tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5833304597772423702024-03-13T15:44:34.154-04:00The Knapp Family's Adoption JourneyOur journey to Ethiopia and Ghana!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-74145074553130877262011-11-01T13:10:00.000-04:002011-11-01T13:10:56.941-04:00Hope Is FadingOrphan Awareness Month is happening right now. Would you watch this 3 minute video and just listen to what the Spirit of God might be asking you to do? <br />
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Don't squelch His voice. Don't listen to the lie that says "it's not my calling." The world is telling us to buy bigger houses, newer cars and better clothes. And our country just spent over $1.23 Billion on Halloween candy and decorations. <br />
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There are 150 Million Orphans in the world today that should trump what the world is telling us. <br />
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Listen to His voice.<br />
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<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/13888620?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/13888620">Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3975288">Allan Rosenow</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-40242610172947820002011-10-14T11:03:00.000-04:002011-10-14T11:03:29.038-04:00What does love look like?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUECfLU0I_AxbkXJPn2XsYvKBtQBjHBZ0WFV-Vr6SnHHuO8aFaZKd09dIGDuyPIZ1DgihHJGBO5lPqdBYuSX_5voLqNbBJlWMLKXP7qtx9LD4cdVrC_HhiH32QqMSDHNg3XlDtndzHUs/s1600/Woman-holding-baby-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="192" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUECfLU0I_AxbkXJPn2XsYvKBtQBjHBZ0WFV-Vr6SnHHuO8aFaZKd09dIGDuyPIZ1DgihHJGBO5lPqdBYuSX_5voLqNbBJlWMLKXP7qtx9LD4cdVrC_HhiH32QqMSDHNg3XlDtndzHUs/s320/Woman-holding-baby-002.jpg" /></a></div><br />
What does love look like?<br />
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It is a woman walking on the a busy street in Ghana stopping to pick up a crying baby left in a bush.<br />
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It is a family surrending the comfort of America and moving to a third world country to be available for the needs of orphans who may not have a chance to survive.<br />
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It is a wife and mother sitting in a mosquito infested hospital room with a little girl whom she has grown to love so that this little girl can go begin her life with her forever family.<br />
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It is a couple donating personal resources for a family living overseas to be able to fly home for the holiday season.<br />
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It is a community of people gathering and providing 90% of the costs for an International Adoption during a hard, economic time.<br />
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It's a friend sending a text 3 times a week saying "press on, you can do it, He is faithful."<br />
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It's brothers and sisters praying and begging God to provide a way.<br />
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It is a friend and mother of 7 kids offering to accompany you overseas to help you bring your child home.<br />
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Most importantly, it is a man...fully God, fully man. Leaving the throne of heaven and coming to earth. Experiencing all of our emotions. All of our struggles and hardships. Facing death head on for all of mankind. <br />
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Jesus, I don't have to ponder what love looks like. You have shown us the way.Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-20623209416866412462011-09-14T22:33:00.000-04:002011-09-14T22:33:33.874-04:009 weeksSo of all the options we were hoping for the third one was not the best option. And unfortunately, that's the one we got. So our case has gone under the umbrella of "administrative processing" for the Visa for Julie's passport. 9 weeks ago the McIntyre's showed up for the Visa Interview. The passport was taken as well as all of the adoption paperwork. We've dialogued back and forth with the Embassy and they just keep saying they need more time to complete it. Frustration is an understatement but our hands are tied. Fortunately, Juliana is being loved and cared for well. She is growing, talking up a storm and able to do lots of new things since I was there in April. Our prayer is that we will rejoice in God's perfect time. There are so many different ways to look at it, but we will remain hopeful and obedient.<br />
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Soon, Julie. <br />
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We love you. <br />
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Mommy and DaddyJennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-60071338946155334782011-07-10T22:56:00.002-04:002011-07-10T23:10:22.292-04:00In 5 hours...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpxkNwYCNx-cZR0ZPBOHEXyj0nnhN4btRj3KSzNqapxlqxWWHqQkBU0i4k8dbco7KMOxdxMB_yTldiGzjwQJRNbYKkxLaJ5mFfQmkaJXDK8e9plS2I5qqHof4Jj1qgTAUBG8_XVlfPcI/s1600/logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="175" width="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpxkNwYCNx-cZR0ZPBOHEXyj0nnhN4btRj3KSzNqapxlqxWWHqQkBU0i4k8dbco7KMOxdxMB_yTldiGzjwQJRNbYKkxLaJ5mFfQmkaJXDK8e9plS2I5qqHof4Jj1qgTAUBG8_XVlfPcI/s400/logo.jpg" /></a></div>It's 10:30pm here in Michigan. In Ghana it is 2:30am and our baby girl should be sleeping soundly. In 5 hours, the McIntyre's will be driving Juliana to her Visa Embassy Appointment. What does that mean? Well, basically, this is it! All of our adoption paperwork and court rulings are complete. The last and final step before we can go get Julie happens tomorrow. Debbie has to bring Juliana before a U.S. Embassy agent at 7:30am Ghana time with all of our adoption paperwork in order and Julie's passport. The end goal is to get a Visa stamp in Julie's passport which will allow her to enter the United States once we bring her through customs on U.S. soil. There are 3 possibilities of what can happen tomorrow:<br />
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1. The Embassy Agent can find all of the paperwork accurate and present and proceed with our case. He/she would at that point tell Debbie to return this coming Friday, July 15th, to pick up the passport with the Visa stamp in it. At that point we could book our flights to go get her!<br />
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2. There could be some sort of unforseen problem with one of the documents that needs to either be changed/corrected or redone. The Embassy agent would at that point reschedule our appointment for another time.<br />
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3. There could also be an investigation regarding our case if the agent finds that necessary to proceed. <br />
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I/we have gone through so many different scenarios in our minds as to how this could unfold in just a few hours. I believe without a doubt that God is going to bring sweet Juliana home. And in the past week, I have been learning a new way to pray that is changing me [thanks Paula!]! God always knows what we need when we need it. At church this morning, we were brought to the text Proverbs 20:24 "A person's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?" Essentially, I can imagine 100 different ways in which this might go down tomorrow...but Juliana's steps home are directed by the Lord. She is his child first and he is giving us the privilige of being her family during our time here on earth. How could I possibly understand his way? He does everything in a mysterious and glorious way. If we had brought Julie home already, we would miss out on so much of the mystery. <br />
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So Miss Julie...no matter what happens at the Embassy tomorrow you're still our daughter. And God will allow us to be together whenever he sees fit. Be good for Debbie and Edward in the car! And make sure you shine that beautiful smile for the Embassy agent...it just might do wonders! :)Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-9150981271628245982011-06-30T15:14:00.000-04:002011-06-30T15:14:13.574-04:00One Year!Just over a year ago, on June 9th, our baby girl was found on the side of the road abandoned in a bush.<br />
This was her fragile body when she arrived at the McIntyre's in early July.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qM5X_atJ12QmGmTqMHB84J8bHlBHyCrqgQLSx0dQsLWxbbKFJ9d-yt3yA7fE6l85kgbq1YG4sbCHdHYuF_BdySwdhNt-hynzQ2xgInQ7bPcpiRfnmlkmwTSZHsIognnYym93l9sanac/s1600/Jim+%2526+Julie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qM5X_atJ12QmGmTqMHB84J8bHlBHyCrqgQLSx0dQsLWxbbKFJ9d-yt3yA7fE6l85kgbq1YG4sbCHdHYuF_BdySwdhNt-hynzQ2xgInQ7bPcpiRfnmlkmwTSZHsIognnYym93l9sanac/s320/Jim+%2526+Julie.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Praising God for Doctor's, Nurse's, Medicine, The McIntyre's, Patience, Hope and God's mircaulous intervention on his precious child's behalf! This is Julie today!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EGaobYAo1hDv95g5qXHiPJXXQgM5J3FrVmFlChlHlnwVszBgwmyuuqMB80gH-NnCpwFKXgMNnRMGfAo8O92NXNFynBEi1j7mdko9-dt09dso-f-CMTx9yawyqWV8uTlG3Vx8_UenUwjc/s1600/Julie+2+June+%252711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EGaobYAo1hDv95g5qXHiPJXXQgM5J3FrVmFlChlHlnwVszBgwmyuuqMB80gH-NnCpwFKXgMNnRMGfAo8O92NXNFynBEi1j7mdko9-dt09dso-f-CMTx9yawyqWV8uTlG3Vx8_UenUwjc/s320/Julie+2+June+%252711.jpg" /></a></div>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-49529249144731236592011-06-26T23:18:00.000-04:002011-06-26T23:18:13.170-04:00"Why did you adopt?" My new answer.We used to get asked this question all the time? When we began the process of bringing home, our now 4 year old, from Ethiopia, we would hear things out of curiosity like "Why Ethiopia?" "Why don't you want to have more of your own kids?" "You know there are thousands of children in the U.S. that need a home, why do you want to pick a child in another country?"<br />
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I thought I used to have all the "right" answers. From reading, education, blogs, and our own personal international travel, I would respond with phrases such as "There are over 147 Million orhpans in the world today. If everyone goes on having their own biological children, the orphan crisis won't stand a chance." "James 1:27 tells us that undefiled religion takes care of the widow and the orphan." And then I even came up with "God, allowed Brian and I to travel to Africa several times in years past and has broken our hearts for the issues of the orphan, poverty, and injustice in that part of the world."<br />
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All of my past responses are certainly valid and still true today, but I am learning that I would now add a new layer to answer those questions. This particular layer, without a doubt, is complicated. But I know that it is real. Not because I read it or listened to it, or even visited it. I know it's real because I'm living it. Here is the newest layer to my response of "Why did you adopt? And why are you adopting again?"<br />
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Because Jesus is using adoption to show me and my husband our need for Him.<br />
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Period.<br />
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That's it. I told you it was complicated. And it is. We could go on living life with our 2 girls [1 biological, 1 adopted from Ethiopia] and think we've done it. We've helped the cause of the orphan. We've brought justice to poverty and it's crippling effect in Africa via one child. We've gotten uncomfortable and invited growth for a season into our world. But we cannot escape the fact that God is using the adoption of Ayantu and now Juliana to show us our deepest need for Christ. Our family unit will not make sense to a lot of people in this world. But that is not what concerns me. What keeps me awake at night is questioning my ability to care for the deep wounds and needs of 2 beautiful children whose Mom's had to give them up because of variying circumstances. My husband just turned 43. I am 36. We both work outside of the home. We are tired. Better yet. We are exhauseted. But if we had said "no" to the parenting needs of Juiana, we would have begun to rely on our own abilities to grow our children in this world. With 3, we will be outnumbered. And with 3 very different children, with very different stories, we will forever need to rely on the grace and mercy of Christ to help us each and every day. If we don't...we will fail.<br />
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His ways are indeed mysterious. But that is our God. And that is why He had us adopt. Twice!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-15821017840859614632011-06-01T10:44:00.000-04:002011-06-01T10:44:58.591-04:00HOMe WebsiteHere's the website for the orphanage in Ghana where Juliana is at:<br />
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http://www.worshipathomeghana.org/<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAgURhqmTk6j_eJlpZpu1q-NwDxlFT2jSzhYE4k7elJKfQX5oKRDsEK9QRQIx_Qn1RB-aF64pNw6mpTsg93yvo6QPBSXMvu31cEZfijM9Kp_q4Z017QSVsNQxIWe-5WANlwYeJHrG6IQ/s1600/Boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="251" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAgURhqmTk6j_eJlpZpu1q-NwDxlFT2jSzhYE4k7elJKfQX5oKRDsEK9QRQIx_Qn1RB-aF64pNw6mpTsg93yvo6QPBSXMvu31cEZfijM9Kp_q4Z017QSVsNQxIWe-5WANlwYeJHrG6IQ/s320/Boy.jpg" /></a></div>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-36899911457332157502011-05-25T10:25:00.000-04:002011-05-25T10:25:50.821-04:00Our little girl in Ghana on Easter!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4P0Y92dZLWN_kQ1urVvSUMaa95kh4WttukeogRH3NEMezZZluYfNgvDswkBMyt_jkvHcoGr7URRJmpAXpagQToQqMa4_qiPosco2fpouVyxrhrBqvXqL8biuOdOmxGeDASd4uKD-rdE/s1600/Julie+Easter+%252711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4P0Y92dZLWN_kQ1urVvSUMaa95kh4WttukeogRH3NEMezZZluYfNgvDswkBMyt_jkvHcoGr7URRJmpAXpagQToQqMa4_qiPosco2fpouVyxrhrBqvXqL8biuOdOmxGeDASd4uKD-rdE/s320/Julie+Easter+%252711.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Z6ACAb-Z_MbL-9Kfxn3fvxFIRmNOJQMCjcJbuMrNmG1cvzzfhxcdY5trg4Oumra1tMoEZxVTk38HRvqEsb0LCrsLbJy8FjZaSLNN5xUn_kim4O-lvVFw_SHg75Q_917enuj7Udr1TfQ/s1600/Julie+Easter+2+%252711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Z6ACAb-Z_MbL-9Kfxn3fvxFIRmNOJQMCjcJbuMrNmG1cvzzfhxcdY5trg4Oumra1tMoEZxVTk38HRvqEsb0LCrsLbJy8FjZaSLNN5xUn_kim4O-lvVFw_SHg75Q_917enuj7Udr1TfQ/s320/Julie+Easter+2+%252711.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jeNs64gdPkmqkOF1TpbaRFeie1EUOyykENEGsnmsBs1xr8YpGIyryrJh3Kmr5PIga_t7AIMJwwIgHln4E5gGxZBZsRMr85mva-d2JAuee5kRyPkUurE4VKsuhI6UxPm0jESRuznV2XU/s1600/Julie+Easter+3+%252711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jeNs64gdPkmqkOF1TpbaRFeie1EUOyykENEGsnmsBs1xr8YpGIyryrJh3Kmr5PIga_t7AIMJwwIgHln4E5gGxZBZsRMr85mva-d2JAuee5kRyPkUurE4VKsuhI6UxPm0jESRuznV2XU/s320/Julie+Easter+3+%252711.jpg" /></a></div>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-9398532943529146332011-05-09T14:38:00.000-04:002011-05-09T14:38:02.916-04:00hi's, bye's and letting go of the pen.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcuMAwWbCWrece-Q9f_v_G9STQXKnsXLZiqGOwYaSCLreC1UHOiWRFRSohS5C0-edoPaLgI2SWf8G_qAPzfebowIgll6K2GJND-SfKMT7ddHCND9NP8_inYDQJlxwMADBSdVOxtjyvbA/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="184" width="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcuMAwWbCWrece-Q9f_v_G9STQXKnsXLZiqGOwYaSCLreC1UHOiWRFRSohS5C0-edoPaLgI2SWf8G_qAPzfebowIgll6K2GJND-SfKMT7ddHCND9NP8_inYDQJlxwMADBSdVOxtjyvbA/s320/images.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So, Brian got to skype with Juliana yesterday, on Mother's Day. The connection was a little rough, but he was able to articulate our baby girl saying "hi" and "bye". Amazing! I have to admit that it saddens me to have so many of the "firsts" happening without us. But I am grateful that God is allowing Brian and Debbie to share in so many special moments with Julie. Her life was so fragile and their were times when even Debbie thought she might not make it. I believe God is blessing their desire to see Julie thrive and grow. He is such a gracious Father!<br />
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Julie is doing very well while we wait. We received our I600 Approval early last week. This document was necessary to prove that Julie is indeed an orphan. That paperwork has now been forwarded on to the Consular in Ghana for our last and final step! The Consular will assign us a Visa Appointment for Juliana's Passport. Once we receive a date for this appointment and the visa stamp is in her passport to enter the United States, we will be able to book our travel dates to go and bring babygirl home! Wow. So many friends and family ask the "when" question. I think one of the things that God has been working on with me in adopting Juliana has been about letting go of the pen! As I look back in our process of adopting Ayantu and even in the beginning phase with Julie, I worked so hard at getting all of the paperwork done quickly so "I could push it through". And there were always hiccups along the way that "I tried to fix as best I could." God is teaching me more and more that this is His story to write and in His perfect timing-not mine. There are so many things that He has wanted me to see and be available to and I am grateful that my focus is changing so I that I can be. It's truly incomprehensible to figure out the ways in which God will allow things to happen just to get our attention. Over Spring Break, He used my passport stuck in Washington, D.C. to get me to slow down and let go. And now, He is using the unknown of the Visa appointment to have us live today and be available today to the encounters He wants us to be a part of.<br />
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So Julie...keep finding new words and trying with all your might to let go of Debbie's hands to take your first step. Regardless of wether we are there to see it happen, Mommy and Daddy and your sisters are cheering you on with so much love and adoration for you!<br />
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Unil soon...Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-19781035719227412152011-04-18T15:00:00.000-04:002011-04-18T15:00:40.537-04:00The BodyThe Body of Christ, The Church, is such a glorious and beautiful thing when it is compelled to lovingly serve and sacrifice out of obedience to God. Brian and I have experienced this love in real, practical ways since saying yes to adopting Julie. Here is a list of some of the ways in which people responded on behalf of Jesus to provide for the financial burden of this adoption. There were countless things that happened and I don't want to leave anyone out, but I am not writing these down to glorify people, but rather show how God moves and works through the hands and feet of his bride:<br />
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A friend I was just getting to know at work put an envelope in my pocket with a $500 dontaion in it that said "bring this baby home soon!".<br />
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Friends who currently have 4 biological kids of their own and were just about to start the adoption process for themselves handed us an envelope with $1,000 cash in it.<br />
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A man who only knows me through Costco came up to me while at work and said he was going to donate his catering services for our adoption fundraiser dinner. This man and his team served over 120+ people marinated chicken, a veggie casserole, salad, dinner rolls, mac & cheese and chicken tenders for the kids and dessert...no charge.<br />
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Our neighbor and friend who is a Photographer freely captured some of the nights memories for us [davidchandlerphoto.com].<br />
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The Starbucks Barista's where I go and get my morning coffe set up a donation cube with Julie's picture at their coffee counter for 1 week. There were 6 Barista's who are all college age ladies willing to donate their tips for the sake of the orphan. <br />
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My dear friend Rosa [decorator extraordinaire] offered her services for the fundraiser dinner. She came up with a "Love" theme that beautifully and tastefully brought pizazz to the room the night of our dinner.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRriGleXBITZyMc3fHgRHGSp9zMfwh-47aDRcvcWzBNXgoqs_lV_uvdAy27ktob1xt2wYeoM428QDCxQhmtByOBegA0il2uDTnS7JUx2fa0_hV6wmO50B16jx-2nnigZCq6b8GPyd1H4/s1600/Mama+Talks+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRriGleXBITZyMc3fHgRHGSp9zMfwh-47aDRcvcWzBNXgoqs_lV_uvdAy27ktob1xt2wYeoM428QDCxQhmtByOBegA0il2uDTnS7JUx2fa0_hV6wmO50B16jx-2nnigZCq6b8GPyd1H4/s320/Mama+Talks+6.jpg" /></a></div><br />
On February 6th, 2011, we raised over 85% of the funds needed to bring Juliana home. This was done through people's generous donations, even in the midst of difficult economic times, because they were compelled to love and to serve.<br />
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Now, I want you to hear clearly that I am not trying to communicate something that says if you say yes to what God is calling you to that He will then bless you with money. This is Not at all what I'm saying. I am simply trying to capture the beauty of the body of Jesus Christ and what it means to live in community with those around you. God does provide sometimes in ways we would never even dream of.<br />
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Below are some pictures from the night of our fundraiser dinner. Such a gift. We are loved.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfpPiVhoujhAqnzLghAdDpAJNhzAB0ISktZAFwhhDzqqmUVZpgpGFZrKKXqfeuU_55i2cfR4J7MjJ4b_VBkaIVWeTht6JRCA9D6gUvV3a7mYg71Ei3H_14zZ0Psw19Msc9oG6FyRzQP0/s1600/Sahara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfpPiVhoujhAqnzLghAdDpAJNhzAB0ISktZAFwhhDzqqmUVZpgpGFZrKKXqfeuU_55i2cfR4J7MjJ4b_VBkaIVWeTht6JRCA9D6gUvV3a7mYg71Ei3H_14zZ0Psw19Msc9oG6FyRzQP0/s320/Sahara.jpg" /></a></div>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-5550995455937822382011-03-22T23:08:00.000-04:002011-03-22T23:08:45.710-04:00He knew.My mind cannot comprehend that God picked Juliana to be our daughter before either Brian and I were even born. We are so unworthy. And yet He gives us tangible opportunities to experience His love. For you. For me. Below are more pictures of Brian with Julie from his trip in November.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nVmBT4Oaqx486lLaEIwuT2OLqrZajUyKmHTSfGsj77agicxbLmJBan2zTNMmEbwSXTeQSQ4E0sHY8oXdemNQ6oV7pMEV8jpRGx1KSFYieZ3QcYrK9Wi_Ioh92o3lAPf5fIRBSwu4myo/s1600/P1010250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nVmBT4Oaqx486lLaEIwuT2OLqrZajUyKmHTSfGsj77agicxbLmJBan2zTNMmEbwSXTeQSQ4E0sHY8oXdemNQ6oV7pMEV8jpRGx1KSFYieZ3QcYrK9Wi_Ioh92o3lAPf5fIRBSwu4myo/s320/P1010250.JPG" /></a></div>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-5236910234607671812011-03-20T22:24:00.000-04:002011-03-20T22:24:29.686-04:00Yes, Lord.That night, after we got the girls to bed, I snuggled up on the couch and listened as Brian shared about his trip. It was amazing to think about the reality of what had just taken place. We were informed about a little girl in need of a Mom and Dad in Ghana. We prayed, sought counsel and made a decision to send Brian to Africa to spend a few days with this little girl. He boarded a plane on Wednesday afternoon and then 96 hours later he was back in our living room. Okay!<br />
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Now I know I mentioned in an earlier post that one of Brian's gifts is that of networking. He's so good at hearing about a need of some sort and knowing someone, somewhere that can meet that need. During Brian's long flight home, he had many hours to think about Juliana and what he had experienced with her. First thing first-he was in love with her! No doubt! But, he did notice and observe some physical things about Juliana that were a bit "off". Again, Julie was severely malnourished and estimated to be about 9 months developmentally behind her physical age. But what did that mean? Could she gain it all back? Would it just be a matter of nutrition and some physical therapy and we could get her caught up? We realized that there were no certain yes or no answers. But Brian's gifting, another reason why I love this man, stepped up. When he was in the Ohare Airport, waiting for his connection to Grand Rapids, he thought about an old friend of his who does early childhood developmental assesments. He wasted no time as he found Diane's phone number and gave her a call from Ohare. Brian gave her a quick update about the decision he and I were trying to make. He asked Diane if she would be willing to come over for dinner and watch some of the videos he took of Juliana in Ghana and to give us her feedback about some of the observations he made. Diane agreed and in fact she and her husband came over 2 nights later for dinner. <br />
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Diane and her husband, Fred, came over for a bite to eat on Tuesday night. After catching up, we showed Diane 15 videos of Brian and Julie together. Like Brian, Diane was in love with Julie! But, she also noticed a couple things that Julie did with her hands and her eyes that were different. At first, she thought she may have shown some signs of cerebal palsy, but then later dismissed that concern. Her overall assessment was that Julie was indeed behind, but that getting her here to the United States would do wonders. She affirmed that because of how young Julie is, she believed a significant amount of Julie's delays could be caught up with intervention. <br />
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After Diane and her husband left for the evening, Brian and I started cleaning up the dishes together. I didn't know if it was too soon to ask Brian what he was thinking. I kind of kept quiet for a bit and waited on him. I think we both knew in our hearts that this was never a matter of "is God calling us to do this or not", but rather Brian and Jen "will you be obedient?" Finally, after a few long minutes, Brian asked "are we on the same page regarding Juliana?" I knew where I was at...I was in! But I didn't know how to respond just in case I was way off as to where he was at. So I just went for it "umm, we're doing this, aren't we?" He looked right at me and I could see it in his eyes. Brian nodded his head yes and told me to email the McIntyre's in Ghana right away to let them know that we were going to pursue adopting Juliana!<br />
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In the days to come, we would begin one of the wildest rides we've been on. This whole idea of God's, that he would allow and entrust us to care for the orphan, has been beyond our comprehension. Sometimes we sit back and think we're nuts! And then, we're reminded again, that He has given us a choice to be a part of giving of ourselves now...loving others now...being uncomfortable now so that we would become more dependant on Him OR we could sit in our little corner of the earth in East Grand Rapids, Michigan and say "this is it"!<br />
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I can't wait to share what God's done in the past couple months to show us and remind us that He will provide and bless our obedience!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-7696360416977026872011-03-16T22:02:00.000-04:002011-03-16T22:02:07.509-04:00It Was OVER!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBS09ENau3tg4P6-bAxvxMW17JUazF4xaBOe5MblxTlR8knHdDSlF_UwXbIfCbjBIYGQIYJtvg5uDG9m09YKD4opmfZpZwliE9vBH1BFKCYgVo1M_glOJxURg8f1nrV9Z3n-bCo7EXwV8/s1600/Daddy+%2526+Julie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBS09ENau3tg4P6-bAxvxMW17JUazF4xaBOe5MblxTlR8knHdDSlF_UwXbIfCbjBIYGQIYJtvg5uDG9m09YKD4opmfZpZwliE9vBH1BFKCYgVo1M_glOJxURg8f1nrV9Z3n-bCo7EXwV8/s320/Daddy+%2526+Julie.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Knowing Brian was there safely put my mind at ease. Now, I just had to get through the next 3 days wondering what he was thinking, seeing and experiencing with Juliana. The day he arrived he was greeted by the McIntyre's and was able to stay with them in their home. Joe and Emily were also there. They had arrived several days earlier and had lots of opportunities to love on some of the babies.<br />
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I never got to see Brian's reaction to seeing and holding Juliana for the 1st time. But I do know that he fell in love with her immediately and it was over! Remember how I had been praying that God would lead us through Brian and not me...well, don't really think it mattered because either way we would have been sold out!<br />
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Brian was able to spend a couple days interacting with Julie. He got to wake her up, feed her breakfast, lunch and dinner. He was able to change her diapers, play with her and really just hold her as much as he wanted. I was told by Emily later that Brian got quite protective of Julie. He would be the 1st one up in the morning so he made sure Julie was able to see him when she woke up! How cute is that! <br />
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The temperatures were quite miserable during his stay. I remember it was in the upper 90's but felt more like 110 degrees. Brian also had the opportunity to help with Brian and Debbie's move into their new facitlity for the babies. It was great for him to be able to play a part in that and be able to see first hand what God was doing through the McIntyre's. <br />
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On Sunday, his flight back to the States went well. Everything was on time and he was back to our house in the early afternoon. I was at work when he got home. He gracioulsy stayed up with his jet lag so when I got home he could debrief on his trip and share what he was sensing our response was to be regarding Juliana.Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-5293024950082614652011-03-14T15:06:00.000-04:002011-03-14T15:06:44.539-04:00The McIntyre's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6HCoMlBYxMJviM2Mq4DG5uZVH_rMvzqnTmrP6qpvM0dNsmdQRSMOxQvo3C99sw7OKCp7S3Ak0AParzdazgpUIfkORkbjy9YrC4jjHkiQseN6gvonGrL9pRqxSTt_wgrzc1QC6CB7LwY/s1600/WAMMLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="168" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6HCoMlBYxMJviM2Mq4DG5uZVH_rMvzqnTmrP6qpvM0dNsmdQRSMOxQvo3C99sw7OKCp7S3Ak0AParzdazgpUIfkORkbjy9YrC4jjHkiQseN6gvonGrL9pRqxSTt_wgrzc1QC6CB7LwY/s320/WAMMLogo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So...I promised more information on the couple that has been caring for Juliana in Ghana. I have their permission to share a bit about them as well as their ministry. Brian McIntyre and his wife, Debbie, came to Ghana from Grandville, Michigan! It was a long process for them to get there but they finally did it. Brian and his wife, together, have had a long term heart for foster care and orphans dating back over 20 years. And Brian, who is a Pastor, has had a longing to serve in Africa for some time. Starting back in 2003, God unified Brian and Debbie's passions and began to open the doors for them to collectively establish and support Mercy Ministries in West Africa. <br />
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Their current ministry in Ghana is in relationship with the local Police Hospital in Accra[the capital city] where they reside. The Police Hospital receives all of the abandonment/abuse cases of children. They then contact the McIntyre's. Brian and Debbie have established a facility that serves as an emergency placement for these children as well as a hospice for infants and toddlers who have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses. This facility will hold 10 babies ages 0-3 years. They are also working on a second facility that will be a fosterhome for older children.<br />
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Currently, they are trying to promote babybed sponsorships, which will provide financial support for the staff, medicine, and food required to care for the babies. Brian is the director, and together, he and Debbie oversee the Children’s Home. They have named it: House of Mercy (HOMe).<br />
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If you are interested in more information about West African Mercy Ministries or ways in which you can financially support one of the babybeds<br />
you can check out their website at www.wamminc.org<br />
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Amazing, Amazing couple. And am so gratefulto God for them!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-29058604460180453752011-03-08T12:31:00.008-05:002011-03-10T13:16:04.470-05:00Thanksgiving in AfricaBrian ended up checking with work. The body shop where he's employed was not going to open the day after Thanksgiving. That meant he would have Thursday-Sunday off. Brian checked on flights and was able to find a reasonable route to Ghana leaving the day before Thanksgiving and returning Sunday afternoon. With travel, it would literally only give him about 52 hours with Juliana, but God opened that door and we knew we had to walk through it. <br /><br />It was hard to begin the process of telling family about what was going on in our lives. And it was even harder figuring out a way to explain that Brian would not be here for Thanksgiving because he was going on a trip...to Africa! As we opened the can of worms to friends and family we definitely experienced some opposition. It was hard sharing the story but we knew God was calling us to speak the truth. Ayantu didn't really understand what was going on, but Sahara did and she was also struggling with Daddy leaving. <br /><br />During this time, we were introduced to a couple who would be there the same time Brian was. Joe and Emily were from Hudsonville, MI and were going to Ghana to explore the ministry there as well as see if God would also take them to the next step in their family of saying yes to adoption. We met them one night at the mall, prior to both of their departures. Emily had been collecting all kinds of baby supplies to be shipped in a over sized trunk. Brian was only going to take a small carry on so he was able to bring it on their behalf. More on Emily, Joe and their family in an upcoming post]!<br /><br />So, Wednesday, November 24th the girls said goodbye to Daddy as he boarded the plane for Ghana. He would land in Ghana the following day on Thanksgiving and arrive just in time to enjoy some turkey with the family caring for Juliana! Fortunately, I got a call from Ghana, West Africa, Thanksgiving morning assuring me of my husband's safe arrival!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-27957871907459380542011-03-05T23:01:00.006-05:002011-03-05T23:31:23.639-05:00The next step.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlh2oNXC3cMqWWupbc6PvgEZXWZXwQo-hUUfwMF9u4-fWhemXfzyX-nJFT3VSjFULIdZB7NH88kUrekUwTCgHUDZovwz59_iDJlt3jogFKi-mwuj6hruI-A9fm0DKnZpj4UKu6eKpznM/s1600/airline-5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlh2oNXC3cMqWWupbc6PvgEZXWZXwQo-hUUfwMF9u4-fWhemXfzyX-nJFT3VSjFULIdZB7NH88kUrekUwTCgHUDZovwz59_iDJlt3jogFKi-mwuj6hruI-A9fm0DKnZpj4UKu6eKpznM/s320/airline-5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580818756541567698" /></a><br />I remember going to one of the girls I feel safe with and trust in our small group. I spoke with her briefly and asked her to please pray for clarity for Brian and I. She asked why and I told her the scoop on Juliana and shared with her that I believed God was calling us to adopt again. I remember telling her that we may be reading this wrong-that one of Brian's biggest gifts is "networking" and perhaps God's brought this situation to our attention because Brian will know the right people who's suppose to be open to this. <br /><br />Brian and I connected a few days later. I was off of work that night and sat him down so we could share our hearts. I went first and of course, I was all over the "we're being called to do this! God has this door wide open and it's not even beginning to swing closed." I also remember saying "honey, it doesn't get any more biblical than this"! Then it was Brian's turn. He shared that he didn't know but also had concerns about Juliana's developmental delays. What would that look like for our family? God had already entrusted Sahara and Ayantu to us. Could we be good parents to a third child as well knowing she would have special needs? His objective thoughts were needed and squelched my compassionate heart down a few notches! And then, Brian threw me for a loop! And I could so tell that God was at work in this man's heart!<br /><br />He mentioned that with Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, perhaps one of us could go and spend a few days with Juliana. He said it might be good for us to see first hand where she's at physically and that God might help us make a decision through that trip!<br /><br />What? Are you kidding me? Okay, this is not my husband! Where did he go? God was changing his heart before my very eyes and I was falling in love all over again! [Sorry for the sap!] I had a huge desire to be the one to go. But as we talked about it, God really impressed upon me that He needed to work this out through Brian and not me. I can often be too passionate about things and not be able to objectively think things through. So I told him that I would stay back with Sahara and Ayantu and that we needed to contact the couple caring for Juliana right away to let them know what we were thinking.Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-33235372663791112382011-03-04T13:01:00.008-05:002011-03-04T16:22:34.787-05:00Affirmation with unityThat night, after Sahara and Ayantu were in bed, I did my "mom" chores and then grabbed the computer to boot it up. Brian was relaxing on the couch so I brought our notebook downstairs and sat beside him. I wasn't quite sure how to bring it up so I did the ole' "Umm, honey, can we talk a minute?" While this question can often be met with a disgruntled response, it wasn't in this case. I was given Brian's full attention and that gave me the confidence to share with him the email from Lindsay. <br /><br />As I look back on my 8 year marriage to Brian, we both have been pretty conservative and have tried to be good stewards with the resources God has blessed us with. Our adoption journey with Ayantu was definitely a growing season for us with all of the emotional and financial roller coasters it entailed. After reading the email about Juliana, I anticipated Brian saying something like "Well, we should let so-and-so know about her. Haven't they talked about wanting to adopt?" But, that wasn't the case. The unity we shared in at least exploring what God may be inviting us to again was captivating to me. God was not only at work in growing our faith but in our love for each other. <br /><br />We committed to pray over the next couple days and ask Lindsay to get us in contact with the people that had the information on Juliana. A couple days later, we were introduced to an amazing couple that started a ministry in Ghana working on behalf of babies that were completely abandoned with some or a lot of health issues. Crazy thing is this couple was from Grandville, Michigan! I will write a lot more about them and their ministry in another post. Here's what we learned about Juliana [remember that this information was given to us back in mid-October...it's now 5+months later]:<br /><br />"Now lets talk about Miss Juliana. We were called by the Police Hospital to take her-no other orphanage wanted her because she had TB. At that time, she had already been in the hospital for 2 months (she had become quite the celebrity there I might add-everyone loved her, from nurses to cooks). She was found abandoned; had been thrown into a bush alongside a very busy highway in Accra, the capital of Ghana. It was near a motel where someone heard her crying. She was near death, so frail, so small. Nurses told me she almost died twice while in their care. We got her at about 10 lbs. Approx. 12-18mo old. She was severely malnourished, big tummy. Her skin was literally hanging off her legs, she looked like an old woman with baggy stockings on. Her hair was brown and very little of it. She could sit up, but she would fall over a lot. She refused to eat anything except rice and only with her hands. She could not eat from a spoon, and she would not drink anything, not even water. The nurses told me that, but I didn’t realize they really hadn’t given her any milk- just bits of water now and then. Unbelievable. She was severely anemic (no wonder). It was a process, but we got her eating from a spoon and drinking milk from a sippy cup. She cannot (or won’t) hold the cup or spoon herself. She can choke easily, so I never leave her while she is eating. She has trouble with some meat, so I cut it up in things or grind it, so she can still get the protein. She LOVES bread and would live on that if I let her. <br /><br />Julie is currently between 17-18lbs. She can stand and likes to. But cannot stand alone, at all. She cannot crawl or walk and shows no signs of doing so. Julie cannot roll over, however, has made some small effort to begin. We are trying to work with her, doing some leg exercises, etc. He muscle tone is very low. She is not as floppy as when she first arrived however. She came here on August 4th. The name given her at the hospital was Julianna Frema (meaning-long life) Abena. Julianna and Frema were each her nurses so they named her after them. Abena, means Tuesday born girl in Ghana. That is the day they found her. Everyone in Ghana receives a day of the week name. <br /><br />One of my main concerns is Julie's muscle tone. She really needs to be evaluated and have possible physical therapy (my opinion only). That is not going to happen in Ghana-it is not available so we are doing what we can. But let’s just say, she is delayed in motor skills. She can smile, pick things up, throw things, pinch and laugh. Juliana is extremely sweet. She understands “no”. She LOVES her bath. Loves Baby Einstein. Loves music and she directs with her hands to the beat. So cute. She is able to attach to a caregiver. In other words, she knows us, and prefers us to other people."<br /><br />As you can see, Brian and I had a lot to process. We both committed to praying about the things we had read and connecting again in the next several days. I was elated though, to know that Brian had not showed me signs of closing the door of adding another child to our family yet!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-51113510585119235542011-03-03T12:36:00.007-05:002011-03-03T14:30:15.989-05:00How it all started.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAWavpC9izsYPcH0cIYOTRR-aJp_XaN2D3jwK6hESu8I0_zcNg21PWtaVcZM3gf7rW4irKN1PcB0Vw3yXarWam6sPhgCBCG8SFEswx2YeAFIMn0JHl26HkRBWL8DCWrI7JXMbU_zDk2c/s1600/untitled.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAWavpC9izsYPcH0cIYOTRR-aJp_XaN2D3jwK6hESu8I0_zcNg21PWtaVcZM3gf7rW4irKN1PcB0Vw3yXarWam6sPhgCBCG8SFEswx2YeAFIMn0JHl26HkRBWL8DCWrI7JXMbU_zDk2c/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579937443204114850" /></a><br />Back in early January of 2009 we were preparing to depart for Ethiopia to meet Ayantu and bring her home. On our adoption agency's chat board, I posted a comment to let others know when we were departing and if any one's child was at the same orphanage as Ayantu that we would be happy to take pictures of their kids. We got THIRTEEN responses. From Colorado to Wisconsin to Alabama to Hudsonville, MI! I connected with the family from Hudsonville as the Mom, Lindsay, came out to Costco a few nights before we were leaving to have Brian and I give her 2 boys a photo book of her family. I felt a strong connect with Lindsay right away...but little did I know what would happen!<br /><br /><br />We left for Ethiopia and were able to love on Lindsay's boys, Chala and Jonas. They were in the same room as Ayantu! Upon our return to the states 10 days later, I called Lindsay to let her know her boys were well and I had some photos for her. I saw Lindsay one more time when she came to pick up the memory card of pictures. She travelled with her husband, Brian, a few weeks later to bring their boys home too! I never saw Lindsay again, but we found each other on facebook and would comment every now and then about our kiddo's and the changes and growth we were going through. <br /><br />Advance 9 months later to October 2010. I was sitting down catching up on some emails one night and saw I had a message on facebook from Lindsay. I don't remember the subject line, but the content of the email was used to bring us to where we are today! Here's what it said:<br /><br />"Hi Jen!!<br /><br />We sponsor a new orphanage in Ghana and we just received word that the Ghanaian social welfare has agreed to release 1 of the little girls for adoption. Her name is Julianna and she is 18 months old. We have agreed to prayerfully make contacts for any one who may be interested in adopting her. For whatever reason, God put your name on my mind. If you know of any Christian families who would be open to adopting this little girl, will you let me know??<br /><br />She is gorgeous. I have pics if anyone wants to see them!<br /><br />I hope you are well. <br /><br />Lindsay"<br /><br />When I read the email, I never even thought that God might be inviting Brian and I to do this again...so soon! We hadn't even been home with Ayantu for a year yet. So, I sat on it for a couple days before I even brought it to Brian's attention. I must have read the email a dozen times as I prayerfully tried to process what God was doing. Two days later I read a post on a friends' facebook status that said "it will always cost you something to be obedient to God". That night, I knew I had to share the email with Brian.Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-57586745794372829502011-03-02T14:14:00.004-05:002011-03-02T16:39:47.594-05:00A minor update!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5VLkLRZcDDB26w47HldsLtDen2uQxhC1WN5VvriacBbZ53cWYJ1YLsqMFwOrD_156MGT4AEAJHHaQ3rr-gr45iZv-yZi-D9Ye5Edalm5DRBnRSV5nQTUQY8QTnaCbUKktlhISSxS2xo/s1600/Julie+%2526+Selina.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5VLkLRZcDDB26w47HldsLtDen2uQxhC1WN5VvriacBbZ53cWYJ1YLsqMFwOrD_156MGT4AEAJHHaQ3rr-gr45iZv-yZi-D9Ye5Edalm5DRBnRSV5nQTUQY8QTnaCbUKktlhISSxS2xo/s400/Julie+%2526+Selina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579564997387291730" /></a><br />It's obviously been way too long when I look at my last post and see the beginning of school. I always wondered why when parents finally got their kids home and the adoption was complete that their blogs suddenly fell off the face of the planet? Now I know!!<br /><br />For those of you that only follow our blog, we have some very exciting news to share! No we're not pregnant...but we are adopting again!! In early October, God brought a beautiful little girl to our attention in Ghana, West Africa. Her story and our privilege to watch it unfold over the past several months have been nothing short of a miracle. I told my husband the other night that I want to write a book with him. His response: "I can't write!" My thought is that through my blog, perhaps I can recap the journey we've been on since October as I share Juliana's story. Lord willing, we will have her home within the next couple months? So I guess I better get writing!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-13081557892072530032010-09-22T21:34:00.006-04:002010-09-22T22:05:26.414-04:00School Days<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C2sZ4j1Acs-RN2XHx7tEhesQLRAuJu55QcJnZsob3iYgEDyrjDesyHgXl7WJB-HDVGjg1IXI4JYDU4YuPkZd9jBDTq2WwHaHJo4cHYY_1EXYpeMM5sB0d13tQxLqVM9ZGbCqQBRcKnA/s1600/P1000187.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C2sZ4j1Acs-RN2XHx7tEhesQLRAuJu55QcJnZsob3iYgEDyrjDesyHgXl7WJB-HDVGjg1IXI4JYDU4YuPkZd9jBDTq2WwHaHJo4cHYY_1EXYpeMM5sB0d13tQxLqVM9ZGbCqQBRcKnA/s320/P1000187.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519920342805198818" /></a><br /><br />Ayantu started Preschool this year! Oh my word...she loves it!! We decided to enroll her in 2 mornings a week this year to help build upon her language and then we'll do three days a week next year. The first day was a little rough for me and her saying saying "goodbye"! But now I pull up to school, Ayantu sees her teachers waiting outside for the kids, she grabs her bag and says "bye Mom"! I have to beg her to turn back around for a kiss and hug! I can't believe how good this has been for her! She is meeting new kids, learning to share, and building more confidence in herself and her abilities! Her first field trip will be in a couple weeks to a local dairy farm. I told Ayantu she will be going to see cows on her field trip and then asked her what cows say? Her response: "WOOOOO"!<br /><br />Love this kid! Keep it up Ayantu! We are so proud of you!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSZEAy_7LjJneNmACNFAIIaoMvDWH5iq4-KSitd3O7zfb8-quxbySQ_Q_-7IpLt2MGH4wZkm4avAjnKB1b2GnK2WgfA_wQCe37DlWfM2rE3sednGW59xbjD9krqX5m54PS2W9fqtshUM/s1600/P1000244.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSZEAy_7LjJneNmACNFAIIaoMvDWH5iq4-KSitd3O7zfb8-quxbySQ_Q_-7IpLt2MGH4wZkm4avAjnKB1b2GnK2WgfA_wQCe37DlWfM2rE3sednGW59xbjD9krqX5m54PS2W9fqtshUM/s320/P1000244.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519920994762433922" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNILojlll6bQeSMvYVxK-JxXzqHmVRzPEQ6ktenXsh0-bO4RJaQyI-T9FrCTRCCb3W4Q6pWnnlvKOdlWOWaGoWAquR9Rq69rw0ddjuchPug5_B18aipXloYa3OUbPKH-p7VYEPzKRsHuw/s1600/P1000248.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNILojlll6bQeSMvYVxK-JxXzqHmVRzPEQ6ktenXsh0-bO4RJaQyI-T9FrCTRCCb3W4Q6pWnnlvKOdlWOWaGoWAquR9Rq69rw0ddjuchPug5_B18aipXloYa3OUbPKH-p7VYEPzKRsHuw/s320/P1000248.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519922760586859522" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrljrYcQnzVsTbn-Jgrz5IieteaJ_0SbuVI9KVwULdXmt5TgSow4-JfIF8F-wFE2ZQU9fKmAQNLkV6QRbMNyc0L83BnELkAxkrZp9IMMIoyA4WdO0OrRGJ4VQb1ATkNudU8blGg72G_U/s1600/P1000249.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrljrYcQnzVsTbn-Jgrz5IieteaJ_0SbuVI9KVwULdXmt5TgSow4-JfIF8F-wFE2ZQU9fKmAQNLkV6QRbMNyc0L83BnELkAxkrZp9IMMIoyA4WdO0OrRGJ4VQb1ATkNudU8blGg72G_U/s320/P1000249.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519923332412039314" /></a>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-66215378901064601012010-08-29T21:59:00.008-04:002010-08-29T22:35:23.549-04:00Remembering<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VD9sOz-YLBLIyhl-z1rAYO4e6K3axOo5TyoSRllUh3RVp28i3nSvjW67VhsX86iYuPQdsMHTJkJbsBkKWV_tbFiFZKhl1-Lk57I1U6IayaIHbajB0M2suef8Wc9GYXuqftixgUoabks/s1600/P1000118.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VD9sOz-YLBLIyhl-z1rAYO4e6K3axOo5TyoSRllUh3RVp28i3nSvjW67VhsX86iYuPQdsMHTJkJbsBkKWV_tbFiFZKhl1-Lk57I1U6IayaIHbajB0M2suef8Wc9GYXuqftixgUoabks/s320/P1000118.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511018090024718690" /></a><br />I can remember years ago wondering if I'd ever be married, let alone have a child. And now our oldest is turning 6! Yesterday, we celebrated Sahara's 6th Birthday a few weeks early. Her real birthday is on September 7th, which happens to be the first day of school this year. So, we opted to celebrate early...and celebrate we did!<br /><br />Sahara had 9 girlfriends over in the early afternoon for a treasure hunt. Twelve clues throughout the house led Sahara and her friends to her birthday present: a trampoline! The girls had a riot jumping and laughing for the next hour. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2QqEnMGwVIkiJQ8MbpbOk7Ttt_EzdO0zQTjpYoP83ZRydIMkfYJN2PpZ4BOrhq0dwSDxMthdN5q7RgHa9PARmrAe_z3hT2RgNTRDdTfKwnYn6tKZ2hPYpDje4hxe3PCuJFV0D-8oJnM/s1600/P1000052.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2QqEnMGwVIkiJQ8MbpbOk7Ttt_EzdO0zQTjpYoP83ZRydIMkfYJN2PpZ4BOrhq0dwSDxMthdN5q7RgHa9PARmrAe_z3hT2RgNTRDdTfKwnYn6tKZ2hPYpDje4hxe3PCuJFV0D-8oJnM/s320/P1000052.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511019475781402034" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLJqMVGwv2m1Qk0uHRvZmbCWgpPL7wD0bOPVVdGZCa3ZMltXmmTxAxFFdMsd8oRIt9ZrbvNkjimQ4EFV1yCVgCd5cYNTWpcdM5PgLGYA0NF7aNs8Bqy3T-UeMvLo0Gh5kgm5efk-IZw8/s1600/P1000064.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLJqMVGwv2m1Qk0uHRvZmbCWgpPL7wD0bOPVVdGZCa3ZMltXmmTxAxFFdMsd8oRIt9ZrbvNkjimQ4EFV1yCVgCd5cYNTWpcdM5PgLGYA0NF7aNs8Bqy3T-UeMvLo0Gh5kgm5efk-IZw8/s320/P1000064.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511021346910342834" /></a><br /><br />After Sahara's friends left, family and other personal friends came over for dinner. Both Sahara and Ayantu stayed on that trampoline most of the night bouncing with whomever would join them! Brian worked so hard getting that thing built before the party. I know that watching his girls made his hard work so worth while!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcVhFCn74EmK6zrO7dk8_AqRE3_r3ACpf6KLxuMhcWayy7FAa0nCWwJP-zfDjOqA3OOV2tO5_YpVI3De4dgbekwYTzrNWtH_xJuw1j48paIOJ_GS7mZ2hYS22XcVP0Tlpp7N4-pFiz1E/s1600/P1000074.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcVhFCn74EmK6zrO7dk8_AqRE3_r3ACpf6KLxuMhcWayy7FAa0nCWwJP-zfDjOqA3OOV2tO5_YpVI3De4dgbekwYTzrNWtH_xJuw1j48paIOJ_GS7mZ2hYS22XcVP0Tlpp7N4-pFiz1E/s320/P1000074.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511025084037351234" /></a><br /><br />Sahara, we've been so blessed to watch you grow into the beautiful little girl you are today. We're grateful for your heart for others and that you aim to know and love your Heavenly Father. May you grow in new ways in year six as you gain more opportunities to trust your Creator!<br /><br />We love you, adore you and are so proud that you're our daughter!<br /><br />Mommy, Daddy and Ayantu<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDB9kSBovuVdPmfdlEP90SHGYUuvMdNqYiqOWgxgE9UTLSspSp5KE7Bb2Yq-68Wk9e-10Wvpf4ieGo04z8iz9q_MgBo1FA3_WeofQNK9FI2m9S_dqw-vaWQwIxqPZVRGapOuEVnYQ58E/s1600/P1000116.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDB9kSBovuVdPmfdlEP90SHGYUuvMdNqYiqOWgxgE9UTLSspSp5KE7Bb2Yq-68Wk9e-10Wvpf4ieGo04z8iz9q_MgBo1FA3_WeofQNK9FI2m9S_dqw-vaWQwIxqPZVRGapOuEVnYQ58E/s320/P1000116.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511022372943425154" /></a>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-49692503300233792532010-08-03T15:22:00.008-04:002010-08-03T15:34:09.552-04:00The New PadOur new home is a gift from God. I thought that another transition for Ayantu since she's been with us was going to be difficult. Instead, she's done really well. The girls love the back yard with their "pool" in the hot tub! And have probably spent more hours in the water than they have their own rooms since we've lived here!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKciS9uKIlEOCIUHr84O-rDITvkzfFhMzR8QP9X-1oHUXPzuLua5nmhZqirPoZNkBQQgMJK3mRHPs6sjC_CkU6ifDGuIkSU-o2wVa8WWsNkxXYGFySs-nu49mKV2lFJqP7NnpNOrHKeZY/s1600/DSCN2995.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKciS9uKIlEOCIUHr84O-rDITvkzfFhMzR8QP9X-1oHUXPzuLua5nmhZqirPoZNkBQQgMJK3mRHPs6sjC_CkU6ifDGuIkSU-o2wVa8WWsNkxXYGFySs-nu49mKV2lFJqP7NnpNOrHKeZY/s320/DSCN2995.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501267461236795858" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyDAmhnQ9YsbzYcys5NijnXoI3ew0S0Ncgo6HJwZwVlodB6yAMAWui_tV3gzl1qBV2DLRm2bwZQYmTwQytdtRyJgCfddbo-hYEY8v6JxAgdGPGTm2Z40G6dqYJsQUa0YtHJSvyyDbF9w/s1600/DSCN2997.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyDAmhnQ9YsbzYcys5NijnXoI3ew0S0Ncgo6HJwZwVlodB6yAMAWui_tV3gzl1qBV2DLRm2bwZQYmTwQytdtRyJgCfddbo-hYEY8v6JxAgdGPGTm2Z40G6dqYJsQUa0YtHJSvyyDbF9w/s320/DSCN2997.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501267260850775042" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFk0WSux-GGwrXUmgV4z1V7uZeDDyL76HjLGhDcOIbgZabq7mr4EHF0XdQ8YG3Viwsmd9onJdJwXdj1CiP7XJ-7ixlKxMfipuwGeFYvsU5cfA3of6s3FHZIWy0mPXviyolEIrZzA7hCWU/s1600/DSCN2998.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFk0WSux-GGwrXUmgV4z1V7uZeDDyL76HjLGhDcOIbgZabq7mr4EHF0XdQ8YG3Viwsmd9onJdJwXdj1CiP7XJ-7ixlKxMfipuwGeFYvsU5cfA3of6s3FHZIWy0mPXviyolEIrZzA7hCWU/s320/DSCN2998.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501267102836374322" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CLWuYwHsjqI0GDj-R4omnnFdEwJZqscSJqXDwF04Fm-tHtf87k4OhLeq3lviyKx4dtz0T_OObFk1aZKldmfrd5IoqzVpTVXy4Hj1qEnBk-D2YBJwiPe9MZZUQ_VT_QunwhViZlWSk3w/s1600/DSCN2999.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CLWuYwHsjqI0GDj-R4omnnFdEwJZqscSJqXDwF04Fm-tHtf87k4OhLeq3lviyKx4dtz0T_OObFk1aZKldmfrd5IoqzVpTVXy4Hj1qEnBk-D2YBJwiPe9MZZUQ_VT_QunwhViZlWSk3w/s320/DSCN2999.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501266896769190834" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqyw5DUNqqc0iJRSZcqU2RtowoCPSnJIBiCJhyiB9K0_uKTvKofZK9h0t5_3YRcIhcQFeZ9VIp-Nyxuf46BB02PfXrPldCJW4NwxOsxeQnSIA6T040NrW8XkWrxQwqkfQH2hVQgnEKXM/s1600/DSCN3001.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqyw5DUNqqc0iJRSZcqU2RtowoCPSnJIBiCJhyiB9K0_uKTvKofZK9h0t5_3YRcIhcQFeZ9VIp-Nyxuf46BB02PfXrPldCJW4NwxOsxeQnSIA6T040NrW8XkWrxQwqkfQH2hVQgnEKXM/s320/DSCN3001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501266653133495298" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgpgRvCy7DEf8pa4s-ZC6LOaHJZTMLnJ731ZW1EswQYKCaNfk6kBZMr3JvwoeONMfXsSyjKbG-eviyGHkF1J2_XYkbuaC6w5IJP4RrCuxvDQ4tV45bXD8zT-chj6CaJyIxOrjxJiqzp4/s1600/DSCN3002.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgpgRvCy7DEf8pa4s-ZC6LOaHJZTMLnJ731ZW1EswQYKCaNfk6kBZMr3JvwoeONMfXsSyjKbG-eviyGHkF1J2_XYkbuaC6w5IJP4RrCuxvDQ4tV45bXD8zT-chj6CaJyIxOrjxJiqzp4/s320/DSCN3002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501266451074928066" /></a>Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-36399530895707752942010-08-01T21:57:00.008-04:002010-08-01T23:45:42.311-04:003+ Months Later<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQELbkNuFVizna_sqMBoEGaZ4-Z3I4pBkB4dHpdKeu1NLURVBPdnEfGfXdtWGAw3L7cQxzjNzxKOfrau2Nlva8Jewn1WZiYy0tjjecgJAe9ZsfXNPaZEwLQMBOzZCusaCNY-xi-yt8sE/s1600/Chandler_20100328_0126.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQELbkNuFVizna_sqMBoEGaZ4-Z3I4pBkB4dHpdKeu1NLURVBPdnEfGfXdtWGAw3L7cQxzjNzxKOfrau2Nlva8Jewn1WZiYy0tjjecgJAe9ZsfXNPaZEwLQMBOzZCusaCNY-xi-yt8sE/s320/Chandler_20100328_0126.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500637003721437362" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1o-DbVDfZsP7f_ZSGGBDuoyPkEqQO0H1NwzRneQPhXExw2CbA7Qw_70ri3VHQh0AravhS-ZKcz7urOWXyLapJDtRXjuhU7FeqeXsw5Oio3HZsu0T-UdvrrbLGSHYmo09WEkSEmrHpJHE/s1600/Chandler_20100328_0103.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1o-DbVDfZsP7f_ZSGGBDuoyPkEqQO0H1NwzRneQPhXExw2CbA7Qw_70ri3VHQh0AravhS-ZKcz7urOWXyLapJDtRXjuhU7FeqeXsw5Oio3HZsu0T-UdvrrbLGSHYmo09WEkSEmrHpJHE/s320/Chandler_20100328_0103.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500636866981371618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7edCDfv2ClUUZSkZzInJwncUZK8PVr8lzkdVGJRuPGy11l8c_TyIMKs6HpXddoWYo9AyClPTA6R9aywX-jOPU5OiOB6GenHaj4xWGURy_OXjNq4t7hq4lE9QAqZyw0IoKhxJDkmETwY/s1600/Chandler_20100328_0160%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7edCDfv2ClUUZSkZzInJwncUZK8PVr8lzkdVGJRuPGy11l8c_TyIMKs6HpXddoWYo9AyClPTA6R9aywX-jOPU5OiOB6GenHaj4xWGURy_OXjNq4t7hq4lE9QAqZyw0IoKhxJDkmETwY/s320/Chandler_20100328_0160%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500636651060754482" /></a><br />Okay...has it really been over 3 months since my last post? When we were in the midst of the adoption journey waiting for our referral, I would often wonder why, when reading people's blogs whom just got home, there seemed to be bigger and bigger gaps between when they wrote. Now I know why!<br /><br />Life has definitely changed. Ayantu has been home with us for over 6 months. Crazy. And we also moved into a new home about 2 blocks south of where we used to live. We absolutely love the new house. It's a little bit bigger and the girls have their own rooms. Ayantu loves to give people a tour of the house and show them "Tu-Tu's" room! So cute.<br /><br />Ayantu's language has grown exponentially over the past several weeks. She's so funny too, when she says a new word that she has never spoken before. She gasps for air like it's the biggest thing next to sliced cheese and then waits for our praise! Here are a few of her newest words/phrases: "Petey time-out, Sissy come, time for numa num [food], I wanna come with you, Daddy at work body shop [that's one of my favorites]! Ayantu is signed up for pre-school this fall and will be going in the mornings two days a week. She has also grown up in terms of her ability to be separated from me. At church, she crys for about 1 minute when we drop her off and then plays the rest of the time. When we pick her up from her Sunday School class her response has been "mama, I had fun at church. I played with Lula [one of her Ethiopian friends]. And when it comes to hanging out with Daddy when I'm at work...it's safe to say without exaggerating that she adores him. She jumps on Brian, asks him to rock her like a baby, chases him, and loves it when he tickles her. I am so blessed to see their relationship completely change since she's been home.<br /><br />The next 4 weeks will be interesting with getting ready for back to school and preparing for Sahara's 6th Birthday. When I think about Sahara turning 6 already and going into the first grade I want to grab right on to her and make her stop growing. God's got stuff for this kid to do and we can't wait to find out what it's going to be. Her heart is so good and she has a genuine passion for learning about God, who He is, how He made everything and most recently the details of heaven. Sahara keeps me on my toes!!<br /><br />On top of all the good stuff in our home, more friends are bringing home babies/toddlers from Ethiopia. And I have just learned that one of my cousin's and her husband are interested in adoption. I love, love, love to learn and hear about more kids having the opportunity to have a forever family. That was always God's plan.<br /><br />Hope your summer's going well and thanks for stopping by!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-53088115651547013912010-04-11T21:38:00.004-04:002010-04-11T22:30:29.037-04:003 Months Home<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56kvegRw0znVa3ypvnPculJji7Di2ybDh8IXo04RfSi5OTKgomBIxNjGxtu4cL-66rD8hJLVVdGXXOcURSXOmqNzgWGXJIsCE_CAsfMOeGUe2iH-j836DypxQCZCqXShI5QIrx6sxAeI/s1600/DSCN2348.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56kvegRw0znVa3ypvnPculJji7Di2ybDh8IXo04RfSi5OTKgomBIxNjGxtu4cL-66rD8hJLVVdGXXOcURSXOmqNzgWGXJIsCE_CAsfMOeGUe2iH-j836DypxQCZCqXShI5QIrx6sxAeI/s320/DSCN2348.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459067270160440418" /></a><br />Are you kidding me? This Friday will be 3 months since we arrived home with Miss Ayantu. I can hardly believe it. Life as we knew it has definitely changed...but changed for the better!<br /><br />This little one has certainly found her place in our hearts and our home. She is a busy little girl exploring all that she possibly can. She has currently repeated the entire alphabet on cue from Mama. This is kind of weird, but her favorite letter is the letter "w". She will pick up any book, periodical, card, or even look at the wording on Daddy's T-shirts and find the letter "w". I squirted ketchup on her hot dog tonight with a squiggle and she blurted out "Mommy..."W". Hilarious!<br /><br />Brian and I realized how smart this girl was when we met her in Ethiopia. But so much so that I now have her signed up for Preschool this coming fall. She doesn't turn 4 until next February so she will be young but Ayantu needs to be challenged more than I can offer her! She will go 2 mornings a week next year and then do Preschool again the following year but 3 mornings a week. Sahara keeps telling Ayantu how much fun school is and that she will do really well!<br /><br />Speaking of Sahara, the adjustment for her has continued to get better. In fact, I would dare to say that she actually loves her little sister now! Sahara has to pick Ayantu's clothes out in the morning, and at night she gets Ayantu her PJ's. At bath time, Sahara will come in by the tub because she and Ayantu have special games they play with Elmo and The Little People. And when we take Sahara to school, Ayantu will not leave until she gets a hug from "Sissy"! Wow, what an improvement!!<br /><br />It's hard to fathom being in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia just over 90 days ago. At that time we were nervous to meet this little girl we had only seen pictures of but knew that God had destined for her to become our daughter and a part of our family. And now, 90 days later, it's hard to imagine her not being here. Don't get me wrong, things are definitely not perfect...Brian and I are more tired than we've ever been. And Ayantu can whine and cry [REALLY LOUD] until she gets what she wants. But we're learning, just like we had to with Sahara when she was 3 years old, how to help her know her boundaries and to teach her that she will always be loved, adored and cared for in a special way.<br /><br />Thank you for following our journey. The road of adoption is not for everyone, but we know it was for us. And we know that God will be faithful in helping us to raise Ayantu as we move through another 3 months!Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583330459777242370.post-85311972758555515902010-03-20T23:09:00.004-04:002010-03-20T23:52:29.313-04:00Releasing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIUo9m5AkByjhGOevcpPEIblK-LWcWDF5TNiIVlIfk622mmnzXe2PCHxPLtXgzJlDTRcLca4GM5XgXbEGjwjKp3IBBj9MtvIln3cAEYbRy_6mTnKVq7X_JX34evqpZkMTYbmzEUnREv0/s1600-h/ethiopia140.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIUo9m5AkByjhGOevcpPEIblK-LWcWDF5TNiIVlIfk622mmnzXe2PCHxPLtXgzJlDTRcLca4GM5XgXbEGjwjKp3IBBj9MtvIln3cAEYbRy_6mTnKVq7X_JX34evqpZkMTYbmzEUnREv0/s320/ethiopia140.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450929887804943170" /></a><br /><br /><br />A friend from work asked me the other day what it was like meeting Ayantu's real Birth Mom while in Ethiopia. She commented that she never saw a post about that encounter on my blog. Well...now's as good a time as any to remember that encounter:<br /><br />We were on our way to the orphanage to meet Ayantu for the first time ever. Our driver, Sami, stopped at the orphanage's main office off campus so that we could first meet Ayantu's Birth Mom, Rahel. When we got to the office, Rahel wasn't there yet so we all sat down. We allowed the two gals travelling with us to sit in on the meeting. Within a few minutes the door to the office opened and in walked this beautiful young woman with a chartreuse, velvet dress on. She would only look down at her shoes and I knew in an instant that it was her. Through the translators we were introduced and given the opportunity to ask her questions. I began to get nervous but sat down right beside her and then clutched Brian's hand. We started by thanking her for the hard privilege she was giving us in raising her beautiful daughter. And then we asked why she chose her name. Rahel commented that the name was actually chosen for her. She went into labor with Ayantu in the village she was cleaning. The people that helped deliver Ayantu picked her name and Rahel stuck with it. It means "a gift from God" in the Oromo dialect of Amharic. <br /><br />As we continued on with questions, I noticed Rahel gaining courage to lift her eyes up and actually make eye contact. I wanted her to feel safe and loved. Brian shared with Rahel that in America, Ayantu as a female, would have every opportunity to pursue and fulfill her dreams. He then asked if she had any dreams or hopes for her daughter as she grew up. Rahel's response after pausing was "that is now between you and God". It was if she had already in her heart moved on. When Rahel said that I teared up badly but didn't want her to see it. <br /><br />When our conversation was over, we hugged her, thanked her and let her know that Ayantu would be raised, loved and honored as if she were our own daughter. She smiled and we were able to get a few pictures to share with Ayantu some day. <br /><br />As I think about Rahel, 9 weeks after meeting her, I can't imagine the pain she must have in her heart knowing because of poverty she had to give up her own daughter. This was definitely not God's intention for families to be broken. But without the option of adoption, Ayantu may have never had a mommy, daddy and sister to love her like she does now. <br /><br />Dear God, would you please begin the healing process for Rahel. Would you give her the courage to deal with her emotions in a healthy way. May she find friends in whom she can confide in and feel safe with. And most importantly, may Rahel know you as her Heavenly Father whom loves her and still has a beautiful plan for her life.Jennifer Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302786901876880908noreply@blogger.com2