Harbor Life Ministries

A pair of car seats manufactured by Evenflo of Miamisburg, Ohio, were donated to Elizabeth Pregnancy Services today. Director Patty Thees is pictured here with the as-yet-unboxed gifts. Each car seat is valued at $120.

The seats will be given to EPS clients who earn enough “mommy money” to pay for them in EPS’ Unique Boutique. Mommy money is earned by participants by attending classes and doing things that a good parent might do, like go the library or attend church, among other things. Once a participant gathers enough “money” for the items she wants (like a car seat, a baby bed, clothing, etc.) she can browse the shop at EPS that is filled with new and gently used items.

To find out more about the program, call EPS at (419) 586-5941 during business hours, Monday 12 noon-4:30 pm, and Thursday 9:30 am-4:30 pm. You can also email them at ask@pregnancyanswers.com.

We loaded the van with our family of 5, two resident teens, and three teenage friends of our daughters, and we headed to the pumpkin patch and corn maze. We started at the pumpkin patch, we divided up in teams, four teams. The goal was to be the first group through the maze with the most correct answers to their questions. It was so much fun?

Then we headed to the other part and grabbed wagons. We went up and down the rows, searching for just the right pumpkin. Everyone picked a pumpkin and we loaded the wagons, it took two. When we weighted them all in it was over 150 lbs of pumpkin.

We then headed into their country store, to taste the apples and see all the things you can make with apples as well as to pick up a gallon of apple cider. We all headed to the van and loaded up and headed home.

By the time we got home the Buckeyes game was about to come on, so carving and cleaning pumpkins would have to wait until Sunday. Later after the Buckeyes game, we had more house guests arrive. Our prior midwife and her daughter came over for the weekend on their way to college visits on Monday.

- Karla

Sara’s bus ticket has arrived from Job Corps, which means she will be leaving here for certain.

The whole process of getting her enrolled has been quite a… well, process.

Testing, doctors’ slips, criminal background check, etc. etc., and several unexpected delays since the whole application process was put into motion back around August 20th or so.

Sara can now be free to pursue her G.E.D. and then follow her plan: get a job, make money, get a home, go back to school, become a pharmacist’s assistant, pursue a social work degree and… wow, I can’t believe how tired I get thinking about that. It was really tiring just to arrive at step one, the Job Corps.

Keep Sara in your prayers. God has done wonderful things in her life to grow her spiritually while she’s stayed with us. Pray she continues to pursue Him and His kingdom first, so that all these things will then be added to her.

Saturday often is a day to sleep in but, being away from home, the plan was to get up at 7:30 and be ready for breakfast at 8:30.

Well, we all did end up sleeping in and got up at 8:30, but were ready for breakfast by 9 AM, with everyone showered and dressed. The day was spent at the Ohio State Fairgrounds where the Quarter Horse Congress was being held. We walked a great deal looking at all the exhibits and then watched the horse events. It was a few of the girls? first time at a horse event. We had fun. We returned back home, on our way stopping by a shoe store, every girl?s dream. We spent about half-an-hour trying on and playing with shoes… what fun!!!

It’s two hours from Norwalk to Columbus, Ohio (a little longer than the Celina to Columbus trip) but even so, two of our family’s children have great Christian doctors in Worthington, a north-Columbus suburb, so it’s a trip we continue to make at least once every three months. Sara, Natasha and India went along this time on a planned overnight excursion.

We met up with some other family members and friends, then doctor visits and, finally, just hung out. After a second straight day in the car, however, everyone was very tired. We made a quick trip to the mall, but it was very quick; then to dinner where we had Chinese; and swimming; and finally at 11:00 off to bed.

Sleeping arrangements at somewhere other than our own home is always a challenge. Who sleeps with who?? Very interesting how they come to that arrangement.

This has been a day on the road.

With having two locations, the house in Norwalk and the pregnancy center in Celina, we often have to make that 2? hour drive (one way) to the other site. We had some other things we needed to do in Celina, so we went there and got our personal stuff done, as well as all the work.

We picked up food items, clothing, files, and things for the Sharing Banquet. We only had one minor issue today with girls. Getting enough school work completed before we needed to leave today was an issue, which made us drive as quickly and directly as possible to get there.

Because of the length of the car ride it became an issue as to which girl got to sit in the front, or “ride shotgun.” I had to ask: When we don?t get our way, what is the proper attitude to have regarding riding up front? You would think with 17-, 16-, and 15-year-old girls would not have this as an issue. But they are still children, even though pregnant and about to be moms, something to keep remembering as well.

Well, it’s been almost 8 weeks since Sara gave birth to Bryce, and most of the time since there’s been a concerted but futile (so far) effort to get her into the Jobs Corps program.

She was (again) supposed to leave today, but we didn’t have her bus ticket which Jobs Corp was supposed to send via email. Finally, at the end of the work day they called to say that they still were waiting on one of her medical forms to be approved. Since Job Corps only does intakes on Tuesday, it would have to be postponed for another week (Tuesday, Oct. 14).

Don’t misunderstand, we love having Sara with us, and I think she’s grown to like being here too, but these several times now when she has planned to move on to the next chapter, said her “good byes” and then had the process halted… it’s hard to be ready to go but then not go.

This has been a very busy and exhausting week! Thank you for your prayers.

Charlotte delivered Saturday night, Sept. 27, with her mother making it all the way from from California (yeah!!!). Charlotte spent time in the hospital with the baby and her mother.

When Charlotte was dismissed she came back to the house. We’ve kept her on bed rest–on the couch or in bed, with her feet up and only trips to the bathroom allowed. Her mother Rebekka stayed here too, helping Charlotte out and keeping her company.

The baby’s birthfather, Jordan, who is 18, also flew in from Calif. on Monday, checking in to a nearby motel. He got to visit with the baby and spend time with Charlotte too.

One of the secondary reasons Jordan came to Ohio was so he could have an adoption assessment done for the court. Normally a signature from the birthfather is all that’s required to place a baby. This is the first adoption we have done with the Huron County Court and they seemed overly suspicious of our motives. The court has required much more than any other court ever has.

John Huffman, our long-time friend and ally, a humble but brilliant Christian attorney from Lima with integrity and character as great as anyone I know (really!!!)–I could go on but I won’t–John told me that we needed to do everything the court asked, no matter what. We want to be able to work with Huron County on future adoptions so John wanted to prove to them that we won’t whine, we won’t squeal, we won’t try to sidestep or suggest alternatives, anything the court asked from us, we were willing to do. So that also included making sure Jordan was here so the court could see that the adoption was completely of the birthfather and birthmother’s own unfettered volition.

We had to not only get Jordan assessed, but also get psychological profiles on the adoptive parents. Social worker Peggy Dodds, a godly woman, a believer who we’ve worked with for almost 17 years, did the assessments and profiles. Poor Peggy does not really work full time doing adoptions, but she had to take the day off work so she could come to court, only to be asked three questions!!!

The adoption hearing went well, all the “I”s were dotted and “T”s crossed, and I think the court was impressed with us.

Baby Jayden is now at home tonight sleeping with his new family. Charlotte is on a plane back to California with her mother and boyfriend. It’s time to sleep for a day.