SO CLOSE!

Adoption is a roller coaster! When we began the adoption process almost 21 months ago, we would have never thought we would be approaching our second Christmas without our child home. Actually just a couple months ago, we wouldn't have thought we would be approaching our second Christmas without our child home. Thankfully, God is not surprised by this fact. He knows the exact day we will see our son for the first time.

With that being said, we have a little update. On Monday we received our i600 approval from USCIS. This is a HUGE STEP! Actually the second to last step before travel. Now we are waiting for our embassy appointment. From what I understand, the embassy (or visa) appointment will take place and then M's birth father will be interviewed. Usually travel takes place about 2 weeks after the initial appointment. Would you all join our family in BOLDLY praying for the following things:
1) pray that we learn when our embassy appointment is FAST! We need it to be soon, y'all. Real soon.
2) pray that m's birth father would show up exactly when they ask him to as to not create any delay.
3) pray that Adam would be in DRC the week of January 7. You see, my dear BFF Ashmill-one of our biggest supporters and greatest cheerleaders over the past 21 months is heading out on her own African adventure-she leaves January 16. And is gone for 5ish weeks. Y'all, we desperately want her to be stateside to celebrate the coming home of our boy! And we desperately want him home! Pray. Pray boldly. Pray expectantly!

We are close. So close. And so thankful to The Lord for all he has done.

Custom Ornaments with Design149

My sweet and talented friend Sarah is using her creativity to help up bring our sweet boy home!  You can get a custom ornament just in time for the Christmas season and play a party in funding our matching grant!  If you order an ornament by November 10, Sarah is going to donate $5 to our matching grant!  Our goal is to get 100 ornaments for $500!  Would you consider getting one?  For yourself?  Or a gift?  We are getting CLOSE to bringing this Congo Cutie home!!!

Visit Sarah's facebook page for details! :)

Matching Grant!

We are so excited to be at coming to the end of our adoption journey because that means that our sweet boy is almost home!  We are incredibly thankful to be a part of a church who cares for the fatherless and has partnered with Lifesong for Orphans to help us with the last bit of our adoption expenses.


Lifesong for Orphans is a non-profit Christian ministry dedicated to help meet the needs of orphan children around the world, and obey God’s call to “visit the fatherless…in their affliction” (James 1:27).


The number of children worldwide without families to love and care for them is astounding…
there are over 43.4 million orphans in Africa alone!  God tells us in His word He has heard the cry of the orphaned and abandoned children (Psalm 10:17, 18) and He has made a way for them to be cared for – through adoption.  As believers, He adopted us into His family through Jesus Christ, and did not leave us as spiritual orphans!
We believe adoption at its core is evangelism--a vital part of the Great Commission is bringing
the mission field home.  God desires orphans from all nations to be adopted into Christ-honoring families so they may ultimately be adopted into His eternal family through Jesus Christ. God calls us to fulfill James 1:27, “visit the fatherless…” but not all are called to adopt.  Some are called to pray, some to give financially, some to go on mission trips, and some to adopt.
We have sensed God’s call and have joyfully stepped out in faith and obedience to adopt a little boy from Congo.  As you may already know, international adoption can cost around $25,000 to 35,000 and prevents many godly families from adopting.  Our church, Living Hope Baptist and Lifesong have joined together and affirmed God's call on our life.  They have committed an Adoption Matching Grant of $2500 to help raise the final funds needed to bring our sweet Micah home!  This means that LHBC and Lifesong will match dollar for dollar everything we raise from our church, family, and friends between now and December 2 (up to $2500)!!
As a 501(c)3 organization, your gift is tax deductible.  *100% of all funds raised will go directly to cover 
adoption costs--nothing will be taken out for Lifesong for Orphans administrative costs.

We are hopeful that Micah will be home in time to spend Christmas with our family.  So we are calling on our friends and family to join us in---

-Prayer-please pray that God would care for Micah in DRC until we are able to bring him home.  Pray that God would prepare us (as well as Bella Joy) for the upcoming changes to our family.  Pray that God will give us wisdom as we seek to raise Micah to know Jesus as his Savior.  And, if you will, pray that he will join us in 2012.

-Financial support-will you please consider making a tax-deducible donation to help us pay the remaining $8,000 in adoption expenses to bring Micah home?  You are asked to send your donation directly to Lifesong.  You may preference how the donation might be used by writing "preference Jochim #3139 Adoption" in the memo section of your check.
Mail checks to:

Lifesong for Orphans
Att: Jochim #3139
PO Box 40
Gridley, IL  61744

We are in awe of the ways God has provided over the past 18 months of our adoption process.  We are confident that He will continue to provide and are thankful to YOU for joining us in our journey!

"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it!" 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Adoption update and a new way to help!

The silence over here doesn't necessarily mean nothing is going on.  Lots has happened since our boy's 1st birthday!  We passed court, passed the appeals period, filled out lots more paper work, moved houses and M actually moved to the capital of DRC too!  With each step and each new photo, we fall more and more in love with our son.  We are very hopeful that our boy will be home in time to celebrate our Savior's birth!  (Pray with us please!)

In the meantime, we will continue to prepare for his arrival!  Last week, we received word from Lifesong for Orphans that we have been awarded a matching grant!  We are so thankful and so excited to see how God provides for the last leg of our journey!

A matching grant is a wonderful thing!  Ours is a $2500 matching grant-which means that we have a chance to raise $5000 for our adoption!  Lifesong and our church, Living Hope Baptist, have partnered to make this happen.  We are so thankful and are ready to work hard to make this happen!

Our first fundraiser for our matching grant is "Cards for Cousins".  As many of you know, my sister is a consultant with Usborne Books and they have a fundraising program called "cards for a cause".  We are excited to work together (Lara and I) on this fundraiser to bring COUSINS home!! (Hence the name, Cards for Cousins!)  Basically, you will have the chance to purchase a set of adorable cards-30 cards for $30!  Your purchase will help fund our matching grant as well as Lara and Nathan's!


Please consider purchasing a set of cards to bring these sweet cousins home!  Great deal, great gift, great cause!



Tune in tomorrow for more on the matching grant :)

happy birthday baby boy

sweet micah,

in one week you will be one whole year old.  it is kind of crazy that in your first year, your mommy and daddy haven't met you but have fallen so deeply in love with you.  we are working hard and planning for your homecoming and just can.not.wait for that day to arrive!!

you have lots of friends and family who are excited to meet you too!  today our small group friends threw you a surprise party!!  baby boy, you are so loved!!  i just know you would have had so much fun at your party bouncing on mrs. jessica's furniture with your big sis (even though mommy would have continually asked you to stop too :)).  it was such a sweet time to celebrate your precious life, but also hard because we want so badly for you to be here with us!  but we know without a doubt that God's timing is perfect and He will bring you home to us at the perfect time!

you even got gifts at your first birthday party!  you have probably never been given a present, but you got several today-and trust me, your big sis LOVED helping mommy open them!  (she will undoubtedly want to help you open them at your 2nd birthday party too!).  i can't wait to share them with you!  mrs jenni also made you a cake!  and oh boy will you love her cakes!  it was a dinosaur cake perfect for a one year old!  if you were already home, mommy would have made you a cute little dino shirt to wear too, but that will have to wait until next year :)  all of your best buds were there:  zoey & evie jo, nolan, cam, avery, makena, and anne-kelly & cora (we missed beckett!  he is your bud too!)  nolan, cam and beckett feel quite out numbered and are so ready to have another boy to play with!  get ready!!

precious boy, we are coming to get you soon!  and we will have a lifetime to make up for being away during your first year.  God has big plans for you, and though we may not understand this part of the plan, we are confident that He will do a mighty work in you and through you!

Happy Birthday precious one!  We love you!!

Daddy, Mommy, & big sis Bella Joy :)

**this was written 2 weeks ago but didn't post.  since then, micah turned one and he passed court!!  he is officially a Jochim!  more to come :)

Cumberland Falls

A few weeks ago, we took our first on our own-more than a weekend-vacation since our honeymoon, our first since Bella Joy was born. Several months ago, we found a groupon for Cumberland Falls State Resort. We did a little research, asked our friends JJ & Nathan if they would want to vaca with us and booked it! My oh my we were excited!!!

We left on a Friday afternoon (B must have sensed our excitement because she didn't sleep at all on the way there!!!)

So here is a recap of our trip!

B's first glimpse of the falls-she was pretty in awe!

A little relaxation time with my girl :)

Our first hike to eagle falls was a tough one, but it was fun and worth it!! B loved riding on daddy's back!

BFF!

My handsome hubby and beautiful girl stop for a snack :)

Hiking on mommy's back :)

Swimming and snacking

Listening to some live music with daddy.

Leo had to go on our last hike with us :)

We had a great trip!! We can't wait to take a day trip back with our sweet boy!

in country

two months ago today-we saw our sweet boy's face for the first time-after we had been waiting a year for a referral.  today, we received word that our dossier is in DRC!  we are overjoyed!  and praying that the rest of the process would be just as speedy.  it is estimated that from dossier completion it will be 4-6 months until travel.  will you pray with us that it will be on the short end of that?  will you pray with us that our little guy will be home in October so we will have time to adjust before the holidays?