Eight "Teens" is Enough

Julia with Billy's niece

November was National Adoption Awareness month and as our life functions, we are generally a couple of months behind with just about everything in life! I can honestly say, we have been blessed to be the parents of 14 children, 12 of whom joined our family through adoption.

Domestic Adoption: Kenneth (24), Julia (19), Talitha (17)

Talitha with Naomi

Kenneth

Maliya

Phuong

International Adoption


Vietnam: Thào Phuong (23)


China: Maliya (22)

Billy, Steevenson, and Melissa in Haiti prior to adoption

Haiti: Christelle (18) Billy (15) Roseminique (15), Melissa (13), Steevenson (13)

Christelle

Melissa

Billy at Haiti Olympic Stadium

Jordan and Steevenson

Ecuador: Jordan (13)

Embryo Adoption: (Naomi 7).

Naomi

We are also blessed with two biological children Joseph (26) and David (23). Wow......

David translating in mobile clinic

Joseph

But I would not be completely honest if I did not also say that sometimes (maybe even often times), it does not "feel" like such a blessing at all. Many times the thought is: Yikes! What in the world have we done?


I'm not sure that I "fully" thought through the logistics of such a large family and especially a large family with so many children with significant trauma histories. At least three of them will need long-term help throughout their lives due to developmental disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, or other medical or mental health needs. And somehow in the midst of it all, the Lord decided to plop us on the mission field that added complexities to what was already a "unique" family dynamic.

I want to be real with people without exposing too many personal details of our kid's stories. So many families contact me in pain on this journey of adoption. They are suffering through this "blessing" of adoption. I want to speak to that pain and say "me too". I feel the pain. I also do not want to dwell in the pain and problems, but have hope and confidence that God is bigger than all of the pain and suffering within any life.

At this season in our lives, we have Eight Teenagers (seven still in the home with us in Haiti). I feel like singing the theme song from the 70's TV show Eight is Enough. It feels at times like it is more than enough. Yes, there are blessings. Tremendous blessings and overall we have amazing kids, but any teenager is a bit of drama- let alone 8 of them. I am thankful that 6 of our kids have been "launched" into the world and seem to be doing well overall. It's not that they are gone though. We still have college details and finances and assistance in management of so many elements involved with transitioning young adults from life in Haiti to life back in the USA or elsewhere.

Teen Ministry: Maliya, David, Linda, Phuong

I also want to be honest and say, we are tired. Sometimes people have said to me, Linda....you guys have done enough. Just come home now (meaning the States). You've done your part. You've served and you've helped. Your life is so challenging. Come back to the USA where it is easier. Hmm....Is it?

Yes, Haiti is HARD. It's pretty brutal to be quite honest and the stuff we do here is not some walk in the park. But....living is not easy anywhere. Being a parent to teenagers anywhere is not easy. Being a parent to young adults is also not easy. Being a parent in general is not the easiest thing in the world.

I do believe that many of our teens are at least experiencing life with a focus not so much on themselves. They are able to serve alongside us and give back to others. Do they always love it- ummmm.....Nope. Are they good and mad sometimes about how they think they maybe got the short end of the stick? Umm....yes, we've experienced some of that. Do they say "Thank you mom" or "Thank you Dad" for taking us in and providing for us and giving us an opportunity in life? Umm....I'm not really holding much hope for that one to be honest. BUT they have started to consistently say thank you every time we go and do something (probably because I've lost my mind a time or two regarding ungratefulness and they realize if mom's not happy-nobody is happy)!

Some of our kids are overall thankful. Some of our kids do in fact appreciate adoption. Some of our kids are not currently angry about adoption or living on the mission field. Some of them though are angry (at life or the world in general). Some are hurt. Some are in pain and don't exactly allow others (including us) to love them. I guess we're all like that in different ways. There are seasons of pain and seasons of joy, but all is in God's plan.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (KJV)

We thank you for coming along side us on this incredible journey. We thank you for loving us in this process. We appreciate the prayers and support! There seems to always be a mountain ahead, but we know that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

Please check on the tab above for our updated Christmas Newsletter. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for 2018!

If you would like to partner with us on this journey, any amount is so greatly appreciated!

FOR TAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFTS

1. DONATE ONLINE

https://www.worldoutreach.org/index.php/missionary-support-2
(Select our name from the list and follow the prompts)

2. MAIL CHECKS TO:

World Outreach Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box B
Marietta, GA 30061
(designate for Ron & Linda Sheppard #546)

3. BILL PAY - via your online banking

World Outreach Ministries, Inc.
(designate for Ron & Linda Sheppard #546)
P.O. Box B
Marietta, GA 30061

What's Up, Doc ?

I'm sorry that I don't get around to posting on the blog very often. It seems as though we're only posting when we travel or something...just from time to time. Life is a bit hectic and looney sometimes. We haven't been great at just posting the day-to-day happenings in Haiti. It feels somewhat cold and distant to pull out a phone and snap pictures with the people we're around day-in and day-out. And to be honest, we're really busy simply doing what we're doing without the photo-ops. On the positive side, we don't have administrative costs and overhead. Yet on the negative side, it's just us out here without the security of a big supporting organization.

Ron continues to assist with the rebuilding of the Church in Nouvelle Terrain. It's been a long process, but we're so appreciative of your prayers in that regard since its destruction during Hurricane Matthew. Everything is such a slow process and it seems there's just one disaster after another. It feels--at times--that Haiti simply can't catch a break. We've been blessed to receive an incredible donation from Operation Blessings to assist with the rebuild in Nouvelle Terrain. They had some leftover funds from their hurricane relief efforts. Praise God! I love that ministries can work together and help one another! It's something we don't always--or even often--see (unfortunately).

Linda continues to assist with medical care (within Haiti as well as Guatemala and Ecuador) and provide mental health services in a dizzying range of ways (She's doing so many things she's spinning 'round and 'round). We had a small group travel out to Nouvelle Terrain (this is the very remote village where we assist in Haiti) and operate a mobile medical clinic. There, one of the American CNMs (certified nurse midwives) in the group has agreed to help provide training to the matrons (the men and women who help with the births in the villages). The organization of this training is still in the works (pray for guidance!). We are often pulled into various medical things from HIV testing and follow-up treatment to simply trying to figure out what is going on with individuals in order to get them the help they need. We had one man in the village who was suspected of having syphillis, but it turns out that wasn't accurate and nobody could figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, a sad part of what we do here sometimes involves seeing people who we try to help die from "unknown" causes ("unknown" here with the limited testing available to us, but in the USA the causes would be so much more easily diagnosed).

The processes of so many things are incredibly complicated and time-consuming. For example, we assist with transporting some of the babies (and their parents) to a malnutrition center where they get excellent care and they generally recover, BUT....then there are long term details involved with assisting that family in developing a long term plan to increase crop production or with the village regarding their strategy for feeding their children. Otherwise, the children will simply return to the malnutrition center in the same condition (or worse) many months later. The resources are simply not there for the many elements where we see needs. Storm upon storm washes away crops in the villages, creates mudslides, causes homelessness, which in turn contributes to starving and severely malnourished babies and children.

On the mental health end of things, Linda still has her office in Pétionville 2-3 days a week and is in her office in Tabarre also 2-3 days a week. This makes for a busy schedule especially when a few days ago it took 4 hours to get home from her office. The traffic this month has been horrific. There's been an increase in robberies and kidnapping (you know how it is, things like that), so not only does that add some stress in the commute, but also an increase in the need for mental health services since many people are suffering from trauma and anxiety that live and work on the field.

We so appreciate your continued prayers and patience with us. If you don't see us posting often, know that we're working hard, and we're praying daily for strength and direction in what God's doing here in Haiti. One amazing thing that the Lord has provided for the 4 and a half years that we've been living in Haiti is the clear calling of being here. It's been tough and we've been tired and stressed, sad and mad, but we've yet to feel that God doesn't want us here. We are confident that we're exactly where the Lord has placed us to be. He doesn't say it will be easy, but He does say He will not abandon us (praise the Lord!).

Thank you for your financial support as well. We have no idea how God's going to work out the funding of each and every day. We are so very low on funds that I don't even know how to address that. We are praying for an increase in our monthly support in order to bring down some of the stress of the unknown on a day-by-day basis. We were so on-fire while moving here and just trusting in the Lord that He'll provide. We believed (and still believe) that we need to walk in Faith and not by Sight. We are doing that, but it also doesn't mean the Lord could not outline some of the resources in advance as well (pretty please? haha...).

If you feel called to assist even with a very small monthly donation, please know that we will use those funds to the best of our ability to help those with the greatest need. One of the hardest parts about living here is seeing the needy everywhere yet knowing we can't help everyone. We are so blessed by having World Outreach Ministries to handle our home office. This has allowed us to spend more time actually serving versus working on administrative details. Tax deductible donations can be made either one time or on a monthly basis in these ways:

1. DONATE ONLINE!

https://www.worldoutreach.org/index.php/missionary-support-2
(Select our name from the list and follow the prompts)

2. MAIL CHECKS TO:

World Outreach Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box B
Marietta, GA 30061
(designate for Ron & Linda Sheppard #546)

3. BILL PAY - via your online banking

World Outreach Ministries, Inc.
(designate for Ron & Linda Sheppard #546)
P.O. Box B
Marietta, GA 30061

(if you don't like the editing, blame David *haha*)