We have been home 7 weeks and have come sooo far. Jesse is spewing out new English words each day, and understanding more and more all the time. He is eager to listen to his native language on occasion (meaning I talk into Google Translate so he can listen). It seems to bring him some peace from time to time.
We are still in awe how the Lord has carried us through this entire process of adopting Jesse. He provided time and again prior to leaving for China. Since we have come home, God has provided us with many angels to assist us in this amazing journey. We are so thankful for the families at our church that have provided meals and support to us the last 7 weeks, what a blessing! It is amazing to see how Jesse is getting more and more familiar and comfortable at church too! Each of Jesse's leaders have embraced him and made him feel special to be a part of their group. He enjoys going to church on Sunday and listening to the stories, sing worship songs, and follow instructions for the activities and crafts. He especially looks forward to Awana and the fantastic angels who help him there each Wednesday.
In addition to our church family, we have been blessed to have several special angels assist with translation. I did not know any of these ladies prior to December, but God strategically placed them each in our lives. These angels have joyfully accompanied us to the eye doctor and ultrasound appointments. One even came to our house (which was a very long drive for her!) to help us translate some pictures we received of Jesse's foster family. One angel made homemade dumplings (Jesse's favorite!!) for Jesse for Chinese New Year. It is so touching for me to see how God is still taking care of us, even after being home.
Our family and friends have embraced us and welcomed Jesse, like he has always been a part of our family. Thank you to all of the angels! We praise God for His provisions, always at the perfect time.
Kopinski Adoption
Monday, February 17, 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
Eternal Lights
Another week has flown by and we are looking back wondering .. how a 6 year old boy can be ripped apart from one 'family' and culture and thrown into a completely other one can survive. But, Jesse is made of something special, and he has not only survived, but he has thrived and grown so much over the past 6 weeks. Everyday he amazes us with what he can understand and how he can follow directions. He does an excellent job of watching others first and doing as they do.
Jesse is so eager to earn anything from Awana, that he practices his John 3:16 relentlessly. I can not even imagine memorizing all the words in the verse, and not knowing what more than a couple even mean. So, it comes to no surprise as he was listening to various John 3:16 songs, he found a familiar word and was so excited to share it with us. As he was reciting the last part of John 3:16, we were reminding him to say "that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal"… and he jumped up and pointed to the lights in the living room and in his enthusiastic voice screamed "Lights!", instead of 'life'. Poor kid, we hated to squash his spirit, as there was finally a word in amongst many that he thought he recognized, only to find out he heard it wrong. Now, on a side note, wouldn't it be something for those who believe in Jesus shall have eternal life, but also eternal lights! Would that mean no more changing lightbulbs? Chris would be thrilled! But then again, as we pointed out to the kids, when we do believe in Christ, we should have eternal lights, as we need to be shining for Jesus and showing love everywhere we go.
Today was his first day at our homeschool co-op and he did really well. Again, as long as he is with the ever protective, ever nurturing big brother Ethan, Jesse is comfortable. Today was no different. Ethan makes sure he walks in order, stands in line, sits when directed, plays dodgeball by the proper rules, paints in a neat fashion, and draws the 'Dust Bowl' like the picture given! However, during PE this morning the boys were practicing the shuttle run, and while they may be quick, they can not run straight! Consequently, Ethan and Jesse collided (thankfully it was with each other) and Ethan's head knocked Jesse's tooth out (it was already wiggly) and caused a large cut on his top lip. We never found the tooth and poor Jesse was hurting so much. However, my enthusiastic boy was so excited after co-op to share with his siblings all he did today, that the pain from his lip was just a mere bump in his otherwise joyfully filled day.
Jesse is so eager to earn anything from Awana, that he practices his John 3:16 relentlessly. I can not even imagine memorizing all the words in the verse, and not knowing what more than a couple even mean. So, it comes to no surprise as he was listening to various John 3:16 songs, he found a familiar word and was so excited to share it with us. As he was reciting the last part of John 3:16, we were reminding him to say "that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal"… and he jumped up and pointed to the lights in the living room and in his enthusiastic voice screamed "Lights!", instead of 'life'. Poor kid, we hated to squash his spirit, as there was finally a word in amongst many that he thought he recognized, only to find out he heard it wrong. Now, on a side note, wouldn't it be something for those who believe in Jesus shall have eternal life, but also eternal lights! Would that mean no more changing lightbulbs? Chris would be thrilled! But then again, as we pointed out to the kids, when we do believe in Christ, we should have eternal lights, as we need to be shining for Jesus and showing love everywhere we go.
Today was his first day at our homeschool co-op and he did really well. Again, as long as he is with the ever protective, ever nurturing big brother Ethan, Jesse is comfortable. Today was no different. Ethan makes sure he walks in order, stands in line, sits when directed, plays dodgeball by the proper rules, paints in a neat fashion, and draws the 'Dust Bowl' like the picture given! However, during PE this morning the boys were practicing the shuttle run, and while they may be quick, they can not run straight! Consequently, Ethan and Jesse collided (thankfully it was with each other) and Ethan's head knocked Jesse's tooth out (it was already wiggly) and caused a large cut on his top lip. We never found the tooth and poor Jesse was hurting so much. However, my enthusiastic boy was so excited after co-op to share with his siblings all he did today, that the pain from his lip was just a mere bump in his otherwise joyfully filled day.
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