Welcome, Joshua Kento Kohl !!

Yes!! We are thrilled to announce the birth of our son, JOSHUA KENTO KOHL!!

Born in Tokyo, Japan on Friday, March 27, 2009
Weight: 5 pounds, 12 oz. (2604 grams)
Length: 18 inches (45.7 cm)

God really protected Joshua and his birth mom by taking them to a wonderful hospital in Tokyo for an emergency C-section. The placenta had started to slowly separate, so they went by ambulance where a Neonatalogist was waiting. During Joshua's two weeks in the hospital (just to note that one week is the "standard" stay for all babies in Japan, two weeks isn't as long as it sounds in N. America) the doctor noticed some of Joshua's liver tests were a little off. While this is not unusual for a baby who had an emergency birth, the doctor refused to make any assumptions that the liver numbers were simply "due to trauma." Joshua was released to the adoption agency (ANK)'s care in Shizuoka, where he continued to have out-patient medical follow-up with the children's hospital there. This hospital in Shizuoka is one of the top children's hospitals in Japan, that trains doctors and sends them out to all parts of the country. Over the six weeks that followed, Joshua had many tests and scans that confirmed his liver was healthy and the blood tests stabilized to normal levels. Praise God for His caring Hand through the excellent medical staff at the two hospitals and the love at ANK!

Joshua will be coming home to us, hopefully within the next few days, very close to his 4 month birthday :-) He is currently weighing about 12 pounds (about 2 more pounds than his Daddy Jonathan weighed at his home-coming a few decades ago.)

He already seems to be taking after his big cousin Isaac, as we have been told that he very seriously studies everything going on around him and he smiles alot when talked to :-) We look forward to sharing much, much more with you as we start having pictures and stories to tell :-)

THE STORY BEHIND HIS NAME:

Joshua - meaning "God saves" - is named after the Joshua found in the Old Testament books of Exodus through Joshua. Joshua was chosen as a leader from the tribe of Ephraim to go explore the land that God promised His people. He and Caleb were the only two of the ten spies who believed God's promises in spite of the human challenges Canaan presented. Joshua went on to become the leader of the nation of Israel after Moses.

In Joshua 1 (verses 1-9), God charged Joshua,

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Kento, his middle name, means "Wise Man" in Japanese.

Kohl, for those of you who might be curious, means "Cabbage" in German ;-)


With Hearts Full,
Jonathan & Kendra