Moving, Waiting,...Jumping

Hello!

I'm sorry I have been off the grid, as it seems, for the past few days.

Here's what's been happening.

Friday Matt went to work like it was a normal day. A couple hours after he left, I got a call that the kids were coming. We had 11 days notice to prepare.

At first, I just ran around the house screaming. Literally, I ran back and forth from living room to the bedroom screaming, "AHHHHHHH!!!" :) My dogs were so confused!!!

I called my landlord for our 1BR apt to give notice, but without the 30 notice, I would still have to pay for March. They said that if I could find someone to live there that I might be able to avoid that.

We started packing. And praying. Lot's of praying. For a house, for direction, help surrendering, wisdom, discernment, provision....I'm sure you can imagine.

We tried to get the word out to as many people possible so that we could turn on all resources for support. Even in a matter of hours God started to show us that He was in control and more than capable of being Director and Master of this adventure

Saturday Matt was a bumbling bee, full of anticipation and excitement. We started to take turns, as if on some kind of schedule, freaking out and calming the other down.

We went to see this house in RWC that was labeled as a 4BR with a possible chance to make it into a 5BR. It was a 3BR :). So we kept packing and praying and following the "freak out" schedule.

Sunday was much the same as we went to church and met up with different people to pray and touch base and then home again to pack more.

On Monday we went down to San Jose to meet up with our team at Catholic Charities. We came up with a contingency plan for what to do if we do not have a place by the time the kids arrive. We will make the call on Sunday/Monday. So...last case scenario; we stay in a hotel in San Mateo until our place is ready. It feels good to have a back up plan. I really don't want it to come to that, but I keep trying to surrender my own perception of what's best-to God. Maybe that's what's really best for us. We are doing are best to just let go of ANYTHING we might be trying to hang onto. We want EVERY single aspect of our life to be something that God has breathed into it and not of our own fleshly agenda.

Monday night we found someone that wanted to live in our apartment as soon as possible.

This was a huge miracle that we haven't even been able to boast in the Lord about yet.

We were so consumed with everything else going on, that we had not yet done our part in trying to get a renter into our place so that we could avoid paying for March. Lo, and behold our Loving Lord had it all in His hands.

A co-worker of Matt's had been looking for a place and was not sure what to do about not finding a place yet. She was talking about it at work and Matt, jokingly, offered her to live in our place...and she said YES!

So on Monday night, we realized we needed to move out...by Wednesday.

Tuesday we put it into high gear. We woke up to begin moving in serious fashion. We had asked at 11pm on facebook if anyone was willing to wake up at 6am the next day to help us. I was doubtful we would be joined, but to our surprise a loving servant called to say she was coming soon and what was our coffee order! What a blessing! I was so scared and overwhelmed and then God answered that need with a huge amount of encouragement and tangible support...and with practically no notice! Last minute decisions kept rolling in. I decided it was best for our puppy, Rogue, to be boarded during this stressful time and for Gambit to stay with us. I drove to Pacifica to drop her off and was having a conversation with God on the way back. I was telling Him how scared I was and how I just wanted Him to direct me in whatever way He wanted to go.
This is what I heard him say, "Jump with me...it will be fun"
I told Him I was scared, and that I wasn't sure if I was ready, that I wasn't sure I could trust Him. I had that whole ride back home to wrestle and decide that I was ready to trust Him, whatever the outcome might be.
I got home and we continued to pack. Then God sent a faithful army to join us.
Not one, but 2 of my friends had other important plans where they last minute felt peace from the Lord and decided to leave to help and support.
So, people came and helped us pack everything up, a truck last minute was provided and we moved every big piece of furniture out by the end of the night.
We only had the kitchen, all of the random items around, and cleaning to finish on Wednesday. By Wednesday I was emotionally exhausted. Loving friends hosted us the night before and although I had their whole house and my whole apartment I could have camped out in, I decided to do my work in my car outside Matt's work. I just didn't want to be by myself with my emotions going in so many directions. With so much left to do still and fear a tempting persistence, God brought people in my path to pray for me that morning. I went home feeling stronger to pack up the kitchen and all of the randomness. After the car's battery dying at 2am and a call to AAA, Matt and I finally had finished moving out of our apartment.
We walked upstairs to take it in and thank God for the season we went through in that place, and then we left.
This morning (Thursday), we woke up and drank in the new step of the journey with our breakfast, followed by a meeting with our support team at PCC, our church. We gave an update and then off to work and do errands we went...waiting and jumping :)

Logistical Updates:

*Their arrival is Wednesday, March 7
The first notice of travel is often not very clear and so we found out Tuesday that the 6th is when they arrive in the US (JFK) and that they will arrive in San Jose at 3pm on the following day.
YAY FOR ONE MORE DAY!!! :)

*We are now expanding our housing search to Fremont!
As well as the entire Peninsula and San Jose
Pray for God to lead us to the exact spot He wants us!

Happy Birthday Belise!!!

THEY'RE COMING!!!!!!

FOR REAL!!!! :)

March 6th is their arrival date.
So let's find a house and 6 mattresses!

Help us! :)

That's less than 2 weeks away!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! :)

....pending travel :)

Last week I was running from work to home to walk our new puppy and then to a rehearsal, when I noticed an email on my phone that read "Kizungu Good News." My heart skipped as expected, and I stopped with the dog to read that our kids are...Pending Travel!!!!
Hilariously, I finished the walk screaming and jumping the whole way. It's amazing the timing. So many things have happened that needed to before their arrival. I'm so thankful that God is in charge and doesn't let me rule!
So..We should be getting news very soon that their tickets are bought. We will probably have alot more notice than we thought. The program director at Catholic Charities has made a guess that they will arrive on April 1st. It makes me smile, because we first found out about them last April :)

So...off we go to find a 5BR house as close to Redwood City and our budget as possible.
It's hard to not have answers sometimes, but I know that God has everything in place and will reveal things in His own timing.

Pray with us for growing faith, provision of housing and other needs, and for God's glory to be shown in this adventure. How exciting.

It's, well....just plain been awhile

Hello followers! :)
I wanted to "update" and say that- yes...this is still happening.
Unfortunately there is no real update. We are without any information...all this time.
I've certainly been wrestling with God about the wait. Thankfully He's teaching me about His timing, and hanging on to Hope when the physical is not quite what I expected or wanted- honestly.

I wanted to clarify some things that I've gotten a lot of questions about;

*The reason we have to find a 5BR House:
Honestly I would live in a 3 BR, but there are rules when you do foster care.
Only 2 siblings can share a room. Male and female cannot share when over the age of 5. Adult cannot share with child (even in the case of siblings).
So the rooms are as follows...
1- Matt and I
2- Belise (adult sister)
3- Fiston (only boy and 15)
4- Ornela and Chance (14 and 12)
5- Lydie and Kerene (8 and 5)

*We have no contact with the kids. We have never seen any pictures. There are no pictures. We have about a paragraph of info on each child. We will meet them at the airport.

*We cannot act on a house until we get the notice that they are coming. We will probably only have 2 or 3 weeks when we get the notice until they actually arrive to find the house and move everything in.

*We do not know their sizes for clothes. We were told they will probably be a year younger in size.
--------------------------

We are still very excited and struggling with the wait- but trusting God. We consistently ask God if this is what He wants for our life and feel daily confirmation that it is.


A little update on me that might be encouraging to you-
I really thought the kids would be here in the summer. I decided at the beginning of summer that I would finish my work commitment out and then be able to stay at home with the kids in the fall. I made sure I could take off 2 weeks to be with them during the summer whenever they arrived. Then, they didn't come. At the end of summer I started worrying. I didn't have a job lined up for the fall. My boss asked me if I wanted to commit and get something lined up. I asked God what to do. He said, "Don't panic. Leave space for me to provide." So I said no- I didn't want to commit and then have the kids arrive. And I didn't want to be working and not be there for them as much as possible. I did start panicking a little, and kept asking God- "why did you have me do that? What am I supposed to do now?" When the summer was over- my work asked me to stay on for an entire week to help do cleaning and organizing for the school year. The next 2 weeks I was needed as a sub. The week after that I subbed 3 out of 5 days. On top of all of that consistent work, I picked up more jobs. Everything I do is temporary right now. It's mostly sub/event basis. And God has used it to provide to the full extent. I have been so fulfilled that I have had to turn not only 1- but many things down. I have been able to make choices about what I want to do. I am so amazed at how God always provides. Matt and I continue to decide not to worry - and to replace that with relying on God for our needs. When I act as though it's me to fix things and make sure everything is safe and secure- I make an idol out of myself. I don't leave space for God to show off. I'm not saying that we should spend money immaturely and not plan. I'm saying that God expects us to be good stewards of what He has provided- but to remember that it comes from Him. Anyways- just something that we are learning.

verses revealed

We have picked verses for our family!

I had this idea to pick a verse for everyone- but how overwhelming to pick a theme verse intentionally for kids that will be my own- and I've never even met them. So we did research into what their names mean. Then we had an idea to go through the bible and pick characters that represent that meaning. Then we picked verses that are specific to that character that will be encouraging to each of them in times of need. Mine is the only exception. There is no real verse for my character, so I picked a Psalm specific to my meaning. It's a cool story, but I will have to write about it later.

The kids are on medical hold- meaning they are in the last part of the process. There's no sense of any timeline and no details as to where they are at in that last part of the process. Still waiting...

Family: Joshua 24:15

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."”

Matt- Gift of God-- Matthew

Matthew 9:9 “Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, "Come along with me." Matthew stood up and followed him.”

Melissa- Honeybee- Pharoah’s sister (Moses’ mom)

Psalm 68:6 “God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.”

Belise- Beacon-Esther

Esther 4:14b “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Fiston –Sonny - Timothy

1 Timothy 6:11-12a “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.”

Ornela – Blooming Ash Tree- Ruth

Ruth 1:16b “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.”

Chance –Favored- Hannah

1 Samuel 2:1 “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me.

Lydie –Noble- Lydia

Acts 16:15b “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there.” And she urged us until we agreed.

Kerene – Glorious Dignity- Mary mother of Jesus

Luke 1:46-47, 49 “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.”

so encouraged

the Lord has surely sent saints this week to encourage our hearts, and even in a time of need as we endured a quantity of spiritual warfare in the last

3 particular persons stand out in our journey this week
I revel in the sovereignty of our Lord and His specific provision
I have been so stirred by the people who have come forward over these last months to share that they have been following our new pursuits and endeavors
it propels me forward to know that the Lord spreads Hope and Passion so easily, almost in a contagious way, and across so many miles
Thank you for your emails! For your Faith! For your desire to partner with us!
May our Father overwhelm you with boundless blessings!

Through these people, God has provided more and more of our needs;

· bedding!!! for 6 twin size beds

· school supplies (scissors, markers, crayons, pencils, pencil sharpeners, glue, pens, erasers, colored pencils, folders, notebooks)

· undergarments

· more to come in a few weeks

(The website has been updated concerning our needs' list)

We have no recent developments on their arrival, but we continue to prepare our hearts and cross off our share of logistics as we continue to wait

Honored to walk in Faith beside you, Saints...

website

I've created a website!
It still has it's share of kinks, but you can check it out here

We got some free book shelves off craigslist this week, and were also blessed with some more specific items that were a part of my original vision for the house. Praise God!

Also, we had another meeting with one of the lead's on the team this morning, scheduled a training, doing our health screenings and TB shots tomorrow, I'm getting my CPR and First Aid tomorrow...

Please pray for patience this week as Matt and I feel we are reaching a new challenging level with summer coming to an end.
You can check out more prayer requests on the website, as well as specific physical needs. Thank you!!!