Today was a pretty rough day and we need you all to be praying for us!!!
· We were able to hear more of the kid's story from Duni, and we were heartbroken to hear how horrific their life was. I can't even think about it without crying.
· We heard more of what happened over here during our months of waiting and were blown away by all the mountains that God moved. It is beyond a miracle that our three kids are coming home – even more than we already knew it to be. Very emotional to process through!
· We heard the story of how all the kids at our children's orphanage were saved only because of God's mercy and the stirring he placed in our hearts and the Kulps to be relentless in prayer for these children.
· We went to the Transition House to pick up our kids and were heartbroken as we pulled away to the sobs of other little ones who wanted us to take them too. One of those heart wrenching moments that will be etched on your mind forever.
And then in regards to the kids:
· Josiah has strep and we can't get meds down him.
· Lydia has diarrhea
· We couldn't find anything the kids would eat for dinner. There was literally spitting out of food onto the floor that they didn't like.
· We haven't had any power all day and were doing everything by lantern.
· Josiah hordes both toys and food and hides them.
· Anytime we give Isaiah food he breaks it up to make sure Josiah and Lydia get some.
· Josiah and Lydia hit each other all the time.
· It literally took both of us to get Isaiah's clothes off for his bath, because he was clawing and crying out of fear that we were taking his new clothes away.
· All three kids had melt downs at bed time. Lots of grieving, fear, and not wanting to be touched. It took a couple of hours to get them all asleep.
And then the four of us all fell apart.
We knew this would be hard, but now we're walking out the reality of it. We know we only have enough grace for today and are trying not to think about how are we going to do this next week, next month, or even tomorrow. (Maybe it will look better after a good night's sleep.) It is no accident that we heard the details of their lives that we heard today. This is what we kept clinging to as we struggled through the absolute chaos. God has called us to rescue these children. We are humbled more than ever as we realize the confidence God must have in us, because we are so out of our league right now. We know that it is only by His grace and power (and the prayers of you all!) that we will be able to help repair these kid's hearts and make the 8 of us look like family. They are amazingly beautiful children who we love so incredibly much. We know that time and truth our on our side!
25 comments:
We are standing with you in prayer. We know a bit of what you are going through right now as we just came home a month ago with two. It is so, so hard. But keep holding by that thin thread to God.
We spent time with your youngest son and know exactly what you mean. Our Ephrem and he are very similar. There will be hard times, but after being home for a month or so we can look back and see amazing changes. They need your love and stability. Please feel free to call us when you get home anytime!
Keep hanging on and keep looking to Jesus. He will not give you more than you can bear!!!
Love in Christ,
Hilary and Jacob Forrest
Joshua 1:9 says:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Grasp firm! He will give you what you need to get through each day (or hour, minute...) You are not alone in this!
You have an army praying for you!!
We love you guys!
Jill
We are lifting your family up in prayer!!! Praying that God will guide you thru each day and everyone will get a good nights rest!! We love you guys!!
We are praying for you all of you!!
I can't help sounding like a broken record. We'll be cheering you on at the finish line in B-N and will be there when you start the next leg. We love you. God will not abandon you here.
Semlows - We are praying for you all! God has called you to an amazing journey - not an easy one, but one that is of great value to Him. He loves your children so much and knew you were the perfect family for them. He will indeed carry you through the hard times and give you grace and strength for every day (moment). You have an army of believers lifting you up to our Father. He knows your every need and those of your children. Keep looking to Him and He will guide you. Wishing I could hug you all right now. Praying for good sleep for all of you too. Love you all.
Praying for the strength, patience and wisdom for each new day, every moment. Our 6 year old daughter came home 3 months ago, and we are walking through some of the same things. Know that every day gets better and better....
Our little girl is one of those saved from that orphanage. We thank you...and are praying for perseverance for your whole family! Love from Louisiana!!!
Semlows...so proud of you guys!! I cannot imagine what the last 24 hours have been like. We know that so much of this is "part of it", but you guys are doing it x3!! Not easy. Yet, the one thing that God has been reminding me of comes to mind. He has given you everything you need for life and godliness. He is with you! We stand in the gap for you over here on the other side of the world, and Sherry, don't buy any 24 packs of Pepsi for awhile, and make sure Kevin keeps the hammers and screwdrivers away from the van!!!!! :) Had to throw in some humor for you...don't forget to laugh!
I love you,
Amy
Semlows,
WE ARE PRAYING!!!!! One of the verses I got after praying for you all was Isaiah 41:10 "Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU!!!! I WILL HELP YOU!! I will uphold you with my VICTORIOUS right hand!!"
God has INCREDIBLE plans for your family!!The enemy has pulled out all the tools to destroy this call of God on your family!! Your family has been so faithful "for such a time as this"!!
The last few posts have been hard to emotionally process,especially the meeting with the birthparents and sister. I am sure that they were so relieved and blessed when they met your family!!!
One last verse I feel prompted to write is Ps. 37:23. "The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in EVERY DETAIL!!" Just like He has had every detail in the process of the adoption, He has every detail for you to raise your family!!
WE LOVE YOU ALL!!
Wow. What a huge dose of reality. Those little ones needed you more than you ever knew. Ironic that your current struggle just confirms all the more how very much this IS God's will!
Isaiah 58 says "you will be called 'repairers of broken walls' and 'restorers of streets with dwelling places.'"
Kevin and Sherry and family, you have reached into the hand of the Devil himself and taken away his prize. The enemy is suffering great defeat because of you and losing control of the children of Ethiopia. His dam is about to break. He's been made well aware of the Semlows and how influential you all are on this earth. He knows that many others will likely be influenced by you and do the same. Safe to say he's not happy! You're causing great disruption, fury and holy fear to the enemies rank and file and he's doing his best to intimidate you.
You will make it my friends. You are rock stars for Jesus and we love you!!!!! He will "turn you mourning into dancing!"
Thanks for your honesty in your needs! Keep letting us know the specifics. We will keep praying and all share the spoils of your victory!!
Jason
Hi Semlows,
I continue to pray for you, Isaiah, Josiah and Lydia. Your family has been chosen by God to raise up these children. They are miracles in process.
I pray for your strength and wisdom and peace that goes beyond understanding. His grace is enough for all that you are facing each moment.
Two more scripture verses I have been praying over you:
"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
"And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 5:10-11
Love and hugs and prayers from Beaverton, OR
Debi
Oh Sherry,
We are praying for all of you!!! Hoping that each hour, each day becomes easier for you all.
Lots of love,
Kim
Hey... we are praying you through. We will keep your arms lifted. The victory is ours in Jesus. We love you guys.
You'll get there. Baby steps. I heard a blessing and offer it up:
Jesus stands in front of you to lead you, behind you to guide you, beside you to listen to you, and above you to protect you.
Praying every day. Marin too for I truly believe the prayers heard the loudest are the ones from little children.
Much love,
Amy
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."
Isaiah 61:1-2
Tears are streaming down my cheeks as I sit here and pray for your sweet family. I wish that I could give you all a hug, but that will have to wait.
As I thought about what I wanted to say I thought about the verse above in Isaiah about "binding up the brokenhearted." God, in His good and perfect plan, has placed 3 brokenehearted and wounded children into your arms. He has called YOUR FAMILY to help them through the healing of wounds and ultimately to lead them to freedom. But just as you will walk them through this, I think of Jesus, who has walked us through our healing as we discover who we are in Him. May He give you the strength to model UNCONDITIONAL love and patience to these 3.
"God does not give us challenges equal to our strength, but strength to conquer our challenges."
Lots of love and prayers,
Molly
Our hearts and minds are with you guys during this TOUGH transition time for you. Please rest in the loving arms of Jesus and know He has you covered and in the palms of His loving hands. You must feel so alone as you are trying to get thru this but know that this is part of the process. I promise you things will get better and calm down. They slowly have to learn to trust you and for all they have been thru, it will take some time.
We love you guys and will keep praying. The kindred's
It is Steve here and just want you to keep trying to get the Zithromax down . Try mixing it with what ever He will drink.
This behavior you are seeing is so common in impoverished kids and with time will pass. We will pray for patience and steadfastness for you all.
In Him, Steve
I have been praying for you all afternoon over my laundry, and what keeps coming back to me is that this is a spirtual battle and Satan doesnt want you to win those child's hearts without a fight. The battle is the Lord's and he has chosen these children for his own. Do not grow weary because He has already won. Those little ones cannot know the struggle that is going on around them, or for them..but we can and do and you have to let God be your strength. I dont know what lifts your spirits...but I needed to sing when we were in China. You are in a barren barren land and are a witness of Christ. It will still be a battle at home but you will have your support and your own home. We will not cease in praying, and know that we have gone through it ourselves with Ben. It is normal and God is walking, crying, and standing with you through every moment.
Rhonda
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My FLESH and my HEART may fail, but God is the STRENGTH of my heart and my PORTION forever." Ps. 73:25-26. Oh how difficult this journey may seem but He is your portion and will give you what you need for each new day. Just like the manna for the Israelites you cannot keep some back or save it for tomorrow. He wants you to receive from Him daily, hourly or minute by minute. This may seem like too much for you (and admit to him it is) but nothing is too difficult for him. He IS and has all you need-continue to receive from him.
"Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. NOTHING is too HARD for you." Jer. 32:17 Take him at his word friends! You may be surprised or shocked or frightened at Isaiah, Josiah and Lydia's behavior but our great God is not. He knew the difficulties and by his wisdom chose the Semlow family to love these precious children through it all.
"O Lord, you have searched my and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise: you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down: you are familiar with all my ways." Ps. 139-1-3
We are lifting you up in prayer-believing God will sustain you, encourage you, fill you and guide you.
Dear Semlow family,
I met Corinne at the adoption conference and have heard about your journey through mutual friends. Our church prayed for you as you faced tremendous obstacles to get where you are now. And we still pray now for you as you face spiritual and emotional obstacles that separate you from the love and trust of your children. But we know that NOTHING separates us from the love of Christ, neither life nor death, angels nor demons. Your children are witnessing that inseparable love of Christ(possibly for the first time) from YOU... that in itself is a miracle from God.
Be strong and know that we all fight the Lord's awakening love when it is unfamiliar, confusing, and turning our world upside down. I praise God for your family and for your faith, obedience, compassion and love for these children. He who has called you will be faithful to complete it!!
Love will come.... gently, softly, and quietly. You'll wake up one day and look in awe at your perfectly beautiful family of 8.
Much love and prayers from a sister in Christ,
Marianne Gross
Semlow family - we are praying for you and looking forward to your trip home. We met your 3 kiddos when we were in Ethiopia. They so need the love and security of a family - and God has selected you for good reasons. Keep your eyes focused on the goal and dont let the daily difficulties get you off the path. We love you and are praying for you! I can tell you from personal experience it takes about 4-5 months to start seeing some miraculous break-throughs and it is so worth it! with love, Karen Wistrom
Semlows,
Aren't you so glad that you have a victorious Savior and a whole army of prayer warriors beside you? Keep clinging to Jesus. This is just one more "mountain" that He will get the glory for moving in this journey of faith that you all are on. He is MIGHTY TO SAVE, and He will do it!
Thanks for your transparency. We'll keep you lifted up in prayer.
Love, Deb Everly
Semlows,
Just sat down to read your blog-oh sweet friends- I hope you can tangibly feel the prayers of the saints from the other side of the world- holding you firmly and confidently before the throne of God.We will not let go of you in prayer. His Majesty has sent orders to His kingdom to war on your behalf- you are completely covered. When you return Saturday-whatever you need will be available -He has set it all into motion.
Sherry, I know you know all of this , but wanted to help encourage you in these things we talked about before you left-when you're in the middle of the "fray" sometimes it's hard to remember all the tools you've got, so some practicals to remember:
-Give each child their own bag with their own personal "stash" of food that they can have at any time- they can sleep with it/carry it everywhere.Don't worry about their snacking right now- their trust in knowing they're provided for is more important right now. "
-Remember to let them see that "No problem is too big for mom and dad." Nothing they do will throw you for a loop. They need to see your complete competence and confidence in handling them. (You are very good at this already, by the way!) This will build trust quickly.
-When they don't want you to touch them, just let them go, giving them plenty of space and watchfully reassure them with smiles as you just sit near them, letting them know it's ok and you're ready when they are.
When they do run away, (unless they're in danger)keeping them in sight, tell everyone "We're going to do something fun!- Ok , let's all __________ (something that would catch their interest like: hug daddy, get a cookie, pull out a special toy that's only for special times) and let the family enjoy while they watch-they'll soon want to rejoin you!
-Take turns leaving for a few minutes to get a breather(Maybe dad and Hollie leave) They can regain their peace and intercede for you, then you can switch.
-Find EVERY opportunity to touch them- as much as you possibly can - every touch is building brain pathways that are leading to their healing. They may resist, or stiffen, so be creative -they need TONS AND TONS OF THIS.
_Sherry and Kevin- Even though they're bigger, find ways to get them in your lap and in a cradled position looking in your eyes-songs, giggles, silly noises,funny faces, feeding them, giving them a sippie cup or candy-even if it's just briefly- get them more and more used to this for increasing time intervals-POWERFUL stimulation for crucial brain development.(I know they'll resist, but try to find open windows for this)
-Give them overdramatic enthusiasm when they do something right or acceptable-they crave this.
-Establish respect by looking them in the eye when you're talking to them from a position above them, not below them. They will try to avoid it but be compassionate and firm- they will need to accept your eye contact to heal their heart.
OK, now that I've written a novel, I'll stop.
Are you feelin' the love?!!!!!
Blessings,
Laura
Sherry,
I've been calling and calling! My heart breaks for you, dear friend. But I KNOW your Father is rocking you and with you during this time. Lean on His arms, rest in His truth.
-These are YOUR children meant for you.
-God will not give you more than you and he can handle together.
-This is the day that the Lord has made and he knows each and every second.
-You have grace for each day.
-You've answered His difficult but blessed call.
WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!! We're praying hard here and know that LOVE WILL WIN.
I'll keep trying to call today.
Kim
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