WE GOT ADOPTIONS! PRAISE GOD! HALLELUJAH!
As most of you know, we got a call from our Lawyer on Thursday, and the judge approved our adoptions :)
We are overjoyed and so blessed that these two girls, who we met three years ago, are now officially our daughters, even though they have been in our hearts since the day we met them. It is like a huge weight has been lifted, and we can breath again.
A lot of people have been asking what is next, and so I would like to explain the rest of the process.
It is good to think of it less like a race in which we are at the finish line, and more like a hurdle race, in which we have cleared one more of the hurdles (a big hurdle).
I will go ahead and answer some of the big questions.
Q. Do you get to come home now?
A. Not immediately. Our adoption is a Cambodian adoption, having nothing to do with the United States, other than that Kelsi and I are American citizens. This means that we will need to take our Cambodia adoption decree and use it to get the girls U.S. Visas.
Q. How long until you can come home?
A. There are no certain dates, because it will depend on how long the visa process takes, and we will know more, after I speak with the Embassy, but September is looking like a probable date.
Q. What is the process, and why September?
A. The specific visa we will apply for is called the I-130 Petition for a Relative. It basically shows that the girls are adopted by American citizens and should therefore be allowed to inherit our citizenship. If the petition is approved, the girls will be given Immigratable Visas and we will come home. To get our I-130 approved, we need three things: an Adoption Decree (checkish), proof of residency for two years (check), and proof of legal custody for two years (check?).
Firstly, our adoption decree is final, but we there is a two week waiting period, in which the mother can appeal the adoption (Ron is not going to do that). After this, we will get another document that states there was no appeal. The last requirement is the reason we are thinking September as a likely return date. Some friends going through the same process (and a little ahead of us) were told by the Embassy that their legal custody started on the date of their Ministry of Social Affairs Foster care approval. We were granted our foster care from the Ministry in September 1, 2014, so two years from that date, puts us at September 2016. However, we have a strong contract with Bykota House under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs dating back to September 2012. If the Embassy accepts that contract, than we can go home anytime after our I-130 is approved, and we will just pray about when. It is more likely that we will have to wait for September, but we can pray, and see what God does.
Q. When you get home, is that it?
A. No. We will still have to file other documents, but we will be in the States, and it will just be paper work. You will know when everything is completely done, and we have no more paper work.
Some things to be praying about. I am a teacher by profession. If we do come home in September, it puts me in a tough place to find a job. Really, schools start looking for teachers in March. I finish my term with CGI in June. My brother is getting married in July, in Poland, and I am the best man. These dates are not putting God in a box, but just to help with prayer. We would really like it if the Embassy accepts our Family Based Care Agreement with Bykota House as the start of our Legal Custody, but we are also fine with having a September date. To be honest, it feels like the end is in sight, and that is exciting. Whether it is three months or ten months out doesn't matter. We have our adoptions which is a huge answer to prayer.
Be praying that as we start to open up communication with the Embassy, that we find grace and mercy, and that we can remain patient as God works all these details out in His timing, which we know is perfect.
Thank you to everyone who has continued to lift us up in prayer, and those who have financially supported our ministry here in Cambodia. You have all been a blessing to our family, and we pray that God will bless you for your obedience and persistence.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
January 23, 2016
January 19, 2016
Emotions vs. Truth
Hello Everyone,
It has been a while since I have blogged about anything. I thought I would write something that has been on my heart for a while. It is the difference between what my emotions are telling me, and what I know to be the truth of God's word. We are constantly battling these two things. So I am going to write firstly my raw emotion with a blatant disregard for the truth, and then re-write the whole thing through the truth of God's word. This might get ugly, but it is ok, cause God loves us through the ugly times.
This stinks. This whole situation with our judge stinks. We have been waiting for months to hear from him about our case, and it has sucked. We assumed that we would have an answer as soon as six weeks and as late as three months, and instead it has been almost six months. He told us that we had to wait until I was 25, and when that time came, nothing. Our lawyer keeps telling us just a little while longer, but it feels like it is not gonna happen. Because the law says I have to be 20 years older than Abby to adopt her, and I am not, us getting adoptions is hopeless. We are not going to get adoptions, and we are going to be stuck in Cambodia for the rest of our lives (remember this is just emotional). There is no reason for us to be here. Everything we are doing here, we could be doing in the States with our family close by. God is not answering our prayers. He has forgotten about us. I want to go home. I want to be with my family. I want to put down roots and begin my life. This whole time in Cambodia has felt like limbo, and we are just stuck in perpetual waiting and never any consistency.
Ok. Goodness gracious. Allowing those thoughts to remain in your mind would drive anyone crazy. I am so blessed by the Psalms in this respect, because David lays it out there with God. He feels like God has forgotten him, and so he tells God, "Why have You forgotten me!?" God is not offended by this, but He gently reminds us of the truth. So here is the truth.
This situation does stink. But! God tells us that He can use any and all situations for our good if we trust Him (Romans 8:28). This doesn't mean we always get the answers we want or the pace we want, but it does mean that there is a purpose for us having to wait. I don't know what it is, but I don't have to know what it is, because I trust in the One who does. The laws do say that I have to be 20 years older than Abby, but God does not abide by mans laws, and I know He will make a way, if it is according to His will. The adoptions are not hopeless, because I believe in a God of hope. As far as being stuck in Cambodia, there is no place better than the will of God. For us, it is easier to determine where God wants us to be, because we have no choice in the matter. This should bring me a peace. We know that this is where God wants us for the time being, for this season (however long it may be), and that makes life simple. We can simply obey and continue the work God has for us here. And yes, we will always be doing the work of discipleship and spreading the gospel wherever God has us, so why is it a surprise to me that the things we are doing here apply to anywhere we live. I could lead worship, in the States. I could disciple people, in the States. I could teach, in the States. But, I am here, and God has seen fit to have me use my talents around the world, instead of in the States. Why? I don't care why... Why is a stupid question. You never get good, satisfying answers by asking "why." You just get more worries and anxiety. I'm sure someday, either this side or the other of eternity, I will have the answers to all the "why" questions, but for now, I trust. Kelsi and I were talking about how much we can relate to the Israelites in the wilderness. It does feel like we are wandering and just waiting, and yes, it is hard to put down roots in another country, especially when you don't feel called to be in that country forever, but what is the truth here? We are not meant to put roots down anywhere on this world. We are sojourners here. Our home is a heavenly home, and these "roots" I am referring to are really just the things that Jesus said to let go of to follow Him. Not one of us should be so connected somewhere that we are unwilling to leave it all behind for Christ. The longing I have to put roots down will not ever be satisfied completely until it is in my eternal home, anything else is temporal and fading. Finally, God has not forgotten us. He has answered our prayers in the past, and I believe He is answering our prayers now, in His perfect way. I would never ask that He give me exactly what I want, knowing that He has always worked everything out in the best way, with my best interest in mind.
This is the truth. And in all my emotions and worries and anxieties, this is what I am reminded of daily. So even though it is hard to hear sometimes, I know there is comfort in these words, when I truly believe them. I hope that I have not offended anyone with the first paragraph. I know God is not offended, cause He told me so. Thank you all for your prayers during this time and season in our lives. They are such a blessing to us.
BecauseHeLives
(I can face tomorrow, all fear is gone, I know He holds the future, and life is worth living)
Micah.
November 15, 2015
Court Case Update
We just got home from a church potluck, and I found an email in our inbox from our lawyer.
He went in to see the judge this week to check on the progress of our case, and the judge explained the two things keeping our case from moving forward at this point:
1. Both parents have to be 25 years or older to adopt.
I am currently 24 years old... my birthday is on December 31st, so this is not a huge issue--we may just have to wait until I meet the requirements to have a final decision on our case.
2. Both parents have to be 20 years older than the child being adopted.
This is new information to us, and is also terrifying, since there is nothing we can do about it, other than maybe ask for an exception. The good news is that because of the mix up with Abby's birth certificate (most of you are familiar with the fact that she is one year younger in her passport and birth certificate, due to a mistake when we filed for a new birth certificate), Abby is only 5 years old on paper--she will "turn 6" on January 22nd, 2016 (we know she is really seven though). This means that there is a brief period in which I am twenty years older than her, from December 31-January 22. I am hoping that the judge sees this and gives us grace on it. If not, I am not sure what our next step will be.
Please pray specifically about these two issues, and pray that God's will is done in this whole court case. We would love to come home as soon as possible, but there is a chance that God still has work for us to do, and so we may be here a while longer. Your continued prayer is so vital to our ministry and lives here in Phnom Penh. Thank you, and have a great Sunday!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
October 31, 2015
Email from the Lawyer
We have been waiting a while to hear back from the judge about any progress. This Thursday, I received an email from our lawyer with information that I already knew... October and November are both big holiday months for Cambodia: meaning that no one in government works. Because of this, we have seen a delay in our case. Our lawyer says that he is planning on going in next week to speak with our judge about possibly speeding up the case.
We really would love to move on to the next step, but I know that it will not happen just because the lawyer goes in to speak with the judge next week. To be honest, Kelsi and I have decided that God will have us here as long as He has planned, and we are ok with that.
It is interesting, because there are a few things that we would like to continue doing in Cambodia, but it is also nice knowing that our time will come to an end at some point (possibly soon). I have written this before, but it is the same as Paul describes when he says, "I long to be with Christ, but it is more beneficial that I stay." But on top of that, there is an urgency in our work. We need to accomplish as much as possible before we leave. Not that any of this relies on us, but we understand that before we leave we want a few things to happen: We want Boo Sovon and his wife to be planted in their faith, and the worship team at ICF to be settled with a new coordinator, and the youth bands for the middle school and high school to be ready to lead praise and worship on their own. It is the same with eternity. We long to be with Christ, but we know that we are here for a purpose, and we know that He is coming back soon, so there is an urgency in everything we do, but not a flippancy.
So please pray that the lawyer has favor with the judge, and that the judge makes a decision on our case soon, but also pray that Boo and his wife continue to grow in their faith and are firmly planted, so that when we leave they can continue to follow Christ. Pray that someone with a passion for worship will step up at ICF to take over coordinating the music. Pray that the youth bands continue to become more comfortable, and that God blesses their efforts. Pray that in God's timing we will come home to the States.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
We really would love to move on to the next step, but I know that it will not happen just because the lawyer goes in to speak with the judge next week. To be honest, Kelsi and I have decided that God will have us here as long as He has planned, and we are ok with that.
It is interesting, because there are a few things that we would like to continue doing in Cambodia, but it is also nice knowing that our time will come to an end at some point (possibly soon). I have written this before, but it is the same as Paul describes when he says, "I long to be with Christ, but it is more beneficial that I stay." But on top of that, there is an urgency in our work. We need to accomplish as much as possible before we leave. Not that any of this relies on us, but we understand that before we leave we want a few things to happen: We want Boo Sovon and his wife to be planted in their faith, and the worship team at ICF to be settled with a new coordinator, and the youth bands for the middle school and high school to be ready to lead praise and worship on their own. It is the same with eternity. We long to be with Christ, but we know that we are here for a purpose, and we know that He is coming back soon, so there is an urgency in everything we do, but not a flippancy.
So please pray that the lawyer has favor with the judge, and that the judge makes a decision on our case soon, but also pray that Boo and his wife continue to grow in their faith and are firmly planted, so that when we leave they can continue to follow Christ. Pray that someone with a passion for worship will step up at ICF to take over coordinating the music. Pray that the youth bands continue to become more comfortable, and that God blesses their efforts. Pray that in God's timing we will come home to the States.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
October 2, 2015
What We Do, While We Wait
I have been hesitant to write a blog, because I know that everyone is waiting for us to write THE blog. The blog that tells of our adoptions... but our lives are not on hold while we wait for adoptions.
So this blog is to tell you (our friends and family) what we are doing while we wait on God's timing.
Firstly, there is an understanding that we have come to that God has us here for a reason, and when He is finished with us here, we will have adoptions and the ability to come back to the States. When Kelsi and I came, it was for a nine month short term mission trip before we settled down to have kids and jobs... ha! The reason I say that is we have never really had the sense that we are meant to be here for ever.
I am not sure that you have to have some amazing vision or dream or feeling to go on the mission field (and in reality we are called to the mission field of our daily lives, everyday), but I think that as we abide in Christ and He in us our desires become molded to His desires for us. It is my understanding that if God wanted us here forever, He would give us that desire or He would let us know in some way. In reality, we are here because in God's wisdom, we have not been able to immigrate our daughters to the United States. And for me, that is God saying that He still has work for us to do here. Really, we are blessed to have no input on it, because as planners, we would go crazy trying to find out what to do.
Kelsi and I had a transition period after my appendix was taken out and we felt that God was leading us away from Bykota House. During that time, it felt like some days I was twiddling my thumbs, and I was slightly embarrassed to not have anything to do during that time, but a friend really helped by telling me that it was important for us to really seek what God wanted from us during our time left in Cambodia. Kelsi said at one point, we really need to pray and seek what God wants us to do every day. Each day, I woke up and prayed for God to lead me that day.
Recently, Kelsi was at play group (she goes every Friday) and a friend asked her if I was still looking for what God wanted us to do, because they needed an English teacher for their ministry. Kelsi explained that it was hard for us to commit to anything not knowing how much longer we will be here, but our friend explained that they had no one and anything would be great for any amount of time, so I met with her husband at the ministry.
The ministry is called Center for Global Impact (CGI). Basically, they are a vocational/life skills training facility for young women who are either victims of or vulnerable to human trafficking. They teach the girls how to sew and make clothing, give them basic Khmer education (math and reading and writing), and teach them life skills. The program is one year long, and the girls graduate with a certificate of completion. You can check out their website here: centerforglobalimpact.org.
My role at CGI is the English teacher. There are twelve girls, and I teach three classes from 9:00-12:00 Monday through Friday, and also I am teaching the staff Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00. I just finished my first week, and it was amazing. It is interesting teaching adults... when you teach middle schoolers (as I am more accustomed to), basically 80% of your time is classroom management. I am able to teach so much in the short time I have with each group of four students.
Kelsi has been homeschooling Abby and Lily, and in general being just an amazing mom. She has a blog all about it, so I will just direct you to that to read all about her adventure as a mom, wife, and missionary. The link is in the tabs!
Kelsi prayed about it, and felt like God was telling her that her ministry while we were still here was to the families in our small group for church. So, she has been babysitting and such on demand, which all you parents with small children know very well is a great ministry!
Our small group has been going really well, we have five regular families involved, and we meet twice a month at different houses. We are currently studying Philippians, and it has been really wonderful. I don't know what we would do without our small group.
I continue to be involved with worship at ICF, and have branched out to youth ministry on Thursday and Friday nights, in an attempt to raise up a youth worship band. God has been doing some really cool stuff with that. The middle school youth have a bass player, guitarist, and rhythm box. The highschool is coming along, but we could use some more musicians.
During the transition time, I put together a song book with simplified chords and have been recording the songs as mp3 files, because the students are unable to meet for band practice regularly. I am also working on youtube videos with tutorials. The vision is that I can send out the songs for the week, and the students can practice along with the mp3 files and videos on their own without leaving the house. Raising up some future worship leaders, and so excited to see God working in it!
Kelsi and I are very excited about the Bible study with Boo and his wife. We just finished a Bible study on prayer and reading the Bible, and now we are moving into a study on the fruit of the Holy Spirit, as we progress in their understanding of God's work in their lives. Boo said something really cool the other day in Bible study. He said, "I used to think that Christians were not good people, but then I met Mark and Rhonda, and then started studying the Bible with you, and I realized that Christians love people and Jesus wants us to help others." At some point we put the Khmer Bible on an mp3 player so Boo could listen while he drove, and he and his wife asked us to do it again, because they have a hard time seeing the words in the Bible to read it at night, and they want to listen to it every night.
I have been meeting with a Khmer brother, who leads worship at his church, on Saturday mornings and just worshiping together. He is already very good at guitar, but wanted to learn some strum patterns, and we have been just talking about different ways to play songs and dynamics of guitar led worship, and it has been really good. I have seen God using music a lot more in my life lately, and I love it. Music has always been my passion, and I love that I get to play all the time now.
So, that is it. What we do while we wait. We are still actively trying to get back to the States, but we are so content with what God has for us right now in Phnom Penh. It is an adventure everyday, and we actually really enjoy our life here. Our house is great, we have great community with our church, we are doing God's work, and we have amazing daughters who entertain us everyday.
Thank you to our supporters. You guys are amazing. We are blessed more than you know to have you praying for us and for your obedience in giving each month. We will strive to glorify God each day as we wait for His perfect timing.
BecauseHeLives,
The Bergens.
So this blog is to tell you (our friends and family) what we are doing while we wait on God's timing.
Firstly, there is an understanding that we have come to that God has us here for a reason, and when He is finished with us here, we will have adoptions and the ability to come back to the States. When Kelsi and I came, it was for a nine month short term mission trip before we settled down to have kids and jobs... ha! The reason I say that is we have never really had the sense that we are meant to be here for ever.
I am not sure that you have to have some amazing vision or dream or feeling to go on the mission field (and in reality we are called to the mission field of our daily lives, everyday), but I think that as we abide in Christ and He in us our desires become molded to His desires for us. It is my understanding that if God wanted us here forever, He would give us that desire or He would let us know in some way. In reality, we are here because in God's wisdom, we have not been able to immigrate our daughters to the United States. And for me, that is God saying that He still has work for us to do here. Really, we are blessed to have no input on it, because as planners, we would go crazy trying to find out what to do.
Kelsi and I had a transition period after my appendix was taken out and we felt that God was leading us away from Bykota House. During that time, it felt like some days I was twiddling my thumbs, and I was slightly embarrassed to not have anything to do during that time, but a friend really helped by telling me that it was important for us to really seek what God wanted from us during our time left in Cambodia. Kelsi said at one point, we really need to pray and seek what God wants us to do every day. Each day, I woke up and prayed for God to lead me that day.
Recently, Kelsi was at play group (she goes every Friday) and a friend asked her if I was still looking for what God wanted us to do, because they needed an English teacher for their ministry. Kelsi explained that it was hard for us to commit to anything not knowing how much longer we will be here, but our friend explained that they had no one and anything would be great for any amount of time, so I met with her husband at the ministry.
The ministry is called Center for Global Impact (CGI). Basically, they are a vocational/life skills training facility for young women who are either victims of or vulnerable to human trafficking. They teach the girls how to sew and make clothing, give them basic Khmer education (math and reading and writing), and teach them life skills. The program is one year long, and the girls graduate with a certificate of completion. You can check out their website here: centerforglobalimpact.org.
My role at CGI is the English teacher. There are twelve girls, and I teach three classes from 9:00-12:00 Monday through Friday, and also I am teaching the staff Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00. I just finished my first week, and it was amazing. It is interesting teaching adults... when you teach middle schoolers (as I am more accustomed to), basically 80% of your time is classroom management. I am able to teach so much in the short time I have with each group of four students.
Kelsi has been homeschooling Abby and Lily, and in general being just an amazing mom. She has a blog all about it, so I will just direct you to that to read all about her adventure as a mom, wife, and missionary. The link is in the tabs!
Kelsi prayed about it, and felt like God was telling her that her ministry while we were still here was to the families in our small group for church. So, she has been babysitting and such on demand, which all you parents with small children know very well is a great ministry!
Our small group has been going really well, we have five regular families involved, and we meet twice a month at different houses. We are currently studying Philippians, and it has been really wonderful. I don't know what we would do without our small group.
I continue to be involved with worship at ICF, and have branched out to youth ministry on Thursday and Friday nights, in an attempt to raise up a youth worship band. God has been doing some really cool stuff with that. The middle school youth have a bass player, guitarist, and rhythm box. The highschool is coming along, but we could use some more musicians.
During the transition time, I put together a song book with simplified chords and have been recording the songs as mp3 files, because the students are unable to meet for band practice regularly. I am also working on youtube videos with tutorials. The vision is that I can send out the songs for the week, and the students can practice along with the mp3 files and videos on their own without leaving the house. Raising up some future worship leaders, and so excited to see God working in it!
Kelsi and I are very excited about the Bible study with Boo and his wife. We just finished a Bible study on prayer and reading the Bible, and now we are moving into a study on the fruit of the Holy Spirit, as we progress in their understanding of God's work in their lives. Boo said something really cool the other day in Bible study. He said, "I used to think that Christians were not good people, but then I met Mark and Rhonda, and then started studying the Bible with you, and I realized that Christians love people and Jesus wants us to help others." At some point we put the Khmer Bible on an mp3 player so Boo could listen while he drove, and he and his wife asked us to do it again, because they have a hard time seeing the words in the Bible to read it at night, and they want to listen to it every night.
I have been meeting with a Khmer brother, who leads worship at his church, on Saturday mornings and just worshiping together. He is already very good at guitar, but wanted to learn some strum patterns, and we have been just talking about different ways to play songs and dynamics of guitar led worship, and it has been really good. I have seen God using music a lot more in my life lately, and I love it. Music has always been my passion, and I love that I get to play all the time now.
So, that is it. What we do while we wait. We are still actively trying to get back to the States, but we are so content with what God has for us right now in Phnom Penh. It is an adventure everyday, and we actually really enjoy our life here. Our house is great, we have great community with our church, we are doing God's work, and we have amazing daughters who entertain us everyday.
Thank you to our supporters. You guys are amazing. We are blessed more than you know to have you praying for us and for your obedience in giving each month. We will strive to glorify God each day as we wait for His perfect timing.
BecauseHeLives,
The Bergens.
September 21, 2015
Court Update
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.
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 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.
July 7, 2015
Can I get an Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!!!
"PRAISE-A-LUJAH!"
...as my dear missionary friend George Rivera would say. He has gone to be with the Lord but I will always cherish the time I spent with him and Rebecca in Galeana and I will always remember him when I use this catch phrase.
Our God is good! Since my last post He has provided enough to cover both Micah's medical bills and our lawyer fees! AND we have some left over to put toward our visas and plane tickets!!! I can't tell you how excited and in awe I am! God always provides and this time He has provided above and beyond what we ever expected. Thank you all who prayed for us and those of you who gave specially this month! We are beyond blessed by you!
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Because I believe we should be specific in our prayers I am praying for September 16th. That is the 3rd anniversary of getting the girls and it is ten weeks away. September has been stuck in my head for a while, every time I pray about our adoptions and going home September comes to my mind. I don't know why, maybe it is the Lord telling me something or maybe it is just my wishful thinking, but my God is big and can make big things happen and His timing is impeccable! So I am praying to fly out of Cambodia on September 16th. Micah thinks I'm crazy :p we ultimately pray for God's will and timing but why not ask specifically?
Last year we prayed and fasted for foster care, this year I want to fast again. You can choose to fast however you want. Last year we each picked something to fast from (chocolate, Mountain Dew, pop...) you can choose to do that again or you can pick a day each week to fast and pray. Whatever you choose, fasting or not fasting, the important thing is that you pray with us! :)
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Adoption Update:
To fill you in... since June 15th we have gotten our visas extended and all of our paperwork turned in to our lawyer. Yesterday we thumb printed our petition and it was turned into the courts. Now we will wait on a Judge to hear our case. This could take anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. It is very important that we pray for a good judge. Some judges have a heart for adoptions and will be able to help us while some others don't really care. We have no say on which judge we get so be praying for favor! After that we are unsure, it may take a few weeks again to hear if our adoptions are approved or not. Once our adoptions are approved (which we are choosing to believe that they will be) we will work on our paperwork to bring the girls back to America for good.
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