My breath has been taken away as I encountered joyful servants of the Lord! The men, women and children of Mother's Choice Childcare Home have the aroma of Jesus about them and when you look into their eyes that's exactly who you see, Jesus. The picture I can paint of these servants and their acts of kindness to children with special needs is this:
Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. Ps 133:1
That's exactly what we have been experiencing since July 18th when we walked into MC to meet our Peter for the very first time. They were all so very excited for him and for us. As we walked by each care giver or volunteer they thanked us for giving Peter a home, asked us questions and then encouraged us about our son very specifically. We went on a field trip with about 12 little DS children and it was a flawless operation. No arguing or complaining among the staff, just team work and other's focus. The children are well loved. Our Peter loves them very much. He knew us and waved to us as we met him in a private room with our SW Christine and a personal care giver of Peter's. They really wanted our first visit to be very successful and so they lovingly guided our first visit and by the end of our time, Peter was warming up to us.
All the Therapists met with us and told us about Peter. They were professional and very warm, thoroughly explaining each therapy with joy and excellence. Thom and I will never forget the details of Peter's care because of the proficient way it was brought to us.
Tomorrow Peter will move off the ward forever and will have a special ceremony commemorating the event. We will walk to each area of MC and say good-bye to every room. Then we will leave with a suitcase full of Peter's things and a heart full of praise to God for his kindness to one little orphan boy and all his friends. Peter has been dearly loved and studied. They know him, and after being around these new found heroes, we know Peter a little bit better too. They have encouraged us that we are just what Peter needs, a Daddy and a Mommy that love him. And, because of the love they have shown him, Peter will be able to love again. I have said over and over again to Thommy and Christine,
"I want to earn one of the smiles and receive the warm greetings that Peter gives to these wonderful folks! Then we'll know that he has fallen in love with us."
Thank you all for your prayers and support of us. We have been blessed more than we could have thought or imagined while here in Hong Kong.
One of my favorite worship songs is entitled "Blessed Be Your Name". The bridge is simple and goes like this;
"You give and take away. You give and take away! My heart will choose to say, Lord Blessed be your name."
Tomorrow, Thom and I will be boarding the plane bound for Hong Kong. And like everything in Peter's adoption process, with the sweet comes the bitter. This morning July 14, at 2:30am, Thom's Dad, Raymond Thomas Inglin went to be with the Lord. It's like we looked away for a second and God drew our attention back to Him. Nothing about getting Peter is or has been done in our understanding or our strength. What a place of desperation we found ourselves in! Do we reschedule our appointment? Do we stay and support the family? Do we go? Both of these directions are good and pleasing to God. Both considerations and questions are viable options. Which do we choose?
Back in the beginning of this blog post I told the story about how our Pastor, CB Eder, came over and counseled and prayed with us as we wrangled with the decision as to whether or not to adopt a child with DS. It all came down to knowing that we know that God had called us to adopt for sure and for certain. God has brought that moment to our minds over and over again with every decision or opposition we faced in this 16 month process and He brought us here again today in this very real-life scenario. God was at it again! He was teaching us how to discern, not presume what the path to take would be. He did it in 2 very specific ways.
1. Counsel: I can't thank God enough for both of our Pastors, Cb Eder and Ben Ross. This morning in the early hours, Ben helped us sort out what was the difference between the fear of man and the fear of the Lord. How was our thinking lining up with the call God had given us? Which direction would bring most glory to God? Slowly as we prayerfully sought Ben's wisdom, the Holy Spirit clearly lighted the path.
2. Confirmation: We know that not everybody will understand our decision to go. We know that we may never be forgiven by some and confirmed by others. But we remembered the man, Dad Inglin, and the fact that his whole legacy was about helping the orphan, the poor, those in prison, those in need. And God showed us that by going to Hong Kong and getting Peter we would be bringing great glory to God and honor to Thom's Dad. Soon after these hours of crying out to God, the phone rang and it was Thom's Mom, Peg Inglin. She was crying and said she wanted us to go and celebrate life by getting Peter. That would be Dad's wishes. What pure and holy kindness was shown to us in that moment.
Dad is really going to be missed. He was devoted to God, the church and His family. His time here on earth is done and he is truly free! In God's perfect ways, which are not our ways, He took Dad home. And while we will all grieve his loss for seasons to come God has given us something good to help ease our pain, Peter and much more, Himself. God gives and takes away and doesn't need our permission in the process. But He does lavish us with steadfast love and comfort and promises that in the valley, He will never leave us or forsake us.
So we joyfully go completely released to pick up our son and completely released to honor Thom's Dad in our grief all the while nestled into the nail-scarred hands of our Savior Jesus, completely weak, completely dependent and completely aware that only God can make bitter-sweet, Beautiful. Please pray for our family that we would be comforted during this time. That through the giving and the taking many will come to know Jesus.
Everything is unpacked and put away. By God's grace we just finished the last of our graduation celebrations with our dear church family. We laughed, we cried, we set-up, we tore down and we will bring left-overs to church tomorrow for the coffee time. What a beautiful celebration and what great glory was given to God by our Pastors, Ben and CB, our families, our church. Our graduates are well prayed for and well prepared to be those arrows that are shot out into the world for the gospel. And we parents, will be there for the whole ride. Sweet, sweet time.
Yet I found myself wanting to go and get Peter. Our Eliot was running around with all the other kids at the party today and telling them that Daddy and Mommy were going to get Peter and bring him home forever. He is so excited to begin his life with Peter. Eliot has NO idea what a special gift God is bringing to him. A brother! I can hardly believe it. Emily and Megan too are looking forward to Peter coming home. They love, laugh and care for Eliot so well, and because God's love flows through them, they will do the same to Peter. I can't wait to see what Peter belly-laughs at when they are all around him.
I love to fly. I feel somehow closer to God. Thom and I will never have fancy vacation, or great monetary wealth, nothing measurable by the world's standards. We have Jesus, the Pearl of great price. We have a Gospel-centered marriage, by God's grace, we have daughters that love the Lord and the church, also by God's grace. We have home schooled our girls from a Christian perspective K-12, by God's grace. And here's where life revs up! We get to do it all over again with our boys, Eliot and Peter. I am so blown away over this life and these gifts. Peter isn't even in my home and I already fiercely love him. God gave him to us and my heart aches to bring him home.
This is my reality by no doing of my own. God lifted a sinner, dead in her transgressions and sins, from hopeless poverty of soul and breathed life and hope into her. He gave me a new name and a new life to live and everyday He shows me His great love and I get to do the same for my family. Oh, I love the way that sounds, my family. I was alone and He put me in a family. He made me an Inglin and put me in Christ Community Church. And for 21 years of family living, I have been able to show God's love and share my life with Thommy, Emily, Megan, Eliot and now Peter. What a crazy wonderful way to spend my later years in life raising 2 sons made in the image of God!
The plane won't be the only thing flying on July 15th. . . my heart will be soaring high. We have set our sites for Hong Kong for the sole purpose to bring this child home and fulfill God's plan for him and put him in our family. The race is set! We are coming to the finish line of waiting for Peter. Soon begins the race of Life with Peter. Oh, I am so eager to see what good things God has in store for us in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
We were just pulling into the driveway from completing our paper route. Thom met us at the door and said, "Why didn't you answer your phone?" Of course, my phone went dead during the last minutes of the route and I wasn't in touch. We all came inside and sat down as Thom read another email from Bethany Christian Services (BCS). This one was so exciting.
July 15th - 22nd we will be in Hong Kong to get our precious boy Peter!
All of us were screaming and jumping around. What very good news! We thanked the Lord right away for His faithfulness to us and to Peter. We are so much richer than we were a year ago! Oh, that's right, it was exactly a year ago that we were at a BCS fund raiser thinking about how we were going to come up with all the money we would need. A woman named Jodi prayed for us and reminded us that God had a plan for Peter and He would work all things together for good for Him and us. And, exactly 4 years ago on July 18th we landed in Guatemala to get our boy Eliot. What wonderful timing, what an amazing story God has written. This is our reality and we are loving it.
So we called the travel agency that BCS uses and booked the flight; 2 going and 3 coming back. God has helped us raise every penny of the costs so far, and we know that now, in the 11th hour He will not fail us. We need some assistance for the last details of travel. We pray that if there is anyone left, who feels led to donate to our travel to get Peter that you would please go to the Reece's Rainbow link on our page and click on the word DONATE. We may not know who will be contributing. But when you do remember what Jesus said to the people,
"What you have done to the one of the least of these, my brothers, you have done it to me!"
Thank you all so much. We are very grateful for all of your prayers, support and help.
Dear Peter,
We just received good news. The High Court Order is complete. Very soon we will be coming to get you. All of us are praising God! We can't wait to come and get you.
Your Daddy and I were talking this morning and said to God, "We just can't wait any longer to hear something. Please can we hear something today?" So while your sisters Emily and Megan and I were out delivering our paper route, and Daddy and your brother Eliot were out playing at the playground, God answered our prayer! We all met at McDonald's and Daddy got us all seated. He read the email that said the final piece of paperwork came through. We all whooped and hollered in the restaurant. What a wonderful blessing for us today!
We also got a precious update from your care givers at the orphanage. They love you so much. I can just imagine how happy they are for you Peter. You have grown so much since March. They told us all the things that make you, you. And as we read the email, daddy and I got so excited that we cried.
So many people love you already son! Every time we are around them they ask, "Have you heard any news yet?" Then they say, "We can't wait to meet him." You are going to become a part of a very large family that has been praying throughout this whole process and helping out in any way that they can.
So be patient little man! Continue to do what your care givers are asking you to do. We have a few more things to get ready and then when the day draws nearer, we will be there!!!! We can hardly wait.
Love, Mommy
