General Tso's Chicken Strikes BACK

yes, that's what I wrote.  We have a regular routine now, of RUNNING to the Post Office to get African Adoption Dolls in the mail to precious people and little ones that have so awesomely blessed us by giving to our Adoption Fund.  When I say RUNNING, this involves, lots of  "Come on guys!"  "Does your sister have clothes on?"  "Put on socks and shoes!" " Someone carry this pleeeease"  "That's not YOUR shirt, that's your brothers..."  "What did you eat??  It's in your hair!"


Now, I'm a Georgia girl, and a southern girl through and through...my whole life (since I began wearing make up as a teenager) I've never left the house without some on my face.  Try as I may over the years, even with all my moving around, I've never been able to make myself just not care enough (pride) to just go.  Until recently...well, it's really not progress but just pure laziness on my part, ha! (truth hurts).  So today was one of those days.  After getting through several hours of homeschooling and calling USCIS to see if we'd been assigned an officer (the one who will one fine day, stamp our precious I-171H with APPROVED), I scrambled to sew the final touches on two dresses that I wanted to ship today.  As I raced right up to the time to leave in order to make it to the POffice, I knew in the back of my mind I had to change clothes, do something with my rather shiny (I'm being polite) unwashed locks and jump in the van...not to mention Lucy was still in her PJs (from this morning) that she conveniently napped in again. :)  Truth be told, Joel my number one helper, went upstairs to put "something" on Lucy...and to my amazement and delight it was a dress and flipflops and totally worked.  Okay, go-GO-Go, we just might make it!

Now as I dashed out, no makeup...the justifications are always present in the mind..it's like a mental checklist...I'm new to this town, what do I care?  I've never seen anyone I know from church at the PO anyway. We are just going there and straight home, no biggie."


WELL, we didn't make it... after squealing into the parking lot with the Van of Dreams on two wheels I bolt out, packages in hand, threaten my kids not to move, yank the door open to see the lovely ALUMINUM CURTAIN PULLED CLOSED...dunt dunt, DUUUN. Ohhh, maaan, 4:32pm - that last traffic light made the difference.  Oh well, after searching through every receipt and gum wrapper in my purse, in an attempt to give a stamp to the guy in front of me, who was begging the voices behind the curtain to give him ONE STAMP (bummer didn't find one)...I remember there's another place called Goin' Postal.  Yes, you read that right (I know not nice) and it's open til 6pm.  You aren't wearing makeup.  I know, I don't care..it's just the young guys that do the notarizations.


As I drive across the state highway, from behind me I hear those favorite words... "Mooom, Lucy's got to go to the potty!"  Yep, my fault...we always potty after nap and guess who forgot in our rush.  Hold on honey. No potty in here.  Hold it, okaaay?.  She gives very little warning.  We drop off the packages at Goin Postal and now I'm looking for any public restroom.  There's an empty laundromat beside us, door open, no one around, no potty.  Next spot is a chinese buffet, I know the buffet always makes me go ewwww.  Did notice they won a local award for restaurants, so that's good.  Hmmmm, I always feel so bad about walking throught the dining room of a restaurant, when I know I'm not about to sit down and eat dinner (or so I thought).  At this point I'm so frantic not to have Miss Pee Pants on my hands, that I open the door....did I mention that when I got everyone out (my 9,5 & and 3 year olds) to drop off the packages that I noticed that Lucy had blueberry stains all over her face from a homemade popsicle and something crusty in her hair?  I literally clipped the crusty strands out of her eyes and lick/scraped her face, (niiice).  The woman behind the counter asked me how many. I hold up Lucy's hand and tell her I was really just wanting to use the restroom, but I will take a take-out menu.  I'd thought about ordering "something" already.  We pass the buffet and my boys start asking to eat....huh, it's like 4:45pm. 

I mean we are here ahead of the Early Bird Special crowd.. and I HAVE ON NO MAKEUP!!!  We go.  They go.  We get ready to leave and Isaiah asks again in front of the hostess/owner to eat.  I cave.  What?  I know, we never eat out now (adoption budget) and I remember that Daddy isn't going to be home until late with a business dinner.  Alllright, we'll just all split something... WATERS for everyone! :)  I order 2 dishes..and from the moment they serve us Lucy is cranky...oh dear, without hubby backup, if she decides to have a meltdown this is GOING. TO. BE. UGLY.  I decide to let her sit and do whatever...the boys to my surprise and delight ate really well (thank you, less guilt).  Things heard at our table, "Mom, are these people spanish?  Mom, how long did it take to build the Great Wall of China?  Mom where did they get these paintings?  (had to laugh as Joel and I simultaneously answered CHINA ((where is most everything made?))  Isaiah had wanted a spicy dish, thus the name General Tso's Chicken.  One of his new things is demonstrating his manliness by showing how much hot stuff he can eat, like jalapenos.  Meal's almost complete...about to ask for to-go boxes and Isaiah says, "Mom I gotta go to the bathroom".  Right now?   Can you wait until we get home?  He gives me that look.  Okay, okay we are pretty close to the single room restrooms and I'll just take him to the womens.  I look at Joel and say, "Sit. Right. Here. And watch your sister"...all the while giving the look that says I'm very serious.  Joel yells out as we pass by the table, " DON'T WORRY MOM!.. IF ANYONE TRIES TO TAKE LUCY (getting even louder)...I'LL SHOW THEM MY REAL CHINESE MOVES!!!!! WhaaaaaAAAhh!!" (cue Kung Fu music) Isaiah and I about busted a gut laughing trying to get into the bathroom.  I love my life. 


Needless to say General Tso's Chicken put the digestive system on SPEED, ha ha!  After what seemed like an eternity...we returned to the table where the to-go boxes are ready and waiting...think we overstayed our welcome. 

Thank you China Delight, it was actually delish.  Can't wait til me and my three peeps are me and my FIVE.  We need to expand the Johnson family craziness...never a dull moment.

Thanks for sharing this crazy journey called life with us.
Blessings,
Mandi

One of those days...

that feels like this.

It hasn't been all bad.

  But huge chunks of the last several days..have felt like this.

 Are you with me?  We all have these days.  How do you reboot?

{Okay this post is a hodge podge if there every was one.. and I warn you it is all over the place.  I only got about 3.5 hours of sleep last night before getting up for our fingerprint appt. [btw, fingerprints done... and now we wait for APPROVAL :)]  and I'm going to bed now, without editing this. Maybe I'll get a good laugh out of this one day when I look back.  I never got around to what I set out to write about, ha!  I'm downright delirious...this is why sleep deprivation is a torture technique...our brains do not work right without a basic amount of sleep. :)}  My writing will reflect a state that looks like this...

For those of you who know me in real life (tee hee) you know that I'm an open book kinda gal.  Some would say too much so ;).  Apparently the ability to edit or simplify experiences when sharing, is one that completely missed me.  Soooo, I'm a bit long-winded.  I don't really like this about myself, in fact in recent years, it's really started to aggravate me because now I am painfully aware that I do it (share too much) and seem to be completely powerless to change.  So there you have it, this is me. 

I'm no expert on the adoption process or on the theology of adoption.  However, the knowledge of both has intersected in my life and I believe changed me and my husband and the future of our family forever.  I'm not even finished with this book yet, but anyone who wants a greater understanding of why adoption? why now?  This book is teaching me and putting together things that I have felt in my heart, but not had the full knowledge and understanding to articulate.  



 I know that so much of my journey thus far has been encouraged, eased and aided by the blogs of those who were willing to talk about their journey, to share information, and to be transparent about their lives.  So having said that, please feel free to comment and ask questions and I will reply by email if you like.

I find it interesting how American lifestyle and culture has changed SO MUCH in just 2 generations.  We now live in a time, where I feel before I even say that we are adopting 2 more children... I must preface it with , "Yes, I know we must be CRAZY!"  When I share, I immediately feel like I need to offer a disclaimer.  Usually the facial expression of the other person creates this compulsion (although I know it shouldn't) to explain WHY?  or why two?  I know I've got to get over this, because when we are united as a trans-racial family there are going to be many more questions and I'm not going to be making public service announcements in Wal-mart.  Okay, so by DIFFERENT from just 2 generations ago, I mean that my grandmother was 1 of ELEVEN children.  My husband's grandmother was 1 of TEN children.  People had lots of babies, and they all worked on the farm.  Hard work, the kind most of us don't come near in our daily lives.  Did our great-grandparents sit around and discuss ad nausea if they could afford it?  If it was fair the to the other 10 kids?  What do you think?  I think not.  Actually their lives were much closer to the reality of the culture where our adoptive children wait, than anything we've ever known.  Life was much simpler.  They didn't have ALOT.  They didn't have stuff.  They DID have family and a closeness that we are losing.  My grandmother Lucy's relationship with her siblings is a beautiful thing.  I've had the privilege of observing and experiencing their love myself as I've grown up.  My grandmother and one of her older sisters actually married brothers, and I grew up in the same town as all 4 of them.  My grandmother and her siblings, even as they aged and had grandchildren and great-grandchildren have managed to get together twice yearly to break bread and fellowship.  It is not just ritual...there is real relationship and love there on a level that I think,we are losing. 

They had family and they had faith.  We have filled our lives with alot of other "stuff and activities" that can crowd out the only two that will matter for eternity (our faith and the people we love as our neighbors and share it with).  This is something, our family is trying to be aware of and purposefully reclaim.  I ask myself more often these days, when the details of life get us twisted...when there's stress and decisions to be made...will any of this matter one day?  will the thing we are fretting over ever even be discussed when we are in Heaven for eternity?  What does God want Mandi to focus on?  And how does a simplified life hold some of the keys to what He wants for us? 

Yes I know if this were a paper (as my 3rd grader just got his back) I would fail on transitions and a focus to what I'm saying.  But hey, while I am all over the place, do you hear the new Jamie Grace song on my playlist??? I LOVE THIS SONG....it just puts Joy in my heart.  I know my songs aren't always the most suitable for blog reading...you may have to mute or turn 'em down occasionally.  However, know this...what you hear on here is ME, it is me to a tee.  I have to really love it, it has to mean something to me or put some groove in my step for me to put it on here.  I love this new artist and Toby Mac on there too. 

Okay Night,

Mandi

P.S. Spell check is hating me right now and my made up words.  English teachers were not my fans...that's why I ended up in math and science.  God bless you for reading this :)

"Van of Dreams"

So, yes, I am referencing the movie Field of Dreams.

The famous line we all remember. . . "if you build it, they will come."

Except this story is about adoption, a God dream, a new storyline in the life of the Johnson family. A new journey of faith, that God is so lovingly leading us down.

In our case the promise is this, "If you buy it, they will come!"

[This was my very FIRST post, written 12/01/2009 and never published until NOW]

God has provided an unbelievably great van at an unbelievable price in the way that's all Him. My sweet husband Jeremy, that we've always joked was destined to be a used car salesman (our life has been a revolving door of used cars at times), has been looking at diesel vans for over a year. Why? We didn't know. As the last 4 months have unfolded with God doing a new work in our marriage and in our hearts, we have an answer.

Jeremy has been looking for a van, for us, for our family that God is about to grow through the miracle of adoption. Now we had no intentions of getting the cart before the horse, literally. As the ideas of adoption & orphan ministry in general take root in your heart, you quickly become aware of every penny that passes through your hands.

[UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2011]

After driving our "Van of Dreams" around for over a year now....we lovingly refer to it as our "BIG Red Loaf of Bread"  (yes there's some southern slang for you).  There have been many days, carting my 3 kids around in our mini church van, that I have wondered what am I doing?  God did we hear you right?  Are we EVER going to be able to adopt?  Is the joke on us?  AND then there have been other days when the enemy would have me believe that the joke was on me, and that I was kidding myself with this crazy dream.  On those hard days my Beautiful Van was literally a physical promise of what God is going to do.   And then I could go another day, waiting, trusting that Yes, in His time He would fill my van with more children. 

So, now that we are begining our homestudy...I announce the start of the marathon.  As I reflect on what the past 2 weeks have meant to me, I celebrate my big obnoxious red van.  If you are reading this I ask for your prayers for our family, for the precious children that we long to hold in our arms, for those who are caring for them in Uganda, and for the surviving members of their birth families.  May God be glorified as we run the race He has set before us, each and every day until He calls us home.   

Miracle Ear...

No, Not of the Infomercial Variety!

I just have to rejoice with all of you who prayed for Isaiah's eardrum to be healed.

I asked for prayer in my only post since returning home.  But even as I prayed, God reminded me through a book I was reading that it's not about ME being able to ask my heavenly Father for anything.  I have no right to ask.  But I am in Christ.  And in Christ, because of who He is, in His name alone.... I can ask anything. 

I also realized even though it seemed a little selfish (my kids are really blessed with general good health) that I was more confident in believing God for more because of the testimony of Sarah, which you can read about HERE.  It also seemed a little strange to be praying for the restoration of an eardrum, the same request as Sarah's.  Well it's not like God has a supply closet of miracles and he's all out of eardrums for today, ha!

So here's the story.  We left on a Monday night, and arrived in J*nja on Wednesday morning.  Late Wednesday night we get a call from the US.  We had given out numbers in case of an emergency, but this was a little quick for a 10 day trip.  In fact it WAS serious, our boys had been being boys at the breakfast table at a restaurant and an accident happened with a Star Wars light saber, and Isaiah's eardrum was hurt badly.  Our precious parents took him to have it checked out, and when the doctor looked in his ear with the scope, he took a seat before saying, "It's not good.  His eardrum has been taken out.  But the good news is the bones that you hear with are okay."  After examination, he went on to make the ENT referral for surgery.  He described in detail to our parents the skin graft procedure to recreate an eardrum. Isaiah was put on strong antibiotics and the appointment was made for this past Wednesday.  Satan didn't waste anytime attacking the ole parents on day 1 of our mission trip. 

It wasn't until we returned home last week, that we fully understood the extent of Isaiah's injury.  My husband was the one that immediately redirected my mental energy to praying for complete healing.  And my heart just said, yes absolutely.  So as I drove Isaiah to the appointment yesterday, I had great anticipation of what God might do for this precious child of mine.  I knew all this pain & worry was the work of the enemy and God may or may not choose to heal him.  I knew He might choose to walk us through surgery.  But until He says no, I'm believing Him to spare Isaiah from this unnecessary pain.

As we waited in the chairs, a sweet talkative lady, asked was he sick.  I explained the deal, but that I was praying for a miracle.  She responded boldly, with, "Yes darling! Prayer works!"  We go back and Isaiah is being unusually clingy for an independent little boy of almost 5.  He has a stuffed dog in one arm, and is wrapped around me.  I continued to pray over him.  Finally the doctor comes in, she asks which ear.  We tell her the left, and she looks at the good ear first.  Then she looks in his left ear and says,

"Well, not only does he HAVE an eardrum... but IT IS COMPLETELY HEALED!"

Tears filled my eyes, and I smiled as I told her that is what we have been praying for.  She said, "I mean it's completely healed, I see the cells in the center where the eardrum was torn.  This type of injury usually takes over a month to heal."  She said, "There's no hole."  No more medicine, no more surgery, he can swim.

Isaiah, said, "Mom, it's a miracle!"

Since this doctor was not the one who originally saw the injury, she didn't see the before.  She didn't comment on our miracle, but said, "Well it's amazing what you can see with a scope."  I replied, "Well we are giving the credit to Jesus."  I then had to explain to her what the first physician had seen and said, and that he'd seen the bones. 

To God be the Glory!!  Yes, I would still feel this way even if we were having surgery.  He holds me & my family in the palm of His hand.  But on this day, He showed out just for us, for us who deserve nothing.  He loved on us, our Isaiah in a huge way, a miracle ear!!!

God really showed out, when afterward, the doctor did a hearing test, and his hearing was better than ever, better than his previous 4 yr checkup where he almost failed the hearing test. LOL! 

We're Home from Ug*nda!!

My husband on the road from the children's to the baby home.

Thank you so much for all your prayers.  My husband & I arrived at the airport last night about 7pm and finally made our way through customs, out to the park and ride and eventually onto our three children at 10:30pm last night.  My heart is full and aching from Ug*nda and having to leave, and full from being reunited with my kids.  I do have a huge praise and a prayer request.  The Lord has covered both of us and our entire team in terms of our health while we were in Ug*nda.  We ate the local food prepared by the cooks at the S*nrise Baby Home and had no problems at all.  We were blessed with good health, but on our last plane ride from London, I began having body aches all over.  I thought at first it was just sore muscles from the work we did two days prior in the village working on phase one of amud home.  Later we realized I was running low grade fever.  After last night's sleep I woke up with low grade fever again and body aches.  I think I just have a virus, and am asking you to pray that whatever it is, it leaves me quickly.  My middle son, also had an accident while we were away that resulted in the destruction of his ear drum.  Please pray for God to heal his eardrum and for him not to need a skin graft and reconstructive surgery, as it's been explained.  Our appt. with the surgeon is this coming Wed. 

I apologize that I was not able to blog as predicted.  The first half of our trip it wasn't readily available, and the later days were just so full from sunup to sundown that I was too exhausted.  Over the next few days of resting and processing I hope to walk you through my journey as I journal through my week in Jinja. 

Dinnertime for the children of S*nrise

Meet Jolly Joe

I love to see my children experience new things

and learn to use their gifts in creative ways to serve the Lord.

My firstborn son was able to be on the CLOWN team

of our church's Living Out Loud summer outreach program.

He's learned to make a mean pirate's sword out of balloons :)

and Saturday he'll be in a VBS parade in a local community.

I'm so thankful for my son Joel.

God uses him everyday to draw me closer to Jesus.

His heart challenges me & homeschooling has been a gift.

I can't wait to see what God does with this precious arrow of ours.

The Original Adoption Story...

is about Moses.  I am drawing & painting some murals to carry over to the baby home we will be visiting in Jinja Uganda in THREE WEEKS (can't believe it's almost here).  After searching & selecting several great Bible story scenes... I selected the image of baby Moses being found by the princess as my largest one, the one I wanted to be special. I liked the colors and then it hit my heart...Moses was ADOPTED.  Now several weeks later, someone else posted this video.  God is ALL about adoption, please keep your heart open to ALL that God may be calling you to.  I don't even know what to do with my heart after I watch this.  Pause my music at the bottom, before you play the video. 



I have to tell you, when I see these precious children sleeping end to end on this bed... I see MY 8 year old, and MY 4 year old, & MY 2 year old.  How would I feel, thinking about my Isaiah going to sleep at night, ALL ALONE? My son sucks his 2 middle fingers as a comfort, and my baby girl her thumb.  This comforts them as they fall asleep.  They also go to this position when nervous, shy, tired or scared.  There have been moments when I put Lucy in time-out and she curled up and the thumb went in her mouth...it hurt my heart (even though she needs my discipline) to think of her having to self-sooth "from Mommy". I know this is a self-soothing technique, and my heart broke thinking about the children who ONLY have themselves for comfort.  Who is there when they have a bad dream?  No child should have to go to sleep at night without the love of a mother & father.  This is not God's plan.  His word tells us, "I will not leave you as orphans."  So what do we do?  It will be different for all of us, but not SO different.  I mean, we can't all say,"well we aren't called to that", some "other" family will have to adopt.  Who are the somebody elses if not Christ followers; with His love to give, with faith in Him to get them through the challenges, with a belief that this life is about so much more than ourselves?   For our family this means we can no longer pretend that we don't know this need is out there.

 "...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."(Proverbs 24:12)

 
We can't say that adoption is just for those with infertility.  We can't excuse ourselves from the reality that we are somewhat equipped as the parents of three, to give the love, care, guidance, & nurturing required to raise a few more arrows in this world. 
This statistic must be faced. 

 34% OF CHRISTIAN FAMILIES

           CONSIDER ADOPTING

           AND ONLY 1 % OF  CHRISTIAN FAMILIES

           ACTUALLY DO.

If we are the hands and feet of Jesus as we await His return, what would He ask of us?  I know the question that "we" had to answer, that flies in the face of all things "American Dream" ....is WHAT are WE LIVING FOR?  What is the end goal?  It's not just to get three kids "raised", let them do all the possible sports/activities they want, get them through college, and do our best to guide them to their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  See that last part there, if that is priority #1, showing them by example what walking through this life with Jesus is like ....then that changes everything.  I'm not saying they don't need to be well-rounded, or get a college education.  I'm just saying that when I stand before my maker one day, He's not going to ask about my college degree, or my hobbies or sports, or accomplishments on the job.  All of that is a means to an end, and END of glorifying God with my life.

Counting My Blessings

And Naming Them One by One!

After beginning our story & sharing our hearts for adoption

 this weekend I'm being still and taking stock.

These are the three little lives we have been blessed with so far.

It's an adventure full of laughter & love.

Oh, and there's the occasional hitting, squealing (courtesy of Miss Lulu) and tattling.

Like today on the drive to Atlanta, in the back of a sedan,

All 3 of them were side by side in close quarters.

Their price to pay for "our" saving on Fuel Economy

and our price was our temporary sanity.

Thank Goodness it's only Temporary,

Followed by more LAUGHTER.

A few months ago we Welcomed SPRING

 courtesy of some of the best Grandparents in the World

 and a wonderful little place called, Callaway Gardens.