Casts and Creatures

Well, we had a week last week. Frazier fractured his tibia on the trampoline Wednesday night. Being the good parents we are, we thought he was just tired and had bruised something, so we sent him to bed. He woke up a few times in pain (this boy normally sleeps like a log), and in the morning he wouldn't put any weight on it. After a surprisingly fast and pleasant visit to Patient First, we saw the break and Daddy took off to take him to the orthopedic doctor while I took Mary-Michael to kindergarten registration and assessment. Big day! She did awesome and was excited once she stopped clinging to my leg, and little man was very strong with no tears as he got his leg prodded and wrapped up.

We were feeling pretty good until I discovered full blown lice in Frazier's hair and some nits in Mary-Michael and my own the next morning. Can I say gross?! Lice is awful. After some natural remedies, a lot of tears, a shaved head and more than a dozen loads of laundry we are in the clear. I still am struggling sleeping because mentally I itch! And I'm still checking our hair like a crazy lady.

Amidst this fun, we have also acquired a pot belly piglet and a handful of wild bunnies a few weeks old. If you're looking for a petting zoo for your next child's party, please give us a ring!

And we also wait patiently (haha) for the Niger embassy to tell us they've started the final investigation (I604 for those that know adoption lingo). This is our last step, and we are choosing (sometimes each minute) to trust the Lord and His timing.

He's still prett handsome!

Cast brothers with Micah.

Celebrating Karis' 2nd birthday. He's learned to scoot and get where he wants pretty well.

A picture of Leila from Sunday. She's getting a lot of time at the LOC with Thomas in town to get Immanuel's medical exam complete. Please pray for their paperwork to move swiftly, too!

We enjoyed some time at Zalika's house on Sunday. She is so grown up and lovely!

Another Step Forward

Official I600 approval! Those days I thought we'd never get here, and God shows up. He is faithful and trustworthy!

Strong Girl

Our sweet girl is halfway through her many visits to the clinic for tests and vaccinations. I hate that she's having to do this without us, but our friend Paul says, she is strong and courageous. And he is a Daddy, so I know he's making sure she's ok. Here are pictures from yesterday (and she's actually in a dress I sent over with Geoff!). Please pray for her as she endures all these pokes and visits that are so new to her.

Latest news on the immigration front: we have verbal approval from our officer as of Friday for our I600!!! This is huge, but I want to see it on paper, which is why I've been hesitant to shout it to the world. Despite my desire to check in with our officer hourly, I am holding back, but she promises me we are good to go and the official letter will be out soon. Not only is this huge because this puts us so close to being able to get her, but this is huge because of all the new US laws that we were in middle of. We didn't know if we would have to go find an agency to represent us, get a new home study, etc. We are praising God that we didn't have to do any of that! He is always faithful. Always. Always. Always.

A Recent Conversation

Mary-Michael: When Leila gets here, she's going to turn the same color as us, right?
Me: (laughing) Umm, no, babe, she was born with brown skin. That's the way God made her. Why would you think that? 
Mary-Michael: Because it's so hot in Africa.
Me: Did you think she had a suntan?
Mary-Michael: Yes. 
Me: (more laughing) There are other people we know that live here with brown skin.
Mary-Michael: (she's thinking)...well, they are adopted, too, right?
Me: Oh buddy. No, most of them probably aren't. America has lots of different color people. These are great questions. What else you got?

Mission Accomplished

This house is so glad to have Daddy back at home! We accomplished a few missions over the last week and a half:

1. I survived 8 days of single parenting. Props to y'all that do this all the time. Whew! It gives me fresh perspective and gratitude for all that Geoff does for our family.

2. Geoff spent a lot of sweet time with Leila and in his words he "connected with her in a way he hadn't before." This made it very hard and emotional for him to leave. It was his hardest trip, he said.

3. God answered our seemingly impossible prayer (though "impossible" is not in His vocabulary)! After 3 trips to the embassy and a 5+ hour wait for Leila's 5 minute visit with a doctor, he was able to complete his portion of the medical exam as her parent. Normally this wouldn't happen without US immigration approval, which we are still waiting on. Our Niger friends have taken her to a few follow up appointments since Geoff left - today she tested negative for TB, and by next week we hope the doctor will submit our complete medical packet to the Embassy with his finding. Sweet Lord, we are close!

Keep those prayers coming. US Immigration is reviewing a huge new packet of evidence that we hope will be sufficient for them to approve a visa. 

And please also pray for Leila's health and for supernatural vitamins/minerals/etc! Geoff said she seemed to have more energy than when he saw her in November, but she is only 43 lbs. She is so little. With her English lessons 3 times a week she is getting meat and vitamins, so we know that will help. 

Final Trip Update

FINAL UPDATE | DEPARTING NIGER

WOW! This trip has been unbelievable. This morning we sat together to share about our experiences and what God has shown us in Niger. For sure, we will never be the same and our hope is that your life has been changed too, because of your partnership with us on this mission.

This afternoon we spent time worshiping God with the LINK™ Niger staff. What a blessing to sing and dance with our Christian brothers and sisters. 
 

Afterward, we shared our last official team devotion and a meal with the staff before packing to go home.
 

In a few hours we will return to our western lives. We will reconnect with our family and friends with excitement and a deeper love and with appreciation for their part in supporting us on this mission. We will also be returning home with bigger hearts because of newly acquired family and friends in Niger, Africa. God bless everyone who prayed for us during our time here. We hope you know the difference you made in the success of our mission!
 

 

** According to Air France, the team's flight has departed from Niamey. If you wish to track their flight, you may do so at Air France; Niamey to Paris (AF547) Paris to Washington DC (AF054). For your convenience, you may wish to consider using FlightTrack (this free smart phone app is available by clicking here). We will let you know once the team has arrived in the United States. 

Trip Update Five

LT24 DISCOVERY MISSION

SATURDAY

We went to see giraffes in their natural habitat and it was as if God shouted, loud and clear, "See Me in My creation."  These creatures were far more magnificent in a giant land mass than in a zoo. It was a long trip, but well worth it for the opportunity to get outside our everyday reality.
 

 

After a quick lunch and a short shopping experience, we went out to deliver a solar kit to a local church.  While there, we were able the share the gospel with 40 neighborhood kids and lead them in a prayer to begin following Christ.

The big tourist event for the day was a camel ride up giant sand dunes but first, a little detour on the way allowed us to walk through the streets of a Nigerien bush village. Words are inadequate to describe what we saw. We experienced an acceptance that seemed to say, "You're not what we thought."  We believe they felt the same from us. In the midst of this great poverty, there was a real community where no one seemed to be alone. Every face had a smile, every hand reached out to touch or be touched, and the children followed us all through the village. It was Africa just as one would imagine it. For many on the team, it was the high point of their day.

 

 

After the walk, we rode camels through the dunes where we stopped to have a memorial service for Denny Case*. Denny's life had been profoundly impacted by his time spent in Niger on several LINK™ missions. His wife, daughter, and son are part of our team and they brought his ashes with them to spread over the dunes.
 

It was a beautiful ceremony filled with loving words honoring Denny and worship to our great God. This will be a deeply touching memory to be cherished forever by all of us.
 

SUNDAY

Today began with a visit to a local church, where one of the LINK™ construction missions had built a roof years ago (Raise the Roof). For every previous traveler who said we would be blown away by the worship there, you were absolutely right. Such joy! Such freedom!
 

After lunch we went to CSEN Orphanage. The children were so happy to see us. We took them out to their property to see the progress on the construction of their new orphanage.
 

 

After a quick tour, we held a little kid's camp under a tree on the property. As the story of the little lost sheep was being told, four little shepherd boys came over and sat down to listen. These four boys also prayed with us to become followers of Jesus.
 

 

CHURCH REPAIR MISSION
SATURDAY

These past couple of days have been a whirlwind! Today we traveled out to the church the men's team had painted last November. The pastor is a wonderful man of God who's got a huge heart for his community. When we found out he had been targeted in the January protests, we knew we had to return to support him. When we arrived, he told us the story of how the demonstrators broke into his home, took all the possessions he had piled into the back corner of the church, and set them ablaze. When the men's team went there to paint in November, it was because he had been firebombed so this was the second time he has lost everything but the walls surrounding him. Still, his faith has not wavered. As we finished painting and began cleaning the equipment, Tommy sensed the Lord was leading him to step out and share the gospel with Ali, a Muslim who has been traveling with us all week to tint our paint. After Ali made a decision to follow Christ, the first words out of his mouth were that we needed to paint the cross on the outside of the church!
 

A few boys from the community came in and began singing and clapping and reciting John 1:1 (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.) What a cool way to show thanks!
 

When we were finishing up, our five team members and Ali painted our hands and placed them on the outside of the church. Definitely a high moment for our team. 

On our way out to the dunes, we had an opportunity to walk through a village outside of Niamey and see what life is really like for the majority of this country. What a humbling experience.
 

SUNDAYWe attended church in what used to be an outdoor theater where Tommy, Kennie, and Denny* (see story above) had helped build a roof years ago as part of a LINK™ construction mission. This also happens to be the church where several LINK™ Niger staff attend. Their service is not for the faint of heart. The church prays with great fervency and a conga line even broke out in the middle of the exuberant singing. We happily joined in the ruckus. There are no words to explain the power of worship in a unfamiliar language, in a now familiar country, with your brothers and sisters in Christ. 
Afterward, we went to CSEN Orphanage. Directors Bernard & Josee and the children are such a joy! They took us to the site of the new orphanage to see the building currently under construction. God is providing a wonderful new home for these precious children and a place for the community to receive support and hear about the love of Jesus.

Our experiences this week have brought us together as family. We have partnered with God in so many amazing ways and He has shown us His majesty and splendor. Our prayer is that our transformation will last and produce fruit for years to come. Niger is not the same and neither are we. We are thankful for your support and prayers and we look forward to being with you all again soon.