Another Day Closer

Each day that passes brings us closer to uniting with EJ. We received notification that our I600 was forwarded to our individual officer! God has worked many miracles in our adoption thus far. We recognize it each time and give all the GLORY to HIM!! We are asking for 3 more miracles so we can bring our son home some time during this summer before the next school year starts. Yes I know that GOD would truly have to MOVE to make this happen. Why do I think that this can happen for me and so many others I'm praying for right now? Because our GOD is Almighty, Ever Present, ALL POWER and the one who makes the impossible, POSSIBLE!! There is much more that I can say about our ABBA!! I know that He loves me and He loves the orphans and fatherless so therefore I can go BOLDLY to His throne and ask for these things confidently knowing He will give it to his daughter (and sons/daughters that I'm praying for)!!

What are the 3 miracles?

• Smooth and quick I600 approval
• Quick and correct passport processing
• 1st time Visa interview approval

So while we wait, we will wait in His PRESENCE. Because in His presence is the fullness of joy and where miracles are birthed!!!


Here are some new pics that we received from EJ's orphanage director:

Doing a presentation for school.

 



 

Fresh hair cut and his very hot blazer with his uniform shorts...lol!!

 



Could it be that they will "dress" alike often!!

Long stretch towards the finish line.....

Adoption update!!!! We filed our I-600 this week!! God truly perform a miracle because we were told the last thing we needed to file the immigration paperwork wouldn't come until the end of May!! BUT GOD!!!!! So we wait to receive our approval from our officer and then go on to the last step, the Visa Interview.

Where do we need your prayers?

Four (4) Key Areas:

1. Smooth I-600 process and approval
2. EJ's passport arrives by the time we do his Visa Medical Appointment
3. Smooth and Approval Visa Interview with a printed Visa the same week.
4. Finances (We need to raise/save $3500 for the pick up trip).

We solicited your prayers!!

One way we can reduced the money that we need is to sell the remaining 41 T-shirts that we have! Please consider purchasing one and/or forward to family and friends who would be interested. You can pay by sending money to our paypal account @js.petway@hotmail.com. The cost of the shirts are $20 plus $5 shipping. If you purchase more than one, your shipping is still $5!

Here's a breakdown of the sizes and colors we have left:

Yellow: S (2), M (5), L (3), XL (3)

Red: S (3); M (5), L (1), XL (1)

Green: S (1), M (1), L (4), XL (3)

Black: S (3), M (1), L (2), XL (3) 

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers....birth mothers, 1st mothers, adoptive mothers!!!

This morning my 3 birth children are up having church before we head out to church. This is the best present ever. Out of the mouth of babes come perfected praise!! So humbled and broken by the praises coming out of their mouths!!!

Thanking God for giving me the chance to mother 3 precious girls who are hungry for him and a wonderful Ghanaian boy!  

Thinking about our 4th child, our son Emmanuel!! Wondering if he is doing the same thing as the girls right now as he loves to sing also. Thinking about his first family in Ghana. Thankful for the foster mommies, "aunties," that take care of all the kiddos that wait for their forever families to come take them home!!

Amani, Triniti, Emmanuel and Destiny mommy prays for you everyday! I pray that all my children grow up to be lovers of God! That you live a life full of all that God has called you to! I pray that everything that we teach, instill and model for you will birth adults who do Kingdom work all for the glory of God.

Picture of God's Love: Introducing Emmanuel Joshua

I was having a conversation with a very close friend of mine. We were discussing how after seeing one picture of a child or children who are orphans, we can't get them off our minds. It's as if the thought of them have taken our entire mind captive. We instantly include them in our family life and discuss how life will be like when they are with us. Listen to me...I'm not talking about after we have met the child but when all we have seen was a PICTURE. Then my friend mentioned the what ifs....like what if we don't connect, what if they think we are boring, etc etc. My response was "in the Bible did God have all these WHAT IF's when He sent His SON to die for us so that we could become SONS of God.....adopted into Him........!!!!" Then she came back and said....."Noooooooooooooooo there were no what ifs.  And even then he took a chance.  He took a chance on us." After that I was floored....trying not to burst into tears.......

1st picture we saw of our son named drumroll.......Emmanuel.

We are pretty much sure that we will name him Emmanuel Joshua.

For our family, it isn't about a rescue mentality but about a mandate that God placed in our heart. Not only will we pour into and give to him but he will change and has change our lives in ways we could have never imagine! As we teach him many things, we are confident that we will learn in leaps and bounds from him!!

Picture of EJ in his 1st outfit from us picked out by his sissy Triniti!!

Why Should Christians Adopt? The Old Testament contains more than 40 scriptures that show God's concern and compassion for orphans. God's people then and God's people now must care for this disenfranchised and neglected segment of society. Adoption is the most loving and permanent way to care for these little ones. Psalm 68:5-6a says about God, "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families..." (Taken from http://www.cafadopt.org/adopt_why.html).

Here are a few websites that I enjoyed reading:

• 5 Reasons Christians Should Adopt
• Is Adoption Really a Christian Duty
• Together for Adoption

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. John 1:12-13

Additional pics....

Quick update......we are still awaiting 2 pieces of official papers before we can file our I-600. Never would have thought someone could desire 2 pieces of paper so much. However once we get those, we will be one step closer to bring our son home!!! Please continue to pray for our process and our hearts (including EJ).

As promised here is the rest of the pictures from the photoshoot........(The photographer did a good job of capturing us being us....LOL!!!)

 Yeah....I know...we all were supposed to be jumping at the same time. But look at Miss Amani....always camera ready. She has the most perfect jump pose.

Training them early to have a heart for world missions.

Doing God's work in the US and across the globe. 

Anyone who knows us knows that we love Praise and Worship...EJ will fit right in because we have an African drum waiting for him along with a few others we have picked up along the way!!

Left a spot for our little man who is growing in our heart!!

Wanting to be under one roof!!

Who said "absence makes the heart grow fonder"......Man does that ring true when it comes to adoption. This statement basically means the lack of something increases the desire for it. It has been 2 months since we met our precious boy EJ and a little under 2 months that we hugged him and told him we will see him later. That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do....I think I looked back about 100 times and yes I did run back to hug him again and assure him that we loved him and would come back for him.

Now back to my opening statement..."absence makes the heart grow fonder"......the lack of something increases the desire for it. The lack of not having EJ here with us increases our desire and want to have him HOME, here in th US, with us. As a family we talk about things we will do with him. We bought a trampoline for the kids recently and the girls frequently discuss how it will be when the EJ is here to jump with them. Tyvon and I talked one night about hair cuts....we don't think he will want to wear the shaved look like his daddy...LOL!! We have begun decorating his room compliments of my dear sister/friend Crystal. So excited to see his face when he sees his OWN room. While we know their will be a transition period and many hard times down the road, our desire grows stronger to be with him and experience many FIRSTS.

To pass the waiting time and be creative with our introduction of EJ to family and friends near and far, we decided to take EXPECTING ADOPTION pictures. A Christian friend of ours was very honored and exciting to take these type of pictures. I believe this was her first of many for this type of photoshoot. Thank you Tanya at A Timeless Touch for the awesome pictures and great family time!!

 Many of the pictures, our JOY decided to not

live up to her name Destiny Joy.

 Yes I'm ready to be a soccer mom and Ty is ready to start coaching!!

Look Destiny Joy is smiling. And of course my other 2 are always ready for the camera!

  Just missing EJ's feet.....

 No, we don't think we are pregnant with the world or even Africa. But we know that God called us to adopt and the nations. This picture is being displayed in a Women's Clinic in a city near where we live.

BTW...I (Jamallia) now serve as the Co-Administrator and Mission Team Leader for FTO: Feeding the Oprhans

Although you are miles away and an ocean apart you are still growing in our heart!!

Distance makes the heart grow fonder!!

Have a few more pictures to share and will upload as soon as we get them....