A Season of Blessings, Even Miracles (Part 3)

Detroit and Home Again

Once we received the phone call that Levi was born, we were on our way.  We arrived at the agency in Detroit Saturday afternoon to sign all the paperwork.  I am glad that they were willing to visit with us on the weekend.  Levi had been released already from the hospital and spent the night with a foster parent. The boys were instantly drawn towards Levi and wanted to have their turns holing him.  We were thrilled to be able to take him "home" to our hotel room that afternoon.

 

Due to the HIV possibility, we had to give him his medicine on a very strict timeline.  Needless to say, we had a hard time getting good sleep--with 6 of us in a small hotel room.  We were required to stay in the hotel room for about two weeks.  This was a bit different from what we were told with the other children...but then again there was always something new we experienced with each adoption...so that was OK.  The hotel had some advantages.  Derek and Nathan love swimming so the hotel pool was a great thing for them.  This particular hotel was nice too, because we had stayed there for the previous three adoptions and we knew our way around that part of the city fairly well.  It was also close to the agency office.  This was good since we seemed to stop by several times.  This hotel also had another benefit--they not only provided continental breakfast but also three dinners a week.  This was great so we could save a little more money.

A huge blessing came that first day when the agency director told us that because of the chance that Levi might have HIV, he decided that they were going to reduce our adoption fee--another money saver and blessing.  We were not expecting this, but it was greatly needed because unlike the other adoptions we had not been required to spend much on pass-through fees.  This would be a different story, however.  What money we saved on the adoption fees was spent on pass-through fees.

A small hotel room can get old in a hurry with 3 little boys jumping off beds and bouncing off walls, so we frequented the parks in the area.  The boys, as is in their nature, made friends quickly and easily.  The beautiful weather also was a blessing.  We met with the birth mother on three different occasions.  We had met her every other adoption, but usually for a short time (i.e. 30 min).  This visit was very different.  She wanted to stay with the boys for as long as she could.  I would say all three visits put together she was with us for a total of 5 hours.  This was a great experience for me personally as I got to know her a lot better.  She has led a life of sadness, but she never even had a chance from the childhood she described to us.  My heart was really opened up to her and I felt a greater appreciation for her and for her welfare.  The boys seemed to be open to her (again), which I know she appreciated.  She indicated to the agency that we were her only family and that she loved us.  She gave us hugs and even kissed us on the cheeks at our last meeting.  Another blessing--the birth mother decided to have the surgery so that Levi should be her last child.  This she had scheduled to do the last two times but never showed up.  This time she stayed.  Not only that, but she decided it was time to change her lifestyle.  She checked herself into a rehabilitation center, which is supposed to be a year long.

                                  

As we sat there in the hotel trying to think of things to keep us busy, we realized we were close to Lake Huron.  We decided to take a day trip to the Lake.  It was a beautiful day.  When we arrived, we discovered that the beach was very sandy, and to my delight there was a constant washing of waves up on the beach.  We went to the dollar store and bought some clothes we could go swimming in and headed back on the beach.  It was perfect.  The water was great and the boys loved making sandcastles.  It was perfect for another reason--Derek had been begging all summer long to be able to go to the beach, but we had told him we couldn't because we didnt' have enough money.  But here we were on this trip with nothing to do---except now we could make his dreams a reality.  Derek didn't know it wasn't an ocean beach--only that it was a beach, with sand for sandcastles, with waves breaking on the beach, and even with seashells.  It was a perfect day!

We decided we should go to the Detroit Zoo as well---it was really small in that hotel room.  The boys love zoos so this was a successful outing as well.  The animals were nice, but there were some beautiful gardens, which Lisa and I really enjoyed.  This was our first updated family photo, with kangaroos and all, even though you can't really see Levi in the car seat.

Finally the day came when we received word that all the paperwork was clear so we could head home.  It was close to 6 weeks away from home already, but we had a few more stops before we could go home.  We first stopped by my Brother's house in Wisconsin for a couple days.  We then stopped in Iowa to see all our wonderful friends there and to thank them for their kindness to us.  Again we stopped in Omaha (we stopped there on our way out to Detroit) to visit with friends.  Our next stop was Kansas (again) so we could let Grandma and Grandpa see the baby and so that I could install another drinker for the cows.  Finally it was back home to Utah. 

It was 7 weeks in all, give or take a day.  A long, tiring trip, but it was full of adventure, friends, family time, love, and dreams coming true.  As I have taken the opportunity to jot these events down, I have felt a greater appreciation for all who have helped us, and my feelings have been tender at times.  I am convinced that the Lord had his hand in our lives and the events that got us here.  There are other details I am leaving out because they are too personal to be mentioned here, but I am so grateful for this experience. 

Follow Up Blessings

Levi has had three HIV tests to date and they have all come back negative.  The doctors are 99% sure he is HIV free.  We receive news that the birth mother is still in the rehabilitation center and enjoying it.

A Season of Blessings, Even Miracles (Part 2)

Kansas

After our successful garage sale, we packed up and headed to Kansas.  It was my job to "run the farm" while my father-in-law was fishing in Alaska.  I learned some basics in diesel truck maintenance, and how to operate a backhoe and loader.  I was in charge of feeding and caring for 500 cattle.  One miracle--none died. : )

I enjoyed the work and the boys loved being outside. 

Because the baby could have been born any day due to her previous early deliveries, we decided that we would stay in Kansas until we received the phone call from Detroit notifying us that the baby was born.  We ended up staying there exactly 4 weeks.  Granted, we were getting a little anxious about the delivery towards the end, especially since we were told that the birth mother had disappeared (again) and they had no contact with her.  In spite of this, I generally felt pretty confident that things would work out, because of the huge success in raising money so far, and I felt that that wouldn't have happened if we weren't going to be blessed with the baby.

Anyway, we were blessed to make, and save a little money during those 4 weeks in Kansas, and we were able to spend some quality time with Lisa's family. We had a good time spending most of our days together on the farm.

Her grandma and grandpa had been placed in a nursing home and we were able to visit them several times.  The boys had the opportunity to go swimming in the local pool with grandma, which they loved.  I learned some new skills, even though I broke a water line digging with the backhoe for the second time--but it was a quick and easy fix, thank goodness.  I installed a new water trough for the cows and helped my father-in-law get ready to receive 1500 more cattle later that month.

I mentioned in Part 1 that our friends in Iowa had a successful garage sale as well.  That garage sale didn't actually happen until we were out in Kansas, but regardless of that fact, another blessing came to the life of the one spear-heading it.  She was such a blessing to us and our little family, but she mentioned to me several times that is was her privilege--and actually something that she needed at that time.  This friend of ours had just been diagnosed with skin cancer shortly before.  In spite of this fact she was undergoing surgery over the very weekend of the garage sale.  She sacrificed her time and energy at this time for us.   However, she insists that doing so was a blessing to her.  It kept her mind off of the things she was going through.  Her surgery was a success by the way.

As a side note, while we were in Kansas, we continued to receive financial donations by friends and family.  By the time we left Kansas and headed to Detroit, we had enough money to pay for the adoption, and as far as we could tell, for the travel expenses too.  Everything had fallen into place perfectly.  Financial assistance or donations for garage sales had literally come from all across the country.  Friends and family from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans had felt a need to assist us in our quest.

When the call finally came, Lisa packed our bags in 2-3 hours while I finished fixing another water line break (not my fault this time), and we were on our way.

How blessed we were (and still are).  Part Three will be coming soon and will go over our travel and stay in Detriot and back home.

Impressions of General Conference (Part 2)

This is the second set of notes of my impressions on General Conference, a semi-annual meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, where modern day prophets and apostles speak to us.

1. Always retain in rememberance the Greatness of God and your own nothingness.  HOWEVER, to God, WE are his greatest work and glory...not the stars in the heavens or the creatures that crawl the earth or swim the seas.
2. Compared to God, we are nothing, but we are EVERYTHING to God.
3. There is no arbitrary age for an individual to start caring about, and doing, geneology work.
4. Always make time to visit the sick, widows, and homeless, just as President Monson does.
5. In family relationships love is spelled T.I.M.E.
6. Identify the time-wasting distractions and grind them to dust.
7. It is always better to look up in faith than to cast our eyes downward in self-pity.
8. Repentance is a divine gift and there should be a smile on our face when we speak of it because it  brings us closer to God.
9. Repentance is the condition, and the mercy of Christ is the Power.
10. Be bold in your declaration of Jesus Christ.
11. Satan is determined to take down as many souls as he possible can, EVEN THOUGH he knows he will be defeated.  This is because he wants all men to be miserable like himself.
12. Be not afraid of the testimony of our Lord.
13. We need to take care of the poor and needy.
14. When you think you are exhasted in serving the Lord--do more.
15. Be willing to stand alone when needed.
16. God's morals are unchanging
17. Special gifts bring solemn responsibilities.

A Season of Blessings, Even Miracles (Part 1)

As I have reflected on the last couple of months, I can't help but feel that a number of blessings, even miracles have occured in our lives, and I wanted to jot them down.  It all began when we recieved the news about our birth mother's pending new delivery.  We were ready emotionally to add another to our family, but being without a job, we simply were not in the financial position we needed to be in to pay for the adoption expenses.  We pondered and prayed about our delima and felt that we still needed to go through with the adoption and leave everything in the hands of God. 

We announced our decision, and predicament, to friends and family and we immediately began to see the hand of God at work. We recieved financial donations in person and in the mail.  We then began preparations for a garage sale to raise money.  Local church members, friends, and family (even strangers) donated numerous items to our cause.  We were picking up trailor loads of clothes, toys, furniture, bikes, books, and more for almost the entire week leading up to the garage sale. 

As we gathered all the stuff together we wondered how we were ever going to get rid of everthing.  We started setting up on Thursday afternoon for the following morning, and people began stopping in.  Friday morning at 7:00 am, we were still trying to set things up and we were busy selling stuff.  We were busy all day until 7:00 pm that night with hardly a bread at all.  The same story was true Saturday morning.  We hoped to make $500 the entire weekend.  We had far surpassed that amount by Saturday at 2:00 pm, so we put a "free" sign up by 3:00 and almost all of the remaining items were gone by 5:00.  We had one trailer full of stuff left over, which we took to DI the next morning.

Our church friends in Iowa also decided to hold a garage sale the weekend after we did.  They also recieved a large amount of stuff and recieved almost an identical amount of money.  I have never heard of such huge success at gargage sales--neither had anyone else I talked to.  It was like the miracle of the few loaves and fishes that produced much more than what was provided.

I was touched, not only by the huge success the garage sales were, but also by the blessing that we were able to be to those who were also less fortunate.  When we put the "free" sign up, there were two groups of people in particular that I feel we were a great blessing to.  One lady was obviously glad of the news, and judging by her dress, was in need of additional items.  The other group was a couple of Polyesian ladies that came back 3 times gathing stuff.  They made the comment that their kids were going to be so glad to have new clothes, and that it would be like Christmas to them.  I really don't know how desperately they needed those items, but to me, it seemed that by offering some of the remaining items for free we were had the chance to be a blessing to those who were also struggling at that time.

The left-overs that we donated to DI would also be a way to bless others.  We learned shorlty after that the excess materials in Iowa were also donated to Goodwill and other charitable donations.

This particular season of our journey to adopt made me full of gratitude for all our loving church friends and family for their generosity.  I was also reminded that the Lord knew of our circumstances and was willing to take care of us.  As my mom has stated several times, "It is a miracle".  The financial donations that came our way was beyond what we would have imagined.

Just a few days after completing our garage sale, we were on our way to Kansas (part 2).

Impressions of General Conference (Part 1)

I just had the opportunity to listen to the words of the modern-day prophets and apostles today and yesterday (over a 10-hour period).  This happens twice a year and I love it.  I am so grateful that the God is an 1) unchangeable being 2) that He is no respector of persons and 3) that He love this generation just as much as He did to the Israelites in ancient times, and as a result he had called prophets and apostles to teach us of Christ and how to return to live with him in heaven.

The following thoughts are personal impressions that I jotted down while listening to their words.

1. The holy scriptures, the Bible and the Book of Mormon together, establish the Word of God and bring power into the lives of those people who study from their pages.  I need to re(memorize) selected verse of scripture so that they will be a source of strength to me in times of affliction/trouble.  Pondering upon the scriptures is KEY to obtaining personal revelation.
2. Recieving personal revelation is a privelege and a blessing the Lord expects of us.  Because he loves us all, he wants us to have that personal witness of the truths contained in the scriptures.  In addition to searching the scriptures, we need to "inquire of the Lord".
3. Because the Lord loves us, he has provided a way for families to be together forever, and the Temple is where this happens.  I am grateful for this knowledge especially in light of our family makeup.
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints IS the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands in King Nebekenezar's Dream which Daniel interpreted.  It is filling the entire earth now with members, congregations, and temples world-wide and it will continue to fill the world.  Nothing can stop that from happening--persecutions, mobs, wars--nothing.
5. Satan is real.  He has a very real destructive power. But with the scriptures, and by striving to keep God's commandments, and by entering into covenants with Him (i.e. baptism) Satan's power over us is greatly diminished. 
6. Striving to live so that we are worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit is fundamental to recieving personal revelation and spiritual strength. This means that I need to do those things that invite the spirit on a daily basis, and reject those things that detract from it.  This includes listening to only good, wholesome music and watching TV shows/movies that are uplifting and invite those feelings.  This also means talking with respect and with reverence about spiritual things.