Prayers and Praise

First off, we want to share praise to our great and gracious and generous God for His incredible provision through His people in every way to bring us to this point. We don't have time to write thank you's to everyone but want to thank you and thank God for amazing kindness.

Besides final packing and preparations, we would also ask you to join us in prayer:

- Please pray with us that our VISA and passport will arrive in the USPS express mail Saturday (we hoped they would today but this is a good test of our faith :). Without these we won't be able to fly out Sunday night to arrive in Congo in time for the adoption hearing for Matteus, the 20-month old we're adopting, and things are on an extremely tight timeline.
- Please pray also for the adoption hearing and travel arrangements Phil still has to make while he is in the capitol of Congo from 10/7-10/18 before returning to Lubumbashi where Didier lives, and that all the documentation completed next week will be acceptable to the embassy as well as the Congolese exit agency.
- Please pray for safe travels, for Jaime as she returns next weekend, and for Phil while he completes the process solo with Matteus over the next 2-3 weeks, and for our children as others care for them while mom and dad are abroad.

African Sights and Scriptural Reflections

Matteus and me doing some bonding

Below are some of the slides and Scriptures I shared with our church Sunday night of my first trip to Congo. Click on file dated 9/25 (there are also slides from 6/28 for VBS that show more of the Layton family history in Congo).

http://goldcountrybaptist.org/site/outlines.asp?sec_id=1477&secure=&dlyear=0&dlcat=0

It may take a little time to download the big 9/28 presentation first time but I trust it is worth the wait for cuteness ;)  Push the right arrow or Page Down button to advance the pictures. At some point if I have time I hope to upload more of Sunday night's presentation, including some of the video clips. Thank you for everyone's prayers - God has already answered and provided beyond what we could ask or think for so many details of our upcoming trip.

Monday in San Francisco

Life with the Laytons today was a day-trip to San Francisco. We needed to drive there to get Jaime's passport processed in time for our trip to Congo. We made it a family outing with my parents and all the kids. After Jaime's new passport was issued we then mailed our VISA applications from there which we pray we will get back asap.   We still managed to get in several hours at the waterfront, seeing the sights, eating fish and chips, watching trains and cranes, 2-story buses, saw the famous Lombard Street to the Golden Gate Bridge (aka The Golden Great Bridge) and the tunnel (Adam was equally thrilled about).  It was the first time kids saw wild seals and trolley cars and other things unique to San Fran. We made a home-school field trip out of it, complete with stories we're not sure they believed about why kids who don't obey their parents end up on Alcatraz.

It was the nicest sunniest warmest day we've experienced in San Francisco (or as one of my girls calls it, "San Cicisco"), and the wonderful day was complete on our way home with a stop for dinner at our kids' favorite "restaurant," Costco! The highlight of the whole day was their grandpa and grandma taking them on the merry-go-round at the end of Pier 39 and then talking dad into taking them on it one more time before we left.

Jaime's highlight was getting to lie down for a little nap on the drive back. Phil's highlight is being done driving after about 7 hours driving today and relaxing with his wife at home with a Monday night movie.

One step closer to our next trip to Congo (actually two)!! We appreciate your prayers Tuesday as the court hearing in Congo may begin that day in Congo, and will conclude with adoption judgment Lord-willing when Jaime and I are both in country.

Next Chapter in Layton Family Congo History

Jaime and I have tickets and will be flying together back to Congo very soon to see Matteus Samuel Bonheur (soon-to-be-Layton we pray)!! Yes, we have a name (actually Jaime already came up with the name 3 weeks ago but it took Phil awhile ;) Matteus is a variation of Matthew and means "gift of God" and Samuel in the OT was dedicated to God. Bonheur is his birth name and French for "happiness" (also very fitting). At some point in October, Lord-willing, "Layton" will also be added to his name!

Jaime will just be in country a couple days for the court hearing and judgment of adoption while I will stay longer. Due to some unique workings of Providence, Matteus may be legally our son within a month of me first seeing him! We were praying this could all happen before the end of the year, but our God is able to do exceedingly beyond what we ask or think, to Him be the glory (Ephesians 3:20-21).

With the gracious recommendation and support of my Elders I will stay in DRC until the process is complete with embassy and exit process / immigration, etc., probably 20 more days. Then Lord-willing if all goes well, before the end of October, Matteus may be on an airplane across the Atlantic in his new dad's arms!

Please continue to pray earnestly for some dynamics in the country and complications beyond what I can share here but not beyond the power of our God who has already moved mountains to make this much possible and can complete our journey. This is just the introduction to the next chapter in the Layton family Congo history ... to be continued.

The Layton's Latest Prayer Requests

Here is a picture of the beautiful reunited Congolese children who all 4 lived together with Didier at the orphanage for a number of months before Stuart and Jennifer brought Jamie and Jordan home (seen from left to right below). Josie and Gabe Wilmarth and the twins Brandon and Kara who used to go to church in Congo with their friends on the left now go to the same church with them in California (Grace Bible Fair Oaks) and it is a joy to see how God has weaved these families together.

Here is a quick update to what I shared at the end of our 9/13 blog below on how you can be praying for our family adoption journey, which we should be able to share more about later this week, but for now would appreciate prayer support in relation to the little fella pictured in the 9/14 blog ("Last African Sunset ... for now") who we are pursuing adopting.
- Please pray as Didier meets with the judge and court tomorrow that we can get a court hearing soon and that the judge will accept all our documents and be able to do our judgment by mid-October as we have a narrow window of time and resources to complete the process for reasons too complicated to share here
- Please pray for wisdom as Jaime considers travelling to D.R.C. for a short trip in early October, which will potentially save some money on court costs and help expedite the process
- Please pray for timing of Phil's travel in relation to Didier's schedule and the timing of elections in November and other dynamics in the country beyond what we can share here
-Pray that Phil can return to DRC by mid-October to take our son to the US embassy in the capitol and that all the legal docs done in country would be acceptable to embassy so that he can come home to CA by early November!

God's favor has already been on this process but Thursday and Friday are especially crucial as court fees and appointments are made. We appreciate so much your prayers for God's continued favor on this process.

Blessed be the God of All Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

25 days ago this morning I heard the sad news of the death of our 3-month-old son, Mark Joseph Waleza Layton.  Days before I was going to see him and bring him home, God did. God did, to borrow words from the hymn by William Cowper, what was “unfathomable” to my “feeble sense…a mysterious way”? I couldn’t trace the foot-steps of God on the water or see His face behind the dark clouds of what Cowper called “frowning Providence.” In the initial moments there was disbelief, shock, confusion, stabbing heart pain, disbelief again … and waves of emotion that began to roll in, as another line of another hymn says “when sorrows like sea billows roll …”

That day, after praying and weeping with my family and friends, as the calls and visits settled a little, I picked up God's Word. But where would I turn? The Psalms? The place God led me, the book I didn’t leave or read from another book for a long time was 2 Corinthians. What Paul wrote to the Corinthians many years ago, I felt as if God had written those verses in this book directly for me on that day. I couldn’t leave this book. I lived this book, especially 2 Cor. 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

I pray today this Scripture is fulfilled in our hearing, as it has been happening in my life, I pray it would happen in your life today, tomorrow, in the future, everyday, through Christ, for the sake of others who need the comfort of others, including you. God has been growing me, and I pray He is growing us in what this text is talking about, for the good and growth of us all.

That's how I began a message this morning from that passage of Scripture where I shared how God has ministered to me through His Word in the last 3 1/2 weeks, and I hope that message will minister to others beyond our church. In the message I also share some of what Didier and I shared with each other by email as we went through this together, and how God helped us, how the Lord gives and the Lord takes away ... and how sometimes the Lord gives again. Whether He gives or takes or gives again, we can bless His name.

Click below for the rest of the message:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=9181119465510
To listen to it, click the "Play" button or to read, click on on "View PDF"

Videos

These are some videos captured from my friend Stuart a few weeks back that I figured out how to imbed more recently. Though these are not new they help give more of a feel than pictures can for the church, and people. If a picture says a thousand words, videos can say ten thousand

Tuesday Choir Practice at Church, with Kids Spying In

 Daily Pre-Sunrise Service on Compound (6:00 a.m. prayer/worship)

Young People's Choir Special Music

Pastor Peter Preaching in Swahili, Pastor Didier in English

Last Sunset in Africa ... for now

"The Lord watches over the sojourners; He upholds the widow and the fatherless"
(Psalm 146:9 ESV)

He Giveth and Giveth and Giveth Again

I have had this hymn in my head for the last week. 

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!!

http://nethymnal.org/htm/h/g/hgmgrace.htm

I praise the Lord that I grew up in a church that sung hymns, and am at a church that STILL does.  But like the blessing of hiding God's word in your heart is the remembrance of great theology set to music.  So glad to have Phil back home and doing our family devotion time again.  We sung this last night, I hope someday it ministers to our children as it has to me.

Glory to God for Answered Prayers Beyond What We Could Ask or Think

Two days ago God’s grace enabled me to count my many blessings on this blog, even on a day that was very hard for me coming home on a long journey without my son, and could have been quite depressing if my focus had been elsewhere. I thought I would list a few things I was thankful for and ended up with a list of 30 categories of thankfulness! I think I understand a little bit more experientially how Philippians 4:8 relates to v. 4 and v. 6 (“with thanksgiving”), and how deep is God’s peace (v. 7) and contentment (v. 12) through Christ’s strength (v. 13) and sufficiency for all our needs (v. 19-20).

Picking up on the glory of God in v. 20, I hope today’s post will further strengthen and encourage your hearts in our sufficient and sweet Savior I want to magnify and glorify. I don’t want anyone to get the impression that I am some strong person in writing these things – I have experienced many weak moments the last 3 weeks and can easily spiral into bad thinking like anyone else. That’s the reason I’m sharing this today, in hopes that the God who is helping me might help others as I stumble through and find strength from outside myself. It’s a good exercise for our soul to recount and even write down things we are thankful for, and it is also a good exercise to write down how God has answered prayer, so that our souls praise the Lord and forget not what He’s done (Psalm 103:2).

On one of my early blogs I wrote: ‘I hope you will open your Bible and read Ephesians 3:14-21 and pray for us in light of that passage. There will be more new mercies tomorrow morning (and every morning) from our God of immeasurable love who strengthens the inner man and “is able to do exceedingly immeasurably beyond all we ask or think, to Him be the glory.”’

I can tell many have been praying in light of that passage, and I want to thank you and praise our big God for how He has answered those prayers in bigger ways than we prayed. This could easily be an equally long list, but let me just highlight a few ways I want to give glory to God for “answered prayers beyond what we could ask or think”:

On 8/25 (the day I heard my son had died), my wife and I wrote: “For those who have asked how you can help or pray, here is the update for now: 1. Thank God with us for His mercy in so many things, that we want to remember, rehearse to our hearts and our children, and recount for others for the glory of Christ …”

That prayer has been answered already in numerous personal conversations, and in my 9/11 blog, and is happening even as some of you read this, in ways “far beyond what I [could] ask or think” when I first shared that request.

The 2nd prayer request that day: “Pray for God’s manifold grace and purposes in my son’s funeral/burial I will get to be a part of in the Congo next week.”

God’s manifold grace could not have seemed any closer that day than if Jesus Himself in the flesh had His hand on my shoulder. His goodness and mercy were surely following me as I walked through the valley of death. I did not fear, for He was with me, and even the pain from the rod and staff brought comfort, and He not only filled my cup with grace but it overflowed. His purposes (I intentionally used the plural rather than singular in my request) in this process He has been kind enough to reveal some of to me, some of which I was able to record in the 9/10 post below, all of which were “far beyond what I could ask or think.”

The 3rd prayer request: “Pray that I would be of great encouragement to Pastor Didier, his wife Annie, and his family, in the spirit of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, 7, 11, 15, 2:4, 8, 3:5, 4:7-10, 15-18, 5:7-9, that they would not lose heart in doing good and that God would heal them in every way from the trauma and tragedy of witnessing the loss of one who was a son to them as well … that I would be a good ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20) and to comfort the depressed with my coming (7:6, 8:6-12), that even with the language barrier the love of Christ would come across”

Everyone of those verses were answered in ways beyond what I hoped, beyond what I could ask or think. I had asked elsewhere you to pray for Didier’s health. By God’s grace he said before we left he felt completely healed of malaria, typhoid, and stomach ulcers, and better than he had felt in weeks. In God’s providence, Gabe is a medical professional who was able to administer injections in ways that helped Didier beyond his experiences with local doctors. The even greater spiritual healing I saw in Didier and Annie from the tragic loss of little Mark was worth the trip itself, as I saw hurt replaced with hope and even grief replaced with true joy. Even the “language barrier” itself was a part of the joy as I made them laugh repeatedly at my very bad attempts at French!

My main prayer requests and reasons I came had to do with being at the funeral of my son, to encourage Didier’s family and ministry and to help the adoption of friends … but as Cowper’s hymn says, the clouds were “BIG with mercy and would break with blessings on my head.” We thought we were coming for our reasons but God’s bigger reasons included us having profitable providential meetings with significant people – all of which were not part of our plan but were part of God’s greater one and for the good of many future adoptions.

One of the things I didn’t ask for prayer (or even think to) on this trip, but that Jaime and I still had a desire for, was to adopt another child from the DRC, if God would will and provide the resources and logistics to do so. I knew it was a long-shot that another child would be referred to Didier while I was here for 9 days, much less an adoptable one. Plus being so busy with the Wilmarth’s adoption there probably wouldn’t be time, but I began to pray anyways, while guarding my heart as time was running out with only 2 full days left here. I later found out others were praying as well beyond what I initially could ask or think. In God’s mysterious ways of providence, God opened doors for the possibility of seeing another adoptable boy while in country. I literally sobbed at the thought. My heart broke further when 2 of the leads ended up not working out, and I wasn’t sure how much of the emotional roller coaster I could handle. Within 48 hours of our departure date, God’s providence allowed me to meet a young boy in one of the rare scenarios where he can become adoptable right away!

-his new name is still under negotiations between Phil and Jaime and we are contemplating getting legal representation to help settle the dispute as to what we will call the little fella ;)
-he is 19 months old and incredibly sweet and smart
-he has never known a father before and has lived in extreme poverty
-I got to hold him for about 6 hours the first day, another several hours Wednesday, and when our flight was delayed Thursday, I was happy to spend several more hours bonding with him
-he is already receiving love and care as never before
-We are praying earnestly he will be able to become a part of our family in the months ahead, something beyond what I thought to ask or think for this trip (Eph. 3:20-21) even just a few days earlier. We waited to tell you till we had told our parents and kids, but Jaime and I are pursuing first legal steps to adopt this precious little guy. We treasure your prayers that God would provide in every way this to happen if it is His will and that God would guard our hearts and this whole process, in the merciful providence that we have come to know in deeper and sweeter ways in these days.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform
He Plants His footsteps on the sea, and rides upon the storm
Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs and works His sovereign will
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face [alternate: faith sees His smiling face]
His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.

It was bitter-sweet leaving last week but I have a renewed vision of the smiling face of God behind the clouds and frowns of life who has worked in His purposes and providence to do amazingly exceedingly “far beyond what I could ask or think, to Him be the glory” (Eph. 3:20-21). I don’t know much more about what the future holds at this point or what the timeline may be, but I know I will “trust Him for His grace.”

He cried when I left last Friday morning and was told he later asked “where’s Papa Phil?” I think Papa Phil cried harder, but this time, tears of joy.

Pics from the Trip

Here are some of the promised pics in that I now have time to upload now that I have high-speed Internet:

PAPA DIDIER, MAMA ANNIE, AND PAPA PHIL

DIDIER'S FAMILY
Left-to-right, top to bottom: Christian, Papa Didier, Waleza, Mama Annie, Anita, Mary, Imani (short for Immanuel), Elyse (short for Elizabeth)

PREACHING SUNDAY 9/4 AT DIDIER'S CHURCH

PHIL AT WORK (T-SHIRT COURTESY OF OUR CHURCH'S JUNIOR HIGH GROUP)

THE ORPHANAGE WALL BEFORE AND AFTER, COURTESY JOSIE WILMARTH

THE KIDS COLORING SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS WE BABYSAT(HEADBANDS COURTESY OF JASMINE)

A STORE WE DECIDED NOT TO GO INTO

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

TRAVEL MERCIES ON THE TRIP HOME

NEW EXPERIENCES IN D.C. FOR THE TWINS (LONG MIRROR, HANDLE THAT WATER COMES OUT OF, DOORS THAT OPEN AUTOMATICALLY, ELEVATOR, ESCALATOR, ETC.)

"BACK IN SAC" - the Wilmarth family all together

ADAM LIKES HIS AFRICAN NECKLACE

JAIME AND ELLA IN AFRICAN DRESS

Rejoicing with those who rejoice!

We had the blessing of meeting Kara and Brandon and welcoming them as the newest members of the Wilmarth clan last night!

http://wilmarthjourney.blogspot.com/

Home, Sweet Home

The last few posts have been heavy on words and light on pics, and as I have time I hope to send less words and more pics now that I have high-speed internet. Today won't be a long post as I'm spending long-awaited time with my sweet family but I just wanted to thank everyone for praying, and let everyone know we're all home safe and sound. 55 hours after my plane took off on Friday Congo time, I landed back in Sac and am home sweet home with my sweet family, sweet wife, and sweet kids who have changed and grown since I left. I know I have spiritually.

The Wilmarths had no problems at the airport Saturday and Kara and Brandon both did very well before and during all their flights, probably better than us adults ;) Their total trip was about 40 hours and virtually no meltdowns the whole time; twins slept much and wept little, and were very sweet. The Wilmarths so appreciate everyone's prayers, and our families so appreciate all being back together and all the love we have received. To God be the glory, great things He has done.

A Sunday Message Away from Church - Pursuing Thankfulness When Your Flesh Doesn’t Want To

I won’t be able to share a message in church this Sunday so am sharing this message early Sunday morning from D.C. It’s a little longer than some of the recent posts but I hope you will read to the end and that God will impact you in at least a fraction of how He’s impacted me by these reflections.

This was written on the flight over the ocean Friday/Saturday but not posted till Sunday in D.C.


The pilot for our long flight from Ethiopia to D.C. just now turned off the fasten seat belt sign so I’m able to turn on my laptop and type up an update since I’ve got some 17 more hours to kill before this plan lands on U.S. soil. Our flight took off an hour late because the airline gave the same seat # to me and another person and it took awhile for them to work it out and the other passenger wouldn’t budge (from the exit row seat I booked well in advance) and the gal’s dad from first class was arguing vociferously in Ethiopian with the flight attendants that his daughter shouldn’t have to give up her exit row seat. The plane was already taxi-ing down the runway while I’m still standing without a seat, and the stewardess told me I needed to sit somewhere else. I asked politely if there was any way I as the tallest person on the plane could sit somewhere with extra legroom, and she said sorry, but made me sit down in a cramped seat in the middle of the plane where my knees were already hurting before we took off (but I think my greater discomfort was inward).

I confess I was not in the greatest mood thinking of 17-18 hours with my long legs pushed up against the guys’ chair in front already before he’s even pushed it back and knowing I would be in some degree of pain and discomfort the whole flight. After our fiasco Thursday in DRC (local officials not allowing me to board the plane even though there was nothing wrong with my personal documents), now flying without my friends and my last $200 spent to change a flight that the airport official initially said there should be no charge for, anticipating a 34-hour layover in D.C. (that’s right, 34), I was not in the most sanctified frame, I freely confess. I was frowning at Providence rather than trusting God for His grace at that moment, to adapt a line from William Cowper’s hymn again. This was not how it was supposed to be, I reasoned in my heart; I was supposed to be arriving home Friday afternoon with my boy Mark Joseph to a joyous Layton family, and not only am I travelling back alone 2 days later, but I don’t even have my seat. Surely when things don’t go according to my script, I should get a special pass for the sin of grumbling and ingratitude, I secretly tried to convince myself.

But God who moves in a mysterious way, in His rich mercy, began moving in my heart. In God’s grace, which I need to keep in mind is defined as undeserved favor to me when I deserve to be infinitely more uncomfortable in hell right now, God has reminded me I have so much to be thankful for, practically and spiritually, and that’s what I want to share with you this weekend. I hoped to do so in person with many of you this weekend, but in God's providence I’ll have to do it from cyberspace rather than church, counting some of the blessings and mercies of Providence in my most recent travels:

1. I am thankful I had a little time in the internet café in Ethiopia on my layover before takeoff where I got to see a couple emails from my precious daughters who apparently are learning to type and their spelling is getting a little bit better (I’m also thankful that I found a total of $3 stashed away in a billfold I thought I’d lost, the exact amount to pay for the minimum ½ hour of Internet, which I needed to check for my D.C. plans)

2. I’m thankful my wife who is doubling as a travel agent this week was able to wire me cash and book me a hotel in D.C. as I was otherwise penniless and credit-card-less from Saturday morning to Sunday night.

3. I’m thankful I’ll get to enjoy some fellowship in D.C. this weekend with Bob Wheatley, who spoke at GCBC the first Sunday I was in Congo and is preparing to go to Congo himself in a couple days so I trust it will be a good time with him in God’s providence

4. I am so thankful to be in the air and on my way to U.S. soil (ok, after a quick pit stop in Rome to refuel, but at least we’re on our way and won’t deplane till D.C.). I understand why my friend Stuart (first father that adopted through Didier’s orphanage successfully after much more drama than we went through) when he got back in America literally got down on his hands and knees and kissed the ground in the airport. One of his newly adopted daughters, unprompted, also got down on her hands and knees and kissed the ground, apparently assuming this is what we do in America. The other wiser daughter looked at them like, “that’s weird, I’m not doing that!”

5. I am thankful I had good conversations with a Christian lady from Germany (Christian Free Church there) on the last flight about things of the Lord. She was coming back from Malawi and I exchanged email addresses with her and will try and get her the name of the church Brian Lovejoy ministered in there on his mission trip (Nancy Lovejoy, if you’re reading this maybe you can ask Brian to send me the name or info of the church?)

6. I am thankful I will have time I rarely get to do some extracurricular reading and study I don’t normally get to in the busy-ness of life and to relax and refresh a little with a warm shower Saturday and other amenities of life I’d taken for granted until the past couple weeks

7. I am thankful I got to spend more time with Didier Friday and had some good and profitable discussions with him, and I miss him already. But I am thankful I will see him again Lord-willing (more on that in a future post)

8. I am thankful to own a car (Didier is the only person in both churches who has a car), thankful I have electricity 24 hours a day in my home, along with running water, and so many basic conveniences that so much of our world does not have, like a real door on our home instead of just a sheet hanging for a door like in some homes here we saw this week

9. I am thankful that in times I have complained or grumbled in God’s providence that He has allowed me to keep breathing rather than striking me down like ungrateful Israelites in the wilderness (please read 1 Corinthians 10:5-6, 9-12, and I hope that example impacts you like it did me)

10. I am thankful that though our will wasn’t done Thursday (we would much rather be home in CA Friday than late Sunday night ... D.C.), I’m thankful that God’s will is always being done (Ephesians 1:11).

11. I am thankful that through our inconvenience Thursday we were able to make numerous face-to-face contacts that Didier believes will be very good for future adoptions with him.

12. We’re thankful for many similar things we’ve gone through (above is just one example of many things God did like this in the last few days) that Didier believes will make this process better for future adoptions.

13. I am thankful God is patient and gracious when we are not patient and gracious about the inconveniences that come our way, and that He uses those times in His long-suffering mercy to make us more long-suffering and merciful and thankful

14. I am thankful that God convicts me of my sin when I’m not thankful and how God is using this trip to rebuke my pride behind it and hopefully remove some of the layers of sin associated with it

15. I am thankful I have been able to have good conversations with another dad on this flight who just adopted a 2-year-old from Ethiopia named Joseph, a cute little guy who reached out his hand to mine and said hi. The dad is also from California and they also suffered the loss of that 2-year-old’s twin brother that they were in process of adopting but have seen God’s grace in the process and he said he’d be praying for us. It’s amazing how God’s providence works in mysterious ways to have us 2 strike up a conversation as I explained about the Joseph and I lost and that I’m from California and how I’ve seen God’s grace in the process as well!

16. I also can’t help but be thankful as I think of Joseph in Genesis, whose father Israel also mourned in losing his beloved son Joseph tragically, or so he thought (a son we in part named Mark Joseph after, Genesis 37:34). Joseph's story is one of the greatest story of God’s providence in Scripture, where we see God’s grace as well, that you can read in one setting, Gen 37-50. It's a story that didn’t make sense at the time to Joseph’s family, but later he helped them understand some of what “God intended for good” (Genesis 50:20). God in His providence and grace has been kind enough to show me some good He intended through my Joseph as well. I’m so thankful for that story of Joseph in the Bible, one of my long-time favorites, that is more “precious and magnificent” to me than before (2 Peter 1:4)

17. I am thankful to see many on this flight who share our heart for adoption. On my flight from Ethiopia to D.C. I have counted, I think, over 20 families bringing adopted African children to the U.S. on the same flight! It’s a beautiful thing and picture of God’s multi-ethnic family that the world can't help but notice and ask about. As Christians, it's been great on this trip to have many opportunities along with the Wilmarths to explain adoption spiritually, how God delights to adopt many sons who are not biologically related to His beloved Son, and if God didn’t have that heart, none of us non-Jews would be saved. And yes, we are really His children (1 John 3:1), though we’ve never seen Him, just as my son Mark Joseph was though he never saw me in this life. And though we don’t look like our Middle-Eastern Jewish Messiah physically, God is making us look more like Him spiritually everyday(1 John 3:2)!

18. I am so thankful for this picture before my eyes on this plane and wish everyone could see what I see with all these children, reflecting God's "multi-colored grace" (as the Apostle peter calls it). God is “Father to the fatherless … God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:5-6). I knew that verse but I have seen that unfold before my very eyes in a very special way on this flight, in the grace of the Lord who welcomed children to Himself to teach adults spiritual lessons about His kingdom (Mark 10:13-16), and He has taught me in this way this day.

19. I am thankful that this week in the D.R.C. I got to literally see fulfilled the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:35-40 in some malnourished little ones brought into the orphanage a few days ago as new foster children: “hungry…fed … thirsty…given drink … strangers…taken in…clothed … sick…cared for” and Jesus says in that passage “In as much as you have done to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me.”

20. We got to have a small part in that type of ministry in God's providence; holding and caring for them our last couple days there, giving them water for their parched lips, having just enough money left to pay for their medical exams and medications, comforting them at their first doctor’s visit ever and getting shots that were much needed but troubling to them, feeding one little one who was crying inconsolably out in hunger asking for food, helping one of the little ones whose stomach was so bloated after what must have been his first meal in quite a while, and other things beyond what I can write here. I think I understand Christ-centered compassion from that passage in ways I never could have without that experience (and how Christ-centered Christ-motivated Christ-directed compassion is different than the world’s mere charity, which we have to keep in mind as well).

21. Many in the world would consider these littlest ones the least of their concerns but I am so thankful for Christians like Didier who not only minister for Christ, but TO Christ in this way, according to the words of Christ in that passage. Not for the sake of social justice, but because of Christ, for the glory of Christ, empowered by the gospel and theology of what Christ has done for us and in us.

22. In an American culture that discards children in general, where many can’t understand why families would sacrifice so much in so many ways to bring more children into their home, and in a country where even many of its Christians view children as a burden rather than a blessing, it is refreshing to meet and see many who counter-culturally and even cross-culturally are demonstrating the Biblical view of children as a blessing and joy (Psalm 127:3, 5; Genesis 1:28, 9:1, etc.) they’re willing to pursue through the hardship that inevitably comes. It’s not about richer people adopting poorer kids to give them a heritage/inheritance, for us who believe the Bible, children “ARE the heritage/inheritance from the Lord” (Psalm 127:3); THEY are God’s gift, not us, and children enrich US in many ways (and yes, they sanctify us and show us our sin in the grace of our heavenly Father). For more on that, see pages 3-6 of this study very near and dear to my heart:
http://media.sermonaudio.com/mediapdf/730112111301.pdf

23. I am thankful that in a world with more than 100 million orphans, otherwise statistically mostly destined for abuse, crime, human trafficking, early death, etc., I’m thankful that many Christians are leading the way in adoption (James 1:27, caring for orphans in affliction, what Scripture calls “pure religion”). I am thankful that whatever the make-up of our family, Christ is with His followers always as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission in our home (Matthew 28:19-20, making disciples from the nations - including for some families, adopted children from other nations - and all of us teaching all Jesus taught, including some of the things in this blogpost)

24. I am thankful on this flight for the parents’ sake that the approximately 30 newly adopted kids have done remarkably well on this flight so far. I am thankful God has put me on this flight to see something so special like this. It is sad that I am not one of them bringing my son home and it is sad that the Wilmarths are not on this flight, but I am thankful for God’s grace that allows His children to be sorrowful yet rejoicing, as Paul explained, and am doubly thankful that as Christians we do not grieve as the rest of the world does, without hope. A lost family member can never be "replaced," and whether a baby dies before you bring him home from the hospital or from another country, whether 3 months or younger or older, whether his skin is your color or not, it hurts deeply, but I know the deeper love of a Father who watched His own Son die. And I've experienced the love of His Son who knows the weaknesses and temptations of humanity, and is able to help us as a result, and who call us "brothers" (Hebrews 2:10-14, 17-18, 4:14-16)! I'm thankful that in my natural grief there is supernatural joy and hope to see many little guys and girls being brought home, and to know God has used this trip to help that happen more and more through my beloved brother Didier

25. I am thankful God graciously recently provided me a laptop that has several hours battery power that I’ve been able to use on this trip to the glory of God to share what He has done. The internet speeds in Lubumbashi are so slow that it can literally take most of a half-hour just to log in and get to your inbox to send a quick email or two, and not enough time to try and type up a substantial blog with a French keyboard where you have to hunt and peck because the letters are different. But in God providing this laptop shortly before I left and another PC Jaime could borrow while I’m gone to post my blogs and updates, I’ve been able to write my daily blogs in the evenings and save them on a flash drive to send by email the next day from the internet café to my sweet wife who I’m super thankful for and who I can’t wait to see and kiss and snuggle with soon along with my kids. That may be more than you wanted to know, but that's what happens when you have a lot of time to type ;)

26. I am thankful that God has allowed me to have a ministry to more than a few people on this trip, including many online who read this blog and pray for me. I am thankful for how God can use technology, even Facebook (which I normally avoid and have an aversion to) to share what God is doing with so many far beyond this church. I know I have not been on this journey alone – many of you have been with me. I am so thankful for you my Christian family and friends who have been with me in this journey. And I will be VERY thankful when I am home and with my family and friends!

27. I am incredibly thankful to my precious wife and family for their patience and doing so well while missing "Papa Phil" (as the Congolese call me) for so long, and for the help and support of both our parents and families and incredibly kind church family

28. Above all I am thankful to my heavenly “Papa” (Abba, or in Swahili, “Babba”), whose relationship and love I’ve come to understand in greater depths and ways I couldn’t have apart from this journey.

29. Oh yes, I’m also thankful God allowed someone in another exit row seat to be willing to give up their seat and switch with me so I have room to type without a seat in front of me pushed back into my lap! Some of you shorter people may not understand how thankful I am to have extra legroom on this flight but this is truly a praise of no small magnitude for me and a “travel mercy” that I was not owed by God. This may not sound as spiritual as the others on the list, but I am very thankful that God cares enough to orchestrate things like this as well, and that He is a compassionate Father to His adopted children, mindful of our weak frames (Psalm 103:13-14). I hope you will read Psalm 103 after reading this, as v. 2 and the rest of the truths in that Psalm God has helped me with in this trip (how true and marvelous v. 10-12 are for weak sinners like us!)

30. Above all, I am so thankful for God saving and adopting a naturally rebellious child of wrath like me who deserved nothing but His infinite punishment (Ephesians 2:1-3), but God (v. 4) gives me instead His intimate relationship and fellowship in Christ (v. 6-7), His inheritance with Christ and all things (Romans 8:15-17, 32), and His infinite inseparable love (Romans 8:35-39), plus as an added bonus: everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)!


This is a great exercise, my friends, and I want to exhort and encourage all of you after reading this to take time to rehearse what you’re thankful for to God. Scripture commands our soul to do this (ex: Psalm 103) and I have found it so good for my soul! Not just at times when you naturally feel thankful at how everything is going, but at those times when things aren’t going according to your plan and desires, we are called to do this. For me it was a very helpful exercise to write these things down so I can go over them again in the future.

We can’t control and do not know the will of God in His sovereignty and providence for our future, but we do know, as 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “This is the will of God concerning you … give thanks in all circumstances.”

I feel like I'm in the pulpit ... and maybe it sounds like it to you ;) I wish I was this Sunday morning, so if I sound a little “preachy” or "sermonic" ... what can I say? If God makes one to be a preacher, it’s like fire in his bones, it comes out. I am thankful God is allowing me to still be a preacher without a pulpit this weekend (at least not a traditional one). So, let’s close in prayer … :)

Behind a Frowning Providence Faith Sees God’s Smiling Face

One of my favorite hymns of all time is by William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) a man who had great suffering but came to know His great Savior through it.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform
He Plants His footsteps on the sea, and rides upon the storm
Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs and works His sovereign will
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face
[alternate: faith sees His smiling face]
His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.

Some of God’s purposes and bright designs of His sovereign will He has been kind enough to unfold to us in His sweet grace this day. Providence is God’s predestinating and orchestrating of all things after His will (Ephesians 1:11), for His glory (Ephesians 3:20-21), and for the good of those He has sovereignly called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). This includes our ultimate good, which is being made more like Christ (Romans 8:29) and includes things that are not in and of themselves considered “good” by us, but things that God has good purposes in (Genesis 50:20). God doesn’t just permit things, He purposefully allows and intends something good in them for those who love God. Even the dreaded dark clouds that hymn speaks of are actually big with mercy – behind what looks to us like God’s frown in providence, there actually is God’s smiling face if we have the eyes of faith to see it.

As the Wilmarths and I left North America and hurricane Irene was impacting the eastern sea we flew out from, the storm reminded us of our God’s power. As the hymn says, “God plants His footsteps on the sea and rides upon the storm.” As we have been on the continent of Africa we have seen God’s power in other ways, and I want to share with you some of the ways God’s smiling face and big mercy has come through the clouds that I dreaded before I came:

- I initially wasn’t sure I wanted to still come to Africa since my initial focus was to bring home my adopted son, and since God took him before I could take him home, staying home would have been easier. After all, I had travel insurance to help me get up to $1,000 back from my tickets, and I knew it would be hard to go under the circumstances – however God’s will is rarely the easy way and as I prayed and read 2 Corinthians and gathered counsel from others, I was convinced there was much more potential good in coming than in staying.

- Since coming, I have been so humbled and touched by the African people here and can’t imagine the blessings I would have missed if I hadn’t come

- God has been so gracious to me in helping me take the focus off myself and my loss and onto serving and ministering to others

- One of the “clouds I so much dreaded” was honestly coming home on my return flight without my son, while my friends rejoice greatly at the airport … however in God’s big mercy I am actually very much looking forward to being of help to them and their 2-year-old twins on such a long journey where they will need all the grace and help they can get (40 hour-long-trip including layovers). Please pray for them and us that the clouds would be big with “travel mercies,” to adapt a line from William Cowper.

- I prayed that I would be able to encourage Didier and Annie by coming, and not only have they been greatly encouraged in their work and ministry, but God has used them to greatly encourage me even more in so many ways

- Traveling to the DRC to bury my son was a good enough reason to come, but God had much more in store in His big mercy, beyond what I could ask or think (Eph. 3:20-21, the Scripture I asked you to pray in light of, which I sense many of you have been, because I’m experiencing it)

- I hoped in some way I could be of help to future adoptions, and in God’s “unfathomable … never-failing skill … He works His sovereign will” in manifold ways

- The local government was very touched by my presence under the circumstances and said they would do whatever they could to help me and to help others we know to adopt in the future. Even people in authority who are not Christians have been moved to help us, which is a good reminder of the Proverb “the heart of a king is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord, He turns it whichever way He desires.” My presence as a pastor here along with Josie and Gabe has helped a number in significant positions to know Didier is trustworthy and this has been a big breakthrough of our time here and will be for the good for many orphans and Christian families adopting them in the future

- God providing key contacts for outgoing logistical details in our time here, has also been another big answer to prayer in line with Ephesians 3:20-21

- The Judge (who they call President here, because his power is highest) in God’s providence was just stationed in Lubumbashi in April, and said he suffered with me in the loss of Joseph, and wanted to help us in future adoptions. I was able to speak also for a family that will begin adopting from Didier’s orphanage in the future, Lord-willing. The judge spent nearly an hour with us in his home talking about things of the Lord, and how he feels God brought him here for this, and he wants to have a part in us in this ministry as we shared the vision of Didier and his orphanage. Didier said for someone in his high position to invite us to his home and for his wife to pray with us and for us, and for the judge to extend such favor to me and us as he did that night is unheard of and must be attributed to God.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way, His Wonders to Perform
He Plants His footsteps on the sea, and rides upon the storm
Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs and works His sovereign will
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence faith sees God's smiling face
His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.

In the Air

Sorry there has been no posts today!  Phil left DRC and flew to Ethiopia.  He emailed me in Ethiopia and said he was getting on his next flight.  So, he is in the air, on his way to D.C.  He lands in D.C. at 7:30 am, but doesn't leave until almost 7 pm Sunday evening.  He will be able to spend some time with Bob Wheatley who is about to leave for Congo.
I got him a nice hotel where he will have a great big bed, and a hot shower! And of course electricity, running water, tv, wifi... Not to mention, I know his favorite part will be the continental breakfast.  Although we would love to have him home sooner, I think it will be nice for him to rest, debrief (and get clean) before he comes home!



Please Pray:

For the Wilmarth's: that they would get through the airport smoothly in DRC.
That their little girl (and boy) would be calm and not afraid to leave with her mom and dad. 

Phil will meet them in D.C. and they will all fly to SAC together.  Please pray for safety and for the parents and children through these long flights. 

Thank you all for standing by us through this, encouraging us, bringing us meals... and most of all PRAYING!  How sweet it is to be apart of the body of Christ.

And I know there will be so much more ahead.  I can't wait to hear all of it from Phil. 

Providentially Delayed

We should know (by now) that nothing happens fast, or correctly, in AFRICA!  But it does, in God's sovereign providence... :)

Phil just emailed me:

Hi Jaime,

In God’s providence, airport security did not let us board our plane today (the only Ethiopian flight of the day, long story that) ... So my funds are literally down to $0 and the Wilmarths have only $50 left and Ethiopian Airlines says they can change our return tickets but we owe $200 each, including the twins. There is 1 seat for to Ethiopia-D.C. tomorrow I’m taking (no connection till Sunday to Sac) and only 4 seats available Saturday the Wilmarths are taking to Ethiopia-D.C.-Sac. I join them on the last leg of the flight. I was able to find my CC, but of course it’s cancelled, and then in my laptop bag I realized there was an envelope marked “for orphanage or anything needed on the trip” – I hastily opened the envelope and lo and behold, $200 – just enough to pay for my flight tomorrow! Didier also had $800 on him, in God’s providence, to loan them from orphanage/project money! Jehovah Jireh – the Lord provides! A very nice guy at Ethiopian Air office stayed an extra hour after the office closed to get my ticket taken care of for tomorrow. We will be eating light tonight but glad to be coming home soon, Lord-willing all arriving together Sunday night at 9:00 in Sac, in God’s providence ;)

Phil

Traveling

Please be in prayer for Phil and the Wilmarth's as they travel today and tomorrow.

9/8  Congo to Ethiopia  1:20-8:00 pm (already in the air)

Ethiopia to D.C. 10:15pm- 8:40 am

10 HOUR LAYOVER IN D.C.

9/9   D.C.to SAC 6:45 pm- 9:18 pm


Thank you so much for all your prayers on our behalf throughout this whole process.  It has been amazing to see all the God has done! 

Tuesday, a Busy Day

It must have been a very busy day... Phil did not write anything!! BUT, he did send a bunch of pics. :)  Take the time to really look at them, observe the backgrounds and surroundings, then THANK THE LORD FOR ALL YOU HAVE!  

Africa - Sept 6

This was written by Josie:

Another adventurous day!  We didn’t meet with any dignitaries today, but we did drive into some of the poorest parts of the earth.  An elaborate description wouldn’t adequately explain what we saw.  Hundreds of children whose only possession is the clothing on their backs, who have nothing to do all day and nothing to play with and almost no supervision.  Mom’s try to scrape together meals for families and by the look of malnutrition everywhere aren’t able to adequately do that.  Dad’s seem scarce.  Maybe they are out trying to make money, but in a country where there are few jobs that is hard to do also.

By noon we had traveled and met with multiple parties and picked up 4 more children who will be considered foster status for the next three months but will live at the orphanage.  They are all at the orphanage tonight.  Three are boys and one is a girl.  Ages range from 18 mo to 3 years.  It was fun to watch Angelique (the sweetest orphanage worker in the world) move like a whirlwind giving each of them their first baths in a long time.  They each got a fresh change of clothes and a meal of rice and beans.  Two of them seem to have moderate to severe malnutrition.  One of the children lost his lunch after we gave him his first meal in what is probably a long time.  He probably ate too much and his digestive system couldn’t handle it.

Congolese Transportation

We spent the afternoon with Brandon and Kara and locked all the other neighborhood kids out of the house.  Kara cried again but then later in the evening was more warm toward us than she has been the entire trip.  Brandon is happy as long as there are toys in the room, with lots of giggles and playing.  We had decided to bring B & K to our bedroom tonight to help them adjust to their new parents before we get on an airplane for a 30+ hour trip.  After we brought home the new kids we had no choice.

We went into town again in the evening to take the 4 new children to a clinic. I played in the car with my kids and Didier’s girls and Gracie (Angelique’s daughter) and Zephanie (sweet orphan girl, 5 years old).  When we got back home we showed B & K their new “bed” in our room and tried to have them lay down for a while.  They both objected severely.  This was our first “double-cry”.  It is hard to understand what is going through a two year-old’s mind, especially one who has been abandoned before, but I’m sure they are scarred and worried about the newness of the future.  After a late dinner they both fell asleep in our arms and are now out for the count.  They are always much cuter when sleeping than crying.

                                           The Names of God Posted in Judge Phuna's home

What an incredible timewe've had here in Africa! My eyes are filling right now as I think we are leaving tomorrow already. Our hearts have been knit to these precious people. How we love Didier's and Annie and their vision to help the orphans. We so respect and esteem them for their daily sacrifice on behalf of these precious little ones. How they lay their lives down constantly is such a conviction and encouragement to my heart. Godis using them powerfullyfor His glory!

 Guess that makes for a short and sweet blog today.  More tomorrow.

Tuesday Sermon

I was supposed to post this (much) earlier today... but time got away.  Here it is:

 

This is the 2nd half of the message that was prepared several weeks ago to air on the radio Tuesday 9/6 on a day wen I'm experiencing some of its truths in God's gracious Providence.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=8251102732

The tagline for the webiste message reads:

Where is the goodness of God in trials, in losing
loved ones? How can a good God ...? This message was
preached on 4//13/2007 and edited for radio in early
8/2011. At the time it was prepared for radio it was
not known how appropriate and timely the truths of
this message would be for Pastor Phil to remember in
the loss of his son Mark Joseph on 8/24/2011.
- God is Still Faithful
- God is Still Good
Examples from the lives of Thomas Watson, Sarah
Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, and a friend of ours who
lost her baby are shared and how these truths
impacted them as well

God's Providence, Part 1 - Monday Praises

Sorry no pics today.  :(

God’s Providence, Part 1

In the end of 1997, Jaime and I, a starry-eyed newlywed couple, were visiting fellowship groups and couples Bible studies at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and we met Josie and Gabe Wilmarth. Josie knew American sign language like Jaime, and they hit it off right away and it was right around the time Josie gave birth to their firstborn Andrew. In fact the Bible study had multiple pregnant women at the same time; they said it was something in the water.

We ended up staying at that fellowship group, and after their first son, Andrew was born, they were the first couple to reach out to us in hospitality and to invite us to their home, which I still remember. It was a small guest house but their gracious kindness and hospitality impacted us and true friendship and fellowship developed between us. We were not only in the same Bible study together for years and shared many meals together, but we went camping together in Yosemite, and enjoyed many fond memories with bears, long hikes to waterfalls where we ended up carrying their kids on our backs, freezing cold water we swam in, and other memories that are not appropriate to share here but were very funny.

We were also neighbors more than once in apartments in the San Fernando Valley, 2 different buildings in particular in Van Nuys. Josie was an apartment manager and Jaime followed in her footsteps in 2 different buildings that they managed. The sad day came when the Wilmarths announced they were moving to Northern California just outside Sacramento where Gabe had a good job as a ER nurse and where they could buy a house. “Northern California?!” we half-jokingly confronted him. “Why in the world would anyone want to move to Northern California?” (just a few years later we understand why and are so glad that God also moved us to Northern California, a much better community to raise a family, and in God’s providence, not too far from our friends the Wilmarths)!

They soon invited us to their house in Orangevale and told us about their new pastor and about family camp, and said I should meet their pastor and ask if we could go camping with them. Before we knew it, we were camping again with our friends at a joint family camp with a church we now consider a brother church (Grace Bible Fair Oaks) and have partnered with their church on many events, a wonderful working of God’s providence.

Then last December 2010, our friends the Wilmarths again in their hospitality invited us to their new home and we shared with them about adoption and Didier and the orphanage here, and the Lord was moving in their hearts to pursue adoption. They also shared with Stuart and Jennifer Loucks about Didier, and the Loucks now have 2 beautiful girls from this orphanage in their home in Fair Oaks. On Thursday/Friday Josie and Gabe will be bringing home their precious twins Brandon and Kara and it has been a priceless experience to be with them in this time that I wouldn’t want to miss for anything. Jaime wrote to me the other day that one of the great blessings in all this is if weren’t for our heart to adopt and providential connection with Didier and these friends, Stuart and Jennifer wouldn’t have Jamie and Jordan in their home and Josie and Gabe wouldn’t be bringing home Brandon and Kara. It is very special for us to see how God’s providence has used us to bring such joy to these families.

Nearly 14 years after I first met this sweet couple, the Wilmarths, God has not only reunited us in Northern California, but has brought us together in Africa to experience the sweet hospitality of another couple who are greatly impacting us, Pastor Didier and Annie. God’s providence moves in mysterious ways, and Gabe’s training as a registered nurse and Josie’s fluency in French and my pastoral background has been used in many neat ways by the Lord already that are so obviously His handiwork. Here are just a few of the blessings that God’s providence has been unfolding just on Monday, as shared by my long-time friend Gabe. It’s a joy to truly rejoice with those who rejoice and I will share the rest of Gabe’s blog today, hoping you catch some of the joy as well:

‘Our hosts are some of the most gracious people in the world.  They go out of their way to make us feel at home and they are extremely hard working.  It is amazing to see the Lord at work in the lives of people who live in such a poor land.  I am told that the unemployment rate in DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] is 80%.  Most people do not have jobs, and in spite of the low average income the cost of [food and some items is] more expensive than in the United States.  It is a strange economic and political world that we live in.  The natural resources of the Congo could make it the wealthiest country in the world and yet it is one of the poorest.  It makes you wish you could do something about it.  We are left with doing the little bit we can to glorify Christ in our small sphere of influence and trusting in our Sovereign God with the rest of the circumstances that we can’t control.

God through Christ has taken us from rebellion against him and through love for us has made us His children.  Interacting with Brandon and Kara [his twins from the orphanage] gives me insight into the full extent of God’s graciousness toward me.  These children obviously want to be loved but they are not sure if they trust their new parents yet.  Sometimes Kara will avoid me when she sees me coming.  Other times she will walk into room and greet me.  I’m certain she is tentative about the “unknown” future and having difficulty trusting that we will stay with her and care for her in the future.  Each day involves a little inexplicable crying when Josie or I will hold her.  I see the same response in myself often in my lack of trust of God.  He is able to take care of me, and loves with an infinite love, and promises to do so without end; and yet I sometimes lack the full confidence of His capability and live in fear.  As the years go by I pray we will both grow in our trust and love for God.

… [the first praise is for the provision of passports, longer story than we can share here, but a significant breakthrough]

The second hallelujah was a stop at the DHL office where we picked up the visas for the children.  We finally can take the children home!!!!! [If you know Gabe and Josie’s story, this is a huge answer to prayer and just in time as we leave in 2 more days!]

The third was a stop at the local emigration office to show them the passports for the children and the adoption judgments.  Didier has a connection at this office ... [How did this providential connection come around? Didier has known this man for years. God’s providence is so very evident in these details that it makes our hearts want to burst for joy]

Item number four.  We stopped at the office of the local civil judge who gives the “Act of Judgment” for each adopted child within Lubumbashi and the surrounding area.  He is in a powerful position, one of only seven judges in the DRC.  We wanted to be a verifying testament from the other side of the Atlantic that the children being adopted through the Kitumani orphanage were going to loving families and that Didier was very trustworthy.  Judge Puna invited us to his house at 5:00 for a more in depth discussion after his day ended.  What a blessing it was to sit for about an hour and explain the vision and goals of the orphanage and the whole ministry that is going on here.  His response amazed us.  He said “I want to be a part of this ministry also and be used by God in any way I can”.  This is huge.  This man is very influential and makes the function of the orphanage possible.  In a country where corruption abounds this means a future of great potential for other children as he has the ability to ease and expedite the legal processes that are required. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Number five: We then picked up the “Authorization Parental” from the notary to transfer parental rights from the orphanage to us. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are not on U.S. soil yet but I’m starting to get the feeling that these children will be ours after this six month long process.  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is amazing to see how smoothly everything is going.  Josie’s French speaking ability and Phil’s influence as an American pastor and the desire of all of us to see this orphanage be used in many children’s lives is having quite an effect.  God put together a good team here.  We just wanted to help a couple of young children through this adoption process but we have had the opportunity to contribute to a much bigger plan that wasn’t even ours.  We are very excited people as we write this tonight. !!!!!!!!

Can you tell? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Phil’s P.S.: On the judge’s wall was Proverbs 29:14, and on the wall at his house was a poster on the names of God that reveal His character. One that we saw there as well as on a store name in town was “Jehovah Jireh” = “the Lord provides.” He certainly does!]