Let's catch up !!!

We have had Adam for six months !!! I can't even believe it! He is doing amazing !!!  It feels like he has been with us forever!!! He has been speaking English for a while now.  There were a few specific words  like" Me la shoo" (Mickey Mouse ) that he held on to for awhile and I was really sad when he stopped using it! (He loves Mickey Mouse by the way )! He seems to be attaching well, but continued prayer in that area would be great. My goal is to go back and fill you in on the last six months but for now let's stay current.

There is a Christmas card still coming, I promise!!! This fall was a blur, fun !!! but a blur, when I didn't have cards ready by Thanksgiving I knew it wouldn't happen till after Christmas ..... I have tried several times to sit down and write our annual letter  but this has been a year where it's just hard to put into words......plus we are always so busy...I could write a book  ( or blog )!

Here is recap of what's been going on just since December 31st!

News Year Eve !!! Balloons ready to drop!

32 New Years Eves !

The last few years the older kids have had a "lock-in" at church for New Years Eve and we have a quiet night playing  games and eating fondue and crab.This year started out similar ....we let Ashton pick a game .... he picked Life! ( Guess who won? ) The youth had a party but it ended around 10:00 so some of the college kids came over  to ring in the New Year ! We had a blast!

My friend Becky has spent New Year's Eve with us since we moved away from the Bay Area !

Adam didn't quite make it till midnight.

New Year's Day, Adam woke up with his eye swollen shut. There wasn't  a doctor or after hours clinic open for miles, so we ended up at the ER. Along with a biz zillion other people.

We spent 4 or 5 hours hanging out in the cafeteria waiting to be seen for pink eye! 

So we made the best of it and built things out of straws.  

Which was a hit ....we even had the security guard giving us input.

Showing off his Mickey Mouse play house chair a friend from church got him.

Adam's first time playing in the snow (we think?)

His words   " I like snow"

About 30 minutes from our newest home is a great place to go sledding and play in the snow. The last couple of years there hasn't been any snow ....so we took advantage of the great winter weather we have been having.

These pictures are from two different trips.

Adam loves church and  "his class"!

We started back to co-op this week, I am teaching a Hands on Art History Class.

Here we are  experiencing what Michelangelo  might have felt while painting the Sistine chapel.

Kids sang in church !!! Ashton is so good with Adam!

 

We put on a deacon appreciations dinner!!!

This happens when I go to bed.....Teenager.... Always hungry....... Learning to cook for survival .....

So much life happening ..... To be continued.......

The Adventure begins and a whole lot of randomness!

It's here !!!!  Mark and I have been having discussions  and praying about this for soooooo very long, like years. I am still in a little unbelief that it is actually happening.

I really want to write downs some more of our process and ways we believe God showed us we were supposed to adopt so when we get back and we are in the trenches. I can remember .

I read recently ..... That just because something doesn't turn out they way "the world" thinks it should doesn't mean that you weren't supposed to do it or that you were out of Gods will. ( sorry I don't remember where I read this so can't give credit.)

A few weeks ago I was really struggling with fear and panic ! God brought to mind a Steve green song " God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

I have had this song in my head  and. The fear dwindles and the excitement increases.

God answering prayers!!!

    These boys ! 

When we first started discussing adoption with the three youngest boys they were immediately excited and immediately convinced they would have and wanted an Asian brother. Mark and I had been talking and praying, researching  along time before we even brought up the subject so we knew we didn't qualify for China. I was convinced we would have a African little Girl. I told them the only way they would get an Asian brother was a miracle of God.

And here we are .

Wow! I pray that the boys remember.... God answers prayer!!!!

The puzzle is complete ...... So crazy ... God answers prayer !!!!! He does more than we can ask or imagine.

Here is the token luggage shot!

  

So any of you that have traveled with us .... Remember tour books?

I put together books for the "Journey to Adam "

It has color pages, journal pages,

random fact about China. Did you know that China invented toilets but only Emperors use them.

I heard that it is easier to blog than to use Facebok so I will try to do better at this blog thing 😁 during our trip, even if I just post pictures!

More soon.

Our Adoption Journey.....part 1

James 1:27  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

There are over 147 million orphans worldwide and 120,000 children currently in the U.S. foster care system. It is estimated that less than 10% of these children are adopted into evangelical Christian families. God desires for orphans of all nations to be loved and cared for, and adopted into Christian families- ultimately so they can become saved and adopted into His eternal family through Jesus Christ.

Dear Family and Friends,                     

When we decided to follow Christ, we sensed a call on our life to make a difference for God’s Kingdom. We pray that God would choose to use us to impact many people, while at the same time realizing this is accomplished one person at a time. We have constantly asked God what He would have us do for Him, ever listening….. Sometimes He has chosen to speak loud and clear, sometimes soft and quiet. Sometimes we have jumped fast and sometimes we have dragged our feet and asked, “Are you sure?”

I (Kathy) have read many stories where people knew from childhood that they wanted to adopt, but that wasn’t the case for us. God has worked on our hearts slowly over the years. Many years it wasn’t even a consideration because of Mark’s health and our struggles with debt, plus we were just plain scared. God began making it clear over the last few years that He wanted us to adopt, confirming to both of us in many ways - Fully Alive Community Church partnering with an orphanage in Tanzania; reading the book “Radical Together”; Mark hearing about “Door of Hope” at Centri-Kid Camp; God putting families with adopted children in our lives at church, little league and softball are just a few examples.

We originally looked into foster adopting but were told we could only have two children per room including our own, so we continued praying and researching.

We have stepped out onto the water…..

In January 2014 we applied and were accepted into the Holt International China program…. adopting a child with special needs from China. Over the last year we have filled out crazy amounts of paper work, taken parenting classes, had physicals, tracked down birth certificates, written an extensive personal history, met with a social worker, more paper work, etc.

We were told that it could take several months before we found out who our child might be… but  less than a week after our first paper pile was approved we were matched with an adorable 3 year old little boy named Adam who has been in an orphanage since he was two days old. He has a condition called radial dysphasia (he is missing one radial bone and the other is shorter, also missing thumbs on both hands and one finger on the other.) We are including his picture but we are not aloud to post any pictures of him on any form of social media.

We are now asking for your help!

First, we need a prayer team. There are so many hurdles when it comes to adoption (we’ve already experienced so many that we should have asked for prayer earlier) Kathy would love to be able to send a quick Facebook mesage, text or email as issues arise. Please let us know the best way to contact you.

Second, our desire is to accomplish this adoption debt free. We have and are continuing to work on this with our own personal resources (budgeting, cutting back, selling things and applying for grants etc.)

We know not everyone agrees with fundraising for adoption and that’s okay, but we wanted to offer you the opportunity  to help make a huge difference in one child’s life. The total cost of our adoption will be approximately $35,000. We’re asking if you would be willing to contribute to the blessing of bringing Adam home.

The organization Lifesong is coming along side us to help with donations. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us cover part of our adoption expenses to bring Adam home? 

Please make checks payable to Lifesong for Orphans. In the memo, note “Nunn Family” and our account number Nunn #4916 to assure it goes to the correct account. Please mail in the enclosed enveloped addressed to Lifesong for Orphans, P.O. Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744.  

Lifesong has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). Which means 100% of your donation will go directly to our adoption.

Another option is to give online. Go to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate. Select “Give to an Adoptive Family” Complete the online form and fill in Nunn #4916 for family account number and “Nunn” in the family name fields.

In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization. This Organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use. Individual donations of $50 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will recieve a tax -deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and investing in the Kingdom through prayer and finances. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. (Isaiah 43:5)

Much love,

Mark, Kathy, Amber, Austin, Aaron, Aidan and Ashton.

P.S. Kathy is going to “attempt” again to blog…..and post updates as we go through the process at messesmadebeautiful.blogspot.com

Mark pastornunn@yahoo.com

Kathy kathynunn67@hotmail.com

WHAT A WEEK THIS HAS BEEN !!!

Wow, things can change so fast.....but it's all good !!! GOD IS GOOD!!!

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you! Isaiah 26:3

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Isaiah 40:29

First let me tell you  ( well I can't even tell you really) how  much I LOVE Gods word and the body of Christ!!! It's a lot !!!

So I think within minutes of my last post I got a text from our landlord saying she wanted to come over.

Since the rain had started we had been enjoying rain pouring into our living room and for the week prior to her text had had our living room ceiling ripped open trying to find the leak. Also since we moved  to this house 2 1/2 years ago we have had a ton plumbing/septic problems. (Like first name bases with the plumber ). God has done some crazy stuff through this  ....we got to pray over our landlord and encourage her with scripture.

Well she came by to let us know that she had decided to sell the house ! She was done fixing it all the time. She was very gracious and gave us till mid Feb , but 4 bedrooms are near impossible to find. ( I have looked every time the sewage backed up never seeing a one in our price range) .She also had talked to the property manager and knew there was a 4 bedroom listed with them.

SHOCK AND TEARS SET IN. Moving twice in 4 years and closing up moms house had really left me tired and completely over whelmed at the thought of packing everything up AGAIN. Not to mention pulling off the Christmas Show  and new set, trying to do school with the boys and normal Christmas stuff.

This is where God blows me away! Within minutes of letting people know ...... Friends are  jumping in to help .... They have been here packing and bringing food and praying for us.
I had asked some to pray for my mental state .....half joking but not really. I know without a shadow of a doubt that people are  praying because I told Mark last night that I am actually excited to move. Definitely result of prayer .

So we are moving the week before the Christmas Show.
But really it's just a move. And God is sooooo Good .
He has ALWAYS BLESSED ME WITH AMAZING FRIENDS !!!

How was your week?

Kathy

Adoption update coming soon!

What are we doing now?

I am just going to dive in ....... You might have received our letters in the mail this weekend and I promised I would update this regularly . I will eventually ( and soon ) go back and give you some more history of how we feel God  lead us to the decision to adopt. But for now I  just want to let you know where we are in the process. We are doing a whole lot of waiting. Currently we have filed our i800 ( extensive background check ) and waiting for approval. A bunch of forms are currently being mailed places for certification and authentication. Once these all come back then we will be able to send our dossier to China .
Please pray for Adams safety and that he would find favor in his orphanage.
Selfishly I would like you to pray that the paper work would move fast but really just pray that we will rest in Gods perfect timing while we wait.
Thanks for joining us in this journey!
XOXO
Kathy

What have we been up too?

   I was going to share what we have been doing adoption wise but we have had such a crazy month. I decided to start with family life first. I was looking in my phone for a specific picture and realized we have done so much in the last month and a half. I 'll start with the boys (Aaron and Aidan )birthday . They started their celebration with their best buddies from the Bay Area coming for a visit for the weekend.They had a great time hanging out , playing video games ,card games,four square,laughing etc. Bonus for me one of my best buddies came to visit too!

At the end of February ,Aidans actual birthday,we had friends over to celebrate them. So fun!

The next weekend ( our weekends our Thursday night thorough Saturday ) # lifeinministry# lol., Mark and I hoped on a plane to Southern California to see Austin in his first play at Vangard as an actor. He was amazing! Bad spray tan and all 😃

      We have been going to basketball games, started baseball practice ,had our first bible drill.

We were planning on having a low key birthday for Mark but as a TOTAL SURPRIZE !!!!!!  Our friend Becky,flew Amber home for the weekend! It was Awesome !!! We knew Becky and Joe were planning on coming up, they were going  to come straight to Ashton basketball game Sat. morning. So the game had just started, they came walking in, all of a sudden I said "hmmm did Joe bring a friend with him? ;) wait a minute that's Amber !!!!! " It was AMAZING !!!! Screaming ,crying, etc.

       Last week the choir from Vanguard was on tour for their spring break. We were fortunate to have them at our church for their only stop in California! So we were able to have Austin and 6 of his friends from school stay at our house! ( 3 guys ,3 girls). It was a blast! The kids that stayed at our house were Amazing! They played and included the 3 little boys in everything, basketball, archery, teather ball, video games , Just Dance, trip to Curly Wolf. And they squeezed all of this in about a five hour time frame. The next morning the Choir led worship for two services.They were amazing and the spirit of God was felt. The church fed them and they were on their way. After they left it was very sad ,much like the day after Christmas. :(

This week I have been dragging (hmmm wonder why?). We had Ashton's basketball party, church, dentist appointments, and Alice in Wonderland play staring one of our kids at church.

Really have to go do something else for a  while . 😃 Have blessed week !