Kookies + Kids + Korea

We've had a fun week at our house after hearing the news of Joshua's EP being submitted in Korea, and how our time is getting closer to going to pick him up.  It's a bit surreal to believe that we could be traveling in less than two months to pick him up!  As we're waiting for the final call to come, there are a number of "to do" items we are hoping to figure out and/or accomplish before we bring Joshua home.

One of them is deciding if Nathan & Brooke will be able to travel to Korea with us to get Joshua.  There are pro's and con's for taking them with us, and we've been weighing them over the past few months and looking at what would be best for Joshua, the kids, ourselves, and the whole process of adjusting to having another family member with us.  We've learned from others who have and haven't taken their kids over, and have thought through what might be best in our situation.

Since we initially told Nathan & Brooke about the adoption process back on New Years Day (2011), they've been very excited about having a brother join our family.  We've had a lot of fun conversations, questions, and discussions with them about Joshua over the past year and a half.  It's been fun and very encouraging to see how the kids have embraced and welcomed Joshua into the  family, even though he hasn't even arrived yet.  They both already refer to him as "my brother", and occasionally talk about him to others as if Joshua has always been a part of our family.  We've also been praying for him regularly, looking at the pictures we received of him, and even making some fun videos for him that we hope he'll get to see.  But their biggest question on their mind remains:  "when will Joshua come home?"  Only to be followed by: "will we be able to go to Korea too?"

Now that it's getting closer, we decided that since we've been in this adoption journey as a family from the beginning, we wanted to experience this significant part of the adoption journey as a family too.  So the kids will be able to meet Joshua in Korea too!

To tell the kids what we decided, Jill baked up a large chocolate chip cookie in a heart-shaped pizza pan, decorated it with icing and a picture of the S. Korean flag, and wrote:

"Joshua, we're coming soon! 

Love, Mommy & Daddy, Nathan & Brooke"

We set it out on the table, along with all four of our passports, and a new 22 month picture of Joshua we had just received from our case worker.  Then the kids came into the living room, read the cookie, and got big grins on their faces when they realized what it meant!  (well, Brooke first asked if we could eat the cookie.....oh, how I love my little sweet tooth girl!)

After we had a little celebration, the kids recorded a few short little video messages for Joshua.  I think these thoughts sum up how excited we all are at coming to Korea to meet Joshua and bring him home!

C'mon EP and travel call!  Let's go!

Joshua, we're coming soon!  Love, Mommy & Daddy, Nathan & Brooke

 

EP Submitted!!!

These are the words we’ve been waiting to hear for the last year! This is what has made the wait so long. EP stands for Exit Permit, which is what South Korea must grant in order for us to bring little Joshua home. Each year they have been reducing the number of EPs granted, thus increasing the length of time for all families waiting to bring their children home. We now have an approximate time frame until we get the next important step, our Travel Call! Once we get this, we will book our flights and be on our way to meet our little boy and bring him home! Most likely we will get this call in August and be traveling later that month or at the beginning of September.

Joshua ("YS") turns two September 16th. Once we found out about the long waits, I began praying we would be able to bring our little boy home before he turned two. For a long time this looked nearly impossible due to several months where no EPs were granted, and due to changes in South Korean adoption laws. As the wait got longer, I prepared my heart, and trusted in our Sovereign Lord’s timing. But, in June and July, many EPs were submitted. So tonight when Brooke prayed, “Thank You, Jesus, that Joshua gets to come home for his second birthday,” my heart was praising the Lord right along with her.

I recently heard Psalm 100 referred to as the “10 Joyful Commandments”. They are not commands that we could follow on our own as we walk through life on this earth. But because of what Jesus has done for us, His joy may be in us, and our joy may be complete (John 15:11). My prayer has been that I will wait joyfully on the Lord during this long process, that I will praise Him joyfully in each blessing along the way, and that I will continue to worship Him joyfully as we begin a very challenging transition as little Joshua joins our family and grieves all he has ever known.

 Psalm 100 

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 

Worship the Lord with gladness; 

Come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the Lord is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, 

And his courts with praise; 

Give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; 

His faithfulness continues through all generations.