Well, we are back. Some of you have been wondering, "Are they in Thailand or in America or somewhere in between." Well we are in Thailand now, but we were somewhere in between for like 24+ hours. I tell myself before these plane flights that I will not make any vows or major decisions while I am on the flight. For example, I believe it is not healthy to decide if you will ever return home after 11 hours on an airplane and with one more five hour flight coming.
When we see our Thai friends, you can count on one of their greeting comments to include something about how fat we got while we were in America. My western mindset says that one should never tell anybody how they really look. Thus, I am somewhat baffled by Thai's comments about my extra 5+ pounds from all that mexican food you people fed me. I find it helps if I just blame you for all the food you made me eat. Next time you really should consider what you are doing and not make me eat that third enchilada.
The good news. We went to the adoption agency on Thursday, and they gave us the final details for picking up Samuel Jakarin Pennington. On Monday (June 26th), we will go to the south to a city called Nakorn Si Tammarat (west of Phuket by about an hour and a half). At first we thought someone from the agency would go with us, but it looks like we just go and tell them who we are and pick him up (maybe just slightly more challenging than picking up a pizza at dominos or something). We have definitely been thankful about how all the details are working out so quickly. This has not always been the case. All four of us are very excited. It should be an interesting three days we spend in the South.
We need your prayers. Pray that all the details of the adoption will work out smoothly. Pray for peace in this huge transition for Ben, Kate, Julie and Brent. More than anything, pray that little Samuel Jak will bond with each one of us quickly, and pray that God would bring him peace and joy in our family. Pray that we would be able to communicate well (in Thai) to the workers at the orphanage in order to find out as much information as possible about little Samuel Jak and also in order to bless them and thank them for their care for our son.
Thanks for reading this and thanks for praying. The next posting will come after we return from getting our son. Praise Jesus for His good gift to us.
24.6.06
9.5.06
Prayer
Sometimes I feel kinda intimidated by the fact that so many people love us and pray for us. This time in the U.S. has encouraged that feeling. We get loved well everywhere we go. We also get to see how many people care for us deeply and pray for us. I was with a friend last night who reminded me that we need prayer and that people want to pray for us. Enough said. Thank you for praying in the name of Jesus about a few critical things for our family right now.
1. My voice (Brent) is strained and weak right now. Doctors say there is no major pathology, so I am working with speech pathologists who claim that I have strained my vocal chords (probably from a combo of many things i.e. teaching in Thailand, a new language, possible allergies, and other stuff). This has been a problem for about a year now. The therapists believe it will come back with a change in use and certain exercises. I do ask for prayers that I would have discipline in these exercises and usage, but more than that pray that Jesus would heal my voice to full strength.
2. Pray that Samuel Jakarin Pennington (the child we are adopting) will be safe and blessed. We will pick him up in South Thailand upon our return in June. Pray that he will be cared for well in the boys' home in Nakorn Si Tammarat. Pray that Jesus would comfort him and speak to him. Pray that his health would be strong. Pray for the kind Thai people who work with him. Pray that evil would be kept far from him. Pray for our time when we pick him up. Pray that we would all bond and connect well. Pray that we would know how to walk through this new stage well with all of our children. Pray Psalm 3 for him and all of us.
3. Pray that we would finish this furlough well. Pray for all of us as we say goodbyes. Pray that our hearts would be prepared as we enter the next season in Thailand which will include many new plans for all of us. Pray that we would find some restful/peaceful time during this last month of furlough. Pray for good family time in these last weeks.
Thanks for praying. Please reply if there is anything I can pray for you.
1. My voice (Brent) is strained and weak right now. Doctors say there is no major pathology, so I am working with speech pathologists who claim that I have strained my vocal chords (probably from a combo of many things i.e. teaching in Thailand, a new language, possible allergies, and other stuff). This has been a problem for about a year now. The therapists believe it will come back with a change in use and certain exercises. I do ask for prayers that I would have discipline in these exercises and usage, but more than that pray that Jesus would heal my voice to full strength.
2. Pray that Samuel Jakarin Pennington (the child we are adopting) will be safe and blessed. We will pick him up in South Thailand upon our return in June. Pray that he will be cared for well in the boys' home in Nakorn Si Tammarat. Pray that Jesus would comfort him and speak to him. Pray that his health would be strong. Pray for the kind Thai people who work with him. Pray that evil would be kept far from him. Pray for our time when we pick him up. Pray that we would all bond and connect well. Pray that we would know how to walk through this new stage well with all of our children. Pray Psalm 3 for him and all of us.
3. Pray that we would finish this furlough well. Pray for all of us as we say goodbyes. Pray that our hearts would be prepared as we enter the next season in Thailand which will include many new plans for all of us. Pray that we would find some restful/peaceful time during this last month of furlough. Pray for good family time in these last weeks.
Thanks for praying. Please reply if there is anything I can pray for you.
7.5.06
Blogging Thoughts
I think I like Kenny's title of TongueThaied better. Maybe a change is in order before anything has even really begun. If you would like the title put to a vote please respond by sending me a gift card to Starbucks, and I will promise to think about a change in title while I am drinking a vente coffee of the day (did I spell vente right??? I know one of you out there works for Starbucks... and come on man why don't you just call it medium or something that I can spell???).
Hey everyone remember that your thoughts are being posted for people who come to my blog to read (that is kinda the idea of a blog for you people who are still warming up to the idea), so if you want to tell me something intimate or if this is Julie posting and she wants to tell me something about my biceps you better e-mail me.
I believe in Jesus. Some times things happen and belief in Him is so easy. Tonight we just happened to run into our old neighbors (from when we lived in Hurst) at Red Robin which just happens to be in Hurst and just happens to be the restaurant that Joe gave us a gift card to so that we could go with Chris and Tiffany even though they just happen to live in South Ft. Worth. We would have never driven the 25 minutes to Red Robin if we did not have the card. So all this just happened to happen so that we just happened to run into our old neighbors Jason, Maria and Alex (Jason, Maria and Alex, if you are reading this know that we were so highly blessed and thankful to God to see you this evening). I can't tell you how much we loved living next to them and how often we felt God's love for them drawing us to pray for them and continued to pray for them as we left for Thailand. With our full schedule we had not scheduled in the time to go by our old place and say "hi" to them. Hmm.. it seems like God had a plan. I guess what I am most encouraged is that Jesus knew we needed to see them and be encouraged by them and to see that he is working in their lives. All this just happens to make me believe that He has a plan for us and them. What a beautiful family. I love Jesus. I love his ways.
Hey everyone remember that your thoughts are being posted for people who come to my blog to read (that is kinda the idea of a blog for you people who are still warming up to the idea), so if you want to tell me something intimate or if this is Julie posting and she wants to tell me something about my biceps you better e-mail me.
I believe in Jesus. Some times things happen and belief in Him is so easy. Tonight we just happened to run into our old neighbors (from when we lived in Hurst) at Red Robin which just happens to be in Hurst and just happens to be the restaurant that Joe gave us a gift card to so that we could go with Chris and Tiffany even though they just happen to live in South Ft. Worth. We would have never driven the 25 minutes to Red Robin if we did not have the card. So all this just happened to happen so that we just happened to run into our old neighbors Jason, Maria and Alex (Jason, Maria and Alex, if you are reading this know that we were so highly blessed and thankful to God to see you this evening). I can't tell you how much we loved living next to them and how often we felt God's love for them drawing us to pray for them and continued to pray for them as we left for Thailand. With our full schedule we had not scheduled in the time to go by our old place and say "hi" to them. Hmm.. it seems like God had a plan. I guess what I am most encouraged is that Jesus knew we needed to see them and be encouraged by them and to see that he is working in their lives. All this just happens to make me believe that He has a plan for us and them. What a beautiful family. I love Jesus. I love his ways.
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