Hope and Helplessness

by The Brinkleys under ,

High and low, celebration and mourning… that is how today began an ended.

This morning we went to church here at the orphanage. The church is a very simple yet beautiful building. It is very open and has some beautiful stained glass windows which let in a cool breeze. The service began with some of the older kids leading worship. They had a simple PA and were accompanied by a keyboard player. Then one of the missionary’s fathers spoke. He had a translator speaking with him which really added to the cultural vibe. He spoke on the hope we find during the Christmas season in Jesus coming to Earth to rescue us. As I listened to his message, I was reminded of God’s radical love for us and the extreme measures he took to reveal that love to us. It was a great celebration of hope and life in Christ and a great way to start the day.

The end of the day took a much unexpected turn. When we went to court on Monday, there was a mother there with a little baby who was probably 10 months old. The baby was having a very difficult time breathing and was very lethargic. One of the missionaries with us sent someone to the drugstore to buy some medicine for the baby and told the mom she needed to take the baby to the hospital immediately. It was a very heartbreaking scene, but to be honest I have not thought about that baby again…until tonight. We just got word as we were eating dinner with the missionary that bought the medicine for the baby that the he passed away today.  

I have never had such a surreal experience. It really made me realize how fragile and temporary life truly is, especially here in Uganda.  I mean, I just held this baby’s head on Monday, and now he is gone. The only comforting thought I have as I sit here and type this post is that he is with his creator and will never suffer again. I am also even more grateful for God’s provision in Joyce’s life and for the amazing, selfless work of these missionaries. Having been here twice now, I have gotten a pretty good understanding of just how difficult life here can be, and I will be forever grateful for their sacrifice and commitment to these amazing children.  

So, lessons from today…God came to Earth to give us hope and life. That life (here on Earth) is a temporary gift that God has entrusted to us as stewards. As faithful stewards, we should use that life to make a difference in the lives of others for the Glory of God.

Thankful for life in Uganda.
Posted by The Brinkleys at 1:17 PM 0 comments
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Thank God for Emissions Control

by The Brinkleys under ,

Our internet service here is really sketchy!! I haven’t been able to get on and update as much as I would like, so here is a rundown of the last couple days!

Yesterday our luggage finally arrived! And it only cost me $60 and 3 hours in the car to go get it. The orphanage is located in a really rural area in the middle of acres of sugarcane fields. Nothing is close and you don’t get anywhere fast! We had to go to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, to go to the Embassy and get Joyce’s medical exam. It’s a good 2 hr drive from the orphanage. Amy stayed with Joyce to get her physical, and I hired a driver to take me to the airport in Entebbe to pick up the luggage. It is normally a 45min drive from Kampala. However, with “Holiday” right around the corner, the traffic was ridiculous! It took me 3 hours to get there and back and about thirty minutes in the airport! We finally got back to the orphanage at 10:30! It was a loooooong day!

We spent a total of about 8 hours in the car yesterday. It’s hard to explain just how much traffic there is here once you get into the city. There are thousands of cars, trucks, buses and vans…not to mention all the Boda-Boda’s (motorcycle taxis). They don’t really have lanes and everybody is zigging in and out trying to get where they are going as fast as they can. Almost every car here runs on diesel, and the exhaust is so thick it looks like a storm is coming in the horizon. It’s really hot and you have to ride with all the windows down. Sometimes you breathe in so much exhaust it literally takes your breath away. I will never complain about having to get my car inspected again!!

While Joyce was getting her physical, she had to get a TB test. When the Dr. stuck her with the needle, she grabbed his arm and yanked the needle out of her arm! She did not want to talk to us for a little while after that!!

Today we finally got a chance to take it easy. We got to sleep in a bit, take a shower and put on some clean clothes!! We just hung out around our house all day and recouped. It was very relaxing! Tonight we went into Jinja, a little town about 30 minutes away and did a little shopping at some of the little local shops. It is absolutely amazing how talented Ugandans are and the street side shops are full of handmade items. Afterwards we ate a cool little pizza place. There were about fifteen of us and we had a great time.

Tomorrow, we get to experience our first African church service. I can’t wait! But right now its 11:30 pm Saturday night and I’m exhausted, as you can probably tell by my very direct, undescriptive writing tonight. So, you will have to read about that tomorrow!

Good night from Uganda.
Posted by The Brinkleys at 3:58 PM 0 comments
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Snowstorms, Skivvies, and Sensing More!

by The Brinkleys under , ,

Wow, our trip to Uganda has been very eventful to say the least. We arrived at the Raleigh airport at 5pm Monday afternoon. As we were walking into the airport, the fire alarm was going off and there was a voice over the PA telling everyone to evacuate. Having been a firefighter for 6 years, added to the fact that no one that worked at the airport was paying any attention to the evacuation instructions, I realized very quickly this was a false alarm and proceeded to check in. Not three minutes after the alarm went off; another voice came over the PA instructing us that the security status in the airport had just been upgraded! This would definitely be a sign of things to come!

We flew from Raleigh into NY. We boarded our plane in NY for London with no problem, but before we could take off, the plane had to be deiced. This delayed our takeoff by about 30 minutes. After we were 2 hours into our nine hour flight, the flight crew captain came and informed me that we had been rerouted because of the snow storm, and due to this delay and extended flight time, we were not going to make our connection in London to our final destination in Uganda, Entebbe. He said they had already rebooked us on a flight to Cairo, Egypt.

Well, our flight to London was also delayed and at the exact time our plane was touching down, our flight to Cairo was supposed to be taking off. As we got off the plane, the crew informed us that they were holding the plane for us (there were several of us that had been moved to this flight) and we needed to RUN to the departure gate. So, Amy and I and the rest of our new late friends sprinted across the Cairo Airport, being directed by airport personnel at every turn! I felt like we were all competing on the show “Amazing Race”!!  We made it to the plane and boarded to angry stares of passengers who were now an hour late taking off thanks to us!

Here’s a friendly heads up to those of you who may be traveling in the near future, if you have to RUN to catch a plane that you were not originally scheduled to be on, you can count on the ground crew NOT RUNNING with you to transfer your luggage onto your new flight!! We finally arrived in Uganda at 5:30am on Wednesday morning. However, our luggage is still sitting in Cairo!! It is supposed to come in at 3am tomorrow morning, so we should have it for the second half of our stay!

Today, we drove into Kampala for our hearing. I had to wear a borrowed suit that was too big and underwear that I washed in the sink with shampoo the night before!! I had packed a couple extra shirts in my carryon but somehow managed to forget a backup pair of skivvies!! Looks like the one pair of underwear I have is going another round in the sink tonight!!

I know you’re all wondering if we got the miracle we have all been praying and believing for. The answer, I am sad to say is no. There were questions about Joyce’s father that need to be answered before a ruling can be granted. Though that seems like a setback, we were scheduled for a ruling on January 25th. So, as it stands now, Amy and I will return home on Dec. 22nd, and I will return by myself a couple days before January 25th and stay for a week to finish up. Then Joyce and I will fly home together.

With that being said, Amy and I still have a strong sense that we need to be praying over this situation surrounding Joyce’s father.  The only way that we can explain it at this point is that there is a strong sense of spiritual warfare surrounding the details of this situation. You all have prayed so faithfully and courageously with us, and I can’t tell you what a blessing and strength that has been. Please continue your fervent prayers for us as we continue to try and bring Joyce home to be a part of our family. This thing is defiantly not over yet! 
Posted by The Brinkleys at 1:08 PM 0 comments
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Ready, Set, Goooooooooooo!

by The Brinkleys under , , ,

That’s right, the time is finally here! Amy and I are heading back to Uganda! We (along with all of you) have been praying for this moment for over a year now, and I can’t begin to tell you how excited we are that the time has finally arrived! However, this trip looks like it is going to be much different than we first anticipated, so I wanted to catch you all up before we head out.

From the beginning, we’ve been told by our attorney in Uganda that once our case had been assigned to the court we would be given a date for a hearing. Once we knew the date of that hearing, Amy and I would both travel to Uganda and go to court together. After our hearing we would both stay in Uganda for two weeks and then return to court to get the judge’s ruling. The ruling is what actually gives us guardianship over Joyce. After receiving the ruling, Amy would return to the States and I would stay in Uganda another two to four weeks to get Joyce’s visa and passport and then the two of us would return home together. If there is anything we have learned in this process, whether it's in Africa or the States, change is inevitable! 

Over the last month, we have been very anxious about our court date because we know the courts close in Uganda on Dec. 23rd and don’t reopen until the middle of January. This could add several weeks to my time in Uganda if we went to court for our hearing before the break but didn’t get our ruling until after. Last week, we received word that our team in Africa had come up with a new plan. They wanted me to come alone for the first hearing and then return home before Christmas. I would then return in January for the ruling, finish up the process and bring Joyce home. Amy was pretty excited about this new plan because it meant she would not have to go…though she loves being with Joyce, she is not crazy about being in Africa!! So, we have been planning for the last week for me to leave this Sunday...alone.

The down side to this new plan is that it would mean two trips for me and make it even longer before we get to bring Joyce home. So, we have been praying. In our seeking, we have heard his voice. Scriptures have been jumping off the pages of the Bible and stirring faith in our hearts. The messages we have been hearing, even last Sunday’s KidStuf service, have spoken directly to us as if God spoke them just for our benefit. Even as far back as May and the blog post I wrote entitled “The Space In-Between, there is evidence of God prepping us for this moment! To put is as plainly as I can…we have heard God invite us to believe for a miracle. We have been praying that God would give us a ruling the same day of our hearing (which is extremely rare!) and that I would be able to bring Joyce home on this first trip.

Then, just last night, our plans were turned upside down again. We were told that both of us were now going to have to come after all. This news caught us totally off guard! We have gone through a whole range of emotions over the last several days and are now focused on getting ready for both of us to leave the Country together…again. What a rollercoaster ride!

So, here is the current plan. On Monday, Amy and I will leave for Uganda and return on the 23rd. That is the natural plan! We however, are praying for a supernatural plan. As I mentioned before, we are praying for God to do a miracle and move on the judge’s heart to give us a ruling on the day of our hearing and that we get to bring Joyce home on this trip, even if it means us staying a little longer.

We know, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). And if God chooses not to do a miracle in this situation it will not be because we didn’t ask and believe for one, “for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (I Peter 3:12).

I am sorry for such a looooooong post! That is what happens when you only update your blog every 3 months! I am planning on updating often while we are in Uganda, so stay tuned.
Thanks for standing with us and for all of your support! We love you guys! 


Believing,
Jason
Posted by The Brinkleys at 11:51 AM 2 comments
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State of the Adoption Address!

by The Brinkleys under ,
Wow, it’s been almost three months since my last update. I’m just not good at making time to sit down in front of the computer and write! So, I’ve strapped myself to my seat with six feet of rope, fixed a ½ gallon of sweet tea, grabbed a bag of vinegar and salt potato chips and cranked up some great Chicago Blues music for what should be a great update. Ok, so maybe I made that up…but the blues is boomin’!

If this were my presidential “Sate of the Union address” the status would be “On Track” Our adoption process has continued to progress at a decent clip and things are still moving forward. Amy and I (mostly Amy!) have finished up all our paperwork and we’re scheduled to be in Raleigh in two weeks to have our fingerprinting done. That should go off without any problems unless Amy has some skeletons in her closet that she has managed to keep from me for the last 10 years!

We have sent a retainer to our lawyer in Uganda, and he should begin preparing our case soon. He will send us an affidavit, and we’ll have some documents to gather for him and have shipped then he will start to prepare our case for court. We still don’t really have any kind of realistic time frame but we’re still praying to have her home before the end of the year. How sweet would it be for me and her to get home on Christmas morning! That would be the best Christmas present ever!

Renovations on all the kids’ rooms are finally underway. We have moved Cohen (2) into his own room and he took to his new “big boy bed” like a champ! Caleb has been moved to Kealee’s old room and the girl’s room is getting a new addition. Some very special friends of ours have donated all the materials and are installing a closet in the bonus room where Kealee and Joyce will be roommates! Kealee is sleeping with Caleb in the meantime which he absolutely loves…NOT!

This Monday night our family is having dinner with a guy who has spent the summer at GSF doing an internship. I emailed him when he first got there and told him that we we’re adopting Joyce. He played with her everyday and took a ton of pics for us. I can’t wait to see them! It is so cool that God led us to an orphanage that has so many connections in Greensboro! I’ll be sure to post some of the new pictures soon…really….no seriously, I mean it!

So, as I said earlier, the “state of the adoption” is on track! We still need to raise $8-$10,000 but we’re moving forward on that as well. We have applied for an interest free loan and a grant, and we would greatly appreciate your prayers for favor with both organizations.

We would also greatly appreciate your continued prayers for Joyce. She is at a crucial age and lives with some older girls which she is beginning to be influenced by. Nothing serious, mostly attitude type stuff, but stuff we would prefer she not pick up! Please pray for her protection from everything seen and unseen and that God would protect her innocence and childlike faith. Pray that God would give her an awareness of his love for her and a sense of the coming change in her life and that she would commit herself to him in thanksgiving for both. Pray that in “The space in-between” (see previous post) she would experience the presence of God in her life in a very tangible way.

Thanks for all your continued prayers and support!
Posted by The Brinkleys at 3:29 PM 0 comments
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The Space In-Between

by The Brinkleys under ,
Several months ago, I was listing to a podcast from one of my favorite pastor’s in which he was preaching on Peter’s miraculous water walking experience. Now I have heard this story many times and can tell it with great detail. However, when the pastor shared his main point, I saw something that I had never seen before. The pastor’s main focus was a question, “Are you willing to do what only you can do in order to see God do what only he can do?”

This question was extremely relevant to me because my wife and I had just begun our adoption process, knowing that on paper there was no way we could pull it off. As I began wrestling with that question and reading Peter’s story over and over, God began speaking to me about this idea of “the space in-between.” The space in-between being the time frame between when you clearly hear God’s invitation to act and that moment when what he is inviting you into comes to pass. For instance, the space in-between Abraham hearing God’s call to sacrifice the son of promise and him raising the knife in the air to take his son’s life, or the space in-between Joseph receiving a prophetic dream from God and saving all of Egypt (including his family) from famine, or the space in-between Peter hearing God’s invitation to join him ON the water and taking his first step out of the boat and the list goes on.

Scripture says that God is able to do immeasurably more than we think or imagine. I am convinced most Christians do not get to experience the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit in their lives because they are not willing to put themselves in the space in-between. The space in-between what we can think and imagine and what God can do above and beyond that is a scary place for us because it requires total trust in God. To use the words of the preacher, it takes doing all that we can do in order to see God do what only he can do. It means being out of control and in faith.

As I walk through the space in-between hearing God’s word to adopt and bringing my little girl home, I am full of confidence in my God and his ability to come through. Though our ability to facilitate this adoption is as nonexistent as Peter’s ability to walk on water, I know God is abundantly able! What is God calling you to? What life changing experience is he inviting you into? Whatever it is, I pray you find the courage to accept his invite and journey through the space in-between…it’s worth it!
Posted by The Brinkleys at 11:46 PM 1 comments
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It Takes A Village!

by The Brinkleys under ,
We have all heard the old ancient African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Well, in our case it takes a village to bring a child home too!

This past Saturday, we had a fund-raising yard sale which we began planning several weeks ago in an attempt to raise some money to complete our home-study. The home-study is rather expensive and it’s the next big step in our journey to bring Joyce home.

As friends and family began to hear about the yard-sale, they started cleaning out their closets, garages and attics and donating stuff for us to sell. It was really amazing! People started dropping stuff off at Amy’s mom’s house, bringing it to her school and the church, and calling us to come and pick it up. By the time Saturday rolled around, we had enough stuff to open our own little thrift store!

A mother, who has a child in Amy’s class, took some of the pictures we have of Joyce and had a huge poster made with Joyce’s story on it. She had it framed so we could set it up at the yard sale with a donation jar. It was beautiful and we will treasure it forever!

Several of the girls in Amy’s class, who are all in the same Brownie troop, set up a booth and sold lemonade, coffee and homemade baked goods. They made just over $100.00 and donated every penny to us! They also made signs on poster board and stood out in the yard and flagged cars down as they drove by. It was such a blessing watching them serve, and I hope my kids where paying attention!!

After it was all said and done, we made over a thousand dollars! Can you believe that, $1000.00 at a yard sale! Amy and I knew when we started this process that we did not have the money to do what God was calling us to do. However, every step we have needed to take, God has provided us with the resources to take it!

To all those who donated goods to be sold at the sale, to the best brownie troop (and their moms) in the world, to Anita, to those who came and bought stuff at the sale, to our family for working so hard during the sale and the week prior, to those who made additional donations, to those who prayed and participated in any other way, to our village…
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Posted by The Brinkleys at 10:03 PM 1 comments
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