Monday, June 4, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Reflections on my father's legacy
Pardon my randomness, but it is my dad's birthday and this was on my mind.
Today I was thinking about my little girls, Belle and her little sister. I was thinking ahead and about the legacy I will leave behind through them. See, today is my dad’s birthday. It has been 18 months since his death and I look at my life and the legacy he left behind. Regardless of our differences at times, my father taught me a lot about life. He was the same man in the good times and the bad times. I saw him on the mountaintop, and I saw him a broken man in the valley. And through it all, he was still my father and he took care of our family and lead us the best he could. He was not a talkative man, but when you needed advice he was there. When you needed help, he was there. When you reached a milestone, he was there. When you failed, he was there, sometimes with a word of encouragement or an “I told you so” but that was just his way. My dad was a great man. I see the legacy he left behind in me and just hope that I can be there for my daughters and wife like he was for his.
As we are going through this process, it is eye-opening and heart wrenching. As I think about the 147 million children worldwide without a family, it just rips me apart inside. I want to be a champion of adoption and adoption awareness. I want to be able to expose people to the reality of orphans. I want to leave a legacy for my children, as well as the students that come through the door of my classroom, that will cause them to consider how they can be a voice for the voiceless. I shared a video on here a few weeks ago call “Depraved Indifference” and it had to do with just that. If you did not see it, go to my archives or to YouTube and watch the video. It will open your eyes.
Please continue to pray for us as we are trekking along on this adoption journey. We are currently in the middle of our home study (financial paperwork, physicals, etc.). Continue to pray for our little girl who is waiting on us as well as her mother.
Today I was thinking about my little girls, Belle and her little sister. I was thinking ahead and about the legacy I will leave behind through them. See, today is my dad’s birthday. It has been 18 months since his death and I look at my life and the legacy he left behind. Regardless of our differences at times, my father taught me a lot about life. He was the same man in the good times and the bad times. I saw him on the mountaintop, and I saw him a broken man in the valley. And through it all, he was still my father and he took care of our family and lead us the best he could. He was not a talkative man, but when you needed advice he was there. When you needed help, he was there. When you reached a milestone, he was there. When you failed, he was there, sometimes with a word of encouragement or an “I told you so” but that was just his way. My dad was a great man. I see the legacy he left behind in me and just hope that I can be there for my daughters and wife like he was for his.
As we are going through this process, it is eye-opening and heart wrenching. As I think about the 147 million children worldwide without a family, it just rips me apart inside. I want to be a champion of adoption and adoption awareness. I want to be able to expose people to the reality of orphans. I want to leave a legacy for my children, as well as the students that come through the door of my classroom, that will cause them to consider how they can be a voice for the voiceless. I shared a video on here a few weeks ago call “Depraved Indifference” and it had to do with just that. If you did not see it, go to my archives or to YouTube and watch the video. It will open your eyes.
Please continue to pray for us as we are trekking along on this adoption journey. We are currently in the middle of our home study (financial paperwork, physicals, etc.). Continue to pray for our little girl who is waiting on us as well as her mother.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Hurry up and wait...
Monday April 9, we attended our informational/intake home study meeting in Jackson. It was a little overwhelming to sit down with our Social Worker and discuss what all will be accomplished during this process as well as the cost involved. It was what we expected, but due to new regulations implemented by China, the post home-placements have almost doubled. And this of course adds to the total bill. We would like to thank everyone who purchased some flip-flops, we are grateful for your kindness and support.
Enough about funds…
April and I have been excited over the past few weeks. We have decided on and purchased the bedding for “baby Asia” and we have also decided on a name. NO! I am not revealing that just yet. We will reveal that as the time draws closer. April and I have decided to start a prayer journal for both Belle and “baby Asia” to record our thoughts and specific prayers for them through this process. I think it will be a neat experience for both of them to receive these journals later in life to look back on our hearts during this process. I think it will be very special to “baby Asia” to see that we were praying for her and longing for her even before she was born or a part of our family. I want her to truly understand that we are choosing her as our own.
Belle continues to try and process the concept about having a little sister. Her BFF Aubrey just got a little sister, so we relate it to that. Her little mind thinks that she is getting Aubrey as her little sister. She is excited about a little sister, at least right now.
There really is not much to report currently, so I will update as things start moving again.
PROGRESS REPORT:
Home study has begun.
Prayer request:
Pray for Baby Asia, we do not know her yet but pray for God to prepare us and her as we look to give her a forever family.
Paperwork process.
Belle and us as we grow as a family through this process.
Pray for our friends the Beesons as they are waiting to be matched. They are adopting from Uganda.
Pray for the Belks. They are also in process of adopting from China.
Thanks for reading,
Myke and April
Enough about funds…
April and I have been excited over the past few weeks. We have decided on and purchased the bedding for “baby Asia” and we have also decided on a name. NO! I am not revealing that just yet. We will reveal that as the time draws closer. April and I have decided to start a prayer journal for both Belle and “baby Asia” to record our thoughts and specific prayers for them through this process. I think it will be a neat experience for both of them to receive these journals later in life to look back on our hearts during this process. I think it will be very special to “baby Asia” to see that we were praying for her and longing for her even before she was born or a part of our family. I want her to truly understand that we are choosing her as our own.
Belle continues to try and process the concept about having a little sister. Her BFF Aubrey just got a little sister, so we relate it to that. Her little mind thinks that she is getting Aubrey as her little sister. She is excited about a little sister, at least right now.
There really is not much to report currently, so I will update as things start moving again.
PROGRESS REPORT:
Home study has begun.
Prayer request:
Pray for Baby Asia, we do not know her yet but pray for God to prepare us and her as we look to give her a forever family.
Paperwork process.
Belle and us as we grow as a family through this process.
Pray for our friends the Beesons as they are waiting to be matched. They are adopting from Uganda.
Pray for the Belks. They are also in process of adopting from China.
Thanks for reading,
Myke and April
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Taking a step of YES!
A lot has happened since our last blog, so here we go.
It always amazes me that when you take a step of yes, how God will confirm that step. When April and I began this journey we knew that it would be an act of faith. We did not, however, realize how it would be a faith building experience (this is only the second month of the process). So, here is what happened. As we got our home study application I filled it out quickly in hopes of a fast turnaround. One thing I overlooked in the application was the need for birth certificates on both of us. Neither one of us have a copy of our birth certificates so we contacted our parents in hopes they had a copy. I decided to go ahead and order a few copies of our birth certificates that night; it was around 11:30 pm on Wednesday (3-14). The next day we both received a pdf version of our birth certificates that I printed off in hopes of getting in the mail by Friday at the latest.
Well, we also needed individual pictures to include in our application. On Friday we took the pictures and I went to Walmart to quick print them. All four quick print machines were broken, and I did not want to wait an hour so I went to Walgreens. The only option they had was one hour, and they were backed up because their machine was acting up. I went ahead and let them print my pictures and just resigned to the fact that my application would not get in the mail until Saturday. As I arrived back home, a little bummed out, there was a knock on my door. I went to the door and it was UPS. I stood there a little speechless, and looked at April and said, “No way!” She said, “What?” I said, “There is no way that this is our official copies of our birth certificates.” But, as I opened it, I realized that these were in fact our official birth certificates. Now, the reason I was surprised is because I had ordered them just the other night with the estimated turnaround time of 7-10 business days. I was overwhelmed and excited that we could send off our home study application with official copies of our birth certificates and now there would not be the chance of any delays.
Needless to say, we are excited about moving forward in the process. We are even more excited because one of our co-workers and friends are going through this process as well. In fact, we are actually going to Jackson together because our home study process begins at the same time. They are also adopting from China. It is neat to have someone at work who understands what we are going through as we are going through it.
As you know, we are engaged in many fundraisers to help offset the cost of international adoption. As the home study is approaching, there are going to be some costs involved. The next blog will consist of our fundraisers that we currently have going on. We are selling T-shirts from adoptionbug.com, and Flip Flops. I will post information about the Flip Flops and T-shirts in a couple of days.
PROGRESS REPORT:
All our paperwork for application has been approved by Holt and has been moved to the China division of the agency. We have made contact with the home study agency in Jackson, MS. We will begin the home study process on Monday, April 9. Needless to say we are excited and nervous as we move into the home study.
Prayer request:
Pray for Baby Asia, we do not know her yet but pray for God to prepare us and her as we look to give her a forever family.
Paperwork process.
Belle and us as we grow as a family through this process.
Pray for our friends the Beesons as they are waiting to be matched. They are adopting from Uganda.
Pray for the Belks. They are the family I was referring to earlier who is also adopting from China.
Thanks for reading,
Myke and April
It always amazes me that when you take a step of yes, how God will confirm that step. When April and I began this journey we knew that it would be an act of faith. We did not, however, realize how it would be a faith building experience (this is only the second month of the process). So, here is what happened. As we got our home study application I filled it out quickly in hopes of a fast turnaround. One thing I overlooked in the application was the need for birth certificates on both of us. Neither one of us have a copy of our birth certificates so we contacted our parents in hopes they had a copy. I decided to go ahead and order a few copies of our birth certificates that night; it was around 11:30 pm on Wednesday (3-14). The next day we both received a pdf version of our birth certificates that I printed off in hopes of getting in the mail by Friday at the latest.
Well, we also needed individual pictures to include in our application. On Friday we took the pictures and I went to Walmart to quick print them. All four quick print machines were broken, and I did not want to wait an hour so I went to Walgreens. The only option they had was one hour, and they were backed up because their machine was acting up. I went ahead and let them print my pictures and just resigned to the fact that my application would not get in the mail until Saturday. As I arrived back home, a little bummed out, there was a knock on my door. I went to the door and it was UPS. I stood there a little speechless, and looked at April and said, “No way!” She said, “What?” I said, “There is no way that this is our official copies of our birth certificates.” But, as I opened it, I realized that these were in fact our official birth certificates. Now, the reason I was surprised is because I had ordered them just the other night with the estimated turnaround time of 7-10 business days. I was overwhelmed and excited that we could send off our home study application with official copies of our birth certificates and now there would not be the chance of any delays.
Needless to say, we are excited about moving forward in the process. We are even more excited because one of our co-workers and friends are going through this process as well. In fact, we are actually going to Jackson together because our home study process begins at the same time. They are also adopting from China. It is neat to have someone at work who understands what we are going through as we are going through it.
As you know, we are engaged in many fundraisers to help offset the cost of international adoption. As the home study is approaching, there are going to be some costs involved. The next blog will consist of our fundraisers that we currently have going on. We are selling T-shirts from adoptionbug.com, and Flip Flops. I will post information about the Flip Flops and T-shirts in a couple of days.
PROGRESS REPORT:
All our paperwork for application has been approved by Holt and has been moved to the China division of the agency. We have made contact with the home study agency in Jackson, MS. We will begin the home study process on Monday, April 9. Needless to say we are excited and nervous as we move into the home study.
Prayer request:
Pray for Baby Asia, we do not know her yet but pray for God to prepare us and her as we look to give her a forever family.
Paperwork process.
Belle and us as we grow as a family through this process.
Pray for our friends the Beesons as they are waiting to be matched. They are adopting from Uganda.
Pray for the Belks. They are the family I was referring to earlier who is also adopting from China.
Thanks for reading,
Myke and April
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
That's my Hudson!!
What does that mean? Below you will find a video of Eric Ludy called Depraved Indifference. Please watch it and listen to the powerful message it contains.
As April and I were sitting in a meeting Thursday (2-23) night about the adoption process at CHC, this video was played to end the night. All I can say is WOW! The gut-wrenching thought of my 3 year old daughter sitting on the side of the road with nowhere to go, no food, and no one taking care of her kills me inside. What would I do to protect her? Anything I possibly could!! That is now how I feel about adoption. Some child is sitting there, unable to understand what is happening and they are being overlooked by society. I want to be that person that cradles them and lets them know that it will be ok. I want to be the one who shows them what it means to be loved and cared for. Going through this process it has become evident that the orphans are often times overlooked by all of us. We all think that someone else will take care of them. But, we cannot sit back and let the voiceless remain silent. We have to do our part.
Psalm 10:14 MSG says (emphasis mine);
But you know all about it-the contempt, the abuse. I dare to believe that the luckless will get lucky someday in you. You won't let them down: orphans won't be orphans forever.
But you know all about it-the contempt, the abuse. I dare to believe that the luckless will get lucky someday in you. You won't let them down: orphans won't be orphans forever.
Now, not everyone is called to adopt. But I do believe that we, Christians, have a duty to reach out to the orphans and do whatever we can with the resources we have and help. What does that look like? Well, it is different for each one of you. You have to decide what you can do to help the helpless. At CHC we are about to kick-off an orphan ministry and we need people to step in and see what it is they can do to help with this tremendous need.
PROGRESS REPORT:
April and I are excited to announce that we have submitted our application for adoption to Holt International. We are awaiting word from them about moving to the next step. We are also about to schedule our home study. I guess you can say that we are “paper pregnant!”
Prayer request:
Pray for Baby Asia, we do not know her yet but pray for God to prepare us and her as we look to give her a forever family.
Pray for the process, paperwork is tedious and time consuming so pray that I cross all my “t’s” and dot my lowercase “j’s”
Pray for the cost (financial). Fundraisers will help offset this some.
Pray for Belle. She seems excited about a baby sister, but she is 3 and doesn’t fully understand.
Thanks for reading,
Myke and April
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
And so it begins....
As we discussed the concept of adoption a little over a year ago, we were privileged enough to witness firsthand the adoption of Lynleigh Ren by the Pillstroms. It is a blessing beyond words to see Lynleigh assimilate to her family. It is also neat to see that the Pillstroms are now complete as a family.
I knew in my heart that I wanted another child, but I also was not willing to take the risk of biologically trying to father another child. I am blessed to have Arabella and to see that her NF currently is not severe. I do have some trepidation as to what the future may hold for her, but I have dealt with it my whole life and can help her through whatever may come. Back to the original point, I have been looking at various websites that assist in the international adoption process as well as those that assist in domestic adoptions. I have friends who have experience in both types of adoptions.
Since the death of my father (November 2010), shortly after starting this blog, the “adoption talk” had been put on hold. But, just a few days ago the adoption bug bit me once again!! April and I, and Belle, have talked and we have decided that it is now time. We are officially beginning the process of an international adoption!!! We are looking to narrow our choice down to which agency we will be going through, and which country we would like to adopt from. We are excited about this process and we ask that you pray for us during this time. We have a lot of questions that we would like answered and we need to hear a word from the Lord.
- · Pray for our child that has already been born or is about to be born
- · Pray for our finances, God will provide
- · Pray for our guidance, that we use the right agency and select the right country
- · Pray for our potential agency that we will use
- · Pray for our paperwork stress and anxiety
- · Pray for us and Belle as we try and prepare our hearts and home to welcome in a new little girl
I ask that you participate with us in this process. We would not be where we are today without you guys in our life. If you are reading this, I am talking about you. If you cared enough to read this, you obviously care for us. Even if you are not spiritual or someone who prays, keep us in mind as we move this direction. I will be posting some fundraiser information soon about some T-shirts that you can purchase online. Everything is handled through their site and they will ship you the shirt you choose and we will receive a commission for each sale.
Thank you for joining with us in this! April and I will keep you posted on the process and we love each and every one of you.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Beginning....
Since Arabella was born, I have been battling with the thought that she had received NF1 from me. I knew, even before April got pregnant, that Belle had a 50% chance of getting it. We discussed this many times. I know at the time that April did not fully understand what NF was or the complications that can come with it. But, we still decided to have our own biological child. Shortly after her birth, I begin to notice the appearance of the cafe au laits, an indication that NF was going to be a part of her life. After a discussion with her Pediatrician, he referred us to a wonderful doctor in Memphis. So far we have had a full genetic workup and an MRI of the brain and orbits. Things appear to be ok so far. The doctor commented that Belle's development, both physical and mental/intellectual are above average for her age. That is great news! So, we are in a period of waiting and watching her grow and looking for anything out of the ordinary.
Now, the birth of this blog is because I have lived with NF for over 30 years and have NEVER had the opportunity to express what I was feeling or how this condition affected me. I had also never met anyone else who had or even heard of NF. This past year I have had the desire to do something to help raise awareness and funds. This past Saturday (Oct. 16, the day before my birthday) we had the opportunity to participate in a "Great Steps for NF" fundraiser at Shelby Farms. I met some amazing young people who are dealing with NF as well as their wonderful parents. It was nice to actually meet people who understood what we are going through. It was a fun time and now I am planning to host 1, maybe 2 walks in the Spring of 2011. I will for sure do one around Southaven, and I am toying with the idea of hosting one in Meridian, MS. Any thoughts? Am I crazy for even thinking that way? Either way, I will use this as my main forum along with facebook to get the word out about the fundraiser. I need all the help I can get.
Another purpose of this blog is to keep everyone updated on our journey to adoption. April and I have decided that we want a second daughter, but this time we are going to adopt. We are in the process of selecting and agency to go through and then we will get a home study conducted. Pray for us, we are excited about what this journey will be like.
Now, the birth of this blog is because I have lived with NF for over 30 years and have NEVER had the opportunity to express what I was feeling or how this condition affected me. I had also never met anyone else who had or even heard of NF. This past year I have had the desire to do something to help raise awareness and funds. This past Saturday (Oct. 16, the day before my birthday) we had the opportunity to participate in a "Great Steps for NF" fundraiser at Shelby Farms. I met some amazing young people who are dealing with NF as well as their wonderful parents. It was nice to actually meet people who understood what we are going through. It was a fun time and now I am planning to host 1, maybe 2 walks in the Spring of 2011. I will for sure do one around Southaven, and I am toying with the idea of hosting one in Meridian, MS. Any thoughts? Am I crazy for even thinking that way? Either way, I will use this as my main forum along with facebook to get the word out about the fundraiser. I need all the help I can get.
Another purpose of this blog is to keep everyone updated on our journey to adoption. April and I have decided that we want a second daughter, but this time we are going to adopt. We are in the process of selecting and agency to go through and then we will get a home study conducted. Pray for us, we are excited about what this journey will be like.
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