January for many we know is the month for ski trips and layered clothing or resigning themselves to indoor sports. For us in the UAE, this is the time to get out...check out the parks, have picnics, go for a walk, etc.
I don't claim to be one that likes the "great outdoors". I am not the hiker, mountain climber, roughing it type. As a general rule I fall into the sunscreen/mosquito spray wearing must have a fan and a soft bed type. However, I will admit that some of my best memories over the years have been made "in the woods" with dear friends and time alone with my Savior!
While we were still in the States, our friends the Fishers first exposed us to the fun of camping. For several years in a row we accompanied them over Memorial weekend to out -of-the-way spots in Texas and Oklahoma where we set up camp and enjoyed the wiles of the outdoors. They were excellent teachers with instructions on what to pack, cooking over an open fire, and most importantly how and where to pitch our tent. The first year they arrived before us, carefully clearing our spot and helping with our tent. The next year we worked together to find a spot, clear the twigs and debris, and erect the tents. Then it was time for us to arrive early and make the preparations the following year.
Who would have thought that these lessons would have been something that we would carry with us overseas? However, we discovered that one of the things that the Believers of East Turkey like to do each year is take a week to get away together and camp somewhere. The first year we went, we were so grateful that we could at least pitch a tent. Our language skills were limited and having our "dwelling" up was essential for shade in 100+ degree weather. The next year we were able to help "newbies" more and begin the process of passing on our "wisdom of the woods".
Now we find ourselves in a new situation: camping without the forest. Dessert camping is bringing a whole different learning curve and skill set into our lives. Pitching our tent is more about finding a sand dune that will provide shade and wind protection rather than clearing the ground from twigs and watching out for tree roots.
However the process of learning, training, and discipling is going much the same.
In Genesis 12 we read of Abraham stopping to pitch the family tent. If you remember the Lord had just called him out on his journey of faith. "And he removed from there to a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he built an altar to the LORD, and called on the name of the LORD." Genesis 12:8
The situation of Abram’s tent between Bethel and Ai must have commanded a view of the valley of the Jordan and of the Dead Sea, with the mountains of Moab. Abram made open profession of his faith, and worshipped with his household at an altar dedicated to Jehovah.
When I "get over my girlie self" and head out to camp in God's beautiful creation, the thing I LOVE is having a time of worship. There is just something so special about a camp fire, the night sky, and songs of praise! How truly grateful I am for family and friends that come alongside us and help us experience new things and see God in a whole new way. What a blessing it is to be able to break away from the routine of life, head out to a new place, pitch our tent, and praise God.
Where will we pitch our tents this year? Yes, finding that spot to physically pitch a tent is fun and memories in the making. However, WHO am I pitching tents with this year is a more important question. Do I have people in my life that I am working to share with, teach, and train? Let us all work together to show someone (disciple someone) in learning more about the Father. What if we all just invested in one person for 2015; what would the world look like?
AT
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Friday, January 2, 2015
Awakening of the Heart - Let 2015 Begin!
The new year is always a time of reflection and resolutions. While our family has several for 2015, our focus remains the same = Be Broken For The Lost!
This time last year our world was being turned upside down with the news that our adoption facilitator had betrayed us and ultimately the result of that would be the loss of our daughter Hope. At the beginning of the Spring our family had to move to Ethiopia to make sure that we were able to complete the adoption of Micah and Joy. However, in an effort to try and straighten things out upon the first realization of deceit, I dropped everything and flew into country.
I remember my first night in my room alone after a very difficult day of confrontation with our facilitator and the orphan home administrator. I tossed and turned and cried out to God for my babies. "Lord, we want these babies." "Lord, save these children." "Lord, please let them join our family."
Yes, the Father cares for the broken hearted, and believe me I was broken! He gave me great comfort in my hour of need. However, He is also a Father who knows what is best for ALL His children. What I needed most at that time was a good slap of truth and perspective! His ways and purposes are above mine. As I physically cried and shook from complete sorrow, I heard the Lord ask me, "Matt, why are you not this passionate in prayer over all of those that are not in my family? Why do you not cry out to Me for all those around you that do not yet know ME as Father?"
WOW, talk about a reality check! How often am I living for this world; living for the things that seem important in the here and now. Yes, God the Father cares for the orphans. Yes, HE was leading us to open our home and expand our earthly family. However, His plan and desires are much bigger and include many more than my humble family!
So just as in 2014, 2015 is going to be the year that the Travis family says, "Yes, Lord send me." Open my eyes Father to those around me. Give me a great love and burning desire to share You and the awesome privilege it is to be called your son.
Who do you know that is going to be welcomed to the family of God this year?
MT
This time last year our world was being turned upside down with the news that our adoption facilitator had betrayed us and ultimately the result of that would be the loss of our daughter Hope. At the beginning of the Spring our family had to move to Ethiopia to make sure that we were able to complete the adoption of Micah and Joy. However, in an effort to try and straighten things out upon the first realization of deceit, I dropped everything and flew into country.
I remember my first night in my room alone after a very difficult day of confrontation with our facilitator and the orphan home administrator. I tossed and turned and cried out to God for my babies. "Lord, we want these babies." "Lord, save these children." "Lord, please let them join our family."
Yes, the Father cares for the broken hearted, and believe me I was broken! He gave me great comfort in my hour of need. However, He is also a Father who knows what is best for ALL His children. What I needed most at that time was a good slap of truth and perspective! His ways and purposes are above mine. As I physically cried and shook from complete sorrow, I heard the Lord ask me, "Matt, why are you not this passionate in prayer over all of those that are not in my family? Why do you not cry out to Me for all those around you that do not yet know ME as Father?"
WOW, talk about a reality check! How often am I living for this world; living for the things that seem important in the here and now. Yes, God the Father cares for the orphans. Yes, HE was leading us to open our home and expand our earthly family. However, His plan and desires are much bigger and include many more than my humble family!
So just as in 2014, 2015 is going to be the year that the Travis family says, "Yes, Lord send me." Open my eyes Father to those around me. Give me a great love and burning desire to share You and the awesome privilege it is to be called your son.
Who do you know that is going to be welcomed to the family of God this year?
MT
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
A New Sound
It is with a weary and sad heart that I announce that our family will be moving yet again. Due to circumstances out of our control (but not out of HIS) we will be leaving our beloved apartment on the beach. Over the Christmas holidays we (mostly my dear sweet husband) have looked at close to 50 houses. Since we have to leave what we think is the best location in our Emirate, we have decided to take the plunge and move into a "neighborhood" rather than another apartment building. For a whole host of reasons, it will be the best thing for our family. (not sure about our wallets...just doing what HE is calling us to do and trusting HIM with the details.) We will be located a few blocks back from the water now in a small townhome community.
Today as I sat with my big kids at the beach and reflected over the year and this upcoming change, I was overwhelmed with the roar of the waves. Somehow over the past 2 years I have started to take for granted their beautiful hum in my ears. Funny how when you are faced with losing something, you remember how dear it is to you.
I was also struck with a new thought about the verse, "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thess. 5:17) So often we think of praying as talking with God. How can we constantly be talking with God? I have heard people's opinion on this...reminders of things that prompt us to pray, etc. However, the main part of praying should be listening. What if we were so in-tune with Him that He was the roar of the waves in our ears? What if we stopped praying (listening) and the silence was painfully deafening?
Father, may we stay in constant rhythmical prayer with you. May your sweet voice be the backdrop of our lives in our new home. May the "roar" of the ocean of your presence be what surrounds our new home.
AT
Today as I sat with my big kids at the beach and reflected over the year and this upcoming change, I was overwhelmed with the roar of the waves. Somehow over the past 2 years I have started to take for granted their beautiful hum in my ears. Funny how when you are faced with losing something, you remember how dear it is to you.
I was also struck with a new thought about the verse, "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thess. 5:17) So often we think of praying as talking with God. How can we constantly be talking with God? I have heard people's opinion on this...reminders of things that prompt us to pray, etc. However, the main part of praying should be listening. What if we were so in-tune with Him that He was the roar of the waves in our ears? What if we stopped praying (listening) and the silence was painfully deafening?
Father, may we stay in constant rhythmical prayer with you. May your sweet voice be the backdrop of our lives in our new home. May the "roar" of the ocean of your presence be what surrounds our new home.
AT
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Christmas 2014
As I sat here this morning thinking about what to share, I read my coffee mug. It says, "Celebrate the Gift of Jesus EVERYDAY". What a great reminder during this season! Yes, let us celebrate the coming of Christ. It is important to take special time to remember Christ's sacrifice in coming to earth. It is also important to remember that He is our gift EVERYDAY! He has something new for us each day. He desires that we spend time unwrapping His Word and feasting on the privilege of being able to be in His presence. He is Emanuel - God WITH us. Today and EVERYDAY! AT
The kids are waiting to see what is under the tree!
TOTAL SURPRISE!
Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours!!
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving
We pray that your holiday was filled with times of rejoicing in all that the Father has done for you. We spent the holiday weekend surrounded by many friends from all over the world. When you live in an ex-pat dominated country (Emiratis are only 10% of the population!) it is not a hard task to find yourself rubbing shoulders with people from every continent. I believe that I spent an hour speaking Turkish; 30 minutes talking in French/English; almost 2 hours trying to remember proper Spanish; 20 minutes going from Arabic to English and an entire evening attempting to discern the Queen's English from a New Zealander and an Aussie. Praise the Lord for an hour conversation with my dad and mom. I can successfully communicate in Texan. I don't even have to finish my sentences to be understood! LOL! Yes, there is much to be grateful for!
This year we made a thankful tree with glittery leaves that we purchased in the States. I love seeing our praises written down. What great reminders of God's goodness to us. Here are some highlights:
Matt: travel mercies; a car that fits our expanded family; God's provision; comfort in hard times
Amy: Salvation and forgiveness; people that are good listeners; modern conveniences
William: family; home; tennis; new friends
Grace: God's goodness to us even when we are hurting; family; ice skating; people to talk to
Micah: my special blanket "lovie"; my shoes (that means I get to go somewhere)
Joy: my camel "Kami"; yogurt (my favorite food!)
"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with Thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30
AT
Friday, November 14, 2014
Following God Can End Badly
Loss. It seems like a small, simple word, and yet when it happens there is nothing simple about it.
Loss has been a theme in our last 2 years: loss of a country we loved, loss of friends, loss of relationships we held dear, loss of a culture that had grown dear to our hearts, loss of a vision, loss of a child, loss of innocence, loss of life...
As 2014 draws closer to an end and we reflect back, it is beginning to make total sense why we have gained weight/have some health issues, feel stressed, finances are strapped, have withdrawn a little from things of old, etc. Loss has a way of gutting you; complicating the norm; weighing your daily walk; and causing you to question.
Grief. Grief is the natural result of loss. It is what makes us question; makes us feel alone and isolated; makes us search for greater meaning...
Walking through the 5 stages of grief (Denial and Isolation; Anger; Bargaining; Depression; and Acceptance) is time consuming and messy. It makes people around us feel uncomfortable; it often means taking a step away from "normal" life things. However, it is needed and valuable. This is where we have been...well and still are in some areas.
Faith. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1. Sounds simple. Right? How do you explain your faith? Yes, loss and thus grief can be a weight that at times seem too heavy to bear, but it is by faith that we stand. We get up the next day and take up our cross and follow him.
I just recently watched a short clip by Matt Chandler. (It is under 5 minutes. You can click on the following link to view Following God can end badly.) In it he says, "God has not hinged any of His Kingdom goals on me being here." I would add...He has not hinged His goals on me being happy, me having all "I" deem necessary, me feeling comfortable, me being important in HIS story at all. Bottom line is: My life is not even about ME. "The man goes in the ground and the message goes on. The story is not ours it's God's." MC
Heart. SO, how do we carry on when we know that we are but a tool being used to paint a larger picture for His Kingdom? I believe that the answer is found in the heart. Do I have a heart of gratitude? Do I choose to thank Him in all circumstances? Do I wholeheartedly say, "Thy will be done!"?
During this time of Thanksgiving, the Travis family is choosing to reflect on all the things that we have to be grateful for over the past few years. Despite all the difficult circumstances we have experienced and are still walking through, HE IS GOOD and HE IS GOD!
Praise His name today with us. AT
Loss has been a theme in our last 2 years: loss of a country we loved, loss of friends, loss of relationships we held dear, loss of a culture that had grown dear to our hearts, loss of a vision, loss of a child, loss of innocence, loss of life...
As 2014 draws closer to an end and we reflect back, it is beginning to make total sense why we have gained weight/have some health issues, feel stressed, finances are strapped, have withdrawn a little from things of old, etc. Loss has a way of gutting you; complicating the norm; weighing your daily walk; and causing you to question.
Grief. Grief is the natural result of loss. It is what makes us question; makes us feel alone and isolated; makes us search for greater meaning...
Walking through the 5 stages of grief (Denial and Isolation; Anger; Bargaining; Depression; and Acceptance) is time consuming and messy. It makes people around us feel uncomfortable; it often means taking a step away from "normal" life things. However, it is needed and valuable. This is where we have been...well and still are in some areas.
Faith. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1. Sounds simple. Right? How do you explain your faith? Yes, loss and thus grief can be a weight that at times seem too heavy to bear, but it is by faith that we stand. We get up the next day and take up our cross and follow him.
I just recently watched a short clip by Matt Chandler. (It is under 5 minutes. You can click on the following link to view Following God can end badly.) In it he says, "God has not hinged any of His Kingdom goals on me being here." I would add...He has not hinged His goals on me being happy, me having all "I" deem necessary, me feeling comfortable, me being important in HIS story at all. Bottom line is: My life is not even about ME. "The man goes in the ground and the message goes on. The story is not ours it's God's." MC
Heart. SO, how do we carry on when we know that we are but a tool being used to paint a larger picture for His Kingdom? I believe that the answer is found in the heart. Do I have a heart of gratitude? Do I choose to thank Him in all circumstances? Do I wholeheartedly say, "Thy will be done!"?
During this time of Thanksgiving, the Travis family is choosing to reflect on all the things that we have to be grateful for over the past few years. Despite all the difficult circumstances we have experienced and are still walking through, HE IS GOOD and HE IS GOD!
Praise His name today with us. AT
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Catching Up!
Where have we been?
The short answer is: around the world and back. :)
Next question: Where did the year go?....Isn't that something old people ask? Well, I am feeling it!
Our last post was from William's 12th birthday in 2013 with his goals for his last year as a "child". I am happy to report that he accomplished all 13 goals. I am a very proud momma. I know that the teen years are not going to be smooth sailing. The infant years, toddler years, preschool years and elementary years have all had their ups and downs; however, Matt and I are super excited to walk through this time with William (and soon Grace to follow). We are very humbled to see all the things that God is doing in his life.
All of you know by now that last fall we began an adoption journey in Ethiopia. This time last year, we had met our son, Micah, and daughter, Hope. We were busy with holiday preparations to complete the adoption within the month and head to Texas for much celebration.
Obviously, things did not go as "we" had planned. I have struggled with how to write it all out for this blog, so I decided to simply post a "summary" talk that I gave at a ladies' meeting in September regarding our adoption journey.
So Here we go:
Today I want to talk about 4 words: Adoption; Multi-Cultural; Orphan; and Trust
As a young teen I watched my aunt struggle with infertility. It was so heartbreaking to watch as we gathered Christmas after Christmas. I could see the longing in her eyes for a child. My sadness turned to fear as I too began to have medical issues. I was told very young that I would most likely never carry a baby to full-term. Enter the 1st word or seed that God placed in my heart - ADOPTION. We welcomed Andy and 2 years later Heather into our family: Cousins, not by birth, but through heartbreak, loss, desire, and grace. Adoption was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
The short answer is: around the world and back. :)
Next question: Where did the year go?....Isn't that something old people ask? Well, I am feeling it!
Our last post was from William's 12th birthday in 2013 with his goals for his last year as a "child". I am happy to report that he accomplished all 13 goals. I am a very proud momma. I know that the teen years are not going to be smooth sailing. The infant years, toddler years, preschool years and elementary years have all had their ups and downs; however, Matt and I are super excited to walk through this time with William (and soon Grace to follow). We are very humbled to see all the things that God is doing in his life.
All of you know by now that last fall we began an adoption journey in Ethiopia. This time last year, we had met our son, Micah, and daughter, Hope. We were busy with holiday preparations to complete the adoption within the month and head to Texas for much celebration.
Obviously, things did not go as "we" had planned. I have struggled with how to write it all out for this blog, so I decided to simply post a "summary" talk that I gave at a ladies' meeting in September regarding our adoption journey.
So Here we go:
Today I want to talk about 4 words: Adoption; Multi-Cultural; Orphan; and Trust
As a young teen I watched my aunt struggle with infertility. It was so heartbreaking to watch as we gathered Christmas after Christmas. I could see the longing in her eyes for a child. My sadness turned to fear as I too began to have medical issues. I was told very young that I would most likely never carry a baby to full-term. Enter the 1st word or seed that God placed in my heart - ADOPTION. We welcomed Andy and 2 years later Heather into our family: Cousins, not by birth, but through heartbreak, loss, desire, and grace. Adoption was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
Matt and I
met at university. We were friends for 2
years before God brought us together.
One of my biggest struggles in committing to marriage was my possible
inability to have children. Matt loves
children, and I didn’t know if he could really not have biological children and
still be happy. I obviously didn’t know
my husband very well then! His love and
trust in the Lord is always an inspiration and encouragement to me.
In the early years of our marriage, Matt’s sister
welcomed to our family a child from the State of Florida. Enter the 2nd word or seed that
God placed our hearts:
Multi-Cultural. Notice I did not
say “multi-racial”. There is but one
race: God’s race or the human race. It is historically, scientifically, and
Biblically accurate to say there is only one race. Elijah is African and Porto
Rican. A few years later by the same
sister we welcomed into our family a little girl named Lydia. She is part Hispanic. As a child I learned to have friends from all
cultural backgrounds. I was taught to love
and embrace all people. How thankful we
all were to be able to expand our family to include new cultures.
In the first
4 years of our marriage we lost 4 children to early birth. As you know through the blessings of the
Father and His miraculous handiwork, I was able to carry 2 children to
full-term. Something many doctors said
was going to be impossible! The Father
gets all the praise for William and Grace.
After Grace, I was pregnant one more time, but lost the baby early in the
first trimester. At this time the first
2 words that God had been working in me came closer to the surface. Matt too was prompted by the Holy Spirit to
begin to ask and pray about the possibility of the Adoption of a multi-cultural
child.
Over the
next 9 years we followed the Lord through the journey of multi-cultural
adoption. It seemed that this was not to be HIS plan for us. Which leads us to the 3rd word ORPHAN. Wow, that seemed like a huge step of
faith. We had already experienced 5
failed adoption attempts; 4 as domestic (or in our home county the U.S.) which
are supposedly “easier” and one failed attempt in Turkey as residents. What would it look like to go to another
country and receive an orphaned child into our arms?
Many of you
have followed our journey and prayed for us this past year. "The
adoption was challenging - the LOVE arrived instantly." is a fitting quote for our experience.
In August of 2013 we were matched with 2
infants. In September we met them both and
knew instantly that our son was to be our Micah. The promised name the Lord had given us almost
2 years prior in 2012 during a time of prayer.
Four months later after naming him, we found out that Micah was born on
June 8th. Our family verse is
Micah 6:8 “And what does the Lord require of you, but to act justly and to love
mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Was it an accident that he was born on that date? NO – our God has perfect plans for HIS
people.
At the same time, after many weeks of prayer we
knew that our daughter with whom we were matched at that time was not the baby Joy
that we had been promised by God in 2012.
Her name was to be Hope JoAnn. Hope was a very small and very weak infant. I believe that I was her mom for 9 months so
that she could get the medical care and nutrition that she needed. I am happy to go into more details at a later
time, but through the deceit of man but not out of the sovereign plan of God we
were not able to legally adopt Hope. She
will always be in our hearts just not in our home.
Enter precious Joy into the picture: "Sosena", Joy came to the orphan home in November of
2013. She was placed in the same crib as
Micah. Why? Only God.
She and Micah were bed mates for 4 months until the home was less
crowded and Micah was given his own crib.
As people would pass by her bed they would say, “This baby is such a
joy.” When they would pass her playing they
would say, “She has so much joy.”
In the days leading up to the trail determining
who would have baby Hope, I felt the Lord tell me that I was to let her
go. Hope is loved by God more than I
could ever love her and though I do not understand now, I know as truth that HIS
plan for her is far better than mine. At
the same time, God told me that the baby "Sosena" was to be my promised daughter,
Joy. Of course, I was terrified; how was
this to happen? You can’t just pick a
baby; they are matched with you; legally it would take half a year again….it
all just seemed so out of the possible. (and I was ready to be DONE)
However, with God all things are possible. Enter the last word: TRUST! The very day, I was crying, trying to bring
out the words of goodbye, and holding my Hope for the last time. The Sister took her out of my arms, handed me
Joy and said, “Take this girl. She is
your joy.” WOW! Out of the mouth of an unbeliever...ONLY GOD!
At first in my grief I was angry.
“Give me back my child”, I wanted to scream at anyone who would
listen. But the child in my arms smiled
and told me with her eyes that she wanted me for her mom. How could I refuse? It didn’t make the pain of losing Hope
easier, but it made my arms not so cold.
Again, adoption is challenging (loss is hard) but love comes instantly.
Was the rest easy? NO! There was a mountain of legal trails to hike,
but God in only HIS awesome power made all of it come together in 3 weeks on
the American legal side and another month on the Ethiopian side. Thankfully, we were able to live in Addis Ababa from March-June; and we were able to visit the babies everyday and work in the orphan home.
We have now had the babies in our family since
June 17th. We spent 2 months
in Texas completing their citizenship, and we have been back in the UAE since the end of August.
We are often asked: Has the adoption of multi-cultural orphans
been easy on the family? Everything is perfect now right? Ummm….no – now the
work really begins. Now our trust and
dependence on the Father has to increase all the more.
Now is the real journey. Love comes instantly, but choosing to love like 1 Corinthians 13 is a daily work.
Thank you for your continued prayers and
encouragement. I hope this clears up a few questions for some of you we haven't spoken to in a while. You are welcome to write. amytravis76@gmail.com We are still planning to use this blog as a "what is God teaching us" site. It will not be solely about adoption, parenting, etc.
AT
AT
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