This morning I woke up to a sign on the my door that said "don't come out, mom." The living room was decorated with pink balloons and pink zebra streamers, homemade signs, and some precious gifts. My little party planner (mady) did an incredible job. The kids and I spent the morning at the zoo and I'm looking forward to a peaceful night at home with my four favorite-ist people in the universe... did I mention I am looking forward to not having to make dinner. Oh yea!
This afternoon I started to reflect... reflect on the years gone by and the years that are to come. I thought back to my birthday 3 years ago, 2011... Mark and I had just come home from Ghana where our love for orphans and for the continent of Africa was taken to a new level. We arrived home and learned the terrible news that my grandma had terminal cancer and that Mark's father had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (that happened within a week of each other). Our dear friends from Ghana visited over my birthday. My precious grandmother, who was so very dear to my heart, passed away just a couple of days after my birthday. A hard year. A difficult journey.
** i know I have photos somewhere of my birthday this year but I can't seem to locate them**
September 22, 2012... Mark threw a surprise party for me. As we were getting ready to go out to dinner ( i had no idea there was a surprise party afterwards), we received the call from our adoption agency that they were shutting down the adoption program to Ghana and that we were not going to be able to adopt *our* little boy. We had been praying for him and expectantly waiting for our son to join our family... Yet, now we were receiving this news. My heart was crushed. The tears would not stop flowing. Mark was trying to console me knowing that he had this big party planned and he wanted me to try to enjoy myself. We both were heartbroken. Yet, we received a call that forever changed our lives... "Mark and Jenn, you may not be able to be an adoptive parent of one here in the US but maybe God is calling you to be adoptive parents to thousands in South Africa." Yes, yes He is... Thus started our journey to South Africa...
And...
September 22, 2013 -- I celebrated my birthday in Mokopane, South Africa at the Spur restaurant with some of the greatest friends that I've ever met. Mark surprised me again and we had so much fun. I ate mopane worms and boiled peanuts.... and some quesadillas :) Memories made that will last a lifetime. That was probably one of my favorite birthdays. The journey to get there was hard. A lot had happened to get to that point but being in Africa is forever etched in my heart. Many of you know that we had to leave unexpectedly. What many of you don't know is that it has really affected me. I've struggled a lot over this past summer... (more of that to come in a later post). I've dealt with a range of emotions that I can't even begin to explain. My heart is still in South Africa. Our dear friends. The church. The children. The baby shelter. My heart is still there. God is working and He has perfect plans but I'll be honest when I say the journey from Africa to America has not been easy.
Now, September 22, 2014 we are yet again in a different place. I'm celebrating in Lafayette, Louisiana where people love crawfish and cajun music. It's humid beyond all get out and the weather is bi-polar. We have met some great friends (some of whom are from South Africa) and we are attending a fabulous church with a pastor who deeply cares about people and loves the Lord deeply. We are currently waiting for word on an adoption that we started while we were in South Africa. We were told NO by the only two agencies that could help us here in the States... but yet God opened a tiny window. Now we are waiting to see if the next step can be made and we can bring home our son whom we love dearly. Whether he is here with us or whether he stays in South Africa, he will always be on my heart and the heart of my children who pray for him often. We love you, Daniel and we hope to see you soon.
Memories. Some are hard. Some of fabulous. I'll cherish them all. I will choose to find peace where I'm at, even if that "place" changes many times a year. I will choose to serve Him and follow Him in whatever direction He leads. I will cherish these memories. I hold them deep in my heart because each one is incredibly special. Each one is a part of MY story... MY journey. Each memory has shaped me into what I am today.
My journey doesn't end here on September 22, 2014, thankfully... I'm looking forward to many years ahead and the memories that are created. I'll continually praise Him. I'll continue to see His calling on my life ... here, south africa, africa, wherever... (africa?) :) I know we won't be in Africa again long term but I don't believe my time there is up. Over time I know He will show me His plan. We don't get to the mountain top without going through the valley... we don't heal without a wound... we don't grow without trials....
Thank you Lord for my journey... thank you for molding my story. May it be for your glory!
Thank you for another year.... I wonder where I will be celebrating from next year???????
