We have been overwhelmed by the love and support that we have received over the past two weeks! Today we were notified of our current balance in our fundraising account through Lifesong for Orphans. We have been deeply moved by each financial gift. We have received $7,000 in donations! We are overwhelmed, speechless and immensely grateful for all of the encouragement we have received since announcing the news of our referral. Every gift brings us a little closer to holding Hailey in our arms!
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they make take hold of the life that is truly life." - I Timothy 6:17-19
We still need to raise close to $12,000 to bring Hailey home and are so excited about this amazing adventure! We recently connected with a travel agent who helps adopting families in booking last minute flights. When we get our "travel call" from our agency, we will need to travel to Seoul within one week! We are praying for great rates and know that everything will come together in God's perfect timing! Thank you again for your love, support, excitement and prayers!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Remembering June 21, 2007
TODAY MARKS EXACTLY 5 YEARS SINCE WE STARTED OUR ADOPTION JOURNEY! On June 21, 2007, we were totally overwhelmed with a $30,000 mold/water damage claim in our home. Our insurance would not cover the claim (since they considered it a pre-existing claim). I had just lost my job (and insurance coverage for our family) and we were considering international adoption. Were we crazy? How could we afford an international adoption after losing my job and facing this huge claim?
It was Aidan's 4th birthday. Mike and I prayed specifically that morning and asked God to miraculously help with our water claim to confirm our adoption journey. We received a call that afternoon from GE that blew us away. Someone had encouraged Mike to contact GE (since our GE fridg had caused the damage), so he sent GE a fax with the claim information. GE contacted us that same afternoon and I'll never forget that call. They asked me, "Where do we send the $28,000 check?" I was shocked and burst into tears, not only because the claim was being covered, but because God made our adoption call so clear.
It was Aidan's 4th birthday. Mike and I prayed specifically that morning and asked God to miraculously help with our water claim to confirm our adoption journey. We received a call that afternoon from GE that blew us away. Someone had encouraged Mike to contact GE (since our GE fridg had caused the damage), so he sent GE a fax with the claim information. GE contacted us that same afternoon and I'll never forget that call. They asked me, "Where do we send the $28,000 check?" I was shocked and burst into tears, not only because the claim was being covered, but because God made our adoption call so clear.
In order to cut costs on our house claim, we did some of the work ourselves.
The boys had fun helping! We had to completely replace the wood flooring and walls.
After 5 years of trying to adopt in 3 countries, we have finally seen the beautiful face of our little Korean princess. To be honest, over the past few weeks I have been dreading today. I thought that June 21 would arrive with the sadness of another failed adoption. But we received news last week that changed everything! June 21 will always be a special day as we celebrate the birth of our second child and the calling to adopt our third!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Seeing her face for the first time!!!
"The Lord longs to be gracious to you, he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" - Isaiah 30:18
On Tuesday, June 12th, at 7:45 am, it finally happened! I (Jenni) was prompted to check my emails while the boys were finishing breakfast before school. I don't normally check my email at this time, but something led me to the computer. In shock, I read this short, but life-changing note from our Korea program director:
"Urgent! Call me when you have a minute. Pretty important. Thanks, Tammy"
I instantly knew that this was it. I screamed at Mike and picked up the phone. Words can not describe the shock and numbness I felt when I heard the words, "You have a referral of a little girl!" To be honest, we are still in a bit of shock, pinching ourselves and wondering if this is real!
We are unable to post photos of our daughter until we have a password protected blog site.
We learned that our precious daughter was born on June 10, 2011, and she is currently being cared for by a Christian foster family in Seoul. It was indescribable seeing her face for the first time! We were overwhelmed, scared, excited, anxious and thrilled beyond belief. Our boys were ecstatic, and I'll never forget Aidan's words, "I'm finally going to be a big brother!" The past few days have been a blurr as we've filled out extensive paperwork, met with our social worker and reviewed our daughter's medical history with two doctors.
Our referral included photos of our daughter, background information on her birth family, detailed descriptions of her development, eating, playing and sleeping schedule as well as an extensive medical history. We are so grateful for the level of care that our daughter has received! We officially accepted the referral on June 14, Mike's 44th birthday! Our daughter's packet arrived that morning via FedEx. What an unbelievable birthday gift! The packet included twenty photos of our daughter, one photo with her foster mother, two books about Korea and a daunting stack of paperwork! We completed and notarized all of the paperwork that day and expect our "Acceptance to Korea" (ATK) paperwork to be delivered on Monday!
There are so many incredible details that we would love to share about this unbelievable week. Here are a few:
(1) When we received our referral, our home study was outdated (due to our recent move). This means that our new house had not been approved for an adoption by a social worker. When we moved in April, we were questioning if we would ever receive a referral, so we decided not to contact our home study agency. We almost gave away all our baby clothes, furniture and toys during our move! After speaking with our Korea program director, I immediately called our social worker, who typically works on adoption cases on weekends, to ask if he could come to our house ASAP! He lives an hour away, but it just "so happened" that he had a scheduled appointment that day with friends of ours (who had just returned with their daughter from China) just a few miles away from us! He was able to stop by our house that evening and our home study was updated the following morning. Unbelievable!
(2) Our adoption agency required us to review our daughter's medical files with an international adoption specialist as well as our family doctor. Both doctors were able to review and respond to her file within 24 hours, and both confirmed that she is healthy and thriving. The email response from our family doctor absolutely shocked and sobered us, especially since we had decided to make our final decision after receiving the doctors' responses:
On Tuesday, June 12th, at 7:45 am, it finally happened! I (Jenni) was prompted to check my emails while the boys were finishing breakfast before school. I don't normally check my email at this time, but something led me to the computer. In shock, I read this short, but life-changing note from our Korea program director:
"Urgent! Call me when you have a minute. Pretty important. Thanks, Tammy"
I instantly knew that this was it. I screamed at Mike and picked up the phone. Words can not describe the shock and numbness I felt when I heard the words, "You have a referral of a little girl!" To be honest, we are still in a bit of shock, pinching ourselves and wondering if this is real!
We are unable to post photos of our daughter until we have a password protected blog site.
Stay tuned for details!
We learned that our precious daughter was born on June 10, 2011, and she is currently being cared for by a Christian foster family in Seoul. It was indescribable seeing her face for the first time! We were overwhelmed, scared, excited, anxious and thrilled beyond belief. Our boys were ecstatic, and I'll never forget Aidan's words, "I'm finally going to be a big brother!" The past few days have been a blurr as we've filled out extensive paperwork, met with our social worker and reviewed our daughter's medical history with two doctors.
Our referral included photos of our daughter, background information on her birth family, detailed descriptions of her development, eating, playing and sleeping schedule as well as an extensive medical history. We are so grateful for the level of care that our daughter has received! We officially accepted the referral on June 14, Mike's 44th birthday! Our daughter's packet arrived that morning via FedEx. What an unbelievable birthday gift! The packet included twenty photos of our daughter, one photo with her foster mother, two books about Korea and a daunting stack of paperwork! We completed and notarized all of the paperwork that day and expect our "Acceptance to Korea" (ATK) paperwork to be delivered on Monday!
There are so many incredible details that we would love to share about this unbelievable week. Here are a few:
(1) When we received our referral, our home study was outdated (due to our recent move). This means that our new house had not been approved for an adoption by a social worker. When we moved in April, we were questioning if we would ever receive a referral, so we decided not to contact our home study agency. We almost gave away all our baby clothes, furniture and toys during our move! After speaking with our Korea program director, I immediately called our social worker, who typically works on adoption cases on weekends, to ask if he could come to our house ASAP! He lives an hour away, but it just "so happened" that he had a scheduled appointment that day with friends of ours (who had just returned with their daughter from China) just a few miles away from us! He was able to stop by our house that evening and our home study was updated the following morning. Unbelievable!
(2) Our adoption agency required us to review our daughter's medical files with an international adoption specialist as well as our family doctor. Both doctors were able to review and respond to her file within 24 hours, and both confirmed that she is healthy and thriving. The email response from our family doctor absolutely shocked and sobered us, especially since we had decided to make our final decision after receiving the doctors' responses:
"I studied the record and photos of that little girl. She is perfect. She does not have any medical issues. She was sick one time and got better. God is sending her to you! Heed his word." - Dr. Long
(3) In August, 2012, Korea will announce significant program changes which will affect all families. They have announced that families will no longer be able to request the gender of their child. They have also announced that there are very few girls available for adoption. Their current law states that adoptive parents must be younger than 45, and Mike just turned 44 this week. Because of these changes, we were seriously questioning if our family would receive a referral. Needless to say, our referral this week was totally unexpected, especially since families who are "ahead of us in line" have not yet received referrals. Our agency also rushed our referral so that we could be placed in a faster travel group. We hope to travel this fall. Once again, we are reminded that God's timing is perfect and when we follow Him, there are no such things as"coincidences." On Wednesday, June 13, Mike celebrated his birthday a day early with his co-workers. They took him out for lunch and he chose Korean food. That night we were able to enjoy a date night while the boys went to youth group. Guess which kind of food he chose again? Korean! It was so fun to finally be able to talk about our daughter's new name, our trip to Korea, her new bedroom, and all of the dreams that we have shared for so many years. It was also special to share "our little secret" between the two of us. As you can see from the photo below, his fortune cookie said, "Good things come to those who wait. Be patient."   After dinner we walked across the street to a Korean market. We literally felt like we were in Seoul and know that we will return to this market many times. I found my favorite book, "Radical" in Korean and was so excited!   We wandered through the store laughing, taking in the sites and smells and wondering what kind of food our daughter eats and how we will incorporate her Korean life into our American world. Words can not describe the emotions that we have experienced this week. We are overwhelmed, grateful and amazed by the faithfulness of our God. In January, 2008, a friend gave me this verse to claim over our adoption: "But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient. For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." - Habakkuk 2:3 We have learned so much these past five years about waiting on God and trusting His timing. And we are amazed by all that He has done as we have waited. This blog is filled with many of the miraculous stories that we have experienced during our season of waiting. Next month I am privileged to lead my eighth orphan outreach team to the beautiful country of El Salvador. Through this long season of waiting for our daughter, God has placed a lifelong calling over our family to care for and advocate for orphans. We have been honored to lead teams, start an orphan care ministry in our church and birth "The So Cal Orphan Care Network." We will continue to share the cry of the orphan with everyone that we meet. There are approximately 147 million orphans in the world and this is an international crisis that can not be ignored. But this week brings good news! There is one less orphan in the world. Our daughter is no longer an orphan. She is a Ramsey!  We are finally posting this exciting update on Father's Day! What a special Father's Day for Mike! We surprised our church body this morning and shared the news at the end of the service. We displayed our daughter's photo up on the screen so that everyone could celebrate along with us, and there were many shouts of joy and tears. What an unforgettable day!
We still need to raise close to $20,000 in order to bring our daughter home. If you would like to support our adoption costs, you can give a tax-deductible gift through Lifesong for Orphans (see info on the right side of the blog). We also have a personal adoption savings fund if you would like to contribute directly to us. We will continue to update our fundraising status on the blog. These remaining costs include Korean adoption fees (for foster care, medical care, visas, etc.), immigration fees, travel costs to Korea and post placement social worker visits. It is our deep desire to bring our boys with us to Korea, but this will depend on how much funds are raised and the timing of travel. Please pray with us as we continue to journey through our amazing adoption adventures!
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Reflections on The Orphan Summit
This month I was thrilled to attend the eighth annual Summit, hosted by Christian Alliance for Orphans. The Summit is held in a different city each year and this year it took place right in our own backyard (at Saddleback Church). Last year I flew to KY to attend The Summit, and next year I hope to travel to Nashville for The Summit IX. For more information on Christian Alliance for Orphans or The Summit, visit:
Christian Alliance For Orphans
I was extremely honored to attend an all day, pre-Summit training on attachment led by world-renowned attachment specialist, Karyn Purvis and marriage/family therapists Milan and Kay Yerkovich. I loved learning about the hope of healing in the midst of trauma through brain development and trust-based relational intervention. One of my favorite quotes from Karyn was that "Science catches up with God." It was incredible to grasp how certain foods, sensory activities, appropriate touch and connection can actually heal the brain of a traumatized child.
Rick Warren challenged us with the fact that if one person in one out of every four churches in the US adopted out of foster care, foster care would no longer exist in the United States. Wow! We learned that 80% of the men in prison in the US lived in foster care as children. He also challenged us with the fact that the Church is the only answer to the orphan crisis. Why? He listed the following reasons:
(1) We have the largest participation (2.4 billion Christians)
(2) We have the widest distribution
(3) We have the longest track record
(4) The church has the fastest expansion (60,000 people come to Christ every day)
(5) We have the highest motivation - LOVE!
(6) We have the strongest authorization - THE GREAT COMMISSION!
(7) We have the simplest administration
(8) We have the greatest conclusion
There are many stories, thoughts and experiences that I continue to process after attending The Summit. One thing is for sure, I can't wait to get on a plane to El Salvador this Saturday and love on the precious children who we sadly call "orphans." They have been forgotten, abandoned and abused. But our team will bring hope, joy, laughter, loving touch, gifts and the reminder that their Heavenly Father loves them. He has not forgotten them. He is right there in their midst. And that's what it's all about!
Christian Alliance For Orphans
One of the highlights for me personally this year was being able to attend The Summit with so many friends and family members as well as members of our So Cal Orphan Care Network. We shared lots of tears, laughter, and joy as we experienced The Summit together! We were moved and challenged by speakers like Pastor Rick Warren, Francis Chan, Steven Curtis Chapman, the Honourable Susan Jacobs from the US State Department and The Honourable Inymba Aloisa, Minister of Family Promotions, Rwanda. Rwanda's goal is to be the first country to place every orphan into a permanent home and they are close to achieving their goal. The story of God's healing in Rwanda after a horrific genocide, which left one half million children orphaned, is unparalled. We were absolutely amazed to hear unforgettable stories throughout The Summit of the miracle of adoption and the father heart of God.
It's nearly impossible to summarize what I learned, felt and was inspired by in one blog post. But I'll try to express a few thoughts. The overall sense that we all walked away with is the fact that adoption is the heart of the gospel. As Christians, our calling to adoption is gospel led and gospel centered. Our heavenly father reached down from Heaven and adopted us as His sons and His daughters. He adopted us in our sin, rebellion and brokenness. We therefore love orphans through foster care, orphan care and adoption out of His marvelous love for us. We were reminded again and again of God's love for His children and the redemptive miracle of caring for the fatherless. The Church has been given the incredible privilege and responsibility to display God's love to the world through caring for His precious children. We are not the "rescuers" of children. God is. And we are privileged to be His hands and His feet as we care for His children.
I was extremely honored to attend an all day, pre-Summit training on attachment led by world-renowned attachment specialist, Karyn Purvis and marriage/family therapists Milan and Kay Yerkovich. I loved learning about the hope of healing in the midst of trauma through brain development and trust-based relational intervention. One of my favorite quotes from Karyn was that "Science catches up with God." It was incredible to grasp how certain foods, sensory activities, appropriate touch and connection can actually heal the brain of a traumatized child.
Rick Warren challenged us with the fact that if one person in one out of every four churches in the US adopted out of foster care, foster care would no longer exist in the United States. Wow! We learned that 80% of the men in prison in the US lived in foster care as children. He also challenged us with the fact that the Church is the only answer to the orphan crisis. Why? He listed the following reasons:
(1) We have the largest participation (2.4 billion Christians)
(2) We have the widest distribution
(3) We have the longest track record
(4) The church has the fastest expansion (60,000 people come to Christ every day)
(5) We have the highest motivation - LOVE!
(6) We have the strongest authorization - THE GREAT COMMISSION!
(7) We have the simplest administration
(8) We have the greatest conclusion
There are many stories, thoughts and experiences that I continue to process after attending The Summit. One thing is for sure, I can't wait to get on a plane to El Salvador this Saturday and love on the precious children who we sadly call "orphans." They have been forgotten, abandoned and abused. But our team will bring hope, joy, laughter, loving touch, gifts and the reminder that their Heavenly Father loves them. He has not forgotten them. He is right there in their midst. And that's what it's all about!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Home, Sweet Home - We've Moved!
That's right! We moved again! It seems like we have become "professional home movers," fixing up and decorating home after home! What a journey! This was not "part of our plan," but it was God's plan! When our landlord announced his intent to increase rent two months ago, we realized it was time to downsize. We'd just been praying about how to save money as a family, and God made it crystal clear. We found a smaller home that allows us to save significantly. The doors opened quickly through our property management application and the rest is history! We've signed a one year lease and continue to trust God's hand over our family. We are incredibly grateful for our new home. It has clean water, gas and electricity, a pantry and fridg filled with food and plenty of room to host events and make memories as a family. We know that by these standards, we are richer than 97 % of the world and we are truly blessed beyond measure.
Two years ago I was introduced to the book, "Radical," by David Platt. I have been so deeply impacted by this book that it's become required reading for all of our orphan outreach team members. In his book, Platt chronicles the lives of radical Christians who are living sacrificially in order to serve the poor, the destitute, the forgotten and the lost. On page 136, he says:
"It is a constant battle to resist the temptation to have more luxuries, to acquire more stuff, and to live more comfortably. It requires strong and steady resolve to live out the gospel in the middle of an American dream that identifies success as moving up the ladder, getting the bigger house, purchasing the nicer car, buying better clothes, eating the finer good and acquiring more things.
What would happen if together we stopped giving our scraps to the poor and started giving surpluses? Give. Give generously, abundantly and sacrificially. Give not because your stuff is bad. Give because Christ is in you. Give because your heart has been captured by a Savior who has produced in you overflowing joy, welling up in rich generosity (page 131)."
It is our desire as a family to give more, serve more and offer our lives daily to bless others. We are grateful that this new home allows us the freedom to do that. Years ago, our church missions board sent home-made plaques to all of our missionary partners serving throughout the world. The plaques said, "Home is Where the Lord Sends Me." Our plaque is hanging above my office door and reminds us that we are on a mission, He is our Commander and we have the indescribable privilege of knowing, following and serving Him. We are so grateful for our new home, sweet home, and the amazing journey He has called us to!
Our first missions dessert in our new home
(hosting the Scorziells, who serve in Zimbabwe)
my new office
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Jordan heads back to El Salvador!!!
Jordan will be serving with the July El Salvador team! Please take a few minutes to read his letter!
Dear family and friends,
Two years ago I went to El Salvador with my mom and I loved it. I made a lot of new friends even though we spoke different languages.
I am hoping to go again with my mom and a team from our church from July 7-14, 2012. There are nineteen volunteers on our team and half of our team members are kids or teenagers. I think that’s cool! One of my best friends from church, Joshua, is coming on the team with his family and I’m excited to travel with such a big group of friends this time! On my last trip to El Salvador I saw that the orphans were really content and grateful, even though they didn’t have much. I have never forgotten that. I want to go again because I want to bless more orphans and visit the new orphanages where my mom works. My brother, Aidan and my dad got to visit these orphanages last year and I’m excited to go as well. We’ll be helping in a government orphanage and also at a Christian orphanage.
Our team will be throwing a big party for the teenage girls at the government orphanage. These girls have already turned 15 but never had a quinceanera (a traditional Latin celebration for girls). Our team is collecting prom dresses, shoes and jewelry for the girls. We’ll also be making meals and feeding the homeless from the back of a truck one night. I’m looking forward to doing that. My mom told me that a lot of the kids from the government orphanages live on the streets after leaving their orphanages, and that makes me feel sad. I’m glad that we can make them a meal and visit them while we’re there.
Everybody on my team has to remember a Bible verse about orphans. My verse is:
“I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.” - John 14:18
Thank you for your support and for helping me to go visit orphans!
Love,
Jordan Ramsey
Dear family and friends,
Two years ago I went to El Salvador with my mom and I loved it. I made a lot of new friends even though we spoke different languages.
I am hoping to go again with my mom and a team from our church from July 7-14, 2012. There are nineteen volunteers on our team and half of our team members are kids or teenagers. I think that’s cool! One of my best friends from church, Joshua, is coming on the team with his family and I’m excited to travel with such a big group of friends this time! On my last trip to El Salvador I saw that the orphans were really content and grateful, even though they didn’t have much. I have never forgotten that. I want to go again because I want to bless more orphans and visit the new orphanages where my mom works. My brother, Aidan and my dad got to visit these orphanages last year and I’m excited to go as well. We’ll be helping in a government orphanage and also at a Christian orphanage.
Our team will be throwing a big party for the teenage girls at the government orphanage. These girls have already turned 15 but never had a quinceanera (a traditional Latin celebration for girls). Our team is collecting prom dresses, shoes and jewelry for the girls. We’ll also be making meals and feeding the homeless from the back of a truck one night. I’m looking forward to doing that. My mom told me that a lot of the kids from the government orphanages live on the streets after leaving their orphanages, and that makes me feel sad. I’m glad that we can make them a meal and visit them while we’re there.
Everybody on my team has to remember a Bible verse about orphans. My verse is:
“I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.” - John 14:18
Thank you for your support and for helping me to go visit orphans!
Love,
Jordan Ramsey
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
THE SO CAL ORPHAN CARE NETWORK
Karen Yates, an adoptive mom and popular blogger who formerly worked for Amazima Ministries, recently wrote an incredible blog post about The So Cal Orphan Care Network entitled "Start an Orphan Care Network". The So Cal Orphan Care Network was launched in 2011 by Jenni Ramsey, to provide support and encouragement to churches in So Cal with a passion for foster care, emancipated youth, orphan care or adoption.
Members of The So Cal Orphan Care Network volunteering at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert in November, 2011
The network has grown to over fifty members in the past year and God has done amazing things in our midst! We will be gathering again next Tues, April 24 from 7-9 pm at 17491 Parker in Tustin and everyone is welcome. Karen Dunkelberger, Executive Director of Foster Care and Adoptions for Olive Crest, will be speaking. Feel free to invite anyone who is interested in foster care, orphan care, or adoption!
To read more about Jenni's launching of the So Cal Orphan Care Network, visit Karen's blog (dated April 16, 2012) at :
www.kareneyates.com
Members of The So Cal Orphan Care Network volunteering at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert in November, 2011
The network has grown to over fifty members in the past year and God has done amazing things in our midst! We will be gathering again next Tues, April 24 from 7-9 pm at 17491 Parker in Tustin and everyone is welcome. Karen Dunkelberger, Executive Director of Foster Care and Adoptions for Olive Crest, will be speaking. Feel free to invite anyone who is interested in foster care, orphan care, or adoption!
To read more about Jenni's launching of the So Cal Orphan Care Network, visit Karen's blog (dated April 16, 2012) at :
www.kareneyates.com
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