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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Bummer

I decided to come and here and say that I can't believe the tomorrow was the day for us to bring our son home. But when he logged on the ticker over there on the right said "Today is the Day"  my heart sank.  Kind of a bummer, I wasn't expecting to see that until I woke up.  At this point I am not sure how to put an ending time on that darn ticker now.  Today  or should I say tomorrow we fly to Florida for 5days.  Please say extra prayers that the USCIS will take us as an emergency to do our finger prints. Prayer works, so help bring our boy home.
Blessings

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Don't they say Stress will kill you?

I am not one to worry, my mother taught me from a very young age to give all my worries to the Lord. I am really not sure how one can survive with out that.  Now stress..... believe it or not, I didn't learn what the word stress was until I was an adult. Stress is completely different. And I can say that right this minute in my life I am stressed to the limit. So much is going on in my life, and so much of it lies in other peoples hands.  A lot of it is up to us to figure out and to lean on Christ to help us through. So I went to the Bible to help me and these verses  just did it.
Psalms 18:2-6 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.






With my Heavenly Father at my side, "Stress isn't going to kill me"
Blessings

Friday, August 26, 2011

Court

I talked to the people yesterday hoping that we get to go to court on Monday, so that Dontae would be legally ours here in Jamaica before we left for the States. But no such luck.  It was close but no cigar.
We found someone that can come and stay here to take care of Dontae while we are gone getting our finger prints done.  The thing is there will be some people staying here that I don't want my son to be around, and I mean at ALL,  Those people will be here 3 of the 5 days we are gone, which means Dontae and the sitter  will be stuck up in this room going crazy.  You see the same people are here this weekend, its bird shooting season here in Jamaica, so the shooters come and stay every weekend for 6 weeks.  When they were here last weekend a grown man wanted to hit me because he wasn't getting his way and later on he wanted to hit Mark for telling him to lower his voice and quit using such bad language.   Dontae was in Marks arms. (who did start crying).  So these cruel selfish people are here now, and Dontae and I are not stepping foot out of this room until they leave on Sunday. But unless Calie flies over here and stays, I don't see any other option then to use this lady.  ( I know Calie don't worry I am half kidding) LOL
As of three days ago now Dontae has got another tooth.  Yippee!
Please pray for us to have clarification with all this please.
Blessings

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Gods Plan ???

I know God has a plan for us.  I know God has had this plan before I was born.  So with that said, I need to be faithful and trust in him always.  So that is exactly what we are doing.  I won't say that we aren't stressed, but worried????  Nope!
Just received an email that states that we can not get an appointment in Orlando to get our fingerprints done until the 7th of September.  The thing is we are only there until the 5th.  There was a little blurb at the bottom of the email that said, they will take a couple of emergency visits.  Please pray ours will be considered an emergency.  Whats an emergency to one person maybe not be to another.  But being denied because they can't take our fingerprints which take all of 3 minutes seems like an emergency to me.  So we will be going to the USCIS  building an hour before they open on September 1st. with all our paperwork in hand and pray that they will print us.
Also at this point we also have no one to stay with Dontae while we are gone.  Please help us pray that the right person will pop into our lives.  Thank you to everyone in advance for all your prayers.
Blessings

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Our Love Story Part 3

So my question to him was "how did you find me"?  And do you know what he said?  "Oh well I have caller ID"
Fiddle sticks, I said to myself, no one has caller ID it had just came out.  He must of gone and got it the first day it came out.  So he really didn't have to work to find me at all.  If he had, I would of least known he had to of been quite interested to go to that extent to find me right?
So he ended up asking me when we could meet,(mind you he still doesn't have a clue what I look like)  He was going to California and the day he got back I was going on vacation, so it was about three weeks until we could actually go on a date.  But we talked every day, every single day.  He did go get the church directory from his folks to look me up.  (He did think I was someone else, who was actually my cousin, LOLOL)  so now he knows what I look like, we have made a fantastic friendship on the phone. So our date should be wonderful.
I remember one day someone left me a message on my phone, and it was Mark on his way home from CA.  He was just so darling, and excited about meeting me soon. So after my vacation, he made the date night with me. July 19th. He came to my house to pick me up and I made us a tottie.  Then off we went to Sarducci's.  Which I had never been too.  We ate out on the veranda, and I remember like it was yesterday when Mark took his gum out of his mouth and put it in the ashtray when our pizza came.  If I wasn't so memorized my him, I probably would of been grossed out.  LOL  After dinner, he asked me if I wanted to see his house and property. Yes, I know it sounds so foward, but it really wasn't, we had talked a lot during dinner about his house and property, and he was so proud of it.  So of course I wanted to see it.  Because you know that I knew one day I would be living there too.  LOL  Its crazy how I knew that but I did.  Probably about three hours after we had been at his house and walked the 7 acres, he leaned in for the big kiss, but it was right at the same moment I was getting up to go use the rest room.  LOLOLOL  I found out later that he felt denied.  LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL  I am not sure why though because when I realized what had happened I put up my pointer finger and said "hold that thought"  LOL  Anyways the next day church, so he drove me home and said he would see me in the morning.  Now do you think I slept a wink.    NOPE!!!!!!!
Blessings

News

We have some wonderful people helping us and trying to figure out what in the world we are supposed to be doing.  We have followed everything  the USCIS has instructed us to do, so we are asking for some explanation on why and what to do now.  They know now that we are flying into Orlando on Sept 1st. So they have said that they will keep our case open until we get there.  So our adoption lady Myriam from Agape Adoptions and asked them to put that in writing.  So hopefully we will get that letter today.  Thank you to Marks parents for getting our airfare for us.  Thank you to Lynda and Tim for allowing us to stay at your home while we are in Florida.  We are not really sure what we would of done without these generous people. Gladys and William have lent us there car  numerous times to get to all the different places we needed to go concerning the adoption. And a big shout out to all my friends that have jumped in to help with all my prayer requests and financial help.
Please pray today that we receive the letter stating that we will have until the first to get in our prints.
Blessings

Thursday, August 18, 2011

I know God has a plan

Just received word, that our fingerprints were not accepted.  I have called and emailed everyone here and abroad to find an answer, and have heard nothing. So I will try again first thing in the morning. What does this mean for us? The last letter said we had  to get to the States by the end of the month and get them done or we would be denied the right to adopt Dontae, but this lady here in Jamaica assured us these would be fine.  We actually thought they would work.
  I heard today from the lady here that said she wouldn't get our papers for like two weeks, well she got them, and is working to get them back to Sav Lamar.  And then the next step is court.  So we are hoping to go to court before the end of the month, and when that is done, Dontae is ours.  But only here..... Not the States..... And then that means Mark has to get a job and a work permit so we can legally stay here. I am praying that there will some half way decent news tomorrow.
So we need prayers like no other.  We are selling some things from home to make some money, if you are looking for anything and live in Bellingham email me.  If you have FB go to my profile, I have listed some of the things we are trying to sell.
Blessings
 "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Just a little note

I was reading another blog I follow this morning, and at the top of her page was a bible verse from Proverbs. After reading this, I just felt I needed to share it with you.  Let me take you back a little bit when we had to leave Kingdom Builders Ministry, we had to rent a house because we had two children from the orphanage with us and Dontae.  We had people and even family tell us we should just come home.  That no one would think that we didn't follow through with our commitment. We explained it to them as best we could, but sometimes it was hard. Then we became completely broke and we heard it again.  We have heard that maybe "God has a different plan for you" our plan might not be the same as God's plan. Not even sure how to respond to that in a way that people would understand why we have stayed here in Jamaica through ALL we have been through. Going broke more then once. Four moves and all the trials and tribulations.  Well this is why.
Proverbs 24:12
"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts  and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act."

Monday, August 15, 2011

Our trip to Montego Bay

Well we were off this morning.  This trip is so on faith its not even funny.  We have been told no so many times its not even funny. No, to this, No, to that. But I couldn't raise 1000.00 for airfare.  So this is costing us about 70.00 and our lunch.  Remember I was telling you about me on one phone and Mark on the computer and Gladys on the other phone?  Well Gladys finally talked to someone who actually sounded like she knew what she was talking about.  So between the two of them , they set up the entire thing.  Friday we went and paid for the fingerprints and so today we took the receipt went to the Police Station in Montego Bay.  She was waiting for us, and did our prints.  We had to then take the prints across town to the other Police station to get the form Notarized.  Then it was off to FedX.  We wrote a letter telling them why we sent what we did the first time, and why we didn.t get prints at the Embassy (they don't do them there people lol)  and then what we did today. Put everything in the envelope and sent it off.  Lee's Summit MO will get them tomorrow.  If this is not right, they will deny us right then and there. If it is right, then it shouldn't be much longer to get the Letter of approval.  We can't try and get a grant or buy the visa or anything for that matter until we receive the LOA.  So please everyone reading this, could you please say a prayer for this to work out perfectly? I really want to get Dontae baptized.  Thank you to friends who are buying our things, so we can afford this part of the journey.
Blessings

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Our Love Story Cont.

Now here is where the stalking comes in.  LOL  Well if you can call it that.  Remember I said I was going to give this guy two weeks to notice me.  What that really is saying is two days, two Sundays at church right?  The first Sunday I did see him, he was with a teenage boy and a younger girl, I didn't see any parents with him. I tried and tried to make eye contact with him after the service, but it didn't work at all.  So the next Sunday, basically the same exact thing happened.  So I just went out to my car to wait for my kids, when I saw Mark and his children walk out of the front doors, so I stood outside my car and watched them. lol  They walked across the street to a garage sale.  I am flipping now because me and garage sales go hand in hand. They didn't buy anything but when they were walking back they had to walk almost in front of my care, so here is my BIG chance for this guy to notice me.   :-(  Well he didn't even look my way. And I looked darn good that day, dang it. I watched him go around the back of the church, I am assuming that they are getting in there car, I say to myself if this guy has I truck I am going to scream. LOL  Sure enough a shiny black truck, YEA!
So now I am thinking I have to bring out the big guns and just call this guy who just doesn't have a clue that I am out here.  After church I go home, pull out his number (I have this from the first day I shook his hands remember?)  I call his number and it starts to ring, I decided ahead of time that I would not give him my last name, because only if he wanted to meet me, he then would have to find out what it is. So I call and he doesn't answer his phone, I get the answering machine.  This is how the one sided conversation went.
"Hi Mark, you don't know who I am, but my name is Kim and we go to the same church.  I met you a couple of weeks ago during the greeting time.  But I have decided that I am getting way to old to wait for you to notice me.  So I decided to just call you, hope you are having a great day, good bye"
And that was that!!!!  Remember I still was not 100% that there might not be a Mrs. Mark right?  So if there was, I left no last name and no phone number, so I was safe.  And if he wanted to find me it wouldn't be that hard, he knows we go to the same church and my name is Kim.
 Ok I did it, now if he doesn't call me then at least I didn't go years wondering if I should of done something.
So I went back to my yard work, not really thinking much more then my yard at that time. About an hour later the phone rings, so I answer it of course, and someone on the other end says "Is this Kim" I say "yes it is, who am I speaking with?"  He says "Mark Lau"  My freakin heart hit the ground so hard, I know he heard it.  My mouth is wide open screaming in silence, and if you know me at all, then you know that was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, except for giving birth to my three children.  LOL  My first question after that little episode was "So how did you find me?"
More lata
Blessings

Friday, August 12, 2011

:-(

Well my little sad face says that American Airline can not change our airfare.  So I look up airfare thinking it will be around the same as usual, oh oh oh was I wrong.  They want $1000.00.  It was at that moment that we started to panic. The stuff that was running though our heads, I can't even tell you. We are down to 18 days now, and no prospects on buying the stuff we are selling, and they want a thousand bucks.  How is this going to work I keep asking myself. So the three of us put our heads together. Mark, Gladys and myself.  Im on my cell phone, Gladys on the land line and Mark on the computer, all three of us trying to do whatever we can do to figure something out.  Gladys finally finds someone that knew what she was talking about, well we are praying she is right.  She gave Gladys these precise instructions as what to do.  So Gladys made us leave right that second, so no more time was wasted. So I guess there is another place in Jamaica that will do fingerprints and that is in Montego Bay, and the lady was waiting for us. But first you have to go to the tax office here and pay to get them done.  If we didn't already have our TRN number which we had to get for the last set of fingerprints, everything would of been screwed up even more. She told us to go there and pay $500.00J for each of us get the receipt and proceed on to Montego Bay.  There she will take our fingerprints, we will then FedX them to the States.  Ok so we get to the tax office, there are no prints that you can get for $500.00J only $1000/00J or $2000.00J, so if this lady really knows what she was talking about, then you would think she would know the price right?  Anyways it took so long in the tax office we would of never made it before the office closed so back to Button Bay we went.  You see I want to trust that this woman knows what shes talking about,  but the US Embassy says something completely different.  And someone else said something different in June when we originally did the first set of prints.  This is why I say the people who work here do not know which hand is doing what.  But the US Embassy????  I think the entire world is going down the drain faster then expected.
Tomorrow we will go to Montego Bay and get our prints done.  And thats final. Nothing is standing in the way of Dontae coming home with us to America. Certainly not stupid fingerprints. (thats me saying it out loud, just to make myself feel better)  I wrote on the last post a few things we are trying to sell quickly, so look them over and if you know of anyone that might be looking for any of these items please send them our way.
And Kathy, your words came at the most perfect time, I so needed to hear them. Thank you for being an amazing friend.
I will keep you all posted
Blessings

Our Adoption

Proverbs 16:9In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

This Bible verse is so true, I can't even tell you any better.  Our entire year has been like this.  Which is amazing and scary all in the same breath.  Since being here in Jamaica God has established our steps a hundred different ways.  If we didn't know Jesus, I think we would of sank months ago.  So Praise God that we know he is our Heavenly Father.  
As of two days ago, we found out that we are so close to being denied for this adoption, all because we were givin the wrong advice. So when talking to a woman in Washington DC at the USCIS, she told us that we best get our butts to Kingston.  Bright and early we rented a car and drove 3 hours to get there.  They only take people on Monday and Thursdays between 1:00-3:00 and there is no appointment, only walk ins.  So we get to the US Embassy a little after 1:00 and we sit and sit until 3:15. They finally call our number C615 @ window 4.  We had the lady read the letter we received and here is when the bible verse really sticks out.
This is what she said:
"Since 9/11 the US has sent all international equipment from the embassy's back to the States so there could not be any way of terrorists to hack into our systems, so we do not do fingerprints anymore"  
She continued to say that we have two choices. 1. Write a letter to them asking for an extension.
2. Get on a plane and go back to the States to get our fingerprints done.
First one sounds like the logical choice right?   Nope, she added on that she can not guarantee that they will except the letter.  So as of this minute right now, we have 19 days to rectify this or we are denied the ability to have Dontae come to the States with us.
So do you see how our plans may not be the same as Gods?  I personally wouldn't of made it go this way. LOL
Our airfare that the woman changed for us free of charge told us she was worried about us, that if the adoption didn't go through by Aug 31, that American Airlines wouldn't be able to change it again.  
Well we need to leave right now, we only have 19 days left to get this all taken care of.  I am going to call to just see if they can move it again.  I pray they can.  We are desperately trying to sell some things at home, because after 300.00 more dollars, all of our credit cards are maxed out, all our savings is long gone, house payment has not been paid for months.  This is another good example of the bible verse in the beginning of today's blog.  This is NOT how we planned it all out.  But we have to be faithful and trust that our Heavenly Father will give us the wisdom and the strength to get through this.  So please pray that our airfare can be changed to Miami, that we can sell things so we will be able to buy airfare to get back here in 48 hours, and pray that Camar can stay the night for two days to take care of Boo Boo.  We have many more expenses here, but because of unexpected sidetracks and a speeding ticket to boot, and God in the drivers seat not us,   (no pun intended)  we are in great need of prayers and even financial help.  If anyone reading this, has been looking for somewhere to donate money to, I promise you every penny would be spent to get this adoption done here and get all three of us home. 
Psalm 5:3
In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.



some of things we are selling  industrial log splitter, rotating compost bin computer armiore black desk and hutch lateral file and bookcase.  If any of these things you would like more information on please email me.  Lauhouse@yahoo.com
Blessings







Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Not Part 2 of Our Love Story

We just received a letter from Homeland Security that Mark and I did not send in our FBI fingerprints.  We listened to someone that obviously didn't know what they were talking about and we got fingerprints for Jamaica.
I feel so stupid these days, I keep misunderstanding what I am supposed to do.  I think I am right on top of things but Jamaica never knows what the other hand is doing, which makes for many mistakes.  So now we are suffering for it.  We will be denied the privilege of adopting Dontae if things are not done right and a letter written with in the next 20 days. ( I don't even think the fingerprints can be done that fast here)  So this means rent a car and drive to Kingston and spend the night.  It seems like I am never going to get my baby baptized in our home church, and that is killing me.
What if they deny us?  I guess we will be living in Jamaica for the rest of our lives.  Because the adoption here is just about done.  It is the US that we are having the problem with.  And we are NOT leaving our son.
God is Faithful!
Blessings

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Our Love Story

I have decided that we have so many more readers from all over actually, that I thought it might be a good idea to tell our story and how our life has transpired into us adopting our beautiful new son. (well its not really done yet, but it sounds better :-)
It was mothers day one year, and while I was at church with my children and my mom, Pastor Iben told us to greet one another, so in doing that I turned around and shook the hand of this man that about knocked me over. Oh the things I felt and I had never laid eyes on this man.  I swear after that handshake I never heard one more word that Pastor said that morning.  When church was over I said to my mom "Man I wonder if that man has a wife"? My girls heard me and said "that is Alesia's dad"  so of course I asked the obvious question right?  "Well does Alesia have a mom"?   Oh my gosh was that stupid or what, of course she has a mom, that is not what I meant, I just meant have they ever seen her at church. So we left church, mu kids and my mom and I remember driving right to the 7-11 to look his name up in the phone-book,  I wanted to see if there was a woman's name with his in there.  Now there is nothing wrong with that people....,LOL  I wasn't stalking him  (yet anyway) LOL
Well to my surprise there was no name next to his, so whats the next thing you do?  Well you call your Aunt who just happens to be the Secretary of our church.  "Yea I am in like flynn now I say"  lol She tells me that this man has been coming to our church for a couple of months now, he comes with his parents and two kids, and as far as she knows has never seen a wife.  WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!  Told you I was in like flynn.   lololol  Ok now, I have the information I need, so I decide that I am going to give this guy two weeks to notice me, if he doesn't notice me then I am just going to have to call him straight up.
Do I have you hooked for more now?

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Good People

First off I want to say I am bummed that I don't have the pictures to post to go along with this blog, but when I can I will post them.
In this journey of ours we have met some outstanding people.  People with hearts so big you wonder why there chests are not deformed.  With all kidding aside I want to tell you about this man and his family.  His name is Ron Lederman.  We met this man two years ago when we brought our youth to Jamaica.  He was there at the same time visiting Sabrina who he had been sponsoring for a few years prior.  LOL Actually I didn't really know if I liked him much when I first met him. (I have never even told him this)  He was a nice guy and all, but there was just something I couldn't put my finger on. Fast forwarding to right this minute, I don't have a clue why I felt that way, because he is one of the people with this amazing heart. We became friends on Facebook and kept in touch.  He had given so much to My Fathers House over the years and to Sabrina.  He has been just a super sponsor for her and to the Kochs.  So when Mark and I moved in to My Fathers House, Ron would call to talk to Sabrina and then we would also talk with him on the phone, and this is where I really started to get to know this man. So when the time came when we had to just leave from there, I knew that Ron needed to know the plan. With all he has done, there was no way we could keep this from him.  So one day when he called I told him what was going to go on.  Of course a zillion questions started coming my way, but I had to assure him that Sabrina was going to be fine and actually she would be going to her fathers home.  So the next time shortly after us moving out, Ron came back to Jamaica and met Sabrina's dad and then he drove to come and visit us.  There was Mark, Jenni, Anita, Felix and myself and Ron bought all of us dinner.  That was a treat in a half, since we were sitting with almost zero money in our pockets.  The next time he came to Jamaica we were moved again up with Jesus for Jamaica.  He then started sponsoring the lunch program for the basic school.  He trusted us enough to know that if we thought Jesus for Jamaica was a legit non profit then that was all he needed to start sponsoring.  So now those children get a hot lunch served to them, all because Ron loves to give and to make a difference in peoples lives.  He then took Mark out on a boat and to lunch at The Pelican Bar.  Ron just recently visited us again.  Actually, he came way out of his way to come and stay with us.  He came again to finish up on some last minute details.  You see Ron has this amazing wife that must trust him with everything in her, because she has never been to Jamaica and she has never met Sabrina.  But she has told her husband that if he wanted to bring Sabrina home with him, then she would be fine with it.  So this last time he was here, it was because he was coming to pick up Sabrina.  And his wife Cheryl has never met her.  Do you see what I am saying,  this is two people with this amazing heart.  He worked his butt off to get a school visa for Sabrina and he was here to take his girl back home to his wife and daughter.  Can you imagine how Sabrina is going to grow leaps and bounds? And what a wonderul wife Cheryl is, to let her husband make all these trips to Jamaica and then allow him to bring home this young woman to live with them for an entire year. Do you trust your husband that much? This time he was here he also took Mark and went to visit Anita, Mark says she is just adorable as usual. but they also got to see Miss Dawn (the cook from MFH) and Lizzy. Miss Dawn lost her job at MFH, and still has not got all the money owed to her from the Kochs.  Anita has now moved in with Miss Dawn until she can go with Miss Denise. An Ron made it possible for Mark to go with hi,  Do you see this heart beginning to leave his body its so big. So as of today, little Miss Sabrina is living with  The Ledermans!!!!! They pay for everysingle little thing for Sabrina during this entire year.  I mean how many people in your life do you know that goes to this kind of measure to make sure that Sabrina is well taken care of at all times. I can honestly say that Mark and I will have Ron in our lives forever.  I want to meet his wife as well.
So there ya have it.
Blessings.
let my story help you into serving and supporting people in Jamaica,  Even better, support Jenni Bushaw as she starts getting ready to come back to Jamaica to intern,
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