Summing up Summer

A lot of ground to cover. Life has been full and change is in the air around the Klekowski household.

Since our last post ...

• Remember that trip I took to Haiti!? Our church did a huge effort to help Children of the Nations start a ministry there to children living at the epicenter of the earthquake. We hoped to maybe raise $100,000 ... we ended up raising nearly $250,000!! Corrie and I learned a ton through the experience and were blown away by everyone's generosity.
• In May, Corrie took a new job as an employment attorney at Paul, Plevin, Sullivan, & Connaughton LLP. After several years at a smaller firm, Corrie was ready for a change and wanted to focus her practice. Though the job is a bit more demanding, she enjoys having a much smaller commute and really loves working downtown.
• In June, we took a much needed vacation with some friends to Maui. Eva loved the hiking backpack as she got to see waterfalls that were "gorgeous" ... her words, not mine :)
• This has been the first year since 2005 that I have not visited the continent of Africa, but Corrie and I still got to see some big dreams come true. Several years ago, Corrie connected with an amazing Malawian human rights attorney. The two of them came up with the idea to host a human rights clinic in a local village. The goal was to help educate and empower people about their basic rights and teach them what to do when they are violated (which, sadly, happens a lot). Through a lot of planning, a team of passionate people from our church hosted the first clinic in July! In addition, I had an idea for creating an Intern Exchange program for college students between our church and our sister church in Malawi. Four Americans and four Malawians swapped lives for a summer and their lives will never be the same. It was an eye opening and amazing experience for all involved. Corrie and I also got to host Pastor Sean (of Flood Malawi) and his wife for a few days as well.                                                                        
• We attended several weddings and I got to officiate two of them ... one of the highlights of my job!
• We once again entered the US Open Sandcastle Competition and took 2nd place. Though I still think we should have taken home the prize, it was a blast to spend the day building something out of nothing. Though she probably should have rested, Corrie joined the team with a 6 month old baby in her belly.                                                                     
• The summer started with a change for Corrie and ends with a change for me. After 12 incredible years of college ministry (I started doing this as a freshmen in college!), I will no longer be a College Pastor at the end of this month. The reality of this change has not sunk in and though I am so grateful for the hundreds of students that I have gotten to know over the years, I am excited to move on to help our church pursue new endeavors. For several years we have been talking about expanding our church through new campuses and it is looking like we will be headed in that direction over the next year. This change will free me up to help lead the charge. Our College Group is in great hands. Along with an incredible volunteer team, a gifted guy I have been training (Adam Wright) for the past year and a half will be taking over.
• Corrie just turned 30 yesterday and I follow on September 22nd. Eva turns 2 on October 4th.                                                     
• Last, but certainly not least, Baby #2 will arrive (hopefully) sometime around October 15th. Though our hands will be full, we can't wait for the new addition. We'll keep you posted regarding all the exciting details of his or her (we both think her) arrival.

Just writing all this is making me tired. Corrie and I believe in living life to the full, but are learning the importance of rest as well. Thanks for journeying along with us.

In other breaking news ... Eva is starting to potty train. She took her first poop today and exclaimed, "It's a snake!" I think we're in for a ride with this one!

God bless,

Adam

Eggs That Cost Me Nothing

Above is the evidence of my latest attempt to get one good picture of my moving-non-stop-furrowed-brow-goofball-girl-who-likes-to-color-on-her-forehead-and-in-her-ears.

Okay, well, first, I’m pregnant. 3.5 months along. Due October 15th. Feeling great. Not going to find out gender. Very excited. Hope we can handle another crazy monkey in the house.

Second, Adam is back from Haiti. It has been an adjustment to reconcile “normal” life here with the images and stories he witnessed there. He has been wise and intentional about taking the time to process those experiences.

The result of his trip is that Flood (our church) has decided to commit to helping Children of the Nations build a school in Haiti. As part of this commitment, Flood is attempting to raise $100,000 by Easter. More info here.

Adam and I feel strongly burdened to participate significantly in this campaign. I won’t recount all the moments or thoughts or urgings that swirl together to make up a conviction. But the result of the last few months is that we feel convicted to give an amount to the project that really requires us to sacrifice.

It is less about the amount, more about what it costs us to give. Looking through the bible recently I was reminded of how often God asks us to give to the point of our own discomfort. Like David says in Samuel 2:24, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord, my God, burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” Or, for example, in Mark 12, Jesus watches people putting money into the temple treasury. Many rich people put in large gifts, and then a poor widow puts in two small coins. Jesus says of her, “this poor widow has put more into the treasury thank all the others. They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

It is easy for me to give out of my excess and think myself generous for the gift. I am always the rich people giving out of their wealth large gifts that cost them nothing. Reflecting on this, Adam and I wanted this gift to be significant to us personally. So, we committed to a spending freeze for all of Spring. Basically our loose rules are that we are allowed to purchase necessities, but can’t purchase things that we just “want.” The money we save, goes to Haiti. And it should hurt.

Living on less has allowed me to see how little of what we spend is really necessary. Most everything I want I realize after pausing and thinking about it, that I really don’t want that much. Most of my wants are fed by impulsive desires just to soothe or reward myself and not by a true appetite for the item desired. To look those impulses in the eye and refuse to indulge them has been empowering. Though, I must admit that gift cards have come in handy these last few weeks. And it also helps that I am pregnant and therefore uninterested in new clothes.

I have also realized how much opportunity there is to share and re-use. Most of the things we want, we can find to borrow for free. If you want it, chances are someone has it and is not using it.

So, the result of all of this is twofold: (1) I realize that I can’t out-give God. Even when I try to sacrifice, it doesn't feel like sacrifice. It feels more like a gift to me than from me. (2) We need someone to donate plastic Easter eggs so Eva can have an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.

And if you happen to drop a gift card in one of the eggs for Eva’s parents, that will be accepted too. Or better yet, drop a Benjamin in an egg and we will add it to our gift for Haiti.

Thoughts from Haiti

I just arrived home from Haiti. I wrote this for my church's blog and thought I'd share with you all as well. To read more about our visit click here.

I’m tired. Run down. Seen too much. Overwhelmed. The team is getting a little delirious. By the end of each day, we surprisingly experience a lot of laughter. Probably a way to cope with all that we’ve seen each day.

What do you do with the overwhelming stench that hits you when you enter a tent city? What do you do with the heartbreak of a girl who lost her entire family in the quake? What do you do with the sideways cross painted in the voodoo temple?

The people here have endured much. The human spirit is amazingly resilient. The people want to work. They want to care for their families. I have been impressed by the way these families dress sharp and have their hair done. They have not lost their dignity.

Yesterday we attended a good sized Pentecostal church. It was definitely an interesting experience. At one point, our entire team was on the church floor as the bishop poured (literally poured!) oil on each head and asked us to bless them. 700 people later, we had finished the job! While this was foreign to me, when I got past my own insecurities and just viewed it as an opportunity to pray, I was amazed by the way God allowed me to pray on their behalf. I was especially moved each time I prayed for a young man. I could tangibly feel the burden for these young guys to step up and lead their future families and communities courageously. Looking into their eyes I saw so many possibilities.

Today we are attempting to finalize the plans for Children of the Nation’s work in Haiti. We are finalizing board members and formalizing partnerships with other agencies so that together, we can offer the best care possible.

We just got freed from a traffic jam due to a strike. A drive that should have taken 30 minutes took 3 hours. Unbelievable.

I am tired. Ready to return home. Excited to see my family once again, and not looking forward to the long flight ahead.

Before I move forward to visions and plans for what this means for me and my community at home, I want to sit in this moment. To remember these people. To remember what I’ve seen. To be still and know that He is God.

See you soon,
Pastor Adam

Tension

I just put Eva down to bed. Said our prayers. Said goodbye. Said I love you a hundred times.

I'm leaving for Haiti in a couple of hours.

The past week has been really tough. When Eva's heart condition returned and we found ourselves back in the ER again, it felt like everything had gotten tipped upside down. I felt disoriented, confused, frustrated and tired. Corrie and I then had hectic weeks that kept us preoccupied, so we haven't really sunk into this new reality with Eva, probably still in shock and denial about it all.

Yesterday, I found myself hosting a seminar speaker at a conference our church was putting on. Sitting on the floor in a packed out room, God began to speak. Talking about desire, spiritual growth, disappointment, grief and loss, I found myself confronted with all the questions and feelings I had been avoiding all week.

What do I desire for Eva?
Am I able to live within the disappointment of these unmet desires?
Have I truly surrendered these desires to God? Have I grieved?

Listening to your daughter's racing heart is unbearable. Watching her cry for help in the emergency room is heart wrenching. Why the pain? Why the sorrow?

Yesterday I learned that it is within the great tensions of life that God most truly reveals Himself and invites us to grow with Him. Life and death. Joy and sorrow. Abundance and scarcity. God hasn't abandoned me, my family or my little girl. He grieves with us. Hurts with us. Laughs with us.

Though there is still much to process, I find myself leaving for another adventure and entering into a foreign place filled with despair, sorrow and loss. What does God have in store for me in Haiti? What does He have in store for my church? What does He have in store for you?

I have an odd job. One that finds me on the college campuses of San Diego and flying to the earthquake ravaged city of Port au Prince. There is so much pain in the world. So much hurt. Yet as I laid my little girl down to sleep and she reached up her little head to give me one final kiss, I am reminded that there is so much beauty. So much joy.

Life is full of confusing tensions, and I hope that I can continue to walk the meandering and difficult road within all of them. Please pray for me and my team while we are away. Pray that God would give us a vision for how our church can best serve the Haitian people ... and while you're at it, send some love Corrie's way :) She's just a phone call or email away. I'll be home on Tuesday, March 16th.

Au revoir!

A Brighter Day

Eva's little heart is doing much better today. She no longer has a fever, so hopefully she won't have any more episodes. We're scheduled to see her heart doctor in a few weeks, so hopefully we'll get some better answers then. She seems to be feeling much better ... sleeping like a champ and starting to eat again. Corrie is doing better too. She went back to work today.

Thanks for all the prayers!

Eva's Annual Health Update :)

Hey everyone,

Can't believe it was just a year ago that we were posting like crazy about Eva's health ... well, sadly, here's the latest update.

On Sunday we took her to the ER because she was in a heart episode. On the way there, we feel like we witnessed a miracle as we could physically see her coloring change as her heart went back to normal all on its own. They still admitted us, did some tests and discharged us with increased dosage on one of her heart meds. Corrie and I are both really bummed that this heart thing hasn't gone away, but thankful we didn't have to stay in the hospital. It appears that a high fever is a trigger for her heart issue.

Yesterday, Corrie woke up feeling really sick, so she stayed home from work. We still had our babysitter show up to help her out. Around noon, we noticed that her coloring had changed once again and that she was shaking like she was really cold. She wasn't acting fussy or irritated, just a little dazed. Whenever we have seen these symptoms she is normally in an episode. We checked her heart and she was fine, so Corrie got on the phone with her doctors. Several hours later, neither her pediatrician nor her heart doctor was too concerned (though we still are!). The entire funkiness with Eva lasted about an hour.

Last night, Eva slept beautifully and her fever has reduced a bit. Corrie will be with her today.

We don't know what this all means. Doctors aren't being super helpful, but luckily she has been in good spirits. The only challenge right now is that she isn't eating. She's been like that since Friday, so we're concerned on that end. She's drinking liquids, but that's about it. Corrie also still feels really ill ... and I leave for Haiti and the Dominican Republic Sunday night.

If you get a chance, could you pray for the following?

- For Eva's fever to disappear
- For Eva's appetite to return
- For wisdom from the doctor's ... to discover why she gets these cold spells
- For Corrie's health to return
- For emotional sanity for our family :)

We're holding together the best we can. It just feels like Eva's a little ticking time bomb .... we thought this was all behind us, so it's tough to open the door to all of this once again.

We love you all and thank you for your support.

Adam & Corrie

It's beginning to feel a not like Christmas

Corrie and I have now lived in our house for a little over a week. Amidst unpacking boxes, going two days without water, caring for a wild (and really cute) baby and continuing to work full time ... it has been a mind bending time in our lives. On top of it all, Christmas is just two days away. We decided not to do any presents to each other and didn't have time to decorate the house (the stockings above are as good as it gets). We've decided to celebrate Jehovah Witness style :)

In the past few weeks, we have been blown away by unexpected acts of generosity. When some neighbors heard we were moving, they prepared an entire gourmet meal with fresh baked zucchini blueberry bread for dessert! On move day, more than enough friends showed up to help us that we were not only able to load everything in one trip (thank Barnum!), we did it all within 3 hours!! On top of that, Corrie's parents came down to watch Eva for the day which was a huge help. Last weekend a couple opened up their home to host a baby shower Corrie was throwing for a girl they had never met. And a few days ago, another couple from church dropped off another excellent meal and took away all the dishes so we wouldn't have to clean another thing!

Though each of these acts were simple, we have been moved by the generosity we have received from others.

In a season where we reflect upon the significance of the birth of Christ, Corrie and I have been inspired to challenge ourselves to give more freely. To give of our resources, our time and our presence. Christ freely gave His life away, so that we could truly live. We have always found that we become more fully alive when we seek to give our lives away as well.

Have a joy filled Christmas!