update from China

today Stevie sent us an update... here it is if you are interested




The Battle is the Lords!

Wow this truth has been something I am holding on to and what he is continually teaching me out here. Last week I shared with a friend some things that the Father is putting on my heart. I shared how a friend had told me that there was no use for theology in “work” here. Well I shared how maybe that was where the Father was leading me because of my love for teaching and theology. And he shared with me something I will never forget. He said that the Father did not bring me out here for me to accomplish some project, or to do something great; he brought me out here for me. Really? Is it about me? Has the Father done all this so that I will know him more. My friends continued to share with me that the Father can make the rocks cry out, if He wanted to, He would make it happen right now. But that’s not the point of me being here nor is it the point of any of us being here in some foreign country. My friends shared with me that He has brought me here to reveal himself to me in new ways, ways that I couldn't have seen Him move back home. He is pursuing me, not because I have done anything spectacular, not because I have done anything great or have the potential to bring thousands of people to know him, but He has brought me here to reveal himself to me so that I may love Him more. This was so overwhelming for me to know. He can do this on his own, He doesn’t need me, I am here to know him more. “The chief end of man is to glorify (the Father) and enjoy him forever” (Westminster Catechism). This is a truth I studied for the past 2 years with my mentor and we worked through how it is to be applied in my life. And it took me traveling thousands of miles for it to hit and sink down deeper into my heart.

The days all blend together out here so I think last week I visited a temple that brought the reality of paganism to life.
I watched both men and women bow before lifeless man made objects. It was very eerie walking into rooms set aside for worship and seeing how dark they were. People would just put money before these statues or spin wheels so the gods would hear their prayers. I have only heard of these practices before but seeing them firsthand was something I never will forget. Brandon Stoppe said something to me before I came out that I continue to remember “its weird being in a place where you look around and there are no believers.” Not one. I look around and see all these people who live in fear of the gods, hoping that they will be able to appease them with their offerings and sacrifices. There are even some people who will sprawl out on the ground and the return to a standing position with their hands raised in the air for miles to try to cover over their sins. It’s so sad to see these people so desperate for forgiveness but miss the sacrifice of the holy lamb.

I recently traveled to a province about 8 hours south of here to help a husband and wife move their shop and home. We listened to Michael W. Smith for about half the trip. (I have been waiting to say this since then) I, with a passion, dislike his music very much now and am thoroughly disappointed in everyone who enjoys listening to it (sorry Bishop). The guy isn't even good enough to write music that has substance so he plays covers at his concerts and or his songs just repeat the same phrase over and over again. "A New Hallelujah" I think thats the only phrase I heard him say that was his own, but I've definitely heard that one somewhere before. The trip was great though, we painted with paint that was so watered down that it seemed to not really stick or hold much color, we moved their furniture and products for the store and spent time eating and fellowshipping. I ate a yak burger, which was excellent, and for the first time in my life used a squatty potty. That was most definitely an experience. The countryside here is absolutely beautiful and the pictures I have taken seem to not even come close to portraying how amazing the earth He created is.

I have some excellent opportunities here to start being involved with. First: some of the parents here have asked that I would lead the youth group that the m’s do here. I think it will start next Saturday and I am so excited to get to know the students here and walk with them in their journey of discipleship. I also was asked to teach an English class here as well as take some of my roommate’s classes that he teaches. This could be such an awesome opportunity to make more connections with people here and see how I can be most effective here. Also some people who have businesses here are in need of graphic design stuff done for their companies so I may work with them if I have time in the week. So as you can see my schedule is very busy (as usual).

I continue to grow more in the language as well. I have learned how to shop and count and tell taxi drivers how to get to where I need to go. However, I often get lost while I am traveling by myself and for the past 3-4 appointments I have had show up 10-30 minutes late because I get on the wrong bus or just turned down the wrong street. I have also learned that this place was not created for tall people. My roommate jokes and says I am the tallest man in town. It has perks when I play basketball cause I dominate in the key. I don’t even jump and I can get every rebound so they all think I’m amazing. But I was traveling by bus the other day and when I got on, I found that I could not stand up straight, so I put my head through the vent so I could stand up straight. There were kids on the bus that were laughing at me. It happens a lot though, people act as if they have never seen a white person in their life when they see me. Sometimes kids point and laugh or parents just stare at me as I walk by. I just think its funny, I smile and say “Nee-hao.” I also can't see when my stop is coming up because I can't see out the widows cause they are too low. So I am always having to e that guy who runs to the back of the buss at the last second to get off. People love me here...The culture is so

different too. People light fireworks in front of their restaurant or store when its having a grand opening to attract customers. Last week I was helping a lady with her shop and they fireworks started going off. I took off and ran back into the shop because I was getting hit by flying trash and rocks. But it is fun here and I am learning to love these funny things.
Well friends and family, thanks for you continued time of talking to the Father for me. He is teaching me a lot, and doing good things in my heart. Send me e-mails, I love reading your encouraging words. Love you all and I will write soon again.

Grace and Peace
-stevie-

papas day

Growing up I was always a mommas girl. I loved going to the mall with my mom or sitting in her room while she got all dolled up for an evening out with my dad. We had so much in common: sports, tv shows, our love for clothes and anything in between, but looking back I've realized I wasn't just a mommas girl I was also a daddies girl.

I can remember crawling into my dads lap with the comfort of being safe practically leaking from his soul. My papa would look at me and say "Repeat after me boys are icky, I'm not dating until I am 40". Then thinking no man could ever take the place of this man in my life I would easily repeat his words. As I grew soon those conversations turned into ones where my dad would say, "Now remember if any boy ever hurts you I have a pickup, a shovel and a desert not too far away, no one would ever miss them". I would laugh at his statements but it would take me back to when I was a little girl knowing that my papa would forever protect me.

It wasn't uncommon to find dad making breakfast singing into a spatula or waking me up with a guitar in hand singing me back into reality. Many times my brothers and I would run from one room to the next where we would encounter our dad on the ground waiting for us to tackle him. As we grew we would run from one room to the next when we heard our code word "scatter" meaning papa bear is now awake hide because you are the ones that woke him!

These little moments along with the other memories I have created with my dad over the years have been amazing. I have realized how much I am loved by my papa and how much I love him. He is an amazing man and I would be lucky to meet and marry someone half as amazing as him. I am honored that I have a dad like him and thankful for a day in which we get to celebrate someone so important.

I love you papa happy fathers day!

skype

tonight i got to skype with my brother. though it made me realize just how much i miss him and want him home even more, it was great chatting with him and hearing how the Lord is using him.

Stevie i love and miss you and cant wait for your return home!

love

words cannot express how much I love my family

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.

-- Thomas Jefferson

road trip

We have learned that with children planning isn't always necessary, sometimes those spur of the moment adventures are the ones that leave a lasting memory. Just yesterday my mom and I decided to take a mini road trip to lake havasu with the kids, so far our adventurous spirit has paid off... we'll see how everyone likes it with the 110 degree weather tomorrow ;-)

Summer

It is now official in the Hasemeyer home with every person that... SCHOOLS OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!!! Now that everyone is home let the fun begin.

a weekend of joy

You’ll never be sad if you remember all the good things that have happened to you. Karolina Grekov

go make disciples

After years of praying and months of planning this morning I bid my big brother farewell for the summer as he got on his flight to venture to China. Though the walls of our tear ducts threatened to break open I couldn't have been more proud than to see my brother walk up the stairs to catch his flight. He is living his life for the Lord and that is the most amazing thing to experience. He is a disciple of Christ going into the world to make disciples of all nations and one day I am sure he will hear the Lord say to him "Well done Stevie, my good and faithful servant!"

Please keep Stevie in your prayers these next months!

Mario

We finally beat Mario! After countless hours, a few cups of coffee and energy drinks, staying up until morning and many many laughs the game is defeated. Now it might sound stupid that 3 college students stay up all night to play this wii game, but let me tell you these have been some of my favorite times in the past couple months. Times where we laughed until we cried, yelled at each other for dying right before the finish line or bubbling at the wrong moments and hanging out with my family. I am glad we defeated it but I am sad it is over... I guess we need to find another game to defeat!

family blessings

Today I have been reminded of how blessed I truly am. My family is amazing but something I have noticed is that as we grow our distance does too; not necessarily in a bad way, just simply in a way of lifes course. We all attend different schools, have different hobbies and do different things, but we are a family and coming together is one of the greatest moments I now get to experience. Maybe its the corny jokes Joel tells, or its the dances I see my dad come up with, or maybe its the way I get to see Stevie interact with the kids, or the love I can see in my moms eyes. Maybe it's the way the kids swarming around us as though we are celebrities, or the fact that we no longer fit around the table. It could be the joy of a guitar coming out with a new song being played and kids dancing around the floor, or quiet possibly its the late nights playing mario or sitting in the family room drinking coffee and swapping stories, whatever the case may be as I grow these times of gathering are something I cant help but to look forward to.

With Stevie leaving in a couple of days for the next few months the reality of the entire family being together has hit me. In this last week we will experience this for the last time until August. When looking to this date joy bubbles up inside me as I already have a picture of Levi, Gabe, Isaac, Joshua, Gabby, Rosie, Jonah, Luke, Cheyenne, Elle, Jesse, Me, Joel and my mom and dad greeting Stevie as he comes home. The whole family together again with stories being told and memories being made... just as life should be.

I am truly blessed!

vacation

Vacations are an obsolete in the Hasemeyer household. It is rare to find us all gone for a day let alone a week or longer. When even the thought of a vacation crosses our mind instantly the realization of driving anywhere for hours with screaming children, or staying in 3 different hotel rooms with still not enough beds, or just the work that has to be accomplished making it not really a vacation at all, brings this idea of vacation a bitter dream rather than sweet one.

With that said vacation would be a perfect experience if we didn't have to drive too far, there was enough room and if it was an easy going adventure... and this past week thats exactly what vacation was. My family is blessed to be the owners of a timeshare in Carlsbad in which we are given the room once a year. It is right on the beach with a swimming pool and game room and surprisingly enough it's big enough to fit the whole family (with people sleeping on the ground of course!)

Just like any other day at home our days on vacation were eventful with glasses breaking, kids being taken to the emergency room and fights occurring, but that made for a week to remember. But just the idea of finally being on vacation made everything seem that much sweeter. As of now we are all home and back to the reality of waking put early and going to school or work.

This vacation was fun while it lasted... too bad it was only for a week!

Mothers Day

Like most holidays my family has our traditions and mothers day is no exception. About 8 years back my older brothers and I gathered up all the kids and the red wheel barrow and took the hike up the block to the corner flower nursery. After walking around and debating on which flower would be perfect we would finally agree load the rose bush into the wagon, roll it up to the register, pull out our saved cash, and head back down the street to home.

Though our traditions has slightly changed: instead of walking we now have to take a car a few miles away and instead of 5 children with different opinions there are now 11, but the rose bush for mothers day has continued. It is a great experience to see the kids do something for my mom because she does so much for us. The rose is a constant reminder of the love we have for my mom, it is a gift that keeps giving.

Mom we love you Happy Mothers Day!

tears to remember

today my mom showed me a letter from my sister and so the tears began to flow.

Rosie I miss and love you <3

Luke

Luke is a miracle child. He brought a lot of firsts into our home; first special needs, first dependent child, first child who was unable to run and swallow and first kid who looked nothing like the rest of us. We met Luke when we switched from Orange County Adoptions to San Bernardino Adoptions and after our first visit with him we instantly fell in love. He was a tiny five-year-old, weighing only 25lbs and was not able to much of anything besides sit in the house and watch television all day. The scars along his chest, the feeding tube, the inability to truly communicate and the difference in color was easily passed by when looking into his eyes and seeing the need that we can provide for this child. After many visits Luke was able to come home with us and just a few short months later he officially became Luke Elijah Hasemeyer.
Like I said Luke was the first special needs child that came into our home. Not only was he declared mentally retarded, because of his many surgeries including open heart, he never learned how to swallow which meant he was fed through an eating tube. Because of this Luke was not getting the nutrients he needed and not growing. but after a couple short months in the Hasemeyer home Luke began to eat. His first food was cheetoes and soon it turned to corndogs, a meal he feel in love with. Once he was able to get these foods down he moved on to other delicacies and finally began to grow.
Today is in the 8th grade and it is amazing to think back at where he began and where he could be. Because of his disabilities and color Luke was considered unadoptable. He would have been stuck in a medically fragile home his whole life where nothing would have been expected of him, he would have never learned to eat or run or read or be a normal boy. Now he has that opportunity and it is amazing to see him grow and know that he is a Hasemeyer!

Coming home...

Coming home should never be a surprise anymore, we now do not take a second thought when we are told another room is taken and another bed is filed. New family additions are a constant occurrence wether it be a dirty child or a fury animal, with this said I should not have been surprised but I was. When I walked in the blue doors of my home I was greeted by not one new dog but two!


Welcome to the family Betsy & Zelda! =D

breakfast and an early morning

This morning I was woken up at the crack of dawn to screaming children getting ready for school. Though most days I would be completely upset, today however I was not. Maybe it was the rays of sunshine streaming in through my window, or the the smiling faces of the ones I love greeting me back into reality, or possibly it was the freshly brewed coffee my little sister made me sitting on my nightstand filling the room with its delicious aroma. Whatever the case my be though this morning was an early morning it was a good one none the less. I have decided that today will be a good day.



"A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked."
~Anais Nin

baseball the new family affair

Tonight was Joshua's first baseball game, so the family pilled in the big van and drove to the field. When I got there the game had just begun and Josh was out in center field with his knees bent and glove ready for action. There were only a couple times when the ball was hit in his direction, but the excitement happened when Josh stepped up to the plate. As he made the short walk from the dugout to home we had everyone looking in our direction and Joshua grinning from ear to ear. Even from the bleachers I could see the joy on Joshua's face knowing that his family was there to cheer him on. He stepped up to the plate and we all quieted to keep his concentration, the first ball was pitched Josh swung and missed and the second one went with the same result. Knowing his chances were limited we began to cheer even more hoping this would boost his confidence. Finally the third ball was pitched, Josh swung the bat with direct contact hitting the ball line drive down third base, it was a double! Cheers erupted from our side of the bleachers, I'm convinced they could hear us a mile away.

As Josh took his stance at second base he couldn't help but look at the family and smile, and I couldn't help but to feel amazingly proud. I looked at the people surrounding me and I was amazed how blessed I was. The moment felt so perfect it was as though I was in a movie... but even better than that is was real life. I have an amazing family and today I was reminded of how great they truly are.

the hike of life

...



The other day I decided to get the kids out of the house and give my mom a break, so the kids loaded up into the big van and I drove them down to Mt Rubidoux. The adventure started in the van, Jonah of course was the instigator of the kids crying and I knew from the beginning this was going to be a great idea! We made it to the mountain with only a few hits and cries and began our hike. Before being a third of the way to the top the fighting began. One kid would hit another who would retaliate and hit someone else who would come to me crying. I had bikers, runners, moms with strollers and anything in between staring at me with a look saying I was crazy for getting myself into this mess.

Like always though there were the fights, there were also the laughs and smiles. There were moments when we would stop to take pictures and look at the scenery. It was amazing to see God's glory not only in his nature but also in the lives that were surrounding me. This walk reminded me why my family does what we do. That like the hike in life there are going to be problems that occur and tears that are shed, but there is a destination to be met and memories to be made. Life is hard but that makes it worth living. I am reminded that because of the hard times the good times are much sweeter and the faces of these saved children continually remind me that.

We are hiking the mountain of life and though it is difficult I wouldn't change a second of it.

Jonah

Jonah is, well he's just Jonah. There is really no words to describe him. He is like no one else in the world. We met Jo when we would go visit Luke at the handicap home they both lived in before living with us. Jonah was about 2 years old and already had a story to tell. He was like most kids born in the system, addicted to drugs. On top of that his mother was homeless which ment she was not given the right prenatal care as well as she was an alcoholic. And so when she had Jonah she didn't want the burden and left him as an orphan in the hospital.

Over the years Jonah has had many open hear surgeries in which he died 3 times, he underwent anal surgery and must be given an enema every other night, he is on 4 different medications to make him somewhat bearable and he has to attend a special school. To say the least Jonah is the most difficult child in our home.

It's sad to think that if his mom would have just stopped drinking and doing drugs for 9 months he would be a normal boy living a normal life. That Jonah wouldn't be as angry and he would be a regular boy playing t-ball like the other kids hi age. Though Jonah is so difficult my hear is still full of unconditional love for him. Looking at his action and his life I am reminded that I am like Jonah. I am a sinful human just like him, but yet Christ loves me the same, and I am in love with him more.

Though I don't know why Jo was brought to our home or why he wasn't taken to be with the king one of those times he died I do know he has a bigger purpose. It seems that the hard times are over powering the easy ones now a days but it is a comfort to know that we are not the ones in control. And that fact along with love is enough to keep us going.

love and good byes

Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.

~Kahlil Gibran