Remembering Uncle Lance

Soon I will post the emails we sent friends and family on our 'Gotcha Day'-February 17, 2014...the day we first held our precious Josiah in our arms.  But today, I want to take time to remember and honor Isaac, Emma, and Josiah's Uncle Lance.

While we were in China finalizing the adoption of our dear son, we learned that Ricky's brother Lance was not going to survive.  He had been battling a host of serious health issues for months and was in the hospital for a major surgery.  Before the surgery, he had a massive stroke and would never recover.  We learned this news as we sat in Guangzhou, China, our last stop on the paperwork trail to bring our little boy home.  And we were so very heartbroken that Lance would not get to meet his precious nephew on this side of heaven.

There are many things I could share about Lance in remembrance of his life on this earth, but as his sister-in-law and mom to his nephews and niece, I would like to talk about what he meant to me as my children's uncle.  Lance loved Isaac, Emma, and Josiah more than words could express.  He sat in the waiting room while I was in labor with Isaac and Emma.  He was one of the first people to hold them in his arms.  They must have felt so protected and loved in his strong embrace.  I loved that even though he was single with no children and had almost no experience with babies, there he sat in my hospital rooms, holding his swaddled nephew and niece.  As they grew, he began to develop a special bond with Isaac.  Sometimes when he would visit us, I would find him in the other room reading to Isaac or playing games that are much more fun when played with a fun uncle.  Before he started to get really sick, our family spent a very special couple of days together around his 29th birthday.  Ricky, Isaac, Emma, Lance, and I went to a beautiful park in Cincinnati and Isaac and Emma were beyond delighted to play with their uncle.  This is where I took my favorite picture of Lance ever.  He is sitting with Isaac and Emma on his lap with pure joy on his face because of how much he loved spending time with them.  The following day, he joined us for Emma's first Reds game and anyone who knows us, knows how special it is to share that moment in time with our family!  Every Christmas or birthday, the best gift for the kids would be from Uncle Lance.  I especially loved that he could pick out the most special gift for Emma.  It could not have been an easy task for him to stand in the girl toy aisle and choose the perfect gift out of all the pink calling out to him.  I become overwhelmed in those aisles, but he didn't.  He stood there and knew Emma would love the exact stroller he picked out and the exact pink princess rocking horse that sat on the shelf.  This past Christmas, Lance was very sick and bed-ridden, but thankfully was home at his parents' house with us for his last Christmas.  And even though he had been terribly sick for months, under the tree sat the perfect gifts for Isaac and Emma that he bought over the internet.  He bought Isaac a remote controlled Dusty Crophopper from the movie 'Planes' and at the end of the day, Isaac proudly proclaimed 'this is my favorite present!'.  Out of all the toys Isaac received for Christmas, it will always be true that his favorite present on Lance's last Christmas on earth with us, was from Uncle Lance.  Rest assured that we will be keeping that plane forever, along with Emma's sweet pink princess horse.  He knew what Isaac and Emma loved and entered into their world with them.

As we sat in China and learned this news, I wept over the loss of Uncle Lance to my children.  For the rest of their lives, the 3 best presents under the Christmas tree will be missing.  It was almost too much to bear holding our sweet new son in our laps and thinking about how he will not have his Uncle Lance with him on this side of heaven.  It is still hard for me to accept this fact.  We learned that one of the last questions Lance was able to answer before he would never regain consciousness was the name of his newest nephew; 'Josiah' he answered proudly when asked by the medical staff to recall the name of his nephew.  He loved him so much already.  While we were in China, we took a picture of the kids with a sign that said 'Uncle Lance:  in our hearts forever.'  Ricky and I will spend much time telling them stories of Uncle Lance's love for them so that this will indeed be the case.  Although he was no longer conscious, we were able to make it to his hospital room to say goodbye and I sincerely thanked him for the impact he made on our children's lives and will continue to make, even apart from us.

While we rejoice knowing that Lance is healed and whole and truly alive with his beautiful Savior Jesus Christ and will no longer experience pain or suffering, we grieve over the missing presents under the Christmas tree.

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, even if he die, shall live; and whoever lives and believes in Me, shall never die.'"  (John 11:25)

An Open Thank You Letter to You!

Dear Friends and Family,

On January 14, we received the message we had been waiting 13 months to receive:  our travel invitation telling us when we will travel to bring our son home!!!  In less than a month, we will finally be holding our precious Josiah in our arms.  Last Sunday, Ricky preached a sermon from Ephesians 4:7-16 entitled 'The Extravagant Gift Giver.'  This passage speaks about the different gifts and talents God gives His children 'for the good of the body and for the glory of God' (as Ricky stated it).  Ephesians 4:16-17 reads, "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."  The reason I mention this, is to thank you.  This passage states that the body builds itself up in love when it is working properly.  Over 50 people have given us funds to help bring our little boy home.  Countless others have prayed and encouraged us.  We simply would not be on the cusp of adopting this beautiful life into our family without you and we are so grateful.  I can think of no other example of the body of Christ building itself up in love than giving a child without a family, a loving family.  The gospel is God adopting us into His family through faith in Christ and this journey has truly exemplified God's heart for adoption:  taking orphans and placing them in families, as He has placed us in His family.

To every person who has sacrificed time, talents, and treasures to bring Josiah home, please know that you will be with us as we hold Josiah for the first time.  You will be with us as he officially becomes our son, as he plays with his big brother and sister for the first time, as he gets his visa and takes a long plane ride to his new home, as he enters his blue racecar room that he will share with his big brother, and as he grows up in our family.  Thank you does not seem like enough for this extravagant gift, but it is what we give to you.

In His grace,
Ricky, Michelle, Isaac, Emma Grace, and Josiah Simpson:)

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you" (Colossians 1:3).

Life is Beautiful

We are getting closer and closer to bringing our beautiful son home.  There is a piece of paper sitting in China saying he is our son.  We now await our travel invitation from China to discover what day that piece of paper will be handed to us at the US Consulate in China and Josiah will no longer be just in our hearts but officially part of our family as well.  In the midst of excitement, it is also easy for me to start getting bogged down in the details:  yes, we are taking our two young children literally half-way across the world to bring their brother home.  Yes, it is a 12 hour time difference and a 16 hour flight.  Yes, we will then have an almost 2 year old, an almost 3 year old, and a 4 year old; one of which has endured much loss and who won't understand one word we are saying (except for the word 'mama'.  It's the same in both languages!  What a sweet gift!).

Then a friend posted an article about a documentary called 'The Drop Box' that has greatly impacted me on our adoption journey on her Facebook page (thanks for the reminder, Julie!).  This documentary is the story of a pastor in Korea who has set up a 'baby box' outside his home to give parents the choice to leave their baby with a safe person rather than doing something much more horrific.  The article even talks about how the man making the documentary became a Christian while filming it.  (If you are interested in the documentary or article, you can find it here:  http://bound4life.com/blog/2013/05/28/the-story-of-the-drop-box/).  Remembering this man's story and hearing how God moved in the filmmaker to turn his life to Christ reminded me of just what He is allowing us to be a part of. 

God is using a girl who lived much of her life focused on her own recognition and self and comfort.  A girl who was the youngest in her family and mostly cared little about little children.  A girl who used to throw balls at her young nephew to get him to fetch them because she really had no idea what to do with a little child.  And He has redeemed and worked and grown and is entrusting her and her family with a precious life that some call a woman's choice.  Of course that girl is me and the precious life is our son Josiah.  And he is a life, not a choice.  Friends, his life is beautiful.  Life is beautiful.  Because his birthmother did not abort him (a practice very common in China), soon he will officially become our son.  He has been a life since the moment of his conception.  'For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth' (Psalm 139:13-15). 

Sanctity of Life Sunday is coming up on January 19.  Let us set aside debates and remember life as that day approaches and beyond.  I hope and pray that Josiah's birthmother (and birthfather if applicable to his story) will know in her heart the overflowing gratitude we have for the gift she has allowed to be bestowed upon our family.  God's works are indeed wonderful.

Life is beautiful.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxlLAdXypCY

Article 5 and The Personal God

In order to legally adopt our child from China, the US Consulate must issue us something called an 'Article 5'.  Once the Article 5 is issued, our child is legally available for us to adopt him.  Obviously, receiving the Article 5 is a big deal!  I have been praying that we would find out today when our Article 5 is to be issued, because if we did not find out today, we would have been faced with 2 weeks of silence on its status due to the holidays.  This morning, I received an email stating that our Article 5 would be available January 6!  Normally, about 2-3 weeks after receiving the Article 5, China issues the travel invitation with the dates that we will be traveling to bring our precious boy home. 

When I opened my email this morning and saw this message filled with answered prayer, I was struck by how personal God truly is.  He specifically answered my prayer for this day so I would not have to wait through Christmas.  He cared for my heart and met its desire.  This is the God who sent His Son as a baby to walk personally on this earth to ultimately give His life for His people.  He is personal.  He hears.  He cares.  This is what I hope people remember most this season.  As we sing Christmas carols and give gifts and travel about in frenzied fashion, I hope we will reflect on this personal God who was laid in a manger and personally walked this earth to walk with His people for eternity.  And I hope we will 'walk by faith and not be sight' until the day we see Jesus forever.

In closing, I will share a quote that really struck me as I studied Mary's life in this advent season and now sit reflecting on the personal nature of our God.  "She ultimately followed Him all the way to the cross, and on that dark afternoon when He died, she was standing nearby with a group of women, watching in grief and horror...the cloud of this inevitable reality had probably hung over Mary's mind since Jesus' infancy.  It was no doubt one of the things she kept and pondered in her heart (Luke 2:19, 51)...Her sense of injustice being done to Him must have been profound.  After all, no one understood Jesus' absolute, sinless perfection better than Mary did.  She nurtured Him as an infant and brought Him up through childhood...Mary seemed to understand that her steadfast presence at Jesus' side was the only kind of support she could give Him at this dreaded moment...one of Jesus' last earthly acts before yielding up His life to God was to make sure that for the rest of her life, Mary would be cared for (by John)...As a mother, she had once provided for all His needs, but in the ultimate and eternal sense, He was her Savior and provider...(After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, she sits praying with his followers in Acts 1:14)...Her life and her testimony point us consistently to her Son...Mary's own example...teaches us to do the same" (John MacArthur).

Joy: The Simpson Christmas Card 2013

“…to us a son is given…”  (Isaiah 9:6)

Merry Christmas from the growing Simpson Family!   

With joy, we share the news that we were matched with a 15 month old boy in China in September and hope to travel to China to finalize the adoption and bring him home by this March!  As we celebrate the birth of our dear Savior, we sit in humble gratitude for this beautiful gift God has given to us!  The name we have chosen to give him is ‘Josiah’.  Josiah was a good king in the Old Testament (see II Kings 22:2) and as the Audio  Adrenaline son advocating adoption ‘Kings and Queens’ states, ‘Boys become kings…dressed in Your majesty.’

We are so thankful for how God has taught us more about how He has adopted us into His family by faith alone and grace alone in Christ alone on this journey!  Isaac and Emma also love to pray for their little brother, who is also known as ‘little one in China’ to them.  There have been so many people who have come alongside us in this journey through prayer and support.  We are forever grateful for each of you!  Please continue to pray that immigration will go smoothly and we will indeed travel to China by March and finally hold our 3^rd precious child in our arms!  If you are interested in giving towards our remaining $4000 in fees to be paid in China or our travel fees, please let us know!  You can also follow our journey on our blog:  http://dojusticeandlovemercy.blogspot.com

(Note:  The family picture on this card is from a fundraiser run we did in honor of the millions of orphans in the world.  If you look closely, you see a picture of sweet Josiah on the globe in China! J)

 

Third Day song "Merry Christmas" dedicated to our sweet Josiah...Your family can't wait until next Christmas when you are home with your stocking! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy8RW6aHXWQ

 

Baby Shoes

On Halloween, we received a beautiful email stating that China had officially issued our Letter of Acceptance or 'LOA' as it is known in adoption circles!  This means that China has officially accepted all of our paperwork to adopt our little boy Josiah!  So, the step following that news was to get our paperwork into US Immigration for our little boy and we are currently waiting on their official approval.  Once we receive that, we will send in our paperwork for Josiah's VISA at the US Consulate in China and will await China giving us our travel dates to go and bring our son home!  We still hope this will be in March.

After we received our LOA, we were cleared to send a small care package to our son, so I have been working on that the last week.  Our agency gives a list of items to send, like one stuffed animal (that they recommend sleeping with before sending so he will have it as an attachment object between the orphanage and our home), pictures of our family, and one outfit, with the caveat that they hope it will get to your child, but cannot guarantee it.  One of the hardest things for me in putting together this care package has been shopping for his one outfit.  Twice, I have specifically looked for toddler socks and little toddler soft shoes for him, only to see racks of baby shoes and baby socks in the stores.  Then my heart is saddened by the fact that we will never buy those little baby shoes for our son.  We missed seeing him as a baby.  It will always be true that we will never have heard his first cry or seen the first time he rolled over or fit him into one those sweet newborn onesies.  We will never have put little soft baby shoes or socks on his precious feet.  As I stood in the stores looking at baby shoes, I did not let the pain of this loss truly set it.  I know all the amazing truths.  The truth is that soon, hopefully very soon, we will not miss another size of clothes or shoes for our son.  We won't be sending him a care package where we have to label ourselves:  'Mom', 'Dad', big brother 'Isaac', big sister 'Emma', because that is all he will know us as.  And God always sees him.  But, still, there is pain and there is loss.  Loss for him and loss for us.  So although there will be this loss, we long for the day where we will finally hold him in our arms and put shoes on his feet and walk him out of the doors of the orphanage and into our family's gain of his life joining our family forever. 

$3.42

Yesterday was our '15 for 150 Million Fundraiser Run for our Adoption.'  On a beautiful Fall day, I ran 15 laps (roughly 5 1/2 miles) around a lake in Baker Park in Frederick, Maryland to bring awareness and prayers to the plight of the orphan.  Each person who sponsored a lap was prayed for during their assigned lap and a portion of the orphan population was also prayed for during that lap (i.e. Lap 3 was dedicated to Nana and Papaw and Uncle Lance Simpson and I prayed for the orphans of North and Central America during that lap).  It was a really powerful experience to remember and pray for these children who are too often forgotten, but whose worth is infinite.  I pushed Isaac and Emma in the stroller for the first and last miles and Ricky joined us for a special Lap 15 in honor of our son in China.  We had his picture taped to the front of Isaac and Emma's stroller and at one point when I was running, the wind blew the picture up in such a way as his eyes were looking right at me and I kept telling him we were coming for him, that we were running towards him.  Our theme verses were Psalm 68:5-6, 'A father to the fatherless...God places the lonely in families...' and this was often my prayer for these precious children as I ran in their honor.

As we were gathering sponsors, our 5 year old niece Sophia gave us an envelope filled with all the change from her piggy bank, $3.42.  She gave us all she had to help bring her cousin home from China.  Remind anyone of the widow who gave all she had to the temple offering with two small copper coins in Mark 12:41-44?  On the back of the shirts we wore for the race, I wrote 'Team Josiah, 3.42' as a reminder for us to give all, to lay down all of ourselves for our son and for the orphans of the world.  I will write more at another time about why we chose the name 'Josiah' as our son's English name, but one of the main reasons is because Josiah was a good king in Judah's (the southern kingdom of Israel) history (see II Kings 22-23) and since the song 'Kings and Queens' by Audio Adrenaline has been so instrumental in our journey, we want a constant reminder to our son that the words of the song, 'boys become kings...wrapped in Your majesty' are true.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to each of you who sponsored a lap and/or prayed for our day!  We ended up with about 20 sponsors (instead of adding laps to the race, any extra sponsors were part of a super Lap 15!  Didn't think I could add 5 laps to the run!).  We are so grateful for each of you who have truly played such an important part in helping bring Josiah into our family and for our God who is the 'God who sees' and is sitting with him today.