the brileys

Papa's visit

2009-08-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend my dad stayed with Bill, Moses and I and was able to spend great quality time with us and Moses. It was great, we a took couple walks in Broadripple, stopped into a coffee shop and had lunch on the Monon, went to Chuck E Cheese for Moses' first time, had family over to grill out and play cornhole and my dad was able to go to his class reuinon. Here are some pics from our weekend, Moses had a great time with Papa. Moses also had a heart echo on Friday afternoon, we should have the results in on Monday. So far, all of Moses' tests have come back normal, and we are really ready to not go to the Dr. for a very looong time. We have had so many Dr appointments, blood draws and ultrasounds, it is nice to know Moses has no health problems from having Down Syndrome, he is a healthy little boy!

Moses meets Joshua

2009-06-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a little over 2 months since Moses has come home, and things are amazing. He is still such a happy baby, and it has been incredible getting to know one another. It feels as though he has been with us for more than 2 months because we all are just so in love with one another.

We did get all of our blood and lab work done for Moses, and he is a healthy little boy! We also got a chromosome test done for Down Syndrome, and that revealed that he does in fact have Down Syndrome. His development has baffled the Dr.'s, he is just so smart. He mimics us, is feeding himself, talking a lot, rolls over and sits up great. He is attentive, and loves to give kisses, and even smiles and giggles when we tell him "I love you". We are having First Steps come to our house to work with Moses with any developmental delays he may have. We are also having tests done on his eyes, heart and GI tract since it is common for people with DS to have problems with these 3 areas.

Yesterday he was able to meet Joshua, the little boy who was adopted by our friends, the Otts, who live in Zionsville. Joshua is also from the DRC, and lived in the boys orphanage of Jamaa Letu. Moses was in the girls Jamaa Letu orphanage. It was really neat to see them interact, and are excited for these boys to get to know one another even more.

21 days

2009-05-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Sporting Purdue for Aunt Jessica

He loves books!
He was studying the story of Moses

Chillin' at the lilly Gardens

Daddy and Moses

The Lilly Gardens

The fun feeding Eval at Riley
He has impressed the doctor with his mad eating skills
Hmmmm...not sure about that!

Waiting our feeding evaluation at Riley

Aunt Shatasia, Aunt Tori, Uncle Stephen and Grammy Carrol
Grammy Carrol

In 2 days it will be a month since we first held our boy. It seems as though so much more time has passed. Moses is so naturally our son. We seem to have found a rythmn together and are understanding one another more and more every day. A lot has happened since we arrived in Indy with Moses just 21 days ago. He has progressed at an amazing pace, and is doing amazing. He eats well and sleeps well, His muscles are strong, which is amazing, but tough when we are trying to change him and he likes to wrestle :) He sits up on his own, he is beginning to hold his weight up when we put him on his hands and knees. Today he wanted to help me put his spoon in his mouth when I was feeding him. He mimicks us, and is learning at a rapid pace, we are impressed, and so are his doctors, by his abilities! Over the past 3 weeks, we have met our pediatrition, been to Riley twice, celebrated Jessica's (aka Aunt Sugar) birthday, celebrated my first Mothers day, Dedicated Moses at Common Ground, family and friends have been over nearly every day, and we have been on the go. Moses loves people, he loves to go places, his smile says it all! All that being said, we have had much time for rest and getting to know one another intimately. I enjoy dancing with him, reading to him, cuddling, laughing with him. I love rocking him to sleep, I love sharing this with Bill, he is such an amazing father to Moses, and a great husband to me. I love the way Moses responds in uncontainable joy when Bill interacts with him. Moses loves bath time, looking at books, music and cuddling, which has earned him the nickname "cuddle bug". Enjoy the pics!

Baby Dedication

2009-05-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today we dedicated Moses to the Lord, to our families to help us raise Moses and to the community at common Ground. Baby dedication at Common Ground is a public

recognition of the importance of the parent’s role in providing a nurturing and loving context

where their children can experience the Gospel first hand and grow into a mature and

personal decision to follow Christ. Our participation in dedicating Moses is a time for Bill and I to commit publicly to raise Moses in the way of Christ. It is a time where we are to recognize the importance of our commitment to our own spiritual formation and thus the formation of Moses' spirit as well. Common Ground states their desire is to journey with us, to pray for us, and to help equip us to live out the calling that we have received as parents.

We are so thankful for our family, friends and community who are committed to see that the journey we take as a family is the way God intended it to be.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 begins with the beautiful Jewish Creed, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." It goes on to say "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

This is what we are committed to, to love the Lord our God with all that we are, and as Jesus also emphasizes with this greatest command, we will also love others sacrificially. We commit to teaching Moses these 2 greatest commands, and we commit to living these commands out ourselves. We know many mistakes will come, and many already have, but we ask for grace, for loving correction and instruction. We ask for continued prayers and love.

Moses' first dr. Visit

2009-04-29T09:28:00.001-07:00

Moses' first two days home!

2009-04-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

The DRC adventure

2009-04-17T02:28:00.000-07:00

4 1/2 hours of sleep last night...My heart and my mind are buzzing. This is it! We leave in 4 hours! Life will never be the same. Bill and I had a date last night, one last night as just the two of us...we went into broadripple to one of our favorite places, the Brugge, we held hands and walked along the Monon. We dreamed together, we laughed and we cried.

Many have asked me what kind of emotions I am having, and each day they seem to change. Currently at 5:30 am, I cry out of thankfulness, joy, excitement and anticipation. Just a few days ago I was anxious, and fearful...2 days ago we still did not have our visa. And, the visa office had our passports and yellow cards. These are essential to travel, meaning, we wouldn't have left the boarders of the US with out them. Praise God that He is intimately concerned with His children. Cami is a friend I have made throughout this process who is also adopting, siblings from Jamaa Letu. Her husband, Ryan, is traveling with us to bring their children home, and Cami is staying in the States with their other 2 children. Well, Cami had a weird/unsettled feeling 3 nights ago about our visas and asked Jilma, our lawyer, if it was ok to call the embassy. So, she did call the very next morning, 2 days ago, to check on the status. The embassy said that Ryan, Cami's husband, and Jilma's visas would be here in time. Bill and mine on the other hand, wouldn't be sent out until Thursday via regular mail! The visas would have never gotten here in time. So, Cami stepped in for us, she kindly asked the Embassy to process our, Ryan's and Jilma's packets asap, she called FedEx, arranged with them and the Embassy a pickup to get our packet here. On top of all she had to do for Ryan's travels to the DRC, she ran to her neighbors to fax information to the Embassy, talked extensively to the Embassy and FedEx to make sure everything was correct, and...yesterday morning we opened our front door and in fell a FedEx package with our passports, visas and yellow cards! Jilma and Ryan's visas also arrived at their homes! Thank you Cami! Thank you God, that You are so intimate with us, and You tell us that we are to cast all of our anxiety's on you because You care for us.

So, everything has been cleared up, we have our passports, yellow cards, visas. We have Moses Birth Certificate correct, all of our Documents are translated. The US Embassy in the DRC will get us in in time and have committed to see us and get us out of there. Moses is legally our son, and we will meet him on the 19th! He will stay with us the entire time.

Please please please pray! We need prayers for our team, Jilma, Ryan, Bill and me. Ryan is bring Solange and Joseph home to Cami, pray for them and Cami and their other 2 children. and pray for Moses. Pray for health, energy, rest, peace. Pray for the children. Pray for safety. Pray for our paperwork, the government to show favor to us. Pray that they will accept all of our money, since we were unable to get brand new money as requested. Please pray. We are thankful to be able to share this journey with you, and can't wait to meet our son! Here we go!!!

Our son is coming home!

2009-04-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's final! The time has come...We are traveling to the DRC, leaving Indy on April 17th. We have our plane tickets scheduled, our hotel and guest house booked, and will soon have Moses in our arms! It has been a busy past week, getting so many things completed...visas, legal paperwork, things to pack, etc...Life is getting ready to change for the Brileys, there will now be three of us. I look forward to the life that Moses will bring to our home. 12 days, and life as we know it will change :)

Updated pics of Moses

2009-03-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some updated pics of Moses. We are still waiting on the Congelese Magistrate to process our paperwork so we can bring Moses home to us. Please continue praying with us.

The PourHouse - Indianapolis

2009-02-25T14:43:00.001-08:00

Many of you reading this blog know of the Pour House, they are a non profit who works with the homeless men and women of Indianapolis to rehabilitate and help in any way each person needs. They have been doing amazing things for years, they have been a partner of CG's for some time now, and Andrea is a dear friend of Bill and mine. Take a few minuates to check out this video by the Pour House.
The current economic climate is taking a financial toll on many nonprofits and the Pour House is no exception.
They are experiencing a drastic increase in the number of people that they serve and a significant decrease in the amount of financial support that we are receiving.
If they are not able to raise the support that they need through monthly pledges, they will be forced to close their doors by April 1st. They need 101 people to pledge just $50 a month or twice that number to pledge $25 a month.
Whatever you can donate, is crucial, Please join the Pour House in making a difference and changing lives.

Silence

2009-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

Silence... Silence is awkward, it is tough, uncomfortable and many times it can be filled with anxiety, if silence is not something a person is disciplined toward, since it is not what we are used to in our culture, Silence ............................I was thinking last night over Revelation, our house church was studying Ch 8-9, and Ch 8 begins with silence in heaven. Silence = Anticipation. Silence gives you room to not only listen, but to hear, and our ears are to be tuned into the voice of God.

So, I find myself squirming in anticipation as Bill and I wait the homecoming of our son. There is a lot of silence. At this point, we are pretty unsure when Baby Moses will come home, but we are reminded to trust in God, our All Powerful, All Knowing Judge. The silence has caused tears and anxeity at times. but...We wait. Silence.

As we long for our son to come home, we can't help but think of the heart of God as He longs for his children to come home. God's heart aches for the sons and daughters who do not yet know Him as Father. And as our hearts long after our son, we pray God would unveil to us the Love of Himself, our Father. As we long to hold our son and be near him, how much more does God long to hold us!

Our eyes have been opened to the longing of God to be near us. How good He is!

New pictures of our baby boy

2009-01-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Julie and I received an email from the adoption agency and in the email were two new pictures of our boy. He is the stud in the blue v-neck outfit. He looks healthy and appears to be about five months old and our hope is to have him home sometime in February.

Julie and I have begun to receive our vaccinations for the trip. It appears as though Julie may be going as well.

We are having a bit of trouble with the court system over there in the DRC but praying and trusting it will all be straightened out. We are ready to bring our boy home.

Human

2008-12-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

God created humanity in His image and with that we were not satisfied. The once flawless vessels now marred, a poor reflection thats not human enough longing again to be fully known, longing again to be fully alive...to be fully human.

The current state of our dissatisfied self is not because I'm only human but maybe because I'm not human enough.

We are image bearers of the Almighty and the more our lives reflect this reality the more human we become, the more satisfied we become. The poor reflection is again becoming clear and the marred vessels are being remade to reflect the reality of who we were created to be...human.

So this Christmas season may we be reminded that it about more than its turned in to

Moses Update

2008-12-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update on Moses...

We don't know where everything is in the process right now. The woman who takes care of the children at Jamaa Letu (our orphanage) has Malaria, so as you can imagine, she is probably suffering greatly from this illness. Please keep her in your prayers.

So, the only thing we know is that "things are moving along". Bill and I really do feel at peace and trust that God is in control and we trust that He has a plan for us, Baby Moses, the children at Jamaa Letu and the caretakers of these beautiful children. We are confident that Moses will be home with us when it is right.

Though, all of this being said, it is still tough as we desire to hold him, love on him, know him and care for his physical needs. We are learning through this how to care for his spiritual needs, as the Spirit of God is the One who is ministering to him (both spiritually and physically through the people who have selflessly dedicated their lives to caring for these children), so we will be faithful in prayer for our son, knowing he is in good Hands.

Thank you for continuing to pray and journey through this with us.

Here is another picture of Moses, the other picture posted on our blog was taken at the same time when Moses was first found and was taken to the hospital.

Our Family Adoptions Newsletter for 2008

2008-12-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

Advent Conspiracy

2008-11-25T17:31:00.001-08:00

Join the conspiracy, look up your "favorite" stores on coopamerica.org and see if they are run by people of integrity (Do they participate in human trafficking, do they oppress the poor, do they have children in sweat shops?)...Let's be creative this Christmas, and really spend ourselves for what really matters.

Redistribute...there is enough

2008-11-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

We live in a world today where there is enough. Enough clothes, medicine, food, clean water and hope. Hope is a word that implies things will be better tomorrow than they were today, and the reality is that for the majority of the world, tomorrow will not be any better than today.

We want to invite you to join us on this journey of redistribution. Redistribution is the opportunity to not add to your budget or expenses, but rather to reassign your resources. God is freeing the world from consumerism and poverty at the same time. Let us participate in that freedom that Christ desires to bring.

The kingdom of God always looks like Jesus and those who follow Jesus believe in the hope of freedom for the captives and justice for the oppressed. We can make a difference no matter how small or insignificant it may appear. We are inviting you to be a part of this good news this Christmas season.

The Redistribute catalog is designed as a launching place for redistribution. What you’ll find inside are six Common Ground partners who are making a local and global impact. We invite you to join them in this journey of redistribution. As you begin your gift buying and giving, consider committing some of your resources to engage the injustices of our day and to distribute some Gospel hope in a very tangible way.

please click here to redistribute

It's a Boy!

2008-11-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

Bill and I want to introduce you to Moses William Briley...

Moses was found abandoned about 3 weeks ago, he made it to the hospital where he received nutrition and hydration for his weak little body. Moses is back at the orphanage and is reported to be "very cute", and able to follow objects around the room with his eyes, responds to sounds and is taking a bottle well. The orphanage is guessing he is around 2-3 months old. We have begun the paperwork in the DRC and will hopefully bring him home by the beginning of '09. Please be praying for Baby Moses, for a quick homecoming and for his health. (Moses has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome.) We are praying especially for his heart and digestive tract as many babies (not all) with DS have complications with these two important body functions. We are excited to hold him close to us, and are thankful he is held in the hands of our good and faithful Father in heaven. Thanks for your love and prayers for Moses as you have been interceding for him before he was born. Thank you for your continued prayers and love.

We are but dust

2008-11-10T04:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend Bill and I went to a conference. We spent some time praying prayers called "breath prayer". We focused on Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." Breath prayer is when you breathe in deeply whispering (or thinking) "Be still", and as you slowly breathe out "and know that I am God".

This was a beautiful experience of connecting our busy minds with the fact that God's Spirit is near, dwells within us, and that He alone is God and longs for us to connect with Him. Many things in our lives have been reminding us of our ridiculous weakness and God's unfathomable strength. So often we try to live life without recognizing where our strength comes from, and in our perceived strength, we miss out on so much. Why don't we pray more? Why don't we read His Word more and it be active on our hearts and lips that nothing we have is of our own strength? Do we really believe this?

I am taking classes to be a Biblical Counselor, and praise God, a BIG emphasis is that we can do nothing apart from recognizing where our True Counsel and change lies. Our adoption reminds us that we have absolutely no control, and so we petition all who read this, please pray for us and our future child. We feel so helpless, and what a good place to be! So, we need you. Please pray.

Also, as many of you have read lately in the news, the DRC is a horrific mess. And we are not ok with this. If you attended Common Ground yesterday, you will agree that the persecuted Church leaves us feeling helpless and broken. But, we must be reminded where our help comes from, it comes from the Lord, as Psalm 121 reminds us.

Will you take some time with me today and pray for the DRC, for the Persecuted Church around the world and for us as the Church in America and Indiana to live out the Kingdom of God as people who believe in and join in the work of the God who saves? Today I will be praying this Psalm over and for the DRC and the Persecuted Church, that this would be their prayer:

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,

he burns the shields with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

WORLD HUNGER DAY OCT 12th

2008-10-07T08:27:00.001-07:00

Oct 12th is World hunger day, feel free to post comments on stats and how to end hunger, and any other ideas on this crisis

updates

2008-10-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Bill's doing much better! Thanks for praying. He still has scabs where those little African ticks decided to latch on and come to America. He was put on an antibiotic to get rid of the infection, and the ticks, and his swollen belly was not a hernia, but rather the lymph nodes that were swollen from the Tick Feaver. He does not have Lymes desease or Malaria, though that little scare may remind him to take his Malaria meds next time he is in the mesquito infested bush of Africa!

As far as the baby front, I received a call from Jilma, Our Family Adoptions, and she informed me of a woman in Lumbumashi, the village that the Jamaa Letu Orphanage is located, who is pregnant and homeless, unable to care for children and already abandoned some children of her own already...If this woman decides to give this baby to the orphanage, and everything goes smoothly, this will be our baby! Also, she may begin working with a new orphanage in Kinshasha, the capital of the DRC, who may have some infants, if this is the case, we may adopt from this orpahnage instead. We are just waiting, still. The need is great in the DRC, but with thousands of orphanages, all over capacity, and it being a third world country, things can move a little slowly. Lumbumashi, the village we may adopt from usually receives infants and children from hospitals and refugee camps, or otherwise through total abandonment. Lumbumashi is in the southern tip of the DRC, and the majority of the conflict in in the north western region. It sometimes takes a while for communication to happen where one specific orphanage will receive a call for a baby, especially if the orphanage has been closed to babies for a while.
One thing we are confident of is that the baby God has planned for us will arrive here in our home, please continue praying along with us in the homecoming of our little one.

Bill's home :)

2008-09-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo! Bill is home from SA! I am happy to have him back, my buddy...
Though it is amazing to be back together, we need your prayers. We believe Bill was bit by 2 South African ticks that have maybe burrowed into his skin. He is experiencing extreme pain, fatigue, nausea, feaver, chills, muscle tightness, etc. We went to the Dr today and he got on an antibiotic and had blood work done to see if he has Lyme Disease or another kind of South African feaver. Please pray, as he is someone who never complains, to see him down is tough because I know it means he is really suffering.
After examining Bill, the doc also thinks Bill has a hernia, which almost makes it too painful to walk. Thanks for supporting us through your love and prayers. We have an ultrasound tomorrow and hopefully will have the blood tests back tomorrow as well.

2008-09-14T18:58:00.001-07:00

September 18 — Film and discussion about rape and war in Congo

2008-09-14T18:49:00.001-07:00

When: Thursday September 18, 7:00 PM Where: Earth House, Lockerbie United Methodist Church 237 N East St, Indianapolis, IN

September 18 — Film and discussion about rape and war in CongoIn spring’s Indianapolis International Film Festival, “The Greatest Silence: Rape in Congo” won Provocate’s Erik Parker Social Justice Award. Now another film, “Fighting the Silence: Sexual Violence against Women,” shows a different perspective on this social trauma.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s seven year war was the deadliest ever recorded in Africa. During that time, more than 80.000 women and girls were raped. Only now that the country is formally at peace are the consequences of the brutality becoming truly visible. Rape is slowly seeping into everyday life.
“Fighting the Silence” tells the story of ordinary Congolese women and men that are struggling to change their society: one that prefers to blame victims rather than prosecute rapists. Rape survivors and their families speak out openly about the suffering they endured because their culture considers women second class citizens and rape a taboo. They give voice to thousands of other survivors and their families who have chosen to hide their grief and remain silent for fear of being rejected by their families and community.

Girls and women survivors tell of the brutality they experienced. Married couples openly talk about the pain they endure. Husbands talk of the pressures that led them to abandon their wives and why they agreed to take them back. A father explains why he has given up on his daughter’s future and how he wishes he could afford to take her rapist to court. Soldiers and policemen share their (shocking) views about why rape continues to flourish despite the war having officially ended four years ago

Leading a discussion of the film will be Valerie Masumbuko, a native of Burundi and currently working with several governments in Europe on issues of women’s vicitimization. Cabinet Attaché Valerie Masumbuko is highly regarded in matters of Burundian and international peace and conflict transformation organizations and movements concerned with women’s rights and raising global awareness of violence against women and children—particularly in her native Africa. Masumbuko is visiting Indiana to screen the film “Fighting the Silence” and lead discussions on breaking the silence to shed light on how third world women are considered second class citizens and how this classification and treatment further victimizes them and increases their suffering at the hands of rapists and others four years after the war was officially declared as being over.

Brett Dennen

2008-09-11T11:55:00.001-07:00

True Joy, True Hope, True Religion

2008-09-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

As I type this blog, I weep. I'm ok, just broken. I talked to Bill today and he told me this story from today:
The team went to the mass grave sites and looked over the enormous holes dug out by a back hoe, these holes would be soon filled in by unclaimed, unnamed, AIDS victims. Yes, victims...Nameless, fatherless, widowed, people seemingly forgotten...And the team looked over the beautiful land and realized the red mud was soaking with tears.
The team then headed to a children's village, where orphaned children live because of the tragedy of AIDS that has hit this country. The home they visited had 2 bedrooms and 20 children, who had been afflicted by AIDS, living there. There was one young woman, about 20 yrs old, plus some volunteers who cared for these children. The boys slept in bunk beds that were 3 levels, and there were 16 boys who shared a room.
The young girl who takes care of these children is crazy talented, she wanted to go to school, but she said "who else will take care of these children?" When she talkes about going to school, she seems to not be too worried, but, replies with a peaceful smile, "maybe some day."
As the team was leaving, these children, who, in our limited understanding of joy, should be hopeless and joyless, all joined together and sang a song loudly and joyfully in Zulu. With smiles they sang "We will never give up our hope and our joy in Jesus".
I have something to learn from these children about joy and hope, for although I do not know them, they are ministering to my soul.
So, the question Bill and I sat in silence and wept over together on the phone was "If the Word says to care for orphans and widows in their distress, for this is true religion...what do you do when widows are caring for orphans"

Garage Sale

2008-09-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

The place I volunteer, The Abbie Hunt Bryce Home, is a home where people who are homeless and of little income receive Hospice Care. It is a wonderful place that provides a home and family to those who have neither, and are in their last days. It provides a place of comfort and rest where people can pass away, surrounded in love and are no longer alone....The AHB Home is located in BR and are having a garage sale to provide care for free for people who otherwise may choose to die on the streets or in their cars if this home did not exist.

Garage Sale!

September 20, 2008

7:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Abbie Hunt Bryce Home

4760 Pennwood Drive (off of 47^th & Keystone Ave)

Indianapolis, In 46205

(317) 860-0484

We are currently seeking cash donations & donations of

garage sale items such as:

· Toys

· Children’s Clothes

· Household Items

· Small Appliances

· Gardening Tools

PLEASE NOTE: We are NOT accepting books, magazines or adult clothing

Limited Pick-up Service Available

The Abbie Hunt Bryce Home is having their annual garage sale to raise money for the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home Garden and to help meet the needs of current residents. The Garden serves to memorialize the residents that lived at the home.

South Africa Blog

2008-09-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

If you would like to check out the LSA blog that will be updated on Bills trip, you can check it out here:
http://blog.lovingsa.org

Josh Garrels

2008-09-06T11:55:00.001-07:00

this song is called "Restless Ones"...Enjoy joshgarrels.com

Jubilee

2008-08-27T04:41:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Ott's, have just brought their son, Joshua, home from the DRC! Joshua was in the same orphanage our child will come from, he is about 19months old. It is amazing to hear how well he is connecting with them and how well he seems to be adjusting. It is amazing to see little Joshua, he is BEAUTIFUL! My heart actually feels an achy joy as I look into little Joshua's deep brown eyes knowing he is getting ready to be loved in a way he has never known before, and as I see the pictures of the day he physically became someone's son.
Yet, what is most beautiful of all is the Ott's story about bringing Joshua home. It is beautiful to experience and witness first hand the God of all creation...the God who is near to us, pursuing this family and this beautiful baby boy, as God continues to care for those who are unable to speak for themselves. It is beautiful and mind blowing that this same God who created the universe (that even the most intelligent astronomer is baffled by and cannot find the end to it's vastness) this same God is also called "God with us". He pursues us, He is also known as the "Redeemer", He is making all things new, Jesus said that he was sent to release the oppressed and care for the poor, to proclaim the year of the Lords favor (Jubilee). How amazing Jubilee is! And we get to celebrate...and we get to, not only celebrate in, but to actually participate in Jubilee!
Joshua coming home makes bringing our baby home even more real at this point, and I feel like a racehorse at the gate, ready to go.
The nursery is done, our hearts ready, but are confident that the "gate" that is holding us in is good and necessary, for God has not opened it yet. So, we will be patient and wait.

Imagine...

2008-08-20T14:41:00.001-07:00

Video for love 146, come be a part of a benefit concert for these children on sept 5th

Love146 Benefit Concert

2008-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sept 5th there will be a benefit concert at CGCC to advocate, educate and raise money to rescue children and women from sex trafficking. Trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Sex trafficking happens daily, not only over seas, but also in America, and yes, even in Indiana.
Brutal sex slavery is claiming the lives of many, whose voices go unheard.
Please join us as we collectively become a voice and people who help rescue those who are seemingly forgotten.
Below are stats you can find also on the website: www.love146.org:
(UNICEF) now believes that the number of children trafficked annually is around 1.2 million. It is estimated that two children per minute are trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Annually, according to U.S. Government-sponsored research 2006, approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders, which does not include millions trafficked within their own countries. Approximately 80 percent of transnational victims are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors. The majority of transnational victims are females trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. (2007 Trafficking in Persons Report,U.S. State
It is estimated that at least 27 million people are currently enslaved around the world, many who have been enslaved through being trafficked. This is more than double the number of Africans enslaved during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The U.N. and other experts estimate the total market value of illicit human trafficking at $32 billion - about $10 billion is derived from the initial "sale" of individuals, with the remainder representing the estimated profits from the activities or goods produced by the victims of this barbaric crime. (UNODC)
These numbers make trafficking in persons the second most lucrative crime in the world. The first is drug trafficking. (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2006).
About $28 billion of this is generated from commercial sexual exploitation. (International Labor Organization)
The organization to End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes believe that 45,000-50,000 persons are trafficked into the U.S. each year, 15,000 of them are children. (ECPAT-USA)
Supply and Demand
The "demand" of the multi-billion dollar global sex industry puts children throughout the world at-risk of becoming the “supply.” Criminal gangs, pimps and pornographers seek to profit from this demand by enslaving and abusing children, preying on those made most vulnerable by poverty, lack of education, minority status, gender bias and homelessness.
Often, captors will threaten, beat and starve new recruits to condition them for the fate that awaits: sex with multiple customers every day. Eventually this abuse “breaks” the children. They learn to force a smile for the pedophiles, sex tourists and others that frequent their establishments.
The Effects
Sexual exploitation and abuse have grave consequences on any person’s well being, especially a child’s. Unprotected sex, gang rapes, forced abortions and manipulation can cause severe psychological and physical damage, including HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases or conditions.
What is Child Trafficking?
According to the UN ODCCP Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, child trafficking is: the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of deception, of the abuse of power or of position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
Most countries in the world are involved – they may be a source of vulnerable children, a place they pass through, or a destination for trafficked children. Unfortunately, even the United States plays it’s part when U.S. “sex tourists” visit countries like Thailand or Cambodia and have sex with children, including those trafficked into the sex industry.
Children who are desperately poor are especially at risk of being trafficked.
Where is the problem?
Every year at least 1.2 million children are estimated to be trafficked around the world and that number is growing. Child trafficking is not limited to developing countries; the U.S. and Europe deal with domestic trafficking issues and also serve as destinations for trafficked children from abroad. Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa are also becoming hot spots for child trafficking. Today, the situation is dire in the Asian region, in countries such as:Cambodia,Thailand,Laos,Myanmar, the Philippines,India,Nepal, and Bangladesh
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
ECPAT defines CSEC as the following: A Fundamental violation of children’s rights. It comprises sexual abuse by the adult and remuneration in cash or kind to the child or a third person or persons. The child is treated as a sexual object and as a commercial object. The commercial sexual exploitation of children constitutes a form of coercion and violence against children, and amounts to forced labor and a contemporary form of slavery. (ECPAT, Questions and Answers about CSEC) The primary factors of CSEC are prostitution, pornography, trafficking and sex tourism of persons under the age of 18. Under the age of 18 is an internationally recognized definition of child in numerous international treaties and conventions.

Women in Congo - Weapons of War as seen on 60 Minutes

2008-08-19T13:13:00.001-07:00

nesting

2008-07-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Whew a month has flown by! I am sitting in our new home! We moved in 3 weeks ago with tons of help from our house church and the Nevins house church...Wow, our community is amazing! We totaled how many times Common Grounders have moved us and we were delighted/grateful to see that some of you have helped us as many as 4 times in the past 3 1/2 years! We are also thankful for our family who has been so helpful and supportive, housing us at times and giving help wherever they can, doing more than they should...even if they are unable to walk...ahem...mom...
We got word that the woman we are working with from "Our Family Adoptions" is going over to the Jamma Letu orphanage the 1st week of Aug and will then tell the orphanage and the Lawyer there to open a spot for Baby Briley! She said our baby will likely come from a refugee camp or the hospital. Once our child is identified, it will take 3-6 months (depending on the Congolese government) to bring our baby home!
A couple of families are going over to the Congo to bring their children back in Sept, so if our child is identified by that time, we will be able to send pictures and voice recordings of us over so our baby can become familiar with us, and we could even have them take pics/videos of our baby.
Please be praying for who Baby Briley is, the next healthy infant that arrives will be ours. Also be praying for us as we prepare for parenthood, pray for the health of our baby as well as for others to begin to adopt out of this orphanage which is at capacity and could probably use more help to care for the children.
So begins nesting...

We have a move date!

2008-06-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

The past 3 weeks we have been living with the Wilsons, as many of you know, and we are sad to say we will be moving in about 9 days. It has been amazing living with them, there is something so unique and special about the Body of Christ, and we are so thankful for the community and our families that are in our lives, who are truly living out the greatest commandments, to love God with all that we are and to love others as we love ourselves.
It has been amazing to share life daily with one another, and to see Church lived out.
We do look forward to moving into our home (which we are renting from Common Grounders) where we will begin to get our nursery together and take some more steps toward bringing our baby home. We got all of our baby furniture from the Greiwes Estate sale and are excited to begin putting it all together. We really are so thankful for how everyone has been loving and supporting us in our adoption, it is beyond comprehension how everyone has been involved somehow, either through prayer, encouragement, financially, advise, housing, furniture...I could go on. Amazing!
So, it looks as thought we are moving sometime between June 28th and July 1st. And, we do not know who our child is yet, but the nursery is in an array of pastel colors, with a baby safari/jungle theme.
And so, the journey continues...

injured

2008-05-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we are all moved into our PODS, and hanging out at the Wilsons, starting on Sat evening for the next month or so...
So, nothing broke in the move...yet..., and the only reported injury is that I cut my finger print off of my left ring finger....yeah, it's sick! I was cutting open a box with apparently sharper scissors than I realized, and snipped that sucker clean off. I would post pics of it, but, really, it is sick....

How you can help the victims in the DRC...

2008-05-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Congo Global Action is seeking your immediate action!
House Resolution 1227 has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives condemning the sexual violence occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo and calling for the United States and the international community to demand an end to this cycle of violence. Contact your Member of Congress today and ask them to support the women of the DRC by becoming a co-sponsor of H.Res. 1227!

Introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and co-sponsored by Congressman Brad Miller (D-NC), H.Res. 1227 calls on the U.S. Administration and international community to take the following actions towards addressing this issue:
Urges the United States Agency for International Development and international community to provide victims and potential victims of rape with greater assistance for health care services, psychological and social counseling, and legal advice;Calls on the government of the DRC to end the widespread sexual violence by holding all armed groups, including members of the Congolese armed forces and police, accountable for their actions;Calls on the UN Security Council to take immediate steps to ensure that the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Congo, MONUC, is fully funded to increase troop presence and deploy in areas where sexual violence is most prevalent.The Democratic Republic of Congo has been described as one of the worst places on earth to be a woman. Hundreds of thousands of women and girls have become victims of brutal rape, used as a tool of warfare. Please join concerned advocates around the country in ensuring that their voices are heard. We can help bring hope and peace to women in the Congo!
Please join Congo Global Action in thanking Congresswoman Maloney and Congressman Miller for bringing these atrocities to the attention of the United States Congress and demanding an end to the impunity that forces the women of Congo to live in fear.
Visit http://www.house.gov/ to find your Member of Congress and https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml to write to your Member.
To learn more about H.Res. 1227, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/

For more information on lobby activities, including talking points, sample letters, and advocacy toolkits please visit www.congoglobalaction.org. Thank you for your continued support!
In Peace,Your Friends at Congo Global Actioninfo@congoglobalaction.org

we are moving tomorrow!

2008-05-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well...Here, Bill and I find ourselves, moving...again. Our apartment lease is up this coming Sat, so we are renting a PODS for the next month or so and then moving in with Chris and Jenna Wilson, some friends of ours. Bill and I have moved 7 times in the past 6 years of marriage, so this is pretty routine! I actually appreciate it all, it keeps us from accumulating unnecessary things to fill our house with, and helps us live simply. Bill and I find a lot of humor in our current situation...we have been living out of boxes and suitcases for the past month and will go to living just out of suitcases for the next coming month. My cell phone broke and we sold our computer, so there is a small lack of communication with everyone, I am thankful for the Library, and it's free services! It is nice to be reminded that this life is about so much more than the things that make us "comfortable". We decided to only bring our air matress to Chris and Jenna's to continue to remember that this world is not our home and as a rememberance that earthly comforts are not what we should be seeking. Although, as we pursue thinking globally, we realize that the fact that there is food in our bellies, a roof over our heads, jobs and cars to drive...we are rich people, no matter what situation we find ourselvs in.
No new news on Baby Briley, just waiting. Moving into this new home will be the next step, and our orphan petition was processed, so we have a go with our government here in the US.
Please continue to pray for Baby Briley, it's mother and for Bill and I.
Whew! A moving we will go...

Who is Baby Briley?

2008-05-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

So, I have been terrible on keeping up on our blog, please forgive me. As you can probably guess, a lot has happened since our last blog.
We received a picture of a little girl who is 6-9months old, who was abandoned and brought to the Jamaa Letu Orphanage, where we are adopting from. Bill and I prayed and talked, shared this little one with a few people and sought the Spirit, asking the Lord to reveal to us if she was our child.
As we processed her age, our need to still reach our financial goal for the adoption expenses, her coming home in only 3 months and us moving in the next month, Bill and I did not feel completely at peace that we were the family for her. We began to pray that God would show us if there was another family that she belonged to. Shortly after we began this prayer, the woman from Our Family Adoptions Emailed to let me know that if we did not feel a peace with bringing this little one into our family, that there was a family who was very interested in her.
After Bill and I processed/prayed through this more, we felt peace with deciding that we were not the family for her. So, just the other night, I received an Email that this family is very excited about this little girl, and are pursuing adopting her. It brings relief and joy to our hearts that this little one will be brought to her new home and to her family in just a few months.
Please continue to pray with us for discernment in who our child is, and feel free to let us know how to be praying for you as well.
I'll try to be better with blogging in the future...Sowwy!

Social Justice Film Award

2008-04-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

This year, as part of the Indianapolis International Film Festival, Provocate is judging the Eric Parker Social Justice Award. This award is intended to recognize a film’s ability to change the audience, its ability to provoke new views of the world, and to stimulate new ideas about addressing serious problems, focusing on the conversations that take place after people watch the film.

The two finalists for the Parker Award are “Beyond Belief,” about two 9/11 widows who devote themselves to helping war widows in Afghanistan ; and “The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo ,” which examines the use of rape as a socially and economically devastating weapon in Congo ’s brutal civil war. Each will be shown three times (see below for times); after each screening the audience will be invited to stay for a free-ranging discussion of the significance of the film, the issues it raised, how those issues touch us here in the US, and what we might be able to do to help find solutions. When you join one of these discussions, you’ll help us determine the winner of the Parker award. For more information, see the attached flyer or go to www.provocate.org.

Here are the show times of the two films:

“The Greatest Silence”:

Sunday April 27, noon
Tuesday April 29, 5:45 PM (filmmaker Lisa Jackson will be present for this post-film discussion)
Thursday May 1, 1:00 PM

“Beyond Belief”

Saturday April 26, noon
Monday April 28, 5:45 PM
Wednesday April 30, 1:00 PM

Note the special appearance on April 29 by the maker of “Greatest Silence,” Emmy-winning director Lisa Jackson. This should be a particularly fascinating discussion. Ms Jackson will also discuss her film and other projects noon the next day, April 30, at Lockerbie Square United Methodist Church . See the second attached flyer for details.

The Indianapolis International Film Festival has emerged as one of the city’s cultural treasures, you should take advantage of it in the next week and a half. For more information about the 137 films being shown, go to www.indyfilmfest.org.

Conference call tomorrow, HBO tonight

2008-04-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Join a Conference Call and Host a Screening of The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo
Conference Call
Join a conference call with filmmaker, Lisa F. Jackson; the Director of Public Policy at the Family Violence Prevention Fund, Kiersten Stewart; and ENOUGH Co-Chair, John Prendergast. The call will give you the opportunity to hear from the filmmaker and discover practical ways that you can end violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
WHEN: Wednesday, April 9th at 9:30 PM EDT
HOW: Call 1-866-682-6100 at 9:30 PM EDT and ask to be placed in "The Greatest Silence" Call
Learn more and sign up here
Home Screenings
Join hundreds of activists and viewers across the country to watch the PREMIERE of the HBO documentary, The Greatest Silence , a shocking exposé of a decade-old epidemic of kidnapping, rape and torture of women and girls in the civil war-torn DRC. ENOUGH, HBO, and our partners have teamed up to coordinate and organize house screenings across the U.S. to view and discuss the film together.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 8th at 10:00 PM EDT
Learn more and sign up here Learn More
Visit www.enoughproject.org to learn more about the crisis in eastern Congo and how you can help press for bolder international action to end the conflict.
Read the new ENOUGH Policy Standard for Congo. ENOUGH 's policy standards provide a short and sweet analysis of what the U.S. government is - and should - be doing to resolve these crises. For the latest on what is happening in eastern Congo, read ENOUGH's new report, Getting Serious about Ending Conflict and Sexual Violence in Congo .

A Congolese Church in Indy

2008-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today I visited a Congolese church in Castleton! Liz Bricken found it, since she is headed to the DRC with Wycliffe, and her and I were able to visit this morning. It was amazing, there were people from Zimbabwe, Uganda, the DRC and Jamacia. It was beautiful to meet them, worship with them and share a meal with them. We are excited about what God will do with our realtionship with them, plus, maybe they can teach me how to cook Congolese food!
It is cool, yet mysterious with how God is knitting so much together... a friend here in indianapolis is adopting from the same orpahnage in the DRC, Liz will be living in the DRC (we look forward to visiting her in the future), finding a Congolese Christian population and making Congolese friends. Very neat...
Yesterday I had coffee with my sister Jessica, and it was so very encouraging to talk with her about the adoption. She is very excited and I am excited to raise our children together...when she has her children too, of course! It was just so nice to dream with her about the future, she will be such an amazing aunt...

We found a home!!

2008-03-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we found a home to move into! I will be posting pictures soon, so stay posted for those. It is in Broadripple, on Carrolton and 43rd. We already know many of our neighbors, from CG, we will be a mile from the new bldg and we are birthing our House Church! We are taking our mid towners and going to BR, and the west siders will continue meeting on the West side.
So, we will probably be moving at the end of May, this is when our apartment lease is up. The current residents are Common Grounders, and they have been so amazing to work with, and have blessed us already so much.
We are so thankful for all of you who are praying and supporting us in so many ways through this adoption. Bill and I are getting very excited, and the only new news is that we are moving, and the nursery is already done. We will probably be borrowing a crib and baby furniture from friends. God has powerfully moved financially as well.
We look forward to being parents, and dream together a lot about what it will be like. We have so many hopes and dreams, so many prayers for this little child and are thankful for this opportunity to be parents, and to have such an amazing family and community of people to raise our child with.
We will keep you all posted when a child is placed in the orpahange, please continue to pray for us, for this little one and the biological mother.

A new respect...

2008-03-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

I made it home safely from Turkey, it was a great trip. It was amazing to be with Katie and the girls and to see each day what Christian home, with 3 small children, looks like. I was blown away by what a great mother Katie is and learned so much during this time. Although Bill and I helped take care of 12 Navajo foster children on the Rez, it certainly was not a "normal" household, and wrapping my mind around parenthood was nearly impossible. So, I learned so much during my trip about parenting and the necessary intentionality in all that we do as we train and lead children. Needless to say, I realized what an enormous task Bill and I are undertaking as we adopt, and I pray that we will pour out love and grace, that we will be patient and understanding, that the Word of God will dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish eachother in our home. I am excited to be a mom, and know it will be such an amazing experience, and am thankful for our community that will help us raise our child in the ways of Jesus, but a new fear, actually, a new deep respect has formed in my heart regarding the enormous responsibility and privledge we have in raising children.

Im in Turkey

2008-03-15T03:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I find myself in Turkey again, quite a suprise! *Which I don't mind, I have a strange love for this country. I am staying with Katie, Cora, Ella and Maddie while Brian in in the States. I flew out Thurs afternoon, and with much provision and protection from our Father, I made it through 2 planes, a metro, tram, boat, 2 taxis and getting dropped off at the wrong place for a couple of hours. I cried only once, tears of frusteration, as I found myself at the second mall, after being alone at the wrong destination for a couple of hours. I found myself twice in a foreign land seemingly lost withno cell phone, unable to speak the language, all of the signs in Turkish, and not a single person I asked could speak English. At the first mall, a security guard finally attempted to speak with me, and after I thought he was trying to kick me out of the mall because I seemed suspicious, he began to try to help me. We were able to call Katie and flag down another Taxi, which took me to the mall where she was. So, when I began looking for her (in the wrong place) for about 20 min, tears surely followed, as no one could speak English, and I just wanted to scream in public CAN ANYONE HELP ME!?!?
It was at this point, I found her, waiting with Maddie at the Store we had originally planned to meet. Ahhh...Turkey! I was excited about the adventure, and actually happy I was lost for a bit. What is adventure without a little twist in it all?

Please pray with us

2008-03-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

Check out the DRC country profile, it has helped educate us on the DRC...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1076399.stm

We received our processed orphan petition in the mail yesterday, now for the fingerprints.
I taked with Jilma, and when an infant comes into the orpahnage, they will inform us. There are 2 children being adopted out of the orphanage now, one toddler and another child with special needs. We are next for an infant, but there are a couple of other families waiting after us, so please be praying for our discernment in this. If we do not accept the next infant to come in, the child will go to the next family waiting. Bill and I talked last night about the possibility of an infant coming in "tomorow", what will we do? The length of the adoption, once baby comes in, is only 3-4months long. We honestly don't feel ready for it to happen that soon, but we also don't want to live by feelings. So, we are committing to praying for unity between the two of us and for us to be in tune with God's desire for who He wants Baby Briley to be. Will you pray with us?
Also, new news, I received a call from a friend of one of my friends, whom I have met a couple of times, the other day informing me that she and her husband were now looking into adopting from the Jamma Letu orphanage as well! That is exciting for us, to think of the possibility of raising our child with a couple here in Indianapolis who may also adopt from the DRC. There is another toddler at Jamma Letu who is 18months old, who was found alone, near death, wandering the streets. This may be the child they bring home, so please be praying for this family here in Indianapolis as well.

Arise, shine

2008-02-27T02:59:00.000-08:00

So, in Septemberish of last year is when we really began to fast and pray over the adoption, our heads filled with many questions, we were asking God to reveal to us his desire for our family...to adopt or not to adopt? local or international? If so, how will we pay for this? So, on the first day we had set aside to contend with God over these questions, here is a passage that was opened to us, and spoke to us...
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you;
your son's come from afar and your daughters are carried on the arm
Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell for joy;
the wealth of the seas will be brought to you, and the riches of the nations will come...
Bringing your son's from afar, with their silver and gold,
to honor the Lord your God, the Holy one of Israel,
for He has endowed you with splendor." -Isaiah 60:1-5, 9

So, although there is much conflict, hunger and pain in the World, God has endowed His people with Splendor to bring peace and reconcilliation on earth. Bill and I realize we are not alone in this , rather, we are a part of a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a people belonging to God, we are all endowed with Splendor...What does that look like for all of us, even today, right now, what does that look like? So, as the people of God, may we all "Arise, shine, for our light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon us all."

Adoption Update

2008-02-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give an update on our adoption...
We are in "waiting"...waiting on our orphan petition to be processed with the US immigration and waiting to get the "go ahead" to get our fingerprints at some mysterious location.
All of our paperwork is in the hands of the orpahnage, they said our profile looked "impressive"...that's good.
Please pray for who our future child will be. Pray as they are probably soon to be born. Pray for the mother of our child, she is probably in a really tough situation now, and probably has been for quite some time.
Bill and I are also in the process of looking for a home (the next step in baby process) in the broadripple area, pray for God to lead us where He wants us, we desire a close relationship with our neighbors. We are moving out of our apt at the end of May.
Please pray for the government in this process, that they would not be corrupt, pray for all of the care takers at the Jamma Letu Orphanage.
So, there is a spot open in the orpahnage for an infant, when that spot gets filled, we will receive a call and the babys profile, pictures, health record, etc. Please pray for our discernment in this, I believe 2 other families are waiting as well.
Please pray...

Love Fest 2008

2008-02-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

So, here are some pictures from our House Church Valentines day "Love Fest 2008". The ladies hooked the guys up with heart shaped home made pizzas, Euchre, Wii championships and, of course, DDR. As you can see, the ladies took over the party to have our own Dance Party! Oh, and yeah, Billy, he can't dance, check it out...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6527140950690302077

DR congo

2008-02-24T15:20:00.000-08:00

If you have some time to watch a couple of videos, here are a few about the DR Congo, the first video is Angilina Jolies journal when she went to the DRC in 2003; her journal is now displayed at the holocost museam in Washington DC. The second video is a cartoon about what happens to children as a result of the war in the DRC as they become Child soldiers. (To learn more about child sholdiers "memoirs of a boy soldier" is a great way to understand what these child soldiers go through from a first hand account of a boy forced into the rebel army.)
http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/congojournal/journal/index.php?sp_speaker=1

http://www.amnestyusa.org/Congo_Dem_Rep_of/Watch_the_Cartoon_Child_Soldiers_in_DRC/page.do?id=1041026&n1=3&n2=30&n3=886

So, now what do we do? The following websites give some action steps to take to help the forgotten crisis in the DRC. I think the first thing we must do is become educated and advocate for the DRC. Check out the following web addresses for action steps such as signing petitions. Also, check out the couple of web addresses on the right hand collum of my blog to get involved as well.

http://congoglobalaction.org/

http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis/democratic_republic_of_congo

Darfur Speaker this weekend...

2008-02-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

There will be a Guest Speaker Mastora Bakhiet this weekend at CGCC in broadripple--
click here to view the invitation andsubmit your response: http://www.savedarfur.org/page/event/detail/4v7jt---This meeting is open to everyone, you don't have to be a member of Save Darfur.

Democratic Republic of Congo

2008-02-20T03:11:00.001-08:00

Check out this short 6 min video to learn about the DRC...

The Smokeroom Sanctuary

2008-02-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

So, I spend a lot of time in the smokeroom at the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home, a shelter for the homeless community who are in their last days. I have fallen love with a resident there who is being devoured by AIDS, and she has become a close companion to me. One of her favorite ways to pass time when we aren't parading the town, is to chain smoke, and so that's how we hang out when I am at the Abbie. And so as I have been thinking over this activity, I wrote something I would like to share with you all...
In a smokeroom filled with dirty air, she sits and smokes in her wicker chair.
I sit and watch her life unfold, and ponder my own story, a story untold.
For it is here that I have found an image of me, for down the same path we shared a journey.
I look and I behold a beauty unveiling, a fearfully and wonderfully made soul revealing.
And, though outwardly she quickly wastes away, she still reflects the Son's brilliant Rays.
Created in His image, in the image of God; A child of His He has not forgot.
In this smokeroom the world has seemingly forgot; It is here that I have found the reflection of God.
And amidst the green walls and fluroscent light, I have found the brilliance...the brilliance of Christ.

Small and Vulnerable

2008-02-15T02:51:00.000-08:00

"Look, he who is your Lord and Servant has become small and vulnerable for you. Why don't you come close and listen to what he has to say." Henri Nouwen

The Author of Love

2008-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

So, I am searching deep into the love relationship between Christ and my soul as well as meditating on the love relationship of Christ and His Church. I find it interesting how much Jesus used wedding language when he spoke. John 14:1-3 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (Ancient Jewish wedding language used between the soon to be groom to his betrothed.)
I think of how his Church is considered his Bride.
I think of in Isaiah 54:5 when God says "For your Maker is your husband- the LORD Almighty is his name-the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth."
And in Revelation 21:2 "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband."
Love is a gift from God, being exquisite in charm and beauty, for God is love. We are His Bride. Though we appear to be bronken and bleeding, busted up and dirty...He sees us as spotless, radiant, washed clean...His pure spotless Bride. So, as we sit at our Lord's feet, in adoration of the Author of Love, may we learn true love from Him.
Check out more of Jesus' wedding language... Just click on the tab for "Weddings of Ancient Israel" at this web address:
http://www.returntogod.com/

Homely

2008-02-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

Homely: suggestive or characteristic of home; a: unaffectedly natural : simple b: not elaborate or complex (Merriam Webster)
This is the adjective I would use to desctribe tonight. The second Monday of each month I get together with friends I have had since I was a young girl, and there is always a "homely" presence about the night. It is a night of true genunity, of a constant love I have always known. They are the kind of friends people long for. They are real, genuine, non-judgemental and loving... always. they have seen me at my roughest points in life and have always loved me.
There is no competition, no judging. Just love.
There is an almost constant laughter, yet appropirate silence as needed.
It is beautiful. They are beautiful.
"A friend loves at all times" - Proverbs 17:17

The Greatest Silence: Rape in The Congo

2008-02-10T14:34:00.001-08:00

Almost 4 million people have died since 1997 as conflict rages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The honor of washing feet

2008-02-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was sharing the icing off of my cookie with my friend from the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home, we spilled it all over one of her Croc Shoes...with holes in them. So, the icing obviously found a nice home in all of those tiny holes, and it was a fiasco trying to clean it off of her shoe and out of those holes.
So, since she is too weak to lift her foot, I bent my head under the table to scrub her shoe. With no luck, I got on my knees and took her foot, with sores on it (covered with a sock) into my hand and gently took it out of her shoe. As my hand was inside this warm and moist shoe (like any of our shoes are when we first take them off) cleaning these bothersome holes, I looked up at her.
And in that moment I invisioned two events from the Bible, one, when the woman who had lived a sinful life washed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, her tears and her hair (Luke 7:36-50)... I thought of her weeping and fervent love for Jesus, and the love he has also invited all of us to share in...
which brought me into thinking on another scenerio from the Word when Jesus washed the disciples feet, and then invited them/us to do the same. "When he finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place...'Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet." -John 13:12&14
God has invited us to experience Him in the ordinary, in the dirty...in the honor of washing one anothers feet. For he is found there.

Silence amidst the noise

2008-02-09T17:52:00.000-08:00

Can you hear that?
Can you hear the whispers of YHWH, the whispers of God? (1 Kings 19:11-13) He is speaking, with so much to tell...Do we ever just sit in silence? Do we ever listen...really listen? Or we all so concerned about ourselves and all that buzzes around us that we have no room to be still?
Do we spend all of our energy on things that are fleeting that we don't have any energy left to sift through the talking to hear what someone is really saying...or to dig through the muddy noise of the humming computer, over stimulating Television, and endless cell phone chatter that we can't understand that there is a message so much more fascinating that is behind all that noise?
Recently I have been thinking over the endless noise and chatter of our culture. Our culture is one of constant noise and constant talk.
Much like how musicians or frequent concert goers often go deaf from the intense noise, I can't help but wonder with all of the constant noise around us...are we a deaf people?
I am fully aware that the majority of us don't even know how to be silent. Try it. Silence can be awkward, even to the point that we cannot be silent even with ourselves without turning to some distraction. Are we scared of what we might hear in the silence? Either from our own hearts, the hearts of others...or even the heart of God?
I have so many conversations about the message of Jesus always being counter cultural, as it still is today.
Could we encounter culture in a contemplative fashion and seek God in the hidden places of stillness, therefore being counter cultural in this way as well?
There are rich secrets God longs to tell us, he is just waiting.
And in this place of stillness, there will be tears, but we cannot run from this...for there is joy that is behind these tears that have been waiting to be released from their imprisonment of denial. There will be things from this contemplative prayer that we will understand with all of our being, but cannot explain.
There is a rich inner life with God that awaits us, "I wait on the Lord, my soul waits..." Psalm 131:5
Let us be silent before him, and not only today, but let this be a way of life for us to be silent from within.
"But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." -Habakkuk 2:20

Baby Briley

2008-02-04T18:45:00.001-08:00

Well...we are expecting. For those of you who don't yet know, Bill and I are adopting.
So...this past summer, Bill, the verbal processor that he is, spit out the thought of us having children, and I freaked.
And me, the internal processor that I am, deeply thought it over for about 3 days, and fell in love with the idea of us being parents! I brought up my thoughts at dinner three days later, and...he freaked, "I was just thinking out loud!"
So, we began to fast, pray and process. We began talking with some of you, and received lots of great advise, questions to think over and God spoke a lot.
We have both desired to adopt since we were young, and our desire for this has just grown over the past years.
We have not tried to have our own, and maybe one day we will, but we really have no desire to have our own for now. We completely believe it is an amazing miracle and complete honor to have your own children, and hold adoption in the same regard.
So, in October we slowly began taking steps toward adoption. We researched countries with little or no "safety net" for orphaned children, and countries with the most need. We landed on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (Formerly Zaire) and have been working with Our Family Adoptions, who work with an orphanage in the DRC. http://ourfamilyadoptions.org/
The DRC is the most conflicted country in the world, one of the top three most impoverished and one of the most orphaned. It is a country rich in culture and mixed with beautiful people.
So, with all the details aside, all of our paperwork landed in the hands of the orphanage in the DRC the second week of Jan. We are looking at possibly a late Sept homecoming of our child, we'll see...whatever God wants to do.
We need your prayers, and would love to share this journey with all of you.

Behold! The beauty of God!

2008-02-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

So...I volunteer at a shelter for people who are without a home and have only a few months or days left to live called the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home. And it is in this place I have experienced God in a very tangible and real way.
I think so often as we try to be Jesus to the people around us, we so often miss seeing Jesus. Maybe it is because we are so inwardly focused, and have complicated love and the Gospel so much, that while we may see beauty that is staring us in the face, we rarely have the time to behold the hidden beauty which longs to imprint our souls forever.
I have fallen in love with a resident at this home and though she does not yet know Jesus or want to have anything to do with "Religion", in her I see the glory of God. The Word says we were created in the image of God, literally in His shadow. And I see the shadow of God in this woman. Her teeth and hair fall out, her frail body violently shakes at times, outwardly she wastes away...and I behold her beauty. Knit together in her mothers womb, she is fearfully and wonderfully made!
In this woman, being devoured by AIDS, I see Jesus. As I sit with her in a dirty smokeroom and light her cigarettes, I behold the beuaty of God. Yes, he is found in the most unlikely places...He is mysterious, and he is a hidden beauty, one easily missed. For he came as a poor boy, lying in a dirty eating trough for dirty animals, and so often he is the one we walk right by.
May we be people who long to look into, who behold the hidden, mysterious and most unlikely beauty of God.

The Story of Stuff

2008-01-31T04:53:00.000-08:00

If you have 20 min. to spare, check out this video on consumerism...Enlightning
http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Fast Fact

2008-01-31T04:45:00.000-08:00

Hunger and poverty claim the lives of 25,000 people each day, more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. (Source: Food and Agriculture Orginization)
Do we know the poor? Do we know the hungry? Are there names with faces, or do we just walk on past? I fully believe if we all just invested in the lives of one or two, this world would be a much better place, and the goodness of God would be undisputable. For, just as Jesus had said, "The Kingdom of God is at hand.", may we live like it.

God Contended

2008-01-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

Israel...it's meaning..."God contended"...One who struggles or wrestles with God. Genesis 32:23-25
We are called to be the people of God, and God, Himself, named His people Israel. He called us to struggle, to wrestle, to seek Him with all of our being, with the depths that we are, 'till it pains us. We are to literally chase after Him, to love Him with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength. Jesus told us to ask. And while we are asking, to seek. And while we are asking and seeking, to knock. (MAtthew 7:6-8)
Do we? Do we seek hard after God, or does "our Christian language pay lip service to God, but our way of functioning assume that God is dead or in a coma."? -(unknown)
Is it in Christ that we live and move and have our being? (Acts 17:28)

Marathon

2008-01-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

Check out my pics on:
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=25142&BIB=3946&LNSEARCH=1
So...I ran a marathon! Well, the marathon was fun, and I obviously survived, though at times I had thought I may not. So, I finished the grueling 26.2 miles in 5 hours, a bummer of sorts since I had planned on a much faster time. But, it really was fun! I mean, who can't have fun when people are passing out, puking, everyone's chaffing and men's nipples are bleading? I ran through all of the Disney parks and stopped a couple of times to get pictures with some of the disney characters. Bill hopped in with me at mile 20 and ran with me for 3 miles, he had the cance to run through hollywood studios (MGM) and catch some photos there. It was entertaining, and most of all God spoke a lot to me through it.

When one runs 26.2 miles, they tend to think a lot about life. And that is mostly what I thought about. It is interesting how the Bible so often relates life to a race, and I would defiately say it is much like a marathon. Life hurts.

I had trained in weather that was freezing, at times my pigtails would be icesycles at the end of my run, and I happily did not carry water with me at times, knowing I could eat snow on my longer runs. Yet, I was not prepared for what lied ahead, for certainly things rarely go as we plan, and these times when we are thrown for a loop, we have a choice. I was not prepared for the weather that would be 60 degrees warmer, with a 90% humidity, all of the training could not have prepared me for the strength I needed to push through to the end of the race, I had the choice to rejoice in my sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character and character hope...
and hope does not disappoint. -Romans 5:4

In the disney marathon over 18,000 people started and there were only 12,964 Total Finishers. And because life hurts, people sometimes give up.

I realized, as with life, to run something of this kind of a challenge, we must have people who love and support us, people who help us get throught the tough times. People who stand on the sidelines and cheer, at times making a fool of themselves, just to help you along the way. People who pray with and interceed for us, people who suffer alongside us, and people who will point us toward our Goal, our Prize. There must be those who wait at the finish line to offer tears with the success and tend to our wounded bodies. Otherwise, will we survive the race?

I fully realize I can never know what is in each man's heart, and certainly did not judge people with certain sayings on their shirts, yet I appreciated the further illustration the shirts provided for life.
Some people had shirts that said "I am doing this for you mom/dad" another man had a shirt on that read, "I hope I have become the man you always wanted me to be mom, I'm doing this for you". Many of us strive all of our lives to honor, please and live up to certain peoples ideals for us, often times suffering greatly for the affrimation we are searching for, and the pleasing of another, and I must queston, does this ever satisfy or deliver what we are looking for?

Many people were running on teams that supported those who suffer with various diseases such as cancer, stroke, AIDS, alzeimers and artheritis...
the strong suffering on behalf and alongside of those who are suffering.

Some people had Scripture on their shirts, one of the most famous being, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". many of them participated in a prayer before the race began...Are we people who recognize our weakness and God's strength?

I laughed, I cried, I worshipped and I have had great support through it all. As it was tough at times, I wanted to quit, yet I kept on and eventually the Finish line came clearly into view. As I crossed, thousands of people were cheering, my heart was pounding and tears streamed down my face as someone gently put a metal around my neck and a sliver blanket around my shoulders. Disappointed in how weak I had been and how I had not finished as expected, I walked on with my head down, my body broken. And as I walked further, I saw my fathers face, as he said,...
well done..."I am so proud of you"

And so, may we look forward to when God will fully reconcile this world back to Himself through his peace and cover us in the sliver cloak of grace, putting a metal (or crown) around our neck and call us by name, saying, well done my good and faithful child! And may we not only look to that day, longing for this day of suffering to disappear, but may we keep our eyes fixed on the hope that we cling to, being ambassadors of this hope and peace on earth as God is using all of us to usher in this kingdon of grace and peace.

So, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been involved in this with me one way or another. My family, my running partners, those of you who were praying and those of you who were there, and those of you who helped get me there. Thank you, because this was so much bigger than just the race, it was something I learned about life as well, and illustration that God has given me through all of you and through the race to help me see more clearly the True Finish Line, the Goal, the Prize.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award me on that day- and not only me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Tim 4:7-8

Marked by Justice

2007-11-23T18:59:00.001-08:00

So, I am wrestling about what it tangibly looks like to be God's child as I read "A Long Way Gone...Memoirs of a boy soldier", a true story from a boy in Sierra Lione who was foced into being a child soldier, just as few years ago, when the rebel army was forcefully advancing and massacring thousands, as the rest of the world seemed silent.
Well, this book is bringing me back to a time when Bill and I began to wrestle with all of the questions that come along with the sickning injustice that happens daily in our world, as we sleep ignorantly.
About 2 1/2 years ago, Bill and I came back to Indianapolis limping and broken in our marriage, which left us limping and broken in all areas of our lives. We spent months biting and devouring one another with our words and actions. We, missionaries coming off of the field, functioned as agnostics, we functioned as though we assumed God were dead or in a coma. Until... we were once again reminded that life is about so much more. That summer we watched Hotel Rwanda for the first time. And after a week of bickering and fighting, we finally just sat... silenced...and weeping.We wept over the utter horror of evil that rages in this world. We wept over the forgotten people who actively suffer as we sip on our cappicino's and sleep in mansions with our swollen bellies, swollen not because of malnutrition, but because of over indulgence. We wept because we were made to live for so much more, and were not living into the identity of image bearers of God in this world. We wept because we were blind, ignorant and just plain selfish. And, so, for hours we wept.
We were broken because we knew that we have been called to be people who truly believe that we have a just God. We have a God who cares deeply for orphans and widows, and cares for the poor and the downcast. He is a God who lifts up the humble and gives the earth to the meek as an inheritance.We are called to be world changers. Let us not be timid or ignorant. Fearful or selfish, for we were made for so much more...
So, as Bill and I journey, God continues to open our eyes to the injustice in the world and the God of Justice that He is. Daily He breaks our hearts, and we should not be afraid of being broken daily. For, this is what we have been called to. For, if the very birth of Jesus brought suffering with it, why do we shrink away of being just the slightest bit of uncomfortable?We are the image bearers of God (Genesis 1:26-27), then we should be people of justice; Therefore may True Justice, and not some Pharisaical judgement or worldly version of justice, but the Justice that comes from God, who alone is good, mark us.