Yesterday I woke up to some of the greatest gifts God has ever given to me. Not only was my husband lying next to me in bed, but an angel. I was being "petted" by a small hand and of course he was saying "DADA"! I rolled over and he cuddled right in. I felt so at peace. I was reminded, as I often am, that these children are not mine, but the lords. After a few moments of peace, the day had begun!!! Jordan rolled out of bed and left the room. The little angel decided to get off the bed himself. I tried to lay there, wanting to go back to sleep, but he proceeded to take off his own diaper and was running around the room, just when I heard angel number two crying in the next room! The joys of parenthood.

I continue to feel so blessed by all the things going on in our lives. Summer has been amazing. No we didn't go on any fancy vacations or set off at sea for a cruise, but I felt blessed right where I am. Jordan is loving his new jobs. He has been a traveling preacher, a farmer, a father, a gardener, a lawn boy, spoke at a funeral, a roofer, a painter, and of course his new current position at Habitat for Humanity. I have been blessed to take a graduate course online and stay home with the boys. We have been swimming, visited parks, had play dates, and more.

I started reading a new book last week that a friend let me borrow about a girl who traveled to Africa to be a missionary. Since someone lent me the book I decided I'd better read it so I can give it back to her. I didn't have such high expectations and thought I might not even enjoy the book. I was wrong. The book is called Kisses from Katie. It’s about a young girl named Katie Davis who lives in Uganda. I want to share some things from her book that have me in constant deep thought.

Adoption is wonderful and beautiful and the greatest blessing I have ever experienced. Adoption is also difficult and painful. Adoption is a beautiful picture of redemption. It is the gospel in my living room. And, sometimes, it's just hard.

Being a foster parent is also all of the things above... We have not learned anything new in a long time about the little angels we now have. Although...to us they are ours, I am constantly reminded that birth child or not...no child will ever be mine. These beautiful blessings are just gifts from God. They are his children, just like you and me.

My family, adopting these children, it is not optional. It is not my good deed for the day; it is not what I am doing to "help these poor kids." I adopt because God commands me to care for the orphans and the widows in distress. I adopt because Jesus says to that whom much has been given, much will be demanded (Luke 12:48) and because whoever finds his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for his sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39)

I think she is an amazing writer and so much of the story has me comparing what she writes to my own life. We continue to pray for our angel gifts from God and the ones we have not met yet.

God granted us some other gifts as well!!! The last blog was about an account we had opened with an organization called life song for orphans. We sent out some support letters after a huge pride battle in our hearts... We received in abundance. People gave with their hearts. We have about 10,000 dollars saved now because of the generous donations of so many. I was brought to tears when I got the statement from the organization. It gave me names of people... It let me know that people understood and that God was going to continue to provide for us and our future family. Thanks again for all the support. We continue to ask for prayers for our angels and our future children as we continue on this journey. We still need about 4,000 to accept a referral and I have no doubt that when the referral comes, God will provide.

We won’t be getting a referral until after February due to our current family situation, but we have come to terms with being patient in the waiting, only because we are too busy to do anything else!

I want to leave you with one last thought...people often say to Jordan or I, "I couldn't do foster care" or "I couldn't handle it, if they ever left." or even "how do you do it?"

My new answer is "I don't" "It's just a little bit of coffee and a lot of Jesus"

 Like I said it’s hard, but the support is what keeps us going.  Thanks again for reading, praying, and the financial supports.

June 8, 2012

 Dear Family and Friends,      

“1. Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. 2. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!”  Hebrews 13:1-2

Some of you know we have felt called and directed by God to adopt children into our family.  We are adopting one or two children from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  We received an email from our agency with encouraging news that we could be getting a referral soon!  We still do not know the child that God has chosen for us to parent, but we are getting more excited by the day!

Some of you are probably wondering what has prompted us to adopt. Well we were ready to be parents at least four years ago, but with many things God has his own timing.  We decided to become foster parents two years ago and have fostered four little boys in our home.  We have been so blessed by their innocence and love.  We hope that Nate and Mike, our current placement, get to stay with us forever, but that is not in our control.  We constantly remind each other to live each day to the fullest and love them as much as we can.  About a year ago we decided to begin the journey of international adoption.  We finalized all of our paper work in December 2011 and have been waiting for a referral since.

A referral is when they will call to tell us that they have one or two orphan children that they have matched with us and we will adopt them.  The children will be of either sex and could be from birth to 4 years old.  We cannot wait to be ‘forever parents’ to as many children as God has in mind for us.

The biggest challenge for us is not opening our hearts and home to children, but also finding the finances to make this reality. We estimate our total cost for adoption fees, document preparation, home study, airfare, travel, attorney fees, etc. to be $25,000.  That is certainly money we don’t have, but we know God is faithful and is leading us to trust Him. By God’s grace we have been able to pay the initial $8,500.  We have received one Grant from an organization called ”Show Hope” for a total of $6,000 dollars.

It is difficult (because of our pride), to make our needs known to the Body of Christ around us; but we also know it’s very Biblical to do so. We appreciate your friendship very much and would like you to pray & consider helping us in our adoption. There are two ways you can help:

1. Prayer – Please pray God would tenderly care for the Children in DRC until we are able to bring our children home. Please pray that God would prepare Nathen, Mike, and our extended family for the upcoming changes to our family. And that God will give us wisdom, discernment, and insight as we raise our children.

2. Financial support - Will you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us pay the remaining $10,500 in adoption expenses, to bring our children home?

Lifesong (www.lifesongfororphans.org) has graciously set up a fundraising account for us to raise funds to help pay the “ransom” to bring our children home. If you would like to be a part of God bringing Children to Himself through our family, you can send your tax-deductible gift between now and July 16th to the address below. Lifesong is a trusted organization administering the funds on our child’s behalf, and will pay adoption expenses out of funds received.

1. Please make checks payable to: Lifesong. You may preference how the donation might be used by writing “preference Knight #2428 Adoption” in the memo section of your check.

(*Note: In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong which retains full discretion and control over its use.)

2. Mail checks to:

Lifesong for Orphans

Att: Knight #2428 Adoption

PO Box 40/202 N. Ford St.

Gridley, IL 61744

Thank you for investing in the Kingdom through prayer and finances – it will be an investment with an eternal return (Matt 6:20). We will give you updates and details as we receive them. Please pray this entire process will glorify God and fulfill His purposes!

In Christ,

Jordan and Lindsey Knight

I once had a blog

"I once had a blog that I blogged in.
T'was about my family to be.
I once had a blog that I blogged in.
I wrote and it set me free.
I once had a blog that I blogged in.
I would carefully update about thee.
I once had a blog that I blogged in.
About two kids who do not know me.
I once had a blog that I blogged in.
Two little boys distracted me!"

So to say it's been a while would be an understatement. Here's some updates written with the hope that future posts will be a bit more frequent and regular.

Lindsey & I finished everything this side of Africa a week prior to Christmas 2011! At this point we are 1,000 debt free not counting the remaining forthcoming adoption fee & travel cost. However, we are in very good shape in regards to the final $13,000 -  $17,000. We were awarded a grant of $6,000 & we have another that allows gifts from family/friends to be a charitable donation (more information about that grant will be coming soon).

Christmas meant the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. All in all it's just been a bunch of waiting with little to know information. On average it is taking 6-9 months to receive a referral. And that's after the 6-8 months it took us to get to where we're at now. We're now 5 months into the 6-9 month range. Think that's a long time? There's more. After referral the average wait for travel/adoption is 10-12 months. That means we'll know our children for close to a year before we ever meet them and bring them home. That means it could still be another 11-17 months before it ever happens for us.

You might be shocked by the length at which it is taking us to bring our angels home. Trust me, it ain't too fun for us either. Yet, I can't say we're sitting here with our thumbs up our butts (nice mental image huh? haha). We've got two angels with us now.

And many of you know our situation with them. And some of you also know I've gotten into a bit of trouble for posting about these guys on Facebook. As a result I will forgo major details and just give ya the basics. We've had N his whole life - he is now 15 months. We've had his lil bro M his whole life - he is now 4 months. They're not even 11 months apart! At this point they're 'goal' is return home. However, there is no end in sight. They see bio mom only 5 hrs a week (only 4 hrs w/ N). We did the math and at best bio Mom has spent the equivalent of 11 days total with her 15 month old son. How sad. Bio dad is currently in prison. Approximate release date is September. But, we just learned of a law that would either keep him in prison for an additional 2 yrs. or 4 yrs. probation but would not be allowed any contact with N & M. Either way means the boys could be with us another 2-4 yrs! Il is a jacked up state cause from what we've gathered if we lived in Iowa bio rights would have been terminated 4 months ago. Here in good old IL a termination will probably not be initiated until 2 yrs (that's next Feb.).

Raising N & M is a true blessing & honor. They are so easy to love! We don't get lost in thinking about these unknowns that surround their little lives cause then we miss out on their awesomeness. We believe everything happens for a reason & if they get to stay with us forever we will be forever blessed.

All this has led me to think of a number of favorite scriptures -

"With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day."

Ecclesiastes "Turn, turn, turn" passage

"I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined & heard my cry."

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

There are many more.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Blessings.

Yellow Fever...

Just a lil bit of an update:

Linz, Nate and I journeyed to Naperville, IL last week in order to be finger printed by the FBI/Dept. of Homeland Security! The journey was a success and included Nate's first time in a hot tub, a feast of Chicago style pizza, a huge suite (thanks to Tara Baumgardner!) to stay in, a Geordono's lunch buffet, getting kicked out of Costco, and a can of potted chicken killed in accordance with Islamic Law!

Passport apps have been filled out...4-6 weeks from now we should have them in our hands!

This Friday we'll travel to the distant land of Peoria for Yellow Fever shots and typhoid pills! If this trip also includes cheese curds, I'll consider myself truly blessed, haha.

Please continue to keep Nathen in your prayers as his little journey continues to have many twists and turns. Pray for our sanity too as we prepare ourselves for the arrival of Nate's little brother (praise God Nate is sleeping all through the night once again!).

and as always thanks for all your love, prayers, support, and for taking the time to read our blog.

Blessings,
Jordan & Lindsey

our sonogram

I cried when I saw this on a friends blog!  How amazing.  Our adoption specialist says we are "paper pregnant".  We are "expecting" just like anyone else only we are chosing to build our family in a different way.  I'm so lucky to get to share our experience with so many family and friends.  I am blessed today to have so many Galesburg adoptive families to brighten our days while we wait together!  Thanks Nick and Tracy, the Baxters, the Mowens, the Maleks, and many more!

Had to Share This...

Saw this short video about an foster/adoptive family. Made me cry (as many things do these days) so I figured I better share it.

http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-the-rucker-family-27126573

blessings to you all.

I Am But Clay...

In a time of daily reading I read this...

"It is days like these when I remember I am but clay. It is days like these when a future as that Starbucks barista looks intensely inviting. How did I wind up here after all? Oh, I remember. I said yes to the Lord. I may be a simple clay vessel, but the Father is pleased to let His glory be carried in earthen clay vessels who have said yes. And yes can be a dangerous little word. Days like these are actually quite useful, because if I did not have them, I might forget that the glory is His. I am but clay" -Michele Perry-

So, Lindsey called me on her lunch break (if you want to call it that). She usually gets 20 minutes to herself, but not always. And I've come to learn that if Linz calls me at this time of day it ain't just to chat, she means bizzness!!! At this point in our professional and personal lives things are a bit overwhelming to say the least and that's what she called to vent about. In response to her list that would make the most laid back person worried I gave some advice that I've been attempting to give myself (again and again)... Don't let what has and is a blessing become your curse. Meaning a lot of what we hope and pray for isn't just handed to us, we have to work long, hard, tiring hours for it! God wants it that way, so in turn we appreciate it all the more.

With that being said, here's an update on what's go'n on with the Knights and the battle we're currently fighting in order to keep our focus on the BLESSINGS that are all around us!

1. We sent in two applications for two grants for our adoption - man those weren't fun to fill out! We're hopeful for a good return on a lot of hard work!
2. This friday we're traveling to Naperville, IL to be finger printed by the FBI for our adoption - we're praying for the gas/food money to get us there and back safe and sound.
3. One week from friday we'll travel to Peoria for Yellow Fever shots (amongst others) and hopefully still have time to take care of our passports!
4. Nate the Great turned 9 months old today!!!! He's also cutting new teeth (all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth seems very fitting) and we're praying for the strength and sanity to make it through sleepless nights. Also, we're praying for relief for our lil one as these sharp daggers the doctor calls teeth rip through his lil baby gums!
5. Baby number two is due to arrive Dec. 31st and it's a BOY! We've been praying for a family for years and before we ever travel to Africa for two forever children we'll already have two boys - that's right Nate's lil Bro will be helping the Knights ring in the new year! Lord help us!
6. Somewhere in-between all the adoption and foster care stuff Linz and I still have jobs to do and I somewhere in there a relationship to keep alive and healthy so we could definitely use some prayer there too!

More than anything we are thankful that God continues to redirect our selfish focus back on to his overwhelming love, a place where we can clearly see the many ways he is blessing us daily! We are thankful to be earthen clay vessels! Simple, ordinary, and easily overlooked vessels, yet chosen by God to do mighty things, so that HE may be glorified! Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

We are thankful for all of you who read, support, and pray for us daily! May you be forever blessed!

We are but Clay,

Jordan & Lindsey