Posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
She's walking
Can you believe it? I know it seems a little far-fetched that at 7 mos old, Ava would have already begun walking. (And don't get me wrong she isn't taking long walks around the block by herself or anything). But... she took her first steps this week all by herself. Wobbly steps but steps none the less. She is the 7 mos walking wonder. I'll try to get some pics later.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Walking Papers
Well, we just received word from our company that we have official approval to return overseas. Now all that is left to do is one more conference complete with a fancy sending ceremony and our visa.
The visa is coming along with just a few little snags. We have had to set up a power of attorney to get Ava's birth certificate authenticated. (which then has to go back to Bangkok.) And the State of OKlahoma has been a little difficult to work with in getting our criminal record sealed by the secretary of state. In case you are wondering, Jeff nor I have a criminal record which is part of the problem. Basically, our woes go something like this:
I printed off the request for criminal record form from the Oklahoma state bureau of investigation website. They returned the form because it wasn't the correct form. I completed and faxed the form that they sent me and it once again was returned because they no longer accept faxed copies. I MAILED the form and they finally sent me a piece of paper that stated "there is no criminal record found for the person matching that name or description." Whew, I was afraid there may have been. :)
So, I think that the hard part is over. Next, we drive to the secretary of the state of Oklahoma's office located in the capital building in OKC (about a 2-hour drive) to get the form put in an official state envelope and sealed so that the Taiwan government knows that it is official. They cannot seal it because the form is not notarized. I must have the OSBI notarize the form. Fortunately, we weren't too far away from the OSBI office so we make a quick jog over to their office (two kids in tow). The lady behind the bullet proof glass window tells me that they can't notarize the document but they can provide a letter of certification that is notarized. I say "ok, give me one of those." She points me to the next window. I ask the second lady behind the second bullet-proof glass window to give me one of those certified letter things and she says she can't because it has to be done on the same day that the original criminal record was pulled.
At this point the lady in the lobby laughs and reveals three black teeth in her entire head. She mumbles something about how they should have told us this before and how *****ed up the government is. To which another rather large lady with a couple of gold teeth responds with something sarcastic about how we want these people to run our healthcare system. No comment.
Anyways, we fill out the forms again, ask them for the certified letter thing and to please notarize the letter as well just to be safe. Paid them our $30 again and I left to wait with the girls in the car. Jeff exits the building 15minutes later and we have our certified letter that states we have no criminal record. By the time we finished all this it was too late to return to the Secretary of State office. So, we will try getting it sealed once more before sending it to the Taiwan government to authenticate it and return it back to us so that we can apply for our visa sometime in the next 10 years.
However, we do feel very fortunate to be at this point in the process of our return. Due to economic constraints, many people who would like to go overseas are unable to do so. We have had a very easy time getting approved and funding to return. We are so thankful to our Father who has watched us each step and opened many impossible doors.
The visa is coming along with just a few little snags. We have had to set up a power of attorney to get Ava's birth certificate authenticated. (which then has to go back to Bangkok.) And the State of OKlahoma has been a little difficult to work with in getting our criminal record sealed by the secretary of state. In case you are wondering, Jeff nor I have a criminal record which is part of the problem. Basically, our woes go something like this:
I printed off the request for criminal record form from the Oklahoma state bureau of investigation website. They returned the form because it wasn't the correct form. I completed and faxed the form that they sent me and it once again was returned because they no longer accept faxed copies. I MAILED the form and they finally sent me a piece of paper that stated "there is no criminal record found for the person matching that name or description." Whew, I was afraid there may have been. :)
So, I think that the hard part is over. Next, we drive to the secretary of the state of Oklahoma's office located in the capital building in OKC (about a 2-hour drive) to get the form put in an official state envelope and sealed so that the Taiwan government knows that it is official. They cannot seal it because the form is not notarized. I must have the OSBI notarize the form. Fortunately, we weren't too far away from the OSBI office so we make a quick jog over to their office (two kids in tow). The lady behind the bullet proof glass window tells me that they can't notarize the document but they can provide a letter of certification that is notarized. I say "ok, give me one of those." She points me to the next window. I ask the second lady behind the second bullet-proof glass window to give me one of those certified letter things and she says she can't because it has to be done on the same day that the original criminal record was pulled.
At this point the lady in the lobby laughs and reveals three black teeth in her entire head. She mumbles something about how they should have told us this before and how *****ed up the government is. To which another rather large lady with a couple of gold teeth responds with something sarcastic about how we want these people to run our healthcare system. No comment.
Anyways, we fill out the forms again, ask them for the certified letter thing and to please notarize the letter as well just to be safe. Paid them our $30 again and I left to wait with the girls in the car. Jeff exits the building 15minutes later and we have our certified letter that states we have no criminal record. By the time we finished all this it was too late to return to the Secretary of State office. So, we will try getting it sealed once more before sending it to the Taiwan government to authenticate it and return it back to us so that we can apply for our visa sometime in the next 10 years.
However, we do feel very fortunate to be at this point in the process of our return. Due to economic constraints, many people who would like to go overseas are unable to do so. We have had a very easy time getting approved and funding to return. We are so thankful to our Father who has watched us each step and opened many impossible doors.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Bubble Baths
Ava is almost 7 mos. old and is now able to do a few things with Chloe (supervised, of course). One of her favorites is pool time and bubble bath. Two weeks ago we were able to move into a house that our company provides for people in the states. It's really nice with a big fenced backyard that the girls love to play in. Grandma bought the girls a small blow-up swimming pool and they spend loads of time splashing each other.
The house also has a piano. I have been practicing again for the first time in 15 years. (The only music I could find was an old baptist hymnal. I have become quite proficient at "Amazing Grace", "Holy, Holy, Holy" and "Be Thou My Vision") It's fun to actually play something again. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed it when I was younger.
Our time is rapidly winding down in the states and we are trying to purchase all the things we think we will need for our new home as well as for ourselves. Top on the list for me is jeans. I spent 5 hours today looking for a pair of jeans that didn't say "skinny" or "boyfriend" on the tag. Regardless of the brand and style, every pair said "these jeans will make your legs look thinner and your stomach flatter and you will be happy every day for the rest of your life." BUT... every pair I tried on just made me look too young or too old. I can't pull of the matchstick frame you need for skinny jeans and I am tired of squeezing my thighs into bootcut jeans that just fall off my waist. I did find one pair that I liked but for the low, bargain price of $136 I passed.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Ava at 6 months
When Chloe was born the first 6 months were the longest time span in the history of the earth. The second time around the first 6 months is the shortest time span ever. Crazy.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
5 Inconvenient Truths.
Inconvenient Truth #1: Family conflicts are easier 10,000 miles away.
Issues that neither of us cared to work on are now upon us and must be taken care of. It was much easier while overseas to just hang up the computer phone and say "isn't that a shame." Now that we are right here in the middle, we must do something- but what?
Inconvenient Truth #2: America is a fast-food culture. Never in the last two years have we had so many immediate items that had to be dealt with on a daily basis. We have started calling a family meal going through the drive-thru together in the minivan.
Inconvenient Truth #3: Returning to the states has been a bit like re-opening a healing wound. Upon landing, there was an immediate pain that in some ways we had missed out on quite a bit but in other ways it was painful to see that some things we wished would change were exactly the same. Over time, we have put a bandaid on the wound. Now that it is healing, we are itching to get overseas.
Inconvenient Truth #4: Two plus years in transition is two years too many. Since our departure two years ago, our conversations about the future have always started with "if we go back to the states... or if we come back overseas..." The uncertainty of our future caused us to be in constant transition which meant that we were unable to keep more than 8 suitcases of our earhtly possesions or make definite plans on anything. Transition can be one of the most uncomfortable places to be.
Inconvenient Truth #5: God is more concerned with our spiritual development and relationship with him than with our happiness and comfort level. It is true that oftentimes these two items go hand-in-hand, the better the relationship with God, the more contented and overall happy we are. However, one only has to look at Job to know that the process of getting there can be very unpleasant.
Issues that neither of us cared to work on are now upon us and must be taken care of. It was much easier while overseas to just hang up the computer phone and say "isn't that a shame." Now that we are right here in the middle, we must do something- but what?
Inconvenient Truth #2: America is a fast-food culture. Never in the last two years have we had so many immediate items that had to be dealt with on a daily basis. We have started calling a family meal going through the drive-thru together in the minivan.
Inconvenient Truth #3: Returning to the states has been a bit like re-opening a healing wound. Upon landing, there was an immediate pain that in some ways we had missed out on quite a bit but in other ways it was painful to see that some things we wished would change were exactly the same. Over time, we have put a bandaid on the wound. Now that it is healing, we are itching to get overseas.
Inconvenient Truth #4: Two plus years in transition is two years too many. Since our departure two years ago, our conversations about the future have always started with "if we go back to the states... or if we come back overseas..." The uncertainty of our future caused us to be in constant transition which meant that we were unable to keep more than 8 suitcases of our earhtly possesions or make definite plans on anything. Transition can be one of the most uncomfortable places to be.
Inconvenient Truth #5: God is more concerned with our spiritual development and relationship with him than with our happiness and comfort level. It is true that oftentimes these two items go hand-in-hand, the better the relationship with God, the more contented and overall happy we are. However, one only has to look at Job to know that the process of getting there can be very unpleasant.
Friday, July 17, 2009
What do you do in the states?
Many people have asked us what we do while we are here in the states with seemingly no job. Our stock answer has been kind of vague because it's kind of complicated. I thought I would instead give you a glimpse into each person's to-do list:
First the easy one- Ava:
1. Eat
2. Sleep
3. Poop
4. Chew on anything I can get my hands on
5. Learn to crawl
Then there's Chloe:
1. Annoy my sister
2. Watch Dora
3. Learn colors, shapes, numbers and Alphabet
4. Watch Dora
And of course Heather and Jeff's to-do list is a bit more complex:
1. Complete our Visa application for Taiwan (this consists of mailing each person's birth certificate, our marriage license, college diploma's, transcripts, a letter from our church, a letter from our company, a letter from the company we are going to work for, a notarized medical exam sealed by the secretary of state and a certified non-criminal record also sealed by the secretary of state. We mail all that to the Taiwan Government office in Houston for them to "authenticate". Then, we actually complete our visa application and mail it along with all of the above authenticated documents, copies of the above documents, our passports, pictures and dinero back to the Taiwan government office to get our Visa. Did I mention that Ava's birth certificate has to be sent back to Bangkok because she was born in Thailand? And our medical exam consists of a HIV test, syphilis test, TB chest X-ray, fecal smear for parasites and something else called Hansen's Disease?) We might get this all done sometime this century.
2. speak in churches and various organizations around the state that would like to hear about the work going on overseas. (This has consumed most of our weekends)
3. Crate an entire household of goods overseas. This time, we get to bring a lot of household goods with us to Taiwan including a mattress, washer/dryer, airconditioners, rugs, heaters, extra clothing, etc.. However, you may remember that we got rid of all our wordly possessions the last time we left and so before we can send a bunch of stuff overseas we have to buy it all again.
4. And finally we have to accomplish all of the above amidst traveling for conferences and trainings for the company as well as not neglecting friends and family that we will not see again for possibly four more years.
Doesn't that sound relaxing?
First the easy one- Ava:
1. Eat
2. Sleep
3. Poop
4. Chew on anything I can get my hands on
5. Learn to crawl
Then there's Chloe:
1. Annoy my sister
2. Watch Dora
3. Learn colors, shapes, numbers and Alphabet
4. Watch Dora
And of course Heather and Jeff's to-do list is a bit more complex:
1. Complete our Visa application for Taiwan (this consists of mailing each person's birth certificate, our marriage license, college diploma's, transcripts, a letter from our church, a letter from our company, a letter from the company we are going to work for, a notarized medical exam sealed by the secretary of state and a certified non-criminal record also sealed by the secretary of state. We mail all that to the Taiwan Government office in Houston for them to "authenticate". Then, we actually complete our visa application and mail it along with all of the above authenticated documents, copies of the above documents, our passports, pictures and dinero back to the Taiwan government office to get our Visa. Did I mention that Ava's birth certificate has to be sent back to Bangkok because she was born in Thailand? And our medical exam consists of a HIV test, syphilis test, TB chest X-ray, fecal smear for parasites and something else called Hansen's Disease?) We might get this all done sometime this century.
2. speak in churches and various organizations around the state that would like to hear about the work going on overseas. (This has consumed most of our weekends)
3. Crate an entire household of goods overseas. This time, we get to bring a lot of household goods with us to Taiwan including a mattress, washer/dryer, airconditioners, rugs, heaters, extra clothing, etc.. However, you may remember that we got rid of all our wordly possessions the last time we left and so before we can send a bunch of stuff overseas we have to buy it all again.
4. And finally we have to accomplish all of the above amidst traveling for conferences and trainings for the company as well as not neglecting friends and family that we will not see again for possibly four more years.
Doesn't that sound relaxing?
Monday, July 6, 2009
How can we partner?
As Jeff and I look towards the future and our new home in Taiwan. We have been thinking about our partners back home. This includes our family, friends, small group study, church, etc. A big question we have been asked is "how can we help?"
We know that many people want to show their support for our work overseas but aren't sure what their options are. Therefore we have provided this list of opportunities for you to be thinking and praying about over the next few months before we leave.
We know that many people want to show their support for our work overseas but aren't sure what their options are. Therefore we have provided this list of opportunities for you to be thinking and praying about over the next few months before we leave.
Ways to partner with us
1. Pray, pray, pray: Col. 4:3-4 "Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."
2. Give: We are completely supported by our company. But the company is supported by donations. If you are interested in making a donation to the non-profit organization we work for, let us know. Your gifts are greatly appreciated particularly in this poor economy. Even now, there are people wanting to go and do the same work as us but are unable to due to lack of funding.
3. Go: If you are interested in a short-term volunteer project or more longer term service, let us know. We would be happy to connect you with a project or the right people to answer your questions.
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