Firstly, I want to thank everyone who prayed for us today! We received pictures from our churches in the States and had many people message us as we were heading out the door to let us know that they were praying for us. I would like to give you an update on the events of today.
I am sure that most of you were picturing us as you were praying, sitting in a court room (probably like Judge Judy) and a judge in a robe standing up high behind a podium. The reality was a small room with four desks, and plastic red stools (but air conditioned, so not as jungle as you are thinking).
We came in and sat down across from a man, that we assumed was our judge. He asked us questions from 9:00-11:00 about the history of the girls, and how we could prove the length of time we had them. Lots of background story and telling the girls to sit still.
The girls did amazing. They listened and for the most part answered questions, even though it was all in Khmer and translated through our lawyer. The weirdest question was "How are they with your family?" Which we assumed was a bad translation of the questions, "Are the girls comfortable with living with you? Are they assimilating well?" To which we answered, "Yes? We love them and they love us, and they call us mommy and daddy." We both felt like the question was not really necessary, since we were sitting there with our daughters...
Another uncomfortable moment was when the biological father was asked about. At some point we were told that he may need to be involved, because he and the girls' mother were "married" in their village. But in that moment, I remembered something Srey Ron had told me in the meeting with our lawyer... The girls' father specifically said not to put his name on the birth certificates, because he wanted nothing to do with the girls. And when I said this, the man behind the desk dropped asking about the father, and wrote down in our statement that the father did not have a say. This is why you all prayed for us. If the father was necessary, it would have caused all kinds of problems. He could have held back permission for a bribe, or a whole list of other horrible things. This was huge!
Anyways, at some point in the interview, the man got up with our papers and walked into another room. After a while, our lawyer told us that he was speaking to the judge, and Kelsi and I both said simultaneously, "Wait. He is not the judge?" As it turns out, we had been talking to a clerk. So then we assumed that we would be going in to see the judge soon, but that was not the case.
Whether for better or worse, our judge did not want to see us, he instead worked through a clerk to take our statement... not sure if that is a good thing (he just wants to get the paperwork done) or a bad thing... no need to run those possibilities through our heads.
We were then told that they would like to meet with the mother, and we needed to have some documents translated (which our lawyer mentioned might be the case, but he wanted to wait and see which documents they wanted).
So, I hope no one is disappointed. I know that some might have had the expectation that we were going to get adoptions today, but that is not how Cambodia works. It is a process, and we are making forward progress, which is a huge answer to your prayers!
Kelsi and I are settling in and waiting on God's timing, as we take these steps forward. I will write later about new things going on in our lives... basically the things that we do while we wait (I think that will be the blog title).
Thank you again to everyone who prayed. We know for sure that this day would have gone differently without your support, and we are so encouraged by everyone in our lives who love us!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
September 21, 2015
September 20, 2015
Prayer Points
Because we know of many people who are praying for us for our court date tomorrow, we thought it might be good to give you a list of things to pray for...
1. Morning preparation--As most of you know, Kelsi and I are not very good at mornings. We are going to need help getting out the door tomorrow with all the things that we need and our sanity. Please keep this in mind at about 6:30-7:30 this evening.
2. Well behaved girls--Abby and Lily are perfect and always obey everything we say... NOT! They are human children. Please pray that God gives them supernatural ears for listening, and gives Kelsi and I patience with them, as tomorrow will most likely be stressful and long.
3. Directions--Please pray that we arrive at the court house on time and don't get caught up in traffic or get lost, as this sometimes happens. Pray that we can make it to our destination safely, also.
4. Favor with the judge--Each judge is different, and we do not know how our judge feels about adoptions for foreigners. Please pray that he has favor for us, and that he is a kind judge with a heart for adoptions.
5. Wisdom for our lawyer--Our lawyer has won cases like ours, so I have confidence in him, but please pray that he knows what to say and how to say it.
6. Six month waiting period--Please pray that the judge allows us to waive the six month waiting period, as we have already shown we can take care of the girls for the past three years. This is normally a period for people who are just getting the children, and they are wanting to make sure it is a good fit.
7. Quick decision--We do not know how long it will take the judge to make a decision on our case. It could be months, weeks, or days, but we don't know.
8. Patience/Contentment--Kelsi and I are trying not to get our hopes up too much, but we are really excited about this, and we are hoping that it leads to us coming home to the States with our daughters for good. Please pray that we can be patient as God works this out in His timing, and also content where He has us for this season of our lives.
9. U.S. Embassy--If/When we get adoptions, we will need to still start a long process with the U.S. Embassy. Please begin to pray for favor with whomever we work with on the girls' immigration paperwork. Also, pray that Kelsi and I have wisdom in how we handle speaking with the Embassy, as this is new territory for us.
10. Thank God for all the already answered prayers!
I hope this helps, and we very much appreciate all the prayer from you guys!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah and Kelsi.
1. Morning preparation--As most of you know, Kelsi and I are not very good at mornings. We are going to need help getting out the door tomorrow with all the things that we need and our sanity. Please keep this in mind at about 6:30-7:30 this evening.
2. Well behaved girls--Abby and Lily are perfect and always obey everything we say... NOT! They are human children. Please pray that God gives them supernatural ears for listening, and gives Kelsi and I patience with them, as tomorrow will most likely be stressful and long.
3. Directions--Please pray that we arrive at the court house on time and don't get caught up in traffic or get lost, as this sometimes happens. Pray that we can make it to our destination safely, also.
4. Favor with the judge--Each judge is different, and we do not know how our judge feels about adoptions for foreigners. Please pray that he has favor for us, and that he is a kind judge with a heart for adoptions.
5. Wisdom for our lawyer--Our lawyer has won cases like ours, so I have confidence in him, but please pray that he knows what to say and how to say it.
6. Six month waiting period--Please pray that the judge allows us to waive the six month waiting period, as we have already shown we can take care of the girls for the past three years. This is normally a period for people who are just getting the children, and they are wanting to make sure it is a good fit.
7. Quick decision--We do not know how long it will take the judge to make a decision on our case. It could be months, weeks, or days, but we don't know.
8. Patience/Contentment--Kelsi and I are trying not to get our hopes up too much, but we are really excited about this, and we are hoping that it leads to us coming home to the States with our daughters for good. Please pray that we can be patient as God works this out in His timing, and also content where He has us for this season of our lives.
9. U.S. Embassy--If/When we get adoptions, we will need to still start a long process with the U.S. Embassy. Please begin to pray for favor with whomever we work with on the girls' immigration paperwork. Also, pray that Kelsi and I have wisdom in how we handle speaking with the Embassy, as this is new territory for us.
10. Thank God for all the already answered prayers!
I hope this helps, and we very much appreciate all the prayer from you guys!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah and Kelsi.
September 9, 2015
Court Date and God's Timing
In a previous blog we mentioned that we were praying to go home on September 16th. As most of you know already, this will not be happening. As Kelsi mentioned in that blog, we believe that we should be specific in our prayers, but we are always praying for God's will and timing. We appreciate everyone who prayed alongside us for this date.
As an update on the adoption process, we have been summoned to go before the judge on September 21st at 8:00 AM (Monday morning). At this time, he will hear our case. After this, it will be up to him on how long it takes to approve (or disapprove) our petition. We are continuing to pray that God softens his heart for our case, and that our lawyer is wise in his dealings with the judge.
Something that we would like to ask is for all the churches, who are willing, to hold a prayer service at 8:00 PM on Sunday the 20th. This will be when will be going before the judge, in Missouri time. Kelsi and I really believe in the power of prayer, and it would be a great encouragement to us to know that you all are praying.
After the adoptions are approved (not sure on the time table), the plan is to go forward with applying at the U.S. Embassy for the girls Immigrant Visas. I have done a lot of research on it, and I think that it will be best to go ahead and just ask them what they think is the best route. Please pray that we find someone who is helpful and sympathetic towards our situation, as the U.S. Embassy is always a wild draw on who will handle your case.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and prayer. We are excited to see how God is working all this out in His perfect way, and we patiently await the day when we can see you all in the States, again.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
As an update on the adoption process, we have been summoned to go before the judge on September 21st at 8:00 AM (Monday morning). At this time, he will hear our case. After this, it will be up to him on how long it takes to approve (or disapprove) our petition. We are continuing to pray that God softens his heart for our case, and that our lawyer is wise in his dealings with the judge.
Something that we would like to ask is for all the churches, who are willing, to hold a prayer service at 8:00 PM on Sunday the 20th. This will be when will be going before the judge, in Missouri time. Kelsi and I really believe in the power of prayer, and it would be a great encouragement to us to know that you all are praying.
After the adoptions are approved (not sure on the time table), the plan is to go forward with applying at the U.S. Embassy for the girls Immigrant Visas. I have done a lot of research on it, and I think that it will be best to go ahead and just ask them what they think is the best route. Please pray that we find someone who is helpful and sympathetic towards our situation, as the U.S. Embassy is always a wild draw on who will handle your case.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and prayer. We are excited to see how God is working all this out in His perfect way, and we patiently await the day when we can see you all in the States, again.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
September 1, 2015
Renewed Excitement for the Gospel
About a year or so ago, because of some circumstances that I will not get too deep into, Kelsi began doing Bible study with our tuk tuk driver's wife (Sinuin). We asked Boo Sovon (our tuk tuk driver) if he would be willing to do Bible study, and he always said that he needed to work, because they only had a year and a half left to pay off their house or it would be taken. So we kept on praying for him and his family and trying the best we could to help them towards this goal. When we got back from the States and gave him the moto, I told him that it was God providing for his family and asked if he would be willing to do Bible study, and he said yes.
Then one day, after he had already agreed to do Bible study, I asked him how paying off his house was going, and he said, "We lost the house already. We are living in a small house further away now." And my heart sank, but I realized that he already wanted to do Bible study, so I asked, "You lost your house, but you still trust in God? You still think that God is good?" To which he replied, "Yes. God is good. Bad things happen, but that does not mean that God is not good. When we go to heaven, then there will be no more bad things." And I was just in awe of his simple faith in this, because there are many Christians who struggle with this issue and it wrecks their faith, and here is a man who has just begun to follow Christ, and he already understands.
So we began our Bible study with the Ten Commandments, because I wanted to share with them the gospel message, and I think that the gospel begins with understanding how much we fall short of God's standard. We went through each in one sitting, and I explained each with the New Testament application when necessary.
The next week, I started by asking if they thought it was possible to keep all the Ten Commandments, and they said no. So I asked whether they thought they could just keep one commandment, which led into the story of Adam and Eve in the garden. This was important, because we needed to introduce them to the idea of sacrificial atonement, which was instituted in the garden of Eden when God slayed the animal to make Adam and Eve clothes. Sinuin had heard the story of Adam and Eve before, but a different version.
We jumped from this to the Roman road, which is a series of verses in Romans that explain our inability to follow God on our own, God's gift of grace to us, and how to make Christ Lord of our lives. Boo and his wife had already made the decision to follow Christ with their lives, but I wanted to make sure that they understood the cost and that it was every part of their lives, and also understand what it means to be a "Christian" which they understand better than most as "Following Christ."
Towards the end of our Bible study in Romans, I made a side comment about Jesus raising from the dead, and said, "Do you know that story?" and they both shook their heads "no" with a puzzled expression... So for the next two weeks, we watched the Jesus Film in Khmer with them, and it was a life changing experience for everyone involved.
In the beginning of the movie, it explains that Abraham was given a promise and it was fulfilled in Isaac, but then God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, and when Sinuin heard this, she put her hands to her mouth and was horrified. As Abraham picked up the knife and raised it in the air, she got tears in her eyes and even shrieked. When the angel appeared and the ram was revealed, you could feel the relief in the room. In that moment, I longed to have my memory wiped, so I could hear the stories of the Bible with new ears. The story of Abraham and Isaac is one that I could tell from memory with all the New Testament applications and explain all the pictures, but it would be so great to hear it like Sinuin did, with all the tension and fear, followed by the relief of God's faithfulness.
Later in the movie, Jesus brings a girl back from the dead. When He comes walking in the house, Boo and his wife turn to Kelsi and I and say, "She's dead?" and we say, "Yes." Boo says, "But Jesus will bring her back to life." He was sure of it. There was no doubt, and he had never even heard the story. And when she sat up, they went crazy with excitement.
And it wasn't just the miracles that excited them, when Jesus was teaching the multitude and speaking in parables, they talked back and forth with each other and shook their heads up and down in agreement. They actively listened to the new truths that were being taught, and you could see in their eyes that the Holy Spirit was at work.
And then Jesus was crucified, and they cried. They put him in the grave, and there was just silence in the room. Finally a few minutes later, Jesus appears in the room with the disciples, and there again the excitement in their eyes was crazy! To them, the Resurrection was the most exciting moment in the film. You could see the puzzle pieces coming together for them, as they realized what it means to follow Christ as a risen Lord. You could see that what we had talked about in the weeks before about Jesus giving eternal life made much more sense in light of the fact that he defeated death!
What I really like about the Jesus Film is that, at the end of the movie, it explains why Jesus died and how the prophets said it would happen, and it uses flash backs in the movie to remind and wrap up the main point.
Although it seems backwards to have waited to watch the Jesus Film until after a few Bible studies, I think it was better, because they had a better understanding of grace and our need for Him to die. I am excited to continue to do Bible study with Boo Sovon and Sinuin. I like to see God working in their lives in such a mighty way.
We have just begun studying Philippians in our church home group, and this last week we studied the first chapter, in which Paul writes, "If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus."
I find myself attributing Paul's words to our situation. Kelsi and I would very much like to be back in the States with our family and friends, but we also long to stay and continue to disciple Boo and his family. We are hard pressed between the two. We are going to continue to be obedient in what God has told us to do: "make disciples." As long as we are here, this is our aim, and we pray that God is glorified in our lives.
Friends, thank you for your support of us in prayer and financially. We are always blessed by your obedience, and find ourselves being blown away by God's faithfulness to our family. We remember you all in our prayers, and thank God in every remembrance of you. Until next time...
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
Then one day, after he had already agreed to do Bible study, I asked him how paying off his house was going, and he said, "We lost the house already. We are living in a small house further away now." And my heart sank, but I realized that he already wanted to do Bible study, so I asked, "You lost your house, but you still trust in God? You still think that God is good?" To which he replied, "Yes. God is good. Bad things happen, but that does not mean that God is not good. When we go to heaven, then there will be no more bad things." And I was just in awe of his simple faith in this, because there are many Christians who struggle with this issue and it wrecks their faith, and here is a man who has just begun to follow Christ, and he already understands.
So we began our Bible study with the Ten Commandments, because I wanted to share with them the gospel message, and I think that the gospel begins with understanding how much we fall short of God's standard. We went through each in one sitting, and I explained each with the New Testament application when necessary.
The next week, I started by asking if they thought it was possible to keep all the Ten Commandments, and they said no. So I asked whether they thought they could just keep one commandment, which led into the story of Adam and Eve in the garden. This was important, because we needed to introduce them to the idea of sacrificial atonement, which was instituted in the garden of Eden when God slayed the animal to make Adam and Eve clothes. Sinuin had heard the story of Adam and Eve before, but a different version.
We jumped from this to the Roman road, which is a series of verses in Romans that explain our inability to follow God on our own, God's gift of grace to us, and how to make Christ Lord of our lives. Boo and his wife had already made the decision to follow Christ with their lives, but I wanted to make sure that they understood the cost and that it was every part of their lives, and also understand what it means to be a "Christian" which they understand better than most as "Following Christ."
Towards the end of our Bible study in Romans, I made a side comment about Jesus raising from the dead, and said, "Do you know that story?" and they both shook their heads "no" with a puzzled expression... So for the next two weeks, we watched the Jesus Film in Khmer with them, and it was a life changing experience for everyone involved.
In the beginning of the movie, it explains that Abraham was given a promise and it was fulfilled in Isaac, but then God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, and when Sinuin heard this, she put her hands to her mouth and was horrified. As Abraham picked up the knife and raised it in the air, she got tears in her eyes and even shrieked. When the angel appeared and the ram was revealed, you could feel the relief in the room. In that moment, I longed to have my memory wiped, so I could hear the stories of the Bible with new ears. The story of Abraham and Isaac is one that I could tell from memory with all the New Testament applications and explain all the pictures, but it would be so great to hear it like Sinuin did, with all the tension and fear, followed by the relief of God's faithfulness.
Later in the movie, Jesus brings a girl back from the dead. When He comes walking in the house, Boo and his wife turn to Kelsi and I and say, "She's dead?" and we say, "Yes." Boo says, "But Jesus will bring her back to life." He was sure of it. There was no doubt, and he had never even heard the story. And when she sat up, they went crazy with excitement.
And it wasn't just the miracles that excited them, when Jesus was teaching the multitude and speaking in parables, they talked back and forth with each other and shook their heads up and down in agreement. They actively listened to the new truths that were being taught, and you could see in their eyes that the Holy Spirit was at work.
And then Jesus was crucified, and they cried. They put him in the grave, and there was just silence in the room. Finally a few minutes later, Jesus appears in the room with the disciples, and there again the excitement in their eyes was crazy! To them, the Resurrection was the most exciting moment in the film. You could see the puzzle pieces coming together for them, as they realized what it means to follow Christ as a risen Lord. You could see that what we had talked about in the weeks before about Jesus giving eternal life made much more sense in light of the fact that he defeated death!
What I really like about the Jesus Film is that, at the end of the movie, it explains why Jesus died and how the prophets said it would happen, and it uses flash backs in the movie to remind and wrap up the main point.
Although it seems backwards to have waited to watch the Jesus Film until after a few Bible studies, I think it was better, because they had a better understanding of grace and our need for Him to die. I am excited to continue to do Bible study with Boo Sovon and Sinuin. I like to see God working in their lives in such a mighty way.
We have just begun studying Philippians in our church home group, and this last week we studied the first chapter, in which Paul writes, "If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus."
I find myself attributing Paul's words to our situation. Kelsi and I would very much like to be back in the States with our family and friends, but we also long to stay and continue to disciple Boo and his family. We are hard pressed between the two. We are going to continue to be obedient in what God has told us to do: "make disciples." As long as we are here, this is our aim, and we pray that God is glorified in our lives.
Friends, thank you for your support of us in prayer and financially. We are always blessed by your obedience, and find ourselves being blown away by God's faithfulness to our family. We remember you all in our prayers, and thank God in every remembrance of you. Until next time...
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
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