Heart to Heart: The Shuberts Adopt

Mothers of Boys

2011-06-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across a website that I highly recommend. The site called The M.O.B. Society and is for mothers of boys by mothers of boys. There are tons of resources for raising little boys into godly men.

Check it out!

www.themobsociety.com

Loving This Life

2011-06-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I have seriously neglected my blog! My only excuse is that I've been lovin' on my little man. My last post was in November!!! Yikes!

Nathanael is 18 months old and into everything! He's a climber. We met his aunt and cousin a Chic-Fil-A a couple of weeks ago and Nathanael climbed to the top of the indoor playplace! Needless to say his mommy was waiting at the stairs and his aunt was at her post at the bottom of the slide. He had a blast and wasn't scared at all! I think that means I am in trouble!!! But it's so much fun!!!

He also has started hugging his stuffed animals and bringing them with him when we get him up for the day or from a nap. Nathanael loves to point at anything hanging on the wall and say "that" and then have mommy and daddy tell him the name of each jungle animal or picture of himself. In fact, he gets the cutest grin on his face when we pass the "wall of Nathanael" in our living room and have to tell him his name as he points at each of the 15 pictures of him!

Counting my blessings that God matched us perfectly with this amazing boy! All the waiting and complications of the adoption process just fly out of my memory when I look into his sweet face.

National Adoption Awareness Month 2010

2010-11-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

This time last year, we were in the middle of our homestudy and paperwork requirements for adoption. This year, we have a precious baby boy who is 11 months old, yesterday. In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month, I want to send the following message to my sweet Nathanael:

"Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone, but still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute, you didn't grow under my heart--but in it." -Fleur Conkling Haylinger

Our family has been blessed by the miracle of adoption. This year I have been challenged in new ways to support adoption. I have been doing a lot of my Christmas shopping from people's adoption fundraisers. I have been praying for friends who are in this journey of adoption. I challenge you, as you read this to think of new ways to support adoption this month.

First bath in the big tub

2010-10-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

Customize a free photo collage

Nathanael had a blast in the big tub for the first time. He made faces and was his usual cute self. :) What a sweet boy!

Our Little Man

2010-09-14T00:28:00.000-07:00

9 months old and 4 1/2 months home

2010-09-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

I've been reflecting on our adoption journey as Nathanael turned 9 months old yesterday. We were in Taiwan celebrating his 4 month birthday, just 5 months ago. It seems like much longer and just yesterday at the same time. Today, I am feeling thankful for the faithful people who took such good care of our precious baby boy. I am especially thankful to the Lord for this most precious, perfect gift...our son, Nathanael.

free photos

2010-08-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, since being home from Taiwan, I have gotten behind on getting my MANY pictures developed. And for some reason, (ha ha), I have been taking more pictures. It might be because of this sweet little guy who came home with me. So, how do I solve this dilemma?

I have signed up for 1200 free photos. You can too. We all have a backlog of children's photos or travel photos or family photos we have been meaning to get developed. If you will follow this link, you will qualify for free photos every month for a year. Just thought I'd share! ;)

www.artscow.com/?Ref=985770

The merging of God stories

2010-07-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

I began this blog as a chronicle of our journey to adopt a baby from Taiwan. Today, I find myself thinking about what the purpose of this blog is now...

Adoption doesn't end when you are matched with a child or when you bring him home. Adoption is a life journey! We brought him home to our FOREVER family on April 20th. Everyday since then has been part of the life-adventure that God dreamed for our family. Brian and I are adjusting to being parents after almost 10 years of marriage (August 12). Nathanael is adjusting so well to being in our family. He LOVES his dog Jack and often laughs outloud at him. He knows who mom and dad are and recognizes if someone else is holding him. He smiles and giggles and lights up our lives. People often say, "That is the cutest baby EVER" as he gives them one of his charming smiles.

I was in a youth revival service tonight in which the speaker discussed our "God stories." My God story began when God broke through my pretending and asked me to get real with Him. I became a Christian that day. Life has never been the same for me since that day. My God story continued when he led me to attend Kentucky Mountain Bible College, where I met my husband, Brian. My life will forever be changed because God called Ted and Bev Skiles to Taiwan to be missionaries and through them, gave us this wonderful gift--Nathanael. What a blessing to be adopted into God's family. What a blessing to adopt this sweet baby boy into our family. What a blessing to be able to share our lives together, just as God and I share our lives together. As I see it our family is really about lots of God stories merging into one beautiful tapestry of God's love and grace. As we are obedient to God, he works to make something beautiful out of our lives. Feeling thankful today. How about you?

April 20th to the present

2010-07-03T02:10:00.000-07:00

We arrived home on April 20th. We were overjoyed for our family and friends to meet our sweet baby boy! Upon leaving the airport, my mom wanted to ride with her grandson. So, I let her and I rode with my dad. Nathanael, quite worn out from being so sick and traveling for 23 hours, began to cry. They pulled over so I could get in and comfort him. My mom informed me that he was wheezing. Not what a new mom wants to hear upon arriving home!

I immediately called a good friend, Lori Weimer, who helped us get in to see a doctor that day. What followed was the longest, most exhausting week of my life. We ended up being at the doctor's office everyday that week. During the week, he began breathing treatments, had chest x-rays, spiked a fever over 105 degrees and had a Urinary tract infection, resulting in him being hospitalized for the weekend. Did I mention that Brian was also sick upon arriving home and we were experiencing jetlag? We would have never made it without the Lord's help to multiply our strength and send in reinforcements in the form of Libby Sellers and Brenda Visser. Both of these lovely ladies are nurses who each stayed a night to help us monitor Nathanael prior to him being admitted to the hospital.

All that being said, that week taught me that with the Lord's help, I can handle A LOT more than I thought I could!

Nathanael has been healthy since that time. He has the occasional stuffy nose, sneezes, and occasional cough. This mom with allergies thinks he suffers from them as well, but only the seasonal kind and nothing major.

Since we've been home from Taiwan, Nathanael has been able to meet most of my side of the family and some of Brian's. He has met his church family and has many "aunts and uncles" who love him. I am staying home with him and loving it, even though I've become a bit of a hermit. =)

He has learned the following things since we've been home: rolling over from his back to his tummy and back over to his back, sitting up for periods of time, squealing, spitting and sticking out his tongue, grasping toys and mommy's hair, and wrapping pretty much everyone he meets around his finger! Praise the Lord for this precious, giggley, smiley, healthy baby boy!

Arriving Home

2010-06-26T02:34:00.000-07:00

After 23 hours of travel, we were ready for final descent into Mobile Airport! The trip was amazing. God had been good to us and we were counting our blessings and feeling the jetlag at the same time!

Our sweet friends and my parents met us at the airport. What a wonderful welcome Nathanael received. It was a giant celebration of God making a family.

A few pictures of Taiwan

2010-06-26T02:05:00.001-07:00

The pictures are as follows:

1. Tea fields near The Home of God's Love

2. Brian with the largest carrots I have ever seen.

3. Me with "The Blue Bomb" that we and the Elswicks drove back and forth to the apartment

4. A family picture inside Taipei 101

5. Group picture at Taroki Gorge

These are just a few of the sights we saw. I wish I could share all of our pictures, but we took over a thousand! Taiwan is a beautiful country and so are the people there. It will always hold a special place in our hearts.

In Taiwan

2010-06-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

While in Taiwan, we were given a tour of sights of from Ted Skiles. The food there was amazing as well. We visited a local market and a handicraft center. We had so much fun! We also helped with babies and, of course, spent quality time with Nathanael.

Traveling with Ted was a wonderful adventure. He is a wonderful man of God and was such a blessing to spend time with. We were able to hear stories of God's provision for the home. What an inspiration! We met wonderful people who took care of Nathanael: Bev Skiles, Showhwa, Katie, Judith, Jess, Ellen, and Grandma. We also met Jen Jen and Janet who travel down from Taipei every week to volunteer their time with the babies. We met children who loved Nathanael and who were a joy to get to know. In Taipei, we met the Edwards family. They became good friends! It is difficult to sum up our trip here. It was amazing, tiring, inspiring, beautiful, educational, emotional, life-changing...I could go on and on, but I hear my sweet Taiwanese boy waking up from his short nap.

Meeting Nathanael for the first time!

2010-06-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

When we arrived at The Home of God's Love, we basically ran in the door to meet our son! These pictures capture the smiles that still haven't left our faces! We enjoyed meeting Ted and Bev Skiles, Showhwa, Jess, Ellen, Katie, Judith and Grandma upon arriving at the home. I do think that we were the most excited to meet Nathanael, though!

Taiwan!

2010-05-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

So, I realize that I have greatly neglected my blogging!

We have been home over a month. Our time in Taiwan was amazing, life-changing, and simply beautiful. I wanted to share some pictures of our arrival in Taiwan. Arriving in Taiwan was surreal, We had traveled for 25 hours and were quite literally, exhausted. However, in waiting for such an emotional event as meeting our son for the first time, we were bursting with energy as well. While we were waiting for Ted Skiles at the airport, we were able to visit with the Elswicks, each couple greatly anticipating meeting a son.

Taiwan, Here We Come!

2010-04-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

We are leaving in 2 days to go to Taiwan to bring home our son. We are so excited to meet all the wonderful people who have been caring for him during this time. It is hard to believe that after all the paperwork hassles, government red-tape, hours on hold, emails sent, calls made, and pictures received, we will meet him in person on Tuesday morning Taiwan time (Monday night U.S. time)!!! We are so happy, excited, and in awe of God's blessing in making us a family from opposite sides of the world. I'm reminded that we titled our blog "heart to heart". In just a few days, we will be able to hold Nathanael heart to heart and tell him how much we love him and have been praying for him.

"I prayed for this child and the Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me." I Samuel 1:27

PRAISE THE LORD

2010-03-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that our paperwork arrived in Taipei. I receieved a call tonight from THOGL to tell me that everything looks great. We are leaving Sunday to go get our son!!!!

Visa sent to Taiwan

2010-03-30T13:37:00.001-07:00

Our visa documents were electronically sent to Taiwan at 3:00 p.m. today!!! Thank you for your prayers!

"I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord." Psalm 104:33-34

VISA help

2010-03-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

I wanted to update you and let you know that I have talked with both of our senators' offices. They are going to try to assist me. Please keep praying!

National Visa Center

2010-03-30T10:29:00.001-07:00

I spoke with the National Visa Center. Our documents still have not been sent to Taiwan. They told me to call later today or tomorrow morning or later this week! Please keep praying.

Prayer Need

2010-03-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Our visa information still has not arrived in Taipei. We have a small window of time for it to arrive or we will have to postpone our trip. Our appointment is currently on the 7th. No appointments are available until after the 20th if we have to reschedule. The National Visa Center has our information. I talked with them after 11:00 p.m. They can give me no specific time or day that it will be sent out. Please pray that they send it to Taipei tomorrow morning.
Thank you to all of you who already have been praying.

How'd That Happen?

2010-03-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

I did not update here yesterday, but if you are on facebook, you may know that yesterday was emotional and frustrating. After run-arounds from several government agencies, and the help of my congressman's office, we finally got the tracking number for our documents, only to find out that the US Postal Service had no record of this piece of certified mail. This sent us into a scramble because USCIS doesn't keep some of the documents. I was going to hand deliver the documents to USCIS, but wasn't given approval until it was too late to make the 2 hour drive to Metairie, LA before they closed. So, I Fedexed the documents.

That was yesterday. Today, I checked the tracking number with the US Postal Service. I'm not really sure why I did, but.....It arrived at the National Visa Center at 8:48 this morning EST!!! Now how did an item that did not exist, suddenly get delivered this morning? I have one answer that I was able to share with my congressman's office and USCIS: God answered my prayers.

Oh, and you know that Fed ex package? It contained original birth and marriage certificates that we didn't want to send, but felt we had to. Guess what, somehow, it did not leave the Fedex facility last night, even though I was there before they closed. I called and am going to pick them up today!

I say praise the LORD!!!!

Please continue to pray that the National Visa Center processes our documents in time. I don't know about you, but seeing what happened with the documents, my faith has been strengthened!

"He is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trusted in Him, and He helped me. Joy rises in my heart until I burst out in songs of praise to Him." Psalm 28:7

So What's New?

2010-03-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

1. Nathanael is doing well. He remains on medication, but the doctor doesn't feel he needs a follow up appointment.

2. He gained lots of weight in the hospital. In fact he gained so much weight that the ladies helping to care for him nicknamed him "sumo"! :0)

3. The National Visa Center has issued a search for our documents. Also, our congressman's office has sent our information to their contact to try and help get the approval sent to Taiwan.

Please continue to pray and trust God with us!

Home from the Hospital

2010-03-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to quickly update. Nathanael is home from the hospital. He is doing better and was scheduled to see his doctor. I have not heard anything since then.

Please keep praying for the VISA situation. I am receiving conflicting information. Please pray that everything gets clarified and completed correctly. We have less than 2 weeks until we leave! That being said, I know God is in control and I am holding on to that.

Attaching to Adopted Infants and Toddlers: Ideas to Help Babies and Young Kids Bond with Adoptive Parents

2010-03-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

Attaching to Adopted Infants and Toddlers: Ideas to Help Babies and Young Kids Bond with Adoptive Parents

Travel and Visa

2010-03-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

We will be leaving for Taiwan on Easter Sunday afternoon!!! We are so excited! Please keep praying about the VISA, as it has not arrived at the National Visa Center, yet. We serve a big God who has worked out so many details and we are praising HIM!!!!

"I will be glad, yes filled with joy because of You. I will sing Your praises, O Lord God above all gods." Psalm 9:2

Updates and prayer requests

2010-03-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord! Nathanael is doing much better and should be released from the hospital at least by Monday!

Please keep praying about the VISA processing, as they have not received our information, yet and we are looking at traveling very soon.

God has worked out so many details. We are trusting him to continue to do so!

Thank you so much for your prayers!

We love you all,
Brian and Heather

Please Pray--Nathanael is back in the hospital

2010-03-15T21:58:00.001-07:00

Please pray for Nathanael. I just received notice from Bev that they put Nathanael back in the hospital on Thursday. He has pneumonia and serious bronchitis. They went to see him at the hospital tonight. He did not recognize them at first with their masks on. The held him, sang to him, and patted him. By the time they left, he was talking with them (making baby sounds). He is eating well.

Please pray that he will get better soon. Please pray also, that our VISA processing will be expedited so that we can go and bring him home!

Now it's the National Visa Center

2010-03-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

I received notice that our I-600-A application has been approved and sent to the National Visa Center. Today, I called the National Visa Center to make sure that our approval is cabled to Taiwan. They were unable to find it in their system and stated that they have probably not recieved it, yet. Please pray that they receive it soon, so they can process it. Then pray that the process is completed correctly. I was told that they create a file at the National Visa Center, then everything is sent to the appropriate consulate. No one knew anything about cabling it to Taiwan. Please pray for no delays in going to Taiwan to bring home our sweet little boy!

"I prayed for this child and the Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me." I Samuel 1:27 NCV

Court Hearing

2010-03-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

I love when I get emails from Ted Skiles that begin with the following verse: "Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” Proverbs 25:25 We got good news last night. He said that court went "just fine" and that we can be preparing to travel about a month from now! We won't know exact travel dates for a couple of week probably. Praise the Lord for answered prayer and thank you all for praying!

"I prayed for this child and the Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me." I Samuel 1:27 NCV

Nathanael's voice

2010-03-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

We got to hear Nathanael's voice on the phone tonight. It was so sweet to hear his cooing sounds! I just wanted to share with you all! We will keep you posted when we hear something about the court hearing.

Our Court Date!

2010-03-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

Our court date is tomorrow night at 8:15 p.m. central time. Please be in prayer that all goes well! Please pray for the judge, Nathanael's birthmom, and those who represent us in court.

"We prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted what we asked of Him." 1 Samuel 1:27

USCIS update

2010-03-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

I received an email just now from USCIS stating that there was a continued problem...BUT they had talked with my social worker for the homestudy and she is bringing in a correction. Once they have received the correction from her....wait for it...wait for it...THEY CAN SEND ME AN APPROVAL LETTER!!! Thank you so much for your prayers! Please continue to pray for our courtdate which will be Monday night at 8:15 p.m. CST.

Adoption Discipleship

2010-03-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

We received new pictures of Nathanael today! And we heard that everyone is on the mend at the orphanage after a bout with the stomach flu. We cannot express how grateful we are to the caregivers who are taking such good care of Nathanael and all of his friends!
Please remember to pray for the USCIS situation. The Secretary of State's office received the correction yesterday, but needs to send it on to USCIS in Metairie today. We know God is in control and we are hoping for no delays in bringing our little sweetie home! I know this sounds complicated, but this really is the "par for the course" with international adoption. We are praising the Lord for his help in bringing people into our lives who have walked this road before and have helped us on the journey. It's kind of like "adoption discipleship"--helping one another along the journey of adoption, which we all know is close to the heart of God. I want to do the same for other families.
Please pray for our court date to go well. It is March 9th at 10:15 a.m. Taiwan time..which is March 8th at 8:15 p.m. CST. We would appreciate prayers during the 10-12 day waiting period following court as well. I am meditating on the following scripture as we approach these important days:

"We prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted what we asked of Him." 1 Samuel 1:27

Fingerprinting: Check, Waiting: Check, Check

2010-02-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

We completed our biometrics (digital fingerprinting) appointment yesterday with more than a little freaking out on my part! We left 30 minutes earlier than we needed to for the appointment. However, a semi was blocking one lane of traffic on the bridge on I-10 over the lake. It took us over 30 minutes just to cross the bridge. Needless to say, we were late and I was worried that we would not be able to continue with the appointment. Those letters from USCIS can be so threatening, stating that you are abandoning your application if you do not make your appointment time. Anyway, as a newbie, I did not know that they schedule several people for 8 a.m. and we were fine. No problems, Praise the Lord!!!

I am continuing to wait to hear that USCIS has received our corrected homestudy. As of yet, I have requested this information with no response. Please pray that they respond to me soon.

Other than that, we work on the nursery and wait for our court date on March 9th. Please continue to be in prayer for the court date and our birthmom.

Do you see a recurring word in this blog: wait. For now, I am trying to do what the following verse states that David did. I'm trying to improve with the "patiently" part.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

Updates

2010-02-16T18:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to quickly update everyone on the adoption. The glitch with USCIS was that they had not received our homestudy from the state of Mississippi. Our social worker found out that it had been misplaced when the pipes froze and the Secretary of State office in Jackson was shut down. The homestudy should be on it's way to the USCIS office in New Orleans.
We are officially simply waiting for events to take place. This week (Thursday night) is our baby shower for Nathanael at the church (6:30 p.m. if you are planning to attend). Next week, we have a fingerprinting appointment in New Orleans. The following week, we should get an updated picture of Nathanael. And a little over a week after that.....Our court date (March 9th). Please pray for our court date, our birthmom, and Nathanael's health. Thank you so much for sharing in this journey with us!

"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." Psalm 22:31-33

fingerprinting and prayer

2010-02-11T09:42:00.001-08:00

We received our letters for our fingerprinting appointment on February 22nd. We are so excited. The glitch has not been explained, but I am hoping this means it is resolved. Thank you all for praying.

Our court date is March 9th in Taiwan. Please pray for our birthmom. She has been on my heart lately. I can not imagine how hard it is for her. I keep remembering the story of Hannah and how she gave up Samuel to live with the priest, Eli. She had promised to give him to the Lord. I cannot imagine making the choices these two women have made. What bravery! Yet, what pain at the same time. I am praying that God is the God of all comfort to her for making this brave choice. Will you join me in this prayer?

Court Date

2010-02-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

We have been assigned a court date for Nathanael's adoption. It will be March 9th at 10:15 a.m. Taiwan time. Please pray for Nathanael's birthmom. This day should be a happy day for Brian and I, but a sad one for her. It is not easy to choose for your child to be adopted. Please pray that she receives the comfort of the Lord.

Please pray that we receive notification of our fingerprinting appointment soon, as well. We do not want to be delayed in going to get Nathanael, due to a delay in the fingerprinting.

God is so good. We are so excited about the court date! We can't wait to bring home our sweet baby boy!

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." Proverbs 25:25

Nathanael Is Coming Home From the Hospital.

2010-02-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

I received an email from Bev that Nathanael will be returning to The Home of God's Love on Monday (which will be Sunday night for us)! Praise the Lord for healing our baby boy! We are so thankful for good nurses, doctors and care givers! Please keep praying for him. He was supposed to come home today, but he still had some phlegm that they were concerned about.

We continue to wait for a court date in Taiwan and a fingerprinting appointment with USCIS in New Orleans. Please keep these two matters in your prayers.

Ted Skiles shared this verse with me a couple of times and I am going to pass it on to each of you.

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." Proverbs 25:25

New Picture!

2010-02-02T23:38:00.000-08:00

Nathanael continues to improve, but remains in the hospital. Please keep praying for him. We did get our February picture today though!

Nathanael is improving!

2010-01-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

He has been moved from the ICU to the regular nursery at the hospital. Bev sent me the following in an email: "He still gets oxygen when he is in bed but a very low amount. He looked terrific. I sang to him and hugged and kissed him. At first he did not seem to recognize me with my facemask and gown on and then I got a big grin. He is not so sick and he is quite popular in the nursery. He is very responsive. I talked to the nurse caring for him but did not see a doctor. She said the pneumonia was not gone but he was much better...They say he still has phlegm but it is much thinner. They did not give me any possible time when he would get home from the hospital."
He also is eating more than he was before he got sick! Praise the Lord for his recovery and good care. I am so thankful for The Home of God's Love where he is loved and cared for, as well as the doctors and nurses who have taken such good care of him. Please keep praying for his continued recovery, but also praise God for how he has worked to help and heal my precious son so far. I think amazing things happen when we praise and thank God.

"The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:
'He is good;
His love endures forever.'
Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God."---2 Chronicles 5:13-14

Adoption Update

2010-01-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

Our paperwork was filed with the court in Taiwan yesterday! Now we wait for a court date and wait for immigration here in the states to complete their processing. We are so excited that our adoption case has been filed!

I have not received an update on Nathanael's condition since Tuesday night. Please continue to pray for him. The last we heard, he was still in ICU.

The song "While I'm Waiting" seems appropriate while we wait to hear about Nathanael, so I thought I'd share the lyrics.

While I'm Waiting

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Latest Update on Nathanael

2010-01-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

Received at 10:46 p.m.--The latest x-ray showed that his lungs are clearing up. He continues to have a lot of phlegm and mucus running out his nose. (Sorry there is no pretty way to say that, so you will have to forgive me) ;) His blood test showed little improvement so they are keeping him in ICU at this time. I'm not sure what this means, but have asked for clarification. But he is improving and for that I am very grateful. PRAISE THE LORD for good doctors and nurses. PRAISE THE LORD for Ted, Bev, and Anna who have visited him in the hospital. PRAISE THE LORD for the friends, family, and strangers who have prayed and are continuing to pray for Nathanael.

Update on Nathanael and Adoption Progress.

2010-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Nathanael Update: Ted and Bev (missionaires who run the orphanage where Nathanael lives) went to visit Nathanael at the hospital. He was sleeping, his color was much better, and he sounded better. The nurse said the pneumonia is the same. He is in a baby bed, with an oxygen tent. His oxygen level is not high. Ted and Bev. laid hands on him and prayed for him. Before they left, they sang "Jesus Loves Me" to him and he opened his eyes and seemed to recognize it. They are thanking the Lord that the Holy Spirit prompted them to take him to the hospital because he never ran fever. The only thing they had to go on was the fact that his color wasn't good. Please keep praying for him and Ted and Bev. He will probably be in the hospital for several more days. He remains in the Pediatric ICU.

In other news, we sent the rest of our paperwork off to Taiwan today. When they receive it they will be able to begin the legal proceedings regarding our adoption of Nathanael. Praise the Lord for Nathanael's progress as well as the adoption progress. We are also waiting on an appointment for fingerprinting regarding Nathanael's visa.

Thank you all for your prayers! Please continue to pray!

Update on Nathanael's Condition

2010-01-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

We were notified early this morning that Nathanael has pneumonia in his left lung. He remains in Pediatric ICU. He will remain there until his breathing becomes less labored and he can be moved to the baby nursery in the hospital. Please keep praying for him. He is very young. He has been receiving excellent care and had even been to the doctor twice last week, prior to having to go to the hospital.

Please pray:

that Nathanael will heal quickly and be stronger than he was before.

that Brian and I will continue to be able to trust the Lord with Nathanael's condition. I am trying very hard not to feel guilty that I am not with him when he is so sick.

that our adoption process moves swiftly and smoothly. We are ready to bring him home! Our paperwork should arrive from TECO today. We will then send it to Taiwan so that they can register the adoption.

for the missionaries and workers who run and work at The Home of God's Love. They have MANY children to take care of and it is a tireless job. They stay very busy. Pray that God gives them strength and rewards them for the excellent care they have been giving to Nathanael and the other children in their care.

Please Pray for Nathanael

2010-01-24T14:12:00.000-08:00

I am asking my friends and family who follow this blog and know how to pray, to please pray for Nathanael. He was taken to the hospital in Taiwan due to having difficulty breathing. He was given oxygen and his color improved. He is currently in the pediatric intensive care unit waiting to see the doctor this evening. It may only be difficulty breathing due to a bad cold. We simply do not know at this time. The are keeping him under observation and running tests. Again, we know this is in the Lord's hands as we can't go to Taiwan and be with him. Prayer is our greatest weapon and ally.
Thank you,
Heather

Two Steps in the Right Direction

2010-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, today I sent the paperwork to TECO (Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office). We also sent our forms in to the USCIS. Bad news...I feel like I just did my taxes. Good news...we are two steps closer to bringing Nathanael home!

Please pray for Nathanael because he has a cold. I was able to find out that he is a chunky baby, but doesn't eat a lot. He cries some in the night, but that is decreasing. I was also able to find out that he should be in 6-9 month clothes when he comes home. That is what I had estimated, but was able to confirm that yesterday.

We are busy cleaning out the nursery so we can set it up and get ready for our little sweetie! Our church is having a baby shower for us on February 18th. It is very exciting. Also, friends and family have bought our stroller/infant seat and our crib. Both should arrive later this week!!! I had better get off of here and get to cleaning out that nursery!

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word, I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." Psalm 130:5-6

Progress

2010-01-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

Lots of people have been asking me where we are in the process. So, I thought I'd update everyone via the blog. We sent our adoption paperwork to the Mississippi Secretary of State today to be certified. The next step is to send it to the TECO office. After that, we send it to Taiwan and they can register and file for the adoption in Taiwan. Please pray that everything goes smoothly.

Also, several people have asked what we need for Nathanael. We are first-time parents, so we pretty much need everything! ;) We have registered at the following places: Babies R Us (in store and online), Target (in store and online), Walmart (in store and online), and www.babybeddingtown.com. The registries are under Heather Shubert, Brian Shubert. We live in Vancleave, MS and the dates on them are either 3/31/10 0r 4/01/10.

We are so excited to be one step closer to bringing Nathanael home!

"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46:11

One month old

2010-01-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

Our little Nathanael is one month old today! It feels like a bittersweet moment for me. I am so excited that we have a son, and at the same time sad that we've already missed one month of his life. We got the adoption paperwork in the mail and are working on it to move this process along so we can bring that little sweetie home!
I am continuing to work on thank you notes from our fundraiser. Oh, and we sent Nathanael his first package on Wednesday! We can't wait to see pictures of him in his warm little outfits!
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to fundraise, file paperwork, and pray for and love our little boy. Thank you all for sharing this journey with us! I will post a new picture as soon as we get one!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

It's a boy!

2009-12-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, we received the call that we have been matched with a baby boy. We named him Nathanael Sung-En Shubert. Nathanael means "Gift from God". We had chosen another middle name for Nathanael, but when we got the call and were told his Chinese name and its meaning, we decided to keep that as his middle name. Sung-En means "praise and grace" or "praise His grace". We felt this was perfect for our little boy! We were told that it should be about 4 months until we are able to travel and bring him home! We are so excited. He is 21 days old today!

Meet Baby Shubert

2009-12-24T04:06:00.000-08:00

We got the call this morning that we are matched with a baby. We are currently waiting to call back to find out if we are having a boy or a girl and to learn a little more. I had nothing to do while we were waiting so I decided to blog. Of course this means that we completed and sent in out homestudy last week. We are excited beyond words!

Update on fundraising progress and the FBI clearance

2009-12-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

I just got news from our social worker that the FBI clearance will take one more week! I'm glad to hear that since I was thinking it might be 3 or 4. Also, we received several more donations for our adoption. According to estimates we have received from several people who have adopted from The Home of God's Love, we basically only have travel expenses left to raise!!! God is so good to us!

"Praise the Lord! My whole being praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praises to the Lord as long as I live."
Psalm 146:1-2

Fundraiser Success and prayer request

2009-12-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

We are overwhelmed by the love and support from our church family! Our cookie shop and silent auction fundraiser was a huge success. We made over 3,000 dollars toward our adoption!!! God is so good and so is our church family! Secretly, I was hoping we'd reach the 1,000 dollar mark and God and our church more than tripled that! We are so excited. With what we've paid in and with the gifts we have been given through fundraisers, we have more than 2/3 of the approximate cost of our adoption!!! How exciting.

On a less exciting note, PLEASE pray that our FBI clearance comes back. It should take 3-4 weeks and has now been over 6 weeks. We are not hearing anything about this. We cannot complete our homestudy or be matched with Baby Shubert until this clearance comes back. We would appreciate your prayers that this situation is resolved. I for one, feel quite helpless about it. However, I serve a BIG GOD!

"So I tell you, ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened." Luke 11:9-10

Fundraiser and Prayer Request

2009-12-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

Remember the Trees of Christmas, Silent Auction, and Cookie Shop event at Crossroads Church of the Nazarene in Ocean Springs, MS from 4-6 pm on December 5th. There will be great gift items as well as delicious goodies to buy for yourself or give as a gift. There will be cards available for you to put in your gift stating that the proceeds from the gift went to the Shubert Adoption Fund.

In other news, Please pray about our homestudy. I have contacted our social worker several times with no response. We cannot be matched with a child until the homestudy is completed. We have been waiting on one item to be returned to her from a government agency. We need this detail worked out to move to the next stage of our adoption...which is meeting Baby Shubert through pictures and information from The Home of God's Love. We would appreciate your prayers about this matter.

"Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among people who please God." Luke 2:14 NCV

Adoption Fundraiser

2009-11-21T22:07:00.000-08:00

Come one, come all to Crossroads Church on December 5th from 4-6 p.m. Our church is hosting a Christmas event, as well as a fundraiser for our adoption! Come enjoyed themed Christmas trees and hot chocolate at the trees of Christmas event.
Stay for the silent auction ending at 5:30 p.m. and featuring pottery, jewelry, decorative crosses, crafts, a muzzleloader, a deer stand, a night of babysitting, a Dallas Cowboys jersey, an Alabama memorabilia item, a family portrait, a fishing trip for 4 on the gulf with food and bait provided, a father/son or father/daughter hunting trip in Stateline, MS and much, much more.
Also attend the Cookie shop where you can purchase a tin and choose 12 cookies, brownies, bars or candies to fill it for $5. Purchase as many tins as you like. These come in handy for Christmas parties and gifts.
We look forward to seeing you there! Thanks to all of you who have donated items and baked goodies for this event!

"The Lord has done great things for us and we are very glad." Psalm 126:3

God's Timing

2009-11-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

I was reading Matthew chapter 2 in my devotions this morning. I love reading the story of the Christ-child, especially approaching Christmas. This time I was amazed at the precise way that everything in that chapter fulfilled a prophecy. God's timing was impeccable. He warned the wise men to return another way, in order to protect Jesus. He warned Joseph to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to protect the Christ-child. Then, He told them to return, because Herod had died and it was now safe to do so. Each one of these things we would view as delays, had a specific purpose. Sometimes the purpose was to fulfill prophecy, "I called my son out of Egypt", and "He will be called a Nazarene." Sometimes simply for the protection and the good of this little family.
As we are waiting for our child to join our family, we have experienced several delays. Right now, we are waiting for the FBI fingerprinting results to come back so that our homestudy can be completed. We have been waiting on this for several weeks. I have found myself impatient for this to happen this week because our social worker is going on vacation the end of this week, and then there is Thanksgiving. We can't be matched with a child until this is completed. God reminded me today that His plan and His timing are perfect. He knows which child or children He has planned to bless our home with. We will be matched with that child or children in his perfect timing. I am going to do my best to sit back and trust Him and stop trying to get answers on my timetable. His is better than mine!

"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is a Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22:31-33

National Adoption Awareness Month

2009-11-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

November is national adoption awareness month. Many people do not understand that Brian and I WANT to adopt. I recently went to the doctor for a physical for our adoption homestudy. She asked me if I had exhausted every effort to have children biologically. I tried to explain that I had not, but saw the need for adoption rather than in vitro. We could spend money and hope for a child. Or we can give a home to a child who is right now without a home. For us it is the very picture of what God, our Father does for us by welcoming us into His family. I did not do a very good job of explaining this to her. However, a friend referred me to an article on the KLOVE website. Russell Moore can articulate it better than I can.
"Adoption is not just about couples who want children -- or who want more children. Adoption is about an entire culture within our churches, a culture that sees adoption as part of our Great Commission mandate and as a sign of the gospel itself...I want to ask what it would mean if our churches and families were known as the people who adopt babies -- and toddlers, and children, and teenagers. What if we as Christians were known, once again, as the people who take in orphans and make of them beloved sons and daughters?...Not everyone is called to adopt. No one wants parents who adopt children out of the same sense of duty with which they may give to the building fund for the new church gymnasium. But all of us have a stake in the adoption issue, because Jesus does. He is the one who tells us His Father is also "Father of the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5). And, He is the one who insists on calling "the least of these" His "brothers" (Matthew 25:40) and who tells us that the first time we hear His voice, He will be asking us if we did the same." Russell D. Moore

I shared some of this quote on facebook and a friend of mine had this to say, "EVERYONE can have a part in adoption, even if they are not bringing a child into their own home. If only the church would be as strong of an advocate for adoption as it is against abortion - what good could be done in the name of Christ!" Matt Kinnell, adoptive father of adorable twins from Ethiopia
I completely agree with Matt. Just some food for thought in observance of National Adoption Awareness Month.
If you are interested in finding out more about what churches and individuals can do to support orphans and adoption, check out the following websites.
www.cryoftheorphan.org
www.hopefororphans.org (a ministry of Family Life)
www.icareaboutorphans.org (a ministry of Focus on the Family)

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

We serve a faithful God!

2009-11-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

I wanted to update you guys on the process! We are waiting for our background checks to be returned and Brian to get his TB test for our homestudy to be completed. We are REALLY close!
God has been talking to both Brian and I about trusting him to provide for our adoption and our daily needs. Our pastor has been sharing really relevant sermons about being desperate for God. Brian talked about how when we are really desperate, we have no hope to meet our needs without God stepping in. Brian even shared about this today in worship. Well, we agreed to ask God to meet our needs and....Today a wonderful couple gave us a check for $1,000 toward our adoption! God is so good and so are His people!

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
2 Corinthians 9:8

Progress!

2009-10-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

We had our third meeting for the homestudy. We basically are done with the homestudy. We have a few things she needs us to get to her. And then, at the next meeting, she will be presenting us with the completed homestudy to send to The Home of God's Love in Taiwan! This is so exciting!!!
Also, we are working on a couple of fundraisers for the adoption. The first one is selling handmade soaps, shower gels, body and room spray, lotions, etc. Please comment if you are interested in purchasing these reasonably-priced items. We are also planning a fundraiser at our church on January 30th. It will consist of music, food, and a silent auction. Sounds like fun, right? We'd love to have you there.
Please continue to pray for us and Ted and Bev Skiles as they, with God's leading, choose our child and match us with him or her. God knows which child he has for us and only He can make a family. He has a plan for Baby Shubert.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart. “ Jeremiah 1:5-6

Short update

2009-10-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd homestudy meeting was postponed from Tuesday at 10 a.m. to Thursday at 10 a.m. by our social worker. We are looking forward to meeting with her and moving the process along!

Moving along

2009-10-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

We have now had our 2nd homestudy meeting with only 2 left. The next one is at our home on October 20th. We are frantically working on projects for our house to be "child-safe" and scheduling doctor's appointments and passport sessions for the homestudy and adoption. We LOVE the social worker doing our homestudy. She is a wonderful Christian lady and feels like one of the family!

On another note, a prayer request is that my hours at work were cut from 40 per week to 15. This basically will allow us to continue to have insurance, but I will receive little or no salary. This is not the best timing since we are in the middle of our homestudy. However, none of this surprised God! Please pray for wisdom as I look for at my options for work. This is particularly interesting, as we need to be able to drop everything and go to Taiwan once we are matched with a child and the court date is set. Again, none of this surprised God. Please pray that we will be encouraged and our faith will remain strong!

I love sharing this journey with you all!

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

One Down, Three to Go

2009-10-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we had our first meeting with the social worker who is doing our homestudy. God is SO good. She was the sweetest lady and reminded me so much of a close family friend that I felt so at ease with her!
OK, but something funny happened and I had to share the story. For those of you who know Brian well, you know that he can be easily distracted. We met in a coffee shop with two TVs on two different channels. Plus we were sitting near the door, where he noticed everyone who walked in. This resulted in him not contributing to the conversation as much as he normally would. Halfway through the meeting, our social worker turns to me and says, "You two remind me so much of me and my husband: I love to talk (she indicated she was identifying with me) and he is layed back and loves to laugh (indicating Brian). I talk, he laughs at my jokes. We both win. It was all I could do to just smile and nod rather than explode with laughter!!! If she ONLY knew how quiet I am and how outgoing he is! She will learn through this process of getting to know us, won't she?!
We completed our first meeting. We meet with her again on Tuesday morning! Then there will only be 2 left after that! Man, this process is MOVING!!! Thank you for your prayers!

"Sarah said, 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.'" Genesis 21:6

How can you help us with adoption?

2009-10-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

We have been asked this question often lately as we have many supportive friends and family members.
There are three main answers:
1. Please pray for us and Ted and Bev Skiles who run the orphanage in Taiwan. Pray that God gives them wisdom in the decisions they have to make. Pray that God helps us maneuver the difficult road of international adoption. Pray that God grants us favor with judges and government officials. Pray that God provides the finances for us to adopt. International adoption usually ranges from 25,000-50,000 dollars. Because we found an orphanage that is a Christian ministry, ours should only cost around 8,000 dollars!

2. This brings me to point number 2. We will be doing some fundraisers in the near future that we would love for you to participate in. Also, I had 2 people on Monday remind me that some people may not want to purchase items, but may simply want to give. If you are interested in contributing securely through PayPal, you can follow the link that is in the post below. Feel free to email or comment with any questions about this. I am a little uncomfortable with this, but those same two people reminded me not to "rob someone of a blessing." PLEASE do not feel pressured to give if you do not want to or do not feel you can. Your greatest gift to us is your friendship, support and prayers.

3. Rejoice with us! We are so excited about how God is creating a family for us!

"I will thank the Lord very much. I will praise Him in front of many people." Psalm 109:30

Contribute through PayPal

2009-10-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

Exciting News

2009-09-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

We were notified that we are officially on the waiting list for the orphanage in Taiwan!!! The director asked us to go ahead and begin our homestudy!!! We are so excited about this. This also makes things seem so much more real to us that we are REALLY on this journey of adoption! We would like to ask you to help us pray that God will provide the resources for the adoption. While we have chosen a route that is a small fraction of the cost of a typical adoption, it is still a lot for us. We are looking at some creative fundraising ideas. (If you have any suggestions, feel free to share those in the comment section!) Look for information soon about gift baskets and gift items you may want to purchase for Christmas gifts that would have the added benefit of helping us raise funds for adoption. Most of all, please PRAY that God works out all the details. We believe that He has chosen a child for our family. We believe that He will provide the funds needed and the appropriate paperwork will be accomplished. We serve an awesome God!

"He gives children to the woman who has none, and makes her a happy mother. Praise the Lord!" Psalm 113:9

The Waiting Game

2009-09-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

I received confirmation that ALL of our adoption references have been turned in!!!! We are so excited. However, this begins a case of "hurry up and wait." We are now waiting for confirmation from the orphanage that we have been added to their waiting list. Then, we will be waiting for a referral...then waiting for a court date...then waiting to bring home our child. I don't know about you, but I'm not very good at waiting. I don't like long lines, traffic jams, or delays at the airport! I do think that waiting has a purpose at times, though. God has used "waiting times" to teach me to rely on him more fully. In this time of waiting, I'm reminded of the scripture "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 NIV So, waiting isn't so bad with the Lord renewing your strength and reaffirming His promises to you. I think I can...I think I can!

References

2009-09-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Today we learned that 6 of the 7 references we have requested have been sent in! We are so excited and are anxiously awaiting the news that we have been put on the waiting list at the orphanage in Taiwan! Our journey began in 2002 when we heard Steven Curtis Chapman on a Focus on the Family broadcast discussing his recent adoption (his first) from China. I (Heather) was getting ready for work and was moved to tears by the Chapman's story. In that moment, I felt God tugging at my heart toward adoption. It has been awhile and we have had some life experience since then (including Hurricane Katrina!), but we still feel God wanting to unite us heart to heart with our child across the ocean. We took some steps over a year ago to begin this journey. There were some paperwork mixups and we just heard last week that the orphanage had sent out our reference requests. Some people would be annoyed by this, but we know that God's timing is perfect. We have recently moved back to Mississippi and live near my sister and brother-in-law as well as dear friends. We are part of a vibrant, exciting church family. God knows what He is doing! I will continue to blog as we have updates in the adoption process.

"Children are a gift from the Lord; babies are a reward." Psalm 127:3