Two Birthdays and a National Holiday... All in One!

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver:

Joe and Lissie at Gooseberry Falls State Park, Minnesota

January 1st was a national holiday... and for good reason. It was Joe and Lissie's 19th birthday!

That may sound like it's coming from biased parents, but Joe and Lissie are truly amazing people whom we love and respect. They are both the embodiment of lovingkindness, dying to self and taking up their crosses daily to reflect His glory into an otherwise dark world. They are both of incredible character, largely, we think, because they love God, love His word and have spent many hours memorizing and meditating on it.

Lissie is a picture of the Proverbs 31 woman. She also has the faith of a spiritual giant, the heart of a servant, and the gentle and kind spirit that Paul urges of all Christian women. She is diligent, committed to excellence and has a godly character that will make her an excellent wife and mother someday (after I (Mr. Beaver) scrutinize any potential suitor, of course).

Joe is a godly young man that we are proud to call our son. He is both manly and gentle. He loves God deeply and has both the faith, the spiritual curiosity and the intellect to become a spiritual redwood of our time. As he has grown into manhood, I (Mr. Beaver) am proud to call him friend as well as son.

As our only biological children, Joe and Lissie may sometimes feel lost in a a family so focused on adoption. But they never complain. In fact, their study of God's word has led them both to be ardent supporters of orphan care. As the older siblings of nine adoptees, they have already sacrificed more and done more to care for orphans in their brief lives than most people will in an entire life time. In fact, their sacrificial leadership has been critical to the success of all three of our adoptions of orphan trios.

But, Joe and Lissie, hear this from your parents - We LOVE you! We thank God for you daily! We can't imagine life without you! We are FOR you! We pray God's blessings upon you in the coming year!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Our twins in the Red Square Area in November