Moving forward

So graduation has come and gone. Michael in his desire to get his degree finished took his last 5 classes all in one semester. It was a great day of celebration with family and friends. Relishing is what has been completed, the accomplishments and dreaming about what is next for our family.

And tonight, on this glorious Christmas night I am sitting in a hotel room, on our way to a week away in a cabin in TN. Spending some much needed time together. Reflecting on time with my family and friends, time celebrating our Lord's birth and looking to what is in store for us next year. We checked our email tonight and found a huge surprise. Our adoption agency sends out weekly updates on what is happening within Russian adoption. Since Russia has signed a new agreement with the States for adoptions, there have been some rules that have been changing. For example, making two trips is a necessary requirement. The first trip is to go meet your child and make sure it is a good match, and the second trip is for your court date and to finalize the adoption. This trip was supposed to last about 3 weeks to allow for a 10 day waiting period to take place as required by Russian law. To our surprise, it appears that the Russian law will be changing. Changing so much that they are talking about having parents now make 3 trips... count that three trips. Due to the fact that there will now be a 30 day waiting period. 3 trips or 40+ days in Russia is what we are currently looking at now. Of course, not all the logistics are out, there are many questions to be answered. But my prayer is that the courts for the time being do not change this law. I can't imagine meeting my children and leaving them once, let alone twice.

Then I reflect on what it is we are celebrating today. Today a baby was born in a manger. The mother, Mary humbly accepted what God had given her, her calling if you would. To bring the Saviour into this world. She accepted it with no hesitation (from what we can tell in the Bible) accepted it with a pure and willing heart.

Luke 1:38 ³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

And that was simply it, I am the servant and I accept. Amazing. It dawned on me as I wrestle with these thoughts about our own adoption, the implications on time, cost and so on. I am the Lord's servant, and I accept. Not so easy coming from my mouth. Our journey to adoption has not been an easy one. The road so far has been filled with stalls from health problems and the need to allow school to be finished and the struggles of moving through this process. We have been supported by some and not so much by others. But we press on, working on our home study for January, hopefully to have paper work shortly turned in sometime after that. And then we wait for our referral. It will be a process until the day we get our child(ren) home. Not to mention the process of raising them. And yet, my prayer is that my heart is able to say I accept..... Thank you for praying for us and sharing in this journey. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

It has been a while......

Yes, it has been a while. We have been a bit busy in the recent months. We have moved, and have been working, and working to get our home ready for our home study. Michael has also been working extremely hard this semester to finish school. School you ask?

Shortly after we got married, Michael felt the call to go back and finish his degree. It was something that he has been wanting to do for a number of years and never completed. So, for the past 18 months, he has been putting in many, many hours to get his degree done. He will be graduating this Saturday from Clayton State University. I know God will do great things through his effort and his obedience to finish. I am excited to see what is next for our family in this way. I will have more to post about the adoption this weekend.... Exciting things are happening.

The Room and Email

There has been much happening in the Bowden house hold in the past month. I am still battling some health issues but, feel like we are getting some things under control. But probably the most exciting news was that we bought a house.

We knew that we were going to need to move in October. Our lease was up, our apartment complex not the best and most of all we have a home study to get done. At which we really need to stay in the place that our home study is done in until our adoption is complete. So we began the great house hunt this summer. Thanks to some awesome real estate agents (Thank you ladies) we were able to find a house without spending over what God had laid on our hearts. We are in the process of getting the house cleaned up so we can move at the end of the month.

But the room…. As we work on the house and we think about where things are going we have this room, that we know will be empty until a little one or two fill it. It is a room that is not going to get painted or have furniture in it until we know her or them. And so every time I walk into that room, I think of our children and their little bodies occupying that space. I find myself instantly praying for she or they and the point where we can say welcome home. So we are eagerly cleaning, painting and getting ready for the move. And then the home study.

We also got an interesting email this week. Long story short, someone called our church and they had a set of 3 month old twins that they wanted a family to adopt. These little babies are Vietnamese and have had a rough life already. We chatted and said yes. Upon making the call back to say that there was a family, the dad was a bit taken back that there was a family. He is now trying to get his mom over here to help him.

But in the reality, it was a wake-up call for the both of us from God. He is asking the question, what else do you need to do to essentially get yourself ready. Reality is we will not be ready for everything and we know that, but there are some things that God has called us to move through to be as ready as he wants us.

I will post some more pictures this weekend of our house. Some people have asked us how they can be involved and I will post those as well. So Pumpkin Bread lovers stay tuned…….

This is a video that I think I might have put up before… But I think it tells a great story of the place that we are in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4eZybIXpm8

The Body at Work= Grateful

It has been some time since I have posted on here and I apologize. Things in our house have been a bit hectic since my last post. I would like to take the time out to share them but also share just what My Father and your Father in Heaven has been up to.

I found out shortly after my last post that I would need to have my gallbladder taken out. I have been pretty sick in regards to food for a couple of months. A pretty routine procedure, a week off of work and I should be good to go. So on August 31st Michael and I arrived at the hospital and I was off. It went off without a hitch. The recovery however has been a bit hectic. We ended up in the ER with some issues. I also have still been having issues with digestion, and have been going through a series of tests to find out what is going on. I had a great friend come visit from FL just to be with us, wasting her vacation to sit on the couch with me. My family checked in to make sure we were OK. Mom even booked a flight to come when she found out I was in the ER, But we managed to talk her out of coming. The picture of the body came into full reality for me, a grand reminder of just how big my family is. When you become a believer you are adopted into this amazing family. You gain so many brothers and sisters in Christ and there is this amazing connection that can't be explained other than we are prat of the Body.

1st Corinthians 12:27
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it".

We so learned the meaning of this during this past two weeks. We had meals provided everyday after the surgery. And my diet was no easy task, Gluten Free and Fat free who wants to mess with that. My firiend waited on me hand and foot. There were people praying for me across the world. From FL to China and beyond. Our pastor was at the hospital with us and an amazing couple that Michael and I have grown to Love, sat at the hospital with Michael during my surgery. Making sure he took care of himself as well. During the two weeks they called to check-in, offered to clean toilets and care for us in anyway possible.

And the most unexpected, I have missed a lot of work, I am thankful it is not our craziest time of the year. I was able to check-in and keep up with what was going on through email. But none the less, because of the events that had taken place earlier this year with my grandma I was quickly out of vacation and sick time. Michael and I altered our budget to prepare for the time that I was missing without pay. But once again the body stepped in and made sure that we were taken care of and will not have to do that. I am totally blown away, humbled and thankful to be part of such a body. People sacrificing their own time to make sure we were taken care of in so many ways. It causes me to put my pride aside and humble myself to accept this. I love to give but recieving has always been hard.

And then it dawned on me, these are the same people that will have an impact on my child(ren). Those people that have prayed, have checked-in, have come for a visit, have loved on us, people part of this large body, my family, will have an impact on my child. And I am eternally grateful for that and even more want to get her home to experience this love.

So, while this may not be a post about the adoption, It is a post I wanted to share. I am so thankful for my own adoption (Story yet to come) into this family, that cares, loves, prays, without hesitation.

To my family, Thank you all for all your love and support.

Romans 12:5

"So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others".

I leave you with this... Right where I am at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4eZybIXpm8&feature=share

Let's add some more.........

So, it has been a busy couple of weeks here. We have been trying to find the place that would be our next home. Hoping and praying for it to come soon, as we are anxious to move forward with the home study of our adoption. I have also been having some health issues, coming to find out that my gallbladder is not working and needs to be removed. Michael is beginning his last semester of school, and so needless to say that it has been very, very busy…..

But a common theme has been coming up for me. In the mornings I have been spending some time outside in the wee hours of the morning walking our complex listening to worship music and a common song keeps replaying on my IPOD from Steven Curtis Chapman. He wrote this sweet song after the death of his daughter. It is about his waiting to be reunited with her in heaven, but until then he just has to wait. And that is exactly how I feel. Michael and I have been watching kids out in the world, playing, in stores, we have been watching some Disney movies and all the while saying “I can’t wait until”…….We really can’t wait for her to come home. We can’t wait for all of the firsts that we will have and the memories that will be made. For now, I leave you with a snippet from the song… I think it summarizes where I am at.

But I, oh I, just have to wait
Cuz I know that day is coming
So I, oh I, just have to wait...........................................

When, When, When..................................

I have been getting so many questions as to when??? When will you be traveling to Russia, when will you bring your child(ren) home?

The only answer that I can give is it will be a while. There are several steps that we have to complete before we go to Russia. So I thought I would provide a little snippet as to how this process is going to work, or at least our understanding.

- * Initial application- Which has been completed.

- * Parenting classes- Currently in the process of completing these.

- * Home study- There is a ton of paperwork that is entailed in this. Including but not limited to, medical exams, psychological exams, auto biographies, and having a social worker coming to visiting our home to deem it fit. (This is also something we are praying for. We are currently in search of a home as our lease will be up in just a few short months)

- * Documents go off to Russia….. And we wait……… Then we wait some more……

- * We are hoping that our referral will comes in 10-12 months (that is the current average wait time)

- * Then we get our first travel date. We will spend 4-5 days in Russia meeting and bonding with our child(ren). We then come home (something I cannot fathom in leaving without her).

- * We then wait 2-4 months for our final court date. That is where we go for three weeks and bring our little one home.

So as you can see we have a good bit to do before we complete our family. There will be a ton of paper work (Hence someone saying we are paper pregnant) and a lot of waiting.

I have also mentioned children…. There is a possibility that we may be bringing home twins. Crazy we know, we had to fill out our referral and put either a little girl or a set of twins.

As I stated above, we are currently in search of a home. We feel that God is leading us to purchase and settle down for a little bit. Please be in prayer about that. Along with just prayer for our child(ren) as well. For protection for her or them, the people taking care of her (them) as she (they) waits to become part of our family.

Much love- J

New Agreement Signed!!!!

We were very excited to find out that on the 13th a new adoption agreement was signed between the US and Russia. This agreement has been a long time coming and we are hoping that it makes adoptions between the two countries a little bit easier.

Why did this agreement need to be signed again???? A few years ago a woman from TN put her adopted son back on the plane to Moscow because she could not handle him. This act haulted adoptions between the two countries and the agreement for processing adoptions was canceled. Through the past couple of years the requirements have changed and adoptions have slowly moved forward. We are praying that the signing of this agreement is a positive action not only for us but for all the other families who are in the process of adoption.

Part 2......

So fast forward a bit, I came back from China (which rocked my world) and I moved to GA. Subsequently, I ended up marrying Michael. We had met in 1998 at my sister’s wedding and stayed in touch for all of those years across so many miles.

Through the process of our courtship, we went through some pretty intensive pre-marital counseling. When the discussion of children came up, I had brought up my desire and call to adopt. He was not all that open to the idea. I spent a great deal of time praying…. God reassured me that I needed to give Him time; he would work on Michael’s heart. On June 27, 2009 the Bowden Family was born.

About 16 months after we had been married, I had gone to a conference called Catalyst. It was a great two days on leadership, but something greater happened, once again adoption was confirmed. For a moment, I was the only one in an arena full of thousands. I went and gathered as much information from the adoption agencies that were there and came home. I placed all of the information on the table, gave them to Michael and said we will be adopting, I was just waiting for him to be ready.

Valentine’s day 2011, Michael had a felt box waiting for me, in it was a locket, inside the locket was a bible verse James 1:27- “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” He told me that he was ready to start the adoption process and confirmed that a little girl would be joining our family.

We spent the next few months praying, along with asking others to pray for us as we sought after where she was and what agency we were going to go through to get her. After an initial application, on Father’s Day we signed papers of commitment to move forward with the adoption. That is when we began to share the news with our friends and family.

We have set this blog up to let you know OUR journey, the ups and downs of adoption and all the in between until we bring our little girl home. We are so excited to be expanding our family in this way. We know she is out there and are very anxious to get her home.

Love the least of these... Part 1

This journey will probably be told in several parts, as it is a long story with so many components, so part 1 comes to you tonight. Several years ago, My sister and Brother-in-law felt the call to bring home a sweet little girl and make her a part of their family. This beautiful child came home and immediately it felt like she had always been a part of the family. I will never forget the first time I met her and the instant love that was there.

I had also recently had my own adoption take place (more to come on that later) and had such a desire to give back to God what he had gifted their family with. And so I went on my first mission trip to Bolivia to serve at an orphanage there. And, I subsequently made four more trips. I fell in love with the little ones of the world and knew that God was going to use that in my own family someday.

2006 came and God had a different plan for me… China was calling my name. I went to China to teach at a college, working with High School Students who had not passed the college entrance exam. I also had the opportunity to work in some orphanages and with the local people. God used China in might ways in my life. What I thought I was going for, was certainly not what He had intended. By the burden that I felt for the unwanted little ones of the world continued to burn.More to come..... Stay tuned, Jen

Our first step.........

Welcome to our Blog. We are excited about what God is doing in our lives and are looking forward to being able to share it. I will keep our first post short and sweet. In the days to follow, we will share the story that got us to this point, but in the short of it, we have begun the process to adopt. More to come about our growing family.
Much Love!