One thing that throws me off my game every single time it happens is how no one wants to talk to us about our decision to adopt our first child. This baffled me and, quite honestly, offended me for the first six or so months we were sharing the news. After conversations with one close friend and one old friend's mom it hit me that the reason (I think) that people clam up and act awkward and then don't continue the conversation is that they think we're adopting because we can't have children. Then that has the potential to lead to conversations about sex and reproductive systems and for as open about sex as our culture is, we're secretly really closed off about it.
The Pensyls chose to adopt our first child because we wanted to, because we could. We are blessed to have the time and finances to handle an adoption at this point in our lives. We didn't want to have biological children first and then always "What if..." ourselves about adoption.
Can we have biological children? Who the heck knows! We've never tried. We certainly plan to try once our first child is here and settled into our family. And if we can't? Who the heck cares! We'll adopt again (and again and again!)!
So please talk to us about our adoption. This is one of the most exciting moments in our lives and we want to talk to you about it. And yes, things move incredibly slow for a long period of time, so there might be months were we have no new news to share with you, but please keep asking and act interested when we tell you the same sliver of news that we told you last time. And both of us hate talking and sharing personal details of our lives so if we act awkward that's just us, so please push past it and show us that you care about us.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Dossier Approved!
We received a note in the mail that the Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB) approved our dossier on April 20! They approved it just shy of six weeks after receiving it and we were told it would take about 6 weeks so we're right on schedule (not that that means anything, but it's still exciting!).
In a nutshell this means the Philippines government has approved us as parents and now they are looking for our child!! He or she may not even be born yet! It blows my mind when I think about it.
This means our "average wait of 36 months" can official begin (as of April 20 - hey look at that! We're already three weeks in!). Remember though - we're praying big prayers and we'd appreciate it if you joined us. We trust fully in God's timing, but are asking Him for a much shorter wait time!
In a nutshell this means the Philippines government has approved us as parents and now they are looking for our child!! He or she may not even be born yet! It blows my mind when I think about it.
This means our "average wait of 36 months" can official begin (as of April 20 - hey look at that! We're already three weeks in!). Remember though - we're praying big prayers and we'd appreciate it if you joined us. We trust fully in God's timing, but are asking Him for a much shorter wait time!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Teaching
Someone whom I greatly respect said something that stopped me in my tracks and really got me thinking. We were talking yesterday about something completely unrelated and he said, "You're always teaching something..."
I about fell off my chair.
I've always been aware that I have been in positions in life where people are watching me, my words, my actions. I babysat kids spread across locations, genders, and ages throughout my teenage years. Over the past eleven years hundreds of Jr. Week campers and many a counselor has watched me, listened to me, and trusted my leadership. All through school and college peers examined my life because I was a Christian - some to critique it, some to observe it. Now, and maybe most importantly, I lead HSM[highschoolministry] and I am under the microscope with about 40 sets of eyes watching me.
I consider the fact that I am "always teaching something' one of the greatest honors in my life. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that that it also frightens me to the core of my being. As long as I remember to lean into God and ask Him to ensure that my words are His words, my actions are His actions, and the wisdom I use is from Him then I can go forward confidently into the life God planned for me - and THAT isn't frightening at all!
I about fell off my chair.
I've always been aware that I have been in positions in life where people are watching me, my words, my actions. I babysat kids spread across locations, genders, and ages throughout my teenage years. Over the past eleven years hundreds of Jr. Week campers and many a counselor has watched me, listened to me, and trusted my leadership. All through school and college peers examined my life because I was a Christian - some to critique it, some to observe it. Now, and maybe most importantly, I lead HSM[highschoolministry] and I am under the microscope with about 40 sets of eyes watching me.
I consider the fact that I am "always teaching something' one of the greatest honors in my life. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that that it also frightens me to the core of my being. As long as I remember to lean into God and ask Him to ensure that my words are His words, my actions are His actions, and the wisdom I use is from Him then I can go forward confidently into the life God planned for me - and THAT isn't frightening at all!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
$2,000
It costs $2,000 to go to college for four years in the Dominican Republic.
For comparison - it currently costs a Pennsylvania resident, on average, just over $68,000 to obtain a four year undergraduate degree from the University Park campus of Penn State University.
The Pensyls are raising funds to send (at least!) one of the young men at the Rose of Sharon orphanage where we serve each year to college. This past year for Christmas we asked our families not to get us presents, but to donate toward the college fund. We've put our birthday money toward this as well and currently need only $685 more dollars to send one of the boys to college.
We would LOVE to be able to tell them when I (Sara) go down in 30 days that they have the chance to go to college. Would you be willing to make a donation to help us reach our goal? And heck, since I'm into praying "big" prayers lately, maybe, due to your generosity we will be able to tell two, three, or even four boys that they will be able to enroll in University!
If you'd like to make a donation please make checks payable to "Calvary Baptist Church" and write "DR college fund" on the memo line. You can mail them to our house: 21 James Hill Road, Port Matilda, PA 16870 - we will track the donations and then send them to the church for processing.
I am SO EXCITED to see what is going to happen in the next 30 days!
Below are some pictures of the boys who have graduated high school or will in the next year or two and are able to go to college if given the chance - click on the link to learn more about each of them!
For comparison - it currently costs a Pennsylvania resident, on average, just over $68,000 to obtain a four year undergraduate degree from the University Park campus of Penn State University.
The Pensyls are raising funds to send (at least!) one of the young men at the Rose of Sharon orphanage where we serve each year to college. This past year for Christmas we asked our families not to get us presents, but to donate toward the college fund. We've put our birthday money toward this as well and currently need only $685 more dollars to send one of the boys to college.
We would LOVE to be able to tell them when I (Sara) go down in 30 days that they have the chance to go to college. Would you be willing to make a donation to help us reach our goal? And heck, since I'm into praying "big" prayers lately, maybe, due to your generosity we will be able to tell two, three, or even four boys that they will be able to enroll in University!
If you'd like to make a donation please make checks payable to "Calvary Baptist Church" and write "DR college fund" on the memo line. You can mail them to our house: 21 James Hill Road, Port Matilda, PA 16870 - we will track the donations and then send them to the church for processing.
I am SO EXCITED to see what is going to happen in the next 30 days!
Below are some pictures of the boys who have graduated high school or will in the next year or two and are able to go to college if given the chance - click on the link to learn more about each of them!
(Bernardo will actually be 17 in a month, his age is listed incorrectly on his page)
(Jr. Week friends, please notice the shirt Ronny is wearing!)
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