It’s surreal to think that exactly a year ago it was just Janie and me. Now we have two sons?!? I honestly can’t remember what we did before Chase. Children are one of the rare things in life that once you have them you can’t remember how you got along before you had them (your driver’s license and your first cell phone are two others).

Ever since, November 4 and we learned about Chase’s little brother, Jackson, we have been preparing to welcome him into our family. It’s been fun teaching Chase what is about to happen but you have to wonder what is going through his eighteen-month, sponge-like mind.

We ask him, “Where’s Jackson?” He points to the picture hanging on the kitchen bulletin board. Ask him, “Where will Jackson sleep?” He will guide you past his bedroom, to the end of the hallway, where Jackson’s cowboy-themed room anxiously awaits its resident. Janie just bought Chase a shirt that loudly declares, “I’m the Big Brother!” He will be a good one.

I am so grateful to God for the way he is building our family. Flying across an ocean and landing on an island sounds like a TV show not how one adds members to his family. But it sure works for us.

Just like last time, we invite you to stow away in our suitcases and join us for our journey. In our limited access to technology we will be updating everyone via the following ways:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mattmehaffey & www.facebook.com/janiemehaffey

Twitter: www.twitter.com/mattmehaffey

And of course, right here on the blog.

Your prayers are all we ask in return.

Driving home from work today, I made up my mind that I would take him to the park so Janie could have a break (aka prepare dinner, some break huh?).  So he hopped on his 3-wheeler, which he is still too little to peddle but he loves to ride it and let mom and dad push, and we were off on our brief excursion.  We stopped by the pond to say “Hello” to Chase’s friends (the ducks) and then across the street to the neighborhood park.

He headed straight for the slide.  The first step up the slide is a tall one and I bent down to give him a boost like I have done many times only to find out I was no longer needed for assistance.  He was at the top in no time.

At the top of the slide there’s a bar that runs across directly over his head.  Without even a thought, he lunged forward, shot his arms up, grabbed the bar and began swinging himself back and forth like his hero Curious George (the sticker on his forehead is even from George).  The kid has some serious upper body strength!  We may very well be watching him in the 2028 Olympics as he brings home the gold in men’s gymnastics.

When it was time to head home I noticed a tree that would be great for climbing and I boosted him up to a little nook about five feet from the ground where he could get a good footing.  It was like I unlocked a whole other world for him to explore.  He just wanted to stay there looking up, his little brain soaking everything in.  He pointed up and grunted a word that I deciphered as, “Up.”

I’m glad I remembered to take a shot from my cell phone of the first of many trees he will climb in his life.  Chase is ALL BOY and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Just got word that April 22 at 11:00 a.m. (April 21, 11 p.m. our time) is the first of two court dates for us to adopt Jackson.  We do not travel for this one but we will for the next.  The second one usually occurs about three weeks after the first.

This is the day Jackson’s birth mom (who is also Chase’s) will tell the judge she is legally putting this child up for adoption. The picture is the exact courthouse where this will take place.  Ted Skiles (founder of The Home of God’s Love) took us there when we went to adopt Chase.

Janie and I pray for this young woman often and are so grateful that she courageously gave birth to these two amazing, young boys.  We are also going to take this opportunity to write her a letter and have it translated and delivered to her by Ted on the court date.  We want to express our gratitude and let her know Chase and Jackson are going to be well loved and cared for.

I spoke with Zeca and Gabia on Skype this afternoon and they are overjoyed at the news.  Their daughter, Talita, is getting married at the end of April and then they will be making the move to the Pembroke Pines area.

It feels like The Pursuit just won the 1st pick in the NBA lottery.  Men like Zeca are a rare find and God knows we need more men of integrity like him in South Florida.

Please keep them in your prayers as they make their transition to the U.S. and for the many lost people in South Florida they will help find their way back to God.

This latest pic, from The Home of God’s Love shows Jackson sporting his 70′s look.  He’s in desperate need of facial hair so he can grow some mutton chops.

Nearly two years ago I met my dear friends from Brazil, Zeca and Gabia Sales (and their amazing daughters).  Their love for God and people far from Him left an indelible impression on me.  Their desire to help Portuguese-speaking people far from God in Miami and the vision of The Pursuit was a perfect fit.  So we began the process of getting an R-1 Visa for them to come to the States.

I didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into.

Apparently there has been a ton of fraud by fly-by-night non-profits who only founded their ghost organizations as a front to bring people illegally to the U.S.  The USCIS has been cracking down on this and the fact that we are a new church, and a non-denominational one at that, has actually hurt us.  It makes sense.  They can’t just call up our denominational headquarters to see if we are legit because there isn’t one.  So here we are two years later and we still do not have an answer.

To be frank, I would have given up a year ago had God not kept showing how he was working while we were waiting:

• a Christ-follower in the Pembroke Pines area who knows of Zeca and Gabia has offered them a house to live in when they get here FOR FREE!
• generous Christian Churches in Florida (Tomoka in Ormond Beach and Northeast in Kissimmee) and Brazil have continued their faithful financial support for Zeca.
• we were connected with two fantastic immigration attorneys in Chicago who worked many pro-bono hours on our behalf.
• and most recently we were introduced to another immigration attorney (this one local) who has connections inside the USCIS and has begun pushing hard to get the case resolved.

Finally, we are getting somewhere. Last week, I was called by an immigration officer who said we would receive an answer within 30 Days.

I am asking everyone to pray for 30 days so that we can finally bring them to South Florida and that they will be rewarded for their patience and faithfulness.  There is no question in my mind that they will be worth the wait!

Pray for those residents who are receiving the cards.  Pray specifically, that God will move them to take action and be a part of what He is doing to make this city great.

Launch Sunday is only 3 days away!

So I guess that’s my Chinese New Year resolution.  More blog posts.  So here’s to the Year of the Tiger.

To think, exactly one year ago today we got the phone call that changed our life forever.  Now we have TWO sons (Jackson not pictured cause he’s still in Taiwan).  We are so grateful to God for all the blessings our family has experienced in 2009.

Have a Merry Christmas!