HE will give Joseph a family.

 Before I continue with another post, I want to thank you all for your pr@yers. Prayer seems so simple yet it can cause such a power miracle if the L@rd allows to fulfill it.
I know from previous experience as my 23 year old cousin just survived a cardiac arrest.  Now 2 1/2 weeks later, he is at home, living it up with his brother, parents, and friends.
A modern day miracle, PTL!

 Now back to Joseph, I have had some doubts whether he would ever be adopted. What if he won't be able to have the love of a mother, discipline of a father, or the friendship of a sibling? After hearing about my cousin though and the miracle G demonstrated, my faith increased for the hope that Joseph would have a family. 

After my latest post, a family has expressed interest in TRYING to adopt Joseph. They are paper ready and want to add Joseph into their adoption process as well as another 10 year old boy that they are currently in the process of adopting. Can you imagine Joseph with a little brother who is from China as well??? I totally can! :)

I want to share this with you all not to stop pr@ying for Joseph but to CONTINUE to pr@y for him. We do not know if this family is his family but we can keep them in our pr@yers as they seek wisdom from the L@rd. Also, If you are interested in helping with Joseph's future family adoption process, please check out http://reecesrainbow.org/38743/joseph

Thank you all again for expressing interest in Joseph. He has been doing better this week. He is spending all his time with Philip and I must say, they are hilarious together. Please also remember to pr@y for Joseph as Philip will leave this Sunday as well.

If the L@rd can heal my cousin from a cardiac arrest, HE WILL GIVE JOSEPH A FAMILY :)
1 Thessalonians 5:17

Joseph is losing hope.......

One week ago, I woke up to the exciting news: Philip's ( an older boy at SFCV) family received travel approval, meaning that they will be able to pick up their son in about 2-3 weeks. I was so excited all morning and couldn't wait to be there when he found out for the first time that he had a family.

I pushed Philip to the visitor/staff inn where the adoption liaison gave him a family album to tell about his forever family. There were so many visitors watching this special event that I couldn't believe how many cameras were flashing to capture this precious moment. It was so exciting that I was just smiling through the whole event. Could you image being a 13 year old orphan and finding out there is a family that wants you?

As I was watching Philip gleam over every photo of his family, I noticed a boy looking through the window of the inn..... 

It was Joseph.

I immediately jumped out of my seat and rushed outside to Joseph peering through the window. SFCV desires for the orphan to hear about their forever family alone rather than having other orphans around them during this special time. I tried to distract Joseph and said:
" Come on Joseph, let's go home!"
"Where's Philip?"
"He is busy. Let's just go home."
"What is Philip doing?"
 "You will see Philip soon but you need to go home Joseph."

"He has a family."

The bantering went on for a while but once he said that comment, it felt like a knife went through my heart. I couldn't even say yes, I just nodded my head.

Then started the longest walk to his house. Since I have been here, I have usually been the one to walk Joseph to his home because he always asks me. He likes to hold my hand and jokingly tells me he doesn't want to go home.
This walk was however different. I first had to gently push him to the direction of his house and keep focus on going home rather than thinking about his good friend leaving him. Joseph didn't want to hold my hand and even though he didn't talk through the whole walk, I knew he was hurting inside.

My friend has even told me that Joseph has said:

" I have given up hope of ever having a family."
" Who am I going to play with when Philip leaves?"

-Please lift up Joseph to the Father. Even though he has given up hope of ever having a family, the Father has not and will never!!!!! :)
-Also lift up the transition phase of Joseph losing another friend at SFCV.
-And lastly, please lift up Joseph's forever family wherever they may be. Pr*y the Father would reveal to them that Joseph belongs to their family.

 
 This is Joseph, myself, Philip, and another intern Mari.

Increasing the chances for Joseph

A couple of days ago while I was in Joseph and Grady's room, Joseph came in and shouted: " I'm going home!"

At first, I was very puzzled as I would be the first to know if Joseph had any sort of family. I then realized he was referring to his orphanage. I told him he couldn't leave me and then he told me: " I will be back."

Joseph and his friend Moses (11 years) will be spending the day (6/25/12)at their orphanage. The orphanage is hosting a day where different adoption agencies will come to see what older orphans still need to be adopted before their deadline of becoming 14 years old. The agencies' goal for this will be to bring awareness of these kids, which will hopefully increase their chances of being adopted.

Please keep this event in your pr*yers. It would be such a praise to see if this event would help both Joseph and Moses find their forever families!!!! :)

Thanks for being an awesome "Joseph fan club!"

Joseph the curious teenage boy

Guess who will see this boy everyday for a little over seven weeks???

It's me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I am back at SFCV for the summer with my friend Mari which means lots of time spending with the kiddos especially Joseph. Since I am in China, I will try and write more about him for all of you who are a part of his "fan club."

Tonight's story is about Joseph well being a thirteen year old boy. Today we had the Indiana and Ohio visitors throw a Hawaiian luau party for the kids. They prepared a fabulous dinner, sang songs, and spent some time to play with the older kids
As everyone was outside enjoying the party, I was noticing some of the visitors in the dinning area. Being my curious self, I decided to enter into the dinning area when........I saw Joseph playing drums. (Just to clarify, there are stairs in the dinning area leading to an open attic area with drums and also a workout area.)
I (being one of the many big sisters he has in the village) yelled at him to stop playing the drums since first of all he was suppose to be outside where all the adults were rather than going off on his own. He stopped his playing as a visitor was coming up to him as well and slowly went down the stairs with his little friend Henry. Henry was smiling about the whole situation but I could tell in Joseph's face, he knew what he did. I explained to him not to do it again and I had him apologize to me. He said sorry and went off to where the other kids were playing.

I wanted to share with you all this side of Joseph because you don't hear of it as much. Many of you have heard of Joseph and his love for bikes or his desire to have family affection but there is also the realization that Joseph is a curious teenage boy. He can sometimes wander and do things he probably should not be doing.

That is why my pr@yer for Joseph tonight is that His forever family will take in all his good qualities with the bad curious ones too.

 I'm not trying to say in this post that Joseph is not a sweet boy.I'm just saying he has a lot of growing up to do :)

11 more months until he won't be able to be adopted!!! Keep pr@ying for a miracle!!!

God's timing is always perfect.

The Lord is funny isn't He?

When I thought I didn't need to blog about Joseph anymore, God knew I would need to after reading this letter........



Hey Melissa-

I hope you are having a good night so far. I needed to update you on some things about Joseph. This is a hard note for me to write and I wish we could sit down face to face over coffee rather than communicate over email. So, a lot has happened in the past few weeks that I'll explain more about, but it looks like we are not going to be able to go through with the adoption process with Joseph. I know this is really hard news to get especially since you love Joseph and have worked with such passion to help find him a family. I soooo wish we weren't writing this to you.

We have a close family member who has has become very critically ill. It has been overwhelming and his illness has played a part in our decision. We want to make sure that we are fully available to him now and long term as we are unsure about the prognosis and we know he will need support as time goes on. We wonder if the Lord was using this in the middle of the adoption process to lead us in another direction.
 
We had to cancel the April 16th home study appointment anyways because we didn't have enough money for it. We wondered if the Lord was beginning to lead us away from this because it didn't seem like He was providing the means to go through with the home study.

For many years, we also have felt a calling to the mission field and wonder if it is realistic to think that could adopt Joseph with his many medical needs and still be able to go where the Lord has called us as a family. We wrestled with it when we first heard of Joseph, but decided to go forward with pursuing Joseph, but as time goes on, it doesn't seem that the two callings can work together. So, how do we decide which is our calling? That is a tough question that I am still wrestling through. But, with all of the immediate issues going on, it seems right to stop the adoption process.

I can definitely tell you that this has been a really sad and painful time for us as we make this decision. It's not one that there is a lot of "peace" involved, just a simple knowledge that we felt a decision had to be made and that there is where we feel the Lord leading us. To be honest, it is still very confusing why we were so drawn to Joseph in the first place. We are still processing through it and I don't know if I'll ever understand. I am very disappointed  that I won't get to be Joseph's mom. I still want him to have a family very badly.  I can only trust in the promises from the Word that God's ways that are higher than our ways and that He isn't a God of confusion, but a God of peace. We need to find peace in who He is and that He has compassion on Joseph and has a plan for him even when it hurts so much to feel like we are being taken out of that plan. We are praying for Joseph and we are thankful for the day that Jesus will make all the wrongs in this world right and that Joseph won't be an orphan in Heaven. We are thankful that this fallen world is not our home forever.

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Rom. 8:28)

" For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11)

Joseph,
God knows the desires of your heart. He understands that you so desperately want a family but you have to wait for his perfect timing. I (Melissa) thought I was done with this blog but that wasn't God's plan.
Just remember you are loved and if the Lord wants for you to have a family, HE WILL MAKE A WAY.
Love you little brother,
Melissa

Well it is time to keep blogging about a family for Joseph. Please keep him in your prayers. Pray also that the Lord will lead a family into adopting him.

Time is ticking: He turns 14 on May 8, 2013. 

*Clarification about the homestudy*

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to clarify with you all more about the home study.

The home study was recommended by the adoption agency that the family go ahead and do the home study before turning in the application for pre-approval.

Keep praying that the Lord's will would be done in this situation.

Joseph has a family.

Happy Easter all!

It is time for another update on Joseph's adoption process. (I seriously can't believe I typed that. There is a family who desires Joseph to be their son!! So exciting! Thank you Jesus!!!!)

(The family would like to remain nameless until they receive approval from China to adopt Joseph)

So as stated before,  the family has not yet received approval from China to adopt Joseph. They are working hard with their adoption agency for the approval before Joseph's birthday which is in May. The agency is telling them a home study would give them a better chance to receive approval to continue with the adoption process. After the home study is completed, they are hoping that will give them the opportunity to continue on with the adoption process.

Here is where you all come in, 
The home study will cost about $2,000; home study fee is $1,800 (Two $900 payments), Hague online training is $179, and FBI fingerprinting $43. The home study has been scheduled for April 16th plus having the $900 payment in hand. As of right now, the family does not have $900 but they are trusting that the Lord will provide.
I have been telling the family all about "Joseph's fan club." They are so overwhelmed by the amount of encouragement you all have shown them. They are so appreciative of you all! Keep it up! :)
There are many of you who have been praying for Joseph to receive a family. Once the family came out to state they were pursing to adopt Joseph, many of you asked me if there was any way you can support them financially.
Well now you can, here are two ways of donating,
If you would like to send some money via snail mail. Please email me at melissa.polensky@pcc.edu. There I will send you their mailing address to do so.
If you would like to donate online, check out their blog spot http://ohtoseewhatsnext.blogspot.com/. If you do donate online, I would also like for you to please email me with your name and address so I can keep the family updates about the money coming in.

After the family receives the approval from China, they will continue on with the updates of the adoption process and ways for you all to be praying for them. So make sure to keep checking out their blog, again it is  http://ohtoseewhatsnext.blogspot.com/.

As for myself, this will be my last blog post about a teenage boy wanting a family.

The Lord has certainly opened my eyes having this blog. He has given me such a strong desire to see unwanted orphans find families who want them. I am so thankful for this family who are desiring to adopt Joseph. First off they love the Lord which is a huge plus and they are seeking the Lord's will in all the different obstacles that come with adopting from China.

And again, thank you all for reading my blog and spreading the word about this boy. Without you all, this family may have never heard about Joseph.

So long all you amazing people and God bless, Melissa