Angyonghasaeo all.  Hello and greetings from Korea,

It has been another amazing day here.  We began our morning by attending service at the oldest Presbyterian church in Korea.  This is the church where SongAe's mother was a pastor when she was a little girl.  I am always overwhelmed by the familiarity and comfort of a church even when it is in a foreign language.  A Christian can travel anywhere in the world and instantly have a rapport with fellow believers.  When God is placed in the center of people's lives they always speak the same language - even when they don't!

Following the service we were driven to a local orphanage that the church helps to support.  They have about 65 children there of all ages.  We met with the director for a couple hours prior to our tour and were fascinated by the openness of his responses.

What amazed SongAe and I the most was Caitlin's specific fascination with the discussion.  She was remarkably attentive the entire time and must have asked at least 10 or 15 questions of her own.  I told her that I was very impressed with her interest and she responded, "Of course I'm interested dad.  I'm the only one that lived in an orphanage most of my life."  Silly me......

After leaving the orphanage and saying goodbye to some truly adorable children we met up with another four relatives that were not in the original 27 we met the first night we got here.  For those of you that missed the facebook post on that one, here is a picture of that gathering below.

With 10 of us together we visited a Korean cultural center.  Here we got to experience various aspects of Korean culture.  To makes things even more fun, we wore the traditional Han-bok outfits during the entire tour.

Luke has been an incredible trooper throughout and traveled several miles on his crutches today.  He had several breaks while riding on both Matthew and daddy's backs but we have all been extremely impressed with his perseverance and desire to participate in spite of the surgery and pain.  For those of you that missed it, Luke badly broke his ankle before we left and had to have surgery to install a plate in his foot less than 24 hours before we left.  The good news is that we found a place to rent a wheel chair for the rest of the week and that should make things much easier.

After saying goodbye to our family briefly stopped by our hotel rooms.  Y'all would get a kick out of the available space here.  We wanted to stay in downtown Seoul in the thick of the street venders but to do so we had to get extremely small rooms.  Each room has 3 single beds and only enough floor space for the suitcases if we stack them.  It really is a hilarious setup.  Fortunately we don't spend much time there.  For diner tonight we walked around and purchased a wide assortment of foods from no less than 12 different street vendors.  It was a fantastic experience.  All three girls were in seventh heaven and the boys surprised me with their culinary adventurousness as well.

Now, finally we are back in our rooms and things are winding down.  Prayers for us tomorrow please.  We are headed to the social services offices where Luke and Rachel were adopted from.  We are going to allow them to see their actual files and will learn all the information they have about their biological parents.  We know that emotions will be raw as they deal with a potentially difficult past and ask that the Holy Spirit grant them peace as they assimilate this information.  They both already told us at diner that they know who their real parents are ......... as they pointed  across the table at SongAe and myself.  These children never cease to amaze me.  How could we possibly have been given the opportunity to raise such remarkable individuals?  Only by the grace of God!

We thank you for your continued prayers and continued support.  Our fervent desire is for each of you to draw closer to the Lord, in some small way, through our story.

By His grace,

Team Armstrong

06/30/2016

Growing Again!!!

     I apologize for the lengthy delay since our last update.  It would seem that life got in the way for a little while.  To be honest, we thought we were finished with expanding our family.  Even as I write the last sentence I know that God chuckles at the finality of that statement.  Of course He knew all along that we had not yet fulfilled the purpose for which we were created.  Everything that has happened in our lives has prepared us for this special journey and we must listen when the Lord speaks.  To that end, we would like to introduce Mark and Faith.  These two amazing children are biological siblings and have been in the orphanage since their parents passed away when they were very young.  This Friday, July 1st, 2016 we will depart on a remarkable family journey to make them a permanent part of our home.

     For us, this will be an unprecedented journey of faith.  We are taking all four of our resident children along with us every step of the way.  It is our fervent desire to show our children the world as it truly is.  We wish to give them a more complete picture of the realities of life apart from American affluence and plant a seed within them to grow the servants hearts which God has placed within all of us.  We pray that the next four weeks will be life changing for each of them in their own, unique ways.

     Our journey begins with a week in Korea exploring the past of our Korean adoptees.  We will learn much about their cultural heritage and will even be afforded an opportunity to visit their orphanage.  We are expecting many difficult and challenging emotions to be experienced here and we ask for the Lord's guidance as we navigate this portion of our sojourn.

     Next we will be off to Beijing to explore the many wonders of Chinese history and culture.  This should be especially interesting to Caitlin, our oldest daughter and Chinese adoptee.  In her previous life in China she was not even permitted to attend school and this will be a learning experience for her in many different ways.

     Following Beijing we will be flying to the Anhui province to visit Caitlin's orphanage.  Here, she will have the opportunity to spend time with the one kind nanny that cared for her and perhaps another friend as well.  She will be able to stand tall before those who mistreated her and know that they will never be able to hurt her again.  We will have the opportunity to show Caitlin's siblings the nightmare in which she was raised and garner a new understanding of their sister and the sad realities of orphans in this world.

     On July 17th we arrive in Guangxi for what will be the pinnacle of our journey.  The following day, we will hold Mark and Faith in our arms for the first time, knowing that they are finally safe and breath a giant sigh of relief.  We will spend several days here waiting for paperwork to be completed and getting to know our newest children.

     After Guangxi, we're off to Guangzhou where all new adoptive families go.  Another week of waiting, medical exams, paperwork and more exploring. 

     Hong Kong is the last stage of our journey.  We will spend a day here being tourists and then, at long last, we will head back to our home in Houston, Texas on July 30th.

     We humbly ask for your prayers during this journey of exploration, growth and adoption.  Specifically, please pray for our middle son, Luke.  He broke his ankle a few days ago and we've just learned he will be having surgery the day before we leave to insert a metal plate into his foot.  Please pray for a swift recovery and comfort on and off the airplane.

     To all of those who have aided us in making this remarkable experience happen, we are eternally grateful.  (You know who you are:)  Thank you also, in advance, for all of the support and prayers from our amazing friends in the U.S., Canada, Korea and China.  We treasure each and every one of you.  To God be the glory!

By His grace,

Jeff

One Year!!!

02/18/2014

 

 

 

It constantly amazes me the way my life has unfolded.  As with so many others in this world, a good portion of my days has been spent overcoming adversity.  So often these challenges initially appear insurmountable.  A dark cloud forms over my tiny little, self-centered existence and I look to the heavens demanding answers.  When such cries are met with silence I sometimes wonder if I have been left to fend for myself?

 

After forty-four years I am only now beginning to more fully understand the great wonders of God's gentle, guiding hand.  If we look to "James" we see some amazing insight:

"Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."





Grammie & Grampa with the Grandchildren

Only looking back, in hindsight, can I see how incredibly true this promise is.  God has taught me so much more through difficult times than I ever could have learned without these experiences.  I would not have been prepared for the real purpose for which He created me without this adversity.  He has prepared me to be His servant in joy and in hardship and He has prepared me to serve Him daily as a husband and a father to four of His most amazing creations!

 

Our family is not traditional by any stretch of the imagination.  We are an amalgamation of five distinctly different cultures and fully recognize the challenges that go with such a blended family.  But through adversity and love, God is continually teaching and molding us to become more fully who He intended us to be all along.

Today is the one year anniversary of the day we met our oldest daughter - "Gotcha Day!"  Last year, at this time, our lives were changed forever as our beautiful girl rounded the corner at a cold and dirty government office in China.  She hugged the wall, with fear in her eyes, not fully understanding just how drastically her life was about to change.




Caitlin's First Halloween

 

In one years time she has experienced her first birthday celebration, her first Halloween, her first Christmas and her first Thanksgiving.  She deeply touched all of us on thanksgiving day when she spoke longer than any other family member explaining what she was truly thankful for.  Her perspective on life has changed how we all view this world.  She now has exceptional study habits and she and her sister are frequently found connected at the hip.   



First Thanksgiving



 Has this experience been all rainbows and unicorns?  Absolutely not!  We have travelled some difficult roads both as parents and as a family but each one of us is, without a doubt, a better person for it.  Our children have grown and matured in ways we could have never foreseen and they have an entirely new perspective on the blessed life they live in America.
 

Who's The guy in the red suit?

As parents, Song-Ae and I are so grateful for the incredible blessings these children are in our lives but God has also seen fit to grow our hearts and look at life with new insight.  When we live our lives, striving for "eternal significance" instead of "wordly significance" our relationship with the Lord prospers in new and unimaginable ways.  We fully recognize that this is not the end of our journey with Caitlin, but just the beginning.  We have many difficult days ahead but we also know that we will not walk this road alone.

Caitlin has a doggie!

 


First Christmas


We feel greatly humbled that God has chosen us to guide these amazing children.  I often wonder why He chose us with all our flaws and sins?  Perhaps its like the song says, "Who but you would ever choose to dream your dream in me?  When we fully submit to God we are no longer the sum of our past mistakes - we become so much more!  If God can use a messed up pair of His children like us to make a tiny difference in this world, imagine what He could do with you?

For any of you that are considering adoption or perhaps service in any other capacity I leave you with this one thought.  God does not necessarily call the equipped ......................... but He definitely equips the called. (Tony Evans)

By His grace,

09/11/2013

 

Kayaking in Canada with Daddy!

 

Six months .......................... half a year ................................ an eternity in the life of a new adoptee.  "What are they saying now?  I don't understand.  What did I do wrong?  Why are they laughing?  When will I be able to tell them how I feel?"

Can we keep them daddy?

     As adoptive parents we do our best to empathize with our newest loved ones.  We try to put ourselves in their shoes and help them adapt to their radically changing lives but we always fall far short of the perfect parents.  For many of us, that gap can be miraculously bridged through God's love and the gentle, guiding hand of the Holy Spirit.  On those difficult days when life deals you too much; when one, or all of your children seem to be aligned against you, it is this peace and guidance that we reach for.

First Time Horseback Riding

The adoption journey is not for the meek and it is definitely not for the faint of heart.  There are days when you feel like you will burst with the overabundance of blessings you have received and then there are the other days.  The days when you ask yourself what on earth you have done?  You remember those "friends" who told you , in no uncertain terms, that you would ruin your "other" children; that you were insane for taking on "someone else's" problems.  Perhaps you even had a family member who took it upon themselves to "speak up" for the rest of the family.  On these difficult days we must lean on our piers within the adoption community and most importantly lean on God.  We are not concerned about what the "nay-sayers" think, we are only concerned about what God thinks.  We have been called to a specific purpose and there is no greater joy than this.  Everyone has a different calling in this world but we few know the joy of healing a broken heart.  The joy of reaching into the darkness and ransoming a life.  Romans 8:28 reminds us; "We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  In your times of struggle remember to lean on God and to lean on  His people.  You are NOT alone!

Dad, check out my hat!

     Our beautiful daughter, Caitlin has been home for six months now.  It is difficult for me to imagine where the time has gone.  It seems like just yesterday we were in China, meeting her for the first time.  Gone are the dirty looks, replaced mostly with smiles and we even get a fair bit of unsolicited affection.  To my utter amazement, she rarely even brushes off the "daddy germs" anymore if our arms accidently touch while doing homework:)

Sisters at the hairdresser with cousin Angela

     Caitlin's journey of growth and love has been fascinating to watch unfold.  She is a young lady with an incredible strength and unquenchable spirit.  Her language skills are quickly developing as are so many other areas of her life.  As she gains a level of comfort within our family what has amazed me the most is to see the development of a leader in our household.  She is quickly becoming an example to the other children in various aspects of her life and has even had the courage to share with us some of the horrific experiences of her past.  If she has accomplished this much in six months I cannot imagine where we will be in a year.  Please do not misunderstand; she is by no means perfect - but she is perfect for us.

     Thank you Lord for bringing this incredible child home to our family.  Thank you for all our children.  Your are truly awesome!

 07/10/2013

A few days ago I was tucking in my beautiful 13 year old daughter, Caitlin.  She has been home for four months now and the changes are remarkable.  This particular evening she was extremely talkative and attempting to convey to me several stories within the confines of her limited language skills.  One story stood out above all the rest.

She cradled an imaginary baby in her arms and said, "Caitlin - China."  The implications clearly being that this was Caitlin, as a baby in China.  Then she said, "Caitlin - mommy, daddy - China.", referring to her biological parents.  What happened next was heartbreaking.  With tear soaked eyes, Caitlin took the imaginary baby (herself) and threw it on the floor ........ her parents had thrown her away! This was what she had been told her whole life.

 How does one respond when confronted with the truth of a child being discarded like yesterday's garbage?  How could anyone right such a wrong?  With a quivering lip and open arms I enveloped my beautiful daughter and she readily accepted the comfort.  I explained that now she has a new mommy and daddy and we will love her forever - but the reality of her tragic life cuts me deeply to the core.

I applaud my daughter for the healing steps of discussing her past.  I revel in the knowledge that in only four short months she has learned so much.  She now swims like a fish, ripsticks, bike rides, kayaks, does taekwondo, studies her English with conviction, is immensely helpful around the house and even gives and receives hugs.  She is a miracle and a blessing all rolled into one amazing package. 

Were things always this great?  Most definitely not!  Four months ago, in China, an incredibly shy little girl rounded the corner and did not want to be touched.  Our first night together was comprised of mostly tears.  On day two we got nothing but dirty looks.  For much of the next several weeks and months we alternated between one or the other; or both!

People think that any adopted child must feel so lucky.  How many times have I heard, "They've won the lottery!", but the reality is much different.  These children had almost nothing; but what they had was comforting to them, even if it was abusive.  They need time to grieve the loss of their orphanage, friends and care givers, their country, their language and everything they have ever known.  The older ones had to make the courageous choice to leave everything behind and even had to sign their own adoption paperwork.  In many ways it is even harder for them to look back and know that they did it to themselves.

But time passes ......... very slowly at first - and you dig down deep and find something inside of yourself you didn't know was there.  You find compassion and love that God planted within you when He accepted you as His child.  When He loved you in spite of your actions and dirty looks; in spite of everything you did or did not do ............. He loved you ........... and you find this grace within you and you pour it out on your child.  You love her unconditionally regardless of her behavior and you, too, begin to change.  Together you grow and understand her pain and you live through it by her side.  And when one day she tells you why she hurts so badly and she shows you how her own parents threw her away, something special happens.  You hurt together, and you grieve together and you both become who God intended you to be ................. Father and Daughter .............. Forever!

 This is the remarkable journey of our newest family member but it is only the beginning.  We know we may yet have many difficult days ahead.  It is the story of three amazing siblings, Matthew, Luke and Rachel who have risen to every challenge and wrapped their hearts around their newest sister.  It is the story of one incredible woman and my wife of 19 years who holds us all together.  It is a journey of hope, sorrow and love that binds us together in a way that we could have never fathomed.  It a story that has helped us, through God, to become better and stronger as individuals as well as a family.  It, too, could be your story!

Millions of children in China, the U.S. and around the world long for nothing more than to be loved; to have a full tummy; to have a mommy and a daddy.  It could be you that answers their pleas for help.  When I go to bed at night my heart aches as I am haunted by the faces of those I had to leave behind.  I long for nothing more in this world then to go back and save another child.  To give someone hope; where there is none.  To show a child love who has known none.  Perhaps, you too, could answer a silent cry from the other side of the world?  Perhaps, you too, are someone's miracle?

03/10/2013 & 06/24/2013

When a child is in a orphanage in China they have the misfortune of seeing many horrible things.  They also get to witness their friends disappearing as "the lucky ones", usually "the perfectly healthy ones" get chosen to be part of a family.
 The rest stay behind hoping, wishing, praying that someone will hear there silent cries from the other side of the world.  When they turn 14 years old, they are no longer eligible for adoption and they are turned away from the orphanage - forever alone ........... forever without a family.

For those that are left behind.  The rumors fly about their friends that have disappeared.  Some say they were only adopted to be slaves to their new families, others they say, will be harvested for their organs.
 One thing is for certain.  When a lifelong friend leaves the orphanage for the last time.  They never expect to be reunited again.  These girls and boys have been through hardships and life experiences that most of us cannot even fathom.  They have a deep, deep bond with one another which they have formed in order to survive.  A few of us have found ways to bring the girls together again.  Through the wonders of Skype and FaceTime they do not need to feel alone anymore.   And in some cases, we can even get them together.
 Twice now, Caitlin has had the honor of being reunited with her dear friends.  The first time was a surprise for her just a week after she arrived home.  We were all at Grammie and Grampa's house in Florida for spring break and who appeared but the Byrne's bringing Maggie and Hope along with them.  Two amazing young ladies that Caitlin has known her whole life.  What an amazing day that was of laughter and reminiscing.

Most recently Caitlin was the one doing the surprising as she, little sister Rachel and daddy

 
flew up to Baltimore for the day.  What an awesome experience it was to watch the girls together.  You see Caitlin and YunYa were not just friends - they slept in the same "single bed" together every night for most of their lives.  I do not believe I have ever heard Mandarin spoken for six hours straight before! (Without a single pause!)  It was an incredible day!

Thank you so much Byrne's and Frederickson's for making this happen. You are the greatest!

03/02/2013

Today we are whole!  Today the Armstrong's became a stronger and more complete family!  Today we are one!

 After a brief stay in Los Angeles and a visit with Song-Ae's dear brother Daniel and his family, we were off to Houston.  Caitlin had trouble sleeping the night before, as she was so excited about going home for the very first time.  As she lay in bed, she kept sitting up and saying, "Daddy ............  Gegaw, Didi, MeiMei" (Older brother, younger brother, little sister)  These were the few words she knew I would understand.  "I know sweetheart, I know ........ we'll be home soon.  They are waiting for you and they will love you forever."

The two and a half hour plane ride seemed to take forever.  The flight, as usual, was very difficult on our daughter's inexperienced stomach but she was all smiles nonetheless.  Even after filling two airsick bags:)  Nothing was going to spoil this for her.

 As we got off the airplane, Caitlin was still all smiles but I could tell she was nervous too.  We walked down the concourse and rounded the corner at security .............. to the cheers and applauding of 30 wonderful friends!  They held signs and banners and balloons.  It was a welcome fit for a queen .......... or at least our newest little princess!

Two brothers and one insanely excited little girl waited with her toes edging up against the security line as close as humanly possible just "willing" her sister closer with every second!

 And then, we were together!  The year long ordeal and the agony of uncertainty was over.  Our daughter was finally home safe!  Never again would she want for food!  Never again would she want for love!

As Grampa and Grammie drove us home from the airport the experience was almost surreal.  Caitlin tried to take everything in as her eyes darted about.  Everyone was so excited to have her here and desperately wanted to make her feel comfortable.  Finally, exhausted and almost out of steam we pulled around the corner to our

home - Caitlin's first home ever ................. and were welcomed by the cheers, banners and balloons of the 50 most wonderful neighbors and friends in the world.  Caitlin's eyes grew big as she realized she was in for more of those "dreaded American hugs".  She shyly excited the car and handled each one of them with the grace of a well practiced hand.  After a brief visit with so many loving friends we said good-bye and she finally entered her sanctuary.  After such an ordeal, the inside of the home was only for immediate family.

Our little girl timidly entered her home and the door closed behind her.  In China, she may have been an orphan ........... but now, she will ever be "Our Princess!"