August Update
Gideon loves the book Goodnight Moon, still loves the garage door, and has a newfound love of the show Little Baby Bum. He especially likes the songs about water or bubbles, and LBB really seems to be helping his receptive English! This month, we got the FINAL documents for Gideon’s adoption! We had his name legally changed at the courthouse, obtained his Certificate of Foreign Birth, and completed his Registration of Foreign Birth. We also had his follow up appointment at Cincinnati Children’s. He’s jumped to 14-21 months in all areas of development, AND Dr. Manning was super impressed with his eye contact as a resident handed him a toy! Gideon’s teachers are also impressed with his progress in such a short time! Lyman and Ruth came to visit us before moving to Hong Kong, and Gideon loved playing with them. Brian and I attended a picnic for an event at church called Act II, and we got to meet some of the foster kiddos who will be featured at the event. They were so sweet, and God really started working in our hearts. August 10 was one of the best days of my life, as foster mom texted us via Kakao Talk after waiting the allotted time required by our Korean social worker! We were at a gala, and I just started crying with joy, right there at our table. We didn’t know if we’d ever have this relationship, and goodness, it’s such a gift!All during August in preschool chapel, our kiddos [and Brian and I] learned that “God’s way is perfect.” The very last story of the month was the story of Gideon, of how God took a scared, timid guy and turned him into a mighty man of courage, a mighty warrior who defeated a massive army with 300 warriors, a few torches, and a bunch of clay pots. Gideon was an unlikely candidate in an unlikely battle plan, surprised by an angel who showed up and told him he was courageous when he felt anything but brave. But as we learned throughout August, God’s way is always, always perfect. And He doesn’t need our strength or our ability to write a victorious story. Our Gideon’s story didn’t unfold the way we imagined either. We - all 3 of us - were unlikely candidates in an unlikely story. Unqualified, surprised, unsure. But, like Old Testament Gideon, God often sees us differently than we see or feel ourselves. And now, watching how God is transforming our timid Gideon into a mighty man of courage, we can’t help but be encouraged that God’s way is as perfect now as it was 3100 years ago. Lydia (our niece) was in chapel with us, and she raised her hand and shouted proudly, “You guys have a baby named Gideon!” And we do. Thank the Lord we do.Milestones:
