Springing Forward With Progress

Mabuhay (welcome/hello)!

It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of March and spring has arrived. Yet another 3 weeks full of projects has gone by. I like to joke with Ben that I have just been doing the normal "nesting" routine of a soon-to-be-momma. My nesting just includes some pretty big ambitions for house projects. We have been wrapping up some small house projects, and I have been thoroughly cleaning out our garage, which went from a dumping ground to a massive space with lots of storage area in the future…and soon to be home to a second fridge/freezer, which makes this cook's heart happy! 😊 Just last week we even had our fencing replaced. It looks real snazzy now.

We prepped a photo book of our house so JP can see all the places he will be able to hang out in when he comes home. We have also sent a few separate letters and coloring sheets. While we are restricted in what we can send, we hope JP knows we are thinking of him always. We are currently working on a photo book of our extended family members, so JP can "meet" his extended family in advance.

On the adoption progress front, we have some pretty big requests for everyone.

Something we have learned throughout this process – we are often the last people to know what is going on/taking place. 😊Gotta say, that is really hard for this control freak. In early March, we learned that JP completed his passport appointment in February – yay! He should be in the process of getting his visa any time. That appointment could have happened already or is likely to happen soon – quite frankly, we likely will not know until well after it happens. However, we were told if it does not happen this upcoming week, it will not happen until mid-April due to the Embassy closing for two weeks for a holiday.

That is where our first request of the month comes in…we are asking for prayers right now (seriously, stop and pray if you can 😊) that God would work it so JP has already had his appointment or will have it this coming week. We are asking that God would make his visa process quick, so he can be released for travel.

Once JP has his visa, we should be receiving our travel approval from ICAB (the governmental agency that oversees inter-country adoptions). However, just this week, the Philippines closed their borders again to all foreign travelers for at least the next month. Our agency has told us ICAB is working with other governmental departments to request that adoptive families be granted an exception to this ban. Which brings me to our second request of the month…we are asking for prayers that travel restrictions (at least in adoption circumstances) would be lifted so that when we do receive travel approval on the adoption front, we can actually make arrangements and be allowed to travel.

Phew – well that was a mouthful! Sorry for the overload. If you want the nutshell version…we could be traveling in a month, or we could be traveling in several months. Crystal clear, right? Oh, the joys of not being in control. The patience and surrender God is teaching us through this process is beyond what we could have imagined.

Onto our third and final request of the month – this one less of a prayer request and more of an ask of your time and support. As you can likely imagine, the amount of transitions JP will go through will likely cause some fear, anxiety, and even frustration for him. It is not always going to be easy for him, and we are praying that God would show us how to be godly parents and help JP in godly wisdom. One of those ways we want to pour out of our love for JP is by showing him God's love for him. Scripture is such a precious treasure to Ben and me when we are scared, fearful, stressed, or anxious. We want the same for JP. So, onto my ask…

We are hoping to make scripture cards for JP that encourage him and remind him of God's love, goodness, faithfulness, holiness, etc. And we would love your help! If you are willing, send us a scripture card that JP can read (or we can read with him) when he needs some reassurance.

We would like to keep them pretty simple.

• On one side – write out your favorite scripture…whatever brings you comfort in times of sadness, stress, fear, etc.
• On the other side – feel free to write a brief note to JP if you would like. Be sure to sign your name, as we will tell JP all about you when we are reading your scripture card!

If you, like me, are not so creative, below are some resources for scripture cards.

• https://www.moritzfinedesigns.com/10-bible-verse-memorization-cards-kids/
• https://www.morelikegrace.com/scripture-prayer-cards-for-children-free-printable/
• https://www.muscadinepress.com/blogs/free-resource-library/memory-verse-cards-for-kids-free-printable?variant=31474334367859

Once you are done, please either mail us the completed scripture card or you can email what you would like on it and I can make it for you. If you do not have our mailing address, please reach out to Ben or me on Facebook or fill out our contact form and we'll message you back with our mailing address.

Our prayer request – Dear Lord, this entire update is full of prayers that we know only you can answer. But we also know you are the God who provides; you can bring these prayer requests to fruition. We ask in your Holy Name that JP has his visa appointment before the Embassy closes for its holiday. We also ask that we be allowed to travel soon after we receive travel approval – even if the rest of the country is closed to other foreign travel. We know these are big requests God and we trust you for your answer – no matter what it may be. Protect our son while we wait to meet him. Keep him in Your loving arms.

Until next time – all of our love!