He owns a cattle on a thousand hills...so of course He can provide $10,000

If that is His will.

Remember...about 10 days ago our prayer was that God would provide $10,000 in just 10 days? Sounds like an unrealistic goal to most people. How in the world would that happen? But with God, nothing is impossible.

We have been able to witness a miracle this week. God provided in the most amazing way. With such generous gifts from friends and family and even virtual strangers.
We are humbled.
Stunned.
Amazed.

God answered our prayers. The goal has been reached. That's how God works sometimes...in miracles. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. He is the giver of every gift. We are so thankful. We prayed that if this was His will, that He would keep the doors opened. And He did.

I feel like I am an emotional wreck. I have cried every day. We spent some time praying as a family last night listing all the ways God worked in our adoption story and thanking God for each step of the way. It was a joy to think back to so many influences that have gotten us here today. We want to say thank you. Though "thank you" doesn't even begin to express our gratitude. We feel so unworthy of the love and support. Thank you for being part of the story that we will someday tell the boys. How many people worked to bring them home to our family. Praying that God uses them in mighty ways to serve Him.


My dear Sweet Peas,

God has worked a miracle this week. We are praying that God uses you in big ways to serve Him and glorify Him in all you do. We are one step closer to coming to get you. We love you.

Love, Mom

learning a little more how God works

I have had the heart for adoption for a long time. Even as a young child, I was interested in it. I believe God planted that seed early on in my life. Thinking that was something I hoped would be in my future. And as the years began to fly by, God preserved that seed and nurtured it along the way. A few years ago I did an deep study on the book of Ephesians and began to understand more about God's heart for adoption. How He has opened His family and that I am grafted into the Family of God by way of His son.

We wanted to wait until we moved to our current state and settled into a home before we plunged ahead with finding an agency and make the decision to go with international adoption or domestic. The more we studied and investigated, our hearts were drawn toward Africa and the need there for permanent homes for children. But honestly, the cost is something that was holding us back.

We were fully aware that the cost of an international adoption would range between $25,000 and $40,000 (and up). We were recovering from selling our home in a very depressed market and trying to make up the cost of the move. Our adoption nest egg was small, but we really felt that God was calling us NOT to lean on our own understandings. That HE would provide as needed. And by doing so, it would allow us to be part of the blessings of the family of God. To fully understand how the body works. As a team, not as an individual.

This morning, the girls and I were reading about Gideon going into attack with an army that had been cut down (God's choice) from 32,000 to 300 men. In Judges 7:2-3, it mentions that God doesn't want Israel to think that it was their own strength and power that saved them. And if you don't know the story...God's side wins. =)

Think about that...He pruned them down to allow His strength and power to shine. Boy, can I relate to that this morning. God pruned us back (financially) so He could show HIS strength and might. It is God who has supplied the money we have needed this week to press ahead with the referral of the boys. To HIM be the glory.

By the way...we are over the $8000 mark. God is so good. His plan is perfect and His ways are above and beyond ours. Thank you for being part of the miracle of how He works.



Sweet Peas,

By being part of the adoption journey, we have been able to see God work in so many ways. I pray that you see how God worked the details out for you to come home to our family.

We love you,

Love, Mom

More ways of how God provides

We are proceeding ahead with the referral this week, continuing to trust God for His leading and will for our family. Like I have share many times already, we are amazed at the funds that have been provided that we need. God is good all the time.

I also just found out that we have another neat provision. When we come back from travel to get the boys, we will have to re-adopt them here in the states so we can get official birth certificates and such. Which is, as you can imagine, another cost that is involved. We had some local friends just finalize their re-adoption last week (yay Rogers family). Well...my parents have a friend here that is an adoption attorney who is willing to help us out when it is time. All we will need to pay is the court cost and he is willing to donate his time. WOW...how cool. A significant savings for us and a blessing for sure.

God keeps swinging the door wide open and bidding us to trust Him for each step of the way.


Dear Sweet Peas,

We spent some time today making a plan for when you transition into our family. It gives us lots to think about and pray for. Do you know we pray every day for you, knowing we can't be there to meet your needs now. But we can pray that God protects and cares for you. We are praying that when you come home, your bodies, minds and spirits are healthy.

Love, Mom

kid's fundraiser (and our updates)

A few weeks back, a friend of the girls was working hard at coming up with ideas of how to have a fundraiser for our adoption. How sweet of her to have a passion for orphans and want to help us out. So...because of her idea, the girls got signed up for a community kids yard sale. They rented a table and gathered some toys, books and puzzles, made some homemade treats and set out.

The timing was perfect for this fundraiser, since the need for the money is now. Love how God knows all those details already. =) Here they are ready to greet their customers. Something they will all have in common - they will all big big sisters to Ethiopian siblings. Hope's family brought their little girl home in June.
We arrived early Saturday morning (and boy...it was cold). We really didn't know what to expect. Would any one shop at this??? Would they sell anything??? We were hoping that these girls would not be disappointed with how things turned out. It turns out they had a great time.


There wasn't much room to display their things. And we had recently had yard sales and had gotten rid of a lot of toys already. So to make up for the lack of things to sell, we made some brownies, a friend made some cookies to sell. Hope made doggie treats and reign deer food. Even her younger brother made soap to sell.

My friend Robin came and made balloon flowers and swords to give out to the kids. She wanted to help in any way she could to be a support. We were so thankful and appreciative to these families.Here is the gym full of kids selling their stuff. The girls worked all morning and raised about $100. They had a great time and it was important for them to feel like they were able to help and contribute.



We are so thankful for all the support and donations this week. God has been working and laying our needs on people's hearts. We are amazed and honored and humbled all at the same time. To have so many of you be so generous and giving is such a blessing. Thank you so much for all the help.

Our total as of right now is about $7400. We are going to work on the paperwork that we need to send in. We will have our packet ready to mail on Friday. Trusting God for all we need. Thanks so much for praying for our family. We will continue to keep you posted.




Sweet Peas,

It was so fun to show your picture around to our local friends this week. Every one comments on how beautiful you two are. We have been bursting with joy. It is hard to contain our love for you since God placed you in our hearts.

Love, Mom

Amazed at how God works

Thank you !!!!!!!!!!!! Thank YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


It has been amazing to watch God provide our needed funds this week. One of the most amazing things is to have others advocating for us. Friends (some of whom we have never met face to face) are sharing our needs with their friends and church members. Some of you have shared our need with your yahoo groups or even posted it on your own blogs. Thank you so much.

Thank you for praying and lifting up our burdens. We are so grateful to be blessed by so many different people and in such different ways. You have given what you can and we are so appreciative. Chuck's high school basketball coach (who he has reconnected with on fb) went to his church and shared our need and they are sending a check. Our church in California that we miss so terribly, is helping us out. We have gotten money from other families that are fundraising themselves for their own adoption. We have been blessed by families and friends near and far.

I was tucking Tissy in last night and noticed a verse she has on her closet door.

My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Philippians 1:8

What wonderful truth. I am grateful that the girls can learn first hand that God is the one who supplies our needs.



Our new total of what God has provided.....

$6862


Praise God !!! May He get the glory !!!!!

Sweet Peas,

This morning I wish I could hug you. Just like I hug the girls when they come down the stairs each morning ready for breakfast. I can't wait until I can help you start your day with a hug from mommy.

Love, Mom

Watching a miracle take place

I am amazed. I am watching a miracle take place. God is providing in such amazing ways. We are halfway to the goal. Did you get what I just said???? God has provided about $5000 in less than 3 days. Let me shout the praises that we serve a living God. He is all powerful. In control. Sovereign. Merciful. Gracious. Works in ways we can't even comprehend. He continues to provide. Praise be His name. We have been blessed by family, friends, other adoptive families that are also fundraising, churches, people that we have never met. I am in awe of how others are advocating for us and for these precious boys.

Thank you doesn't even cover how grateful we are. May God bless each giver and each one who is praying with us. We are blown away by your generous spirit and loving support. I am still praying that God receives the glory for this mighty miracle.


Dear Sweet Peas,

We are praying for good health for each of you and God's hand of mercy to continue to be upon you. What a great story He is writing for you to learn about who He is and how graciously He loves us.

Love, Mom

falling into place

We have our international adoption pediatric phone consult today. This is a new requirement for our agency to have an international pediatrician review the referral package. This will help us get a handle on what we are looking at as far as the health needs of the boys (imagine no medical records but only one doctor visit report to work from). This also lets us know what things are typical of Ethiopian orphans (malnutrition, skin issues....that kind of thing). We requested as healthy as possible, with minor correctable medical health needs. Remember...there is no guarantee with any kids that they will be health (either adopted or natural birth).

We are also PRAISING GOD for His provision so far. We are still praying that God provides $10,000 in 10 days (by Friday the 11th). So far God has provided $2887 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are in awe of your generosity and support. We are so very thankful for the gifts and we can hardly express our gratitude enough. Thank you so much for joining with us to care for these orphans. Thank you !!!!! I am praying that God blesses you for all of your support.

I love how when God provides, it is for His glory and not ours. This is His story, and I pray that in all we do we glorify Him.


My dear Sweet Peas,

I was up in the night praying for you. Trusting that you are adjusting well and eating enough and feeling lots of love from the workers there at HH. God is moving mountains to make all of the details fall into place. He is a powerful God and I can't wait until I can teach you about Him.

Love, Mom

God is not surprised - He is in control

God is not surprised by how quickly this adoption and referral has come together. Though we thought it would take 6 months or so to get to this stage. God knew it would take only a few weeks. I am leaning on the truths of God's Word as we face the mountain that needs to be moved.

Since we are adopting siblings, the costs are obviously more than for one child. It is less than if you did 2 adoptions at 2 different times. But the truth is, it is expensive.

Chuck is working hard at getting our cars sold so we can get some cash in hand. Plus...we don't have room in our car for 2 extra sweet kiddos. So mini van...here we come.

Our prayer is that God provides $10,000 in 10 days. That is when we need it by to send in our acceptance of the referral.

We have already been blessed by support from our friends and family. We are humbled and blessed beyond our expectation. Thank you for the love and support. And we are so grateful for your prayers.

At the bank this morning, I was able to share with the workers there our pictures and provide a testimony of God and His plan for our family. I can't wait to share how God works out all the details.

I want to share a prayer that we read today in our Advent devotion time with the kids.

O, Lord, help me to see your future possibilities in spite of the limitations of the present moment. Amen.

Sweet Peas,

We lift you up in prayer all day long. We are thankful that you have a bed to sleep in tonight at the orphanage. We are thankful that you have food to eat and special mothers to take care of you until we can come and take you home.

We love you !!!

Love, Mom

tender

Such a sweet moment that I want to record here for Sweet Pea to read someday. In fact that is why I wanted to start another blog just for the adoption so I could make it into a book when we are done with this and include it as part of their "life book". So, here goes...


We have had to have workers here in the house for about 2 weeks working on our bathroom tile. We found a leak that was from when the house was built and needed to get it taken care of before it became a larger problem (so thankful the builder took care of this). So it has been kind of fun to share with these different guys about the adoption process. One of the workers was here the week we submitted our dossier and got to rejoice in the accomplishment of that task. Yesterday, the last guy was here sealing the grout and as he was leaving, he put some money on the counter and said he wanted to contribute to the adoption fund.

It was just such a tender moment and so very sweet and thoughtful of a virtual stranger to take part in our journey. I am beginning to see how God has weaved together a large group of people to be part of our encouragement and support as we go through this process. It is not my plan, but God's. He is in control and He is trustworthy. I am so thankful for these sweet and tender moments.



Sweet Pea,

Please know how so many people worked to bring you into our family. The family that God designed from the beginning of time.

Love, Mom

faith

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

The adoption journey is one that has many ups and downs. In fact, most of life is like that. And yet, whether the day brings mountain high moments or deep valley moments, God is still God and He is still in control.

About 2 weeks ago, when we were finishing up with our homestudy paperwork and looking at the dossier documents that needed to still be completed, God really challenged my faith. You see, when we complete our dossier and send it in to our agency, we need to send it in with the next payment for the adoption. And to be quite honest, we have not had the funds to complete that next stage. Part of me wanted to just wait until we had the money, instead of working hard on the paperwork for the dossier, knowing we couldn't send it in since we were short more than $3000.

But God really challenged my faith. I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit to keep going on the paperwork for the dossier, IN FAITH, trusting that God would provide. So, desiring to respond in obedience, we have been pressing ahead. Working on our documents, checking things off the list, and we only have about 3 things left to do which will only take a day or so to finish.

Just this week, God blessed us with generous gifts from friends and family and we were so amazed at how God has provided. We are so thankful and humbled by the outpouring of love and support from others. I cried each time I opened an envelope from friends or family. We are just so very thankful for each and every gift. So blessed. So grateful. Feeling so unworthy of your generosity.

We had been asked to share our testimony at church tonight about the adoption and share how God is working in our lives to trust Him. We were happy to share and hopefully give God the glory in all that we do. To share about having a heart for God's children and for the nations. We shared that we have been praying that God would provide just what we need in order to send in our dossier. The pastor said that they have been praying for our family and God laid it on some one's heart to help us with our adoption costs. They presented us with a check for the funds that we needed for this next stage of the adoption. Just what we were lacking to send in our dossier.

We are so grateful for our almighty God, who provides just what we need. He is so faithful. I am reminded again of how He works. Rather than trusting in our own savings. Rather than sitting back and not pressing ahead in faith. Trusting. Believing in God who is the giver of all.

A friend of mine said that God loves His orphaned children. That he works in special ways to take care of His children. I feel so unworthy to even be walking this path and to be blessed in this way. May He receive all the glory.


Sweet Pea,

God is teaching me so much as we are trusting Him. This has been God's plan and God's timing. I have learned to rely on God for each part of our adoption of you. I am so glad that God called us to do this. I look forward to the day we are all together as a family.

Love, Mom

God provides

The Lord Provides

His mercies are new every morning.

His timing is perfect.

He is trustworthy.

He is faithful.

I will trust in Him.

Again, I am blown away by God's provisions. I just want to give HIM the glory. Yesterday I was blessed by a devotional from this site (HERE). It was a great reminder that stepping out in faith requires a risk. Part of it read: If we could see every detail about where God was leading and how He would provide, we wouldn't need faith.

How true is that? We can not see every detail of how life will turn out and that keeps us depending on God. We need to continue to have faith in our Mighty GOD. And as we step out in faith to follow where He leads, we don't have all the plans worked out. We will need God to provide in His timing and in His way.

I was blessed by a mailbox moment. You know the kind, you open a card and out drops a check for the exact amount you need. That is right, for now, the exact money that we needed to continue on showed up as a delivery from God. How fantastic that a member of the body of Christ was tuned into the Spirit and responded in obedience.

I have been trying to figure out how to come up with this particular sum of money and God had it all worked out. He knows our needs and if it is His will, He will bless.

What an amazing thing to be blessed in this way. May God only receive the glory in all that we do.

JEHOVAH-JIREH:



The Lord will Provide