The Month in Review

Life is EXCITING with these four each day!
Thank you, Amy for their fabulous new shirts with their names!
We think they are BEAUTIFUL and it helps even grandparents remember our names! :)

Earlier this month Sophia Anne and Chloe Catherine got to meet their Adkins cousins for the first time!!
We had so much fun at Nyanya's house!

Jesus helped our daddy and Uncle Nick (Strong) with the Orality Training at WGM headquarters.
They had so much fun doing the workshop and many people have responded positively that Jesus used the training in their lives and they look forward to using it in their own ministries!!!
Hallelujah! Praise God Forever!!!

The twins got to meet Joanna's dad's parents, Bill and Mary Neff earlier this month.
  What joy to introduce the girls to their great-grandparents!!!

Thank you Auntie Victoria for our ballerina dresses!
We love dressing up like the big sisters!!!

Sophia Anne...the pensive one. So much like Elsie Jayne as a baby!

And our dear little Chloe Catherine...she reminds us in many ways of Lucy!

We have LOVED living in Wilmore during this season of life and being near our family!!!
Sunday was a special celebration with Aunt Susannah and Aunt Cricket and their families
and Grand-daddy and Grammy!

Grand-daddy and Pap baptized the girls in a special service on Sunday afternoon.

What a treasure to have two grand-daddys in love with Jesus and in ministry!

And another precious great-grandfather too!!!
Papa prayed over the girls just after they were baptized.

THANK YOU JESUS FOR FAMILY!!!!
HALLELUJAH! PRAISE GOD FOREVER!!!!
Our big girls will actually have memories of this time in the states we assume, so it's fun that JEsus has allowed us to have so much time with our grandparents!!

And as a special treat, Jesus has spoiled us and allowed our Aunt Katy Beth to be here from Hungary for the holidays!!! 
What delight to get to introduce her to our dear new babies!!!

Her twins, meeting our twins!!!
Susannah and Annie Searls are the babies 15 year old cousins!!!

What a fun month it has been...what a full time and just priceless time. We are so excited to celebrate Jesus' Birthday with family this week! We drive next week to celebrate with Joanna's family and then back to Wilmore January 1st to fly out to Uganda January 3rd.
Pray for us in this massive transition again...the big girls have some idea of the transitions ahead and are excited as well as a bit unsettled. They actually aren't sleeping well...will you pray for peace all through the night? Will you pray with us to finish well this time in the US and then to trust Jesus for the journey and then all He has in store in the year to come and then next three years as we head back home-home to Arua!

Orality Workshop December 9-10

Friends and Allies,

Many of you are aware that today and tomorrow we are going to be a part of the facilitating team for a workshop on orality.  Specifically we will be introducing Bible storytelling to approximately 30 participants, most of whom are related to World Gospel Mission. They represent the globe and we are excited about the opportunity to be a part of sharing what we believe is a very effective tool for communicating the Good News.

We need you to pray:
1.) For protection and strength for Joanna and the girls
2.) For wisdom and grace for the facilitating team: Matt, Bonnie, Corrie, Nick, Brent, & Billy
3.) For the participants to have open hearts and for God to show them more than techniques

Thank you for standing with us today. We appreciate you being a part of our story

Democratic Republic of Congo

Today, November 28, is Election Day for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We got an email from some close friends who live in eastern DRC and they attached this verse to their email asking for prayer:

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Would you be willing to join us in "giving thanks and intercession" as we pray for "kings and those in authority" in DRC?

Unlike what most of us are used to, election results can often take quite some time to be tallied. Thus we are not just asking for prayer for "election today" but for God to be at work during this election "season."

Thank you for joining us in lifting up the people of DRC.

Quiet Time

Quiet time alone with Jesus takes on a whole new dimension as parents of twins...

and as parents of newborn twins with two toddlers...

And yet this morning, He met me...

YET I STILL BELONG TO YOU;
YOU ARE HOLDING MY RIGHT HAND.
YOU WILL KEEP ON GUIDING ME WITH YOUR COUNSEL.
LEADING ME TO A GLORIOUS DESTINY!

PSALM 73:23-24
What an incredible reality and promise!!!

Some of the results of Cydil Waggoner's amazing photography.

And Jesus' beautiful creation...

We still...even with little sleep and nursing 12 times a day, belong to Him!!!

Yahweh is still holding us...

He is guiding us...as we begin to pack and prepare to return "homehome" January 3rd...as we await passports and seek His best for traveling companions!

Leading us to a GLORIOUS DESTINY!!! It is an incredible reality to have four sweet lives four and under dependant upon you, but how GLORIOUS to live dependant upon Jesus...and embracing the destiny He has called us to!!!
THESE ARE CRAZY DAYS, but they are the sweetest, best, most glorious days too.

Hallelujah! Priase God Forever!

Church Officers Welcomed * Another Year of Life Welcomed

This Saturday is a very special day for Africa Gospel Church, Uganda!

The church will celebrate in Kampala the instalation of the first official bishop of the church in Uganda as well as other church leaders.

Will you pray with us and for our friends as they rejoice in this very important landmark day for the church...pray for Kefa, Ouma and Mugisha as they take over new responsibilities for the church. Pray for these men's families in this critical time of their leadership.

Thank you for carrying our friends to Jesus with us...even when we are apart from them.

Lucy enjoying her cousin Bradley!---his family came down from Ohio to celebrate Elsie Jayne's birthday with us and meet the twins!
On Thursday, November 3, Elsie Jayne "made four years!" We are rejoicing in LIFE in our home...for so many reasons! What a happy day we had as we got to see so many of our family members and enjoy celebrating Elsie Jayne in a month focused on her new little sisters. She and Lucy are both doing so great at welcoming Sophie and Chloe, but it was really fun to spend a day celebrating the four incredible years since 2007...when it was just the two of us!

WOW!!! So much has changed! God is so good!

We praise Him for our Elsie Jayne!

Her dream all year was to go to Chuck E. Cheese.

While we were in America for HMA last year, she had a cousin celebrate a birthday at Chuck E. Cheese and in her mind, that is what you do when you have a birthday in the states.

And, thanks to her grandparents and her daddy...that is what she did!

 

Dancing with some cousins!

Look at her ELATED face!

Uncle Dan was in the states for Elsie Jayne's birthday and the twins too! He was on a month long HMA and we got to enjoy him at such landmark times in our family! His family walks with Jesus in Budapest, Hungary, so it was a really special thing to be on the same continent and in the same town some!

And just for fun...Chloe and Sophie this morning...Just enjoying one another's company!

Chloe is darker and on the left, Sophie on the right (or top).

Please pray with us for Chloe particularly to GROW!!! She had not yet reached her birth weight again at her two week check up. The doctor wasn't overly concerned and we don't need to return until their two month check, but her mom feels anxious that she GROW GROW GROW and be a healthy little lady!

The Last Few Days

The girls had their first at home bath a few days ago...Sophie (on the left) was not so much a fan of the experience. Chloe thought it was like a first class massage!

We assumed this might be a pattern...bath number two...exactly the opposite! Sophie loved it and Chloe was so upset! No stereotypes yet!

The Arua Team...

John and Erica Rinehimer came to visit us from Louisville this past week...What fun to be with friends who know both of our worlds!

It is sweet and a bit hysterical to realize that our team five years ago was only four adults...Now, of that group...we are four adults and SIX KIDS!

Back in Arua, the current team, Scott and Meg Rambo, have just announced that they are pregnant with baby number three in their family!  So now our current team is four adults and SEVEN kiddos! 

Jesus is MULTIPLYING the Arua team!!!

Nyanya (Joanna's Mom) has been with us since the day after the twins joined us!

She has been an ABSOLUTE BLESSING all day every day!!!

Besides laundry, cooking, cleaning, caring for babies, caring for big girls (and their MAMA!), she had energy and creativity to read the girls a sweet pumpkin parable about how cleaning out the pumpkin is like Jesus cleaning out our hearts and the light within is symbolic of the LIGHT of the whole world!

The gunk within...symbolic of sin.

Our hands got so gooey! Lucy refused to get so dirty! Pray that she has the same aversion to sin!

What a FUN happy project. THANKS NYANYA!

Cydil Waggoner came just yesterday for a new baby photo shoot!

Again, Nyanya added a new role...set assistant!

We are SO EXCITED to see the outcome of the time with Cydil!  We'll show you soon!

This was my little camera's capturing of their last pose!

Chloe is kissing Sophia's head!  Sweet babies!

All four of our love gifts from Jesus!!!

Just this morning...still in our pjs!

God is so so so so so good!!!

We are rejoicing in His treasures!

Sophie has lighter skin while Chloe is on the right...a bit darker with darker hair too.

The twins did great at their first doctor's visit this week...Will you please pray with us for their feeding and that they would be up to their birth weight by their next visit in 10 days!?!  Thanks so much for joining with us in this adventure!

More Pictures

Chloe giving Sophie a little smooch!

Our ballerina girls!  Elsie Jayne has been able to take ballet lessons once a week while we have been in Wilmore. She LOVES it and loved that the twins got little outfits with ballet shoes on them!

The big girls are doing GREAT loving on the little girls. They are eager to hold them and love on them! Keep praying for protection and joy!

Nyanya (Joanna's mom) celebrated her birthday on Friday and we were thrilled to get to be with her!

She has been our HERO this week. Loads and loads of laudary, meals, cleaning, loving on the big girls...WE PRAISE JESUS FOR NYANYA!

Lots of loving for Nyanya!

Sweetness.

Now if they would just do this during the night too!

Can you tell we are tired!? But we are six and we are healthy!

Hallelujah! Praise God Forever!

Days 2 and 3 of LIFE

Mom and Dad on the first morning with Sophia Anne (lighter hair nearest daddy) and Chloe Catherine (darker complected). They are fraternal twins, not identical (two different blood types).

Again, Sophie on left and Chloe on right.

The big girls were DELIGHTED to meet their sisters...and see their mama after thinking she was just going for a check up and her not coming back for a whole day!  They are at this point simply DELIGHTED with the newest additions to our family. They both love to hold either baby and have been super gentle and sweet with them.  Thanks for your prayers as we all adjust to being a family of six!

Our treasures from Jesus! How sweet that this time He has given a DOUBLE BLESSING! We stand in complete awe and amazement of His goodness (and a bit of a daze from lack of sleeping too! :)). He is meeting us and strengthening us even now.

Our reaction to the good gifts!  Elsie Jayne's spontaneous response to how she likes her sister!

More sweet snuggles on the girls second visit to the hospital on Tuesday.

"Look at my sister!" the New Big Sister is very pleased.

Back at Papa's house (our American home) on Wednesday.
We were released from the hospital about 11:15 Wednesday morning!
Two healthy babies and a healthy mommy. Hallelujah! Priase God Forever!

A break from the hands of love of our big sisters!

Sophia and Chloe came home from the hospital just in time to celebrate grand-daddy's birthday!!!
Here we are with a few of our "Coppedge Cousins."
The twins give Grand-daddy and Grammy (pictured) 13 grand-babies and Pap and Nyanya (Joanna's parents) numbers 9 and 10!

We praise Jesus for the joy of being in families that celebrate LIFE!!!

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE GOD FOREVER!!!

WELCOMING...

Sophia Anne and Chloe Catherine

October 17

6lbs.1ounce and 6lbs. 2ounces

both 19 inches long

Sophie was born at 8:17pm

while Chloe followed at 8:37pm

The girls had to be birthed in the OR because they were twins and therefore "high risk" but by the grace of Jesus, both came naturally and sweetly after about 5 hours of labor!

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE GOD FOREVER!

More pictures to follow...

Waiting...on Him

These are interesting days of "waiting" for our family! We desire to wait on the Lord! To hear from Jesus! To see His face in this process of family growth and growing in Him!

And yet we find ourselves asking one another moment by moment some days...do you think TODAY is the day the twins will come?! We're all four so excited and some of us are a bit overwhelmed too! Oh that we might wait on HIM and receive each day as the Love Gift that it is! What a joy! We delight in His presence even in our family of four!

Thank you for your love and prayers.

Jesus has opened many opportunities to share about His presence in Uganda and Southern Sudan in the last weeks. Just today Joanna led a small group from Asbury while Billy taught a leadership seminar. Jesus is faithfully opening doors to share. We are so very grateful.

Elsie Jayne and Lucy Mae enjoy a little autumn tree climbing!

Happy times with DADDY!!!

We love all the cool kid-friendly places in America! The girls last week enjoyed a fun hay maze on UK's campus! 

The four (six) of us!

Thank you for your continued love and prayers for us...we have made it to 37 weeks and 5 days now with the twins! They are both great size and seem healthy. Our doctor says they will come this week! He'll induce on Tuesday night if they haven't come by then! Thanks for continuing to pray!