On Jordan's stormy banks

I am sitting at Dads bedside writing for Mama... The whole family has gathered and has tucked in this beautiful house we all grew up in, at the moment little feet are still running through Dads room as the kids come tell "Pawpaw" good night it is late but it seems we are a little off schedule tonight. Dad has been fighting so hard, he is tired but has not given up this fight as of now. In all earthly appearances it looks as if our Father might be calling our Daddy home soon. Today has been rough because he has slipped further into the process. He told us this afternoon "He is crossing over and it wont be long now..." Tears have been shed, laughter has filled the room, singing, of course singing, memories shared, our time today has been well spent with all of us gathered around his bed, at one point he asked everyone to come in,there were 16 of us gathered in the music room (where his bed is) and we sang "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand" with the family and a few of our dear!
 friends.It was powerful and perfect,and best of all it put that BIG smile on Dads face. This has been quite a road but the journey has not been in vain. We are all closer to each other and growing in our faith through these trials. Mama sends her love and thankfulness to everyone. We have been so blessed to have people surround us with love, care, food, notes, and prayer. It has been sweet to see the body work together to take care of this very large family... Dad said earlier today "I am blessed" I don't think I will ever hear that without the wonderful memory of our Daddy's smile and love! We indeed are ALL BLESSED!

Heather for all the Linville's

* Life Changes *

Sigh... I can't believe I have enough time to sit and write to you and fill you in on our life the last few months, I will start with a praise!

Will- seems to be responding well to his medications and has not complained of pain since our last post. This is huge and such a blessing to our little man. We go back to Charlotte this coming Monday for another check up. He is such a joy and it is more than my heart can hold at times watching him laugh and play with NO pain. Thank you Father!

Miles- had our hearts in our throats a few months ago... He was drinking juice out of a cup with a hard (non bendable) straw and fell off the step, the straw punctured his soft palate twice removing the top part of his right tonsil, that landed us in 2 different hospitals with all the Dr's amazed at his pain tolerance :) we have some tuff kiddo's for sure. he has healed perfectly from this fall and back to running, jumping, and playing (without a cup in hand)

Shannon- has started working more at the church and now has the title "life group pastor" he is doing amazing at his job. He has a passion and heart to disciple and train adults in leadership so this job could not be a better fit. I love seeing him doing what he loves. He also has been caregiver to me for the last few months, which I will explain later. He is such an amazing father and husband.

Heather- I hurt my knee a few months ago and after several cancellations to the orthopedic (thinking I would get better) decided to go and discovered that I have arthritis in my right knee and the bone and cartilage are splintering against each other. This will result in surgery in the near future but have been told that surgery will not "fix" my problem only hold off until I decide to opt for a partial knee replacement. This news was a sock to me to say the least. I go back to ortho in September to schedule surgery.
Another crazy thing is a month ago I was feeling really weak and heavy in my arms. I drove myself to urgent care to see what was wrong and lost consciousness several times while there and was sent by ambulance to ER they thought I was having a stroke, I was having every symptom but on both sides of body, I couldn't speak, write, count etc. I spent 3 days in ICU and 2 days in a regular room. The diagnosis? Migraine that mimics a stroke. I have medication in case it happens again, but of course we are praying it never happens again! 

Family- My Dad as many of you know has been battling cancer for 5 years and has been getting weaker over the last 6 months. We have been on a hard road watching him struggle with pain, being hospitalized and if anyone knows him, knows he never likes to stop... He has been in bed for the last 3 weeks now and we finally have him home but he is under hospice care. We are spending as much time with him as we can and soaking in the family. We are praying for Gods grace and favor in these last days (how ever long that may be) and knowing that in all things God will be glorified!

Adoption- Not sure how many (if any) know but we have decided to hold off on the adoption. We are broken hearted and mourning this loss but looking at everything, we can't focus whole-heartedly on the "paper case" I am not sure what God has in store for down the road, I am sorry to all who supported us in this journey whether it was donations or buying our crafts but we are still holding the money in a separate account for when the door may open for us again.

We would love to hear from you and how we can pray for you. Sorry to give such a LONG and detailed update but too much has happened! Love to you all...

The Compton Family <3

Little Will

Hello Loved ones,
Today is day 5 of Will having no pain. This means the medicine that they have put him on seems to be working. Miles has sure been happy to have his brother back and running around! We may have gotten a little over zealous the other day as I called to tell the nephrologist and the Urologist, They both seemed to have the same response... "That is wonderful BUT we are not out of the woods, expect ups and downs and most likely another bad episode, because he has yet to pass a lager stone that was causing pain" This was a tad bit disheartening but we are thanking the Lord for everyday with or without pain! I taught VBS this past week, and the them? "NO MATTER WHAT TRUST GOD" and "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD" Two things the Lord drilled into my heart and mind as I was teaching it to the kindergarteners. I love how are God works. Well I know this is short but wanted to put that praise out to you! Enjoy your weekend and I will write again soon! Love for us all, Heather

Prayer for Will

Hello Friends and Family,
I am sitting in bed, it is almost midnight and I am searching for answers and asking for prayer...
Many if not all of you know about Will and the pain he has been in. The pain started a few months ago and at times I feel like we should just move in with Wills most trusted Dr. Veresa, we are always on the phone or in her office, trying to figure this out. she has been so wonderful and going above and beyond, but we are all stumped as to why his calcium levels are so high in his urine. (even with medication) He is developing calcium crystals (small stones) almost weekly and anyone who has had Kidney stones knows the pain that goes along with this. He is growing tired of doctors offices, hospitals, specialist, blood work etc. It has been so hard to see him in such pain and Shannon and I are seeking God for wisdom and grace through this season he has us in. We are seeing two new specialist in July and I am hopeful they might have some answers. Today has been a tough one, he passed at least one stone that I saw and he seemed to feel a lot better, but has been waking up screaming tonight... holding him, heating pads and medicine seem to help for a few hours, but he is moaning and waking up shaking and crying. My heart is heavy and I am finding it hard to sleep, so I am asking you all to lift him up to the one who loves him WAY more than we ever could. I know He holds his tears (and ours) in a bottle and knows our tossing and turning. So many scriptures come to mind right now, that bring comfort, peace and a knowledge that the God of this universe holds us in his hands!
 We want to walk through this with hands opens, hearts devoted to our King, and shinning as a light set on a hill, for His glory, if we don't this is all in vain!

The wonderful thing that I have seen through Wills pain, is compassion for those who are hurting, sick and even sad... He can pick them out in a crowd. I am thankful for such a tender heart that God already is molding into his likeness. He is a very special young man and I know God has a huge plan in store for him.

Thank you for praying and standing with us through these tough times.

We love you, Shannon, Heather, Will and Miles <3

Overwhelming Joy...

I have decided to name this post Overwhelming Joy or this reason...
It is the 2 words that could best describe our heart right now, We have started the Dossier process better known as the paper chase, and to say the least it is OVERWHELMING! I told Shannon I feel like we are in a strangers house with everything in the in one room and we are asked to sort through their stuff and I am standing in the middle and feeling overwhelmed because I am not sure where to start! BUT then the joy comes, this is the biggest part of the pre-adoption process and it brings a joy and hope that this is real and we (Lord willing) will be holding our daughter and raising her as our own at the end of this crazy "paper filled world" we are now living in! I just wanted to share where we are and how it is going. There are tons of details to remember and we are asking you to pray for favor during this Dossier process, it can take anywhere from 4-6 months to complete and we do not want to grow weary of this paper chase... We will keep the end result in mind! Thank you for those who have blessed us with donations to sell, for buying the items we are selling, for sending your encouragement, and sacrificially giving out of your pockets. You will never know how thankful we are to have each of you in our lives. We love you all!

The Compton Clan <3

Adoption party # 1

Well we held our first adoption party while we were at my sister and brother in love's house... She hosted a wonderful party, the turn out was more than I expected. My heart was overwhelmed...as people walked in to see the stuff that was for sell, they brought things that they wanted to donate! People made rings, pillows, socks, soap etc. I was in awe... Not only did they come and support us, get to know us, and fellowship but some people even bought the very thing that they donated themselves :) I was so thankful! We walked away with $500.00 that night and a heart that was overflowing! Thank you to everyone who helped, donated, and came in support! One of my other sisters Jonlyn will be hosting the next party and I am excited to see how God will work in these parties! It has been a GREAT way to get the community and family involved in this special assignment God has given us, "us" meaning his children... his body! I am so grateful everyone has jumped in to help! These are a few pictures from the party! We love you all... Heather, Shannon and boys <3

A Mother's Love

Shannon and I had to take Will in for surgery yesterday, nothing too serious but none the less they had to put him under to do it. As I was watching him jump on the hospital bed and charm all the nurses and doctors I couldn't help but think of the mother's in Africa. I remember being in the hospitals there and watching the mothers cry with desperation and a sense of hopelessness.  I wasn't a Momma yet but I still felt that tug of compassion and the hurt they must be feeling to see their babies going into the hospital (most never made it home) and the pain that filled their eyes as they held their little ones. I had no doubt they loved them with everything in them, but the reality was and still is, the reason most children don't make it there is malnutrition or aids. I was watching my healthy boy jump around and laugh, visit with people who came to see him, tease the nurses and watch TV. I was full of hope that he would be okay, and I was trusting in the Lord to take care of him, but when they started wheeling him down the long hall, my heart began to race and I started getting shaky. Oh the heart and love a Mother has for her little ones, but by Gods grace he was back in our arms within the hour.

I was told not too long ago that in Ethiopia the parents have to give up one child at a time, usually the baby because they can't afford to feed them and they know the end result would be death for that precious life, so they do what any loving parent would do and place them for adoption. This breaks my heart that they have to do this, This didn't happen 100 years ago, this is going on EVERYDAY, thousands are placed for adoption and I never want to forget the pain that must go along with that. It would break my heart to have to do that for one of our sons, knowing that we no longer could care for them. As we pursue adoption from Ethiopia, I often wonder what their situation will be, if they have lost both parents or if they were placed there for reasons unknown. Mine and Shannon's heart both are pulled to the true orphan, the one who has lost everything and needs someone to help them pick up the pieces and show them love. I am not sure what the Lord has in store for us as we move forward but I pray this... That compassion rules in our hearts and we desire to share the love of Christ with the one that God has chosen for our family. I will love that child as my own but I never want to take away from who they are and where they have come from...

That was a ton of emotions and thoughts rolled up into one blog! Thanks for listening <3
Heather

Excited!

God has been moving in the hearts of so many of his people and it is just awesome. At least five families in our church over the past couple of months have made the decision to adopt! We are praying for each of these families and asking for the Lord's provision! How awesome will it be on Sunday morning  to have the nursery filled with children from all over the world who now have safe homes and loving parents! Heather and I are thrilled to see God move this way and we are excited to see how He provides.

We are also excited for the start of February. I will be traveling to Montana with our missions pastor to speak at a pastors conference about the over 6,900 people groups who have not been reached with the Gospel Message. We pray God will move the hearts of these men to lead their churches to take up the great commission not only among their own communities but among the nations as well!

While I am in Montana, Heather and the boys will be with her sister in Murphy. There they are planning our first "Adoption Party". Heather and her sister have invited friends from around Murphy to come over for dinner so they can share about our efforts to adopt. After dinner Heather will have items  to sale that she has made or that our really awesome friends and family have donated. Its a great opportunity to get together with people to share about our God and the need for adoption as well as a fun chance to get creative and raise money too!

Praying God will be glorified in every way as He leads us on this journey.

Shannon Compton

Wow I love our boys!


I (Shannon) got to stay home with our boys yesterday because Heather was sick. I hated to see my amazing wife down for the count with a stomach bug but I really did enjoy spending a whole day with our two amazing children.


We got up early and watched Bob the Builder while we ate pancakes to start off the day. Then it was full throttle playing hard on the floor until Miles laid down and did his usual face rub into the night-night (blanket) letting me know he was ready for a nap. After Miles went down Will and I sat together and read a few books and then he played quietly while I attempted to catch up on the dishes and laundry. After the house work was caught up we played a bit on the porch (it was rainy so we couldn't go outside) and then when Miles woke up we had PB&Js for lunch. Will went down for his nap after that which gave Miles and I a little one on one time. We played with cars and trucks and books and all the kitchen utensils and crayons and everything else he could get his grubby little 14 month old fingers on! Soon he did the face rub again and we all got to rest for a while. Around 5 they were both up at it again. I cooked some scrabbled eggs, sausage and biscuits for dinner and taught the boys how to top a biscuit with just the right amount of butter and jelly. They wolfed it down and played hard until 7 when it came time to pick up toys and head to bed. After kisses, a bible story, more hugs and kisses, prayer and all the nightlights and music makers had been turned on I finally tucked them in for the night. We had such a great day! Wow I love our boys!


Kinda hard going back to work today but I am really glad that Heather is getting better. It made me think though; every child is such a unique amazing gift from God and there are so many little gifts all over the world without anyone to care for them. I pray that the Lord will stir up the heart of His people to see them, take notice, and do something to give them a home!


Shannon Compton

A letter from Micki:
When Heather and Shannon told me that they were going to adopt their next child from Africa, I was so excited!! I had, had a dream about a cute little dark skinned child that was a part of the family. I can’t wait to meet my new little great nice or nephew. Then a sense of urgency came over me……. One of the kids in my family is across the ocean, and needs to come home to her family that is waiting here to love and hold. Big brother…Will, can teach how to put out fires (a future fireman) and, Miles how to give good sugars, (Miles has the best kisses ever!!)
We need to get this child home to her family!!
Heather and Shannon came up with a great idea!! If five hundred people gave just 70 dollars, this little one could come home.
The only problem was I am broke over Christmas, Taxes, bills, the economy, a hundred reasons I didn’t have the money to give right now!! But…. what would you do for one of your children? I know you would do anything to make sure your children are safe, warm and fed.
So I made a commitment for 70 dollars even though I don’t have it! (Crazy right??) I prayed and asked God to provide the funds.
I work at a Spa in Brevard, doing nails and facials…. I receive tips for the services. The next day after work, I checked my tip folder, there was exactly 70 dollars!!!
So here was the answer, as always…
He is able…. 2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Thank you for your help and prayers,
Aunt Micki

Have you ever felt like you are ready to throw up your hands in despair and just quit? I don’t know about you but life sure can make me want to lose heart sometimes. It is so easy for me to get lost in all the day to day difficulties of life and forget what I know to be true. Thankfully last night the Lord encouraged me through these verses during my quiet time.  

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the Living. Wait on the Lord, Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait I say on the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14

As I read these words I connected with David. He had every reason to lose heart! Looking back over David’s life it was filled with one difficult circumstance after another. What did David do when felt like giving up? He remembered what He knew to be true. David’s faith in God kept him from losing heart no matter how hard things got. He knew both God’s character and His promises and trusted in Him completely. He believed whole heartily that he would see God’s goodness played out in his own circumstances and ultimately in the entire world when the promised Messiah came to establish God’s eternal Kingdom on earth. Because of his faith David was able to endure and overcome in every circumstance he faced.

David’s faith was like a mirror that let me see my own. It showed me how short sighted I had become lately. The Spirit of God reminded me as I thought about these verses that He is good and that in every circumstance I face I can expect to see His goodness if I trust him and remain faithful (Wait). Remembering this gives me new courage to trust Him and accept the things in life that are difficult or discouraging because I know that a dawn is coming that will put an end to this dark night we are all walking through. That dawn is the second coming of Jesus Christ who is the promised Messiah David believed would come. On that day the entire world will see God’s goodness and justice established forever. If I didn’t believe this to be true I would have no reason not to become cynical and bitter with despair, but I know that it is true and therefore I can and will endure joyfully looking forward to the Kingdom of God!

I am so thankful that this encouragement came at the beginning of this New Year. As a family we have some difficult (and some exciting) days ahead of us with raising funds for adoption and with Heather's dad's battle with cancer. I am also thankful for this promise that if we trust Him and wait faithfully He will strengthen our heart when we need it most. Knowing that our God is good and expecting to see His faithfulness we are starting this year with  joyful confidence!

 Thankfully in Grace     Shannon Compton