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?

how God showed up in the switch

last month my sweet friend Karen asked if i would speak at MOPS about how we have seen God at work in our adoption process.  its funny really, because she asked before we found LBB,  before we switched, before our referral.  we had seen God at work in big ways even before all of that.  but after i agreed to talk at MOPS....WOW!  so here's my little talk so you can see how we have seen God move in the past year.

I’m Emily Jochim. My husband, Adam, and I have a 2 year old little girl-Bella Joy-and we have been in the process of adopting for a year. Actually, one year ago yesterday, we got our first acceptance into the Congo program.

When Adam and I were dating and began talking seriously about our future together, I felt like it was time to share with him that I have a “disease” that may prevent me from ever being able to have children. I also shared that regardless of whether or not I was able to have biological children, I had always wanted to adopt. He was very gracious and still loved me even though I may not be able to give him children and he shared in my desire to grow a family through adoption. Fast forward 1 and a half-ish years. We had been married 8 months and found out we were expecting! We were shocked and crazy excited. And so thankful to the Lord for the sweet miracle he had created in me. Bella Joy was born in March of 2010. When she was about 6 months old, I felt a stir in my heart. I knew that God was calling me to something bigger. I shared my feelings with Adam and told him that even though we had planned to “have two (if we were able) and then adopt two” that I wondered if God had a different plan for our family. God was doing a work in Adam too. And on our 2 wedding anniversary Adam shared with me that he felt the Lord leading us to adopt as well. So the next point was WHERE!? I had spent a total of 2 ½ months in Africa over 2 summers. I had seen the poverty, the hunger, the need in real life. I knew that God was leading my heart there. He was doing the same in Adam’s heart. To be really honest with you, we didn’t feel a pull to a specific country in Africa. We looked at Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia…because of multiple trips and longer stays, we knew that those places wouldn’t be possible for our family. So when my sister shared that she and her husband were also feeling called to grow their family through adoption and that they were looking at the Democratic Republic of Congo, we checked it out too. We quickly discovered the great need in DRC. Girls sold into sex slavery, little boys made to be soldiers--the youngest of which are sent to the front lines with nothing but a whistle. We also found that wait times were typically short and that only one parent was required to travel one time. So Congo it was. We found an agency out of Georgia and quickly applied and received the confirmation that we had been accepted into the program! Home Studies, paper work and fingerprinting followed. And we began to raise funds. You see, some people often are afraid of the adoption process because it is so costly. My husband has an entry level job at a small company in White House TN, I am a stay at home mom. So initially we did have thoughts of “how will we fund this?” But if God has shown us one thing through this process-it is that when He calls, He provides! And I’m not talking just kinda…y’all He provides in BIG WAYS! Friends, family, and strangers- and oftentimes those that we have least expected have jumped in to support us financially, in prayer and by helping us fundraise by using their talents. The most amazing thing about this is the witness that this is-the body of Christ at work-showing others what it is all about.  That is not anything but the Holy Spirit at work and it is our prayer that God will use our adoption process to bring people to Himself.

God has also shown us His faithfulness. When we walk by faith and not by sight,He is faithful. At the beginning, you may have heard me say that a year ago yesterday we got our first acceptance into the Congo program. When we first started the process, we were told that it would take 0-12 months (which would be now). Well a few weeks ago we were informed that it might be 2013. Now, when God called us to adopt, He called us. He didn’t promise us it would be easy. He didn’t promise it would be fast. But even knowing that, I felt like our time was now. So I began researching other agencies with programs in Africa. I found lots! And then I found an agency in Colorado who has waiting children in the Congo! Waiting children in our age range! I quickly emailed the agency and got answers to all of our questions. After much prayer and seeking Godly counsel, we felt confident that this was of the Lord and we made the switch. We took a huge step of faith, not knowing what would be on the other side. Would we still be waiting next march? But we stepped out, knowing that God was prompting us to do just that. Y’all that was 2 weeks ago. Friday, we got a referral for an 8 month old little boy named L. God is always faithful. God is faithful when we walk by faith and not by sight.

God has also shown us His sovereignty. When the agency began telling us about L, we asked questions about his background. They told us he was 7 months old. They told us that his mother was no longer living and that his father was born in 1931 and felt like he was too old to care for the child. One night in the middle of the switch, I woke up and couldn’t fall back to sleep for the life of me! So I began to look over some things that I had written in the past year. And I found something that I wrote in August. I had written about how that morning I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t stop thinking of our child, so I prayed for them. I did the math and thought to myself…I wonder when this little guy was born? So I emailed our coordinator in the middle of the night asking her just that. She emailed me back the next day and told me he was actually born on July 18. So I pressed for some more information. Were there any other dates in his file?! And I told her why I was asking. She later told me that his mother passed away after a short sickness on September 4. And that she had started getting really sick at the end of August. God had me awake praying for our child on August 30, just days before our child’s biological mother would pass away. God is BIG. He knew from day one, that our child would be born on July 18. That he would need a mommy praying for him at the end of August when his biological mommy was on her death bed. God had this planned from the beginning.

Through this process, God has showedorphan into their home, but we are all called to care for the least of these. "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27


so there it is folks.  the way God confirmed our choice to switch.  that was a month ago.  our little guy will be 9 months old on wednesday (the day that our sweet niece will be ONE!)  our dossier is en route to our coordinator.  it should be en route to DRC in just a few weeks.  we are exhausted and so thankful for God's faithfulness.

He is risen!

what a wonderful weekend we had celebrating our risen Savior. But more in that later.

As you will remember, I posed an Easter challenge a few weeks ago. Imagine my surprise when I started receiving picture messages with families joining in. Tears filled my eyes as I saw families advocating to bring our sweet BOY home! Yes, that's right! We have a referral for an almost 9 month old little sweetie and boy are we excited! We are working like crazy to get him home ASAP! And it brings us such great joy to see pictures of others journeying with us!

My sweet in laws excited to meet their grandson!

A sweet family at church. Oh this is so precious to me!

And my fave alvaton friends. Love them!!

Yesterday was also my sweet niece's birthday...my niece Lydia who is an ocean away. We are looking forward to celebrating all kinds of things with these babies!

bella joy is 2!

and just like that, my baby girl is 2.  it really happened fast!  2 years ago today i started the hardest, most fun, most rewarding job of my life.  this is actually the longest i've ever worked at the same place!  this is a job that i do not take lightly.  raising, disciplining and discipling our children is the most important thing that i could do and i truly am thankful to the Lord for blessing us with bella joy and for allowing me to stay home with her (and any following children).

anyway, enough about that. 

bella joy, at 2 years old, you are a BALL OF ENERGY!  you are so much fun!  you wake up in the morning ready to go.  as soon as i get you out of your crib you start playing and you do not stop (except to eat) until nap time.  and then when you wake from your nap, you do not stop until bed time!  you love to play!!  you really will play with anything.  but your favorites are still your little people.  you also love your potato heads, books, puzzles, and play-doh.  and you are so funny!!  you make us laugh all the time.  sometimes because you are so clever, but sometimes because you are just a little mocking bird.  some of the words that you frequently say that you have picked up from us (that are the funniest) are awesome, dangerous, and hilarious.  you often talk about how awesome the trees are (which we agree, but are unsure of where you picked up on the fact that they are awesome).  you talk all the time!  it is so so fun!!  you love to eat grilled cheese, soup, yogurt, grapes, bananas, and anything sweet :)  you get so excited when daddy gets home from work and when anyone comes to our house.  you love to help!  you are awesome at helping daddy with the trash and helping mommy unload the dish washer.  you are going to be an AWESOME big sis.  you love your family and you love animals!

sweet baby girl, we love you.  and we are so thankful for you.  and we can not wait to see all the things you learn this year!

 b running running running at her birthday play date.

curious little one getting photographed by "auntie" ashmill :)

a BIG exciting change

today we shipped a big packet of papers to colorado.  the big packet of papers included an application and contracts for our NEW agency.

let me back track a bit.  when we first began the adoption process, we were hopeful that the process would take about a year from start to finish.  well, we are currently a year in and have no end in sight.  our agency was telling us that it might be 2013.  now, we know full well that God's timing is perfect.  we still started searching to see what we would find if we looked at other agencies.  when i began my search, i found several agencies in different places with programs in various african countries.  and then, i found an agency who had waiting children in the democratic republic of congo.  i was skeptical.  how could we have a two+ year wait for a referral at one agency and while another agency had waiting children!?  so i emailed the agency.  and got a reply.  and questions were answered.  and we talked on the phone.  and more questions were answered.

we prayed.  we sought counsel.  we tried to figure out the logistics.  and we very quickly felt that God was leading us to this new agency.  we are VERY, very excited.  and we should have our official referral very soon.

in the meantime, we will be fundraising fools again.  we are making shirts, will have more mini-photo sessions, and will do another movie night.  so be on the look out!

Easter challenge

last year, some "adoption circle" friends had this post on their blog. i hope you will go and read it, but if you don't have time, here is the short version.

it is an Easter challenge. a challenge to forget the froo-froo "traditional" Easter attire (can someone tell me why it is the tradition anyway, sincerely!) and use the money that you would have used to feed(or bring home) an orphan. then you sport that tshirt on Easter Sunday (and any other day you wish!). there are lots of organizations that advocate for orphans (here, here, and here just to name a few). there are also lots of families who use tshirts as a fundraiser to bring their baby home (here, here, and here to name a few).

and if you don't like any of those, we are starting our "sweat shop" back up! we will be continuing our fundraising efforts by making Africa applique tshirts. You will receive a tshirt in your size of choice with an Africa appliqued onto the front from fabric that is authentically African! Shirts are $20 and will be delivered (or shipped for a few extra bucks) before Easter if you want to participate in the Easter challenge.

above is a photo example. you can basically get any color shirt you want (as long as I can find it!) but I may not have a fabric that coordinates well with it. I hope I can make a shirt for you!!!


**email me at thejochims (at) gmail (dot) com if you are interested or find me on facebook!

it's been quiet

things have been quiet around here lately. i haven't had much to say. things on the adoption front have been slow. winter hasn't been very wintery. we have been playing lots of little people, lots of potato heads, reading lots of books and watching signing time. it has been a sweet season of stillness.

but i hope to have more to say soon. :)