I Can’t Fix This

I like to fix things. I like to solve problems. I like a challenge. I find great reward in figuring things out, making things work, and finding solutions. But I can’t fix this.
Emma has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I knew this from day one, but it was confirmed yesterday at our appointment with Genetics. Emma does [...]

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Help Get this Family HOME!

Our friends Betty and Brion Kallinen have adopted 3 beautiful girls from Haiti. This precious family is part of IHOP here in Kansas City. This has been a two year process and the family, with unexpected delays and expenses along the way. Finally the girls adoption has been completed, they have visas and are ready [...]

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Adoption is for Everyone

I’d like to write a really long post some time soon about our OJC family support staff, but for now I’d like to invite you to read a blog post by one of our awesome staff, Lauren Gribsby. (More on Lauren and the rest of our team later).
Adoption ministry is for everyone. I mean EVERYONE. [...]

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Beautiful Fall Day

This morning was a  dreamy fall morning. We took the kids for a walk and the played outside til lunch time. They had a blast in the leaves. Glad we got out early in the day because it’s raining now.

Happy Fall to you!

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The Josiah Fund

If you have known our family for any length of time, you know the story of our sweet nephew Josiah. Josiah was born with spina bifida in 1994. We were visiting Derek and Renee in Georgia and were able to be  present at the time of his birth. We fell in love and had our [...]

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Sana Fund Update

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR GIVING!! I just wanted to give you an exciting update. To date $1100 has come in to help purchase Sana’s ticket. AND Derek were able to get a much better price than they had thought, and were able to get the ticket for just under $1600.
If you haven’t given [...]

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Welcoming a New Niece- Sana

As you know Derek and Renee have an enormous heart for orphans. Their current tribe includes: Telma-18, Keyolla and Teyolla-17, Leann-14 (all from the Marshall Islands), Sophia-11, Michaela-9 (both biological), and their sons Sasha-6, Ethan-5, and Silas-2 (adopted in January from Ukraine).
They have just this week found out that they are able to get custody [...]

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Dear Emma,

You have gone without a mommy for so long. Now you are discovering what it means to have a mommy. A mommy is not someone who dresses you and feeds you and washes your face. A mommy is someone who holds you and whispers sweet words in your ear. A mommy is someone who looks [...]

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I’m on a Treasure Hunt

I have always thought I was a pretty good mom, and back in my teaching days I considered myself a pretty good teacher.  I love kids. I know I’m not a perfect mom, but I really believed that I would just know what to do with these two little munchkins when they came into my [...]

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More Family Photos (By Dorean Beattie)

Special thanks to our friend Dorean Beattie for these photos.

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