Memorial Box Monday - Carfax

It has been quite a while since I posted a Memorial Box Monday story.  If you want to read more MBM posts, just click on the link on the sidebar for more of how God has worked in our family in big and small ways.  Today's story is one I originally posted three years ago, but this month we celebrate that Chris has been with Carfax for nineteen years.  Wow!  God's provision in this way continues to be a huge blessing to our family and we are so very thankful.  Thank you, Chris, for your hard work!

(Balloons from work today....the "one" didn't quite make the ride home!)

 After being married for one year and finishing college in southern California, Chris and I knew that we wanted to move to Missouri to be near family.  We chose Columbia because of the University where we planned to work on our Masters degrees.  We wanted to wait for a year so that we could have state residency, so after our arrival we started job hunting.  Yes, we were young and wet behind the ears and moved out here with a Hertz truck with all our earthly possessions, and no jobs or a place to live.  We both signed up with temp agencies and started getting calls right away. 

 Chris got a temp job answering phone calls for an upstart company named Carfax.  The show 60 Minutes had just aired with a news piece on this company you could call to see if your used car was a lemon.  Temp help was needed to answer all the 1-800 calls that came flooding in.  After the calls started to subside and other temps were let go, the office manager kept finding things for Chris to do.  He was a good worker and worth keeping around. Chris has always enjoyed computers and the Carfax office had plenty of computer work to do.  He was eventually offered a permanent job which we were so grateful for and excited about.  He quickly came to realize that his heart was more into computer work than pursuing a Masters in Psychology.  His gifts and talents lie much more in this area and we are so thankful for the way God gently guided him into this field. 

The rest is really history as Chris has now been with Carfax for nineteen years. We cannot begin to list all the ways this job has been a blessing to our family.  God has shown his faithfulness time and time again.  Chris mostly works 40 hour weeks and is home with family the rest of the time.  His work rarely requires travel.  His schedule is very flexible so that he is able to take off easily when we have doctor’s appointments and such.  He is blessed with lots of vacation time that has enabled us to take many memorable family trips and to be gone for 3-4 weeks at a time.  The financial impact has been incredible as well, allowing me to stay home ever since Michaela was born (another MBM story!), allowing for trips to Japan to visit family, and helping to provide for two adoptions.

God, we praise You for your sovereignty in guiding us when we had our own plans.  We praise You for providing for our family through the blessing of Chris’ job.  We praise You for blessings uncountable that go above our simple needs.  Our "standing stone" in our Memorial Box is a Carfax car so others may see it and allow us opportunities to share Your goodness to us.

Memorial Box Monday - Cancer Free!

Today's Memorial Box story is one that has definitely forever changed our lives.  It has left us humbled, grateful, and amazed at the power of prayers.  It all started over five years ago when our pediatrician noticed a small little bump on the back on Benjamin's knee.  No worries, we would just watch it.  Each subsequent year at check-ups we made note of it, watching it slowly grow.  It appeared to simply be a ganglion cyst.  No worries.

At this year's check-up the pediatrician figured that it might be time to have it checked out by a specialist, just an orthopedic doctor.  No worries.  We'll just get that ganglion cyst taken care of so that cosmetically Benjamin's knee won't have this mass sticking out.

We visited the ortho doc in October  They x-rayed, they tried to aspirate, they decided to have a closer look with an MRI.  No worries, but things didn't seem to be sitting quite right this time. 

The ortho doc decided that we needed to have a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon look at it.  Hmmm, really?  So off we went to another doc.  He said it's definitely not a cyst, even mentioned the terrible "c" word.  BIG worries now.  I called Chris scared, trying not to express my fear in front on Benjamin.

We were sent off for an ultrasound and then a follow up to discuss the results.  This time Chris came with us.  Worries.  Fear.  Lots of unknown.  The doc gave us grave news.  It's one of three kinds of tumors, but the doc felt strongly that it's one that is definitely cancerous.  Hearts broken.  Feeling very afraid, very worried.  Surgery is scheduled for removal.

A day later we got a phone call from the doc.  After consulting with others, he felt it best to send us on to a pediatric orthopedic oncologist in STL.  An oncologist?  The tumor is on a major nerve, could be encasing it, could lead to other losses.  Feeling very afraid.  Sick to my stomach.  Aching with grief.

But in the midst of this all, I thought of our Memorial Box.  I thought of the many, many times God had been faithful to us, providing for us in ways we never imagined, caring for us in big and small ways, always, always wanting the best for us.  We shared our fears with family and friends and were so very overwhelmed with the expressions of love, concern, support, offers of help.  More than anything we knew that many were praying, begging God on our behalf for complete healing for Benjamin.  Our specific prayer was that the tumor be completely removed as a whole, that no damage be done to the sciatic nerve that it was sitting on, and that the tumor would turn out to be benign.  Prayers being raised, worries turning to peace, fears laid at His feet.

We met with the oncologist, scheduled surgery and continued praying.  The day of surgery arrived.  We were being uplifted by so many that we didn't even know.  Benjamin was on prayer chains literally around the world.  We are still awed by the outpouring of love!

Surgery was not the expected two hours.  Prayers answered!

Tumor was completely removed, as a whole.  Prayers answered!

Tumor was not encasing the nerve, it peeled right off of the nerve.  Prayers answered!

Benjamin recovered quickly and we were on our way home that same morning.  Prayers answered!

We celebrated that incredible day, feeling very confident that regardless of the tumor being cancerous or not, it was gone.  Follow-up would be minimal.  That bad boy was out and on it's way to the pathologist and we were on our way home.  Worries greatly relieved.  Fears subsided.  I think I cried more after the surgery than in the intense weeks before.  The emotional relief was incredible.  

Last Friday we went for the first surgical follow-up, and to received the awaited news from the pathology report.   The first thing the doctor told us was that he still didn't have a final report.  Huh?  A little bit of worry creeping in.  He checked and the local pathologist had sent it on to a world-renown pathologist who had even written THE text book on tumors.  Um, scary.  He called to try to get us some news before leaving STL.  He returned with a big smile on his face saying, "Good news!"  The tumor was definitely benign, but the pathologists were splitting hairs over exactly which of two names to give it.  Blah....noma or blah....noma.  We don't care, it's BENIGN...NOMA!!!!!

PRAYERS ANSWERED!!!

(Benjamin, so glad to have the brace off!)

Thank you Lord, thank you Lord, thank you Lord.  You heard our cries, you graciously answered our requests.  Our son is healed.  No worries.  No fear.  Abba Father is on our side and we give Him all the glory for answering the prayers of so many.  May He be greatly praised!

We placed Benjamin's ID band from surgery day in our Memorial Box as yet another standing stone representing His hand in our lives.  God is good.  Praise Him!

For Benjamin, we have great hopes.  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)  His hand in Benjamin's life.....can't wait to see those plans of His!

For Linny

When we began our first adoption journey we were just setting out to bring our daughter home.  Little did we know that God was about to abundantly bless us with friendships upon friendships with other people that have a heart for adoption.  Many of these people we have met in person along the way, but many more are bloggy friends. 

One of these special people is Linny, an amazing mom of many.  She has inspired me and blessed me and our family in more ways than I can count.  One thing that you all have seen as a result of her influence is our Memorial Box Monday posts.  (Can't wait for this next Monday--I think you all know what it will be about!)  Another cool thing is that one of her daughters lived in the same orphanage where Elijah did.  He remembers Jubilee and we rejoiced together as we "watched" through Linny's blog when Jubilee was brought home.

 (Our Memorial Box, filling up more and more!)

I had hoped to meet Linny in person this summer when we were through Durango. Sadly, that weekend their family had a terrible tragedy when her daughter's boyfriend was in a motorcycle accident.  Linny, our family has prayed and prayed for Karl.  We've rejoiced with you as you have shared of his progress since the accident.  You have also been in my prayers through different circumstances...fire, adoptions, health concerns, spiritual concerns, moves.  It has been a privilege and a blessing.

For my friends that don't already read Linny's blog, I encourage you to take a peak.  You will be encouraged, you will be inspired, you will be challenged.  You will laugh, you will cry, you will be blessed.  Hey, I even just pull up her blog sometimes to have her playlist going in the background while I do other things on the computer!  :)

So Linny, whether we meet here for coffee someday or There, thank you for your bloggy friendship from afar.  We wish your family the best this Christmas as you settle into your new home.

From the Wolfes to the Saunders......MERRY CHRISTMAS from our neck of the woods!!

Memorial Box Monday - A Healed Heart

It has been quite a while since I made a Memorial Box Monday post.  If you are unfamiliar with what a Memorial Box is, you can click on the sidebar for our archives and look for the Memorial Box Monday posts, or you can click on the Memorial Box sidebar link that will take you to Linny's blog.  It's basically a way of keeping visual reminders of how God has been faithful and working in our family.  We regularly retell one of these stories during our family devotion times on Mondays, I just haven't kept up with the habit of sharing them on our blog.

In light of our current circumstances with Benjamin's tumor, I thought it would be appropriate to look back at a story of God's healing.  With the outcome unknown, and at times feeling quite a bit of anxiety and uncertainty, it has been good for me to look in our Memorial Box and remind myself of the many, many times that God has been faithful to us.  He has carried us through, and I'm certain He will again.

So, on with a story that I posted about a couple of years ago.  In June of 2009 our family had the opportunity to take a vacation to Ohio and on up through Canada then back home.  Our main reason for the trip was to participate in the Philip Hayden Foundation reunion that Salem Church of God was hosting.  This amazing church more than covered the cost of Elijah’s heart surgery that took place in China shortly after he arrived at PHF.  Here is what we shared with the congregation:

It is a blessing and an honor for our family to be here today.  It was just over two years ago that as a family we chose to sponsor a special young boy, half a world away, that was in need of much healing.  At that time we were unaware of you and you were unaware of us.  But through His guiding hand and the obedience of each of us to His calling, we are now all together in one place.

On June 20, 2007 Elijah underwent  major yet very successful heart surgery.  Just two months after that God began to work on our hearts and plant in us the desire to be more than a sponsorship family for Elijah, but to be his permanent family.  I began to scour the Internet trying to make connections with anyone and everyone connected to the Philip Hayden Foundation.  I received an email from a lady who’s congregation had raised funds for Elijah’s heart surgery and who said that they continually prayed for Elijah and a family for him.  That lady was Heather Bench.  I distinctly remember feeling an instantaneous and overwhelming debt of gratitude towards this congregation.  You had taken care of our son in a time of his great need, when we were unable to do so.  I wondered how we would ever be able to thank you, and imagined that one day we would to travel to Ohio to thank you in person.

Now fast forward to this last January when our family traveled to a very special place in Tianjin, Shepherd’s Field, to meet our son.  In our one and half years of pursuing Elijah we saw God move many mountains to make this adoption possible.  We were continually amazed at His faithfulness in working to give Elijah a family.   Without a doubt it was part in thanks to the prayers of faithful ones like you who shared in God’s calling to care for orphans and the least of these.  On January 8 of this year our desire to have Elijah as a part of our family became a reality.  Our hearts were very full.  We continue to be blessed as we witness great transformation taking place in Elijah’s life.

It is with humble and grateful hearts that we are here to express our thanks to this congregation, to the children of VBS 2007, and to the leadership of the orphan outreach ministry team.  Your love, prayers, and practical outreach to cover the cost of Elijah’s heart surgery have transformed his life both physically and spiritually.  May you be blessed and encouraged by seeing the fruit of your efforts here today.  May you continue to do His work faithfully and earnestly to make a real difference in the lives of children in need.

Elijah stood with Chris and I as we shared with the congregation.  After Chris was done speaking, Elijah said, “Thank you for helping my heart.”  I don’t think there was a dry eye in the audience!  We now have a Salem card in our Memorial Box as a standing stone to remind us of God's care through Salem.  A heart healed, in more ways than one.

So, as we anticipate Benjamin's surgery on Thursday to remove the tumor, it is good to be reminded of God's care over our health concerns.  He healed one son and now we are begging him to heal the other.  These boys, both life loving and full of energy, bring much joy to us.  We know God has a great plan for each of their lives.  We are trusting in Him, for we know no other way.

The boys in 2009:

The boys in 2011:

Memorial Box Monday - The Dove

Each Monday during our family devotion time we either repeat one of our old Memorial Box stories, or share a new one.  This story is one that I posted well over a year ago, and it is one of our favorites.  It came to mind today as I have a friend that is in the middle of a house search, waiting for God to provide just the right home for their family.

In the fall of 2001 we had a five year old, a three year old, and a 6 month old.  Our little blue house was starting to feel a bit cramped and we prayed about finding a new home that our family would be able to grow in.  We really thought that “grow” meant that our three kiddos would grow in size, not grow as in number of kids, but that’s a story for another Memorial Box Monday.

We got our house ready to put on the market and started watching the real estate listings that came up.  We weren’t quite ready to buy yet,  as we wanted to sell our old house first and wanted to save up just a bit more cash, but a home that we had spotted and thought would be perfect for us came up and we asked our real estate agent for a tour.  This was the very first home we toured, and as we looked around we just knew this was “the one”.  It had so much that we had prayed for and desired.  It had great square footage, it was located on a few beautifully wooded acres, it was just outside of town yet still close to everything, and had so many other neat specs. We made an offer on the house, but sadly it was declined because we made the offer with the contingency of our old home selling and another offer had gone in at the same time for a higher amount.  We were disappointed, but trusted that God had something just as right for us.

For the next six months we continued our house search.  Our old home sold (hey, that’s another MB story!), we moved into a duplex temporarily, and we toured and drove by countless other homes.  Each home was compared to the very first home we had toured and fallen in love with.  I scoured the new listings on-line daily and we continued to pray.  In May of 2002 I spotted a new listing as it came up in the afternoon.  (Yes, I knew exactly when the listings were updated daily!)  It looked like a possibility so that afternoon we drove by to check it out.  As we drove up the road that the house was on we crossed under some telephone wires overhead.  There were a few pigeons and one white dove sitting on the wire.  Chris laughed and said, “Hey, that’s a sign.  There’s a white dove.”  I laughed it off, too.

As soon as we pulled down the beautiful wooded driveway we were more excited.  The surrounding woods were gorgeous and there were even deer in the front yard that we spooked off.  We arranged to see the inside of the house immediately.  This house was even better than the standard we had compared everything to in just about every aspect.  The rooms were bigger, the property had more acreage, the location and neighborhood were better than we imagined and so much more.  Here’s the kicker.  Aside from the little white dove, the house number of the very first house was 6200 and the house number of this house in the woods was 6200.  We knew we had multiple signs from God that we had found just what He wanted to provide for us.  It was better than we had dreamed.  God is awesome and wants to give us much more than we imagine, just in His perfect timing.

In our Memorial Box we have a little white dove that is our standing stone representing the wonderful gift of this home that He so perfectly provided for our family in which to grow, not only in physical size of the kids, but also in number of children.  We are filling it up!

To our friends and anyone else out there searching for a new house, or just waiting on Him to provide, keep doing that.  Wait.  When we put our trust in Him and follow His leading, He will provide at just the right time and in ways we could never have imagined or asked for.  He is good!

(This isn't the best picture, but I wanted to get our standing stone dove along with our house number.)

Memorial Box Monday - Eternity

As today is Valentine's Day and it's also Monday, I thought it would be appropriate to retell our Memorial Box story of how Chris and I met.

I was in my second year of college and was spending a semester abroad in England at a sister college to PCC.  It was a very memorable time in my life, one filled with friendship, learning, traveling, and growing by leaps and bounds in my faith.  At the end of the semester I had made arrangements to spend the summer in France working with missionaries before returning back to the States/PCC in the fall.

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, my plans for spending the summer in France fell through at the last minute.  You can imagine my anxiety at having the rug pulled out from under me and wondering what I was to do.  A few different options were presented and I talked to mentors, prayed, and prayed a whole lot more.  In the period of about a week I knew without a doubt that God was directing me to return to southern CA and work for the summer.  It didn’t seem very grand compared to spending the summer in France, but it was a time like very few others when I have felt God so real and present, a very intense week of spiritual growth for me.  The disappointment of failed plans had disappeared and I was excited about what was ahead.

I flew back to CA and spent a week with my grandmother before driving down to school to look for a job.  I spent the first couple of nights in the dorms with a friend until we could move into our apartment.  While there she pointed out a guy that had said he wanted to meet me.  I had never seen him before and naively thought that maybe he wanted to talk to me about my time in Europe or my time in Japan.  Just a bit later I was walking out of the dorms and “the guy” was walking towards me.  I smiled at him and expected him to say something, but he just looked down and kept on walking.  I thought it was weird and wasn’t sure what to think, but I started to wonder if something else was up.

Meanwhile I had been blessed with being able to return to my old job at the drugstore.  Just a couple of days later I was working at the cosmetics counter and over walks “the guy” straight towards me and smiling.  My heart was pounding and I’m sure my cheeks were burning.  “The guy” and I made some small chit chat about our mutual friends and we also learned that we had quite a bit in common.  He said he had just come by the store to say good-bye to a mutual friend that worked with me.  He said he was driving back to the Midwest and all of a sudden in my heart I felt a panic and was so sad that he was leaving.  I was greatly relieved when he explained that he was just going for a visit and would be back in a couple of weeks.

I’m sure you’ve figured out that “the guy” was none other than Chris.  After he returned from a visit home we quickly started spending lots of time together and I knew from the get-go that this was my future husband, this was why God had closed the door to France, this was His summer plan for me.  I wasn’t  “supposed” to be in California, and Chris wasn’t even “supposed” to be there either.  He was supposed to be in school in Missouri.  But God.  We dated for a year and were engaged for a year before getting married and the rest is history.

This is a picture of our first Valentine's Day together.  Sweet memories!

So in our Memorial Box we have a small bottle of Eternity perfume to represent where Chris and I met (the cosmetics counter) and how God’s timing was everything.  It’s the perfume I wore at the time and I think the name also bears significance, too.  Thank you Father for guiding our steps and for bringing us together in such a memorable way.  You are good all the time!  When we think the worst has come and OUR plans have failed, YOUR plans prevail and you bless us with far more than we ask or imagine.

Happy Valentine's Day, Christopher.  I love you with all of my heart, more than I could have imagined 21 years ago on our first Valentine's Day.

If you are unfamiliar with what a Memorial Box is, please refer to my original Memorial Box Monday post or to Linny’s blog to read more about a Memorial Box.

Memorial Box Monday - Ami's Adoption - The Red Bracelet

It's been a little while since I posted a Memorial Box Monday story, but before I do, I want to give a little update on my dad.  He received the results of his bone scan and CT scan, and it was the best possible news.  The cancer is very localized and has not metastasized at all.  They will be carefully monitoring the situation while they try some natural treatments.  We are so thankful for the prayers and love that has been shown to our family.
 
In honor of a little girl about to turn five tomorrow, I’d like to repost our Memorial Box story of Ami’s adoption.  It is so hard to summarize such a significant event by telling one short story, but I’ll try to keep this story in as small of a “nutshell” as possible.

In early 2004 we had three biological children and we were feeling quite comfortable with the size of our family and the busyness that it entailed.  But somewhere back in the far reaches of our hearts and minds we were not 100% sure that this was it.  So together Chris and I began praying and seeking God’s will for our family.  We began to have thoughts of foster care, domestic adoption, and international adoption.  It left us both with a feeling of vulnerability to ask God, “Do you want us to foster children?  Do you want us to adopt?”  It was such a humble feeling, yet strangely comforting to be so open and moldable before Him.  We had so many fears about everything from money and how it would change our current lifestyle to how it would affect our children.  Yet as we prayed God began to soften our fears as we gave our control over to Him.  It’s laughable to me now to look back at our various fears.  Oh how He has stretched and strengthened our faith!

After a year of praying and continuing to seek God’s will for our family we heard from Chris’ brother and sister-in-law that they had felt led to pursue an adoption of a baby in China.  Over the past year we had shared together our consideration of adoption, but neither of us had felt confident in that decision at the time.  As they shared their excitement with us about their decision, Chris and I felt totally convicted that this was our calling as well.  It was instant, like a light bulb had gone on for both of us.  This was what we had been praying about for a year, this was God’s direction for us, this was his calling!

We were so excited that God had brought both of our families to this point at the same time.  Yet we so did not want to “steal the show” from Eric and Kate.  This was to be their first child and we didn’t want to take anything away from their big news, yet we knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was from God.  They were so very gracious, though, and were very excited along with us.

We independently settled on China, a baby girl, and the same agency.  That was just the beginning of seeing God along our journeys.  We pursued our paperwork without pressuring each other, yet we also prayed all along that God would see fit to allow us the privilege of traveling together to receive our girls.

Our wait to be matched with a child was a very tough one for this mama as the months stretched into over a year, but during that year we knew God was at work.  A year and a half after we began the adoption process we received the most wonderful call from our agency.  We had been matched with a 6.5 month old beautiful baby girl.  She was so much younger than we had anticipated, but oh how happy we were.  She was living in a rural orphanage in southern China waiting for a forever family.

Another very exciting phone call was received on that same day announcing that our 6 month old niece was matched with Eric and Kate!  The girls were only one week apart in age and were in the SAME orphanage!  But God.  He had answered our prayers above and beyond what we had expected or imagined.

Here is Ami waiting for her Daddy and Mommy to come.

We traveled to China together two months later and we received the gift of another child in our family along with a very special niece.  I have said many times that I cannot imagine having missed this “surprise pregnancy”.  These were not our plans.  But God.  He knew how much of a blessing little Long Li Dan would be to our family.  He knew as He knit her together in her China mommy’s womb.  He knew.

During our long, long wait to receive our Ami Jo-Li, Chris wore a simple red thread bracelet that he had made.  It was simply a reminder of what was to come, something to physically grasp while we waited to physically hold our China doll.

This photo was taken during our stay in Guangzhou.  It was so sweet that Ami discovered this bracelet on her daddy’s wrist.  In our Memorial Box we have this simple bracelet as a reminder, as a standing stone, to the amazing adoption journey that led us to Ami.  Thank you Father for this most unexpected and excellent gift!

Memorial Box Monday - Elijah's Adoption - A Standing Stone

I posted this Memorial Box story a year ago, but as Elijah's Gotcha Day is approaching on Saturday, it seems perfect to recall God's mighty hand that brought us this treasure.

Most of you who know us are very aware that Elijah’s adoption story is no small miracle.  It’s hard to know how to even wrap up his story in the proverbial nutshell.  If you are unfamiliar with the miracles that brought our latest treasure home and are up for some reading, I would encourage you to go back in the archives to the middle of August 2008.  That’s not when our story started, but that’s when I backtracked and started blogging about it.

In June of 2007 we began sponsoring Elijah through the Philip Hayden Foundation.  God planted a seed in our hearts early on and we knew without a shadow of a doubt that Elijah was to be our son.  That was our promise from God, but we had no such promise whatsoever from the Chin*se government.  What happened between that point and January 8, 2009 when we were united in person with Elijah could be represented by one standing stone after another.  Our key verses throughout that time were from Isaiah 45:2-3.  “I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.  I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”  We witnessed leveled mountains, broken down gates, and cut through bars of iron.  Our God was mighty and it was an incredible period for our family to live through.

First picture we saw of Elijah

 
Our Memorial Box is filled with “standing stones” that show God’s faithfulness and hand in our lives, based on Joshua 4.  Now we have a literal standing stone to place in our box.  You see, Elijah and his new cousin Zane are both from Fujian province.  Their home province is know for soapstone.  We purchased some on our trip last year, but Elijah’s aunt and uncle also purchased this special standing stone carved from soapstone for our family on their trip just last fall.  We felt it was a perfect representation for Elijah’s adoption story.  We also wrapped it in twisted “iron” to represent the broken down gates and bars of iron that were cut through that brought Elijah into our family.  We thank Him for this indescribable gift, our promised son, and for the journey that He took us through to receive that gift!

Then....shortly after abandonment

Now....a treasured testimony!