Amy Medina

Driving and Waiting

On July 14, 2010

People often call the adoption process a “paper pregnancy.”

In our case, I don’t think I can call it that. The only piece of paper we are required to fill out is one side of one sheet. Ever. For the whole process. (Well, unless the U.S. embassy denies your child’s visa and requires the I-600. Then you kill a dozen trees filling out paperwork.)

So not a paper pregnancy. Maybe a “driving pregnancy.” A “waiting in traffic” pregnancy. A “nicely-nagging-social workers-to-do-their-job” pregnancy.

Whatever. Anyway, regardless, considering that it is likely we will get a baby in less than nine months, you can consider me pregnant.

The good news is that I finally got some answers, after lots of driving and sitting in traffic and nagging and waiting. I finally talked to the head honcho of social welfare myself, and he confirmed that yes, it would be possible to adopt a third child. Even though the social worker (non-head honcho) insisted that it had never been done and don’t I have enough children already? But even she grudgingly agreed that there was no law limiting the number of children that can be adopted, and then the head honcho guy confirmed that. Very good news.

The bad news is that he also told me that we would have to start over again in the process. And do everything all over again. Honestly, this is what I was expecting to hear, but I still had this tiny little hope that he would say, “Hey, we’ve already interviewed everyone who knows you, done four homestudies and have a file stuffed with information about you, why do it all over again? In fact, why not just hop on down to the orphanage and take home another couple children today?” But he didn’t say that.

So we have started over again. Yesterday Gil and I went to get interviewed. Again. And told her the exact same information, again, that we did the previous two times. And today I drove to town, picked up my friend Kathy, took her to the social worker, waited there with her for two hours, waited while she got interviewed about us, took her home, and then drove home myself in two hours of traffic. On Monday I’ll take two more friends down to get interviewed. See what I mean about my driving-and-waiting-in-traffic pregnancy? But it’s probably still not as bad as morning sickness.

While I was waiting with Kathy, some friends came in who had just received their letter that told them which child they were to receive. They had come to pick up the social worker to go to the orphanage with them to go meet their little girl. I was so thrilled for them! Yes, Yes! I remember getting that letter. Makes all the driving and waiting worth it.

World Cup Artistic Expression

By Amy Medina

On July 11, 2010

In Other

Two days ago, Daddy did this to Josiah’s hair:

With the express purpose of doing this to him:

Can you tell what team we are rooting for???

International Youth Camp 2010

By Amy Medina

On July 9, 2010

In Other

I’m going to post here what I sent out to our Prayer Team:

It was the camp we weren’t sure would even happen.

Our BIG problems:

First, there was the problem of a team. We need at least 10 adults to run this camp. Three churches who wanted to send teams were forced to cancel. By April, we were left with no one except for us, our friend and co-worker Kathy who co-leads this camp with us, and 2 other young women. Wasn’t going to work.

Next, there was the problem of students. No one was signing up. Our Youth Camp is really popular—this was our fifth year. But every time we talked to students about this summer, we always heard, “I’ll be out of the country.” Over and over again.

Then, as you know, Gil came down with malaria the night before camp started. What in the world did God want to do?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (Is. 55:8)

God’s Solutions:

The First Problem: About 8 weeks before camp, we got an email from a Danish missionary HOPAC family. “We have a team of 6 Bible college students coming this summer for 7 weeks. One of their ministry weeks got cancelled. Do you have anything they could do?”

They were available the week we needed. Four guys, two girls: exactly as we needed. We were still a little nervous; we had never met these young people and weren’t even sure if they were fluent in English! But oh, how they far exceeded our expectations! They were enthusiastic, energetic, hard-working and willing to do whatever we needed! Though most had never before been in an English environment, all could freely converse in English (ah, the difference between European and American schools!). They threw themselves into the camp and totally loved our students.

The Second Problem: It was indeed our smallest camp yet. We only had 25 students, 15 of them being from HOPAC. And though we would have loved for there to be more, this camp had a much more “family” feel to it—students were far less into their cliques (as teenagers often are), and more willing to reach out and get to know new friends. Everyone had a great time and no one seemed to notice that there were less people (except that it meant less waiting in the dinner line!).

The Third Problem: Despite so many of your prayers, God had something else in mind, and we didn’t make it there on Sunday. On Monday, it became apparent that his recovery had not happened yet. (Malaria often goes in cycles; you can feel pretty good one day and horrible the next). So, on Monday afternoon, I headed off to camp with the kids but without Gil. Once he was discharged from the clinic, he was picked up by some very gracious and hospitable friends/co-workers who took him to their home for the next couple of days. Gil was finally able to join us out at camp on Wednesday, in time to create the annual slide show and spend some good time with students.

Of course, Gil missing half of camp wasn’t really how we wanted things to turn out. But we praise God that everything went smoothly anyway, that it was a wonderful, memorable week, the students heard great teaching, and many excellent discussions and conversations took place. We absolutely could see God’s hand on it the whole time, and it was evident that He was in charge and would do as He pleased!

My cooking class

A Momentous Occasion for This Mommy

By Amy Medina

On July 7, 2010

In Other

It looks cute.

It involves cornrows.

And I did it myself.

I know it won’t win any awards. But if you only knew how often during the last four years I have felt like a horrible mama for not being able to do my own daughter’s hair, you would celebrate this occasion with me as well.