the brileys

Papa's visit

2009-08-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend my dad stayed with Bill, Moses and I and was able to spend great quality time with us and Moses. It was great, we a took couple walks in Broadripple, stopped into a coffee shop and had lunch on the Monon, went to Chuck E Cheese for Moses' first time, had family over to grill out and play cornhole and my dad was able to go to his class reuinon. Here are some pics from our weekend, Moses had a great time with Papa. Moses also had a heart echo on Friday afternoon, we should have the results in on Monday. So far, all of Moses' tests have come back normal, and we are really ready to not go to the Dr. for a very looong time. We have had so many Dr appointments, blood draws and ultrasounds, it is nice to know Moses has no health problems from having Down Syndrome, he is a healthy little boy!

Moses meets Joshua

2009-06-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a little over 2 months since Moses has come home, and things are amazing. He is still such a happy baby, and it has been incredible getting to know one another. It feels as though he has been with us for more than 2 months because we all are just so in love with one another.

We did get all of our blood and lab work done for Moses, and he is a healthy little boy! We also got a chromosome test done for Down Syndrome, and that revealed that he does in fact have Down Syndrome. His development has baffled the Dr.'s, he is just so smart. He mimics us, is feeding himself, talking a lot, rolls over and sits up great. He is attentive, and loves to give kisses, and even smiles and giggles when we tell him "I love you". We are having First Steps come to our house to work with Moses with any developmental delays he may have. We are also having tests done on his eyes, heart and GI tract since it is common for people with DS to have problems with these 3 areas.

Yesterday he was able to meet Joshua, the little boy who was adopted by our friends, the Otts, who live in Zionsville. Joshua is also from the DRC, and lived in the boys orphanage of Jamaa Letu. Moses was in the girls Jamaa Letu orphanage. It was really neat to see them interact, and are excited for these boys to get to know one another even more.

21 days

2009-05-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Sporting Purdue for Aunt Jessica

He loves books!
He was studying the story of Moses

Chillin' at the lilly Gardens

Daddy and Moses

The Lilly Gardens

The fun feeding Eval at Riley
He has impressed the doctor with his mad eating skills
Hmmmm...not sure about that!

Waiting our feeding evaluation at Riley

Aunt Shatasia, Aunt Tori, Uncle Stephen and Grammy Carrol
Grammy Carrol

In 2 days it will be a month since we first held our boy. It seems as though so much more time has passed. Moses is so naturally our son. We seem to have found a rythmn together and are understanding one another more and more every day. A lot has happened since we arrived in Indy with Moses just 21 days ago. He has progressed at an amazing pace, and is doing amazing. He eats well and sleeps well, His muscles are strong, which is amazing, but tough when we are trying to change him and he likes to wrestle :) He sits up on his own, he is beginning to hold his weight up when we put him on his hands and knees. Today he wanted to help me put his spoon in his mouth when I was feeding him. He mimicks us, and is learning at a rapid pace, we are impressed, and so are his doctors, by his abilities! Over the past 3 weeks, we have met our pediatrition, been to Riley twice, celebrated Jessica's (aka Aunt Sugar) birthday, celebrated my first Mothers day, Dedicated Moses at Common Ground, family and friends have been over nearly every day, and we have been on the go. Moses loves people, he loves to go places, his smile says it all! All that being said, we have had much time for rest and getting to know one another intimately. I enjoy dancing with him, reading to him, cuddling, laughing with him. I love rocking him to sleep, I love sharing this with Bill, he is such an amazing father to Moses, and a great husband to me. I love the way Moses responds in uncontainable joy when Bill interacts with him. Moses loves bath time, looking at books, music and cuddling, which has earned him the nickname "cuddle bug". Enjoy the pics!

Baby Dedication

2009-05-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today we dedicated Moses to the Lord, to our families to help us raise Moses and to the community at common Ground. Baby dedication at Common Ground is a public

recognition of the importance of the parent’s role in providing a nurturing and loving context

where their children can experience the Gospel first hand and grow into a mature and

personal decision to follow Christ. Our participation in dedicating Moses is a time for Bill and I to commit publicly to raise Moses in the way of Christ. It is a time where we are to recognize the importance of our commitment to our own spiritual formation and thus the formation of Moses' spirit as well. Common Ground states their desire is to journey with us, to pray for us, and to help equip us to live out the calling that we have received as parents.

We are so thankful for our family, friends and community who are committed to see that the journey we take as a family is the way God intended it to be.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 begins with the beautiful Jewish Creed, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." It goes on to say "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

This is what we are committed to, to love the Lord our God with all that we are, and as Jesus also emphasizes with this greatest command, we will also love others sacrificially. We commit to teaching Moses these 2 greatest commands, and we commit to living these commands out ourselves. We know many mistakes will come, and many already have, but we ask for grace, for loving correction and instruction. We ask for continued prayers and love.

Moses' first dr. Visit

2009-04-29T09:28:00.001-07:00

Moses' first two days home!

2009-04-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

The DRC adventure

2009-04-17T02:28:00.000-07:00

4 1/2 hours of sleep last night...My heart and my mind are buzzing. This is it! We leave in 4 hours! Life will never be the same. Bill and I had a date last night, one last night as just the two of us...we went into broadripple to one of our favorite places, the Brugge, we held hands and walked along the Monon. We dreamed together, we laughed and we cried.

Many have asked me what kind of emotions I am having, and each day they seem to change. Currently at 5:30 am, I cry out of thankfulness, joy, excitement and anticipation. Just a few days ago I was anxious, and fearful...2 days ago we still did not have our visa. And, the visa office had our passports and yellow cards. These are essential to travel, meaning, we wouldn't have left the boarders of the US with out them. Praise God that He is intimately concerned with His children. Cami is a friend I have made throughout this process who is also adopting, siblings from Jamaa Letu. Her husband, Ryan, is traveling with us to bring their children home, and Cami is staying in the States with their other 2 children. Well, Cami had a weird/unsettled feeling 3 nights ago about our visas and asked Jilma, our lawyer, if it was ok to call the embassy. So, she did call the very next morning, 2 days ago, to check on the status. The embassy said that Ryan, Cami's husband, and Jilma's visas would be here in time. Bill and mine on the other hand, wouldn't be sent out until Thursday via regular mail! The visas would have never gotten here in time. So, Cami stepped in for us, she kindly asked the Embassy to process our, Ryan's and Jilma's packets asap, she called FedEx, arranged with them and the Embassy a pickup to get our packet here. On top of all she had to do for Ryan's travels to the DRC, she ran to her neighbors to fax information to the Embassy, talked extensively to the Embassy and FedEx to make sure everything was correct, and...yesterday morning we opened our front door and in fell a FedEx package with our passports, visas and yellow cards! Jilma and Ryan's visas also arrived at their homes! Thank you Cami! Thank you God, that You are so intimate with us, and You tell us that we are to cast all of our anxiety's on you because You care for us.

So, everything has been cleared up, we have our passports, yellow cards, visas. We have Moses Birth Certificate correct, all of our Documents are translated. The US Embassy in the DRC will get us in in time and have committed to see us and get us out of there. Moses is legally our son, and we will meet him on the 19th! He will stay with us the entire time.

Please please please pray! We need prayers for our team, Jilma, Ryan, Bill and me. Ryan is bring Solange and Joseph home to Cami, pray for them and Cami and their other 2 children. and pray for Moses. Pray for health, energy, rest, peace. Pray for the children. Pray for safety. Pray for our paperwork, the government to show favor to us. Pray that they will accept all of our money, since we were unable to get brand new money as requested. Please pray. We are thankful to be able to share this journey with you, and can't wait to meet our son! Here we go!!!

Our son is coming home!

2009-04-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's final! The time has come...We are traveling to the DRC, leaving Indy on April 17th. We have our plane tickets scheduled, our hotel and guest house booked, and will soon have Moses in our arms! It has been a busy past week, getting so many things completed...visas, legal paperwork, things to pack, etc...Life is getting ready to change for the Brileys, there will now be three of us. I look forward to the life that Moses will bring to our home. 12 days, and life as we know it will change :)

Updated pics of Moses

2009-03-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some updated pics of Moses. We are still waiting on the Congelese Magistrate to process our paperwork so we can bring Moses home to us. Please continue praying with us.

The PourHouse - Indianapolis

2009-02-25T14:43:00.001-08:00

Many of you reading this blog know of the Pour House, they are a non profit who works with the homeless men and women of Indianapolis to rehabilitate and help in any way each person needs. They have been doing amazing things for years, they have been a partner of CG's for some time now, and Andrea is a dear friend of Bill and mine. Take a few minuates to check out this video by the Pour House.
The current economic climate is taking a financial toll on many nonprofits and the Pour House is no exception.
They are experiencing a drastic increase in the number of people that they serve and a significant decrease in the amount of financial support that we are receiving.
If they are not able to raise the support that they need through monthly pledges, they will be forced to close their doors by April 1st. They need 101 people to pledge just $50 a month or twice that number to pledge $25 a month.
Whatever you can donate, is crucial, Please join the Pour House in making a difference and changing lives.

Silence

2009-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

Silence... Silence is awkward, it is tough, uncomfortable and many times it can be filled with anxiety, if silence is not something a person is disciplined toward, since it is not what we are used to in our culture, Silence ............................I was thinking last night over Revelation, our house church was studying Ch 8-9, and Ch 8 begins with silence in heaven. Silence = Anticipation. Silence gives you room to not only listen, but to hear, and our ears are to be tuned into the voice of God.

So, I find myself squirming in anticipation as Bill and I wait the homecoming of our son. There is a lot of silence. At this point, we are pretty unsure when Baby Moses will come home, but we are reminded to trust in God, our All Powerful, All Knowing Judge. The silence has caused tears and anxeity at times. but...We wait. Silence.

As we long for our son to come home, we can't help but think of the heart of God as He longs for his children to come home. God's heart aches for the sons and daughters who do not yet know Him as Father. And as our hearts long after our son, we pray God would unveil to us the Love of Himself, our Father. As we long to hold our son and be near him, how much more does God long to hold us!

Our eyes have been opened to the longing of God to be near us. How good He is!

New pictures of our baby boy

2009-01-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Julie and I received an email from the adoption agency and in the email were two new pictures of our boy. He is the stud in the blue v-neck outfit. He looks healthy and appears to be about five months old and our hope is to have him home sometime in February.

Julie and I have begun to receive our vaccinations for the trip. It appears as though Julie may be going as well.

We are having a bit of trouble with the court system over there in the DRC but praying and trusting it will all be straightened out. We are ready to bring our boy home.

Human

2008-12-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

God created humanity in His image and with that we were not satisfied. The once flawless vessels now marred, a poor reflection thats not human enough longing again to be fully known, longing again to be fully alive...to be fully human.

The current state of our dissatisfied self is not because I'm only human but maybe because I'm not human enough.

We are image bearers of the Almighty and the more our lives reflect this reality the more human we become, the more satisfied we become. The poor reflection is again becoming clear and the marred vessels are being remade to reflect the reality of who we were created to be...human.

So this Christmas season may we be reminded that it about more than its turned in to

Moses Update

2008-12-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update on Moses...

We don't know where everything is in the process right now. The woman who takes care of the children at Jamaa Letu (our orphanage) has Malaria, so as you can imagine, she is probably suffering greatly from this illness. Please keep her in your prayers.

So, the only thing we know is that "things are moving along". Bill and I really do feel at peace and trust that God is in control and we trust that He has a plan for us, Baby Moses, the children at Jamaa Letu and the caretakers of these beautiful children. We are confident that Moses will be home with us when it is right.

Though, all of this being said, it is still tough as we desire to hold him, love on him, know him and care for his physical needs. We are learning through this how to care for his spiritual needs, as the Spirit of God is the One who is ministering to him (both spiritually and physically through the people who have selflessly dedicated their lives to caring for these children), so we will be faithful in prayer for our son, knowing he is in good Hands.

Thank you for continuing to pray and journey through this with us.

Here is another picture of Moses, the other picture posted on our blog was taken at the same time when Moses was first found and was taken to the hospital.

Our Family Adoptions Newsletter for 2008

2008-12-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

Advent Conspiracy

2008-11-25T17:31:00.001-08:00

Join the conspiracy, look up your "favorite" stores on coopamerica.org and see if they are run by people of integrity (Do they participate in human trafficking, do they oppress the poor, do they have children in sweat shops?)...Let's be creative this Christmas, and really spend ourselves for what really matters.

Redistribute...there is enough

2008-11-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

We live in a world today where there is enough. Enough clothes, medicine, food, clean water and hope. Hope is a word that implies things will be better tomorrow than they were today, and the reality is that for the majority of the world, tomorrow will not be any better than today.

We want to invite you to join us on this journey of redistribution. Redistribution is the opportunity to not add to your budget or expenses, but rather to reassign your resources. God is freeing the world from consumerism and poverty at the same time. Let us participate in that freedom that Christ desires to bring.

The kingdom of God always looks like Jesus and those who follow Jesus believe in the hope of freedom for the captives and justice for the oppressed. We can make a difference no matter how small or insignificant it may appear. We are inviting you to be a part of this good news this Christmas season.

The Redistribute catalog is designed as a launching place for redistribution. What you’ll find inside are six Common Ground partners who are making a local and global impact. We invite you to join them in this journey of redistribution. As you begin your gift buying and giving, consider committing some of your resources to engage the injustices of our day and to distribute some Gospel hope in a very tangible way.

please click here to redistribute

It's a Boy!

2008-11-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

Bill and I want to introduce you to Moses William Briley...

Moses was found abandoned about 3 weeks ago, he made it to the hospital where he received nutrition and hydration for his weak little body. Moses is back at the orphanage and is reported to be "very cute", and able to follow objects around the room with his eyes, responds to sounds and is taking a bottle well. The orphanage is guessing he is around 2-3 months old. We have begun the paperwork in the DRC and will hopefully bring him home by the beginning of '09. Please be praying for Baby Moses, for a quick homecoming and for his health. (Moses has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome.) We are praying especially for his heart and digestive tract as many babies (not all) with DS have complications with these two important body functions. We are excited to hold him close to us, and are thankful he is held in the hands of our good and faithful Father in heaven. Thanks for your love and prayers for Moses as you have been interceding for him before he was born. Thank you for your continued prayers and love.

We are but dust

2008-11-10T04:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend Bill and I went to a conference. We spent some time praying prayers called "breath prayer". We focused on Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." Breath prayer is when you breathe in deeply whispering (or thinking) "Be still", and as you slowly breathe out "and know that I am God".

This was a beautiful experience of connecting our busy minds with the fact that God's Spirit is near, dwells within us, and that He alone is God and longs for us to connect with Him. Many things in our lives have been reminding us of our ridiculous weakness and God's unfathomable strength. So often we try to live life without recognizing where our strength comes from, and in our perceived strength, we miss out on so much. Why don't we pray more? Why don't we read His Word more and it be active on our hearts and lips that nothing we have is of our own strength? Do we really believe this?

I am taking classes to be a Biblical Counselor, and praise God, a BIG emphasis is that we can do nothing apart from recognizing where our True Counsel and change lies. Our adoption reminds us that we have absolutely no control, and so we petition all who read this, please pray for us and our future child. We feel so helpless, and what a good place to be! So, we need you. Please pray.

Also, as many of you have read lately in the news, the DRC is a horrific mess. And we are not ok with this. If you attended Common Ground yesterday, you will agree that the persecuted Church leaves us feeling helpless and broken. But, we must be reminded where our help comes from, it comes from the Lord, as Psalm 121 reminds us.

Will you take some time with me today and pray for the DRC, for the Persecuted Church around the world and for us as the Church in America and Indiana to live out the Kingdom of God as people who believe in and join in the work of the God who saves? Today I will be praying this Psalm over and for the DRC and the Persecuted Church, that this would be their prayer:

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,

he burns the shields with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

WORLD HUNGER DAY OCT 12th

2008-10-07T08:27:00.001-07:00

Oct 12th is World hunger day, feel free to post comments on stats and how to end hunger, and any other ideas on this crisis

updates

2008-10-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Bill's doing much better! Thanks for praying. He still has scabs where those little African ticks decided to latch on and come to America. He was put on an antibiotic to get rid of the infection, and the ticks, and his swollen belly was not a hernia, but rather the lymph nodes that were swollen from the Tick Feaver. He does not have Lymes desease or Malaria, though that little scare may remind him to take his Malaria meds next time he is in the mesquito infested bush of Africa!

As far as the baby front, I received a call from Jilma, Our Family Adoptions, and she informed me of a woman in Lumbumashi, the village that the Jamaa Letu Orphanage is located, who is pregnant and homeless, unable to care for children and already abandoned some children of her own already...If this woman decides to give this baby to the orphanage, and everything goes smoothly, this will be our baby! Also, she may begin working with a new orphanage in Kinshasha, the capital of the DRC, who may have some infants, if this is the case, we may adopt from this orpahnage instead. We are just waiting, still. The need is great in the DRC, but with thousands of orphanages, all over capacity, and it being a third world country, things can move a little slowly. Lumbumashi, the village we may adopt from usually receives infants and children from hospitals and refugee camps, or otherwise through total abandonment. Lumbumashi is in the southern tip of the DRC, and the majority of the conflict in in the north western region. It sometimes takes a while for communication to happen where one specific orphanage will receive a call for a baby, especially if the orphanage has been closed to babies for a while.
One thing we are confident of is that the baby God has planned for us will arrive here in our home, please continue praying along with us in the homecoming of our little one.

Bill's home :)

2008-09-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo! Bill is home from SA! I am happy to have him back, my buddy...
Though it is amazing to be back together, we need your prayers. We believe Bill was bit by 2 South African ticks that have maybe burrowed into his skin. He is experiencing extreme pain, fatigue, nausea, feaver, chills, muscle tightness, etc. We went to the Dr today and he got on an antibiotic and had blood work done to see if he has Lyme Disease or another kind of South African feaver. Please pray, as he is someone who never complains, to see him down is tough because I know it means he is really suffering.
After examining Bill, the doc also thinks Bill has a hernia, which almost makes it too painful to walk. Thanks for supporting us through your love and prayers. We have an ultrasound tomorrow and hopefully will have the blood tests back tomorrow as well.

2008-09-14T18:58:00.001-07:00

September 18 — Film and discussion about rape and war in Congo

2008-09-14T18:49:00.001-07:00

When: Thursday September 18, 7:00 PM Where: Earth House, Lockerbie United Methodist Church 237 N East St, Indianapolis, IN

September 18 — Film and discussion about rape and war in CongoIn spring’s Indianapolis International Film Festival, “The Greatest Silence: Rape in Congo” won Provocate’s Erik Parker Social Justice Award. Now another film, “Fighting the Silence: Sexual Violence against Women,” shows a different perspective on this social trauma.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s seven year war was the deadliest ever recorded in Africa. During that time, more than 80.000 women and girls were raped. Only now that the country is formally at peace are the consequences of the brutality becoming truly visible. Rape is slowly seeping into everyday life.
“Fighting the Silence” tells the story of ordinary Congolese women and men that are struggling to change their society: one that prefers to blame victims rather than prosecute rapists. Rape survivors and their families speak out openly about the suffering they endured because their culture considers women second class citizens and rape a taboo. They give voice to thousands of other survivors and their families who have chosen to hide their grief and remain silent for fear of being rejected by their families and community.

Girls and women survivors tell of the brutality they experienced. Married couples openly talk about the pain they endure. Husbands talk of the pressures that led them to abandon their wives and why they agreed to take them back. A father explains why he has given up on his daughter’s future and how he wishes he could afford to take her rapist to court. Soldiers and policemen share their (shocking) views about why rape continues to flourish despite the war having officially ended four years ago

Leading a discussion of the film will be Valerie Masumbuko, a native of Burundi and currently working with several governments in Europe on issues of women’s vicitimization. Cabinet Attaché Valerie Masumbuko is highly regarded in matters of Burundian and international peace and conflict transformation organizations and movements concerned with women’s rights and raising global awareness of violence against women and children—particularly in her native Africa. Masumbuko is visiting Indiana to screen the film “Fighting the Silence” and lead discussions on breaking the silence to shed light on how third world women are considered second class citizens and how this classification and treatment further victimizes them and increases their suffering at the hands of rapists and others four years after the war was officially declared as being over.

Brett Dennen

2008-09-11T11:55:00.001-07:00