Six Weeks in PGN

Today marks the six week point in PGN. We are supposed to get another legal update from Lauren in the next week, and we are praying that we are still in PGN and haven't been kicked out. I realize that my concern, worry and eagerness play NO part in whether we are in or out. God is sovereign and He's in control.
On Wednesday nights, I teach 3rd graders at our church. Right now, our curriculum is based on prayer.....how to pray. The kids amaze me every week and last night was no different. One of the girls in my class proclaimed, "Satan is just always trying to distract us from hearing God's word, so if we want to listen to God, we need to pray!" Oh, she was right. I must pray daily and remain in the spirit of prayer in order that my focus will remain on Him and not on me! It is a constant fight against the flesh.
Each day as I count down the days (I promised I was not going to be one of those people, and now I am), I hand our situation over to Almighty God. I know He is in control, and His timing is perfect. I'm so thankful that He refreshes my sould daily and takes my worries away.
We'll keep updating the journal weekly until we have some more definitive news. Now, we've added new pictures and will continue to do so as we get them.

5 Weeks and Counting!

Yesterday marked the five week point in PGN for us. We are prayerful that we won't be kicked out and have to begin the 8 week process all over again. I emailed our Social Worker, Lauren, yesterday and said that I can't wait to get the call from her (that we're out of PGN for good) but I'm anxious that she'll call and give us bad news (e.g. that we've been kicked out of PGN). So, I want her to call....I don't want her to call....I want her to call....
We have compared Jett's measurements to other little boys of his approximate size, and we are estimating that he wears a 3T for his weight and a 4T for his height....now, how is that going to work??? We'll just have to see I guess. When we go to Guatemala, we will be taking all of his clothes, some toys and some books for us to use. We've never had a boy before so any helpful hints here would be great. My friend Beth Roberson gave me some good ideas last week that I plan to use!
Our eight week point in PGN will be on November 8th. Several other Lifeline couples have recently gone 9 weeks so it could be longer. Once we're out of PGN, we'll be issued a pink slip that lists the date that we have to be at the Embassy to pick up all of our paperwork. We are eager to get that date and will pass it along VERY quickly to all of you.
Thank you all for your prayers, encouragement and support - we love you. Please continue to pray for Jett's health, strength and the adjustment process as he meets us!

Time in Arizona

This week marks the 2 week mark in our three week mission trip journey in Arizona. Last week, we were blessed to have groups from The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL (our home church), FBC Alpharetta, and Masonville Baptist Church out of KY. What a HUGE blessing they were to us! When we return home, I'll post some pictures of these weeks here.
This week we have several families from The Church at Brook Hills as well. We are working on replacing a roof in the sanctuary of the church, putting up a fence around the property, painting a great deal of the church and more. God is using this time to allow us to serve the local church body.
We will be going home next Tuesday, and we are all eager to sleep in our own beds. As I think about my bed at home, I'm reminded of how Jett sleeps in Guatemala. He has a bunkbed in the boys room....so he'll have a bunkbed (to himself) at his new home.
For the first time last time, I dreamed about the day we saw him face to face. In my dream, he was crying and so were we.....both for different reasons. We can't wait to see him and to hold him close.
With all of the turmoil in Guatemala right now, many agencies are even opening their Guatemalan programs or providing referrals. The politics and The Hague Convention compliance issues are HUGE and could dramatically affect all of us in the process. The Hague Convention is supposed to be implemented FULLY in Guatemala in January of 2008.
We covet your prayers as our hearts are eagerly awaiting news from Lauren. We've jokingly told her not to call us until she has good news. Honestly, we don't want a call saying that we've been kicked out of family court only to have to go through the entire process (8 weeks) again. Our hearts are so ready to have our son home.
Last week, JT played John Waller's son "Called Me Son" about the prodigal son from the Bible. It also talks about the time when Christ-followers will meet Christ face to face and still be called sons. What a day! We long for the day when Jett runs to JT and calls him "Papa!" Oh, the privilege of being able to call him son! Thank you Jesus for the honor of being his forever family.

Africa

For two weeks this past August, we invested our lives in South Africa. What an awesome time....we had no idea what we would be doing, where we would sleep, or what we would eat. It was awesome to see God pull together a team of 18 people to do His work with such passion and flexibility.
There are no words to describe the time....but here are a few observations:
-Watching JT give his beloved Bible to Jonathan, the new leader of a house church in Atteridgeville
-Janie showing a mom how to exercise her baby's legs
-Yolanda talking to community moms as she handed out blankets
-Sam picking up 5 boys at one at a local daycare
-Kim holding a baby close to her heart
-Alice providing more than just medical care as she listened intentively to patients
-Jason talking to Jacob for hours in a nearby township
-Rick playing with Nondu in the yard of Alabanza
-Jenny spending time with a young mother just listening to her cries
-Kaitlyn, Madison and Regan playing with kids they had never met
-Lala (Lisa) rocking a baby as she talked to his mom
-Jonathan investing his time into a new believer to teach him the Word of God.
I've attached a few pictures that reflect our time there. We'll be going back in March as well as next June to lead medical clinics, discipleship training and whatever else God provides for us.

Passions

God has definitely given all of us different gifts and abilities. Oh, how we are grateful for His divine and sovereign plan....wouldn't life be boring without those differences. As a family, our passion is to reach the lost world for Christ. Our desire is to live our lives in such a way that His glory would be made known around the globe. This past year, we have led trips to the Tohono O'odham Indian reservation in Sells, Arizona (15 weeks) and South Africa (2 weeks). Next year, we will lead these same trips plus more. Additional information can be found on the website, www.1wayministries.org.
We thought we'd post a few of our favorite pictures from recent trips. To God be the glory!

4 Weeks in PGN

Since we've been at this adoption process, we knew that one of the final phases would be the family court in Guatemala. Right now, most families are taking the entire 8 weeks without being kicked out for various paperwork reasons. If someone does get kicked out, they must redo whatever paperwork is required and restart the 8 week process.
As of yesterday, when we received our legal update, we have not been kicked out. We have been in PGN for 4 weeks now. We are sincerely praying that ours will take less than the 8 week process so that we can bring Jett home before Christmas. We are unsure of the timing, but we release all control to the Father. He is in control, and He knows what is best for us. Please pray with us that God would show off in this situation and that He would get ALL of the praise.
We can't say enough about the encouragement and support we've gotten from so many friends and family during this time. We especially want to thank our families including JT's mom, my dad and brothers, and our family friends (Waltmans, Hardys, Stewarts) for all of their love! We would also like to thank our social worker, Lauren Roberts, who has stood with us during times of great disappointment, sadness, overwhelming joy and so much more...you have been our friend and we adore you.
We are currently in Arizona leading mission trips but will post more photos when we return home! Thank you all again for your prayers.

Learning to Wait....

We are at the 3 1/2 week point in the family court process. We are learning to rely on God for strength each day and to wait patiently. Our family is in Arizona right now leading mission trips fot three weeks so our minds are focused here. That certainly provides a necessary refocusing for all of us. We did get our monthly health report for Jett. He is over 3 feet tall and weighs 30 lbs! We just get so excited thinking about holding him SOON!

Waiting....

This is the first of many journal entries about our adoption process. We have delayed writing about the adoption process as it has taken almost 2 years to get to this point. Right now, we are in PGN, the family court of Guatemala. We've been in since September 13 (JT's 40th birthday), and are approaching the 3 week mark tomorrow. We've never been in "countdown" mode so this is exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time.
I told our social worker Lauren that I didn't want to hear from her again, jokingly, of course, until she had some good news for me. We expect and anticipate the family court to take 8 weeks to complete our process. Then, Lauren will call with the good news and we will travel within 2-4 weeks.
We are praying intensely that Jett comes home before Christmas. It is our hope that he would be here to celebrate Christ's birth with his family. Please pray that God works a miracle in family court and that we would get the call soon!

Waiting....

This is the first of many journal entries about our adoption process. We have delayed writing about the adoption process as it has taken almost 2 years to get to this point. Right now, we are in PGN, the family court of Guatemala. We've been in since September 13 (JT's 40th birthday), and are approaching the 3 week mark tomorrow. We've never been in "countdown" mode so this is exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time.
I told our social worker Lauren that I didn't want to hear from her again, jokingly, of course, until she had some good news for me. We expect and anticipate the family court to take 8 weeks to complete our process. Then, Lauren will call with the good news and we will travel within 2-4 weeks.
We are praying intensely that Jett comes home before Christmas. It is our hope that he would be here to celebrate Christ's birth with his family. Please pray that God works a miracle in family court and that we would get the call soon!

First Pictures

I thought I would post a few of the early pictures of Jett. He has grown so much since we first got our referral. So, here they are!
All of these pictures were taken at an orphanage in Guatemala City. Originally, Jett's birthmother left him at this orphange because she worked in the city. She was told that she could keep her job and give up her child or lose her job and keep her child. She chose work.
Since that time, Jett was moved to Eagle's Nest in Solala. What a blessing! I (Sheryl) worked at this same orphanage in August of 2005. At the time, God was already stirring the idea of adoption in my heart, but I held those thoughts close and didn't talk to anyone about them. I worked on the very room where my son now sleeps. I cleaned the floors where he now walks, and I organized the bathrooms and closets that he now uses. God works in mysterious ways. Thank you God for your perfect timing!

Our Family

We are currently a family of four waiting on our son, Jett, soon. JT and I met in college at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. We were married in May of 1990 in my hometown of Thomasville, AL. Since that time, we have lived in East Point, GA, Stockbridge, GA, Douglasville, GA, Anniston, AL, Canton, GA, Pleasant Grove, AL and Alabaster, AL. We currently reside in Alabaster, AL and have made our home there since 2003.
We run a mission organization and are members of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL. Our family loves to go on mission trips to spread the Gospel message. We also enjoying hanging out with our great friends and family. There's nothing better than a Friday night with a house full of people!
JT is the world's best husband, Dad, and leader of our household. JT is the founder and president of 1 Way Ministries), a 501c3 organization leading mission trips to impoverished, desperate , and forgotten people groups around the world. He is passionate about sharing the Gospel and the discipleship process. JT is our handyman and fixes all the necessary items around our house while taking some time to enjoy reading and anything outdoors!
Sheryl (that'd be me) is the wife, Mom and manager of the Turner clan. She homeschools their children and works with JT for the ministry. In my overwhelming spare time (okay, there's little of that), I enjoy getting together with my friends, teaching Bible study, and exercising (for those who know me, this has been a lifelong struggle). Sheryl loves 2 Timothy 2:13!
Kaitlyn is our 10 year old daughter who will be 11 later this year. She enjoys math and reading as well as art. Kaitlyn is an encourager and loves to care for children. What we love most about Kaitlyn is her creativity in helping others...she will go way beyond the call of duty to help a Mom in need or a baby who needs extra attention. She has a huge heart and a compassion for others.
Madison is our 8 year old drama queen. She adores science, reading, and ballet. Madison loves to take care of others and ALWAYS has a song in her heart! We love Madison's intrigue and natural curiosity about EVERYTHING! She asks LOTS of questions and is insistent on answers. We adore Madison's empathy for others and her desire to please God in what she does.
Our hearts' desire in all of this is that Christ would be glorified. May His name be lifted up and magnified among the nations!

Timeline for Jett

When we first started the adoption process in January of 2006, we thought we'd have our son home by September of that year......little did we know. With all of the chaos in Guatemala, the abandonment process and more, our journey has led us to over 1 1/2 years later.
The timeline for EVERY adoption is different, but here's ours:
January of 2006 Signed on with Lifeline in Birmingham, AL (original SW was Jenn Knerrium)
April of 2006 Completed all dossier paperwork and sent it to Guatemala to be translated
May of 2006 Found out we would have to go through the abandonment process because Jett's birthmother couldn't be located.
November of 2006 Social worker is now Lauren Roberts (Jenn had a baby). Lawyer in Guatemala has made NO progress.
January of 2007 We are basically starting the process over. Have to complete additional paperwork (Lauren has the gift of making our name affidavit take up a whole page!!!) to ensure all the details are completed.
June of 2007 Submitted to the embassy for pre-approval. Usually takes 60 days.
August of 2007 Pre-approval issued!!!! This was our first big news. At the same time, our other paperwork has been submitted to PGN. We hope for a quick kickout.
September of 2007 We were kicked out of PGN in 10 days for not having pre-approval. Resubmitted to PGN with pre-approval on September 13 (JT"s 40 birthday)! The process usually takes 8 weeks....so, that puts the timeline somewhere around the 2nd week in November. He could be home by Christmas.
We are praying that our PGN will be finished soon and that we won't be kicked-out for any reason. Any more delays will be heartbreaking. We know God is in control, and His timing is PERFECT. We'll add to this timeline as we get more details!