow.

I was working at the dignity station. Handing out shampoo, soap, tooth-brushes, tooth-paste, comb's, razors, floss, lotion, and my favorite part, giving manicures to those who asked. Now I know, painting nails, that sounds really stupid! But it's amazing how much these people enjoy it, and how grateful they are for complete strangers to come take care of them and just talk to them. They love know that there are people out there that care enough to come do they're nails, or, wash they're dirty feet, or to cut there hair. I did the nails for all guys. My favorite encounter, was the guy who wanted gold nails. He sits down, and I wash his hands and he pics out what color he wants. "I want a gold color" he says. We do a yellow, and then a gold sparkle-like top coat. I ask him his name (typical conversation starter) and we begin to talk. He tells me of some of the recent events of his life, and we talk about that while I'm painting. it was amazing how much he was willing to share his story with a compete stranger, just because their willing to listen. Then, I ask him his story. He says he was in a band, then one of the band members died and he had a nervous break down, for him, the economy started getting bad he lost everything. He's been living on the streets for a couple months - one year. After that he asks about my story. I tell him of course (but you all know me so i don't need to go into detail). I finished his nails, and he thanks me, gets up and leaves.

Later, He brings out the buckets he uses for drums, and starts playing, in the middle of all the noise. It was the buckets that caught my eye later. You see on the way back to the car after all this was over. I look over to the left, and see several people sleeping against the wall of a building, and i notice one of them has a stack of buckets in front of them. Roby. Under the old dirty blankets he uses as sheets, that was where he would be staying tonight. It dug into me. I complain about stuff I want and don't get, and ask my parents for other stuff, and I keep getting all this crap I don't need. Then there's Roby, who had a good paying job, and now has to make do with what he can get. How selfish I feel!

Another guys nails I did, had just had his feet washed and what not, he comes over and is looking at all the stuff we had set out, and I ask him, "Do you want your nails painted?" and He's clearly either drunk, or he's not all there, but as I sat there talking to him, It was like talking to a little kid. He washed up his hands in some hot water, and I was about to let him dry off his hands with a towel, but something kept me from letting him take the towel and letting him dry his own hands. I sat there drying his hands as he just smiled at me and laughed. He was happy about everything! He wanted purple nails, with gold sparkle on top, and (we also had lotion and little hand massages for people who wanted it) he wanted a massage and lotion, and he just loved it! It's hard to think about leaving them out there in the cold to just sleep and fend for them selves.

I'm not going to go into detail on this one, because this was the hardest one by far. I did the nails of This "guy in a girls body" as his "brother" put it, and They just kept talking about "I need to get prettied up for the boyfriend I might have tonight" and that was so incredibly difficult, that i was about to get up and excuse my self for a moment. We now people like this exist, but we just try to ignore it and act like it's not there. Let me tell you, I think living like that and ignoring what is reality, is like acting like someone your not. I'm not saying it's a bad thing because it's totally human nature to act like that, I'm just sharing my opinion.

Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful time, it's just really deep, and opens your eyes to what does happen in our world.

tick tock...

It has been nearly two months since my last post and I'm really sorry. I have been distracted and in all honesty, I forgot about it! It crossed my mind a few times but I just put it off.

So, right now we are currently open to adopting through Uganda or Ethiopia. Just waiting for a pair of kids. We will be going to Africa in October for a couple of weeks. Not to do anything to important, we will most-likely just treat it like a vacation. Wish us luck with raising money to get us there. I think we have enough for two tickets but we will need some money to get food and pay for other various necessities.

Other then that, there is nothing new to report. I'm very excited but kinda bored ust waiting to get a pair of kids. So you can pray that we will find a pair of kids who need us as mush as we need them. You can also pray that we raise the money we need to go to Africa this fall!

Storms

"Don't tell God how big your storm is, Tell your storm how big God is."

We have two days until the cut off of May first. If we aren't matched with kids by May first, we will have to travel to Africa twice. Double the money, double the jet lag, and double the frustration. Please pray that we could pick a miracle out of a hat, and only have to travel once. This is our storm, and no matter how big it is, God is bigger.

That just reminds me, that my friends and I were saying, "I love you most," "No I love you most-est-er" "... I love you times infinity, Ha! Beat that! Nothing is bigger than infinity!!" Well I have an answer for you: "God is."

Mom says it best

I have been trying to think of the best way to put this out there. As I was thinking, I remembered my mom's blog. I went and re-read her post and figured she worded things about the same way I would. I would like to suggest you read her post: An Unexpected Word. I want you to remember though, after you read her post, that God has a plan, and we are trying to be patient and understanding. It hurts and is painful, but when you have God on your side, you can get through everything.

*There is a link to my family blog on the left side of the home page: vhoeksadopt.blogspot.com

Saul and David

You know, life's not always what you expect. It could be going great one day, and suddenly take a face first, diving plunge into the unknown. I found that out when our seemingly perfect, no-worries-yet, plan to adopt changed courses.

The children are picked and perfect. But, what if they aren't aloud out of Uganda. The person in charge over there must sign a visa in order to let them out of the country. At the time, she refuses to sign off on any visa. For anyone.

No visa, no kids.

Just because they have their own problems half way around the world, doesn't mean everything over here is happy go-lucky either. We are trying to decide if we want to move and by a new house. Along with that we learned that instead of following the law: you can have three months off when you get new kids, Holt requires that we have at least one parent home at all times for the first six months. Mom can take the three months off but in law enforcement six months off just might mean that she quits that job and recruits to photography full time. If not and she is aloud to take six months off, she might have to work swing shifts. Dad on the other hand is trying to start up his own business which has it's struggles. If and when we do get the new children we will have to change pretty much our whole schedule. Taking them to doctor appointments, counseling things I have no clue about, helping them get places, driving them from place to place. And for a while, everything will seem like it's all about them.

I've been thinking about this more and more. So much so I'm kind of surprised I have been able to keep up on school work. I am fine while I am at school, but when I get home it all floods my mind like a tsunami. I think about it more and more all the time i even start dreaming about it. I dream about them coming here and us just being a normal happy family. But then again, I also dream about them coming and us not being able to communicate, they don't like us, everything goes down hill. I dream. I day-dream. I can't get it off my mind. What if, what if, WHAT IF?! It's all I think about. The bad things. God help me see the good in this!

I was reading my bible this morning. I flipped to the back where it has the "How to read the bible in a year" section. I found the date and turned to: 1 Samuel 19-21. I ended up reading about Saul and David. How Saul wanted to kill David, but God always kept him safe... God always had a plan. God has a plan for me and my family. I just have to have faith that it will all turn out alright.

The Vanilla Tree

I had come prepared to connect with god, and with the fresh idea of possibly having a new brother or sister. I wasn't prepared though for this strong of a connection to God.

Not long ago, I got the great opportunity to go to Samuel school. I got the chance to go spend the weekend with friends and with the greatest person of all time. We spent time together. I grew, and grew with people who I knew would help me along the way.

We took walks together. We walked through the trees. We walked through pines and oaks. My favorite tree though, was the one that brought all this around.

I told you I had a dream that let me know that we should choose to adopt, but I didn't tell you how I knew that we would get the kids for sure. I was taking a walk with two friends through the trees to go visit "the vanilla tree". (a tree said to smell like vanilla) Of course, it smells like vanilla. It had bark that just seemed to flake off. The bark was like puzzle pieces and we soon became intrigued with finding pictures or animals in the pieces of bark we removed. I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

I pulled off a piece of bark and stared at it. A bulge towards the top left, a "horn" toward the middle on the right side. AFRICA?! As I examine it closer, I find it has the exact shape of Africa. Exact...down to the last little coves! It even has a dent in the bark chip right where Kenya is! How much better does it get? The wind picked up and sent a chill through out my body. I can honestly say I thought I heard my name whispered in the wind.

That night Rachelle was the speaker and she was talking about how maybe the little coincidences in our life, such as having a song in your head and then singing it at church or hearing it on the radio, is God trying to talk to us. Now you know, in some way, we will get those children. God works in wonderful ways, I have proof of that.

Anything is Possible With God

We've been blessed! Two new wonderful children are waiting in Uganda. Two wonderful, beautiful children of God. It happened just this morning while sitting and eating breakfast. We had recieved pictures of two children, Kevin (7 or 8 yr.) and his adorable little sister, Sheba (5 or 6 yr.), several days earlier. Their parents were gone. Dad probably died of aids and mom abandoned them. They were found living in a little brick shelter they had made for them selves, caring and feeding themselves as best they could. A neighbor found them and took them in and they have been shuffled around from place to place. They are in the care of a foster mother now.Usually the kids would be put on a waiting child list and then, the waiting families here could look through the list of kids. Well they weren't placed on the list for an unknown reason. Someone had mentioned them to our social worker and she said that she knew the perfect couple for them. She sent us pictures and information on them and said if we would agree to adopt them, then to consider them ours.

This is not etched in stone yet though. We still need to be aproved on the Ugandan side of things. Like I said in my first post, "I have always wanted a sister." It used to be that I considered my cousin Kelsey a sister, we did a lot of things together and shared secrets. But now, it looks as if I will get one that is truely mine. Mine to love and care for. Mine to look after and teach. Mine.It is truely amazing to be able to look at a picture of two children you have never met, never known, never knew existed, never known on a personal level, never been able to talk to, and say, "Thats a son and daughter of christ, and he wants them to belong to my family, and in some way, some day, he will make them ours, and we will love and care for them as Christ would, as long as we live!"

It is through the father I have told you this. It is through the father this is happening. It is through the father I will have a little brother and sister. And it is through the father, we will continue to live. Live in his way. Everyday. In every way. We are his. He will never, ever, leave us.

Phone Calls

We got the phone call! The other day my brother and I were sitting at home after school when the phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and handed it to me. " Holt Inter." is what it read. "I will just let it go to the anwering machine, mom and dad can deal with it when they get home later", I thought. Three solid rings. 1...2...3 Just like that. Then I heard the message. It started off simple and just a hello and some other information. This is what followed, "I have read over your aplication, and I am pleased to inform you that I will be assigning you a case worker." Jenner and I exchanged excited looks. " You know what this means don't you?!" Jenner said, "this means they approved us to adopt kids!" "Mostly." I said "We still have to get through the home study."

We have been half way approved through the will of God. All we can do is continue to pray that everything continues to go smoothly

Check It Out!

Check out my new card display at Chapters Books and Coffee in downtown Newberg. Support my fundraising efforts by checking them out, grabbing a drink and maybe even a doughnut!

Hakuna Matata

As of now, we have mailed in our aplication, and my parents will be attending several trainings next month regarding parenting the children and what not. After that, well, just waiting to be approved and having our homestudy before we can start looking at children. Not so far away? I better think again. It could be several months before we can begin looking at children, and nearly two months before we have our home study. During that time we will be praying and watching for a new house (if needed to add two more children) that has all the factors we want. Or atleast most of the long list of factors we want. If a new house is needed we will need to find the right one. Once we find the house and buy it, we must move in. If all that happens and we do move, we must complete another homestudy.

And we want all this to happen by the end of this October.

God do your work, your way, I will leave it to you and only you. I will let it be and everything will turn out ok.

Since I am going to Africa this year with my family, I decided to figure out a way to help raise some money to cover plane tickets and what not. I came up with the idea of making card sets to sell. To the right is a photo of the four cards that come in the set. The set includes envelopes and is $8.00 (plus shipping if needed) Let me know if anyone wants a set.

It's all new to me!

I have always wanted a sister, and have always been grateful for the brother I do have. I always knew that my family would be just the four of us, my mom, dad, brother, and me. Until now.

Not to long ago my parents were talking with us about going back to Africa for a visit, when my brother said "Yeah! And what if, we decided to adopt a kid! That would be so cool! We would have a sibling from Africa!" It was then that we started to think seriously about adopting. For a while everyone was totally into the idea except me. I was the skeptical and indecisive one. I kept thinking: What if they don't like us. What if we don't like them. What if I don't want to share my room and I have to. What if we have to move and we move far away from my friends. What if, what if, what if. It went on like this for a while until one night I had a dream. Nothing was visible in my dream, but I could just tell that I was supposed to not worry about it, and let God do his work and that everything would turn out okay.

We are working on finishing up our huge application process and then it is on to the home study. Once we pass the home study and they approve our application, we will be free to start finding two children that we feel, God would like us to have.

God has clearly worked through all of us to come to the agreement to adopt and we will just have to wait and be patient to see what comes next. We have huge surprises around the corner and are always praying that we will find the house that we need, the new jobs we need, and that the new changes coming will help us find the strength and courage we need as a family to help the two new children God is bringing into our life, become the wonderful children, and amazing new family members, we will help them grow up to be.