A True Disciple

Dear Life,



Church was amazing today.

Ah-maze-ing


The topic was "Becoming a True Disciple of Christ".  Elder 

Daniel L. Johnson spoke about this topic in the October 2012 

Conference.  

You can read it HERE.



Talk after talk spoke to me in different ways. 

I thought about Sofi.  

About our reasoning for adopting...and not only adopting but

 adopting a special needs child.

Because we all know that having five boys and one with Spina 

Bifida can be challenging.

I am definitely busy.

We already have a lot of obstacles and trials.


But on the flip side of that, we have witnessed miracles.  

We have been on the receiving end of so many wonderful 

blessings.

We went through the most difficult trial so far last year with 

Kumaka.

After a bilateral hip surgery, two leg breaks, and a repair of 

one side of the hip, Kumaka was in a cast longer than he was 

out of one.

We saw more time in a hospital last year than any other part 

of his life.

And through it all, he smiled.

He endured.

And although I personally thought it was the longest six 

weeks of my life to have him in a body cast,

In retrospect...that time was fleeting.

But the lessons learned are still burning in my heart.

Towards the end of last year, Stuart and I were talking and 

asking ourselves "what can we do to give back...after having 

received so much?"

Many people helped us last year, many people reached out to 

our family...whether it was a meal, a playdate, or a prayer, we 

were enveloped in love.

And we knew that somehow, we needed to give back.

We prayed.

We searched.

We realized the most perfect way we could serve the Lord, 

and be as Christlike as we knew how to be would be to adopt.

Although we are sometimes stretched thin, we know how to

 care for a child with Spina Bifida.  

And once we saw Sofi's sweet face, we knew we could never

 turn our back on her. 

A child with no hope, no family, no love. 

God has never once turned His back on us.

Now is not the time to turn our backs on His children.



"Becoming as the Savior is not an easy task, especially in the

 world in which we live. We face obstacles and adversity 

virtually every day of our lives. There is a reason for this,

 and it is one of the primary purposes ofmortality. As we 

read in Abraham 3:25, “And we will prove them herewith,to

 see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God 

shall command them.”  Elder Daniel L. Johnson



I also thought about my boys.

I thought about the many ways I could be a better 

mother...and a better wife.

I thought about the gift of repentance.  

And as one speaker said so wonderfully "repentance means 

repeating...doing it again but better"

Because of the sacrifice of our Savior, we have the 

opportunity to have a do-over.

What a gift.

Because I don't know about you, but I mess up.

A lot.

Love.

That is what being Christlike means to me.

It's what has always been important to me.

It's what I am always striving for.

I am in no way perfect.

I am continually having to repent...asking God for a do-over.

Boy am I glad to have that opportunity to talk to Him, and to

 turn to Him with a humble heart, and ask for forgiveness, 

and try again.



"I testify that as we obey His commandments, serve others,

 and submit ourwill to His will, we will, indeed, become His

 true disciples." Elder Daniel L. Johnson

Learning to "Carve the 'Dis' out of Disability"

Dear Life,

I've been sitting here contemplating the amount of blessing our family has received.  I've been contemplating how very lucky Kumaka is...to live in the United States....to have a family who loves him, supports him, provides opportunities that are not typical....and BELIEVES that HE CAN DO ANYTHING.  Not only that, but wonderful people have come forward and provide amazing and life changing  experiences.  

Last year at this time, Kumaka was in a cast.  A HUGE cast.

A very special young man came to visit Kumaka. 
I'm not really sure what compelled Aaron "Wheelz" to drive over, but that was the beginning of life changing events for Kumaka.

We've been fans of "Wheelz" since Kumaka was a baby.
He has always been an example of doing what you love...and not allowing anything to stand in your way.
I mean...really...check this out:

How could that not be inspiring?
And then yet another inspiring person contacted us.
Christiaan Bailey has become a family friend...and another huge example to Kumaka.
Christiaan lives life his way....has fun doing it...and even more important believes in the "groms" as he calls Kumaka.

This week he brought Kumaka a BoxDesigns WCMX team chair and patiently taught him how to balance. (He has to learn this because this chair has no brakes and no anti tippers....so when he does wheelies he has to balance or he will tip over...and yes it's already happened LOL...hence the helmet!)

Christiaan was on his way to New Zealand,  but he spent almost an hour with our little man.

Providing Kumaka with a new way to look at his chair.

In his words: "I hope this is a turning point for him...looking at his chair as a fun toy instead of a restrictive tank he has to use".

That is more valuable a lesson than anything Kumaka could learn in school.

LIVING LIFE.

Showing Kumaka that HE defines who he is...not his disability...not a surgery...not a broken bone. 

He has healed from last year....the year of casts and surgeries.

And now his spirit is healing.

I can't wait to see what he will do.

And I feel so blessed to have these opportunities for him.

This summer Kumaka has been invited by OceanHealing Group to go to Costa Rica.

This will be an amazing week....of learning to surf, zip lining, fishing, quad riding, snorkeling, horseback riding, among others.

It will show him that he does not have limits.

He will leave his chair behind him....and see the world in a new way.

HUGE.

Blessing.

HUGE.     

A letter of thanks

Dear Life,

Whew!  After a post every single day in October I am pooped!  I have some things that I will be posting in the next few days, but I today I just want to take the time to share some thanks in the form of a letter to Sofi.

Dear Sofi,

Going into this adoption, we knew it would be tough.  There are a lot of steps, a lot of things we are responsible for getting done.  All of these things cost money.  What we think about more than the money though, is Sofi.  We are going to share a bit of you right now Sofi girl:

Sofi is three years old.
She is a beautiful brown haired, brown eyed baby girl.
She has Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.  
She lives in Eastern Europe in an orphanage. 
Her days are very regimented...and she spends most of her time in her crib day in and day outT.
She is not held, sung to, or kissed.
She is alone.
No one has ever even wanted to adopt her.
No one.
Until we came along.
Until we looked at her beautiful brown eyes and fell in love.
Now she has a family of boys that are anxiously awaiting her arrival.
A mommy and a daddy who are praying every night that you stay healthy...that you can somehow feel their love from miles away...and hang on.

We're coming Sofi.  We're working hard.  Other people are working hard.  People have heard our story, you're story Sofi, and they have been touched.  They want you to come home...to have an eternal family. First a friend from church shared their cupcake store....had a day for you.  It was so fun to see them sell out of cupcakes!  Then our local community put an article in the local magazine.  They also put together a few fundraisers.  Tonight we had the first one....and it was amazing. A local jeweler is making a diamond heart pendant in your honor...it's going to be beautiful. He is raffling it off to help pay to bring you home.  The generosity of these people warms my heart....reminds me of a time long gone when community mattered.  And then over the weekend a dear friend (who I know online but have never met in person) decided to put together a weekend of photography sessions and donate 100% of the proceeds towards bringing you home.  In fifteen minutes the sessions were booked.  Her heart is so big....and we are so touched by all of this.  It's overwhelming in some ways to see God working so hard to bring you here.  We can see He wants you to have a chance...to have a family.  It's humbling to see His hand in this work.  We  know that we are so blessed...and that if we could help just one of His children, we would be giving back just a little to He who has given us everything.  And we are able to see His hand in it all.  Sofi, we can't wait to meet you...to hug you...to bring you home.  And when you're ready we will be having a party!

Love you so much Sofi!

Tender Mercy

Dear Life,


We have had a really challenging year so far.  You can 


read about it here.  


But through all of the challenges we have had so 


many tender mercies.  People have shown our family 


so much love, we have been on the receiving end of


many tender mercies. 


     "Each of us can have eyes to see 


clearly and ears to hear distinctly the 


tender mercies of the Lord as they


strengthen and assist us in these latter     


days."   


David A. Bednar
The Tender Mercies of the Lord
General Conference  April 2005


Each day I have learned to recognize and appreciate


the good in the day.  If I didn't focus on whatever I 


could that was good or positive I think I would have 


lost my mind.  It helps me to just deal with what I 


have to deal with and not cry.  




It does NOT help me with my laundry.  Darn!




Last week I was able to unwittingly give someone else


a tender mercy.  


I took Kumaka to the doctor for his


UTI, and as I was talking with her, she was sharing 


some things in her life that were challenging right


now (we are good like that....she knows the good


bad and ugly about me....and she was having a really 


hard day so she just came in and unloaded).  




I shared a couple of experiences I had that were 


challenges similar to hers.  


Words came into my mind unbidden to share with her; 


the most important of which were this:


Continue to pray.  Continue to read the 


scriptures...even if it's just a small amount...every day


find the time to read and find comfort in them.She


hugged me and then she took sweet care of my baby


boy like usual. When she came in to check on him


before we left, she hugged  me, said she prayed in her 


office right after she left the room and felt better.  She 


told me that she really needed me today.  


WOW.


I'm going to the doctor because my baby is sick and I


get to help someone???


And all I could think of was God knows what he is 


doing.  


Then yesterday I had to take Kumaka back to see her 


because he was not getting better.  I had my husband 


with me.  As we left, she looks at him, and says your 


wife really helped me last week.  I love her.  And she 


hugged me forever.  She said it really helped and she 


could tell a difference.








     "As we emulate His perfect example, 


our hands can become His hands; our 


eyes, His eyes; our heart, His heart.....


This is the spirit of compassion: that we 


love others as ourselves, seek their 


happiness, and do unto them as we hope 


they would do unto us."




Dieter F. Uchtdorf
You Are My Hands
General Conference April 2010


It made me feel so good to help someone...even though I was going to see her so she could help me.  It really amazed me and made me think that I really need to be aware of what is going on around me.  It didn't take much for me to share some comforting words and give a hug..but it made a huge difference to her.  


I want to share this song with you...I love it!

Janice Kapp Perry

1. Tender mercies of the Lord

Come in quiet ways,

Not by mere coincidence,

But by heaven’s grace.

As we choose to follow Him

With full heart and soul,

We become His chosen ones

And tender mercies flow.

2. Tender mercies of the Lord

Come in times of need.

Gifts of faith and confidence

Fill us as we plead.

Words of guidance, hope, and peace

Help us feel God’s love.

By our faith, His mercies come

Like manna from above.

3. Tender mercies of the Lord

Come as we repent.

Sweet forgiveness, peace of mind

Follow, heaven-sent.

Faithfulness, obedience

Help us to discern.

Blessings sweet and personal

For which our spirits yearn.

4. Tender mercies of the Lord

Comfort us and guide.

In His time and in His way,

We receive His light.

As we yield our will to His,

Blessings freely flow.

We partake of love divine

Thru mercies He bestows.