MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011!

As we pack away our Thanksgiving decorations & prepare for the Christmas season, our hearts are filled with gratitude. Our family has experienced God’s goodness over & over again in the midst of the joys & challenges of the past year. 2011 was filled with miracles & trials. Laughter & tears. Travels & rest. This year we said good-bye to many dear friends who lost their battles with cancer, but are finally home. Their lives remind us that we are just passing through. One of our favorite verses recently has been, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble, He cares for those who trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7).

Jordan turned nine in March & started fourth grade this fall at Arroyo Elementary. It’s so thrilling to watch his inquisitive mind “come alive” as he loves to learn (& asks questions all day long)! He is passionate about reading & shocked our public library volunteers this summer when he completed his third twenty-hour reading chart in less than three weeks! He was recently elected to our school community service committee (“Ripple Kids”) & was thrilled to win his first election!


Aidan turned eight in June & is in third grade. He keeps us laughing all day long! He is incredibly expressive, animated & loves his new kitty (which he named Maui) & playing baseball.


He traveled with Mike & Jenni to El Salvador this summer & collected over 4,000 Silly Bandz (rubber bracelets) to give away in the orphanages. He loved serving in El Salvador & keeps begging to go back! Both boys were featured on the front cover of our local paper for their Silly Bandz project. We are so proud of them!


Jenni is blessed to volunteer in both of the boys’ classrooms. She also leads the Moms in Touch prayer group for our elementary school every week. She is honored to serve as the Outreach Director for All Blessings Intl. Adoptions & led two life-changing orphan outreach teams to El Salvador & Guatemala this year.


Jenni was blessed to attend The Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in KY this May & oversees The So Cal Orphan Care Network. As most of you know, our adoption experience has caused us to become passionate about orphan care & advocacy. We were invited to speak on adoption/orphan care in our recent Orphan Sunday church service and invite you to listen to the message through the link posted below. Our adoption journey has been exciting, emotional, powerful & frustrating. We continue to wait for a referral of a baby girl from South Korea. Pray for our hearts as we ache for our daughter & for the millions of orphans in need of “forever families” around the world.

We are so grateful for our church family, The Village Church of Irvine (VCI) & are excited about the influence VCI has in our community & world. Mike is blessed to serve as an elder & graduated this June from a two-year biblical leadership-training course led by the VCI pastors.


We are honored to oversee the missions & orphan care ministries at VCI. We love partnering with amazing organizations & families that are impacting men, women & children suffering from HIV/AIDS, homelessness, poverty & the orphan crisis throughout the world with hope. Lives are being changed! We hosted many missionaries, friends & families in our home this year & our doors are always open! We love being a “global family” (as our license plate reads)!

Mike continues to work as a Line Producer producing infomercials for Script To Screen Productions in Santa Ana. He loves his staff & is grateful to be part of the production department. He also oversees our side business, Straight Street Production Services (production rentals). Most of the time, he can be found riding bikes or working on elaborate school projects with the boys, cooking a gourmet meal for family or friends or enjoying our beautiful yard.

We were blessed to travel on many trips this year. Jenni enjoyed her annual college girls’ reunion in Carmel - always a highlight of her year! We visited Jenni’s dad’s ranch (north of San Luis Obispo) this spring & adopted our newest pet, Maui (who was just 3 weeks old)!


We were blessed to spend time in Palm Desert with Jenni’s mom & also spent a week at a dessert time-share this August (thanks to good friends!).


Mike & the boys drove to Reno this summer to pick up Mike’s dad & drive him back to our home for an extended visit (an annual tradition).


We also helped Mike’s mom to relocate to OR this fall & got to know the 5 FWY well! We enjoyed the breathtaking drive & loved visiting with Mike’s sisters & family.


We celebrated our 17th anniv in November in a quiet house (thanks to Grandma!) before Jenni flew off to Guatemala (her sixth overseas trip in two years!). Thanksgiving may be behind us, but our hearts are overflowing with gratitude. We are constantly amazed at God’s faithfulness in the midst of every circumstance. We are grateful for each of you as we celebrate the birth of a precious baby boy, who was born in a manger, adopted by his family & changed the world forever!

Captivated in Guatemala (with reflections on our adoption journey)...

Last week I (Jenni) had the privilege of leading a team of nine volunteers to serve in the beautiful country of Guatemala. As our team ascended into the air towards Guatemala City on American Airlines, I opened my journal and reflected on the faithfulness of God. My adoption journal has captured the incredible journey that began in June, 2007. At that time, we believed that God had called us to adopt our next child. We were excited about our adoption journey and were completely unaware of the adventure and calling that lay ahead.


Mailing our adoption documents for El Salvador (January, 2008). Our adoption in El Salvador eventually failed and we lost over $15,000.

As I look back over the past four and a half years, I am simply amazed at all that God has done. We believed that our adoption adventure would consist of opening our home to a child, but this journey has radically opened our hearts to orphans all over the world. The Lord has birthed an indescribable passion and calling in our lives for adoption and orphan advocacy. He has opened doors and created opportunities that have been life changing! Our adoption story has been filled with heartache, deception, shock, tears and confusion. However, it has also been filled with miracles, divine appointments, new friendships and opportunities to speak, write and lead teams to journey directly into God's heart for orphans.

As I flipped through the journal pages and was reminded of the emotions, miracles and adventures of the past four and a half years, I was in awe. I realized (to my surprise) that this trip to Guatemala had been scheduled exactly two years after my first orphan outreach trip to El Salvador. During that trip I fell in love with the El Salvadorian children, but became aware of heart wrenching issues related to orphans as well as unethical practices in adoptions. It was also on that trip that I was introduced to my dear friend Lucy Armistead, who later invited me to join the staff of All Blessings Intl. Adoptions as their International Outreach Coordinator.


My first trip to El Salvador... falling in love with the children! Little Carolina completely captured my heart!

I have now had the privilege of leading six orphan outreach teams (in two years) - four to El Salvador and two to Guatemala. These teams have had the opportunity to bring gifts, touch, love and hope to hundreds of orphans. It has truly been an honor to serve in six orphanages and to touch the indelible faces of abandoned and abused children. I have fallen in love over and over again and my heart has been broken for the things that break the heart of God.

While our family continues to wait for the referral of a baby girl from Asia, the Lord is quickening our hearts for His orphans. It has been so exciting to birth "Sprouts," an orphan care ministry in our home church. We currently have seven families in our church who are either in the process or are considering adoption or foster care. Wow! Mike and I have been humbled to speak on adoption/orphan care in our church and helped to organize a blood drive to raise funds for our church adoption fund last year.


Speaking in a panel on adoption/orphan care at The Village Church of Irvine and volunteering with Show Hope.

It has been a thrill to form The So Cal Orphan Care Network in the past year. Our network currently has over fifty leaders connected to our group. I have been blessed to represent All Blessings Intl. Adoptions at various venues and attended The Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in KY this spring. It has been an unbelievable journey and our hearts are overflowing with gratitude. We are especially grateful that both of our boys been able to serve in El Salvador and have gained hearts for orphans as well. As I journaled, prayed and prepared to lead this team to serve "the least of these" in Guatemala, I was reminded of the faithful hand of God. He promises to lead and guide His children if we trust Him with all of our hearts. He has been faithful to our family and has kept His promises in our lives.


The boys loved serving in El Salvador (Aidan in July, 2011 and Jordan in March, 2010).

The trip to Guatemala this past week was so impactful that it is difficult to describe in words. The Guatemalan people captivated us with their joyful spirits and grateful hearts, despite their poverty levels and heart wrenching experiences of extreme tragedies. It has been said over and over again by our team members, but it must be repeated. We traveled to Guatemala to "bless the people," but they blessed us beyond belief. Their faces will remain in our hearts forever. Their words of gratitude, expressed through tears, are like hidden treasures in our minds. The precious children in the orphanage touched us deeply. Their stories broke our hearts and caused many team members to weep, but their joy, laughter and hugs healed us.

As I reflect on the past six orphan outreach teams, it is clear that each team has left an imprint on my heart. However, this team was especially unique. This trip was extremely emotional due to many personal losses in the lives of our team members. While we spent many team meetings laughing and joking together, there were also many tears. At times, our team members were able to relate to some of the painful losses of the Guatemalan people, and that was priceless. I watched this team come together in a deep and powerful way to support one another, pray for one another and even carry me through some very emotional moments.

As we ascended back into the air and headed towards home, I realized that I had been captivated. Captivated by the passionate expressions of love and gratitude that our team experienced through the Guatemalan people. But I had also been captivated by God's love and faithfulness in my life, clearly seen through my journal reflections as well as His sovereignly hand-picked team, who selflessly served the Guatemalan people and will remain forever in my heart.


To read stories and view photos from our trip, visit our orphan outreach blog at:
www.allblessingswest.blogspot.com

Link to Mike & Jenni's Adoption Messages

On November 6th, 2011, our church was honored to partner with hundreds of churches around the world in celebrating "Orphan Sunday." Mike and I were humbled to speak on "Caring for Orphans" with a panel (which included three members from our missions board). Please click on the link below to hear the forty minute message. Note: Mike gives a brief introduction, Glynn Smith (founder of Beacon of Hope Ministries, South Africa) speaks on the issue of AIDS/HIV and orphans, and Jenni addresses practical ways to serve orphans at the end.

http://www.villagechurchirvine.com/sermons/sermon/missions-sunday---orphan-sunday


Mike also preached a sermon on "God's Heart for Adoption" in February, 2011. It was a powerful message, which included some personal thoughts on our adoption journey. To listen to his message, click here:

http://www.villagechurchirvine.com/sermons/sermon/adopted-in-christ

Our first adoption grant!!!

This week we received a $2,000 adoption grant from Show Hope! We are humbled, grateful and incredibly blessed!

The vision of Show Hope is to enable individuals and communities to change the world for orphans by not only addressing a child’s need for food, shelter, care, and spiritual nourishment, but by also addressing the root issue for an orphan: the lack of a family. Show Hope was founded by Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman. Their music as well as their family's adoption journey has had a profound influence on our lives.


Four years ago (when we started our adoption journey) I volunteered at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert and helped to collect funds for Show Hope adoption grants. Steven invited an adopting family onto the stage during the concert, and blessed them with the funds that were raised that night. It was a powerful experience that I will never forget. I am so grateful that our family is now another recipient of their heart and passion for orphans.

THANK YOU SHOW HOPE FOR SUPPORTING OUR FAMILY!!!

Life Lessons from Legos

This summer the boys attended one of their favorite camps: Lego Camp!!! The camp is hosted by a group of friends from our school. Picture sixteen boys sitting quietly building Lego bricks... they love it! Of course they also have snacks, swimming and hold "serious" Lego competitions.

Over the last few years we have learned some difficult but essential lessons about money. Our family is debt free and we plan to stay that way! We constantly talk with the boys about being "wise with our money." So when Lego Camp came along, we did not plan to buy new Lego sets for the boys. By the third day of camp, I realized that all of the other kids were bringing new Lego sets to build. Our boys asked (yes, and even whined!) a few times for new sets to build, but I continually said no. They each had huge boxes of Legos and plenty of bricks to build! As I stepped into my car after kissing the boys good bye, it hit me. I was going to buy them Legos. Why? Not because they had earned them or even deserved them. Simply because I loved them... and wanted to bless and surprise them!

I called Mike to get his thoughts. He had just gotten an unexpected check at work. Yippee!!! We met at Toys R Us and had so much fun picking out their Legos! They had no idea that we were shopping while they were at camp... As I stepped back into my car with Lego sets in the trunk, my heart lept with excitement! I couldn't drive back to the camp fast enough! I love our boys passionately and was so excited to bless them! When I showed up at the house, the boys were surprised to see me. I told them that I wanted to talk with them outside. Then I shared how much their dad and I love them and how we LOVE to bless them... simple because of our love for them. I opened the car and showed them their brand new Lego sets. They were ecstatic! They screamed and thanked us over and over again. What a memory!


As I pulled away that day, I heard the small whisper of God's voice in my mind. "This is exactly how I feel about you. You have no idea how I am working and preparing tremendous blessings in your life. I choose to bless you simply because I love you. Because you are my daughter." Wow! What a profound life lesson! So many times I question God's timing and plans, when all along His plans are perfect. This summer I have struggled with the timing of our adoption, and God reminded me that He has been working all things together for good. What a wonderful life lesson from a box of Legos!

Jenni's Response to the El Salvador Article Printed in The OC Register

We are grateful to The OC Register for printing a story about Aidan's Silly Bandz outreach project. The article was titled "North Tustin brothers would rather give than receive."

To read the article, click here:

http://www.ocregister.com/news/salvador-309547-aidan-jenni.html

The original article (printed on July 23rd, 2011) contained a number of errors. We are grateful for the immediate response of the OC Register staff, who corrected the errors. The article will be reprinted in The Tustin News this week. I have included some additional information below which was not printed in the article:

(1) Our background in outreach/humanitarian aide. Mike and I have been honored to serve overseas in relief, development and outreach for over twenty years. Together we have served in over sixty countries. I am blessed to serve as the Missions Director at The Village Church of Irvine. Mike serves as the Elders of Missions at The Village Church and we have both lead many international outreach teams all over the world. Mike first visited El Salvador in 2006 to participate in an orphanage dedication and my work in El Salvador began in 2009.

(2) Our Adoption Journey. The writer did not include detailed information about our adoption. He only mentioned that our orphan outreach trips started through our desire to adopt in El Salvador. Unfortunately, we withdrew from the El Salvador adoption program last year after experiencing ongoing delays and corruption in our case. It was a heart breaking and devastating decision to withdraw from the program after waiting for over three years. We lost $15,000 when we withdrew from El Salvador and had to begin the process of adoption all over again. Last fall we were accepted to adopt from South Korea, and our family is anxiously waiting to be matched with a baby girl. We are currently raising funds for our adoption in Korea.

While we originally hoped to adopt in El Salvador, we believe that our orphan work in this country was part of our destiny. Our "eyes were opened" to the tremendous needs of El Salvador's orphans through our adoption journey. We are deeply passionate about adoption, which is why I work for an international adoption agency. We strongly believe that adoption or family reunification is the best outcome for every child, and that no child should grow up in an orphanage. Every child deserves a "forever family." We are honored to partner with two Christian ministries in El Salvador, which passionately care for the interests of orphaned children. The families that we serve under truly work "on the front lines of the battlefield in El Salvador" and we are priviledged to bring "relief and support" as we serve them through our trips.

Giving Away Our Shoes...

I have included two of the blog posts written on our orphan outreach blog during our recent El Salvador trip. To read through all of the blog posts, click onto:

www.allblessingswest.blogspot.com

Last night we arrived at The Calvary Chapel property, "Potter's Field." Potter's Field is a beautiful, lush and tropical "refuge," a sharp contrast from the shantytown located right outside the large green doors and concrete walls. This ministry was birthed by Dave Eason's (one of our team members) grandparents in 1968 and their family has a tremendous legacy in this place. Dave's father, Dave Eason Senior, is serving alongside our team and he has been a tremendous blessing. We have settled in here for the remaining last three days of the trip. This afternoon we will be serving a children's neighborhood outreach in a poor village about 1 1/2 hours away. We are bringing arts and crafts, pinatas, silly bands and hearts ready to serve.

Yesterday was our last day serving at CIPI, the government center. We brought the kids pinatas and took time visiting each group area to say our tearful good byes. It was also a blessing to bring shoes to most of the children, who laughed, screamed and loved picking their "perfect pair" of shoes. When we opened the bags of shoes in the teenage girls' area, we realized in grave disappointment that we did not have enough shoes for these girls. We had one bag filled with clothes, and some of the girls chose clothing instead of shoes. However, a few girls remained with empty looks, wondering if they would receive any shoes. Then something supernatural happened. We had recorded their shoe sizes, and realized that some of our team members were the exact same size. Amanda, Kendall, Jacque and I were honored to give up our shoes to bless these precious girls, who literally own nothing. Amanda later shared that her shoes were recently purchased (Nike running shoes), but God clearly spoke to her to give them away.


It's one thing to give away shoes that have been donated, but another to gladly take the shoes off your feet and walk away shoeless. I am so proud of this team and the way in which they selflessly give and serve. One of the highlights of the trip for me has been watching God powerfully transform the team members' lives. God is constantly reminding me that these trips are part of the "fruit" of our failed adoption. It is incredible. While our dream of adopting in El Salvador has been lost, we are honored to continue to serve His orphans through leading these teams. And He has not forgotten us. He has led us to wait and trust Him as one day we will finally hold and carry home our little Korean princess.