Faith - Hope - Love

Seventeen Month Photos

2012-01-06T16:13:00.001-06:00

Weight: 11.3kg (25 pounds)

Height: 78.8cm (31 inches)

Korean Travel Packet

2011-12-28T17:08:00.001-06:00

Our case worker sent us our Korean Travel Packet today! It outlines all that we need to get done and consider before our travel to Korea. This is really exciting...the people on our adoption forum are counting down the days until 2012 because that means that emigration permit processing will start again, and we will all be closer to going to get our children!

We enjoyed reading through the packet, which basically took us through the whole process from the travel call onward. Some things we will be considering and doing in preparation to travel:

-Passport for Erika...Kyle already has his
-Gather gifts for the foster mom and various other Eastern representatives
-Complete educational requirements including a couple other books we are needing to read, several online seminars, and CPR classes
-Figure out what all we will bring for Joseph for the trip back home
-Decide what places we will want to visit while in Seoul
-Consider various details about our visits with the Joseph prior to departure back home
-Make loose plans for the girls' care while we are out of the country
-Do research on Korean customs and traditions
-Finish up his room, including placing the new lamp Granny got for Joseph for Christmas...

As we visited with our adoptive families at the Chosen Marathon for Adoption this year, I realized just how fortunate we are to be so close to receiving our child. Many others we talked to anticipated two or three years until they would travel. Adoption is a long process with lots of red tape to navigate through, and we are nearing the end. We are feeling so blessed to know that we will travel to pick up the child that God has chosen for our family...in 2012!

A Christmas Update

2011-12-20T17:30:00.001-06:00

We were so excited to get an update on this little guy today! The perfect Christmas present for us. It makes Kyle and I so happy that he seems to be doing well. This is very good news, especially since there have been some concerns with his development. He seems to be making big strides lately! Here is the message we received (this is as November 30th)...

YoSeb is an active little boy who prefers to be outdoors and enjoys playing ball, with toys that have strings or electronics like cell phones or the remote control. If someone takes his toy away from him, he shows his temper. Then his foster mother talks to him and brings his favorite toy to him to calm him down. He is not typically shy and if he is in a good mood, he is fine with strangers. He is doing better developmentally and can stand alone and take up to 2 steps unassisted. He can say “omma”, “mam-ma” (food), and“ pa-pa”. If we say to him “ po-po”, he gives a kiss. He attempts to wave. He can do “ jam-jam” (open and close hands) and clap. He stares at person to copy the behavior.

YoSeb drinks formula twice a day, morning and evening. He prefers to eat rice rather than formula. If he is sleepy, he sways his body back and forth. If he does not take a nap, he goes to sleep after bathing around 8 pm. He wakes up immediately if he hears sound while sleeping. If he takes a nap, he goes to sleep from 10pm and wakes up 3 am for a feeding. Then he wakes up for good at 10 am. There is another foster child, aged 17 months, at the foster home that he like to play with. On YoSeb’s birthday celebration, he grasped money from Tol table. The foster mother will send the pictures taken during the party.

As of Nov. 30, weight 11.15kg, height 77.8cm.

A November Package

2011-11-10T07:12:00.000-06:00

We were able to send Joseph one Ziploc bag full of items in November! A representative for Dillon travels to Eastern, who handles our adoption on the Korean side. We could not fit too much in there, but were so glad to be able to send him a little something!

I-600 Approved

2011-07-09T16:32:00.003-05:00

Our I-600 application was approved, so now we wait for our EP from South Korea. Most likely, we'll be waiting until early 2012 to hear from them.

In the meantime, we have received more pictures of Joesph!

All the reports say that Joseph is a happy baby. He turns one year old next month, and we are preparing a gift box to send his way. Hopefully we will be able to post some video of him soon!

A Heartfelt Thanks

2011-03-31T08:53:00.000-05:00

We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of our friends and family who have donated financially to bring Joseph home. Through our t-shirt and movie fundraisers, the Chosen: Marathon for Adoption, Pennies from the Heart, which was done by kids at our church, two garage sales, cake ball sales, a grant, an interest-free loan, and the generous gifts of our friends and family, we were able to raise just over $14,000!

When we began the journey to adoption, we knew that this was not something that we would be able to finance on our own. We knew that we would need the help and support of our friends, family and community members to make it happen. Putting ourselves in a situation where God had to come through for us is a huge step of faith. But, He does not call us to do something without making a way!

Right now, we have to submit an I-600 form to USCIS for immigration stuff on this side. In Korea, it's simply a matter of time while we wait for Joseph to receive his emigration permit, passport, and travel clearance. We looking at an eight month wait before we can bring him home (but hopefully sooner than that!).
We hope to raise the rest of the money that we will need to travel to Korea through the Chosen: Marathon for Adoption. Consider running or walking either the half or full marathon with us on October 29, 2011! More details to come on this soon.

On behalf of Joseph, his mom, dad and his two big sisters, thank you for the sacrifice you made in order to help us get him home. May you and your family be richly blessed because of it!

Legals In

2011-03-12T21:09:00.000-06:00

We received our legals from Korea yesterday. Now, we file an I-600 to US Immigration (notifying them of our intent to adopt Baby YoSeb). Meanwhile, our file will be slowly working its way to the top for the Korean government to issue all the necessary paperwork to give us travel clearance.

At this point, we're 8 months out, at least. Here's hoping we see YoSeb before the holidays! Even still, we'll be patient until he's here.

Stories of Adoption

2011-03-08T15:59:00.000-06:00

One of the best stories about adoption is the story of a small town family who adopts a baby boy that changes the world. Yes, I'm talking about Superman!

We're excited to host a fundraiser that is unique and fun. We'll be showing Superman: The Movie on March 26 at 11:00am at the Howard Theater in Taylor. You can buy your tickets online here.

It's rare to be able to watch a movie like this on the big screen with the full theater experience, and we hope to sell out all 225 tickets. Hope you can make it!

Let Love Increase

2011-03-07T08:23:00.001-06:00

YoSeb is named after Joseph, an Old Testament patriarch whose name means "may the Lord increase". To celebrate his arrival, we've made t-shirts! All proceeds will go to help us bring Joseph home. We are taking pre-orders for TWO WEEKS ONLY! Get yours today!

Takio

2011-03-04T08:21:00.000-06:00

I picked up a new graphic novel this week from comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis (writer of Avengers, Spider-Man, etc.). It's called Takio, and about a pair of sisters who get superpowers. What's cool is that the oldest sister is adopted from Asia, and the youngest is Kylie's age.

We read the whole thing in one sitting. Kylie loved the art and the witty banter between the two sisters (Bendis is known for his skill at witty banter). The story was your typical comic fare, with legitimate threats and villains emerging out of the origins of the heroes. What Bendis does well is relationships, with the talk between the sisters sounding just like the conversations Kylie and Kathryn have.

The discovery of the powers and the idea of becoming heroes is all on the little sister, Olivia. She even comes up with the team name, Takio (Taki and Olivia). Kylie loved these bits, especially when the sisters start to see what they can really do.

If you have kids, stop by your local comic book store and get this book! It's a great way to get kids interested in comics, and you can probably jump into other all-ages titles from there. If you need recommendations, let me know!

Cooking Korean at Home

2011-03-03T14:30:00.000-06:00

Tonight we'll be cooking Korean at home for the first time. Erika and I went to the Asian market in Austin this morning to buy everything we need for tonight's meal. I'll be making beef bulgogi (Korean BBQ), spicy tofu, kimchi pancakes, pickeled radish, and rice.

Originally, I had planned to make my own kimchi, but we're going with the stuff in the jar until everyone develops a palate for it. Otherwise, the work I do will make about a gallon of the stuff. Good to know if we end up really liking it!

I really want to make bibimbap, a stone-bowl dish filled with rice, meat, and veggies, all topped with a fried egg. The pictures of it look awesome, so we'll see what I can make of it.

We also bought some chopsticks, because I've never learned how to use them and don't want to stick out once we make our way to Korea. Perhaps my video-game-strengthened fingers will be able to pick it up quickly.

I Knew

2011-03-02T08:04:00.003-06:00

As we began exploring the possibility of adoption, I approached it as I do most things, with one toe in the water. I was not sure...would this be best for our family? Was I prepared for the special challenges that come with raising an adopted child? How in the world would we pay for it? I was definitely afraid of the many unknowns.

Last spring, we had a church women's retreat at a camp in the Texas Hill Country. It was beautiful...lots to do around the grounds, good friends there, a spiritual focus...I was looking forward to a time of renewal.

A lot of what was shared that weekend had to do with purpose...what purpose did God have for us? One thing I discovered over the course of the weekend...fear paralyzes me a lot, and keeps me from fulfilling my true calling.

I asked myself, "Is fear what is keeping you from moving forward wholeheartedly?" As usual, Kyle was excited and ready, and I had been dragging my feet.

Then, something happened. My good friend Sammi ran into an old friend of hers. She had not seen this friend in years! They were so surprised and excited to see one another there...what a strange coincidence! Sammi introduced the family to us, which included her two daughters adopted from China.

I got to briefly talk with her friend about adoption, and told her that we were considering it. Nothing she said that day was really different from what we had read online, but I knew God was saying something special to me.

This Sunday at church, we talked about recognizing God speaking to us and working around us. To me, this was a huge God sighting. No one or nothing will ever be able to convince me that the teaching and events that weekend were just a chance thing. God spoke to me that day, and I knew.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. -John 10:27

(A post by Erika)

Meet YoSeb

2011-02-28T13:18:00.000-06:00

Adoption? Not really anything we ever seriously considered. Until one day, after some postpartum health issues, we decided to give ourselves one year to think and pray about whether we would further grow our family. I reconnected with an old college friend who was pursuing international adoption. Seemingly coincidentally, I met other adoptive parents. We got very excited and began researching the possibility. “Lord, is this what you would have us to do?” We heard the call, got our answer, and here we are, in the process of adopting a baby boy from South Korea.

We are a community-focused family living outside of Austin, Texas. Kyle is an active husband and father, a missional church pastor and community leader. Erika is stay at home mom to our two girls, ministry partner, and private tutor. We have two daughters, Kylie, a bright and active first grader, and Kathryn, a spunky and caring three year old. With open arms, we are welcoming another into our family.

As you probably know, adoption can be costly. Between fees for our home study, adoption agency, paperwork, Korean foster care, and travel, our adoption will cost approximately $30,000.

Much sooner than expected, we received a referral for our child. Our son is named YoSeb, Korean for Joseph. He was born on August 6, 2010 in Incheon, South Korea. He is healthy and we cannot wait to see him for the first time!

With the referral coming so quickly, we have quite the challenge ahead of us: gather $19,000 in 30 days. We have been actively working this past week on getting the ball rolling here, including applying for several grants, an interest free loan, soliciting support from friends and family, and exploring fund raising opportunities including t-shirts, a garage sale, a raffle, and a movie showing. More details on these coming soon!

Here’s how you can help:
- Make a tax-deductible donation on YoSeb’s behalf to the Resonate Community Adoption Fund. Donations can be made via Google Checkout on our blog (kylesears.blogspot.com). Checks can be sent to:

Resonate Community Adoption Fund
PO Box 861
Hutto, TX 78634

- Share this letter on your Facebook page. We need your help in spreading the word about YoSeb and the funds needed to get him to his forever family!

- Come up with and execute your own fundraising idea. We have a friend hosting a garage sale, donating a mural, and many others have mentioned ideas! Use the gifts and talents that God has blessed you with to bless this baby!

Some may consider adoption to be the greatest gift someone could give to an orphan. We feel differently. Bringing an orphan into our home will bless us beyond measure. Our stories are already intertwined, with greater stories waiting to be told. The chapter of beginnings has thus far been full of hope and anticipation of the arrival of Joseph into our lives. We would love for you to become part of this story too.

Shift

2011-02-27T17:45:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since we've updated the blog, mostly because there hasn't been that much to tell. After our home study, everything just seemed to slow down. Little hiccups here and there with bits of our application confirmed what we had heard: adoption is a process of "hurry up...wait...hurry up...wait..."

About a month ago, an email from our agency went out, informing parents that the Korea program was in need of families. At our position in the process, there was little to lose in making the switch. Our perspective changed - perhaps all of these delays were a means by which God would connect us with the child he meant for us to have. After reviewing all of the details about what to expect with Korea (which is much different than India), we decided to make the change.

Two weeks ago, we got a call from our agency. Everything had been approved for us to enter the Korea program. And, WE HAD A REFERRAL! We had anticipated things would move quickly, but not that quickly!

We have a beautiful almost-7 month old boy waiting for us in Korea. We hope to see him before Christmas. We also have a substantial need to raise money for our next set of fees. Right now we're about $10,000 short.

We'll have more information about our little baby boy and how you can help bring him home. In the meantime, I'm prepping everything I need to make his room heroic.

Home Study and Fundraising

2010-09-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

We had our home study on Saturday, and it went great! Our social worker was very nice and put us all at ease. Kylie showed her the house, and was, well, Kylie. Once the home study paperwork has been completed, we'll be eligible to receive grants, as well as move on to the next big steps in getting on the waiting list for a referral.

In other news, Erika will be running her first marathon at the Chosen: Marathon for Adoption. We have a huge team helping to support "Team Sears" in the race, and we're looking for people who would like to sponsor Erika. If you give her $1 per mile, your contribution is only $26.20.

You can give via the button on the right side of the page. All donations are tax-deductible!

Application Two Approved!

2010-08-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

We just received word that Application Part Two has been approved. Next step is our home study process, which should begin in the next month or so.

Please continue to pray for us as we move through this process. We have a couple of fundraisers coming in October, plus some opportunities for grants following the approval of our home study.

Our Story

2010-06-28T21:34:00.000-05:00

We hope to have our story featured on the Chosen: Marathon for Adoption site. Here it is:

Kyle and I have discussed the possibility of adoption for a couple of years now. We initially considered it as simply one option out of many, but as time went by, we felt more and more resolved to begin the steps it takes to adopt internationally.

We are church planters in the Austin area, and are deeply committed to living missionally in our world. As followers of Christ, we are called to care for orphans and to be known for our love of others. Our child will come from an orphanage in Calcutta, the city where Mother Teresa shed light on the darkness of poverty and outcasts. For us, there is no greater picture of the good news than adoption. Over the past several years, we have found meaning and fulfillment with friends and our "chosen family" - people who have become like brothers and sisters to us. Our story is also their story, and we are excited about our community of faith joining with us in this!

We are still in the beginning stages of our adoption through Dillon International, and are prepared for a two-year journey that will test our patience and resolve. But we know that the power of faith, hope, and love can change the world and we are excited to see what God does in the life of our new child.

The Chosen: Marathon for Adoption is a very special way for us to raise funds. A postpartum health condition initially opened our hearts to adoption, and I have pursued a healthier lifestyle through races like this one. Over the past three years, I have lost 115 pounds, done two half-marathons and a triathlon, and now am ready to run my first full marathon! I am excited to reach a personal goal, challenge others to do the same, and, in addition, raise support to bring a child home from India.

Those who register and indicate that they are a part of Team Sears will have 100% of their race fees designated to help us fund our adoption. Please consider joining us! For more information about our journey, follow us online at our blog.

Kyle and Erika Sears (Hutto, TX)

Application #2 Received

2010-05-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

We received Application #2 in the mail today. Lots of stuff to work through! In addition to each of us writing an autobiography, we need to get references from friends, family, doctors, and school employees. I'm ordering copies of all of our birth certificates, and we're getting an official will in place too.

Continue to keep us in your prayers that this step goes smoothly.

Application #1 Approved

2010-05-08T11:50:00.000-05:00

We received word yesterday that Application #1 was approved. Next comes Application #2, and, upon approval, our first big chunk of payment (about $5,000). Want to help? Make a donation at the link on the sidebar.

Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to move forward.

Beginnings

2010-05-05T08:22:00.000-05:00

Erika and I have discussed the possibility of adoption for a couple of years now. We began the discussions as simply an option out of many, but over the past few months we have felt more and more resolved to begin the steps it takes to adopt internationally.

Today I am submitting the first of many applications and forms to see this dream through. We're looking at a two-year journey that I'm sure will test our patience, faith, and resolve.

Over the past several years, we have found the importance of friends, community, and "chosen family" - people who have become like brothers and sisters. Our story is also their story. I hope you journey with us!