three sleeps...

Every morning when we wake up, Charlie announces the status on our countdown to China...he is just so excited and told me that he thought he needed to stay home Monday and Tuesday to help me pack...um, I don't think so...as soon as we return, they get out for Thanksgiving, so pretty much, he is going to be out for the month of November...I hope we don't get put in jail..just kidding...

I am making good progress and with the help of Allison and Ann who are just getting back to the US from China, I am doing pretty good...Lucy came down with strep throat yesterday, so we have been taking it easy. I am excited and so far, am still able to sleep at night without my mind racing too bad...October pictures are coming, I promise...just not right now...before I leave, I hope...have a blessed Sunday....

Packing has commenced...

Those of you who really know me, know that I am a 'pack-in-the-wee-hours-of-the-morning-the-night-before-the-trip' kind of packer...but I really want to start this trip off on a good note since it is kind of important! It is exciting and overwhelming because, you could really need anything, so what in the world do you actually take?? We have to basically take a ton of medications 'just in case', so every one I put into the "GO" pile, I am thinking...dear Lord, please don't let us need this while we are there!!!!! This is insane and SO fun!

A Different Video about Orphan Sunday...

Please watch it...I thought, How good could it be since it is animated, but the impact is HUGE.....**make sure to pause my playlist at the bottom before you start...you have to hear the words** You can also make it full screen...Orphan Sunday is coming up November 7th...This will be the one year anniversary of the launch of our orphan care ministry, Hearts of Compassion. Last year, Orphan Sunday was November 8th....

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

this year on November 8th, I will get to hold my daughter for the first time...just writing that brings instant tears....as we get her on November 8th in China, it will be Orphan Sunday in the US...God is a God of perfect timing what a special day...open your heart this Orphan Sunday to what God may be calling you to do. I am so glad we did and cannot imagine what I would have missed...

Finally, we have plans...

WOW! All of the travel stuff was alot to think about when it came right down to it, but I think we have pretty much gotten it all squared away....here is a quick run-down...basically the highlights...

November 3rd, Wednesday: we leave and head to Beijing
November 7th, Sunday: get to her province
November 8th, Monday: get Alice:)
November 11th, Thursday: visit her orphanage
November 15th, Monday: consulate appt (CA)
November 18th, Thursday: train to Hong Kong
November 21st, Sunday afternoon: back home:)

Of course, the days we are in China, there is the time difference, but as a whole, this is the schedule, minus the little details....man, this is so exciting...trying to prioritize....trying to tell myself that it is not important if the house and van are spotless...that is ridiculous, but I do want to come home to a clean slate, you know....anyway, the countdown begins....:)

a Truly Awesome day

After the post the other day, and praying that God would do the impossible....I sat down with my cup of coffee and seriously, the phone rang in 5 minutes....it was our agency saying that they were not for sure but they felt like there was a good chance that we could be added to a group already going to China that was leaving around the 3rd of November...would we be willing to go at that time, even though during part of our stay, the Asian Games would be in Guangzhou??? We talked about it and prayed about it and decided that we would go if the opportunity was available! Well, the whole week passed with no news. Strangely enough, although I was anxious, I had a weird peace that we might go....I even started taking my herb stuff for my tummy that I am supposed to start 2 weeks before we go to China, a week ago....All weekend long I was praying and thinking that Monday would be our best chance. I knew if it didn't come today, the closer it got to next week, the more nervous Charles was going to be about leaving on such short notice. I prayed all morning this morning for a miracle...all the while, making sure that the Lord understood that even if it didn't come and we didn't get to go, that I would trust him (just in case he did not know)....the phone rang and it was Regan, my sister...I answered the phone and said "you scared me!!! I thought you were Lifeline calling...." As soon as I said that, the phone beeped and Lifeline was on the other line!!!!!! I screamed, I have got to go!!! I will call you back!!!!.....the rest is history......WE GOT TA!!!!!!!!!! OUR TRAVEL APPROVAL IS REALLY HERE!!!!!!! Hold on, my sweet Alice, we are packing up and headed that way!!!! We will get her November 8th, but will be leaving next week...we are still working out the details...I will post more as soon as I know more...thank you to all of you who have been praying with and for us....the Lord hears our prayers....I have no doubt about that! I will NEVER cease to lift up my hands and praise Him for all that He has done for me....

Alice in Action:)

Ok, here is our breathtaking baby girl coming down the stairs to see her sweet friend, Maran....you can only imagine how my heart felt as I watched my angel walk down....she walks just like her big sister, Lucy....you can hear Ann telling her, 'your mommy loves you".....can I say how ON FIRE I am to get my girl!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Ann and David...you have just made my day...again.....

(there are actually 3 videos, so when you watch the first, you can then click on the 2nd and 3rd from that screen....)

Click here to view this video

Christmas in October:)

Well, today really has been like Christmas...every time I go to my computer, it is like I get a big ol gift....last night around 9:50 pm, I got an email from Ann (who is adopting Alice's best friend in the orphanage) saying they were about to pull up to the orphanage...so, I knew it would be a while until she would be done and back to the hotel so that she could post any pics...so, I knew the sooner I slept, the sooner I could see the pictures, if there were going to be any...so I set my alarm early and when the alarm went off, I ran downstairs to my computer and opened my email just hoping there was something...not only was there a little something but I had over 25 emails...most of which were pictures of my sweet Alice...Ann outdid herself and supposedly the treasures I have just gotten are "just her cellphone pictures"!!!! She also says she has more pictures and even video of her...how unbelievable!!!!!! Of course, I was bawling...really bawling...and ran upstairs to wake Charles up and show him...it was so crazy..Charlie then woke up and got to enjoy the pictures and emails from Ann too...here are some excerpts from her email..." She is skinny and her hair and skin is so soft. She is a ball of fire though. I told her you guys love her very much and that you would be here to get her soon. She pointed at your pics and said mama and dada. She even said Charlie's name. I told her that her big brother was coming to get her too! (We think we have most of this on video). Alice let me pick her up and hold her on my lap. She smelled so sweet. Almost like a honeysuckle. Her hands are soft and pretty...the kids cuddle amongst themselves. They hug each other a lot. They are never kissed or rarely kissed. It is not common in China. I, however, kissed every one of them and hugged them. " THANK YOU ANN and DAVID! You have been such a beautiful blessing to us and we thank the Lord for you....Ann also wrote a beautiful post about today so click on over...

Here are some pictures...






As I got her pictures, the first thing that I felt like God was saying was 'Jennifer, I care about even the smallest details of your life and I SEE you...I even know (such trivial things) that your favorite color is yellow and that you LOVE ruffles....How can He be so good to me and how could I ever deserve to be called mommy by Charlie, Max, Lucy & Alice.....

As long as I live, I will testify of Your goodness and faithfulness to me, oh Lord....

A sweet shower for Alice

Tonight the girls at church gave me a shower for Alice....it was a hoot!!! There was the most beautiful, delicious food...there were so many precious things said in the sweet cards and so many thoughtful and very generous gifts given...I am blessed beyond measure to call these girls friends...



Alice is now has plenty of dress up clothes, bags, things with her name on it, serving set for her birthdays/wedding, books & decorations for her room...Alice's mommy;) now has a beautiful mother/daughter chinese necklace, a rice cooker (lol), a new pair of Toms (since my others were a bit offensive, for real), gifts cards to shop with and plenty of hand sanitizing agents...it was so fun....we laughed and I didn't get home until close to midnight...ooooo aaahhhhh!!!

I cannot post all of the pictures (mostly because I look like a big dork in them, as you can see from the example below), and I cannot list every gift (even though it sounds like I did:), but I can promise you that I appreciate it all more than you know....I love you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart:)

Now, let the travel planning begin......

what is on my mind

Isaiah 43:1-13
1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush [a] and Seba in your stead.

4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth-

7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.

9 All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Which of them foretold this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, "It is true."

10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.

11 I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.

12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.

13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?"

Matthew 19:26 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Luke 1:37 "For nothing is impossible with God"

Praying for a miracle this week...

My Dad

I miss him more than you know. The hurt of him being gone never goes away, even though I am happy that he is where he always wanted to be....singing with the angels and worshipping his Savior at the top of his lungs, I can PROMISE you. It is so funny, but I think about him at the most random times....when Charles answers the phone, it sounds just like my dad and I hear dad's voice...the other day, a sweet man at church, Donnie, came out the door whistling and I heard dad whistle...I see dads hugging on their daughters and I can feel dad hugging me...and I dream about him sometimes...I am thankful that God lets me get those little glimpses into the past....thankful that He helps me remember, because I never want to forget. I was always (and still am) so proud he was my dad. We were a pair...quite a pair...he understood me and I understood him, because we were *quite* alot alike (which means we often butted heads)...sometimes I feel like nobody really gets me, and the one person that could explain it, is gone....but, I cherish the time we had together. I am so thankful he let me see him the way he did...his raw emotion and his love for Jesus...I can remember him begging and pleading with me to understand what Jesus did for me...I can see his red, teary eyes and I believed him...was he perfect? absolutely not, but he was real in his failures and was quick to say what a work in progress his life was....I am thankful he took the time to love on me and tell me how important it was that I make my relationship with Jesus the absolute top priority. I will miss his singing and all of the crazy and bizarre stuff he would do to make us laugh...all his little sayings and quirks...most of all, and the part that I don't get more than anything, was why he didn't get to hang around long enough to meet my children...when we are in the midst of our crazy lives, sometimes I think about how much he would absolutely LOVE being right in the middle of it all...being around all of our kids...he would have been the greatest granddaddy ever...it just hurts my heart. But, I wouldn't wish him back here if I could because his death has taught me so much about God's faithfulness. His death has taught me even more about trusting the Lord, as ironic as that sounds...the most painful thing in my life, has turned out to be the most beneficial thing to me in my relationship with the Lord...mind boggling. He would not come back to this ol' earth if he could. The Lord alone knows the reasons that he couldn't stay and I am thankful that I have had my Savior to comfort me during these years....so, thinking of you today, dad, on what would have been your 64th birthday:)

Good Painful Weird Day:)

Today was kind of a weird day...TWO friends of mine left for China to get their daughters...both are bittersweet for different reasons...the first, the Sinclair family, left today to get their sweet daughter, Collins, who is around 2 1/2...we are both with the same agency and met not too long ago because we have essentially had the exact same timeline the entire time (well, up until I screwed up the I800 stuff and we got behind them)...we just KNEW that we were going to travel together and things just didn't work out...God knows why, we sure don't, but we trust that the reason is a good one...we have talked multiple times a week since we met and just have had a blast sharing what has been going on with one another...she has helped keep the humor in it all for me and it has really been nice to have someone to understand and to encourage when we really needed it....that is probably the reason God let us be friends:)...I can't wait to follow along and see it all play out for them. I could not be happier, they are a wonderful family and I am pretty sure we will stay in touch when all of this is said and done...

then, there is the Gieser family....back in the very beginning, after I got Alice's referral and could find NO information about her orphanage, and couldn't find one solitary soul that had EVER even heard of it...I got a letter from her nannies that gave me the names and pictures of her 3 best little friends in the orphanage. I posted the names of the other 3 children (on a site called China Adopt Talk) and asked if anyone was in process of adopting them, to please message me, that I had some pictures...literally, in a few hours, I had two families contact me, saying that they were adopting the 2 girls and once we verified that it was true, we shared the pictures and found two families out there that had actually heard of this orphanage and it was such a relief...the Gieser's are adopting Alice's friend, Maran, and after that day we have kept in touch and I believe that we always will. They left today as well, and it was emotional for me on many levels....I am not sad that they are there and we are not, although I do want Alice badly, it is not that at all...it is emotional because Ann and David Gieser are the first people I have EVER known personally, that may actually be able to see and touch my Alice and the thoughts of that, even right now, brings such crazy strong emotion...oh, that they could just hug her and touch her and tell her that her mommy and daddy are coming soon and love her sooo much....it is just a weird--but a good, painful weird thing, I am telling you.

I love these two women and I praise the Lord for each of them...they have been such an important part of our story and they will forever be in it and that is pretty neat....I am praying for them and ask that you pray for them too...for rest, for peace and an easy transition to a new piece of their lives...it is such a beautiful thing and I thank God I have gotten to know these women and have been able to be a part of their journeys as well....I TRUST THE LORD WITH ALL MY HEART and that is the only reason I am at peace tonight...He is so good to me and proves faithful time and time again...I will give him all of the glory. period. He is the reason we are where we are in all of this...praise the Lord....

Fall Orphan Tshirts

Trying to get the word out....we are doing a fall Orphan Tshirt and I will be placing the order very soon...the sizes will be from childrens XS-adult XXXL...they are longsleeved white shirts and they are $20 each (anything past XL add $1)....this is a fundraiser for our Orphan Care Ministry (Hearts of Compassion). The money goes into our ABBA Fund and families in our church and community that are adopting may apply to receive funds to help with their adoptions! I am posting a picture...the top picture is the front and the bottom picture is the back....if you are interested, message me asap and let me know:)

Thanks so much,

Seeing the Fruit of Prayer....

What alot of you do not know and what I am hoping to find the time to post about in the near future is how in the world we got to the point that we are at...God has continued to reveal himself over and over again....one little tidbit that I will share today is that some serious prayer and I mean SERIOUS, painful prayer went on in the time leading up to the decision to adopt....I prayed like I have never prayed before and I had some friends that I would call and we would meet and pray for our husbands...we would pray that God would change their hearts if He really wanted us to do what we thought He was wanting us to do....today was a moment to remember. A day to mark down.....after all of the prayers we have all prayed, they are starting to come home....sweet DanNi is home!!! She is 12 and is not sure exactly what to think about it all, but God has gotten her here and I trust he will continue the process of redeeming this sweet life...praise God our REDEEMER!!!!!

Here we are at the airport welcoming them back....if she only knew right now how many people love her so much...I pray that she knows it and believes it soon....I believe this is the first homecoming of many to come....I can't wait to see what plans He has in store!!

Celebrating Alice:)

A group of 3rd grade moms at Charlie and Max's school got together and gave me a shower on Friday night to celebrate Alice!!! Isn't that just the sweetest thing? We went to PFChangs and had such a great time...they made me feel so loved:) All of the gifts were so thoughtful...I was overwhelmed with how much thought went into each little treat....I have really been blessed with wonderful friends at our school.....most of all, we just had a wonderful time together...I had forgotten how much fun having a shower is! Thank you girls!!!!
Here we are....


Kelley, Derinda and Tara...look like they are up to something....

Thanks again:)