I thought it would be fun to post a little bit about Jake's itinerary for the trip. Grandma, I know you like to keep track of flights, so here you go:
Wednesday, February 11
-Plane departs from Des Moines Airport @2:40pm (United Airlines Flight UA 7051)
-Plane arrives at Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport @ 4pm
-Next, Jake catches a flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany (United Airlines Flight UA 0940). This flight leaves at 6:40pm from Chicago and arrives in Frankfurt at 10:15am on Thursday, February 12
Thursday, February 12
-Plane departs from Frankfurt Int'l Airport @ 11:25am (United Airlines Flight UA 9002)
-Plane arrives at Accra Kotoka Airport @ 6:35pm. YAY!
So, basically Jake travels from Des Moines, to Chicago, to Frankfurt, to Accra (capital of Ghana). I think I noted on some earlier posts that a family friend, Chris Gardner will be traveling with Jake. Chris builds homes for a living (owner of Bella Homes - his website just got finished - check it out on the link on my sidebar) and has long had a passion for using his talents for missionary work. When he found out about Jake's connection with Right to Dream he told Jake that he would give his services to help build the gym. Jake called Chris yesterday and asked him what Chris got him for Valentines Day. Chris told Jake 14 hours of movies for the flight. Jake also asked me to download a bunch of songs for him to my IPOD so that he can keep his mind occupied off of flying (he is a very anxious flyer) during the trip. His playlist 'Jake Ghana Trip' is all ready to go, so between he and Chris, they should have the media outlet covered for the long flights.
Okay, back to the schedule of events. When they arrive in Accra, Pastor Sam (the adoption coordinator that works with our agency) will be picking them up from the airport. Immediately from the airport they will take a 2 hour drive to Ho, a village in Ghana where Jake will get to meet Solomon and his family, and also get a tour of his home village. Jake asked Chris if he wanted to go with for this, or make arrangements for Right to Dream to pick him up from the airport, and Chris said he wanted to go with. He said, "Janel told me I had to take pictures of when you meet Solomon." THATTA BOY! For the meeting with Solomon and his family Jake will be taking a photo book that we put together for Solomon...in adoption lingo it is called a Welcome Book. Basically it is just a little book that we put together on Shutterfly with pictures of us, our extended family, home, pets, car, house, places we go, etc. These types of books are recommended for international adoption so that the adoptee won't be shocked by what he sees when he gets here. Hopefully it will give Solomon an idea of what to expect, and things will look more familiar to him once he is here. Jake will also be taking a letter that I wrote to Solomon's mother, and probably some sort of stuffed animal or something for the little guy. Jake said, "I don't want to be Santa Claus", but we want to bring him something.
The first night (Thurs the 12th) they will stay at Freedom Hotel (you have to check it out! Click here: http://www.freedomhotel-gh.com/facilities.html) This is also where we will be staying for the second trip that we all take to Ghana. The next day, Friday the 13th, Pastor Sam will help Jake start processing all the adoption paperwork. This is when he will submit our dossier, which are all the documents that I have been gathering the past couple of months (birth certs, marriage certs, bank statements, medical clearances, home study docs, letter to social welfare, etc.). We are still waiting on the biggest piece of the dossier, our approval from U.S. Immigration Services which should be arriving any time by mail. We can always process that piece on our second trip. Jake will also get to meet the Director of Social Welfare Services in Ghana during this part. After the official paperwork is completed, Pastor Sam will take Jake and Chris back to Accra where Right to Dream will be picking them up for the next phase of the trip.
As of this morning, Jake didn't have his itinerary emailed to him yet for the Right to Dream part of the trip, but here are some things they will be doing: touring RTD's current soccer academy, meeting with RTD students, sitting through a day of their school, and putting together a construction proposal for the basketball facility. Jake and Chris will be staying in a different hotel than the one I noted above for this phase of the trip.
I will post their return flight information when it gets closer, but they will begin their trek back on Tuesday the 17th. It is a 6 hour difference between Iowa time and Ghana time (they are 6 hours ahead). With the advice of many, Jake just left for U.S. Cellular to check out options for either getting an international phone or calling card. We'll see what he comes up with. Tonight we have one last Sullivan Family hoo-rah before the big trip. We are headed to Build-a-Bear at Jordan Creek to make JJ a bear with Jake's recorded voice in it, and then it is off to our family favorite....Olive Garden! I'll post some prayer requests regarding the trip tomorrow!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Jake's Thought for the Week
Each Monday I will be posting Jake's thought for the week that he sends out with his weekly annoucements to the parents of his All Iowa Attack players.
Sometimes like many of you I ask the question; why do I take basketball so seriously? Is this all worth it? Why do I do this?
I assume many of those questions sound familiar as I asked them many times as a player pursuing my talents on the basketball court and now as the director of the Attack program. I know how we all doubt the worthiness of this all when we consider the countless hours dedicated to one specific activity and all the sacrifice it requires in order to be great.
So, we come to question of why do we do this? I think the answer can be found in the book of Matthew and the Parable of Talents . Let’s quickly take a look at what it says:
The Parable of the Talents
-Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'-
No matter what highs or lows we experience from game to game and week to week or what amount of sacrifice it takes the answer is that God has provided a gift to me and a gift to many of your children. Each day we have a choice to use the talent provided to us or bury it never realizing just what could have been possible if we would have only given a little more.
As I think back on all the hours I personally sacrificed on the basketball court I quickly get reminded that it was all for Gods eventual purpose. New doors continue to be opened as I decide to pursue my passion and talents while God continuously provides me people in my life that allow me to fully pursue the talents given to me. This week God opens a new adventure as I head to Ghana, Africa to find out just what he has in store for me there by using the gifts and talents he has provided me with.
As I head to Africa this week I ask for your thoughts and prayers for safe travels and a discerning heart. More importantly I hope this adventure will also provide everyone the assurance that chasing excellence through a God given talent is worth it despite the sacrifices that so many of you make. Not all of our talents need to be the same, but when we discover just what that talent is; God requires us to pursue it with all of who we are and to not run and bury it likely the scared servant. Who knows where your talent may lead you as I certainly never thought it was going to lead me to Ghana, Africa, but we can be sure it will lead to something that could not be envisioned at the beginning for a much greater purpose than who won the last game!
Go Attack!!
Jake Sullivan
Sometimes like many of you I ask the question; why do I take basketball so seriously? Is this all worth it? Why do I do this?
I assume many of those questions sound familiar as I asked them many times as a player pursuing my talents on the basketball court and now as the director of the Attack program. I know how we all doubt the worthiness of this all when we consider the countless hours dedicated to one specific activity and all the sacrifice it requires in order to be great.
So, we come to question of why do we do this? I think the answer can be found in the book of Matthew and the Parable of Talents . Let’s quickly take a look at what it says:
The Parable of the Talents
-Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'-
No matter what highs or lows we experience from game to game and week to week or what amount of sacrifice it takes the answer is that God has provided a gift to me and a gift to many of your children. Each day we have a choice to use the talent provided to us or bury it never realizing just what could have been possible if we would have only given a little more.
As I think back on all the hours I personally sacrificed on the basketball court I quickly get reminded that it was all for Gods eventual purpose. New doors continue to be opened as I decide to pursue my passion and talents while God continuously provides me people in my life that allow me to fully pursue the talents given to me. This week God opens a new adventure as I head to Ghana, Africa to find out just what he has in store for me there by using the gifts and talents he has provided me with.
As I head to Africa this week I ask for your thoughts and prayers for safe travels and a discerning heart. More importantly I hope this adventure will also provide everyone the assurance that chasing excellence through a God given talent is worth it despite the sacrifices that so many of you make. Not all of our talents need to be the same, but when we discover just what that talent is; God requires us to pursue it with all of who we are and to not run and bury it likely the scared servant. Who knows where your talent may lead you as I certainly never thought it was going to lead me to Ghana, Africa, but we can be sure it will lead to something that could not be envisioned at the beginning for a much greater purpose than who won the last game!
Go Attack!!
Jake Sullivan
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Bob the Builder...Live!
This afternoon we took JJ to the Bob the Builder Live show at the Civic Center in Des Moines. If you haven't already noticed, JJ LOVES Bob the Builder....so when I saw the show was coming to Iowa we just had to go. It worked out great because we were able to have some good together time before Jake leaves for his trip. JJ got some great snuggling in with dear ol Dad. Here are some pictures of the fun!
Waiting in anticipation...we had been talking about it all week! BTW- that's a light up Bob the Builder windmill that only cost more than our dinner.
FINALLY....HI BOB!
Self-portrait....Sullivan fam enjoys the show.
This lil smile did not leave his face the entire night.
From the left its Scoop, Bob, Wendy, Lofty, Dizzy, & Scrambler!
The recycling center is finished! Great job team!
Of course I got a hat!
Jayla says, "They tell me I better get used to going to things for my brother...if you can't beat 'em, join em!"
One happy boy!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
I'll Take a Stab at it!
Today begins the first post of a new series I will be writing about once weekly on my blog. I previously eluded to this in an earlier post but, have since decided to change the name of the series from “Know What You Believe” to “I’ll take a stab at it!”. It’s a little catchier, don’t you think? Anyways, here is the scoop….Have you ever heard someone else ask a question and say, “That’s a great question!” Well, that is what this series is all about. In my own words I would like to answer some very good questions about Christianity that I have been asked or have heard of….some of these I even asked myself. Answers are in my own words, based on the Bible, sermons, and commentaries that I have listened to. My motto is “I’ll take a stab at it!”. Here is my disclaimer:
DISCLAIMER: These posts are not answers for someone who is coming to poke holes in Christianity. For those questions, there are great authors out there who can answer your more in-depth thoughts regarding theology and the need for evidence:
Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
In my responses I am giving 2 options. You can either read the entire, in-depth response, or just read what I have at the bottom in the GET TO THE POINT section (if you don’t feel like reading all of it). :)
Okay. Here is Question 1:
Why doesn’t God just give me a miracle or a sign to show me he is real? You know, make the phone ring right now, make lightning strike that pole right now, perform a healing before my eyes, etc. etc. ….then I will be able to believe in him.
Great question. Jake was asked this one just this week. Jesus has been asked this question before too….let’s take a look. We’ll start in on a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees (religious leaders of the day):
Matthew 12:38
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”
Jesus answers them by saying, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.” (Matthew 12: 39-41)
To understand Jesus’ answer, we need some more background on the Pharisees and the people of Nineveh. Let’s start with the Pharisee’s question. There is a problem with it. If you look back just a few verses before this conversation you will find Jesus healing a man’s shriveled hand while the Pharisees stood by and watched: (Matthew 12: 13-14 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. ) The Pharisees had yet another sign from Jesus right before their question to see a miracle. In verse 22 Jesus healed a demon-possessed man and restored his sight & speech. The Pharisees response? They claimed that Jesus was driving out demons by the help of Satan (v. 24). Through these verses we see that the Pharisees had already been given at the least, 2 miraculous signs.
As for the people of Nineveh, to be brief, Nineveh was an Assyrian city of the Old Testament. It was often called the ‘City of Blood’ and known for its wickedness, cruelty, and warlike fighting. BUT, when God sent Jonah to Nineveh to preach his message, and tell of his prophecies, the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah, repented of their sin, turned from their evil ways, and believed (for more on this, read Jonah, it is very short).
Now, we are in context. Bottom line? The Pharisees didn’t have an eye problem….they didn’t need to see yet another miracle in order to believe, they had a heart problem. We can see this from their responses to the first two miracles. They were not sincerely seeking to know Jesus. They did not need any more proof to convince them…they just needed to open their hearts to all the evidence they already had. Even the evil people of Nineveh were able to do this just by hearing the preaching of Jonah, and yet the Pharisees stood face to face with Jesus who was the one ‘greater than Jonah’ and refused the miracles already given to them.
OKAY…GET TO THE POINT:
Those of us who ask God to see a sign or miracle in order to believe in him don’t have a sight problem, we have a heart problem. Our hearts are too hardened to see the miracles & signs God has surely already performed in our lives, just like the Pharisees mentioned above. We are telling God that our motto is ‘Seeing is believing’, which is a motto of worldly influence. God’s teachings are often in direct contrast to what the worldly culture tells us….to our motto God says, ‘Live by faith, not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7) Instead of asking for a sign, let’s ask God to open our hearts and remove the scales from our eyes so that we can see how he is already moving in our lives….and let us look back on our past and see all that he has already done. If we still find ourselves doubting that God is real, it is reassuring to know that others in the Bible have felt this way too. Even the great John the Baptist (who, while baptizing Jesus heard God’s booming voice from heaven proclaim that Jesus was his son) asked of Jesus “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7: 18-19). Let us go to God with our doubts and ask him to help us believe. Shall we pray?
Dear God,
Help my unbelief. This world is full of different religions and beliefs and opinions…how will I know what to believe in? Reveal the truth to me, and help me clearly to see lies and false teachings and to turn from them. Give me the strength and wisdom to read the Bible and understand what it says. Let your words be a light for my path, and a lamp for my feet. Remove my doubt, and replace it with a heart that is open to hear what you have to say. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you. Amen.
DISCLAIMER: These posts are not answers for someone who is coming to poke holes in Christianity. For those questions, there are great authors out there who can answer your more in-depth thoughts regarding theology and the need for evidence:
Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
In my responses I am giving 2 options. You can either read the entire, in-depth response, or just read what I have at the bottom in the GET TO THE POINT section (if you don’t feel like reading all of it). :)
Okay. Here is Question 1:
Why doesn’t God just give me a miracle or a sign to show me he is real? You know, make the phone ring right now, make lightning strike that pole right now, perform a healing before my eyes, etc. etc. ….then I will be able to believe in him.
Great question. Jake was asked this one just this week. Jesus has been asked this question before too….let’s take a look. We’ll start in on a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees (religious leaders of the day):
Matthew 12:38
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”
Jesus answers them by saying, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.” (Matthew 12: 39-41)
To understand Jesus’ answer, we need some more background on the Pharisees and the people of Nineveh. Let’s start with the Pharisee’s question. There is a problem with it. If you look back just a few verses before this conversation you will find Jesus healing a man’s shriveled hand while the Pharisees stood by and watched: (Matthew 12: 13-14 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. ) The Pharisees had yet another sign from Jesus right before their question to see a miracle. In verse 22 Jesus healed a demon-possessed man and restored his sight & speech. The Pharisees response? They claimed that Jesus was driving out demons by the help of Satan (v. 24). Through these verses we see that the Pharisees had already been given at the least, 2 miraculous signs.
As for the people of Nineveh, to be brief, Nineveh was an Assyrian city of the Old Testament. It was often called the ‘City of Blood’ and known for its wickedness, cruelty, and warlike fighting. BUT, when God sent Jonah to Nineveh to preach his message, and tell of his prophecies, the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah, repented of their sin, turned from their evil ways, and believed (for more on this, read Jonah, it is very short).
Now, we are in context. Bottom line? The Pharisees didn’t have an eye problem….they didn’t need to see yet another miracle in order to believe, they had a heart problem. We can see this from their responses to the first two miracles. They were not sincerely seeking to know Jesus. They did not need any more proof to convince them…they just needed to open their hearts to all the evidence they already had. Even the evil people of Nineveh were able to do this just by hearing the preaching of Jonah, and yet the Pharisees stood face to face with Jesus who was the one ‘greater than Jonah’ and refused the miracles already given to them.
OKAY…GET TO THE POINT:
Those of us who ask God to see a sign or miracle in order to believe in him don’t have a sight problem, we have a heart problem. Our hearts are too hardened to see the miracles & signs God has surely already performed in our lives, just like the Pharisees mentioned above. We are telling God that our motto is ‘Seeing is believing’, which is a motto of worldly influence. God’s teachings are often in direct contrast to what the worldly culture tells us….to our motto God says, ‘Live by faith, not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7) Instead of asking for a sign, let’s ask God to open our hearts and remove the scales from our eyes so that we can see how he is already moving in our lives….and let us look back on our past and see all that he has already done. If we still find ourselves doubting that God is real, it is reassuring to know that others in the Bible have felt this way too. Even the great John the Baptist (who, while baptizing Jesus heard God’s booming voice from heaven proclaim that Jesus was his son) asked of Jesus “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7: 18-19). Let us go to God with our doubts and ask him to help us believe. Shall we pray?
Dear God,
Help my unbelief. This world is full of different religions and beliefs and opinions…how will I know what to believe in? Reveal the truth to me, and help me clearly to see lies and false teachings and to turn from them. Give me the strength and wisdom to read the Bible and understand what it says. Let your words be a light for my path, and a lamp for my feet. Remove my doubt, and replace it with a heart that is open to hear what you have to say. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you. Amen.
Arise & Shine
When you arise in the morning,
think of what a privilege it is to be alive:
to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
-Marcus Aurelius-
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)