Jon and Kate Event

As mentioned in my post yesterday, I had the privilege of seeing Jon and Kate Gosselin (of the TLC show Jon and Kate + 8) speak on Saturday. I found out about the event through their website. They had a section that showed where they were planning to speak, and out of curiosity I checked to see if they were coming near where I live. I was surprised to see that they were coming to speak at a church about 40 miles from my house, so I figured out how to get tickets (they were luckily free!) and managed to get them. Since I'm the only one in my family that watches the show, I had to go by myself, but that was fine by me.

Hearing them speak was very moving and thought provoking. I know that it has to be difficult to raise eight kids (twins and sextuplets), but I had no idea some of the hardships that they had been through. What really struck me through the night was their complete faith and devotion to God. I'll try to recount some of the main points that they spoke about.

1. When their twins were 2 1/2 Kate wanted to have another child, but Jon didn't yet. Kate was working as a labor and delivery nurse and met a young patient who she bonded with. The girl had just told her parents a couple of days before that she was pregnant, so the girl was wanting to give her child up and really wanted Kate to adopt him. She really wanted to, because it was very difficult for her to have children and she really wanted another one, so she talked to Jon about it. What was moving to me was how they put their faith in God to give them the strength to make the right decision for their family. They decided not to adopt the child.

2. Getting pregnant with the sextuplets. The fertility doctor wanted them to reduce the number of pregnancies, but even through their fear they knew that was completely out of the question. The thing that struck me most about it was through her tears as the doctor was adamant about reduction she looked to Jon and asked him if he could look God in the eye one day and say that you had no problem killing some of your children to make your life easier. This got the point across to the doctor and he shut up. I know that had to be an incredibly difficult decision for them to make, but they put their trust in God to see them through.

3. Kate had to go on bed rest starting at 7 weeks. SEVEN WEEKS. That had to be absolute misery. She said that when she went into the hospital at 20 weeks that she could only lay on her right side for the remainder of the pregnancy, and that it was actually FLAT after the fact. She tried to move to her other side but the babies kept jumping on the bed so much that she had to turn to make them happy.

4. Jon lost his job three weeks before she went into the hospital. His employer fired him essentially because it was going to cost his company too much to insure them. I cannot even IMAGINE how difficult and frightening of a situation this had to have been for them, but what struck me was how they still, though their terror, but God in control of their situation. Kate said that the important thing that came out of it was that Jon got to spend time with the twins, because beforehand the girls had been shipped off to daycare, which really bothered her because she wasn't able to care for them.

5. Jon didn't get a job until SEVEN MONTHS after the sextuplets were born. (My husband says he remembers them mentioning this as some point on the show, but I don't recall this.) Things were so difficult that Kate was having to call utility companies trying to work out a payment deal because of their situation. They were in real danger of losing their house. But God provided for them. Whenever it seemed that something was really necessary for them, He always found a way for them to get it. One story that particularly struck me was one night they were between feedings with the babies and Kate mentioned to Jon that they needed paper towels (they were going through two rolls a day) and to tell their helpers to put it on the list. (Their helpers had a list of things that they would provide for them if they needed it.) Two hours later their help for the next set of feedings came, and they said that there was something on their doorstep for them. What was it? A case of paper towels from Sam's. Now if that's not God providing, I don't know what is!

Jon continually tried to find a job, from something like Target all the way up to something in his field. The story was always the same: he was either underqualified or overqualified for the job and they wouldn't pay his insurance. Things were getting tough. Then one day someone with the government got a hold of his resume and told him that he was going to personally deliver it to the higher ups. The man followed through and he got a job (with great state insurance). Jon never even applied for the job; someone just heard about him and helped.


After they spoke they took 25 questions, ranging from how their privacy has been affected by the show and the role of faith on their show to raising their kids with organic food. I wish that they had been able to answer more questions than this, but that was how many the group that organized the event allowed. (It easily could have gone on...happily...for hours.) After the event they had a picture signing. You weren't allowed to take your own pictures (they're under contract with TLC over it and would've gotten in trouble), but they were selling ones of their family and kids that had been professionally done, and the money is going to a college fund for their kids. I waited with about 100 other people to get some pictures and to speak with them. Unfortunately I guess I got a bit of celebrity shock, because by the time it was my turn to speak all I could get out sounded like "der, dum, blah blah blah urg". It didn't help that the people behind me were chomping at the bit to talk and pretty much pushed me along. Jon did speak to me a bit. I told him it was the first time I'd gotten out without my girl (meaning in a really long time), and he said I should go shopping, and I said I did.

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I truly enjoyed hearing the Gosselins speak. Hearing how God has influenced their lives has made me take stock of my own life, and I hope that I am able to keep learning these lessons in the days to come and develop a faith as strong as they have had through their hardships.

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NOTE: I took the pictures down because I realized today that they were copyrighted. Yikes! No harm was intended.