The call and the battle.

We got the call today.  Do you believe it?  We're good to travel! After the celebrating Lorrie started looking into airfare to get us over there and back with our Jacob...

Wow. We were hoping for fares in the 900.00 range - no such luck.  Try 1400 dollars - cheapest we found today. My goodness so close but so far!   So slowly what should be a joyful day spiraled into a not so good day I got home to what was supposed to be an 'easy fix' of the bathroom sink and guess - what.  Not so easy.  Prior to that I got some other news that was not so helpful.  And then, without realizing it - 4 hours after getting the news we've been praying for - hoping for all this time - I'm in a terrible mood.

For you Python fans:  I was guarding my heart like these guys

Then it hits me - John 10:10 says "the thief comes only to steal kill and destroy"  Guess what -he came to steal my joy today and I almost let him.  Forgive me Lord.  So you know what? I am choosing this moment to have "the joy of the Lord as my strength".  I will not yield this joy the Lord has given us to my enemy and yours.  I'm laughing at myself because when I realized this today - I was almost surprised.  Why is it that we are surprised when our enemy steals from us,  works to destroy us, to kill all we love?

We are at war (read Ephesians) and we get attacked.  Particularly when the Lord is about to do something miraculous.  So you know what?  I chose today, right now to trust in he "who is able to do immeasurably more than we could hope for or ask" to do what he said a year and a half ago - to bring Jacob home.

Pray for us, fight with us and watch with us as we wait on the Lord's provision to get one more - out of an orphanage and into a family.

Marshall

Twenty Years and Counting

Marshall and I just celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary.  It is amazing to look back at our life journey thus far.  First of all, neither of us really knew what a marriage was suppose to look like since we both came from divorced families.  When we were dating we would talk about what NOT to do in our marriage.  I know now  that those conversations were really something that would guide us over the course of our life.  No one expected our "sudden courtship" to last.  You have to know that the day I met my mother-in-law is the day she found out we were getting married.  Marshall was also told that "Lorrie won't last in Colorado...she will be way too cold."  So, everyone really thought that we would not survive or at the very least be living in cement city.

Secondly, neither Marshall nor I really ever planned on having more than 3 children.  I knew when we got married that I wanted three children. Marshall came from a family of three and I just had a younger sister.  So, going into our marriage we were planning on having three kids.  What a huge blessing it was to have been given our two boys and then our little Hannah.  Two boys and a girl - complete...or so we thought.

Marshall and I on our honeymoon in Colorado Springs -1992

Fast forward twenty years.  Little did either of us know that we would be celebrating our twentieth while waiting on "the call" to get our fifth child.  And, neither one of us ever in our wildest dreams thought about adoption.  So,  here we are twenty years into our marriage and on the adventure of a lifetime.  I have heard the saying that "you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take."  Life has taught us both that you must go for it.  We have stepped out on faith and God has been faithful.  We have stood at the base of mountains and have been given the courage to go up them.  And, we have been blessed with an amazing  marriage and five wonderful kids.  Well, 4 1/2 for now.

I have no idea where God will take us in our next twenty years.  However, I do know that whatever adventure I am on, if I hold onto the promises of God and have my wonderful husband beside me, anything is possible.

Here's to the next twenty sweetheart...I love you!

Lorrie

Change is coming

Things have been quite busy around the Worthey home the last few weeks.  There is never a dull moment for sure!  To begin with, I have some exciting news not dealing with the adoption.  I am running for Mayor of our town.  Now,  you must realize, that  we live in a very small community - around 900 year round residence which equates to about 500 registered voters.  Doesn't seem like a heck of a lot of people, but here is the catch.  We haven't had an election in over 15 years.  You see, the officials just work their way up the ladder and no one ever challenges them or runs against them.  Until now. Wouldn't you know that when I found out that no one was going to run for Mayor and my opponent thought he would just "slide" in I had to give it a run.  So, the last few weeks have been crazy around here for sure! Being that we have been through an adoption before and fully understand this very last part of the process, I consider it a gift that I have something else to keep my mind on.

What our town looked like WAY back in the day

We received word that Jacob went for his visa appointment on March 7th.  One week ago to the day.  I still am not fully aware of why it would take a full week to issue that Visa paper, but it is taking that long - and longer.  We should be getting "the call" anytime now. When we got "the call" with Naomi it was early in the morning before the children were awake.  You have to remember that the Philippines is a good 12 hours ahead of us so if our agency receives word it will be overnight.  If we don't get a call by 12:00 noon more than likely it won't come at all that day.  Words can't describe what it is like waiting for that call.  You have to do something to keep your mind off of it or you will drive yourself and all of those around you crazy!

So, what will it look like when we do hear the phone ring and get  the word that our son is expecting us?  Well, first off we need to really begin packing.  Yep, we haven't done that yet.  I need to get organized around here for sure.  We will have one suitcase each, pack one full of clothes for Jacob and have one full of gifts for the people at the orphanage.  Let's see...6 plus 1 plus 1 equals 8.  And, that doesn't include the backpacks each of the children will have as carry on.

I almost forgot to mention the fact that we have to begin looking for airfares.  The dreaded airfare.  The expensive airfare.  Yuck!!  Anyway, we are praying that when we begin that search that God provides exactly what we need.  Please pray with us that the fares are reasonable.  We are praying that each fare is below $1,000 each.  We would then only need $7,000.00 instead of  $14,000. Sounds a little better doesn't it?

There is so much to do, so much to plan.  I often wonder what Jacob is thinking.  Is he excited? Scared? Unsure?  What is going through his mind as he waits for us?  His life is about to change in a very big way.  Now that will be something to blog about in the future.  For now, please continue to pray for our family during this time.  We are so very close. So very excited.

I found a picture of Naomi taken just hours after she left the orphanage with us.  The look on her face says it all.  What was going through her mind as she left everything she had ever known?  I wonder what Jacob will be thinking.

Thoughts are worth a thousand words

God bless you. We keep you close to our hearts and cannot wait until Jacob knows that.
Lorrie

Am I Still...Depraved?

Friends shared this with us this weekend.  What is the gospel if not this?  We're believers but are we...depraved? I was and sometimes am still.  Be open. Consider. Please watch and open your heart to change.  

Still Waiting ....but close

Naomi Jammin at A Daughter's Heart

Oh sooo close!  He's in Manila now - right now.  He's going to get is visa next week!  That golden ticket, that awesome little stamp in a passport that will speed him home!  Finally.

We are so close to celebrating!  So close to dancing, laughing and rejoicing over Jacob finally getting a chance to bring what only he can bring to our family - and more importantly to the world. Like all of us he has something that God himself put in him, something only he can bring to all of us that we all need.

In fact we're so close to celebrating that - we might be doing a little dancing on this fine Colorado day.  In fact, one of my favorite bands has a song that talks about "waiting" (click here for a funny video of it).  Now in the song, he's waiting for something different - but I'm so happy to be so close - this catchy little toon fits me perfectly today - "I keep waiting for my baby to come back home". So why don't you just click the link and do a little dance with us!

Marshall