tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50861919213816028552024-03-13T00:16:55.079-05:00from the pages of our heartsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-7141605676420273942015-04-20T15:51:00.005-05:002015-04-20T15:51:58.714-05:002015 March Newsletter<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29R936e9PwRZHYyMU5NZzlENlE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Beautiful Feet</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-33858960834204053702015-04-20T15:51:00.001-05:002015-04-20T15:51:02.716-05:002015 February Newsletter<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29R936e9PwRTGdqWWRnZHc5LVk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Limitless God</a><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-62031724390331504072015-04-20T15:49:00.001-05:002015-04-20T15:49:17.798-05:002015 January Newsletter<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29R936e9PwRbnJ3dm5lTFlwZEk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Press on & Press in</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-86713024201139967572015-04-20T15:30:00.003-05:002015-04-20T15:30:55.171-05:002014 November Newsletter<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29R936e9PwRY181aEI3UE9iNjg/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Open Letter to a Hurting Family</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-58251451251687987002015-04-20T15:29:00.001-05:002015-04-20T15:29:29.299-05:002014 October Newsletter<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29R936e9PwRVk5UVnN0Rk5uZ1U/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Three Stories - Countless lives</a><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-36455860573300374092015-04-20T15:27:00.001-05:002015-04-20T15:27:25.035-05:002014 September Newsletter<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29R936e9PwRZ0hjWGVvbVl4QW8/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Would you join us?</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-44026978939387767662015-04-20T15:25:00.000-05:002015-04-20T15:25:10.739-05:002014 August Newsletter<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29R936e9PwRYlQ0Y2lYbFhiZXc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Chicago I Still Do event</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-64443091503788919332014-07-23T20:40:00.000-05:002014-07-23T20:40:21.929-05:002014 July Powell Newsletter<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_OZcFvoBq1LY0MxZS1tYUNQcHc/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">2014 July Powell Newsletter - I Still Do!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-45254199862813067712014-06-22T21:27:00.003-05:002014-06-22T21:27:28.067-05:00Home Two Weeks <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks to so many of you praying for our family. We are working so hard to build connections. We haven't posted in 10 days. We have been busy- board games, meals, water play, backyard camp-out, walks, attempts at bike riding, zoo and children's museum. </div>
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Breakfast fun- </div>
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Our cute BJ</div>
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First attempts at bike riding...</div>
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water fun </div>
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Mercy & Caleb reading the blog of another Chinese adoptee whom recently accepted Christ. It created some really great conversation.</div>
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<a href="http://lifeasanadoptedteen.blogspot.com/">http://lifeasanadoptedteen.blogspot.com/</a></div>
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Baba & Mama snuggles. </div>
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Baba & Mama planned a special outing with just the three of us. Bowling was fun! </div>
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Backyard fun! </div>
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Little Rock Zoo </div>
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Camp out with Baba in the back yard. </div>
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Children's Museum </div>
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Medical appointments start this week for Caleb. We appreciate your continued prayers. </div>
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We have had some rough spots in the last couple of weeks. We are holding on to Jesus. We are praying & trusting in God's plans for our family. We are asking Him to give us wisdom, courage and great strength as we press on. </div>
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We want so much to love these kiddos well, see His glory in our family and reflect Jesus to those watching. </div>
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With our many thanks- </div>
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Art, Jen & kiddos </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-73145001071196808662014-06-12T22:24:00.001-05:002014-06-12T22:24:35.423-05:00Pinnacle Park <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Poor Caleb gets really car sick even in the shortest trips. We moved him up to the front today. Eager to do some research & talk with the doctor regarding this. In the meantime, trying some essential oils and some proprioceptive/vestibular activities (trampoline, etc.). He really dreads going in the car, but eventually enjoyed the destination. </div>
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We went to the Chinese grocery in our area. We let the kids pick out some favorite things. We had a quick stop at the ministry and then headed to Pinnacle Park today. Zoey navigated really well with her cane. All the kids had a blast. We didn't even mind the heat & steamy air too much. </div>
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Thank you for your continued prayers. Caleb is now most comfortable (understandable) with Mercy so he defers to her a lot. He looks to her for help in most situations now. This is not ideal for an adoption scenario. Baba and Mama want to be the ones he looks to & counts on to meet his needs. Join us in praying for wisdom & discernment. We want to bond as a family & be together as a unit. We need to decide how much to pull these two apart for outings, etc. </div>
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Mercy had some sweet moments today of explaining Jesus to Caleb. She told us that he asked lots of questions about why we pray & why we go to church. She shared their conversation with us. It was precious. </div>
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She said, "Baba & Mama love Jesus and the Bible very much. It's why they adopted you. They prayed and He told them to give you a home. He told her that he thought she told us to adopt him. She said yes, but they prayed & Jesus told them yes most of all. </div>
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She told him, " Jesus died for you and for me and for them." He said, "who is Jesus and why did he do this?" She explained that we are all bad & have sin. He was shocked that she said that to him. She went on to share their wonderful conversation about how we all have sin and we all need Jesus.</div>
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We told her she was really brave. What an incredible road we are walking. Some precious friends brought dinner tonight & stayed a little bit to visit. It ministered such encouragement to our hearts. </div>
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We had some hard things today too. We are very aware of spiritual battle tonight.</div>
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We are feeling really tired. We appreciate your prayers for protection over our family & our marriage. Pray we would stay strong & keep our eyes fixed on Him. </div>
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We are praying He would be glorified in our lives. </div>
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Art & Jen </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-77809644916498858922014-06-10T23:19:00.003-05:002014-06-10T23:19:33.201-05:00Working hard at playing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We are working so hard to connect. We appreciate your continued prayers for our family.... that we would be intentional, intuitive and connecting parents. Parenting is hard work!</div>
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We are walking a delicate balance of setting structure, boundaries & rules in our home. All the while... we are working so hard to lavish love & build connections. </div>
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We have been teaching the kiddos about John the Baptist the last couple of nights. </div>
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We smiled when we were reminded of this scripture:</div>
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<em>John 1:14....And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.<span class="p"></span></em></div>
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Oh...that our lives would reflect Jesus... full of His grace & truth. </div>
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Seeking Him in every moment. </div>
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Below are some pics ..... </div>
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Game time </div>
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Taking a walk time. </div>
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Family photo time - excited to wear our Show Hope t-shirts together!</div>
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Kitchen clean up fun!! </div>
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Mama & kids singing as we do dishes! </div>
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Baba leading the empty dishwasher efforts! </div>
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Bethany rockin' the high chair! </div>
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Rain stopped long enough to enjoy the trampoline today! </div>
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Checked on the garden some today </div>
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Everyone is tucked in bed. Baba & Mama are taking a deep breath tonight. We are prayerful & grateful. We are so thankful for other adoptive families whom have shared wisdom & experience with us. We are grateful for all the training we have taken for adoptive families (Empowered to Connect, Dr, Karyn Purvis). </div>
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We are grateful God is with us every step of the way. </div>
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Praying God is glorified as we cling to Him. </div>
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With love & gratitude, </div>
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Art & Jen </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-86591696529656468752014-06-09T21:18:00.002-05:002014-06-09T21:18:41.566-05:00Powells - Party of 9 Caleb is home (insert jumping, clapping, screaming, crying and praising GOD)!<br />
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The arrival was pretty exciting. Storms ramped up to a pretty intense level last night. We were under a severe thunderstorm warning and then a couple of tornado warnings were issued south of our area. <br />
We decided Mama would go to the airport alone. Our little ones could not handle the super late bedtime. We were worried about Caleb being really motion sick from trip and then feeling on display with a crowd. The visibility driving to the airport was so low. Thunder and lightning all over. By the time Mama got to the airport we were getting tornado warnings for that area. Yuck! <br />
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Thank you to so many of you who prayed. The tornado warning was brief and the boys had only a brief delay. We are so thankful to report Caleb did not get sick!! <br />
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Zach is right behind Baba in these pics- sorry buddy! Zach is so kind to take the pic below. We promise he did make it home from China, too! </div>
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The 2 boys seem completely normal like nothing is slowing them down while poor Art was wandering in a jetlag stupor a couple of times today. The dreary drizzle in the sky was not a help. Praying he can bounce back in a couple of days. </div>
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Our first day today was not easy. It's not easy connecting with a teenage boy. There was no painting toes, matching jammies, brushing hair or playing dollies together. We are in training again! :) </div>
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We worked hard today to eat together, play together, fold laundry together and rest together. Mama feels a little late to the party. It's a bit of a challenge to have missed those two initial weeks in China. Mama is playing catch up a little bit. We have had some smiles, giggles and shared experiences today. All great praises for sure! </div>
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Caleb seems to be pretty easy going. He is not a picky eater so far. He doesn't seem to be afraid. He is excited about sleeping on the top bunk in the boys room. He has a great connection with Zach and Baba. He is still trying to decide what he thinks about the three littles and Mama. </div>
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He just told us that the best thing about today was..... </div>
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ice cream! </div>
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It's not a bad place to start. </div>
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Lego central. </div>
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Caleb wanted you to see him up on his top bunk!! </div>
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This quilt is so special to our family. A dear friend has handmade a quilt for each of our adopted kiddos complete with personalized labels. Caleb opened his special present today. He loved it!! Sharon, thank you for loving our family. Thank you for blessing our kids in this very special way. You are amazing and we thank God for you and Dave in our lives. </div>
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We are grateful for help with meals, kind emails and all of your prayers this week. There are so many transitions ahead. </div>
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With our love and many thanks, </div>
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Art, Jen, Allie, Mercy, Caleb, Zach, Jacob, Zoey & Bethany </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-59670118367978237472014-06-06T22:43:00.001-05:002014-06-06T22:43:09.763-05:00Counting Down The boys arrive home on Sunday evening about 10:45. We are counting down & looking forward to hugging our newest Powell. It's going to feel good to wrap our arms around the other two Powell guys, too! <br />
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Art is enjoying watching Caleb read his new Bible. Amazing. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Caleb requested Hawaiian pizza for dinner tonight, much to Zach's excitement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Art sent an email explaining some fun they had after dinner...... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">"</span> I wanted to do something silly so I made a paper airplane from the
oversized paper place mat at the restaurant. Caleb was excited and started to fold his
own.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We stepped out front of the restaurant and I let the first
plane fly. Zach was in shock and so were about 30 Chinese people walking by. Now I
started to chase my plane down. Caleb and Zach started throwing these huge oversized planes back and forth
outside, in front of the restaurant. We were cracking up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was a Chinese guy on a
bike who stopped and he could do nothing but smile at us.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> The boys were laughing so hard. Caleb was literally rolling
on the concrete laughing. We flew planes for about 40 minutes. People would walk
by with the most puzzled looks on their faces. We had old men walk by and smile. We had a young family walk by
with a big box of new toys for their one child. He could not keep his eyes
off of the simple air planes and three of us being nutty together. It was such a great and connecting time.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I was thanking God.<span style="font-size: large;">"</span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpV0PFjkZ64a-g_PhSPOsudN2CrBht5QZeaIHhyphenhyphenWTGlEsXD8SP0V5ISq_ySqgNsLtIdZM9VxzegTdpI60rGnhAAUAVARFbsoHQVSDLxBW6fU7F53sHEt_V_aRH7xgFhIx8P4dM2hEb6pdX/s1600/2014-06-05+06.20.06-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpV0PFjkZ64a-g_PhSPOsudN2CrBht5QZeaIHhyphenhyphenWTGlEsXD8SP0V5ISq_ySqgNsLtIdZM9VxzegTdpI60rGnhAAUAVARFbsoHQVSDLxBW6fU7F53sHEt_V_aRH7xgFhIx8P4dM2hEb6pdX/s1600/2014-06-05+06.20.06-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the home front .... </div>
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Friends have brought a couple of wonderful meals. A friend and hero young man came to mow our yard (thank you, Joshua!). A precious friend from out of the area sent pizza and a large shipment of yummy snacks for the kids. All of this has been an encouragement to us. Words are not enough to express our gratitude. </div>
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The big girls have been life savers. Bethany has had a couple of rough nights of sleep again. Allie and Mercy helped so Mama could take a nap today. We continue to juggle therapies and medical appointments. We are eager to be back together as a family. We cannot wait to share our lives and our love with Caleb. We are praising God for His grace upon grace in our lives. </div>
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There are so many incredibly difficult things about adoption. The loss and pain of adoption is unimaginable. There are so many conflicting feelings: joy in gaining a child, pain in their horrific losses and sometimes fear of all that is ahead. Most of all, we feel overwhelmed by the grace of God.........His clear leading in our lives- His provision through the body of Christ- His love for each one of us. There is great peace in knowing with confidence He has called us to this so He will be with us every step of the way. </div>
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Again and again God has used all of this to reveal to us our own lost condition and all that He did through the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are reminded of how He has redeemed our broken lives and called us His own. He has shown us our own adoptions through Jesus. </div>
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<span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/8-14.htm"><em><strong>14</strong></em></a></span><strong><em>For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/8-15.htm">15</a></span><span class="highl">For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/romans/8-16.htm">16</a></span>The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,… Romans 8:14-16</em> </strong></div>
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We are humbled, teary & so very thankful that He would allow us to walk this path and share His love with these precious children. We are filled with compassion for all they have been through and the healing that needs to take place. He ministers healing to us right along with them. </div>
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We have had a few people say we are amazing. It would break our hearts if you didn't acknowledge God with us. Our prayer is that you would see Jesus and all He has done to rescue our lives, our marriage and our family. He has changed everything. He is writing a beautiful story of redemption in our lives and in theirs. Please join us in acknowledging Him.</div>
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We are so grateful He has called us to walk this road. We are overwhelmed by His grace in our lives. </div>
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Thank you for praying for our family. </div>
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With love, Jen (&Art) </div>
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<strong>Prayer points:</strong> </div>
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Caleb is very prone to motion sickness. There are major storms for next few days in Guangzhou & here in Arkansas. Praying for no turbulence & no sickie tummy for Caleb. </div>
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Please pray for all the transitions we will have in the days/weeks ahead. We have learned a lot during the previous adoptions. Mostly.. that we need time to hunker down at home as a family and connect. Pray we can we wise, intentional, and intuitive parents. </div>
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Would you pray specifically for Mercy as she re-connects with Caleb? She is nervous about speaking mandarin with him. We asked her if she was going to hug him. She insisted "NO!" and explained that "we don't hug in China!" Our sweet girl has a lot of excited, nervous emotions running through her. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-30387917407228622372014-06-04T23:14:00.003-05:002014-06-04T23:37:52.073-05:00Happy Anniversary! <br />
This is the first time in our 19 years of marriage that we have been apart from each other on this special day. We are all pretty excited about the reason though! <br />
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Our big news today is US Consulate appointment is done! Caleb is a Powell. He is coming home to America & we couldn't be more excited! The pictures of this building are so misleading. The place is so crowded with lots of folks applying for Visas to enter the US. Lines wrap around the building. It can be a bit overwhelming. We think Caleb was excited to be leaving this appointment this morning. <br />
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Click on the link below to see a special gift to Art for our Anniversary! Mama & the kiddos have been working on making this special album for Baba. It is a joy to share a little bit of our story with you. <br />
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To God be the Glory! Jesus has rescued our lives, our marriage and our family. He has changed everything! <br />
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<a href="http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e4441324e6a67334d6a6b3d0d0a&blogview=true" target="_blank">Happy Anniversary! Thanking God for 19 years of marriage!</a><br />
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Thank you for praying for our family! </div>
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Jen & kiddos </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-59329455326710853872014-06-02T23:19:00.002-05:002014-06-02T23:51:12.155-05:00Happy Birthday, Caleb! <br />
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The below photos are from yesterdays fun outings. The boys went to a museum to try to hide from the heat & humidity. Its been hovering around 100 with drizzle rain & thunder. </div>
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They are enjoying each other's company & growing closer every day. </div>
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Caleb ordered this for everyone for dinner last night- some kind of chicken dish. Can you see the chicken head on the left? Art & Zach were brave. They said it wasn't too bad. </div>
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They navigated the subway & found a bookstore they had heard about. They are on the hunt for some great books for Mercy & Caleb. <br />
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Today is Caleb's 14th birthday! We already love this boy so much. Only God can do all of this. Amazing! We spoke by Facetime tonight. It was great fun. We spent some time practicing Happy Birthday in Mandarin. Meredith taught the kids last year. We were able to do it again with Mercy's help this year. We couldn't get the video to load. So sad... would love for you to see the kids sing! Precious! </div>
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Facetime with the birthday boy tonight! </div>
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On the home front..... oh this little girl is just too cute! </div>
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breakfast </div>
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dinner </div>
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Jacob is doing such a good job being a big boy while Baba & Zach are gone. He wants to do all the "boy" jobs. He is such a precious guy. Look at the trashcan helper for today! <br />
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This bed (below) is such big news for our family. We have been battling insurance for months regarding a medical bed for our girlie. She had outgrown her crib (read: climbs, crawls, roams), but is not safe to sleep in a big kid bed yet. This little lady often wakes multiple times a night. Sleep has been a major issue for our girl over the past 2.5 years.</div>
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Recently, we learned about an organization here in Little Rock called Ican. They recycle used hospital equipment and help folks in this area. We called a couple of months ago to inquire about getting an enclosed toddle hospital bed. They said it was not a common donation, but that they had 2 that had just come in. They said they were in pieces but we could come get them both & decide if they would work for our girl. Art was able to put 1 bed together out of all the pieces (yes, he is our superhero)! It was missing hardware & a top canopy but we were able to add those pieces.</div>
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The canopy was shipped to our house this week. Some dear friends came over to install it all in the bedroom. We now have a safe, amazing, near new, enclosed hospital bed for our girlie. </div>
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Please praise God with us. This is a very expensive purchase we would not have been able to make on our own. We are in awe again & again as the Lord provides for our family. He is faithful. </div>
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Huge praise in all of this.... She LOVES it! </div>
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Bethany slept better in the last two nights than ever before. We are feeling so very grateful! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlT2ryf6GSEWjL_VKti_khj_ssqJT00-ahQL6d2ZFv9uCwkxNpmI4iNBnhg4mktQNi6bkhFRv-9ZudI6Ss3jfe1USk2X6FhDRXsO7-tXSp-MXbjlC-Fm6JloG1pp-Us-BpX69m3CQajoMG/s1600/2014-05-31+12.43.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlT2ryf6GSEWjL_VKti_khj_ssqJT00-ahQL6d2ZFv9uCwkxNpmI4iNBnhg4mktQNi6bkhFRv-9ZudI6Ss3jfe1USk2X6FhDRXsO7-tXSp-MXbjlC-Fm6JloG1pp-Us-BpX69m3CQajoMG/s1600/2014-05-31+12.43.31.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thank you for continuing to pray for Mama at home & Baba in China. We are holding on to Jesus with all of our hearts. </div>
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Jen for all the Powells </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-3373532523438793782014-06-01T21:50:00.001-05:002014-06-01T21:50:53.759-05:00Big Week <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a week full of celebrations. Bethany turns 4. Caleb turns 14 (in China). Art & Jen celebrate 19 years of marriage. In all of this.... we acknowledge God! We are grateful for His faithfulness & kindness in our lives. <br />
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Today is <strong>Bethany's</strong> 4th birthday. We adopted this precious girlie at eighteen months. She was only fourteen pounds. She didn't crawl. She didn't walk. She used very few sounds. It became clear to us very quickly that her medical situation was more complex than simply a heart defect. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhhjmnB7U1wroLtC4Aziv2hWrGZwdibrjTmUXot92YmgR8izqpCuIsg35fbL_VwnbBwOli7xnsLq200E9pKZoGq11J-jymvZhbT0C2ZmzaD075ka8pfv68nU7gMuhtjTIcXst70xTuz1v/s1600/2011+China+BJ+gotcha+day+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhhjmnB7U1wroLtC4Aziv2hWrGZwdibrjTmUXot92YmgR8izqpCuIsg35fbL_VwnbBwOli7xnsLq200E9pKZoGq11J-jymvZhbT0C2ZmzaD075ka8pfv68nU7gMuhtjTIcXst70xTuz1v/s1600/2011+China+BJ+gotcha+day+048.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pG-Y9t1oJOlmDPU0IJc75YofS3vCE0NO3LlhWYHWU0eV_UR-8mJN20mAs7BMFtcFTn6J4uANAhT8a5GILDyScPDRKdmyPUhmhJm9NoagwwlzqxK1P4bXEuVqciWbL1njFieIjlrAhLaj/s1600/2011-11-06+07.54.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pG-Y9t1oJOlmDPU0IJc75YofS3vCE0NO3LlhWYHWU0eV_UR-8mJN20mAs7BMFtcFTn6J4uANAhT8a5GILDyScPDRKdmyPUhmhJm9NoagwwlzqxK1P4bXEuVqciWbL1njFieIjlrAhLaj/s1600/2011-11-06+07.54.29.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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A lot has happened in 2.5 years. Our girl has been diagnosed with Williams Syndrome. We have heard it described as a mix of Down's Syndrome and Autism. Our lives are full of beauty because of this little lady. She has a special love for music & interacting with people. She knows no social etiquette or restraint. She just loves to engage people! There are also many hard things about WS: tremendous feeding issues & anxiety. God is teaching us so much through this special girl. We have a load of medical appointments and weekly therapies (OT, PT, SLT & feeding therapy). We cling to Jesus & trust in His perfect plans for her & for us. <br />
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We are grateful this is God's plan for us. We are grateful for the incredible gifts we have been given with each of our children...both biological and adopted. God has used BJ to teach us so much about the beauty beyond typical. She is anything but typical. She is precious and loved. We feel so very blessed to be her parents. God is accomplishing much through her life. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9f5x5Dta9HMbaxnilTky0tNLP1mAkrJmrCgtOWQlXMstSYGxw3RGpt6r5Ap9VrHmPVi1uaspQugA_uZv95B1BT591UdairX0TWcrbuPFKNokYg3hKjdrcmcevR24F_5MKtSUenJPVTob/s1600/IMG_1455%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9f5x5Dta9HMbaxnilTky0tNLP1mAkrJmrCgtOWQlXMstSYGxw3RGpt6r5Ap9VrHmPVi1uaspQugA_uZv95B1BT591UdairX0TWcrbuPFKNokYg3hKjdrcmcevR24F_5MKtSUenJPVTob/s1600/IMG_1455%255B1%255D.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixkQ5qdXFSpD0E9c9UjH_f46ACzyoBQVOAd0YmMzYgXL0Ud0XLIDqbsaocdXswhQr5KS3GxOx2boLkncB8cvZKJeT0zQ0PmQmOQYPK_X8CnLJzteLdRyAMo4jCEhkfnwDYFd57lJfqu4G/s1600/IMG_1461%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixkQ5qdXFSpD0E9c9UjH_f46ACzyoBQVOAd0YmMzYgXL0Ud0XLIDqbsaocdXswhQr5KS3GxOx2boLkncB8cvZKJeT0zQ0PmQmOQYPK_X8CnLJzteLdRyAMo4jCEhkfnwDYFd57lJfqu4G/s1600/IMG_1461%255B1%255D.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEijjiCUAk0v7dX7FWTRZMPUQfWk442QhukxyhWxiFmq3i5jowvcdqsBxK5E9YJfBjQJdAMPvpRKzTl2jODOOf9Fq5qFdBKM8OKc4hvLP7RggZ9NhyphenhyphenonwzMjGBszH7rWeUVsee0y0-8JQ/s1600/IMG_1330%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEijjiCUAk0v7dX7FWTRZMPUQfWk442QhukxyhWxiFmq3i5jowvcdqsBxK5E9YJfBjQJdAMPvpRKzTl2jODOOf9Fq5qFdBKM8OKc4hvLP7RggZ9NhyphenhyphenonwzMjGBszH7rWeUVsee0y0-8JQ/s1600/IMG_1330%255B1%255D.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<strong>Caleb</strong> is turning 14 this week. We are still in awe that the Lord has moved mountains to bring him to our family just days before his birthday (& aging out in China). We cannot wait to celebrate this birthday with him. We look forward to sharing so many details about this adoption with him. Mostly, we look forward to telling him about God's great love for him personally. <br />
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Here are some more pictures from this week. Both boys are being adventurous with eating. Caleb ordered a cheeseburger at a Western type restaurant yesterday. Zach ate tofu & noodles for dinner this evening. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0W1P0CkVonODupyYbAXWa3Kl2nRTaU6FjXsRuMfltGms0dFH7gos1fmKBW7Q0RsEgfpBi_9kYxFUZfJTZh5C5MVRKWlSnPKywl4a2eduwMGyLqEYBNSbpefQ9RUowOlFwbkYynjw7UID/s1600/2014-05-31+13.51.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0W1P0CkVonODupyYbAXWa3Kl2nRTaU6FjXsRuMfltGms0dFH7gos1fmKBW7Q0RsEgfpBi_9kYxFUZfJTZh5C5MVRKWlSnPKywl4a2eduwMGyLqEYBNSbpefQ9RUowOlFwbkYynjw7UID/s1600/2014-05-31+13.51.50.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZhfVAj9ILSDQRSvn1Y85QMK2KL8Beiatu636i_zfNv5MTmhRBcA6j_FDuMFguRGa45NwF9pS6-677VFPt8vPTsbA5vbK-ZarBVeC8yJpA0iu8PZdE9_IcTfYTEkU5MUMlAegAAWYVLOn/s1600/2014-05-31+14.04.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZhfVAj9ILSDQRSvn1Y85QMK2KL8Beiatu636i_zfNv5MTmhRBcA6j_FDuMFguRGa45NwF9pS6-677VFPt8vPTsbA5vbK-ZarBVeC8yJpA0iu8PZdE9_IcTfYTEkU5MUMlAegAAWYVLOn/s1600/2014-05-31+14.04.52.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kY2_NY879O6R86rEuTda9wAxleDA7lhNqTnsXykYN5QEs7c6-xtmjSVrK6eKb8MQKHQ6AG6k3LuHiP5kJRLAf2M123upQgsh6zz23A4VQfc_S3gHgi74ltKHl5hqK24rXnA0_PvG-GIM/s1600/2014-05-31+08.01.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kY2_NY879O6R86rEuTda9wAxleDA7lhNqTnsXykYN5QEs7c6-xtmjSVrK6eKb8MQKHQ6AG6k3LuHiP5kJRLAf2M123upQgsh6zz23A4VQfc_S3gHgi74ltKHl5hqK24rXnA0_PvG-GIM/s1600/2014-05-31+08.01.41.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA-gsoMBmwP50756josIokh9MacQ0qbDKUgzwgrmfq1yKQ4MNwsjvCaFuvAC7J5RuViHL1D2KHO5ZDyZArqsWBdWMcF6Xoe8ZzBqm0TZzl1pp5vUVrGlX6UAyTQ0ZLuZWqw00n09WM_zt/s1600/2014-05-30+07.52.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA-gsoMBmwP50756josIokh9MacQ0qbDKUgzwgrmfq1yKQ4MNwsjvCaFuvAC7J5RuViHL1D2KHO5ZDyZArqsWBdWMcF6Xoe8ZzBqm0TZzl1pp5vUVrGlX6UAyTQ0ZLuZWqw00n09WM_zt/s1600/2014-05-30+07.52.55.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vItQaWjREHaB5VM5YePDBYeA-H9lPe6JKOfadnyZJXsImkOJN1Q6fx9tG3zA0d31NxjO2PSySQ9-7NFR5uiz_RoSFVmuKIvj1d6qMaby_GsxkzUISMFg81SsD60NKkp0t_7jQWmoCI0I/s1600/2014-05-31+08.07.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vItQaWjREHaB5VM5YePDBYeA-H9lPe6JKOfadnyZJXsImkOJN1Q6fx9tG3zA0d31NxjO2PSySQ9-7NFR5uiz_RoSFVmuKIvj1d6qMaby_GsxkzUISMFg81SsD60NKkp0t_7jQWmoCI0I/s1600/2014-05-31+08.07.57.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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And last but not least.... our 19th wedding anniversary is this week! What an incredible journey together. It is so much harder than we ever imagined. It means so much more than we knew. God rescued our lives after we were married. We had no idea all that He would bring us through. We are so very grateful we are still together BY HIS GRACE. </div>
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Thank you for praying for our family & celebrating each of these incredible blessings in our lives. </div>
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By His grace & for His glory, </div>
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Art, Jen & kiddos </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-66068242315413042432014-05-30T16:51:00.004-05:002014-05-30T16:53:35.687-05:00Work & play The boys have been busy with paperwork & medical clearance. Art said Caleb was a trooper with exams & shots. We are waiting results for TB testing so we can move forward with next steps. We are eager to hear all clear. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7Gr7OtHiTb6CNeg8XtRiCyR7fxSrBfk9XLKm_Z_dbUSj-LOXF6SZQm9HDc29HyT_tkleNIS7UKESeLj7rqPstS8PKA4a5_tgn_B-kyKU1RO6899EvjuIKt8O2AAhS5HR32VK98h-KEyf/s1600/2014-05-29+07.43.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7Gr7OtHiTb6CNeg8XtRiCyR7fxSrBfk9XLKm_Z_dbUSj-LOXF6SZQm9HDc29HyT_tkleNIS7UKESeLj7rqPstS8PKA4a5_tgn_B-kyKU1RO6899EvjuIKt8O2AAhS5HR32VK98h-KEyf/s1600/2014-05-29+07.43.15.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thank you for praying for bonding & attachment. Caleb is eager to exchange & connect with the boys & the rest of us on the phone. He loves our family bedtime songs & routine. He is already a joy to us. Our hearts swell with love, compassion, and tenderness for all that Caleb has experienced in his young life. We pray for healing, hope & a future with Jesus for this precious young man.</div>
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Caleb doesn't know how to swim but he was eager to get into the pool with Baba & Zach. Zach said he is learned a lot about sharing Baba & being patient. Thank you to those of you whom are praying this would be an incredible growing experience for our Zach-man. </div>
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Next, they are looking forward to connecting with a dear friend whom lives locally in Guangzhou. This has been a very special part of our other adoption trips. We are excited for Caleb to meet this wonderful friend. <br />
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Caleb's favorite food seems to be congee (a sort of rice porridge). Mama is getting some practice in again to bring that back to our menu. It will be interesting to see if the other kiddos enjoy it again. We haven't made it in a while. <br />
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He was willing to take an adventure & try Hawaiian pizza with the boys. It was a hit. <br />
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Thank you for continuing to pray for paperwork, favor, bonding, attachment, and lots of transitions ahead. We are grateful for your support & kindness. <br />
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With much love & many thanks- <br />
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Jen & kiddos Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-81574995675106730222014-05-28T22:14:00.000-05:002014-05-28T22:14:43.973-05:00Guangzhou<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The boys made it to Guangzhou. It sounds like they have finally recovered from jetlag. They are managing in the intense heat & looking forward to a free day tomorrow. They will check out the hotel pool while paperwork is being processed by officials. </div>
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We are so grateful for your continued prayers. </div>
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On the home front.... <br />
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We are thankful for some sweet friends providing dinner, dropping some groceries & visiting with this weary mama. Such small kindnesses mean so much right now. <br />
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We are grateful to God for His blessings in our lives. </div>
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We are sure missing our boys. We are keeping busy with home school, medical appointments, PT, OT, SLT and yes.... lots of fun playtime.</div>
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<br />It's a train station!!</div>
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China food! </div>
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The many faces of our Bethany! </div>
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Our big girls working on some surprises for Caleb! </div>
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Thank you for praying & celebrating with our family. We are clinging to Jesus with all of our hearts. May He be glorified. </div>
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Art, Jen & kiddos </div>
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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-29406637088024008522014-05-27T21:40:00.000-05:002014-05-27T21:40:17.447-05:00Three Musketeers <strong> Three Musketeers</strong><br />
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Another great Facetime call. Art says Caleb is getting more comfortable... especially in the hotel room. The boys will fly to Guangzhou today for all the final steps of the adoption in China. We are grateful for your continued prayers. <br />
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We are overwhelmed by His grace in our lives. Some of you have asked for the story about Caleb joining our family. <br />
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Below is the clip from our newsletter announcing this adoption just a few months ago....<br />
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; line-height: 119%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-arabic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-currency-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-default-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-greek-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latin-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ligatures: none;"><em>Exciting News<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-arabic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-currency-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-default-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-greek-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latin-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ligatures: none;"><em>Never have we pictured this life for ourselves: full time ministry, China adoptions, or special needs. But, clearly, God had this path planned for us in advance (Ephesians<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2:10, 3:20). We have been so deeply touched & profoundly changed by all of this. We cannot imagine our lives any other way. We are full of praise, joy & dependence on God. We realize it may look a little crazy to the world, but we are seeking HIM with all of our hearts & begging HIM to transform us & help us reflect HIM. We are begging HIM to change us & help us to lay down our lives. He is answering very specifically. <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-arabic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-currency-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-default-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-greek-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latin-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ligatures: none;"><em>We have a new chapter to share with all of you. During our last trip to China, we met a special young man at Mercy’s orphanage. Both Mercy & this boy begged us to adopt him also. It was gut-wrenching for us to explain the system to her. We couldn't take him with us, but we did explain with the help of a translator that God knew his name & his needs. We told her that we could pray for him to be adopted. We were able to share so much with Mercy about our journey to get her & each of our kiddos… the prayers, the money, the smallest of details, our support team & all the miracles. She began to pray with us for this boy. She also gave us many more details including the fact that she believes he could be her biological brother. She has been with him through 3 different orphanage moves and has memories of the day they were dropped together at the orphanage. He is one of the earliest & longest memories she has. We tried to get more info from orphanage workers but they all insisted there was none. We left China with a commitment to pray for him & the knowledge that we would likely never see this young man again. <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-arabic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-currency-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-default-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-greek-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latin-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ligatures: none;"><em>Imagine our shock when we were home about a month with our new daughters & we came across his picture in a China advocacy group where we usually pray for the children. We did not seek him out or any further adoption for that matter. When we inquired about his file, they referred us to OUR PREVIOUS ADOPTION AGENCY in WA state. Wow! We know how God can work. We asked him to lead us & we asked him to help us obey if this was HIS plan. We asked for clear confirmation if this was Him. There was initial grant money and some private donations. The Chinese government excused our family size & financial requirements AGAIN. They agreed to let us re-use our dossier even though we have already used it for 2 adoptions (Zoey & Mercy). All of this seemed amazing, but we felt really scared. Our bank account was low & we couldn't see past our load of special needs & limited finances (in our own eyes). We stepped out in faith believing God was calling us to this. Within days, we got donations we weren't expecting. We got a large anonymous donation covering most of the adoption.</em></span></div>
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<em><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-arabic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-currency-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-default-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-greek-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latin-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ligatures: none;">We don’t know if this is truly Mercy’s biological brother. We told her it really didn't matter & that sometimes God makes family in the heart instead of the womb. We do know he is precious 13 yr. old boy in need of a family. God has given Mercy & this boy a very special bond. He will age out of the China system in early June. We know God is calling us & equipping us for this urgent, speedy adoption. We are praying, trusting, obeying & asking HIM to be our everything. We are asking HIM to fill us day by day with all that we need to parent these kiddos & walk this road for HIS glory! Join us in praising GOD for these amazing details & praying for our precious Caleb. We are on our way to China again very soon. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; language: en-US; mso-arabic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-currency-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-default-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-greek-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latin-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><br />
God has moved mountains to bring this boy home. We are in awe! <br />
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Trust in the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16461A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup> with all your heart<br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Prov-3-5">and lean not on your own understanding;</span></span><br />
<span class="text Prov-3-6" id="en-NIV-16462"><sup class="versenum">6 </sup>in all your ways submit to him,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Prov-3-6">and he will make your paths<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16462B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup> straight.<sup> </sup></span></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-3-6"></span></span> Proverbs 3:5-6</div>
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-3-6"><sup></sup></span></span><br />
We don't know what our future holds. Some of this adoption stuff is really hard. Many days we feel overwhelmed by the medical and healing that needs to take place, but we are confident He has called us to this. We know He is with us. He will never leave us. He will carry us through all that is ahead. <strong>We pray with all of our hearts that God would be glorified as we put all of our hope & trust in Him day by day.</strong> <br />
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-3-6"></span></span><br />
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Some side notes.......</div>
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Zach has been trying some adventurous eating this week. He has tried 1,000 year old duck eggs and pig kidney. He debated & then passed on trying the snake tea (?!?!) today. Even Caleb had never seen that before. </div>
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Trying some outings - 100 degrees and public audience not best case scenario but they tried!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-45829755871199875872014-05-26T22:47:00.000-05:002014-05-26T22:47:28.490-05:00Keep praying! <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><strong>Please keep praying!</strong> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;">We talked with the boys this am. They were heading to bed after a long day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;">Art asked that we continue to pray for paperwork issues. The TA document had not yet arrived in province & it resulted in some complications for the process today. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Please pray that documents would arrive in the places they need to be & the process would move forward without complication.</strong> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;">Caleb is doing pretty well. We are filled with compassion for him. All of this must be so scary & overwhelming... the idea of leaving all he has ever known, the language differences, these two giant guys towering over him :) ... so much more. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;">Art shared a sweet story about bedtime .... </span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">
"The boys got showers and into their beds. I prayed and did 10 happy things with Zach. I asked Caleb though
the Google translator if he had 5 things that he was thankful for. He held up
his hand and thoughtfully counted off five things. He smiled and snuggled back into bed."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Look at the boys together below. It's hard to believe Caleb is the bigger brother! Being out in public can be hard on these kiddos. We remember that so well with Mercy. Folks would take pictures and crowd around to look at the foreigners. They are experiencing some of that now. It seems to be hard on Caleb. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">We are praying that Caleb would grow more & more comfortable with Baba & Zach. We are praying for the beginning of bonding, attachment, and trust. We are praying for connection & fun together. Zach brought Uno, Checkers and a couple of other games. They are enjoying those very much. Caleb seems most comfortable in the room without the pressure of the public/audience. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Thank you for caring about our family & praying with us. We feel incredibly blessed by all of you. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">With love from all the Powells </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-59538500436711339572014-05-25T22:14:00.001-05:002014-05-25T22:15:28.329-05:00Introducing Caleb!! THANK YOU for your prayers! <br />
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We are overwhelmed by God's provision, faithfulness & power. Please join us in praising Him & acknowledging Him. Caleb has joined Baba & Zach at the hotel in Jinan. Art was able to pass along gifts for the staff & children in the orphanage. There are so many praises!<br />
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There are many details to share with all of you. Caleb's 14th birthday is June 3rd. Dragon Boat Festival shuts government offices down in China from May 30-June 2. We had to take custody this week in order for this adoption to work. <br />
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Two weeks ago we still had a couple of months of adoption process to accomplish. Normally families travel after these steps are done. We were waiting on NVC approval, Article 5, a travel approval notice (TA) and a consulate appointment (CA) to be set at US consulate in Guangzhou. <br />
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The Lord allowed everything to come together. He used WACAP adoption agency. He used our local Congressman/Tim Griffin's office staff. He brought favor with both US & China. <br />
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We stand in awe of our Lord! <br />
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Art shared some great stories from their first hours together: <br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Zach is doing a great job being a friend, leader and big-little brother. I had the guide explain who Zach was... that Zach was his little brother... just by a little bit. I asked Caleb... how did it feel to be a big brother?.... Caleb smiled :). </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caleb started to relax a little after dinner. We went back to our room. Caleb asked Zach if he could watch TV. Zach said that he would have to ask me when I got out of the shower. When I came out of the bathroom Zach prompted Caleb to ask me. And he did ask for the TV. I got the Google translator and said that this was the time for us to learn to be a family together, not watch TV together. Caleb smiled and nodded his head. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we all were going to bed I prayed for us. Zach did his ten happy things. Caleb had a confused look on his face so I got Google translate out again and explained that every night we think of ten things that we are thankful for and he nodded. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Caleb went to bed with a little stuffed bear. I asked about the bear’s name. He said he didn't know so I said think about it and you can name him tomorrow. Caleb grinned.</em> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God is amazing!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We appreciate your continued prayers for Caleb. Art also shared that Caleb is very, very thin. We would appreciate prayers that he would begin to heal, eat well, receive our love & most of all.... come to know Jesus as Lord. </span></div>
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The next two weeks will be packed with paperwork, official appointments, & medical clearance, etc. We continue to put all of our trust and hope in Jesus. Thank you for standing with us & praying for us! </div>
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To GOD be the glory- </div>
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By HIS grace & for HIS glory-</div>
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Art, Jen, Allie, Mercy, Caleb, Zachary, Jacob, Zoey & Bethany </div>
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"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing..." Psalm 68:5-6</div>
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Facetime early Sat am (Arkansas time) </div>
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Gotcha Day- Caleb meets Baba & Zach </div>
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Some areas around hotel </div>
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First dinner together </div>
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On the home front- </div>
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Some pics with Mama's crew! </div>
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Only one of the group - imagine Allie's beautiful blue eyes open! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-14590485511297725892014-05-24T23:24:00.001-05:002014-05-24T23:24:05.028-05:00Countdown Art & Zach made it to Beijing late Sat evening. They had some quick rest and then returned back to the airport early on Sunday AM (about 13 hrs. ahead of Little Rock) to fly to Jinan. They should be in province now and preparing to meet Caleb Sunday afternoon. <br />
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Our next conversation on Facetime just might include Caleb! Wow!! <br />
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There are a lot of emotions here at home. We are excited and eager to get updates. We are also feeling a little bit sad that we aren't all together for this special day. Most of all... we are in awe of what God has done to grow our family again. Just nine months ago we met this precious boy in China. We never imagined God would allow us to return and show him the love of a forever family. Incredible. <br />
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We got word that our US consulate appointment is set for June 4th. It happens to be our 19th wedding anniversary that day. What an incredible way to celebrate! <br />
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Thank you for your continued prayers. May God be glorified as we continue to put all of our hope and trust in Him. <br />
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With joy, <br />
Jen & kiddos <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-45097180065958228532014-05-23T21:23:00.002-05:002014-05-23T21:23:20.436-05:00China bound.... Hi All- Thanks so much for praying for our family. The boys are on the way to China. The Lord has moved mountains to get us here. We received another critical document today. It sounds like the US Consulate is working to get us squeezed into appointments on June 4. This is incredible news. <br />
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The boys ran through the Chicago airport today and made the connecting flight to Beijing with no time to spare. Hooray! Such a huge praise. We expect to wake in the morning to news of their arrival. <br />
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They will meet and take custody of Caleb on Sun afternoon (Sat into Sun middle of the night for us). We appreciate you prayers for critical steps and critical documents still in transit. Bonding, attachment and connection are on the forefronts of our minds. Thank you for praying as Caleb joins our pack. <br />
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We will post pictures as soon as we can. <br />
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Resting in His care, His plans and His grace. <br />
Praying for His glory! <br />
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Jen, Allie, Mercy, Jacob, Zoey & Bethany <br />
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"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-91408230485018872002014-05-22T13:53:00.000-05:002014-05-22T13:53:15.482-05:002014 May Newsletter2014 May Newsletter - <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_OZcFvoBq1LeG9OWFRPQ05mTDQ/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Back to China...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086191921381602855.post-68388623339365888742014-05-22T13:52:00.004-05:002014-05-22T13:52:55.282-05:002014 April Newsletter2014 April Newsletter - <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_OZcFvoBq1LVmFjanNDeEx3dms/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Not Without Hope</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0