Count down to Colombia

Thank you so much for keeping up with our adoption journey. We are currently counting down to the much anticipated "gotcha day" scheduled for Oct 15th.
Ten million phone calls lining up rides for Matt.
Nine little toys collected to give to kids.
Eight people sitting around the dinner table.
Seven days a week surviving without parents.
Six 50lb suitcases filled up with things.
Five girls in our family.
Four: the age of the youngest
Three bedroom setups for new kids.
Two weeks from tomorrow we fly out of Dulles for our Colombia stay.
One trip to Washington DC to get our visa.
And here we go.

God's Sovereign Hand

World magazine's September issue gave a report of the US government shutting down ALL adoptions between the US and Vietnam. The suspension took place on Sept. 1 and is indefinite. The decision dashed the hopes of hundreds of families that were waiting in line to adopt a child from Vietnam. We pray for these families as we also sing His praises for the work he has done in our adoption process. You see, a little over a year ago, Shirlene and I chose Vietnam as our country to adopt from.

We had originally chosen China, but that country also shut down adoptions in a similar way at the beginning of 2007. We then "got in line" in Vietnam along with hundreds of other American families that had been shunned by China. Because of the overwhelming number of applicants, the wait for Vietnam would have been 3 years. I say, "would have been" because last fall our adoption agency contacted us and offered the opportunity to leave our place in line and start the process moving to adopt from Colombia.

Our answer initially was a resounding "NO". This was not what we wanted. Shirlene had desired to adopt a little girl from China since she was a teenager. This path was becoming something we never would have envisioned. But as we prayed through the offer we sensed God was directing our path to Colombia. Then our adoption agency offered us 3 children instead of just one. And now, instead of essentially starting over, we leave for Cali in 2 weeks to receive our beautiful gifts from God. Hasn't He blessed us, time after time..

Meet the New Jones Kids!

Meet the newest members of our family!
Ivan Daniel is 8, loves the chance to go to school and wants to be a great doctor when he grows up. He is really good at math and loves dance.
Daniela Andrea is 6, wakes every day at 6AM and bathes and dresses herself for school. She is known for always being in a good mood and is extroverted. She doesn't really care for vegetables in salad.(she'll fit right in with the rest of the Jones kids).
Angy Tatiana is almost 4. She is intelligent, active, happy, helpful, affectionate, sweet and sociable. She is very active and loves running, jumping, playing and marching.

Our children are coming from the streets of Cali where they were not being given a proper home. Ivan, Daniela and Angy were taken off the streets by the local government and placed in foster care to provide education, food and safety for them. Their mother initially protested...but later when faced with making changes to provide a dignified home and basic welfare for her kids, abandoned these three adorable children to the system. The children express desire for a loving family and a chance for an education.

We are now preparing for departure to Colombia on October 14th. We (Bill, Shirlene and Melissa) will meet our children on the 15th and take immediate custody of them. Bill will be staying for about 3 weeks in order to complete the paper work which will allows him to leave. Shirlene and Melissa will spend the remainder, of about 4-6 weeks, getting to know our new children while waiting for the paperwork to be completed. They all will be in Cali part of the time and part in Bogota. If all goes well, all should be home just before Thanksgiving.

Resting

We are currently following a series in our church which encourages us to ask questions about our beliefs and our faith. The latest installment asks, "Why rest?"

We, as a family, have decided to explore the depths of this particular question.

The Jones family is resting up from our fundraising efforts and from making the home ready for our newest children as well as resting to be ready for the many needs and challenges required of us for the upcoming season of change. Although with the start of the 2008 school year, Melissa and Matt would challenge the notion that they are indeed resting.

Nevertheless...we are resting. Resting in knowing that God has just the right children for us at just the right time. Resting in knowing that He is sovereignly in control of all events that are leading us to our newest family members. And although we are tempted to be anxious in this season of waiting, we know that "He is working all things together for good" just as He has promised. God has never given us reason to doubt His faithfulness to His promises. And so we rest secure in the knowledge that His timing is perfect.