Adoption Crisis!

We have a very important prayer request for you to be lifting up for us. As many of you know Anjela's adoption has been in process for over a year now and still its not yet complete. We have done all we have been told to do and everyday is just a waiting game it seems. There is just no efficiency or real process in this country. Everytime we think we are close to the finish line the adoption agency comes up with something new that has to be done before we can get a lawyer and go to court. This continues to happen over and over. We have been calling almost everyday for the past month to push them.

As of last week we were told all was signed and they needed to just go through every paper one more time to be sure it was complete before sending it to the lawyer. We had high hopes this meant we could be going to court in the next month or so. Well....so we thought...until today yet one more frustration and disappointment.

We have been told now that there is still yet another paper we need to sign and have Dennis' mother to sign...which we will travel to town to do tomorrow. On top of that they think that it is necessary to also have Anjela's biological mother's parents sign some papers. This comes with a whole new set of issues not to mention they live way out in the bush on the other side of Kenya. And then on top of all of this we have been told that the court judges in Kenya are all on recess until mid-August which means there's not even a possibility of a court date until September.

Dennis must travel to the States again by the end of this year to renew his Permanent Resident Card in America. October was the time we had all planned to travel together to go and do this. The possibility of this now is very low it seems because even after getting Anjela's final adoption papers and new birth certificate eventually, we would still then have to apply for her a passport and then try getting her a VISA to the States. And all of that of course takes yet more time.

I can't tell you the tears that I, Allison, have shed today and the exhaustion and range of emotions I feel inside. We are just so tired and weary with all of this now! We just want this all to be over with and to have the legal paper to prove our little girl is OURS! Would you please commit to praying faithfully for the completion of Anjela's adoption!! We KNOW we have a sovereign God and King who is in control, who has us in the palm of His hands, and who has a perfect plan. Pray that we can BELIEVE and TRUST our loving and faithful Father and that He might even do a huge miracle to speed all of this up!

Thanks for your prayers and support!
We love you all,
Dennis, Allison and Anjela

The faces of Anjela....

Here's our little ham on vacation....crazy girl!!

Mama, why are you taking so many pictures??

Time Flies when you are having fun...

Wow, was that really 5 days? The week really flew by...but I guess time does fly when you are having fun. And indeed we did have fun. We spent most days swimming in the pool, reading, sleeping, playing in the sand, eating, drinking lots of fresh fruit juice, and enjoying the air condition and all the hot water we could stand coming from the faucets. I almost forgot what a good hot shower felt like until this week. Amazing! We are home now and except for a bad sinus cold that I have we all feel refreshed and ready to dive back into ministry and everyday life here in Diani/Ukunda. We praise God for this week that we had to just be together as family. And yes we took lots of pictures with our new camera and I will be posting them shortly-----Allison.

The Omondis are finally headed on a much needed, long awaited family vacation for the week....going to Turtle Bay...hope its fun, relaxing and rejuvenating for all 3 of us...

Anjela

Anjela's bad habit! Definitely not from us:)

Say cheese

Wow look how big I am!

Thank you baba for getting a new Camera - I love taking pictures!

When I grow up I want to be...let the pictures talk for themselves - Hahaha

Hope you had fun - time to get serious

A few updates..

OK, I know I haven't updated the blog in awhile..please forgive me and thank you to all who have been praying for us...

A couple updates:

1. Finally after a week, the landlord sent someone to come and fix our bathroom sink pipe. Praise God!!
2. Last week Dennis' little sister Nelly was admitted to the hospital so I spent two days at the hospital with her. Thanks Sandra and Lisa for taking good care of Anjela for me since they don't allow children in the hospital. Nelly is doing fine now and is back to school.
3. DENNIS IS HOME!!! YEAH!! It was a great reunion Sunday night at midnight for our whole family. You should have seen Anjela's face, even in the midst of sleepiness, she couldn't stop saying, BABA BABA BABA!! Three weeks away from one another is just too much for all of us!
4. My computer is fixed and has a new hard drive, but I have lost EVERYTHING in it...including emails. So if you have emailed me in the last few months and have never gotten a response, please email me again.
5. We have a new camera now so stay tuned to new photos...
6. And please please pray for our friend Samuel. He was recovering at home from brain surgery after having a subdural hematoma but now they think his brain is bleeding again. Please pray hard for his recovery and that the doctors will have wisdom to know what to do, especially if that means he needs to go back to go in for surgery again. Pray for his precious wife Margaret. This is all so hard on her. And pray for their financial situation. They are very much in great debt after having to borrow money to pay for his hospital bills. Pray God will provide.

Another day with Anjela and Allison...

I can't say I slept very much last night wondering if the pipe would bust again but thankfully it did not. James did a good job of securing it. I woke up and went straight downstairs to find the caretaker but apparently he didn't show up for work today. I reported the busted pipe all day but guess what??...NOTHING happened. Nope, no one showed up and no one even seemed to care. So still I wait again and pray that it holds another night.....

But I woke up very thankful. As I lay in bed last night i just kept thinking about how I had been gone for four nights and "just happened" to come home yesterday. And I actually considered staying another night in Mombasa instead of coming home. But if i would have waited and not come home i would have come home to a completely flooded house and everything would have been drowned in water, including all the electrical cords and surge protectors on the floor, and maybe even a fire..you just never know here in Kenya. WOW, God is good!!! And is in control of ALL THINGS!

Today Anjela and I had a good day. We visited our friends the Grossmanns for lunch and Anjela enjoyed jumping on their trampoline with the kids. Then in the afternoon we went and visited our friends Maria and Gil who just recently returned from the States. Anjela enjoyed swimming in their pool and splashing around. Now Anjela is in bed and I'm relaxing on the computer...God is good and we have great peace. We are half way through the three weeks Dennis will be gone. We are staying busy and visiting lots of people while he is gone.

Praying that tomorrow SOMEONE here at our flats will come and fix the pipes. Until then we pray that the ole duct tape will do its job to hold back the flood:):)

When it Rains...it GUSHES....

Well....where do i even begin...Let's start off with the good news, Physically i am feeling so much better!! Anjela is well also praise God. Last Friday Anjela and I decided to get out of the house after being cooped up inside for the last week while we have been sick. We went and stayed with two other families in Mombasa and had a wonderful time. Anjela got to attend two birthday parties..one for Ethan who turned 4 and the other for Alana who turned 3. We had lots and lots of fun. Then today we decided to venture back home across the ferry and back home to Diani...and thats when the chaos started again...(and if weren' t for my faith in Jesus I think i would begin to believe that the witchdoctors from the surrounding tribe have bewitched our home:(:))....After last weeks chaos and then a wonderful 4 nights away we came home to what i thought would be a quiet evening. We got home, i got on the computer to see if i could skype into this weeks Missionary Conference at Denton Bible with Dennis, it worked for a little while, then I started to cook Anjela and I dinner. It was about 7pm and thats when i looked into the washroom and noticed water trickling on the floor from the other bedroom and when i went to investigate saw the big mess and water dripping from the pipe under the bathroom sink...it wasn't a fast drip so i mopped up the water and i just decided to put a Basin underneath it and wait til morning to call the caretaker of the building. But just as i was looking closer and i put my finger on the place it was leaking........POPPPPPPPP........SWISHHHHHH...the pipe completely broke off and water was squirting like a fire hydrant everywhere....I didn't know what to do? There is no shut off valve for water in our place anywhere. So as water is quickly filling up the bathroom floor I am putting my thumb inside the pipe to slow down the gushing...and trying to get Anjela to bring mommy the phone..oh but no, Anjela decided it was much more fun to start splashing and playing in the water on the floor...so i had no choice but to release my finger letting the water flow, and run to get my phone....as i ran back to plug it again with my finger i got on the phone with James ( a dear friend and teammate of ours that helped me with my flat tire earlier in the week) and told him to get over as soon as possible. In the meantime the neighbor below us sent their househelp to come and knock on the door to tell us that water was leaking through their ceiling. All i could do was yell at her from the bathroom and tell her i know and to send some help. well she didn't...she just left and no one came until James showed up about 10 min later. He found me holding my thumb in the pipe and switching out basins to keep more water from gushing onto the floor. Oh my goodness what a sight it was!!! I wish i could have been a fly on the wall. And all this time Dennis is on skype all the way across the world in Denton not able to do anything but to say call James.:):) So James was a lifesaver again...he somehow managed to hammer some wood and plastic bags inside the pipe and put good old American duct tape (luckily i had some from the States i brought last year) around the outside to secure it til morning. And nope we still haven't found a water shut off valve and the caretaker isn't available after 6pm....My prayer is that what James managed to rig up will stop the flow and hold til morning when the caretaker arrives. I just finished mopping up the soggy nasty flooded bathroom and bedroom with towels am planning to sleep with Anjela in that bedroom tonight so i can hear if it ruptures again..and catch it before the house floods:) Needless to say i'm not sure i'll sleep well tonight. But i have James on call if it does.
Then tonight Dennis gave me the bad news that my computer's hard drive is complete damaged and they are unable to retrieve and of the data off of it, including all of Anjela's pictures from the last many months....this just makes me want to cry....
It just seems like the darts keep flying...and I've hit a wall. Please pray for me..may I stand strong and content and at peace in ALL circumstances.
God is faithful and in complete control...may I stand on that TRUTH!!
Tonight as i put Anjela to bed in what little strength I had left I managed to sing to her, "it is well with my soul" and "i love you Lord".......and she fell right asleep, oblivious to what was going on inside her Mama. Oh may i have the same kind of childlike peace tonight as I sleep...

His Mercies are New Every Morning

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
Lamentations 3:22-24

This how I've described my morning and afternoon so far. HE IS FAITHFUL! Today I woke up feeling so much better. Anjela's fever is gone and she just has a little cold and congestion. We both are at home just resting and relaxing and enjoying being at home together. Our friend Marci stayed the night with us also and has kept us company. Our househelp Mary is feeling better and has really helped me out with cleaning and making lunch. I still dont have my normal appetite but her Mchicha and Sima (greens and boiled cornmeal) was just enough for lunch. Anjela is having a good day and has already started walking around the house saying "Baba, baba, baba gone? Hopefully she can talk to him later in the day...

When it Rains it Pours

Isn't that how it always happens? When it rains it pours!! That's how i felt today. After Dennis left yesterday Anj and I were invited by some of our other missionary friends, the G's to come and stay with them for the night. Though I still was quite weak we went and relaxed at their home for the evening. I was so hungry after not eating for like 5 days, that i ate a lot of the fish their househelp cooked....It was so yummy but later in the night that yummy fish became my worst enemy...food poisoning...and you can guess where i spent the rest of my night...so now my tummy feels worse than when I first started with malaria...rumble rumble. And yes Anjela had some of that fish as well so you can imagine the diapers. Anyway, on to the next thing of the morning. While i was resting and Anj playing with the other kids the neighbor came in and said, i hate to be the barer of bad news but, you have a flat tire..YEP flat as could be....at that moment I have to say I wanted to cry but the only thing i could do was LAUGH out loud. I really thought he was kidding me..but nope he wasn't. Thankfully Michael had time to stay and put the spare on the tire and i called our friend James who came this afternoon and took the car to be repaired. (so thankful!!) After the morning was over the day really got better. But as I thought and prayed today, all I could think through it all was WOW...the enemy really wants to flatten us doesn't he? But as they say here in Kenya, Shetani ashindwe!! (Satan is defeated) Honestly the whole day I had great peace...peace knowing that I am not defeated. The victory has already been won. I am a daughter of the most high KING! And THE King holds everything and every situation in His hands. But yes of course I am human and in my human flesh many times wanted to throw my hands up and say, WHAT IS GOING ON? HOW MUCH MORE CAN I TAKE? But God has been so faithful during these last 24 hours and during the night when i was awake and running back and forth to the bathroom, the Lord flooded my mind with HIS Truths, truths such as,

Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will exult in the LORD,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord GOD is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,

And makes me walk on my high places.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:10-13

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matt 11:28-30

When I got home today in the afternoon a friend from church, Mama Vicki came by to visit with her daughter and bring me some oranges, mangoes and mchicha (greens) from their shamba (farm). Anj had a good time playing with her friend Vicki and I had a lovely time visiting with Mama Vicki. She was a great encouragement to me. Then as she was leaving another lady, Mrs Ikanda stopped by and insisted on making me some Uji (like porridge) for me to drink so i could gain my strength back. (haven't felt like eating a thing). She's like a Mama to me. I praise God for showing me his love through these ladies. Now I am at home and relaxing on the couch with another single gal from our church. She's going to stay the night with Anjela and I to be sure we are ok. So sweet! Thanks Marci.

On another note, Dennis called tonight to say he arrived in Detroit safely and should be arriving in Dallas in the next several hours. Safe Travels Babe! I love you. All those in Denton please take care of him for me. -----Allison

Update on Us...

Well, Dennis is on his way to America as I type...and yes we miss him already!

So here's some of my thoughts...
Thank you for your prayers for me...I KNOW beyond a doubt God is answering them. His grace and comfort have been overwhelming.

I praise God I am feeling a bit better though still very weak and tired and not quite ready to be back on my feet completely yet...this is how i found out... After Dennis left the landlord brought us the electricity bill which we've been waiting for a week. It had to be paid immediately or our electricity would be cut off. So i ventured out on my first outing since last week to go and pay. Anjela was content so i left her with our househelp so i could go quickly. As i stood in the line at the bank where we pay, I began to sweat and i felt a bit like i was going to faint. The teller just so happened to be a gal who attends our church and when she saw me and the state I was in she politely let me in front of the line. I was so thankful! Now I'm home laying down again, and Anjela sleeping. My first time with malaria has been miserable but I know it could have been worse so I'm thankful. Its just going to take several more days of REST to shake it completely i think. More than anything I've felt really sad for Anjela who has been so bored wondering why Mama can't get off the couch and play with her. I think we've watched "Finding Nemo" (her favorite movie) at least 3 or 4 times together since last week:):)

We the Omondis, are not going to lie to you, this last week has been quite hard on all of us. We all are pretty weary and worn actually. As many might know, Dennis had open heart surgery in 2003 for mitral valve stenosis and since then hasn't had any major issues. However in the last month or so he has experienced extreme and unusual fatigue and occasional chest discomfort. Saturday in the middle of trying to put some finishing touches on a difficult sermon he preached yesterday, Dennis began to feel fatigued with some chest discomfort and tightness. We've been saying maybe its stress but its the first thing he will get checked out when he gets to the States this week. And now Anjela is having some bad diarrhea and runny nose..hope its just teeth. Then Saturday night another fiery dart was thrown at us. My MAC laptop crashed and isn't responding to any of the repair we have tried, meaning I wouldn't have a computer and the email and communication with Dennis while he is in the States for 3 weeks. AHH! Dennis has had to leave his computer behind though so i will be able to communincate and he will try to find one in the States to borrow for 3 weeks. (if you know of any please let us know) And now this morning our househelp has come and she is also sick with a bad cold and fever......Wow....what else can i say?

We are not the look for a "devil around every corner" type of people but we are beginning to really see ourselves in the middle of a battle," a battle not against flesh and blood", darts flying at us from every corner. But funny thing is I've heard this happens alot when husbands get ready to go on long trips:(:( Please pray for us over these next few weeks as Dennis is in America and Anjela and I remain here in Kenya. pray for our strength and endurance and encouragement. Pray we will all get back to our normal health. But also praise God for all the support we have here from friends all around while Dennis is gone.

Last Saturday I needed a little fresh air after having been bed bound for three days so I gathered enough strength and Dennis drove us to Word of Life and we just sat by ocean to think and pray together. It was a special and refreshing time for us as a family just to sit and talk to God as we looked at His magnificent creation. I am greatful we had these few quiet and restful moments before he left.

As I have layed in bed and prayed and read and listened to worship music, I am so thankful for the TRUTH of God's Word. He has reminded me time and again of Phil. 4:6-9

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. "

I am so thankful that I can find peace in the TRUTH of God's Word. His grace has been so sufficient and His peace has truely guarded my heart from worry and has been my strength. Though sometimes things seem to be going haywire all around us I don't have to worry or be anxious about anything. I pray to THE Father and Creator and King of Kings who is in control of all things. He is my strength and shield of protection. And what really spoke to me as I lay there in bed sweating and thinking and praying, was "WITH THANKSGIVING", and "IF THERE IS ANY EXCELLENCE AND IF ANYTHING WORTHY OF PRAISE, DWELL ON THESE THINGS." And I have to say, I have many things to be thankful for in the midst of these trials. And so I decided to instead of dwelling on all the seemingly bad and inconvenient things happening to us right now I would choose to dwell on the good and excellent and positive. These are to just name a few:

I am feeling much better than i was last Thursday when the malaria started. And my first time with malaria hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be:)

There is a good hospital just a mile or so from our house.

Anjela and I have a lot of support and encouragement and many friends around us here to help us and take care of us during this time.

Our friend and Kenyan teammate James is taking care of a lot of the responsibilities for us that I would have to take care of while Dennis was gone.

If the computer is going to crash its good it did it now around the time Dennis is traveling to the States and can take it home for repair

If Dennis has to have any possible problems with his heart the TIMING is good since he will be in the States and can have a check up at the cardiologist in Denton.

And a very personal one...as many know Dennis and I have been trying for a long while to also have a biological child of our own. Each month has been disappointing but we are so thankful God didn't allow it to happen these last few months. He knew I would have malaria, and malaria can be extremely dangerous to a pregnant mother and her unborn child. God knows ALL things and his timing is perfect!!

ALSO, for those who have been praying for Samuel...keep praying!! He is still in hospital and has had some swelling. Please pray for God's miraculous healing!!

African Initiation

Well that so called flu or virus....well...its not. I took Allison back to hospital today cause she was feeling worse. And its positive she has MALARIA. Yep...she is now a real African. This is her first time having malaria in all the many years she has lived in Kenya. Please pray for her. She is feeling really bad with headache, body aches, chills and the works. The doctor gave her some strong medicine to take and she is now sleeping on the couch. Malaria makes you feel really bad and weak for many days. Please pray she feels much better by the time I leave for the States on Monday.. I really dont want to leave behind a sick wife!!!

Please keep praying. Today I have been very sick so i wasn't able to talk to Margaret myself but our friend Jacinta told us that Samuel is in a lot of pain and still in serious condition in the hospital. Please keep praying for his healing. Also pray for me. Have been at home sick with fever, chills and body aches all day. Was tested for malaria at the hospital tonight but it was negative. Must have a bad virus or something. Pray i feel completely well by the time Dennis leaves for the States on Monday. We all want to spend good time together this weekend before he leaves.

Keep Praying

Please keep praying hard for Samuel. I wasn't able to talk with Margaret in length today but when i talked to her she sounded discouraged. All i could understand before we got cut off was that Samuel was in a lot of pain, (His head was really hurting) but the doctor's weren't telling Margaret anything or answering any of her questions. Please keep praying!!!

Update on Samuel's Surgery

Thank you for your prayers. Praise God, Samuel's wife Margaret called us and informed us that Samuel's surgery went well and he is actually talking. We give all glory to God for this miracle and thank you for standing with them in prayers. We appreciate all the emails and text messages we have received from people to check on his condition - He has a long road to complete recovery.

Please keep praying for him and his family. Pray that he heals quickly and stays free from infection and other complications. Pray also that God would provide the family with the financial means to pay for his hospital bill.