#AdoptionRocks, Part 9: This is TRUST...

I have no words for what this World Adoption Day series has done to my heart, y'all - and it's not even over! With each post, God has opened my eyes and my heart to just how much He loves us (read: ME!) and pursues us (Again, read: ME!) - even in our most unloveable and undesirable state. I am so difficult to love and yet, His patience trumps my stubbornness every time, my friends. 

My dear friend (and I'm starting to say "soul sister") has some beautiful words of encouragement to share with you. Laura Choy and I ended up roommates much by happenstance last year at Noonday Collection's annual conference for Ambassadors. We did not know each other AT ALL but quickly realized God had knit us together long before we met that weekend. We talk almost daily now and her wit and encouragement are balm for my soul on weary days. We have since become "The Lauras" and couldn't be happier to be tied to such a beautiful soul. I am so thankful for her and for her friendship...and today, for her transparency as she shares their beautiful story.

IN HER OWN WORDS...

The Choy Family
shortly after Aliyah's arrival.

While my husband and I were engaged, we had the opportunity to travel to Germany for a work conference that I was invited to for missionaries headed to all parts of the globe. A talk given on Ephesians by a man who had adopted a special needs child from Thailand stirred up a desire to adopt…in my fiancé. When he asked if I would ever consider that idea, I bluntly replied, “Nope.”

Fast forward 4 years, our marriage and 2 children later, I had just been through an extremely dark season of cynicism and doubt regarding my faith. I had turned from God and was searching for new truths. It took a long year to find myself right back where I started but now more fully and more deeply convinced that Jesus is THE ONLY WAY and HE is in fact THE TRUTH! But more importantly I’d discovered His LOVE!

My journey of cynicism and doubt started as a young child who felt invisible and unseen. In my faith, I perceived God as good and very much in control, and in fact very loving, but just not loving of me. I thank God for letting me wander in the desert and yet graciously holding my hand while I tried to shake Him away. He was very persistent in His pursuit of my heart and extremely gentle.  Amidst the doubt and disbelief was a hunger. I kept finding myself reading a blog by Katie Davis who eventually wrote Kisses From Katie (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!). Even though I’d decided her faith in a loving God was silly, her life example shone so brightly I would feel His love shine through her example straight through the computer screen and the beautiful faces of those she ministered to. I would battle anger and hope and tears and joy as I read stories of Katie’s complete life surrender and pouring out of unspeakable love towards people barely hanging onto life. 

These sweet boys think their little
sister is pretty special!

My son Kyle would find me crying as I read and ask me about the children’s faces he saw on the screen. I told them about the plight of the orphan. He was 4 at the time and said to me, “Mommy! We need to pray that those kids can find a mommy and daddy!” And so he did and I listened feeling a slight tap on my cold heart.

In October 2009, I finally said to God, “I’m in! I believe you love me even though I don’t feel it all of the time. That is trust, and I am willing to trust again!"

Overnight, I felt the Spirit of God renewed in me once again. My faith was full again!! In November, our pastor taught on Ephesians 2 and from the pulpit invited us to consider the idea of taking what God so clearly teaches us in the gospel of His pursuit of us through adoption into His kingdom by grace, and to live that out through physically adopting a child if God might be leading.

I can't handle the cuteness of the Choy family!

I was almost literally sitting in my husband’s lap! I knew! He knew. We needed no words but the decision had been made.

By February, only 3 months later (a true miracle) our papers were complete and on their way to Rwanda, Africa. It took what seemed like forever but on Valentine’s Day 2011, we got our invitation to come pick up our baby girl and by March we had her home as a part of our family.

Loving her and pursuing her and now fighting for her heart past issues of trauma that cause her to reject me, has been such an amazing picture of how God fought for me and showed lots of enduring grace, that He in fact DOES SEE ME and that HE DOES LOVE ME!

I love how God weaves the tapestry of His story! I would never have been open to adoption alone. But He took me through a time of really tough suffering to show me who He really is and how He loves and how He wants me to love as well!

The Choys, Summer 2015: Jon, Laura,
Kyle (9) and Clayton (7) and Aliyah (5).

*************************

Seriously. I love this. All of it. Again, I am so grateful for Laura and time spent with her sweet family in Austin last month. I hope her story - and all the others that I've shared this month - have spoken life and hope and encouragement to you! I hope you have been reminded of our role as Christ followers to love and support the widow and the orphan. I hope your heart has been moved to respond to this command - in whatever way God has called YOU to. 

There's only one post left, and it's one of my favorites. Ok. They all are, but I have a beautiful niece brought into our family from the island I love so much! I can't wait to share the Waltons' story next...

A New Stamp in the Passport

** This is the most exciting, yet difficult, post I have written in a while. Exciting because I have wonderful news to share, but difficult because of the great care I want to take in giving credit where credit is due.**

About 1/3 of the amazing Noonday Collection team.

So, last weekend I traveled to Austin (Texas, that is!) for Shine 2015. For those who do not speak Noonday Collection Ambassadorese, this is our annual conference and celebration. It has taken me several days to process all the things, and I'm just finding time and energy to make a feeble attempt at putting it all into words. 

To use the words "amazing" or "unimaginable" do not even begin to describe these days in Austin! I am so incredibly humbled to be one very small part of this group of world-changing women who not only empower one another in their businesses, but who are also working their boo-tays off around the United States to make life a little mo' better for thousands of talented artisans living in vulnerable communities around the world. 

As many of you may have read or heard me share at Noonday Collection trunk shows, I joined the Noonday tribe almost two years ago as a way to steady my heart and keep me from selling the farm and moving my family to Haiti. It has truly become an answered prayer in so many ways as I am seeing and hearing the difference my sales are making in lives around the world...Haiti included. 

Love these ladies who braved hours
on a bumpy bus, tarantulas, crazy
heat and so much more with me traveling
in Haiti and the DR in October.

Traveling to Haiti in October with a rock star cast of Ambassadors, hostesses and customers to meet Renal and the other artisans in the Haiti Design Co-op was amazing! Hearing from Moon, a seriously amazing Indian woman who is currently serving as President of TARA Projects, and more from Daniel and Jalia, the couple who runs the Ugandan company, African Style, that makes our paper bead pieces, has me ready to roll in 2015. Their stories about the hundreds for women who are being empowered through their employment by Noonday Collection's partner artisan groups makes me even more passionate and want to be even bolder (you've been warned, friends!).

Melissa Russell, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at International Justice Mission, spoke courage over our group and challenged us to be BOLD in our "ask." She advised us to play over the conversation with Jalia or Moon or Renal or any of our thousands of partner artisans as to why we couldn't ask someone else to partner with us through purchasing or hosting...

These two women who inspire me BIG TIME!
Laura Choy, our #2 in sales for 2014 and
the best roomie ever, and Jessica Honegger,
who leads this movement with
fierceness and grace!

"I'm sorry, Jalia. I didn't ask my friend Susie to host this season because it was just so awkward for me, and I just was too afraid she'd say 'No.'"

Wow. That's a hard pill to swallow, my friends. So again, you've been warned, and you better have some great reason when I ask! ;-)

(Or, don't wait for me to ask. Contact me TODAY and let's get your show on the book or head to my site now and purchase a piece that speaks to you!)

So, I was super excited to learn this weekend that I have qualified for an all-expense-paid trip to meet more of our partner artisans this summer! What the what?!!

New passport stamp coming in 2015 from one of the following:

Rwanda. 

Ecuador.

Guatemala.

EEEK!!! Yes, please! That's just nuts, y'all! 

But here's the part I need you to not to miss.

This accomplishment is not about me.

It's about the dozens of women who have opened their homes to their friends, family, colleagues and neighbors - and maybe even complete strangers - to allow others to join this movement. It's about a small YES here in the US that has huge impact for children around the world whose parents now have sustainable employment and hope for a future. Congratulations to my rock star hostesses for being a part of a Noonday record - 59 trunks shows in 2014! Y'ALL ROCKED IT AND THANK YOU!

It's about friends far and near who wear and gift Noonday likes it's their job! They wear the stories of these women who've been empowered to leave abusive relationships. They wear the stories of children who have HOPE through access to education. They wear ethically made jewelry because lives matter. Congratulations to all my amazing customers for being a part of record-breaking sales in 2014! YOU ROCKED IT!

My Noonday Collection "Board of Directors"

It's about my own personal tribe - some nearby, some far away but most of whom are also in the above two categories - who have loved me well during this past year. They have talked to me on long drives to help keep me awake. They have encouraged me when I was feeling overwhelmed and strung out. They have spoken truth and HOPE into my (thousands of) doubts and insecurities. They have traveled to Haiti with me and loved with reckless abandon there. They have connected me to other friends who have become hostesses and customers. They are my people, my tribe, my constant support - and they deserve much applause and many "thank yous!" as well. 

And lest I forget, the three most important boys in my life are the most deserving! My husband is the rock star! He has juggled ball seasons and homework and bedtime routines many a'night with our two rowdies alone. He has made displays and even tweaked them last-minute to make my life easier at shows. My precious boys who make my heart swell with pride when I hear them tell people about "the jewelry mama sells because it helps people" and my oldest who can probably tell you which country our pieces are from faster than I can! They get the credit...because they sacrificed most. Thank you for being patient, and "getting it" with me!

There were lots of people that asked me this weekend "How do you do it?" and many were probably met by awkward and uncomfortable facial expressions and attempts at humorous diversions because here's the thing...

I don't.

All these people described above are the ones who "do it." They get my heart and most importantly, they get Jesus' heart for the poor and the oppressed. They want justice in dark places, too. They want a world where children are cherished, women are empowered, people have jobs and we are connected! So, they wear and host and advocate. And many wear and host and advocate again and again and again. They are my tribe...my rock star, kick boo-tay tribe, and I couldn't do it without them. 

Amen and amen.

PS: If you were one of the ones that asked that question or some form of it, I'm really sorry. I'm so awkwardsauce sometimes.