Spirit of Adoption

Talitha Piper's adoption interview

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:50:00 +0000

John and Noel adopted Talitha as a baby (when they were 50!) ; ) You can read an interview with Talitha here!

He's gonna be walkin'!

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Jeremiah is getting stronger every day!! 2 wks ago he started pulling up onto his feet and standing while holding on to things. This week he started walking with a push toy! And today he stood all by himself for the first time!!! Maybe by Christmas he'll be taking steps? Maybe?! ;)

Bear turned 5 today...unbelievable!

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:21:00 +0000

I don't know what it is about 5, but it's significantly different than 4 to me. It means they are officially growing up. They are officially no longer babies. So wonderful and so sad. I love seeing our kids learn, grow, and flourish, but it's hard to see them grow too! I still remember the first time I saw our little Bear....8 months old....how can she be 5??!!!

She's growing into a little mommy daily! I asked her the other day what her favorite things to play with were. She said 'my baby brother' ; ) Not surprised by that answer, I tried to rephrase it, 'what are your favorite things to do?'. I like to feed my baby brother a bottle and play with him' ; ) Of course you do. And it's true. She just isn't that in to toys unless it's to help entertain another child. She would way rather be interacting with babies or showing somebody else how to play with something. : )

She's also a super duper helper! She came up to me at least 3 times today and said, 'mommy, what can I do to help you?'. SO SWEET!!! "Just be near me!!" : )

Bear, we love you! We are wordlessly THANKFUL that we have been given the opportunity to be your parents. You are a spunky little girl, with a compassion that longs to see justice done! I can't wait to see what Jesus does with your passions sweet girl! Will He take you to Kenya, will you build things, will you have the 6 children you tell me you are going to have one day? I don't know - whatever it is, sweet girl, I hope you do it all for our Savior! He alone is your portion...forever!

Hair Bows for Adoption

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Got girls you are buying for this Christmas? Or need some new bows for a little girl in your life? Don't get them elsewhere - get them here AND help orphans!!! My friend Kendra, a passionate mamma for Jesus and orphan care, started Sugarplum Boutique to help support orphans and adoptions! Sugarplum Boutique helped us bring Jeremiah home!!! ; ) We think she's pretty amazing...and we love her bows too :)

She's doing a giveaway right now - head over there and enter the drawing! ; )

Advent Conspiracy

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:25:00 +0000

What if Christmas became a world changing event again?

Adopting older children

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Living on Purpose

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:09:00 +0000

I can't imagine having a disability in Uganda! But Deborah is doing it, and living it with passion and purpose! Glory to our King!!!

Coming soon: There's going to be some Ugandan made Christmas gifts available to help support the disabled people and orphans that Show Mercy International. Check out their website for more information or email them for details!

If we really want to be like Him....

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Katie wrote a stirring post on loving all the way we love our own because ALL are God's. If we really want to be like the Lord, then we should strive to love like him!

KKK continues to claim Christianity

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:14:00 +0000

This article took my breath away. The thing I HATE most about this is that the KKK associates themselves with 'Christians'. Probably one of the most twisted views of Christianity there is - it's all lies. Satan is a deceiver, and he has deceived the Truth of the Gospel from the KKK. May Jesus turn their hearts of stone to flesh, let the scales fall from their eyes, may their pride bring them to a hard fall that they may see and hear that JESUS is Lord, all men are created equal and in His image, and all are in equal need of a Savior to pay the debt we owe.

It's Christmas time

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:09:00 +0000

O..It's Christmas time...WHY would we spend a cent to make the wealthy, wealthier when we can help make the adoption of an orphan REALITY? This one is AWESOME!!" Carolyn Tweitmeyer

'Getting knifed in the face was a gift of grace'

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Do you think you'd say that if you were robbed and left with a 5 inch long/ 1 inch deep knife wound in your face? I don't know how I'd respond to such a wound (the thought of my fleshly response makes me shudder). But this happened to the missions pastor of Austin Stone in Southeast Asia on his recent trip. He shares his reflections here, and they are worshipful, God honoring, stirring reflections! Take a moment to be stirred to live radically for the Gospel!

Here's a nugget from his post,

Immediately after the attack, as we ran for safety and sought medical care, I wanted to feel the Lord's presence with us. Our hearts were racing, our emotions were barely steady as blood gushed from my wound onto my shirt and pants. I wanted the physical comfort of the Lord's presence. But I did not feel it; rather, I had to believe it. Where my feelings failed, my mind thrived. I remembered Scripture and believed it. My heart followed the leadership of my head and believed in the Lord's comfort and presence even when I did not feel it. This experience encourages me to memorize more Scripture, so that in my next trial, my head will be fully armed to lead my heart.

Amen!!!! Only by GRACE would I respond as he has. May the Lord give us the grace we need for the suffering He has called us to that HIS Name may be glorified and our joy may be complete in HIM.

"Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts." Proverbs 20:30

Desiring to be a mission minded family

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:01:00 +0000

Jason found Mission Minded Family, and that led us to go and find what Noel Piper wrote in 2002 about 'creating world Christian kids'.

Creating World Christian Kids

Here are some easy-to-do suggestions for helping your children become world Christians:

Read National Geographic.
Check out library books about countries or regions of the U.S. where you have friends or special interest.
Take and make opportunities to hear and learn different languages.
Read aloud together missionary biographies and stories with foreign settings.
Keep a globe or large world map handy for easy reference.
Mark the locations of friends on the map-Detroit, Almaty, Madison, Bangkok.
Notice aloud newscasts or articles about distant countries.
Read together the Global Prayer Digest and pray for the day's unreached people group. Your minds will be sent daily to a different part of the world. Your children will learn what kinds of words to use when they hear you praying for God's will to be done in the world.
Include children in conversations with foreign students, missionaries, world travelers and emigrants to this country.
In conversation, assume a future anywhere in the world for your children, not just the U.S.
Read letters from missionaries as personal letters, not as mass mailings-children love to get mail.
Put missionary pictures on the bulletin board alongside your other favorite friends. Your child will grow up knowing, "Some friends live far away in Nebraska, some live far away in Cote d'Ivoire. It's all in the same world that's on my map. Who knows where I might live when I grow up?"
Go to the airport to send off missionary friends. When you gather in a circle for one last song and prayer together, you give older children a sense of the importance of aligning with God's purposes in the world. A younger child will grasp that it's great fun to go to the airport, and this must be something special because we don't usually sing and cry at the airport!
Most of all, help your children learn that the U.S. is not the only country God made, our ways are not necessarily the best ways, and English is not the only language.

I love Noel's ideas - so practical and helpful!!!

Here's a few specifics we love to read:

One of our favorite books is Window on the World. The kids are finally at an age where they can appreciate what they are learning. It's so exciting for them to take turns each day choosing the country/people they want to read about, and it stirs their hearts to pray for them. We either read this or we read from the Global Prayer Digest that Noel recommended.

We are also enjoying reading about heroes of the faith like Adoniram Judson, Jim Elliot, Gladys Aylward, Brother Andrew, Amy Carmichael, and more! They are making Heroes of the Faith for young readers now, and they are great!

Another family fave is God's World News. The kids LOVE getting the newest magazine in the mail. And I really enjoy reading it with them!

I was also just reminded that we use My Father's World for homeschool for this purpose! They desire to make world Christians through their curriculum. It's the whole reason we chose their curric! :)

May the Lord use these tools to draw our kids hearts to rejoice and be a part of HIS plan for every tongue, tribe, and nation to worship HIM!

Self Indulgence

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:20:00 +0000

My friend Joy shared this on her Facebook page today. I had to share it! It's a battle I face daily.

"She who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives." (from 1 Timothy 5:5-6; ESV)

I have been given all I need to satisfy me (Psalm 145:16). I have been given all I need for joy and gladness (Psalm 68:3). I have been given all I need for Godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He alone is my portion (Psalm 73:26).

HIV+/AIDS adoptions are doable and necessary!

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:17:00 +0000

Our friends the Twietmeyer's got to share their story again (God is doing amazing things through the faithfulness and humility of this family!).

What Orphans Need

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:15:00 +0000

"What orphans need are communities of missional Christians (churches) who live in the joy of their Father’s delight." Dan Cruver Read the whole article. Totally worth it (you'll be encouraged!!) ; )

Adoption is now the rage in Uganda

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Great article from a Ugandan paper.

Bugembe has since given back to society and now lives in Nansana with a large family of teenagers, infants and others that he has adopted, including some who completed their studies at High Way College but have nowhere to go.

Some adoptive parents say they are not interested in going to court, but do it (adopt children) out of their love of God. “I do it so that the glory of God can shine through,” Pastor Bugembe says.

Bugembe, now a celebrated gospel artist, believes that if a child who has been suffering is adopted and given better opportunities, they end up working harder and aiming higher all the time.

“Because God makes you go through difficult times, you work very hard to change the world,” he say

Bugembe, also a senior pastor of Light the World Church, however wishes that people who adopt children try to let them keep some of their ancestral traits.
“I hope government puts a law in place to bar people who adopt children from trying to change their identity,” he said.

Becoming an Adoption Friendly Church

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Simple ways churches can become adoption friendly

52 children rescued

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:33:00 +0000

52 children rescued in nationwide sex-trafficking raids

Federal officials arrest almost 700 people, including 60 suspected pimps, in a three-day crackdown on child prostitution. The youngest victim was 10, authorities say.

Karis singing 'nothing but the blood'

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:07:00 +0000

This makes me smile and brings joy to my heart!!

Planned Parenthood Director leaves, has change of heart

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:56:00 +0000

Glory to GOD!!!

Calling 100's to the unreached peoples

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Listened to Piper's sermon on calling 100's to unreached peoples from last wk. Makes me want to 'go'!!!! But mostly makes me want to be where HE has called me to be and to serve the lost and love my neighbor with abandoned love! Giving up my life for the least of these....giving up things to give others the opportunity to be eternally happy...relationships not things...urgency of the Gospel not entertainment!

Samuel's Songs

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Samuel told me this morning he wants to be a song writer when he grows up. He started his career this morning : )

Love One Another

Love one another

I will love my neighbors

and you love your neighbors

even though they are not nice to you

love one another

even if you don't know them

one...two...three

love one another

even though you don't know them.

love your friends

even though they are someone new

you need to encourage them

most of all I need to love the Lord

love the Lord all my days

I love the songs you sing

I love the Lord

all my days

I want to shout shout shout

your name

I love the songs you sing to me

I love the voice that you speak

I love the sounds that you make

I love the sound of the angels wings

And I bring you treasures

I give you the gold

with a golden crown

Everyday I worship you

You are taller than I am

I bring you treasures

Your light is brighter than the sun

you are taller than I am

you get away faster than I can

you can jump higher than I can

you can go to sleep quicker than I can

your songs are greater than mine

I always want to obey God's sign

You always stay in my heart

I will run in your arms

I will hug you tight

And you will always stay in my heart

I will trust in no one but you

you can go deeper than I can

you can protect me from the danger around me

All my days

I trust in the Lord all my days

I will shout your Name

What a beautiful Name

I will shout, shout, shout

Shout your Name!

I will trust in your all my days.

Jeremiah Oct 09

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:39:00 +0000

Choosing Jeremiah

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:52:00 +0000

I know friends, I'm so far behind on these posts! You guys all asked me 'how did you choose??'.

We knew going to Uganda that the Lord had chosen before there was time who our child(ren) would be. We knew that. We believed that. This is just our story in how He led our hearts to him.

We got to Entebbe LATE. We got to Kampala even later. We ended up at Sanyu around midnight, I believe, on Sunday night June 7th.

Monday morning we woke up ready to meet the kids! We had NO idea what we were doing, we just went to the home ready to serve. We spent all of Monday with the kids, playing with them, changing diapers, feeding them, putting them down for naps and bedtime. We came to the end of Monday, went to our room, called our kids at home, and I broke down. I looked at Jason and in tears said "I just want to go home and be with our kids. I don't know what we are doing here. Nothing seems clear, and I don't know how we are going to choose our child from all of those babies!"

I was overwhelmed. Jason was overwhelmed. And we missed our kids. We were also exhausted because we didn't take time to sleep in that morning. And we were being attacked (just like we had been since we had decided to adopt from Uganda). Satan wants those babies to remain orphans. He wants them to remain fatherless. We had to remind ourselves of why we were there and all the Lord had done to bring us there!! Time in the Word brought my heart to a place of peace so that I could finally rest.

That night we prayed the Lord would reveal our child the next day.

Tuesday morning, we got up and did the same thing. We served and got to know the kids. Jason spent time with Jeremiah that morning, but I didn't really even notice him because he was so small. We leaned toward adopting an 'older' child, so I was putting my efforts toward them. The director of Sanyu also likes to keep the babies for the Ugandan's to adopt, so a baby was not on our radar at all.

We helped feed lunch and put the babies down for nap and went out for a bit. We had 3 little ones on our radar. We couldn't decide who the Lord was leading us to. We went to the internet cafe and separated a bit. The Lord did something in both of our hearts during that time because when we reconnected, we both agreed that one of the children we were praying about was not our child. So, we were down to two.

We learned that afternoon before we got back to Sanyu that the director had been praying for a Mzungu (white) family for Jeremiah. That was a confirming piece of information because had he not felt safer with white people (a story for another post), she probably would not have allowed him to be adopted by Mzungu's because he was a baby (or in the baby room). At the time, this was rare. I think this is changing.

When we got back after nap time, I spent more time with Jeremiah after learning that he actually was a possibility and my husband was in love with him : ). It took about 2.5 minutes, and I was his mommy. I didn't want to let go of him. Jason continued to spend time with the little girl we were praying for. She even called him 'daddy' totally of her own initiation - Jason came to me in tears. She cried every time he put her down. We loved them both. We put them to bed that night and went to our room.

Something that I may not have mentioned is that we went to Uganda hoping and believing God for 2 children. A boy and a girl. And this is where we were....a boy and a girl. However, the dilemma was that the director had made it clear that she would not place 2 children with a family unless one was sickle cell or had other special needs. We didn't know the health conditions of either of these children. But from what we had heard, neither of them had sickle cell or special needs that would allow us to have them both.

That night, I cried and cried. We called home and asked for prayer in wreckless tears. I'm in tears right now just hashing through this again. The pressure of 'making our case' before the director was overwhelming. We HAD to trust the Lord, not man. I got in Jason's little twin bed, curled up in his arms, and cried as he prayed for the Lord to make our path clear.

I prayed through the night. I wrestled with lies and unbelief all night. The next morning, again, crawled in bed next to my husband, curled up in his arms, and he prayed.

We got up Wednesday morning and went to the morning devotions the 'mammas' do with the kids every weekday morning. There, the director told the mamma's (in Ugandan) that we were going to adopt Jeremiah. Jason and I looked at each other. We hadn't asked for permission yet. But the Lord had already given us permission to adopt him. We were thrilled, but still barely breathing knowing there was a little girl we were deeply in love with as well. After devotions we held her close and prayed. A couple of the mammas said to us that we were her parents (they had also said this about Jeremiah). They knew our love for her, they had seen it. It's no secret who the Lord is bonding together in love in that place. It's amazingly obvious when the Lord awakens those affections for your child.

After we held her, we went to the directors office, and shared with her our hearts. I cried and cried. She gave us permission to adopt Jeremiah, but not the little girl. *tear*. I cried more. Bitter AMAZING. Bitter because we still love that little girl. I feel like she's mine in my heart. We think about her many times in the day still. I love her. We love her. Our kids pray for her. They love her. BUT AMAZING because we were given permission to adopt our son....our Jeremiah. Talk about CRAZY emotions. It was like have twins and losing one of them. There was a rejoicing and a grieving.

We kept praying the Lord would change the directors heart. She insists that this precious girl has an adoptive family. Whoever this family is, they still have not taken her home. :( This breaks my heart daily. I have to believe the Lord's plan for her is good and perfect. I fight to believe that.

The rest of the week was full of lawyer appointments, going to the Dr, getting passport photos done, and spending as much time with Jeremiah as possible, bonding, and getting to know our precious little boy. I didn't want to put him down....ever....his joy, his cuddles, his smiles, his eyes - bright big eyes....his toothy grin, his longing to be loved...all of who he was, we were amazed by - amazing that the Lord would allow us to be his parents. A gift undeserved. Amazing Grace.

We were there until Friday night. We got to put him to bed, prayed with him, and promised him we were coming back for him. After I left his crib, I fell apart. I've never been emotionally sick....until then.

When we got there, I wanted to be back home with our kids. When it was time to leave, I didn't want to leave our son.

I've never felt so torn. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, leaving him there (he was VERY sick). But by grace, we made it through those 3 wks of waiting. And so did he.

We chose Jeremiah on June 10th 2009. By God's grace, we brought him home on July 29th 2009. I can't imagine life without him - he's a joy-filled little boy who has changed each of our lives for the better! Glory to GOD!!!!!

Beautiful adoption testimony

shawndauganda@hotmail.com (Spirit of Adoption) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:07:00 +0000

Ludy Adoption Video from Lifesong on Vimeo.