Welcome to the Family!

Kristen and I would like to welcome Ransford Mensah Pon, and Godfred Mensah Pon to the family!  After traveling to Cape Coast from Accra, Kristen, Ransford, Godfred, and their biological mother-Grace, met with the judge.  They were in the judges chamber's for approximately 10 - 15 minutes and were then declared PON's.

Once they returned, we Skyped with them.  Nate and CJ (mostly Nate) were able to talk to their new brothers.  Nate did a quick dance with his shirt off for them.  CJ showed them a couple of toys he was playing with.  Then, Nate and CJ watched Ransford and Godfred wrestling on the bed.  It was great to observe all four of them and I kept thinking, "Man, this is crazy!"  When I spoke with Ransford, he told me his new name in his awesome Ghanaian accent.  It went like this:

Me: Hey, Ransford!

Ransford: Hello, Dad!

Me: What's your new name?

Ransford: My name is, Ransford Mensah PON!

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What an amazing feeling.  Here they are....

L-R: Ransford, Kristen, and Godfred.

Godfred (left) is 6 years old, while Ransford (right) is 9 years old.

Thank God for watching over us during this process!  We are only just beginning, but today is a huge milestone.  Thank you to all of you who have supported us as well.  Cathy and Sandy Cantu, Ginny and Gary Kimbrell, and Craig and Carmen Turner all sent money to be used at the orphanage where Ransford and Godfred live.  My best friend, Ryan Head, is a missionary in Togo and called my Mom -Barbara- to 'check-up' on how things were going.  Dr. David McKinely, the Senior Pastor of Warren Baptist Church here in Augusta, and an adoptive parent, recently called to encourage and pray for us.  Even all of you who simply click 'Like' on our Facebook links to the blog; your simple click tells us you are listening and you care.  

Finally, thanks to our parents Danny and Barbara Pon, and Dan and Jackie Townsend.  We love you.  Dan and Jackie have been watching Nate and CJ while Kristen and my Mom have been in Ghana, and as I have been finishing up my research and writing.  Here they are in Florida.

You can continue to follow our journey here:

Email us at: MakingLifeRICH@gmail.com

Our videos are here:  www.youtube.com/MakingLifeRICH

We stay connected here:  Facebook “Making Life RICH”

Update: Court Date Rescheduled (Again)

Hey there.  I just wanted to quickly update all of you about court.  Kristen sent me a text message from Ghana late Tuesday night.  Apparently, the judge residing over our case was in Accra on Thursday and Friday.  Our case was going to take place in Cape Coast, so he had to reschedule our date for this coming Monday.

Meanwhile, everything else has been going great!  Kristen and I have talked a couple of times now.  She said that Ransford and Godfred, "Really feel like my kids!"  They have spent time at the orphanage, played soccer, gone shopping, and spent time at the beach.  Kristen emailed some pictures of the boys, however, it is best to wait to post them until after we pass court.  Be on the lookout.  I will post pictures as soon as we pass court!

Notice: Accra is located on the Southeast coast of Ghana.  Cape Coast is on the central coast of Ghana.  Kristen, Barbara, Ransford, and Godfred are in Accra....so was the judge.  However, court is supposed to take place in Cape Coast, approximately a three-hour drive to the West of Accra.

You can continue to follow our journey here:

Email us at: MakingLifeRICH@gmail.com

Our videos are here:  www.youtube.com/MakingLifeRICH

We stay connected here:  Facebook “Making Life RICH”

Accra or Bust

Hey there.

Wow!  It has been four months since our last blog post.  That is far too long.  A lot has happened since then, and Kristen asked me to take a minute to update all of you.  It is an important day for us.  As of this writing, Kristen and my Mom --Barbara-- are on a flight headed to Accra, Ghana.  They will be visiting our two future sons, Ransford and Godfred, at the orphanage where they live.  Kristen filled two suitcases with 50 pounds of clothes, shoes, food, and activities that she will give to Ransford, Godfred, and the other kids at the orphanage.

This coming Thursday, the four of them will drive approximately three hours where they will attend court.  This part of the adoption process is when a Ghanaian judge adjudicate's our case to determine if Ransford and Godfred are officially Pons.  Let me backtrack for a second.  On May 22nd, Ransford and Godfred went to court.  Unfortunately, we did not pass court.  Instead, the judge asked our power of attorney (POA) to do some additional work on the case.  Our POA has done the work, and we are set to go back to court on June 6th.  Except this time, Kristen will be standing next to the boys in front of the judge.  We are praying her presence demonstrates our commitment to them.  Please keep the process in your prayers.

So, here is a photo update of what has kept us so busy over the past few months:

The Flight: Kristen and Barbara Pon have a long way to go.  It will be worth it in the end!

Pre-Flight Meal: Before Kristen's flight, we met up with Kristen's parents at the original Chick-Fil-A known as the Dwarf House.

Atlanta Airport: As I loaded Kristen's suitcases on the scale I looked left and there was Al Roker!  I did a double-take, then looked at Kristen and said, That's Al Roker!  He graciously took a picture with me.

April 14:  Kristen turned........20!  ;)

Nate is looking forward to having two new brothers to play with.  CJ will be happy too.

CJ can eat!  We are going to have to budget in some extra $$$ to keep all four kids fed.

Financial Peace University: We led Dave Ramsey's 9-week FPU class.  $55,000 in debt paid off, $15,000 saved, and 30 credit cards cut up.  The proof is in the pudding.

Pneumonia: Kristen caught a severe case of pneumonia which hospitalized her for three days.  She is doing much better.  Meanwhile, we were attempting to get our house ready to put on the market.

SOLD!  After six days on the market, we were under contract.  We closed on our Evans, GA home last Wednesday, and will be closing on a home in Sneads Ferry, NC at the end of the month.

Nate's Birthday: Nate turned four in May.  He had a great time, and the M&M cake he made was tasty!

You can continue to follow our journey here:

Email us at: MakingLifeRICH@gmail.com

Our videos are here:  www.youtube.com/MakingLifeRICH

We stay connected here:  Facebook “Making Life RICH”