Kahler adoption...

When we started our adoption journey, I started sending out email updates to our close friends.  That was way back in 2008.  The list of people on our adoption update list has grown from a few dozen to over 150 people, and I have no idea how many emails get forwarded on to other people.  It it not unusual for me to walk into a store or doctor office, and someone who is a friend of a friend will yell out, "hey, just read your latest email, we're praying!" 

Those emails have served as a therapeutic outlet, a journal, and a record keeping mechanism.  I sometimes pull them up and feel like I am transported back in time.

This is my last email to our update list.  I feel like I am saying goodbye to an old friend...

One journey ends, another begins…

I have struggled with how to write this email.  There are several things at play in my mind….one is that I don't want to disappoint anyone by not writing my email updates.  Two is the other side that says, "no one reads them anyway, so who cares if you stop", and three, this has been our life for four years and I will miss sharing it with so many of you! 

And the looming question about these updates…when does this journey end?

Bringing the kid home is done.  But our journey with Asa has certainly not ended.  As I told Mike, in the hotel room the night we got him, "Now the hard part starts!  Parenting him!"

I think that after this last Sunday, I can say that Journey to Asa: Part A has ended. 

We had talked about attending church this past Sunday while we were in Almaty last week.  I was hesitant to commit.  I was not sure Asa would be ready, how we would be doing with the jet lag, or a million other questions and unknowns.

Asa did incredible at the airport with everyone greeting him.  He did great when we went out to eat that night.  He had a blast on Saturday with his siblings.  And overall he seemed to be doing wonderfully.  And, we were sleeping.  So, why not go to church?!

Sunday morning we got up and everyone got dressed.  It all went very smoothly compared to some other Sunday mornings we have had in our little house.  We even got out the door 20 minutes early! 

We arrived at church at 10 and everyone was still in Sunday school.  I think this worked out well as we were able to have a seat in the foyer and kind of establish our area before the crowd moved through on the way to the sanctuary. 

The first person we saw when we walked in was Joshua, our pastor's youngest son.  We love those boys.  Joshua immediately knelt down and greeted Asa and shook his hand.  From that point on, anytime anyone spoke to Asa, he reached his little hand out to shake their hand!  It was so cute!  Asa has truly adopted the "When in Rome" mentality about this whole thing!

As other people trickled in, many came over and congratulated us and told Asa hello.  He did great.  Just great.  And everyone was so considerate to give him space and let him just take everything in at his own pace.

As time came for the service to begin, we made our way to the sanctuary and found our seats.  When the music started, Asa was a bit startled.  The music at our church is not quiet.  It is contemporary and loud!  Overall, our church is not quiet.  At all.  Loud music, loud preaching, and loud people!  Once Asa saw Daddy singing and that it was okay, he settled in and really seemed to enjoy the worship time. 

After the worship time, our pastor had us come forward and introduced Asa to our church family.  That was a very special moment for us.  He also prayed over our family and Asa's transition.  Most touching was his prayer that our children would be saved, and that our boys, Asa and Ezra, would have hearts for the nations.  That is truly one of our prayers for them, that if God chooses, that He would use our boys to bring healing and salvation to their birth countries.  The name Asa means healer.  We have prayed that God would use our Asa to bring healing to the nation and people of Kyrgyzstan.

We are moving through the book of Acts in our Sunday services and the message today was about God's faithfulness in the midst of trial and suffering.  During worship, God spoke to me about His faithfulness and reminded me that Asa being home does not make God more faithful.  God is faithful despite what my circumstances might look like.  We are so thankful for Asa being home, but if Asa were not here, it would not discount God's faithfulness one bit.  During our worship time, God very clearly told me, "Your circumstances do not define God's faithfulness.  God's faithfulness defines your circumstances!"  God's sovereign faithfulness designs and determines your circumstances to bring Himself glory, and to sanctify you.  Oh we want to live that out!  To proclaim God's faithfulness no matter what happens!  In the good and in the bad, we want to proclaim Your goodness and mercy and steadfast love for us.

So many of the songs during the worship set spoke so poignantly to what we have walked the last four years.  This song especially spoke to me:

 "The Lord Is"

The depths of Your grace who can measure, You fully supply all I need, You restore my weary soul again and again, And lead me in Your righteousness and peace

You're with me through every dark valley, There's nothing that I have to fear, You are there to comfort me again and again, Protecting me, assuring me You're near

The Lord is, The Lord is my shepherd, The Lord is, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want

You gave Your own life for my ransom, So I could rejoice at Your side, You have shown Your faithfulness again and again, There's nothing good that You will not provide

I will dwell in Your house, All the days of my life, I will dwell in Your house, All the days of my life

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI) 

 Music by Pat Sczebel, Words by Pat Sczebel and Bob Kauflin.
http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/Product/M4235-06-51/The_Lord_Is.aspx

Even just pasting the words here and reading them, I am moved to tears.  You oh Lord, have truly shown Your faithfulness again and again.  There is nothing good that You will not provide!!!!

After worshipping with our church family this last Sunday and being reminded of God's faithfulness, in all circumstances, I can truly say, "Our son is home!"

with more love and thankfulness than we will ever have the words to say,

mike&karla&bethany&josiah&judah&asa&ezra

I will still be blogging about our crazy daily lives, so feel free to follow along here.  I can't promise it will always be interesting, but I hope that you will be blessed!