Modern day Heroes of the Faith!

These people are my heroes! I stumbled onto their blog a couple of years ago, listening to Kelsey's message on adoption while I was looking for something else online. I have followed their journey to first adopt one little girl and just now twin girls. These guys rock, including their children! They live on the cutting edge - involved in IHOP and THE CALL, living by faith and making history (I believe).

When I read about their absolutely incredible story about adopting the twins, I was so touched - even felt a little "jealous", if you can use that word.

My heart was screaming out - I WAS MADE FOR THIS, TOO! I WANT TO DO THIS, TOO!

Anyways, have a look - and PRAY for them! They need all the help they can get these days! If there is any way you can, GIVE to them, too! Money you give to them is well invested, for sure!!!

For us to have (and keep) Shayden, we don't have to put out a dollar. For them, this adoption is costing them US$15,000! (and this is "cheap" compared to "normal" adoptions)

Cat in the Hat and more

For the last day of school before the 2-week break, Kylie's class had a special Dr.Seuss day and everybody had to dress up as a Dr.Seuss character. Here she is - our CAT IN THE HAT:Practicing reading before going off to school

kitten in the hat =)

As sweet as Kylie looks (and is), she's got her moments, like all kids. A couple of days ago, she was very defiant and disrespectful to Rich. When he threatened her with a spanking, she replied, even more defiantly: "Then I'll tell my prinicipal!"

Can you believe this?!!

Spanking, or smacking, as they call it in New Zealand, is against the law here. In her 1 month at school, Kylie has obviously been told that if she got smacked by her parents, she could/should tell her principal. Whew!!!

Both Rich and I were taken aback by her comment.
We yet have to decide our plan of action for the future - good thing we've got 2 weeks =)
We don't spank a lot, but there are times when it's necessary.

With elections coming up in NZ, the only way this law will get changed is if the Kiwi Party gets into Parliament. We know who we will vote for!
Larry Baldock, the Party's founder, is a former YWAM leader - we stayed at his house when we first arrived in NZ - a GREAT guy!!!

Nice work

Jeremie has a passion for working with wood. He is in his last couple of months of school and has just about only the end of year exams left. When we get back from our trip to Germany and the US, he is planning on starting an apprenticeship in woodworks (still has to find a suitable place).

It's a bit of a challenge, since there are not many options in Tauranga, and Jeremie feels to stick around for a bit :)

These two projects are what he's been working on in the last months. Well done, Jeremie!!!

The fur reflected in the mirror is from a rabbit he hunted a little while ago

He doesn't like the shade so much, but it was all he could find (it can always be changed)

Yesterday was the last day of school before a 2-week break. Jeremie will be gone to help with kids camps for most of the 2 weeks - something he enjoys doing just about every vacation.

Jeremie's a great big brother!!!

Shayden update

I will keep this short for today - just letting you know that the second family that came to meet Shayden and talk with me about what it means to take care of him, has decided against having him.

I already felt in my heart they were going to decline right after the visit (although they had left it open) and their decision didn't take me by surprise at all.

Since last week-end, LOTS has happened - - - way too much to tell you the whole story. Suffice to say that Rich and I are in the process of seriously reconsidering keeping Shayden after all - against all the odds and seeming impossibilities. And not because there is no one out there any more that may be interested (there are a couple of families that are possibly interested).

The conviction is growing in our hearts that it is God's will for Shayden to be part of our family - - - we think.
We are still not 100% sure - - - but need to make a decision very soon.

If we are keeping him, we will also take him with us on our trip. God will have to help BIG TIME, but if he is placing Shayden into our family, he will!

Toffee is gone

Our beautiful Golden Retriever Toffee has left our family... :(

We decided - some of us with heavier hearts than others - that Toffee needed to find a new family.

Since we moved into our new rental a couple of months ago, we have been having recurring problems with her wandering off. A few times she was brought back by not so happy neighbours with sheep. And a couple of times we had to pick her up at the pound :(

Since our new home - or better, garden - isn't fenced in, the only alternative would have been to attach her all the time, which isn't a great life for a dog.

She is now staying with friends who are PERFECT for her - and she for them! We are thrilled for her and them, but we do miss her around here.

A month or so ago we already had to give the cat away, that we had "inherited" with our new home, because he was NOT GOOD with Kylie and Shayden - and outright dangerous.

Kylie had a hard cry for a few minutes when Toffee left, but then she was fine. She definitely wants another cat and/or dog.

We'll see - - - I'm not so sure about that.

Another one of Kylie's sayings

We've been having lots of guests since we've moved to our new home. When Kylie met our new guest from Finland this week (she's come from Sydney to spend some time at the House of Prayer), Kylie asked her, "Did you come to learn how to do meetings?"
She sure makes us laugh - she's got her own perspective on things!

Tomorrow morning, I will have the visit of 2 social workers plus a woman that wants to meet Shayden and find out from me what it takes to take care of him. She and her husband are SERIOUSLY interested in having him! The whole thing will be video-taped by one of the social-workers, so that her husband, who won't be able to come, will be able to get a feel "first-hand". Then they will hopefully make a decision by early next week...

Sounds promising - yay!

Shayden

I was getting really desperate last week, since still no family had been found for Shayden - and time is ticking away...

Even tried to re-consider taking him with us on our big trip - - - but it REALLY isn't possible.

My heart just about in anguish - - - holding on tight to God - praying...

Got an email from social services on Thursday. They have now put the plea of little Shayden out to all the offices in NZ. Seems that 2 families are interested in having him - permanently ...

Don't know any more details for now. Hopefully more next week.

Watch this space!

Little man has become a "climber" - spent the better part of Friday on one of our chairs - up and down and up and down. Will conquer our dining room table in a matter of seconds. All chairs need to be far removed from the table at the moment. He hasn't figured out yet how to push them closer - I'm sure it won't be long.

I love him so much and can't bear the thought of what will happen to his little heart that has already been through so much.

Check this out

If you want to see a photo of the DTS crew, have a look at this blog!

Discipleship Training School

Rich LOVES working with the DTS! There are 16 students from 6 nations (NZ, Australia, USA, Canada, Korea, Paraguay) and staff from NZ, USA, Switzerland, Finland.

Here's a photo of a recent staff meeting at our house (some of them are only part-time).

Rich says working with the DTS makes him feel young:) - YAY!!!

Most of the students are 18-20. One American student is 72 (!), doing the school with her 2 granddaughters that are 18 and 19. How 'bout that?!!!

Another student who got saved at one of the IWT evangelistic campaigns in NZ (that we were involved with 4 years ago), was going to cancel in the last minute because of lack of finances.

Encouraged by a staff member to press on, come anyways and trust God for the finances, he saw a huge breakthrough later that day and got his whole school payed for!

This week, they are learning about the character and nature of God from Aaron Walsh from the Tauranga House of Prayer. FANTASTIC stuff, from what I'm hearing!

The DTS is spending a fair amount of time at the "House of Prayer" - what a blessing!!!

AND - did you ever wonder what DTS leaders do on their day off??? Wonder no more - last Saturday morning, these three went off to a nearby lake with Kayaks and brought these beauties - trout - home!

Great times!

Quote of the day

... by Kylie:

Somebody in the family: "What is temptation?"

Kylie, without hesitation, blurting out: "Chocolate!"

Out of the mouth of babes - - - hihi!

First bird leaving the nest

As I'm writing, Nathalie is sitting in the airport in Tahiti in transit, waiting for her flight to Los Angeles. It was a bit emotional for me to see her leave this morning, but I'm alright now - and I really am excited for her and all that's ahead for her in the next 7 months!

Comforting, too, that we'll see her again in Germany on Dec.20th for my nephew's wedding - for a week - including Christmas - before she'll take off on outreach (to who knows where).

She has another 20 hours of traveling until she'll be with her grandparents in Washington.

Love you, sweetpea!

Full day - good day

Now that I've FINALLY learned how to do links, I've got to try one. Thanks Tracie!
Rich is working here tonight (from 7pm to 7am) - one of the volunteers :)
He started doing 12-hour shifts after his training with Rescue-net in Australia last month - to keep his skills sharp. He LOVES it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully there won't be too many calls tonight and he'll get some sleep, because tomorrow is promising to be another full day with the DTS.

How 'bout that for links - yay!

I've had a fabulous day catching up with a friend from Tahiti who came to visit just for a day (!) with her son - hadn't seen them in almost 3 years! It was a nice day and we spent some time outside - eating oranges straight from the tree. Spring is on the way!!! I am so excited!!! Had enough of winter for while!

"Mom, I made some piles"

On Saturday I was looking through this site http://www.mission-live.de/lifecapture/impressionen.htm (sorry, I don't know how to make it work as just a simple link - help anyone?).

I wanted to find a good short video from the YWAM base where Nathalie is going to do her DTS to show at the farewell party. Kylie was standing next to me and as she was watching the footage that included poor children in developing nations, she kept saying, quite passionately, "I will feed them! I will give them clothes! I will take care of them!". I didn't pay much attention to her, since I was really busy, and didn't say anything in answer of what she kept repeating.

We chose a totally different video from another site and didn't mention the poor children anymore.

This morning (Monday) at breakfast, she said, "Mommy, do you want to look in my bedroom? I chose some of my things that I want to give to the poor children. I made some piles. Do you want to have a look?"

This is what I found:

This girl means business! She even reminded me late this afternoon, that we need to give those piles to the poor children (she's been at school all day).

And I hadn't even told her about this:

Around the world, some 26,500 children die every day.
That is equivalent to:

1 child dying every 3 seconds

18 children dying every minute

A 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring every week

An Iraq-scale death toll every 15–36 days

Almost 10 million children dying every year

Some 60 million children dying between 2000 and 2006

The silent killers are poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses, and other related causes. In spite of the scale of this daily/ongoing catastrophe, it rarely manages to achieve, much less sustain, prime-time, headline coverage.