No Greater Joy Mom

treasures of darkness

2012-02-13T17:53:00.005-07:00

"I will give you the treasures of darkness,

riches stored in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the LORD."

Isaiah 45:3

Last week I came to all of you and asked you to add children to a post which I dedicated to those whom I believe the Bible refers to as "the least of these"--the ones who are forgotten, hurting, living in horrific conditions our minds and our hearts simply cannot fathom, suffering of diseases which can be controlled (and sometimes even healed), and literally perishing...not because of their "special needs" but from sheer neglect, poverty, malnutrition, and abandonment.

I sat at my computer with tears running down my face as child after child got added. Before I knew it, there were over 100 children listed there. Each precious child with one thing in common...a desperate need to be rescued!

As I read through each child's story and prayed that they would be chosen, as I read the words "transferred" over and over again, something occurred to me...

People just don't know!

Unless you are involved in the adoption community and hear stories time and time again of children who have been transferred to mental asylums, or "institutions," how could you possibly know the fate of these children? How could you know the urgency of their situation? There was once a time when I had no idea. If I ever heard the word "institution" I just assumed it was some kind of government run organization where orphans lived. No big deal. How wrong I was!

As I prayed about it over the last few days, I felt sure in my heart that I needed to dedicate this week of blogging to sharing something with you that is so seldom spoken about, that is sometimes easier to pretend doesn't exist, and is a reality that is so often hidden in darkness....

The shocking plight of the child who has been transferred (or is confined to a "laying room").

Why? Because I believe that this issue needs to be brought into the light more often. When the light of Christ shines gloriously into even the darkest of situations...the darkness must flee. As the body of Christ, we need to shine the light of Jesus and do whatever we possibly can to make a difference in the lives of these children who are literally wasting away behind locked doors. But first, we need to know the truth of what happens in faraway places--where "treasures of darkness" are hidden away from the eyes of the world (Isaiah 45:3). They truly are "riches stored in secret places" as the book of Isaiah describes.

I am praying that the eyes of our hearts will be opened this week as I share stories, photos, and the most amazing miracle accounts with you. It's the magnificent power of God to redeem a child! I am asking the Father even now to stir our hearts into action so that we can all do something (big or small) to make a profound difference in the life of a child.

To begin this week, I asked my special friend, Julia, if I could share her story. Julia and her hubby, Rob, adopted their very handsome boy, Aaron, from an institution in 2010. To say that their lives were forever changed is an understatement! They returned home completely broken, but so willing to do whatever it took to create an awareness of the precious ones they had to turn their backs and walk away from...the "Lost Boys" who got left behind.

Julia's account of their experience is chilling. I read it through tears. But, my friends, this is reality. This is what really happens. This is the stuff people don't want to talk or read about because as they so often say--It's just "too hard." But it's no longer good enough to turn a blind eye! It's just not. We can no longer carry on in our llittle bubbles and pretend that these atrocities do not exist...because they do.

And, like it or not, it IS our problem!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sad Reality (Part One)
by Julia Nalle

Many of you have seen this picture. It was taken back in 2006 at a special-needs institute in Eastern Europe. It's a shocking picture that appears to speak of abuse and neglect. Soon after we committed to Aaron, I saw it on the internet. It stopped my heart. I could hardly look at it. It horrified me, because I knew that Aaron had been transferred to a special-needs institute just like these poor boys. At that time, I had little idea what that meant. My one consolation was that the picture wasn't taken in Aaron's country.

Our first days at Aaron's institute were overwhelming-- the chaos and craziness, the unnerving sights, sounds, and smells. We could hardly take it all in. We wanted to run and hide and play with Aaron separately in some safe corner away from all of the disquiet. But Aaron delighted in his newfound freedom, and he wanted to roam the grounds. Although he had lived at his institute for an entire year, he had seen only a small part of it. So he set out to explore, with the three of us in tow. It made us uncomfortable. We weren't sure the staff wanted us spying out their secrets, and we were embarrassed by some of the things we saw. So we tried to contain Aaron, keep him in our assigned gazebo up by the gate. But Aaron's legs could not be contained, and we had no parental authority with him as yet, so we walked.

His favorite new route took us past the shed where the lowest-functioning boys spent their summer days. They had absolutely nothing to do but wait for the next snack or mealtime. They all sat on their groundcloths, staring, moaning, crying. At first, we could hardly bear to look.

Around the corner was a large building which, we were told, used to house Aaron's group. It was crumbling, but the caretakers still used parts of it. On the far end was a shed for the institute's tractor and wagon. The near end contained what we thought were broken-down bathroom stalls with rows of potty chairs. Because it was doorless and dilapidated, we assumed that it was being used for storage. For several days, as we walked that way so that Aaron could see the tractor, we walked right by that shed full of boys and right by those filthy bathroom stalls with their rows of potty chairs without ever connecting the two. We thought we were seeing a junk pile. Our minds couldn't grasp what we were seeing.

Aaron also wanted us to see his friends from his group, the highest group. He wanted us to see his world, and he wanted his friends to see and share his new toys. We tried to stop him, but in the end we always went along. Because of Aaron's persistence, we were forced to face the uncomfortable sights, sounds and smells of his world all through those first weeks. The caretakers were uncomfortable with our presence, embarrassed by what we might see, but they didn't stop us.

Once again, much of what we saw didn't register. It was too chaotic to grasp at first glance. So the first time we rounded the corner and found Aaron's group all sitting on little chairs around the grounds, we didn't immediately understand. Our minds could only absorb it in small pieces. It took us a while to realize that we were seeing "The Picture," the one at the top of this post, in real life. It was a sad reality, shocking because we knew that our boy had lived this way for a year, but also softened because we knew the hearts of the caretakers.

I've prayed and considered how best to tell this part of our story. I don't want to sensationalize our experience, and I don't want to horrify anyone. I am not interested in raising an uproar, even if I could. I only want people to know about the plight of the children who aren't adopted from the baby houses and end up being transferred.

When you first see this picture you probably think, as I did, that it speaks of abuse and neglect. And so it may, in the place where it was taken. But neglect is not necessarily the norm in all such institutes. We have to understand that these Eastern European mental institutes are simply poor, extremely poor. These countries are poor, and most of their citizens are poor. We were told that a college-educated teacher might expect to make only about $3000 US per year. It is not surprising that in such impoverished countries, the poorest citizens-- orphans committed to mental institutions-- have to endure conditions that most of us find shocking. These institutions depend entirely upon money allotted to them by the government, and they're not high on the budget priority list. They rarely receive private donations-- those go to the baby houses-- and the church seems to be most interested in putting shiny brass roofs on all of its neglected buildings.

At Aaron's institute, the staff works hard to make ends meet. They feed the boys as well as they can, and although none of them are emaciated (unlike the picture), they do not have an overabundance of food. It is just enough. The staff is small, too small. The caretakers are overworked and grossly underpaid in their thankless, highly depressing jobs. Their caretaking chores include all of the cleaning and laundry for over 100 boys. They are also commissioned to weed the flower beds and sweep the sidewalks and yards. Many of the buildings don't have indoor plumbing, and even if they do, they are not equipped to handle large volumes.

Thus, the potty chairs. It is a very sad reality. The only way so few caretakers can manage the daily bodily functions of so many boys is to sit them all down on their potty chairs at the same time, several times each day. When you see cute little toddlers sitting on the potty, you get one picture; but walking in on about 20 older boys, all sitting undressed on tiny potty chairs, is a whole different image. It's an image I will never forget. In this case it speaks not of abuse, but of poverty. It speaks not of neglect, but of desperation. The exhausted caretakers at Aaron's institute love their boys, but need forces them to treat them like products on an assembly line. As time passed and we learned to know and love the individual boys, the indignity of their situation saddened us all the more.

Why do I share this? Because I have a duty to speak out for the helpless and the voiceless. We need to pray. We need to pray that God will inspire his church, in both that country and our own, to get its hands dirty, go into these forgotten institutes and minister to the Lost Boys and Girls. They need so much. Their caretakers are weary and overburdened.

At Aaron's institute, we have to send a powerful message that these boys are wanted. Aaron's adoption is not enough. Brady and Heath also desperately need families so that the authorities can see that there is hope for all the rest of the Lost Boys. They cannot be forgotten. I pray that God will show us how to open up Aaron's institute so that the church can go marching inside. I desire with all my heart to see His light and His love offered to those precious boys and their weary caretakers.

Part 2 tomorrow.

this week....

2012-02-13T07:09:00.002-07:00

Happy Monday, everyone.

I posted this on Saturday, but quickly wanted to repost it this morning as I know many people don't read blogs over the weekends--and I don't want to miss out on anyone. I have a project which I have been working on for this coming week. Starting later today I will begin sharing on something which seriously just rips my heart out. It is a very, very sad reality--one which needs to be spoken about more often.

I am urgently looking for families who have adopted a child/children out of an institution (mental asylum), or children who were in laying rooms in an orphanage, or those who came home so severely neglected and malnourished and were literally hanging on by a thread. Are you willing to share your child's story? I would absolutely love to hear from you! Please e-mail me at nogreaterjoymom@gmail.com and I will fill you in on the details--and then you can decide if you would like to be part of it, or not. Thanks!

If you have already written to me and have not heard back yet--I do have your details and will get back to you either today or tomorrow. I have a rather crazy day with doctors appointments today, so it will probably be tonight. I so appreciate all the e-mails I have already received.

Also, if you know of someone else who has adopted a child as I have described above, would you please let them know to get in touch with me? Thank you so very much!

Have a super blessed day!

for all the reasons

2012-02-12T10:04:00.003-07:00

I love you....

~~~ After all these years you still make me laugh with the completely ridiculously silly things you come up with.

~~~ I love that you are possibly the worst dancer ever! It's no wonder we got kicked out of ballroom dancing lessons (after just one lesson).

~~~ I giggle every time I hear you improvising the words of songs--even though you totally think you're singing it perfectly.

~~~ You love your family passionately.

~~~ Your heart for orphans is a beautiful thing.

~~~ You are willing!--willing to go where God sends us, willing to do what He calls us to do. Your answer is always yes. You understand reckless abandon.

~~~ You always go out of your way to spoil me and remind me that I am loved. It touches me deeply.

~~~ I love your two left feet and can hear my mom laughing from heaven every time you do something goofy.

~~~ With little, or with much...you have learned to be content in all situations.

~~~ You love my extended family as your own and miss them as much as I do.

~~~ You clean toilets!

~~~ When you cook a meal, it seriously looks like a bomb was dropped on our kitchen! But you are so thoughtful to always leave it spotlessly clean...because you know it's important to me.

~~~ "The look" still does it for me.

~~~ You are the most considerate man I have ever met.

~~~ I can get out of bed and look my absolute worst ever...but you still tell me I'm beautiful. How can that be?

~~~ I love how deeply you care for your patients as a hospice chaplain. God has anointed you to care for those who are forgotten and so often abandoned.

~~~ I can hardly believe that almost 15 years have gone by since we had our first (ever!) kiss at the altar. What an adventure it has been! I would not change any part of it for anything in the world. It hasn't always been easy, but I have always felt so confident that things would always work out (and they do). If God be for us, who can be against us?

~~~ You hate gardening as much as I do.

~~~ You so graciously put up with my neverending honey-do's, my complete obsession with painting our house every bright color known to man, and my constant stream of texts asking you to bring "just one more thing home from the grocery store."

~~~ You make our bed every morning...and apologize if you're running late and can't do it. Rocking husband!

~~~ I love your teachable heart.

~~~ You are truly a man after God's own heart! If God's not in it, neither are you.

Happy (early) Valentine's Day to the man I love with all my heart.

It is so much fun living life with you, Honey!

For all the times I forget to say it or should say it more often...I appreciate you with all my heart, love you to infinity and way beyond, and am so very thankful that you are mine.

can you help?

2012-02-11T16:13:00.001-07:00

Hey, friends.

I have a project which I am working on for this coming week.

I am urgently looking for families who have adopted a child/children out of an institution (mental asylum), or children who were in laying rooms in an orphanage, or those who came home so severely neglected and malnourished and were literally hanging on by a thread. Are you willing to share your child's story? I would absolutely love to hear from you! Please e-mail me at nogreaterjoymom@gmail.com and I will fill you in on the details--and then you can decide if you would like to be part of it, or not. Thanks!

Also, if you know of someone else who has adopted a child as I have described above, would you please let them know to get in touch with me? Thank you so very much!

announcing winners

2012-02-11T11:34:00.002-07:00

Good morning, friends.

Just stopping by quickly. With the help of http://www.random.org/ I have the names of a few winners of different things that I have offered as giveaways here on my blog. It is such a joy to be able to do this.

Firstly, I am so, so thankful to almost 200 of you who donated to these fundraising families. Wow! From the bottom of my heart, please know that I appreciate it very much--and I know they do too.

Christina 0469 ($200 Walmart gift card)

Joy ($250 Walmart gift card)

SuperEdna (250 Visa card)

Des Christopher ($250 Walmart gift card)

And here are the five winners of the Resolution for Women giveaway.

The McEacherns

ccfaith5

Anne Petitt

mlrowan

Traci

Congrats to all the winners! I am so happy for you all.

Please contact me at nogreaterjoymom@gmail.com so that I can get your prizes to you as soon as possible. Thanks!

Have a super blessed Saturday, everyone. Date night with my hubby tonight! Can't wait.

today

2012-02-08T21:39:00.003-07:00

Today the lump in my throat grew bigger with every child who got added.

Today tears flowed for the ones who are without hope.

Today I asked the Father so many times, "Who will rescue the least of these?"

Today I noticed that there were almost 80,000 page views on this post simply because people shared the link. I could not help but think about how incredible it would be if the same number viewed this post--how much more of a chance they would have of being CHOSEN if more people saw their faces and read their stories.

Today I thought about the church--and felt a sadness that the message of the orphan is not being preached more.

Today I counted 95 children listed. That means 95 families urgently needed to save every child on that list. Surely that's not impossible? According to ABC News 83% of people in America identify themselves as Christians. All we need are 95 families to take up the command to care for the orphan in this way.

Today I wished there was a way that we could go. I would do it in a heartbeat if I could.

Today I looked at my four adopted daughters--and was so deeply grateful that they are here with us.

Today I looked at each and every precious face listed...and prayed with everything in me.

Today I felt completely hopeless to do more.

Today I remembered the statistic...95% of these frail children perish in foreign orphanages because they simply cannot survive the horrendous conditions.

Today I wondered how many people would be willing to share their sweet faces, their stories in the hope that they would be found.

Today my heart ached.

Today I wanted to shout from the tallest rooftops, "GIVE THEM A CHANCE! THEY WILL ASTOUND YOU, AMAZE YOU. THEY WILL BE ONE OF YOUR GREATEST TREASURES ON THIS EARTH. PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU...GIVE THEM A CHANCE AT LIFE!"

Today I wondered how many people would turn away from such a desperate need. Sometimes it's easier to turn a blind eye.

Today I could not help but think about what a blessing from the Lord adoption truly is.

Today I remembered how faithful the Father was to provide fully for our four adoptions. How faithful He is to raise the RANSOM.

Today I felt like we are fighting a losing battle.

Today I reminded myself that each and every child rescued is such a glorious victory in the kingdom of God--a child being snatched out of darkness and brought into His glorious light.

Today I remembered what a spiritual battle this is for the lives of children! How the enemy would love to keep them where they are...without hope! But my God is mighty to save!

Today I read the word "transferred" too many times.

Today God gave me a Scripture in a version I had never read before....

"Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help. If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business," will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know— Someone not impressed with weak excuses." (Proverbs 24:11-12 The Message)

Please, friends...these children urgently need your help. Can you please help by sharing the stories of these beautiful angels? Many of them have literally been given a death sentence. A mental asylum is a horrendous place for anyone to be sent to...can you even imagine a child going there? Oh my goodness! My heart cannot fathom it. The conditions they are forced to live in are so heinous.

Please share in the hope and prayer that every single one of these children WILL be chosen soon. Nothing is impossible!

operation: rescue!

2012-02-07T20:44:00.006-07:00

Oh, friends! Some days I honestly feel so desperate. Some days I feel like there is no way that we can ever make a difference in the lives of so many children around the world who are just languishing in cribs, or begging caretakers for a mommy and a daddy, or literally dying of diseases and malnutrition which could so easily be prevented. The statistics are staggering--more than my human heart can comprehend.

And some days I feel like my heart is about to shatter into a million pieces when I see little faces staring at me from my computer screen.

Recently I have had so many requests to advocate for various children-- some of them on the verge of aging out (becoming too old to be adopted), or for one reason or another becoming unadoptable. Some desperately need medical attention which the country they live in cannot (or will not) provide. Each sweet child with just one thing in common...

The URGENT need for someone to come for them.

Honestly? I wish I could highlight every child individually. I wish I could dedicate my days and all my time to advocating for precious treasures just waiting to be found. But I'm just a mom with a not-so-very-big blog. I struggle to find the balance sometimes. I lie in bed at night and ask the Lord to show me ways to help more. Sometimes it feels like a hopeless cause...but then He whispers to my heart that together, as a community of people who care deeply, we can make a difference!

So I have been thinking about something. Today, I am going to try something a little different. Just as I have used a Linky tool to help fundraising families in the past, I am going to try and use it for children in URGENT situations. I've never done it before, so I have no idea how it will work. But it is definitely worth a try! I am praying that it may be a way of letting people know of many children who are running out of time or are in desperate need of finding their family, as opposed to me just bringing one at a time to your attention.

Below is a place for you to add children you know of who are seriously in need of being rescued quickly. You are welcome to add them. Simply click on the link and it will prompt you to add the details. You will need to link to a website that the child is listed on (the exact page where they can be found), or a blog post where someone has shared their story. Make sure you add a photo of the child in the thumbnail--people like to see faces! Also, you will be able to give a brief description in the thumbnail.

IMPORTANT: Please, the only thing I ask is that you only list children who are in DESPERATE NEED--either time is running out for them soon, or they need urgent medical attention, or they are about to be transferred to an institution (or have already been transferred). I know that ALL orphans need families, but as you all know, there are some who are just in dire need of being rescued quickly--before it is too late.

Lastly, in order for us to share these sweet children with as wide an audience as possible in the hope that their families find them as soon as possible, can I ask you to please share this link on all social networks that you are part of? The ONLY way these angels will be found and rescued is if we share their stories!

Thank you so very much for believing with me that every child who is listed below WILL be rescued...that they will NOT become another one of the statistics of orphans who die unnecessarily...because nobody answered the call.

Together, we CAN make a difference!

*** Updated to add that if you are unfamiliar with international adoption--"transferred" means that a child has been moved from a baby house to a mental institution for adults and children. Few can survive the conditions in these places! It truly becomes a race against time to rescue these children--they are living on borrowed time.

let's play

2012-02-06T23:25:00.001-07:00

One of the questions I got asked a lot on this post was about Hailee.

"I'm curious about Hailee. She looks like she is a different child to the one you brought home from the orphanage. I'm wondering what she is like at home. Does she play at all?"

I have so many things to share about my beautiful Hailee. She is doing so amazingly well. And yes, she really is a new creation in every way. I look at her these days and I simply cannot even believe that she was once this child. She really has come a very long way. In the days to come I will share more about where Hailee is developmentally and how she is doing. Words cannot express how much we love this little lovie. She is a treasure, for sure.

But for now, to answer the question. Does Hailee ever play with anything or any one?

YES! Hailee loves, loves, loves to play.

With anything.

She will sit and play with anything she can get her hands on for hours and hours. Texture and sounds are so important to her. She is fascinated by the most random things.

She loves to toss things in the air (we are constantly dodging flying objects--girl has a serious arm on her!).

And be totally silly.

What an absolute JOY this little girl is to our family.

She simply makes life so much sweeter and lovelier.

Just because she's precious Hailee.

Fearfully and wonderfully created in the image of her Father in heaven who adores her--and never makes mistakes.

He does ALL things well!

How abundantly blessed we are that He chose us to be her parents.

I am forever grateful.

~~~~~~~

Anthony has begun his series on a silent addiction which is ripping families apart all over the world, including families in the church--internet sex. You can follow along here.

looking back, looking forward

2012-02-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

I woke up yesterday morning with my darling seven-year-old son's face literally in my face. He simply could not wait one more minute for me to wake up.

"So, Mom, are you happy about being forty today?" he asked.

"Yes, honey, I am. Why do you ask?"

"Well, because I really like it that you are old now!" He said in all his sweet innocence.

Old? I had to laugh.

And just like that, the fabulous forties began!

I cannot even begin to tell you what a blessed day I had.

Having a big birthday sure does make one ponder life--all that has been, all that is to come.

It's crazy to me how fast the past ten years have gone. It almost feels like yesterday that I celebrated my thirtieth birthday when we were living in Perth, Australia. My precious husband always does such an incredible job of making my birthdays so memorable and amazing. He is totally awesome! Yesterday, he outdid himself. From the time I opened my eyes and found my sweet Cade in my bed, to the time I fell into bed last night, Anthony surprised me and went way out of his way to ensure that I knew with every fiber of my being that I was loved and treasured.

I could not help but count my blessings.

My many, many blessings.

And ponder.

And think about how exceedingly thankful I am that God has sustained me for forty years on this earth.

Each year is a gift from the Father. What I choose to do with my time here on earth is what counts. I know that to be truth.

As I have reflected on the last ten years of my life, I could not help but feel tearful. I can honestly say with all my heart that my God has been good to me. Has it always been easy? No way! I could tell you all many of the reasons why it has been difficult and immensely challenging. I could share my hurts and my losses. And I could ponder the painful moments and wonder why in the world God allowed them to happen. But you know what? I would not change any of those experiences for anything the world!

If I had to choose the easy road--the one where I would not need to put my complete faith and trust in my Savior--or the road where I am forced to fully rely on the Lord with everything that I have...that's the one I would choose. A hundred percent. Because it's been in those valley seasons of my life when I have truly seen His hand at work, His heart which is for me, His faithfulness which reaches to the skies, His grace which knows no bounds, and His mercy which my heart cannot fathom. Those valley times have grown me, strengthened me and helped me to understand the lengths, the depths, the heights, and the sheer magnitude of His astonishing love for me, a sinner saved by grace.

I have made so many mistakes in my life. I have fallen on my knees so many times in repentance--trying once again to do things differently a thousand times over. But one thing, I can stand on the highest mountaintop and proclaim in my loudest voice that...

God has been faithful!

He has never, ever let me down.

Through every trial and every valley He has gently taken my hand and shown me the way.

He is trustworthy.

He is dependable.

He is good.

So, so good!

I am so excited to begin a new chapter in my life. I have a heart of expectation to see what God has in store for my family in the months and years to come. My prayer is that I will always be able to graciously accept to walk the paths that He has already chosen for me. Chuck Swindoll once said, "Nothing passes through our hands without first passing through the hands of a loving Father." I love that.

All things must pass through the hands of our God before it reaches us. I pray that I never forget that--in the good times, and the not-so-good. It took me until the latter part of my thirties to finally understand His sovereignty...but I think I get it now.

"For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth." Psalm 33:4-5

It is with great anticipation in my heart that I look to the future. I've given the Father my word...my answer will always be YES! No matter what. Each and every time He calls me by name--each time I hear His Word speaking to my heart saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8)

I pray that I will always have the guts, the courage, the faith, and the trust in my God to say...

“Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

Come...What...May.

Bring on the fabulous forties!

choosing to bloom

2012-02-03T16:50:00.002-07:00

"As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night." Genesis 8:22

"You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter." Psalm 74:17

"She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes." Proverbs 21:31

"Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth." 1 Timothy 6:6

Learning daily to find deep, satisfying, unwavering contentment.

And choosing this day to bloom where He has planted me.

my latest find giveaway

2012-02-02T16:02:00.003-07:00

I love to read! And though I don't find a whole lot of time to sit on the couch, put my feet up with a steaming cup of coffee and read for many [uninterrupted] hours, I do love to glean wisdom from godly authors on subjects such as mothering, being the wife God calls me to be, homeschooling, special needs...and anything else I need encouragement on. Trust me, I need all the encouragement and advice I can get!

I am a huge work in progress! I stumble, fall, get back up again, and fail more times that I even care to count. Some days I fall into bed at night and feel like I failed miserably--like I simply could not get anything right. Those days are tough. But rather than sweep them under the rug and move right along, I would much rather invite the Great Refiner to bring His fire and mold and make me into who He desires me to be.

I long to live a holy life. I want to constantly be reminded of areas that I need to work on. God is always so faithful to gently lead and guide me. Sometimes He uses His Word. Other times He uses my husband or a dear friend. And then there are the times that He speaks to me through the writing and wisdom of others. Somehow though, He always gets His message across to me.

Recently, while shopping in the bookstore for something else, I picked up a book and started reading. I was instantly hooked and knew that it was one I needed to read in this season of my life. I have needed sweet encouragement in so many areas of my own life in the last few weeks.

I have absolutely loved The Resolution for Women. Written by one of my favorite Bible teachers, Priscilla Shirer, it is such a wonderful read. The book is written in such a personable and engaging way--you almost feel as if the author is sitting down and sharing a cup of tea with you. I love that! As I have gone through the chapters, I have been strengthened, encouraged, and forced to look at areas in my life in which I know need sharpening.

I want to be the wife and helpmate my husband needs me to be. I want to be the daughter and servant God calls me to be. And I so desire to be the kind of mother my children will someday rise up and call blessed (Proverbs 31).

The Resolution for Women has truly been such a timely blessing in my life and I would love nothing more than for you all to be blessed by it too.

Are you in need of some encouragement?

Are there areas in your own life which you know need working on?

Do you need a healthy dose of perspective?

Today, I am going to give away FIVE COPIES of the book here on my blog.

Also, I have been thinking about doing something a little different here, and I would love to have your opinion. I was thinking about sharing on a different chapter each week and having you all join me in discussing it. For example, we would start at the beginning with "A resolution to be content" where I would share from my own life and what the Lord is doing in my heart (which means being extremely open and vulnerable...which is sometimes not very pretty), and then invite you all to share what you personally have gleaned from the chapter in your own lives. My prayer is that it would be a place where we, as sisters in Christ, could share our journeys, our victories, and our struggles, and where we could come alongside one another in prayer and encouragement.

"You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

I would love to hear your thoughts on whether you would like to join in on something like that. Would you please share your thoughts in the comments? I'll make my decision on whether to do the book study based on what you all say in the comments.

Okay, so how do you enter to win a copy of the The Resolution for Women? Easy! Just leave me any old comment on this post.

You will have until February 10 to enter.

two things

2012-02-01T07:22:00.002-07:00

Firstly, today is the last day to enter into the drawing to win one of four amazing gift cards! You can read all about the 18 incredible families we are trying to help bring their sweet children home right here and here. Please consider sowing precious seed into their adoptions--I know they appreciate it so very much.

Many of the families on that list have mere days left to raise the RANSOM they need to bring their angels home from faraway lands. I know the Dirkes family leave in just SIX days to attend court in Eastern Europe. They are so close, yet still so far--they still need thousands to complete Charlotte's adoption. My dear friend, Patti, shared about their dire need here.

Thank you for opening your hearts to these wonderful families who are truly stepping out in faith and trusting the Lord to provide every penny they need. What an honor it is that He uses us, His glorious body, to rally when there is a need.

Gift card winners will be announced later in the week.

~~~~~~~

And secondly, sweet Harper has finally got it!

Can't you tell?

She thinks she's quite clever. And I have to agree.

"Say CHEESE, Harpy!"

Yup, she has finally perfected the art of delivering her biggest grin when prompted.

Sweet baby girl.

You done with this now, Mom?

'Cause I've got places to go and things to do!

Oh, and by the way, Mom...you seen my skateboard anywhere?

She's all about ~~dis~~ABILITY!

pause

2012-01-31T13:03:00.007-07:00

Things have been quiet here on my blog, I know. Truth be told, I have just needed some time to pause and take deep breaths after a very crazy month. I am so behind on everything. It has been one of those times when I have needed to be still and find rest in knowing that my God is more than able to carry every care and every burden on my heart.

I sincerely apologize if you have written to me recently and not received a response. Life has been so busy with everything we have going on right now and unfortunately the thing that always has to take a back seat is my e-mail. I just don't have enough hours in the day to respond to all the e-mails I get. Please know that I pray about every single request I get to help families and children who are in desperate need. My heart aches that I cannot help more people, more often. I just don't know how to do that. I wish I could do more. Thanks for understanding that it is humanly impossible for me to respond to everyone in this season of my life. I do, however, read all the e-mails I get and you are more than welcome to write to me anytime. I love hearing from you.

I have an idea and have been thinking about doing something a little different here on my blog. I'll be back soon to ask your opinion.

May the Everlasting Father be your everything this day!

I am guilty

2012-01-28T22:55:00.002-07:00

Other than the sound of televisions and red lights buzzing above doorways to alert nurses, the hallways were silent. A few stragglers in wheelchairs awkwardly push themselves up and down and up and down, simply to escape the four tiny walls which make up the only home they know. One or two sit on benches--having endless conversations with the air. And another precious one rocks endlessly on a wooden rocking chair to self-soothe. This is their reality.

In the quiet of the night, I heard her. I made my way down the hallway to find where the sound was coming from. I opened her door to find her there—sitting in the corner of her room, hunched over, tears streaming down her delicate, time-worn face. I rushed over to help, not quite knowing what to do…other than love.

“Are you okay,” I asked (choking back tears myself). “I need to get to the bathroom, but I can’t get up. My legs hurt too much and my body won’t move,” she managed to say through her tears.

Ever so slowly, together we made our way to the bathrooms across the hallway—one agonizing step at a time. I held onto her frail 97-year-old body with all the gentleness and tenderness I could muster, guiding her every step of the way. Tears continued to pour down her beautiful face as she begged for mercy.

I ached. I felt completely helpless to take the agonizing, crippling pain away from her.

After what felt like forever, we reached the bathroom and my new friend was finally able to get some much needed relief. As I removed her disposable adult diaper and began to clean her up, tears continued to flow down both of our faces. My heart overflowed with thankfulness that I was able to simply love (when I had no idea how to physically care for her many needs).

Through this precious life, in that very moment, God began to break my heart for something which broke His in two. The eyes of my heart began to open to a desperate reality that I never really gave much thought to. The widow who lies alone in a facility all day, every day. The acutely aware lady with Down syndrome locked away in the Alzheimer’s unit of that same facility. The abandoned!

Gently and with absolute caution to not tear her already paper-thin skin, I continued wiping, cleaning and reassuring my tiny little friend that everything was fine and how much I truly loved helping her—how it was a joy to help her feel clean again.

From behind her sobs and pleas for help, she looked into my eyes. “Please, can you do me a favor?”

“Absolutely! Anything,” I said.

“Please can you pray with me that Jesus would take me home soon? I am ready to meet my Savior face-to-face. I am so tired of the constant pain. I am longing to see my husband again.”

My tears flowed freely as I promised to pray.

I never told her that I was a Christian. Never shared my faith. Sometimes no words are necessary. By our fruit they shall know us, the Bible tells us. (Matthew 7:16)

This week has been such a huge eye-opener for me. My heart has shattered into a million pieces as I have spent my evenings helping out at a long-term care facility. I shared on Facebook earlier in the week that I totally get it now. I really do! I get why the Lord put “widow” and “orphan” together in one passage of Scripture (James 1:27). I get why He commanded us to care for them both.

Both the orphan and the widow (many of them like children themselves) understand something that few of our hearts can fathom…abandonment. They know what it feels like to be left behind.

Sometimes I get so focused on the orphan and doing everything I possibly can to help them that I forget. I forget about the dear souls who live so near to me and who would love nothing more than a visit. I learned this week about the many, many who never, ever get one single visitor. Some have family members who live in other states, others have family who just could not be bothered, and then there are some who have outlived every single family member and will die alone. My sweet friend last night told me that she has outlived her siblings, her husband and his siblings, and even her own children. She has not one single person in the world who can visit her. Can you imagine? I simply cannot fathom living in the same tiny, dreary room for twelve long years and not having a single visitor. I too would be begging the Father to take me home.

I felt convicted, friends. Convicted that I so comfortably live in my four walls and so easily forget about the lost and the desperately lonely. Are we not commanded to visit the widow and the orphan? Some translations say to “care for” and to “look after.” While at the nursing home this week, I counted. I counted the number of visitors who came to visit the residents on the floor I was on. ONE! One person came the entire week.

Oh my!

I am guilty. Some days I feel so desperate when I read about all the heartache in the world and wish that we could take our family back out on the mission field. We miss those days. I wish that we could serve the Lord with all our hearts in some faraway land and make a profound difference—like just being anywhere but here will make me feel like I’m doing it, you know?

This week I needed a healthy dose of perspective, and I sure did get it. Yes, faraway lands need the body of Christ to come and share the Good News with them…but so do those who are locked up in long-term care facilities (or are stuck at home and unable to go out, or just plain hurting) right here on our doorstep. We don’t even need to travel five miles away to make a profound difference in the life of another human being. And let me tell you, they are so, so desperate for someone to come. I saw it with my own two eyes this week.

I get so tired of living in my little bubble. I go to church and get filled right up to overflowing each and every Sunday…and forget to pour it back out for the sake of someone who needs it. I am called (commanded!) to BE the hands and feet of Jesus on the earth. I am called to DO the hard things, love when I don't feel like it, give freely, and live sacrificially.

I am guilty of not fulfilling the greatest command Jesus gave us. I am tired of my petty excuses. Jesus said to love my neighbor…when I feel like it, and when I don’t, when I’m too tired to think about taking on one more burden, when I’m consumed with worry and concern over all the things going wrong in my own life, and when I feel like I’m running on empty and simply cannot give one more little piece of myself..."Love the Lord your God with all your heart…and love your neighbor as yourself.”

I fail. I get so caught up in my here and now existence. I forget that the reality of my concerns and my problems is that they truly are not all that bad...because just down the street is someone else who is in a far worse situation than I am in.

Thank you, my beautiful new friend, for ministering to my heart and for showing me, once again, what truly matters in this life.

I pray that I never forget!

a little girl with a huge heart

2012-01-26T09:48:00.005-07:00

Update: The e-mail address for Lynsay at the bottom of this post was incorrect. Sorry for the error. It is now fixed.

~~~~~~~

Several years ago I met an incredible missionary family via my blog. Lynsay and her precious family of four had been living in Asia for a few years and I was so deeply touched by the impact they were having on the many children who found their way into their home. Shortly after I began following their journey, a very sweet little girl ended up in their care.

Oh my goodness! I cried many tears as I read about her daily struggles and the many obstacles which she faced. I felt such a connection to this sweet one. In many ways she reminded me of our Haven and what she could possibly have been like when she was little. Having a heart for children who are severely delayed, I was so moved by her story and often found myself wondering if a family would ever go and adopt this little lovie.

Recently Lynsay contacted me and told me that they have finally been given permission to find sweet Corrie a family! After years of prayer and trusting the Lord to make a way for Corrie to get all the medical attention she desperately needs, they have been given the green light to advocate for her. Paperwork is being put together and this precious little girl, who has absolutely zero hope of getting the medical attention she so urgently requires in her home country, is finally being given HOPE!

As with our darling little David, right now Corrie is not listed on any waiting child sites. Her adorable little face is not out there (yet!). Her family has no hope of finding her. Which brings me to you, the amazing people who read here. Corrie needs our help! Would you be willing to help Lynsay advocate for Corrie? We need as many people as possible to share her story wherever possible. It is the only way she will be found! Knowing her country and the way things work there, Corrie will have one shot at being adopted. This is her chance.

~~~~~~

From Lynsay (who has cared for and cherished Corrie since she was just a baby):

Writing to describe Corrie in an email, for a blog post, seems almost impossible. I may be able to write eloquently on occasion, but finding words to describe this precious girl escape me, I think perhaps because there just are no words.

In one word she is amazing, but that doesn’t cover it.

If it was only me describing her as such I would expect you would think my words probably come from the heart of a mother who loves their children unconditionally, and you would be right, BUT it isn’t just me, there is a huge long list of people who would describe her as such, and I have that list.

Corrie’s history is complex and in places unknown. She came to us when she was approximately 10 months old. She had septicemia originating from a complicated kidney infection, she was near death and gasping when she arrived at the hospital. She was starving and weighed a mere 3kgs.

After 2 months in the hospital, and several month of rehabilitation at home she began gaining weight and growing. Still she had multiple complicated medical problems ongoing.

Corrie’s struggles and medical problems throughout the years have continued to cause problems. Many times it has been three steps forward, five backwards. She has struggled with illness and faced multiple surgeries to repair her imperforate anus.

Through it all she has kept her bright smile and infectious laughter. Everyone who meets her loves her as she never has anything but smiles for anyone she meets.

Her current medical situation is complicated. She is 3.5 years old and has severe delays. She is small, about the size of some of our 2 year olds. Her chromosome panel came back normal BUT every medical professional suspects a chromosomal problem. She appears at first glance to have either Down Syndrome OR Turner’s syndrome however her chromosomes are normal.

Her needs include physical therapy, rehab, ongoing support for her multiple medical needs including imperforate anus, and developmental and speech therapy. We do suspect she is deaf and have been trying to have this evaluated but it has been very difficult to get here.

Corrie needs a family, she deserves a family, and any family would be blessed to have her as their daughter. If we didn't live here, we would adopt her in a heartbeat, but she needs more than we can give. We can't give her the health care and therapy she needs here, it just isn't available. Our lives have been dramatically changed by this little girl.

Corrie's file is being prepared by her orphanage. Corrie needs a serious family, and she needs them ASAP. She doesn't have time to wait much longer here, preferably she needs a family who are close to being able to submit a dossier.

This is an urgent situation. Every day she is here and not getting the help she needs precious time is being wasted. Her doctors have all agreed wholeheartedly and have said she needs to get to America ASAP.

Please help Corrie to find her forever family!

~~~~~~~

UPDATE: The latest on how Corrie is doing...

"She is amazing and changing so much I tell you! Amazing to see. She is feeding herself (HUGE feat!) she is starting to sign. She signs that she loves me when she sees me then giggles because she thinks it is so cool. She says hello by giving someone a hug, but then she wants to come back to me, it isn't like she has no fear of people, that is just how she says hello! She is AWARE of everything going on around her!"

What a beautiful little girl who is so deserving of family (as is every child!). If anyone would like more information on Corrie and her adoption, please contact Lynsay at mspnews@gmail.com. Please can we ask that only those who are serious about adopting Corrie inquire at this time. Thanks.

Thank you so very much for helping to share Corrie's story wherever you can. I cannot even begin to tell you how much it means to me. Like our Haven, I believe with all my heart that Corrie is going to blossom and grow in leaps and bounds once she is home. I know that she will astound everyone with just how far she will come. All she needs is a loving family who is willing to GO.

Thank you for trusting and believing with us that Corrie WILL find a family.

almost $1000 up for grabs!

2012-01-24T09:52:00.003-07:00

Okay, friends. God truly is so, so good to care for the orphan. I sit here astounded at how He mobilizes His glorious army when there is a need. It really is true, you know...God calls one family to bring a child home, but He calls all of us to rally in support!

We can ALL do something to ensure that there is one less orphan in the world.

This morning I have two more amazing gift cards to add to this fundraiser to help 18 families who are working hard to bring their precious children home.

Up for grabs now are:

A $200 Walmart gift card.

A $250 Walmart gift card.

A $250 Visa gift card.

A $250 Walmart gift card.

That's almost $1000 worth of gift cards to benefit children who are being rescued from situations our hearts cannot fathom. Awesome, huh?

I have decided to extend the giveaway. You will have until February, 01 to enter.

How do you enter into the drawing for one of these gift cards? Easy! Click on the thumbnails below and read the stories--read about the children these families are rescuing and the urgent need they have for finances to complete their adoptions. Some of them are already in country and many are traveling very soon to adopt their children. Many of these sweet angels have profound special needs and are in desperate need of medical care. Find a family who touches your heart and make a minimum donation of $10 to that family (via the donation button on their blog). Then, come back here and leave me a comment on this post telling me which family you chose to help.

*** Please make sure you leave a comment to be included in the drawing.

WE NEED TO SPREAD THE WORD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! RECEIVE A FREE ENTRY WHEN YOU SHARE THIS LINK ON YOUR FACEBOOK OR BLOG! JUST BE SURE TO LEAVE ME A COMMENT LETTING ME KNOW THAT YOU SHARED.

Please, go and sow seed on fertile soil...help save the life of a child by bringing them into a family!

tidbits and total randomness

2012-01-23T07:12:00.006-07:00

It was so much fun reading all your questions here. Oh my! You guys are going to keep me busy for a very long time--I have tons to answer. It will be a joy!

One of the things a few people said was, "We want to know more about YOU!"

I thought about that this weekend. I guess that as much as I try to share here about my life, my family, my journey in the Lord, and my daily stuff, well, there is always so much more that you don't know about me.   I always think there are so many more important things to share about than me and my not-so-very-interesting life all the time.

But since you asked, today I thought I would fill you in on a few extra, totally random, little tidbits about me and what makes me tick.

~~~ I HATE snakes. Like, really hate them! They were cursed to the ground for a reason as far as I'm concerned. I just see one and every single hair on my body stands up on end. Yuck. Spiders follow a close second.

~~~ Fast driving freaks me out.

~~~ I don't know about that growing old gracefully thing. How in the world do you even do that? I have no idea how I got to be this old this quickly. I feel like I was 18 just a few years ago...but the mirror is telling me a whole new story these days.

~~~ I have been a vegetarian for 24 years. It is just a way of life for me and I never even think about eating meat. I do cook it for my family, but much of what we eat is vegetarian. Many of you asked me to share what we eat, and I will absolutely begin to do that soon.

~~~  I will never do yoga. Period.

~~~ I absolutely love rain.

~~~ If I had to live my life all over and choose a career again...I'd be a mom.

~~~ I am as crazy about Anthony today as I was the day we married almost 15 years ago. I adore my husband. He still makes my knees go weak.

~~~ Integrity is so important to me. Our yes must always be yes.

~~~ I don't watch R-rated movies. If it's not good enough for a child to watch, then it's not good enough for me either.

~~~ I love getting into bed and having clean sheets. If I had time, I would wash our sheets every single day.

~~~ I absolutely HAVE to bath before I get into bed at night. Zero exceptions.

~~~ I fail more times than I can count. So thankful for God's grace and mercies which are new every morning.

~~~ I love hot tea with milk. Iced tea is positively awful.

~~~ For almost 15 years Anthony has made our bed every single morning.  Works great for me. Rocking husband!

~~~ Cadbury's chocolate is just my thing.

~~~ I miss my family in South Africa something ridiculous. I have been gone for ten years, and it still does not get easier. Thankfully, God has been so gracious to allow me to see them every couple of years. For that I am so, so thankful.

~~~ Once upon a time I was a make up artist. I loved it. Giving busy moms tips on how to look the best they could for their husbands was so much fun--because I think it's important.

~~~ I'm obsessed about all things colorful. The colors of the walls in our home change frequently. Truth be told, I probably paint our walls more in one year than most people paint in a lifetime. Right now turquoise, orange and yellow are my colors of choice. My dear husband gave up a very long time ago. "Rather a paint fetish than diamonds," I tell him. Dude cannot argue with that.

~~~ I used to change my hair color just as much as the color of the wall in our homes. But then I got older (and maybe just a tad wiser too).

~~~ Artichokes are totally revolting.

~~~ This is the first year that I can vote 'cause I'm an American now. It's been rather interesting. I have never paid much attention to politics. I usually leave that to my hubby. But this year is so different--I have been taking it all in--watching, seeing what happens, and trying to make an educated decision about who I feel is the best man for the job of president. One thing I do not get is how nasty politics gets. Oh my word! That and how billions of dollars get spent on campaigning alone...when our desperate neighbors on the other side of the ocean are literally starving to death even as I write this. Those billions of dollars could feed hundreds of villages. To me, something seems so very wrong with it. One thing I do know is that my vote will never go to anyone who does not passionately protect the lives of unborn children!

~~~ Sometimes I look at pregnant moms and my heart longs for another baby in my womb. I feel sad that I can never experience the miracle of pregnancy again. But then I look at the seven beautiful blessings whom I have been loaned for such a temporary time here on this earth, and I feel so, so exceedingly blessed.

~~~ I have two tattoos.

~~~ A pet peeve? People who leave shopping carts in the middle of no man's land when the sign kindly says PLEASE RETURN YOUR CART HERE. I think it's inconsiderate. I teach my kids kids to always take the cart back--no matter how far away we are parked...simply because the store asked us to.

~~~ I so miss having a mom.

~~~ I couldn't have cared less about football a short while ago. But this season we have all fallen in love with Tim Tebow. Now I think I may possibly be a Broncos fan. My kids think it's hilarious that I didn't give the game two minutes of my time two months ago, but now I think I'm kinda liking it. Crazy how life changes. Although, if I had to choose, I'd still pick rugby any day.

~~~ I would absolutely love a country home.  I'm beginning to think that I'll have to wait for heaven to get it though.

~~~ I lie in bed in the wee hours of the night thinking about what can be done to save the lives of more and more orphans.

~~~ Skiing is my worst! I tried it once and counted the minutes for it to be over. Spending hours on my butt in the snow was not my idea of fun. You can totally have it, thank you very much. Give me the beach any day.

~~~ I wanted two children. Anthony wanted four (I told him he was completely out of his mind!). Now we have seven. I guess God's ways are definitely not our ways. Whew!

~~~ I love bright pink, salad and Indian food (not together), my heated blanket, fleecy sheets, beautiful perfumes, sunflowers, sandals, brightly painted toenails, seeing children find their forever families, a neat home, good friends, sleeping in, cozy slippers, summer days, veggies on the grill, date nights with my love, and reading a wonderful novel. These are a few of my favorite things.

~~~ I have tasted and seen that the LORD is good.

There you have it. These are a few of the things that make me me.

Lots more answered questions to follow in the weeks to come.

do you have a story to share?

2012-01-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

Next month Anthony will begin a series on his blog on a subject which is silently devastating more families and people than we could ever imagine. Internet sex. God has put it on my hubby's heart to address this issue and shine LIGHT into the ever-increasing darkness.

Perhaps one of you (or someone you know) has a story to share with Anthony?

From Anthony:

"In preparing for the series next month on internet sex, I am looking for stories from married people who have been devastated by this, either from falling into the sin themselves or from having a spouse who did.

If you would like to share how internet sex has destroyed (or nearly destroyed) your family, please send them to my email address at salem.private@yahoo.com. And know that all stories I publish would be posted as from "Anonymous."

Thank you for your help."

If you are a prayer warrior, please trust with us that God will give Anthony the right words to share and that many, many would be set free from this addiction that no one is willing to talk about. Thanks!

so I was wondering...

2012-01-20T10:43:00.002-07:00

I am finally starting to see light at the end of the tunnel--I have one more week of crazy night school left. Hallelujah! Oh my goodness gracious...I have been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d in the last few weeks. It's true, you know...we absolutely CAN do all things through Christ who gives us strength!

So now I can finally start thinking past this month and planning ahead (because I'm a planner!). I have so many things on my heart and lots to share with you all in the month of February. But I was wondering if there was something you guys would really like for me to share about? Anything you're curious about or are just dying (not really!) to know? Are there things I have touched on in the past which, perhaps, you would like me to share more on?

Special needs?

Adoption?

My faith?

Homeschooling?

Balancing life (and how I sometimes get it all wrong)?

My days and how we roll?

What I feed my family?

Budgeting for a large family on a dime?

Now's your chance to let me know. You are welcome to ask me anything at all. Just leave a comment with your question, and I will be sure to start answering them next month.

Happy Friday, everyone.

thank you!

2012-01-18T12:27:00.001-07:00

How can I ever thank you all enough for your amazing love poured out on these sweet families who are fundraising? You guys are so wonderful and your hearts so huge.

I have made a few changes to the list of families on the Linky. There was an error on one family's details and the link was going to the wrong place, so I finally fixed it. Darling little Nellie's thumbnail now goes directly to her family's blog.

Please keep sharing! I know that these funds are such a huge blessing to each one of these precious families who are truly trusting the Lord for each and every dollar they need to rescue their children. Thank you for being the body of Christ.

Some of you have written to tell me that you donated and left a comment, but don't see the comment here on my blog. Please know that I get every comment you make, but there is an on going glitch with the commenting system--some comments go to Disqus (which is visible to readers) and others go to the original Blogger commenting system which you cannot see. I wish I could figure out how to fix the problem, but I'm clueless with this stuff.

Winners of the two $250 Walmart gift cards will be chosen next Wednesday--so there is still lots of time to donate.

If you make a donation to any family, please be sure to leave a comment on this post to be entered into the drawing for the gift cards. Thanks.

PLEASE KEEP SHARING, DONATING, AND BEING A BLESSING TO A FAMILY NEEDING A HELPING HAND!

TWO $250 gift cards up for grabs!

2012-01-17T09:49:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much to all of you who have either donated or shared the link to help these precious families who are working SO hard to bring their sweet lovies home from faraway lands. I cannot even tell you how much I appreciate it.

This morning one amazing blog friend has donated another $250 Walmart gift card!

So now we have TWO $250 gift cards up for grabs to two people who donate to any one of the families listed on this post. Please be sure to leave a comment on THIS post to let me know that you have donated--winners will be chosen from the comments.

I believe with all my heart...

~~~ That every now and then we could all use a helping hand--someone to come alongside us and say, "I'm here to help you cross the finish line."

~~~ That the body of Christ is here to support, encourage, and cheer one another on as we walk the roads less traveled.

~~~ That we can ALL do something to help families who are stepping out in faith to bring their children home. You don't have to adopt to make a profound difference in the life of a child.

~~~ That God is more than able to multiply the seed we sow! The tiniest of seed becomes something glorious--for His glory.

~~~ That adoption fundraising is a community effort.

LET'S HELP RESCUE THESE CHILDREN!

"Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over." Luke 6:38

*** Please keep sharing this link! Let's believe for an overflowing abundance of finances for these families. God is able! Also, if anyone else would like to contribute a gift card of any kind, that would be such a huge blessing. Just let me know at nogreaterjoymom@gmail.com.

Have a blessed day, friends.

let's bring them home!

2012-01-16T10:04:00.004-07:00

Recently my inbox has been flooded with requests to let readers here know of various fundraising efforts of families who are adopting.

Adoption fundraising is HARD! Take it from one who has been there, done that! It takes guts and courage, and there can possibly be many sleepless nights. It takes putting in an enormous amount of time and effort. And, it will stretch your faith unlike anything else ever has. It's one of those getting-out-of-the-boat-and-walking-on-water things. It is not for the faint of heart!

I have such a heart for families who step out in faith and trust God to provide for their children waiting in faraway lands. I really do. I long to be able to do more to help them. But I just don't know how to do that. The need is so overwhelming. So many are stepping out to bring children home, which is amazing. The only thing that stands in their way is finances.

People ask us all the time, "What can we do to help the orphan crisis? We are not in a position to adopt and we cannot go on a mission in this season of our lives...What can we possibly do to make a difference?"

Our answer is simple.

"HELP A FAMILY WHO IS ADOPTING!"

Find a family and give seed into their adoption! It is such an easy way to do as we are commanded in the book of James, "Care for the orphan." By sowing precious seed into an adoption you are helping to ensure that there is one less orphan in the world, and that is so priceless. We can all do something to help. Every little amount donated soon adds up to be a large amount. Our God loves to multiply what we give. Just think the loaves and the fishes.

I would love to give you all an opportunity to play such a vital role in the rescue of a child. Below is a list of families who are in a financial crunch and need funds urgently to complete their adoptions. Please go through the list, click on the thumbnails, and read their stories. If God moves on your hearts, please consider giving--a little or a lot. It all adds up.

To add a little incentive, I will give a $250 Walmart gift card to one of you who sows seed to any one of the families below. All you need to do is make a minimum donation of $10 and then come back here and leave a comment telling me which family you donated to. A winner will be chosen from the comments on this post.

UPDATE: We now have TWO $250 Walmart gift cards to give away to two people who donate!

If you are a fundraising family: Please only add your blog to this list if you are in a real predicament and need funds URGENTLY! It is easy to be included--just follow the prompts. You will be given an opportunity to leave a brief description of your fundraising needs. Please make sure there is a place on your blog where donations can be made.

Thanks, friends, for prayerfully considering helping one of these families.

Lastly, if you have a blog or Facebook account, would you please consider spreading the word and letting your friends know of a way that they too can help an orphan come home...simply by helping a family who is already doing it, trusting the Lord for every penny? I appreciate that so much.

Together, we CAN make a difference!

*** In order for each family listed below to receive as much exposure as possible, this list will be open to the FIRST TWENTY families who add their details. If you know of a family who REALLY needs help with their fundraising efforts, please pass on this information and tell them to come and add their details as soon as possible. Thanks!

Trusting the Lord for an outpouring of LOVE!

late night ponderings

2012-01-15T13:18:00.002-07:00

~~~ Have you ever been so tired that you can hardly even think straight?

Friday was one of those days for me. Oh my goodness! When I signed up to do a one-month course of night school, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that it would stretch and challenge me the way it has. Doing night school is one thing, but doing night school five nights a week with seven children plus having to pass weekly written tests and skills tests, well, that's a whole new story! As I head into my third week of this program I am so thankful that God has enabled me to endure and continue on with the program. At one point I did wonder whether I would be able to finish, but here I am...halfway through. Praise God! As hard as it is, it sure is going to be a blessing for my family once I complete it. We are so very thankful to the Lord for His awesome provision in our lives.

Anthony has done such an incredible job holding down the fort and keeping things running at home. We have perfected the art of tag-team parenting in the last two weeks. I am so grateful for my husband--I walk in the door at 11 p.m. to a spotlessly clean home, clean children and folded laundry. I am so blessed with this man whom the Father gave to me to share my life with. Words cannot even describe how much I love him.

The hardest part for me over the last two weeks has been being away from my family. I leave home as early as I can in the afternoons to get in some much-needed study time before my classes and get home very late. Gosh, I am so used to being with my precious children 24/7. Being away from them is awful. There is nothing that I love more than being home with my family.

~~~ Ah, sweet Hailee. I tell you, this angel is growing! Though she seems to be stuck at the 27-pound mark and won't go much higher than that (yet!), she is definitely gaining some height. Hailee will be seven years old this May and she has just recently finally outgrown 18-month-old pants. Hallelujah! That's a huge milestone for our teeny little angel. Any time I have to put larger-sized clothes on her, I celebrate. Hailee is growing!

She is going so, so well. One of these days I will have to post on her development--I know I haven't done one of those for a while. What a sweet little treasure she is to our family.

~~~ I love my boys something ridiculous. What a gift they are to their little sisters!

~~~ Last week someone asked me if Anthony and I would be interested in getting respite care for our three children with profound special needs. I have been thinking a lot about it since then and when I can find more than ten minutes at my computer, I think I will share my thoughts on the subject here on my blog.

~~~ Harper is beginning to say more words--the kind that actually sound like real words instead of baby talk. Melts my heart. She is so, so smart.

Today I watched her gather five cones which were lying on the ground. She proceeded to take the cones one at a time and lay them out neatly in front of her.

She very carefully places them in a neat row in front of her.

She took her time to make sure they were perfectly placed.

Then, she took them one by one and very carefully and meticulously piled them on top of each other until they were in a neat stack. I was so impressed that she knew how to do that, especially since we don't have cones at home and she didn't know that they were meant to be stacked. She figured it out.

Harper is like a little sponge--she learns so fast. Smarty pants.

~~~ My darling oldest son thought it would be such a great idea to add a gadget on my computer which reminds me that I am counting down to a very big birthday. Every day I log on, I am reminded that the countdown has begun. He thinks it's hilarious. Dude totally thinks it's funny that I'm getting old. Nice!

~~~ I am so excited about this year (apart from that big birthday thing!)...I get to see my family who lives overseas! They're coming to America. I cannot wait. God is so good to me.

~~~ Thank you for helping me to spread the word about all the children who desperately need to be adopted soon who I have recently shared about here. I appreciate it so much. I was studying at the library last week and got talking to a man I know. He asked me how all my kids are doing, and I told him they were wonderful. Then, in a loud voice he proceeded to remind me, "Adéye, you know you can't save them all!" "Yup, I know!" I told him. "But I sure as heck am going to die trying to do everything humanly possible to ensure that one child at a time is rescued!" He had no answer.

Many, many of us are not in a position to adopt because we either don't qualify, or are over the age limit, or don't have health insurance, or whatever...but we can ALL ensure that we are doing something to help! Together, we CAN make a diffirence in the life of a child.

~~~ I hope to be able to give you an update on Jonathan's adoption really soon. Many have asked what's happening. Yes, things are moving forward with his adoption and his family is working hard to bring him home.

Have a beautiful SONday, friends. May you know this day how high, how deep, and how wide the Father's love is for YOU.

urgent situation

2012-01-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hey, friends.

This is sweet baby Jesse. Isn't she just precious?

Jesse needs a home URGENTLY! She is living in Taiwan (just like David).

Any family with a current home study, or a family who is able to have a home study expedited, should inquire at this point. This little lovie requires urgent medical attention and needs a family as soon as possible.

More details can be found on my friend Brooke's blog right here.

Any seriously interested family can contact Brooke at HopeForJesse@gmail.com.

Believing with all my heart that someone will be able to rescue darling little Jesse before it is too late!

boys and girls aging out...please share

2012-01-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

Good morning, friends. Here is a list of children who are so desperately needing to be chosen. They are all very close to becoming too old to be adopted. This is their last chance to be chosen! Please, please can you help them by sharing their stories in the hope that their families will find them? The life of each and every child matters. These older children are living on borrowed time--every day that passes means less time to find a family.

Please help to make their dreams of having a family to call their own come true...before time runs out.

Thank you! I appreciate your help so much.

~~~~~~~

This young man has been on my heart for a long time. His name is Sergey and he lives in Eastern Europe.

Sadly for Sergey, he had a family, and then he didn't. They changed their minds and decided not to pursue his adoption. Sergey is now available adoption again. He was expecting them to come for him and would be delighted to have a family. Could YOU be his family?

He is such a handsome boy! Time is running out fast for Sergey and he needs a family to commit just as soon as possible. Like Jonathan, his future is hopeless unless he is rescued.

Anyone interested in knowing more about Sergey can contact the Eli Project.

~~~~~~~

Please read about sweet Marshall who truly needs a miracle! This wonderful child ages out at the end of February, still enough time but he needs a family and he needs them NOW!

This handsome young man is in need of his forever family. He came into care in May 1998 and has lived with two different foster families until 2010 when he was transferred back to an institution. He has club feet and stiff knee joints that make it difficult for him to walk. He has had two surgeries to help correct his club feet and one surgery to help improve the mobility of his knees. He has also been hospitalized in 2005 and 2009 for bone tuberculosis. He is able to walk with crutches or the assistance of others. Due to his difficulty in mobility, he was unable to attend formal school. His foster mother was able to find a tutor for him and he was able to learn addition, subtraction and writing. It is reported that he has some difficulty learning. It is reported that he is very close with his foster mother and still speaks with her on the phone even after being transferred back to the institution.

Please give him a family who will love him forever!

~~~~~~~

Please take a look at wonderful Trey.

Trey loves to cook and is described as being a "sunshine boy!" He ages out in March.

Please email Annie at 5puppies@comcast.net for more info on this wonderful young boy! Here is just a bit from his file:

He studies hard and generally catches up with other children. He also has wide interests. He likes to play basketball, ride bicycle and play electronic game. He has been in the foster family for 3 years. He is active, outgoing and helpful. He is well liked by the parents and teachers.

Please, please consider this precious child!

Annie has a video of this precious boy! Oh my, he seems so sweet and gentle and shy. His favorite subject is English and actually says "good afternoon" in English! Please email her at 5puppies@comcast.net to see his videos. Praying for this wonderful boy.

~~~~~~~

Sweet, smart Jonathon ages out in July!

Jonathon was born in 1998 in southwest China. After being abandoned by his parents at birth, he went straight to the hospital. He not only survived but he is now a thriving young boy with amazing potential. He is in 7th grade and is a hard worker. His passions are studying, sports and people. This guy is a thinker. The orphanage director says he thinks even more than many adults. The director also says he is a perfectionist. Each time my friend goes to the orphanage he is welcoming, friendly and quite helpful. He has stated repeatedly that he wants to be adopted. He wants a family!

His special need was cleft lip and palate. He has had 3 surgeries to repair his mouth. The 3rd surgery was plastic surgery.

His file states: He is liked by teachers. He likes to answer the questions. He is always the first one to finish the homework. He has no special needs. He is considerate and self-esteemed. He is the cleverest one in his roommates. He always helps caretakers to feed younger children. He also helps caretakers with cleaning. He is a considerate child. Caretakers in SWI all like him.

Are you his family? If so or if you know of who may be his family, please email Kenlyn at Maeveyblue@aol.com

~~~~~~~

Wonderful Leon ages out in April!

Leon has a strong ability to express himself, and always say hello to others. He gets along well with others. He has 3 good friends he likes to play with. He loves to read comic books and loves the characters in the book. He can draw the characters in the books with good detail. His learning ability is strong. He is optimistic, friendly, gregarious, and smart. He is post-operative for Tetralogy of Fallot and his heart exams appear normal. The orphanage has agreed to waive the orphanage donation fee for any family who adopts Leon.

~~~~~~~

Sweet Will is 13 years old and is listed as having "deformed feet."

I pray that his family will find him before it is too late as he will age in May.

He is outgoing, active and restless. Although he has limited functions, he loves sports such as playing football and badminton.

Please, please bring this sweet child home. Please help him to get the treatment that his feet need so that he can be as active he loves to be!

~~~~~~~

UPDATE 01/13: DUSTY'S ORPHANAGE FEE OF $5000 HAS BEEN WAIVERED!

Dusty now has a $4,300 grant from a generous donor with GWCA- you must use them for the agency to be able to use this grant.

Dusty ages out in April.

Dusty is 13 years old. He is a healthy older child. Dusty hopes he can go to college to become a computer programmer and design games. He does well in school and has learned some English. He never gets in trouble, and he studies hard. He is an excellent artist and can do traditional Chinese painting. He also loves to play guitar. Dusty is good friends with Lucky and Ned. They hope they all will be able to be adopted and remain close (posted next).

~~~~~~~

Ned is 13 years old and will age out in July of 2012.

He is an older healthy child. Ned is described as very smart and places in the top 5 in his class when he works hard. He loves vegetables and dislikes sweet foods-not your typical teenage boy! He hopes to grow up and be a policeman to protect society. He very much wants to be adopted and hopes to know about his family’s interests and lifestyle so he can prepare before the adoption. He is friendly, hardworking and always tries to help other children. Ned is close friends with Lucky and Dusty. They hope they will all be able to be adopted and stay good friends.

~~~~~~~

Lucky is 13 years old and ages out in August.

He is a Hep B carrier. Lucky is noted to be a very friendly boy with an excellent temperament. He has learned English in school and loves to play basketball. He is extroverted and obedient. He hopes to be in the Special Forces when he grows up. He wants to be adopted and come to the U.S. He hopes his family will be warm and happy. Lucky is close friends with Ned and Dusty. They hope they will all three be able to be adopted and remain close.

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FAMILY NEEDED URGENTLY! KATE AGES OUT IN MARCH!

This beautiful, polite, and shy young lady has an extremely limited amount of time left to be matched with a permanent family. She came into care at approximately 10 years old when she was found alone in a park, and her birth family could not be located. In August 2008 she received a blood transfusion after caregivers noticed her deteriorating appearance, spirit and appetite, and in March 2009 she was diagnosed with beta thalassemia. She developed healthily at the institution and adjusted to her new environment, and began receiving monthly blood transfusions.

She had not received much formal education but began to study knitting and embroidery, which she learned quickly. She also would help the caregivers at mealtime and with younger children. In June 2010 she entered into a foster family and began going to school every day, reportedly receiving high marks. She adjusted well to her foster family and enjoys helping her foster mother with housework.

She is getting a medical check every 3 months. She is noted to be meeting developmental and social expectations, though she is still catching up educationally and has trouble remembering what she learns. She listens well to her teachers and gets along well with classmates, whom she often invites to her home. She also is stated to enjoy making paper cuts and collecting dolls, as well as dancing, singing, taking photos, and playing outdoors with her younger foster sister. She hopes to be adopted into a family of her own, who should be patient and understanding of older child adoption and the impact on behavior and learning skills.

UPDATE:

She now lives with her foster parents and a twelve-year-old younger sister in one of the local foster families. Her sister is from the same orphanage, affected by Cerebral Paralysis, she can't talk yet can walk by self. At home, she gets well along with all family members. Sometimes she helps mom to take care of her younger sister – she could help to dress her up. Sometimes she helps to buy vegetables in the local grocery store and she knows how much change she should bring back home. Taught by foster mom, she knows how to cook rice and make simple dishes for both her sister and her when mom isn't able to make it. On the weekend, mom usually takes her sister and her to the neighborhood to join the group dancing. She can learn to dance as well. She likes her foster mom the most as mom would buy her new clothes and teach her how to dance. And, she also likes playing with the dog of the neighborhood. Usually she takes her younger sister to the kindergarten first on her way to school as well as picks up her sister on her way home. At school, she has around ten good friends including boys and girls. Sometimes she is their leader while sometimes she listens to them. She can catch up with study at present and she just got 90 out of 100 in examinations of both Chinese and maths. She likes music and art in school. Sometimes she helps teachers to hand out exercise books or carry things. She can finish her homework at around 8:30pm every day. Sometimes she can does it by herself while sometimes she needs mom's help for some of her homework. When asked if she wanted to be adopted by some foreign parents one day, she said yes. When asked if she minded it that there were siblings in her future family, she said no. When asked if she had seen any of her friends from the orphanage being adopted before, she said yes. When asked if she had any worries regarding the adoption, she said no. She said her foster parents love her so that she enjoys staying with them. However, she would also like to live with foreign parents as long as they love her.

Kate ages out in March!

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Beautiful Naomi ages out in July.

Please read about this child who really needs a family.

She is currently living with a foster family that consists of a mother, older sister, and brother-in-law. She doesn’t go to school, but her foster mom is giving her some education at home. She can read a little and count and enjoys going to the park with her sister and her sister’s husband. She has many friends who are also foster kids and says that her favorite people are her foster mother and sister. She doesn’t have any pets, but her favorite animal is a rabbit. She is unable to do strenuous physical activities because she has a hard time breathing, but she can walk and run by herself in spite of a thorax and scoliosis issue. She is a very polite girl who says thank you.

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Wonderful Jenna with the sweet smile ages out in March!

Jenna is a very sweet girl who enjoys playing with other girls her age. Her favorite game is basketball. She is in 5th grade and is starting to study English in school. Jenna is very helpful and is watchful of the younger children at the orphanage. She is a little shy at first, but after warming up a bit, she enjoys visiting with adults. Cake and ice cream are her favorite treats! Jenna has a condition called tuberous sclerosis. This condition affects her skin. Another symptom of this condition is mental delay. Jenna is not at the top of her class but she is still a very bright young girl, capable of functioning normally.

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Sweet Julie ages out in November of 2012.

Please read about this wonderful child who is now basically healthy:

On admission she was found to have congenital aproctia and a rectovaginal fistula. In December 1998 she had anoplasty surgery, and in April 2005 she had bladder surgery, which were both successful. She is also reported to have mild right kidney edema. She started school later than other children due to her medical condition, and as of March 2011 is in the fourth grade. Currently she is reported to have normal physical growth and be on par cognitively with her peers. She enjoys playing games with her classmates, doing crafts, and can recite poetry fluently. She also is learning simple English words in school.

She states that she very much wants to join an adoptive family. Inspired by her teachers, she too wants to teach as her profession. From someone who met her: "Julie’s assessment states that she often shows great kindness and easily builds attachments."

Please don't let this child who loves to give hugs, age out!

~~~~~~~

UPDATE 01/13: MEGAN HAS A FAMILY! PRAISE THE LORD!

Sweet Megan has been waiting so long!

Megan ages out in September of 2012, please consider this precious child.

Because Megan did not go to school at the appropriate age, she was not able to do many things at the beginning of her admission. At the present, she is very diligent and studious. She has been able to learn what the staff has taught her. Since her admission, she has learned to tidy up shirts and beds from caretakers and she helps other children put on clothes and shoes and assists them with other things that she can do. Every day Megan comes back from school and finishes her homework actively. If she has questions that she cannot understand she takes initiative to ask the staff for help. Megan says she wants to learn much more knowledge. Megan is outgoing, active and restless. She is ready to help others, always with a happy smile on her face. She is satisfied with her present life, but she also hopes that she would have her own loving parents as other classmates in school.

Megan hopes that she will one day see her mother outside of school waiting for her and then go back home with her hand held by her mother.

~~~~~

ALL INQUIRIES ON ANY OF THE ABOVE CHILDREN CAN BE MADE BY CONTACTING ANNIE AT 5puppies@comcast.net

There are so, so many other wonderful children who are waiting for families. You can go to Annie's advocacy page to see their sweet faces and read their heartbreaking stories here.

~~~~~~~

I also wanted to tell you all about two sweet sibling groups in Eastern Europe who are about to age out. You can read about these precious children who are in DESPERATE need of being rescued right here.

the O'Malley family: God's red thread

2012-01-10T11:06:00.005-07:00

My heart broke in two recently when a young man named "Kyle" ran out of time to find a family. According to a family who met him last summer, it was the absolute desire of his heart--to love and be loved, to belong. Many, many of you did all you possibly could to help when I made the final plea for him, but sadly, no one stepped forward to commit to adopting Kyle. In his country, orphans age out of the system (become unadoptable) when they turn 14. With Kyle's birthday rapidly approaching next month, it is now impossible for a family to complete all the necessary paperwork and get to him on time.

So very sad.

I ache for these older children. For many of them who age out of the system, they literally have nowhere to go and end up on the streets. For orphans in Eastern Europe, on a day close to their 16th birthday, they are given a small bag to bundle up their earthly belongings and about $30....then are sent out into the world. For orphans in Asian countries, well, they too have zero choices about where to go. It is devastating! Sadly, many of them fall into lifestyles of substance addiction, trafficking, and sheer hopelessness.

Yes, I know that many have said that for some of these older children, staying in their home country is not such a bad thing as the adjustment to life in another country is just too difficult. I agree--sometimes it must very, very difficult. But for every one of those children there are the many others who long, with all their hearts, for a family.

For every one of the orphans who would prefer to stay in their home country, there are the ones like "Kevin"--a sweet young man whom I advocated for a year ago. Oh my goodness, what a blessing he has been to his family! I thought that today would be the perfect time to share their story with you. Why? Because there so, so many more just like "Kevin"--young people who are aching to have a home, a family, a name of their own (not some random orphanage name), and a place in this world to belong. Later this week I will come to you, the readers of my blog, with some of these precious ones who so urgently need someone to come for them...before time runs out.

~~~~~~~

It is an absolute joy for me to share the O'Malley family with you today. I pray that their story will encourage and inspire you and that many will realize that older-child adoption can be such a huge blessing to a family. With God ALL things are possible. Older children choose to have families too!

We started our journey down the road of adoption in 2005. We had three biological children, two boys and one girl, and felt that our daughter needed a sister. God led us to China Special Needs adoption. While learning all we could through the yahoo groups, I “met” a family who lived near us, had been matched with a little girl in the same province as our daughter and expected to travel the same time we did. This friend had adopted previously and had travelled with the Salem’s. So it was through this friend that I “met” Adéye and began following her blog.

When we returned from China, I knew we would return again for an older boy. I didn’t realize at the time that it would be five years before we returned. In 2010, we started the process to adopt an older boy. It was during that time that another friend was allowed to bring home two boys from China at once. I had prayed about this possibility and had been looking through the shared list to see if there was another son for us. But I had never mentioned the possibility to my husband because I didn’t think he would be agreeable.

On Friday December 17th, we submitted our LOI for a healthy 10yr old boy from Changzhou. On Monday December 20th, I saw this post. After reading that post, I knew I had to do something, so I began to spread the word about this young boy and our entire family prayed for him to find his family. I also mentioned the possibility of us adopting this boy to my husband, but he was not on board. When I asked him why, he said that two new boys were just too much. Since he is a stay-at-home Dad, I had no leverage to argue any differently. Despite my husband’s objection, I contacted our social worker to discuss the possibility of bringing home this boy. He was not in favor of this either for many reasons, the least of which was the disruption of birth order. However, he said that if we truly felt that this was God’s will, he would not stand in our way.

I eventually asked my husband if it was OK for me to request this boy’s file. He agreed that I could if I thought it would help me to advocate better for him. So on Wed December 29th, I requested his file from our agency. On Thursday, Dec 30th, I was reading in my Bible from Revelation 21. It talks about the new heaven and the new earth and the old heaven and the old earth passing away. I thought about a new life for this boy and the old life being left behind him. Then I got to verse 7 and it says "He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. " (bold mine) I began to wonder if God was working things out behind the scenes for us. After dinner that night, my husband asked me to go for a walk. We talked about the possibility of bringing this boy home. I told my husband that we needed to make a decision quickly or there would not be time to get the paperwork done for his adoption.

The next morning, 12/31, during my quiet time, I asked God to please let us be the boy's family but only if it was His will. I spent my lunch time in prayer for this boy. I turned to 2 Chronicles 6 and started reading. Verse 32 says, "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm" it was a confirmation to me that the boy would become our son. About 30 minutes later, my husband called me and said "Yes". On Monday morning, January 3, 2011, we submitted our LOI for “Kevin”. His birthday was February 9th – 37 days away. There was only one hitch. Chinese New Year began on 2/3 and all government offices were closed from 2/2 until 2/8. We thought we only had 29 days.

Let the race begin…

On January 5th we received PA for “Kevin” and on 1/12 we received LOA for both boys. Despite many efforts to get the immigration process expedited, it took the full 14 days to receive the I-800 for both boys. The paperwork was overnighted to the National Visa Center and on 1/27 we were cabled and on 1/28 we received travel approval. During the process, Kevin’s orphanage and provincial officials agreed to open their offices on 2/8 and allow us to finalize his adoption then.

We travelled to Kunming, China and adopted “Kevin” – now known as GW – on 2/8. A week later, we travelled to Nanjing and adopted his younger brother on 2/15. We returned home on 2/28. Since then, GW has become an integral part of our family. He is a funny, sweet, quiet, caring young man. He is competitive, but takes it easy when he plays basketball (one of his favorite sports) against his younger siblings. He is good at math (though he doesn’t like long division!), loves to read (especially western classics and Sherlock Holmes) and is learning English quickly. He enjoys Chinese Bible Study and listens intently to the discussion. He loves to take walks and listen to music. He is also a good singer! GW likes to cook Chinese food; good thing, since he likes VERY spicy food and no one else in our family does! He is a very healthy 14 year old boy who wears glasses. His only special need – was a family.

Since he has come home, he has experienced his first: bicycle ride, day at the beach, swim lesson, Easter Egg Hunt, Mother’s Day, water slide, camping trip, kayaking trip, Father’s Day, tennis game, 4th of July, visit to Wet n’ Wild, movie in a theatre, roller-skating, visit to Kennedy Space Center, Halloween, and visit to a naval vessel. And before long, he will get to experience his first visit to Disney World.

GW has been a wonderful big brother, but he does wish he had an older sibling. Unfortunately, that is one wish I cannot grant him. However, I hope GW is instrumental in granting that wish for other children. Through our wonderful experience of adopting an older, aging out child, God (along with some human help) has prompted me to start a blog to advocate for all kids who are in danger of aging out of adoption http://www.youroutstretchedarm.blogspot.com/.

If you haven’t given older/teen adoption a thought, take some time and think again. While the road is not always easy, it is certainly well worth the journey.

~~~~~~

Anyone wanting more information about older-child adoptions can contact Donna via her blog right here. I know she would be more than happy to share their experiences with anyone.

Later this week....many amazing children just like "Kevin"--those who are in a race against time to find a family.

he never lets go

2012-01-08T21:44:00.007-07:00

Sorry, I know things have been quiet here on my blog over the past few days. Life has been oh-so-busy. I do apologize if you are one who has written to me and not heard back. I have been burning the candle at both ends, and blogging has had to take a backseat.

This weekend we got hit with the nastiest stomach flu. Four kids throwing up on the same day and the rest of us enduring aching stomachs. Not my best at all. Give me a headache over vomiting any day!

Last Friday night I finished my first week of a month-long course at night school (an hour away from home). Oh my! I haven't been in school since forever. Some days I wonder if I even have a brain left. To say that it is stretching me is an understatement. My days are filled with studying the lessons for the tests I have to pass at the end of each week and then leaving in the afternoon to go to classes. Then there's still the neverending laundry pile, homeschool, grocery shopping, housekeeping, seven children to love on and a husband to thank fifty thousand times a day for holding down the fort at home. It's all good and we are so very thankful to the Lord that once I am done I will be able to help contribute to providing for the needs of my family each month.

Anthony and I are finally beginning to emerge from one of the most stretching, most challenging seasons of our lives--the journey called unemployment. Oh my goodness! Nothing could ever have prepared us for the road which God called us to walk over the past 21 months. As I reflect, I am amazed. There were certainly months when we wondered how in the world we would ever make it, how we would get by, how we would pay our bills. But you know what? We did! Every single time. The Lord came through for us in ways we never imagined, using many people in our lives.

Tomorrow we begin a new season--one filled with hope and all the promises of the Living God coming to fruition in our lives. Tomorrow my dear hubby will begin a job on an as-needed basis--doing something he absolutely loves to do--serving his Father in heaven with all his heart as a hospice chaplain. He loves it! Sharing the love of Christ with those who only have days or months left here on this earth is a privilege for Anthony. He is so, so thankful to the Lord for this amazing opportunity.

As I look back and ponder all that has transpired in our lives over the past two years (and there has been a lot!), there is one thing that I can declare with all my heart because I have lived it, seen it, and experienced it in one of the deepest valleys we have ever been in....MY GOD IS FAITHFUL!

He is an amazing Father--one who sticks closer than a brother when the storms of life blow. He is a Daddy who holds us a little tighter and brings us a little closer to Him when we are faced with trials that make us wonder how we will ever overcome.

I often hear people remind each other that God will never give us more than we can bear. And while I do agree with that, I now know that every now and then God gives us more than we think we can handle! As Christians we are not promised the easy road. Nope! We are told time and time again that we are not immune to the trials of this world. In fact, we are promised many times over in His word that calamity and difficult times will come knocking on our doors. We have a plaque hanging in our kitchen that reads, "Faith makes things possible, not easy."

But oh, what glorious hope there is for those of us who put our absolute and complete trust in the Lord Jesus! When we step out of the boat, inspite of the ravaging seas around us, and look into the face of Him who is more than able to get us to the other side...Wow! The blessings are truly indescribable. Fear keeps us in the boat--faith makes us jump out of it...come what may. Sometimes, like Abraham, we have absolutely no idea what the Lord is up to, or where the road will lead...we simply must follow in complete faith and surrender knowing that God is in control, and that He never makes mistakes.

I would not change any part of our journey--not a single thing. They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I am beginning to understand that more fully now. Looking back I see His hand upon our lives, I see His astonishing love poured out when we wondered how we could go on, I see the amazing heights and depths He reached to reassure us in our darkest hours that things WOULD be okay!

I don't know why God allows certain things to happen. I have no idea why He never provided employment for us when we cried out to Him with all our hearts for months and months. Why did the Israelites have to spend years and years in the desert? Why have God's beloved people endured hardships that my human heart cannot even fathom over the years? No clue. I only know that every single thing He allows us to go through is ultimately for His glory, not ours. The glory is always His. It's through the trials and the hard times, it's once we finally reach the mountaintop that we can declare, "He never let me go!"

Looking back...I see His faithfulness like I never did before He called us to walk..and trust...and depend on Him explicitly. It's amazing--the miracles which unfold when we are so completely and utterly dependent on God for our everything.

Has it been easy? Not a chance! There have been days when we were literally clinging onto Jesus by our fingernails. There have been so many lessons learned along the way. And while we still have a very, very long way to go in learning to depend on God at all times and in all circumstances, we are so much farther down that road than we were two years ago. We have learned to not sweat the small stuff--it truly doesn't matter. And we have learned too that the things of this world really do not matter. We are slowly but surely getting it--seek the kingdom of God FIRST--above all things--and everything else will be added to us. God is just so good like that. Even our children have seen and understood the faithfulness of their God in this season. And, the Lord has taught us to embrace the challenges and the difficult times, for we know that they are for our good. He's a sovereign God and He really can do whatever He desires with our family.

I am humbled and in awe of His great love for us. His love which knows no bounds. His love which reaches to the heavens. His faithfulness which reaches to the skies. (Psalm 36:5)

HE IS A FAITHFUL GOD WHO NEVER LETS GO!

big bro, little sis

2012-01-04T11:39:00.003-07:00

Okay, Harpy, let me show you something.

This, dear little sis, is math.

Some days I don't really feel like doing this stuff.

But Mommy says I have to do it. She says it will make me smart.

And you know what, Harpy?

YOU are so smart too.

There is NOTHING that you cannot do.

Here, let me show you how it's done.

Oh, you can take a rest. I know, schoolwork sure is tiring.

Yes, I know you love me.

And I love you too.

So, so much!

The end.

adoption: proceed with caution!

2012-01-02T18:05:00.024-07:00

This post is now closed for comments. All disrespectful and hateful comments, and those referencing current situations, have been removed.

Disclaimer: Anthony and I put our thoughts down together for this post. We are NOT against adoption disruption. This post is not about that. We completely understand that there are times when a family brings a child home and that child simply can no longer stay in their home due to him/her harming or sexually abusing other kids in the home. We completely understand that. This post is not about disruption! Nor is this post about any particular family or situation...it is merely our own thoughts and convictions about adoption!

~~~~~~~

It’s no secret…I love adoption! I think adoption is God’s answer to the many, many children who have been abandoned through no fault of their own. God’s heart IS adoption. By His unfathomable grace He adopted each one of us first—and that very spirit of adoption is passed along to many of us who feel called to grow our families through the same blessing we so freely received.

But…

Adoption is not for everyone. Especially special-needs adoption. Quite honestly, I ache when I hear stories more and more frequently of people who travel to faraway lands to adopt their child—the one God “called” them to adopt—and find themselves absolutely devastated because that child is just not quite what they were anticipating or hoping for. They arrive on the other side of the world and meet a child who is either extremely delayed, desperately malnourished, unable to communicate, or has needs far more severe than the family was originally told. Dreams come crashing down and the family finds themselves in a predicament…is this really their child after all?

I’ve been wondering a lot recently…Are social workers preparing families enough for all the things that can go wrong? Are they not doing their jobs thoroughly? Or, do some families not prepare their hearts and their minds enough for all the many possibilities which may (or may not) go wrong when adopting an institutionalized child? Or, perhaps, do we just live in a society, in a day and age, where if something doesn’t quite work out the way we anticipated, well, we just abandon plans? We chalk it all up to the fact that we either really didn’t hear the Lord and this was all a big mistake, or this really was entirely God’s plan for us.

If we’re inclined to believe the former, we tell ourselves that the Lord wanted us to raise all this money, go through months and months of paperwork, then bring us to this place, only to finally have the revelation that this is actually not our child. Or it was God’s way of leading us to another child He wanted to show us.

It breaks my heart. These are children we’re talking about. It is not the same as going to the local animal shelter to find a new dog for the family, finding that pup and taking him home, only to find out that the sweet little guy who was in the kennel is not quite suitable for the family after all—so he gets returned. We’re talking about children here! Precious, amazing, wonderful children who desperately need someone to come for them…no matter what is “wrong” with them. Children who deserve unconditional love.

I must say that I completely, and I mean completely understand the thoughts, the feelings, the fears, and the concerns which overcome a person when you are handed a child who is so severely delayed. I traveled to Ukraine alone last year to adopt our two girls who have Down syndrome. I remember the day like it was yesterday--the day they shoved Hailee into my arms. Nothing could have prepared me for a five year old who weighed less than fifteen pounds, had sores on her body from banging her head on the bars on her crib, smelled positively awful, could harldy even sit up due to being so severely drugged, made no eye contact whatsoever, and was nothing but a floppy ragdoll in my arms. I was so afraid of what the future with this child looked like. I had no idea how God was going to work it out. But there was one thing I did know...she was our daughter! God was big enough to handle the details.

I think that anyone considering adopting an institutionalized child MUST be prepared for every conceivable thing that can go wrong. Quite honestly, every family needs to go into the adoption with zero expectations. Go into it expecting the worst case scenario! That way there is little room for disappointment and horrible discouragement once you meet your child face to face. Pray and trust the Lord for the best—but know that it may just look very different to what you anticipate. Is God God? Is He not more than able to direct us to the child whom HE desires for our family—no matter what the circumstances?

No one can deny that there is a move of God in this country. The heart of adoption is spreading far and wide. The message of adoption is finally being preached in many churches, and hearts are being stirred across this great land to welcome a child into their homes through the blessing of adoption. It is so easy to look on a website overflowing with children who live in desperate situations and have your heart be broken into a million pieces. It is easy to get caught up in the emotion of it all—and possibly commit for wrong reasons. It is easy to fall in love with a sweet little face in a photo which is three years old and not be prepared for the fact that for the last year that child has been living in a hell hole and hardly even resembles the cute little cherub in the picture you hold in your hands.

This, dear friends, is the reality of the institutionalized child. Many of them live in conditions our hearts cannot comprehend. They lie in cribs day in and day out and their only source of stimulation is the bars on their crib which they bang their heads on. Some will even gnaw on the cribs they are forced to live in just for some sort of stimulation (think caged animals!). Most of them are drugged—not with some mild sedative to help them asleep at night—no, they are drugged with adult tranquilizers to make them sleep 24/7. Most of these children live on diets which consist of some form of liquid mush—they have no idea how to even chew food at five years or six years of age. The tiny confines of a crib and a horribly inadequate diet ensure that they are severely malnourished. Truly, most of these precious children quickly get reduced to mere breathing corpses in the horrendous environments they live in.

And sadly, many people are just not prepared for it. They arrive in their child’s orphanage and simply cannot deal with what is handed to them. In an instant their worlds come crashing down around them and drastic decisions get made. “This child requires a lifetime of care and we cannot give it to them.” Or, “We fear for our other children at home and cannot adopt this child.” Or, “This is not what we signed up for.”

I see it happening more and more. Children who have waited for years and years to find families and finally have that opportunity, only to get left behind after just a few days of meeting their potential family. We have one living in our home! Sadly for them, another family will have to commit and the adoption process will have to start all over again from scratch. Potentially the child can wait for several more years to be rescued! For many of these children who live in dire situations, they either get transferred to an adult mental asylum (around their fifth birthday) and become unadoptable, or many die from sheer neglect--they just cannot survive in the heinous conditions. Or, as with our Haven, these children are left even more confused and traumatized--they had a family, and then they didn't.

Come on, body of Christ! Are we not called to do the tough things? Are we not commanded to care for the orphan? Did Jesus not teach us to do the things which the rest of the world does not feel “called” to do? Does the Lord not promise us that He will never leave us nor forsake us? And when He calls us…does He not equip us with everything we need to do the job with excellence? Why then do so many children come so close to being adopted—only to be left behind when the going gets tough?

I seriously just do not understand it. I think we have fallen into the world’s trap of living in such a ME society. It’s all about me, me, me. My life must be as comfortable as possible. My children must be as comfortable as possible. Nothing must disrupt the harmonious balance of my family life. Lord forbid God asks us to actually DO the hard things. I too fall into the trap of taking the easy way out sometimes, and I hate it.

Sometimes it is in the difficult things, in the trying times, and when we’re literally clinging onto Jesus by our fingernails that we see His love and His faithfulness like never before. Saying yes takes such enormous courage and strength, but the blessing which follows is truly indescribable. You just have to open the Bible and pick any place to read to know that it’s the truth. God ALWAYS equips His people. Always.

Sometimes it is when we rescue one of “the least of these”—a child discarded by the world, with no value or worth whatsoever, a life which is completely and utterly broken—that we see the living God face-to-face. It’s in that precious child that his glory shines through. How often we miss out on the blessing!

Please, I’m begging anyone in the process of adopting or considering an adoption...have zero expectations! Please know what you’re getting into BEFORE you commit. Pray, seek wise counsel, read as much as you can about adoption, get advice, and pray some more before you say yes. And then go into the adoption trusting the Lord with all your heart (and not leaning on your own understanding)—but be prepared for anything which awaits you on the other side. Take any information you are given from their country with a grain of salt—it means nothing (and is very often completely inaccurate). Know that He has called you to adopt YOUR child and never waiver in your faith that He is more than able to help you face any challenge which awaits you.

If you’re looking for the “perfect” child, do not adopt! There is no such thing. Just as we are never, ever assured of having a completely healthy and “normal” child by birth, so adoption can be filled with many unknowns. You just never know what is waiting for you when you finally walk into the orphanage to meet your child for the first time…but your God in heaven does! He…does…not…make…mistakes! And that has to be good enough.

Open the eyes of your hearts.

Let your yes be yes!

We can honestly say from our own experiences in adopting SEVERELY delayed children that taking a chance on these children is so, so worth it! They will astound you, amaze you. They just need someone to give them a chance at LIFE.

his love endures forever

2012-01-01T13:34:00.001-07:00

God has been so very good to us in 2011.

We are so excited to see what He has in store for our family in 2012.

Great is His faithfulness!

Happy New Year from our family to yours.

His love endures forever!

an update on kyle

2011-12-30T22:50:00.009-07:00

Many, many people have written to me today asking for an update on Kyle. So many of you have been praying this week--trusting that someone would step forward to adopt this sweet boy.

I wish I could share good news with you tonight. Oh, how I wish! But sadly, there is still no family for Kyle.

One family did try everything they possibly could today, but there is just not enough time to complete all the necessary paperwork and the agency said it was impossible. Kyle needed a paperwork ready family--one who was already in the process of adopting a child from his country and would be willing to add this dear one to their adoption. The family had to be traveling very soon in order to complete the adoption on time. That was his only hope.

But there was none. Today we have been told that time has run out for Kyle and very sadly so has his chance of having a family of his own. In just a few short weeks he will turn fourteen--the age when an orphan can no longer be adopted from his country.

Many have asked what will happen to him now. I have no idea. He will become another statistic of a child who ages out of the system. I cannot even bear the thought of it. It is an awful, hopeless situation for these young people who get released from orphanages. My heart cannot fathom it. It is so not fair.

Please remember Kyle in your prayers. I cannot even imagine what must be going through his mind right now. How devastating to know that your only dream--the opportunity to have a real name (not some random orphanage name) and to love and be loved by a family--is gone!

With an aching heart for this young man.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

astonishing grace

2011-12-29T18:24:00.009-07:00

grace:  noun \ˈgrās\  a manifestation of favor [mercifulness].

Life is finally beginning to feel a little more settled for our family. Our house is starting to feel like a home (with the help of a bit of paint to brighten things up) and only a handful of unpacked boxes remain. It feels good.

Christmas was wonderful. We made a conscious effort to keep things simple. Our children each received a few small gifts. We spent the day with dear friends.  Jesus was honored--for it is all about Him that we celebrate.

And in the midst of it all--the wrapping paper, the gifts, the birth of our Savior--I marvelled once again at His astonishing grace in my life. Amazing grace that my heart simply cannot fathom at times.

Grace which is always, always sufficient.

It was one month ago that we drove up the long and winding mountain road that led us all the way back to our old home--the one we left just eighteen months ago.

I confess that I was totally thrilled to leave this place last year. I remember heading east with joy indescribable and great anticipation in my heart. The feeling of elation only intensified with every mile that took us farther away from the freezing cold winters which, to me, truly felt like they would never end. Everything in me could not wait to get our little girls with Down syndrome to a lower elevation where they could thrive--and my summer-lovin' self to a much warmer climate. Having lived in the southern hemisphere for most of my life, I found adjusting to a very cold climate for the first three years that we lived here extremely hard.

Oh, the joys of beginning a new chapter in our lives (sans snow!).

But, as you know if you have journeyed with me for a while, many lessons were to be learned along the way. The biggest one, of course, being learning the hard way what it means to truly die to self and put my complete trust in my God. I thought I had learned that lesson many times over in the past. I really did. I often went through experiences which I thought were the kind where the Lord was teaching me to put my absolute trust in Him. Yup, I totally thought I had arrived and had the whole surrender thing all figured out and wrapped up in a nice little box with a nice big bow on top!

But hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Those little "experiences" really were just trial runs for what was to come. God was building my faith one little "experience" at a time.

Needless to say, we arrived on the east coast in May last year and immediately set out to put our roots down so deep that even a Category 5 hurricane could not uproot them.  No one, and I mean no one, was going to move us from our beloved promised land.

Ah, yes. I have failed so many times in my life.

And in the last eighteen months I have failed more times than I care to even count. I used to think that I was a pretty strong woman. I used to think that there was not much that I could not handle. I used to think that I could face any mountain and weather any storm.

That was until the Lord called us to walk the most challenging season of our married life. A season that would stretch and challenge every aspect of our lives. A season that would not make any sense at all to us...but all the sense in the world to Him. A season when everything would be stripped away and we would be forced to rely completely and utterly on the ONE who called us by name.

A season which would take us full circle.

And bring us back.

To the snow. And the cold. And the winters which feel like they will last forever.

Back to the place I vowed and declared in a loud voice that I would NEVER return to.

Yes, this little spot on the map that I could not wait to leave behind, He has brought us back to.

It was with a lump in my throat the size of a tennis ball that we drove back into our driveway one month ago. I fought back tears as we walked back into the house I was all too happy to leave behind. I asked the Father many times as we headed west, "Why, God?"

"Why this?"

"Why here?"

"Why not there?"

Silence. Every time.

No answer from heaven.

The truth is that I don't have the foggiest idea why. I don't know why God chooses to do most of the things He does (and has done) with His beloved people over the years. Three men jumping into a blazing furnace, a tiny man to fight a giant, wilderness experiences for a ton of years, a teenage mom to give birth to the Savior of the world? Seriously? It's all crazy--the whole lot of it.

But ultimately it is ALL for His glory! Every trial, every crazy experience, every unanswered prayer, every twist and turn along the road. HIS glory...not ours! All we have to do is follow. And then...

His amazing grace follows.

I have been so mindful of His grace in this season of my life. His awesome, steadfast, truly amazing grace. His manifestation of favor in my life. I am so undeserving of it. I whine, I lose faith, I question, I doubt, I wonder, I take my eyes off the Father.

Yet, He pours grace down like rain upon my life--and it is always enough in any season I endure.

Always plentiful. Always more than enough to get me to the other side.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

And so, as the apostle Paul did, I will boast in my weaknesses. Without Jesus, I am completely useless. I love what The Message version of the Bible says about that same scripture in 2 Corinthians.

"My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become."

I am slowly but surely learning to embrace my weaknesses--to see them as a way for my God's strength to be made perfect in my life. For it is only through Christ that I can do all things. When I am weak, He is strong.

I arrived back in this winter wonderland just a few weeks ago with so much dread in my heart. I knew that I knew that we were making the right decision to return (because really, we simply had no other choice), but oh, how I much I longed to stay right where I was.

Today, as I sit writing this, with the snow thick outside my window and freezing temperatures which are here to stay for a long while, I can only but marvel at my God who truly does work out all things to the good of those who love Him. My heart is changing. My perspective is changing. I am seeing things differently to how I did before. I can even begin to think about the months to come and not have that old feeling of sheer dread consuming me.

His amazing grace.

Life truly is just so fleeting, isn't it? We have only one shot at it. I stood in the store a few days ago and Billy Graham's latest book caught my eye. I opened it and read a few pages. In there he speaks of how he is nearing the end of his life and how quickly it came. He speaks of heaven and all that awaits him when the Lord finally takes him home. Reading this man of a great God's thoughts and ponderings on living life to the fullest and just how fleeting our time here on earth is really gave me a healthy dose of perspective.

Does it really matter where I live?

Does the weather even matter one single bit?

Potentially, I can go through my entire life longing for something else--something bigger, better, warmer, more suitable for my needs--and never find it.

Just a vapor. That's all it is.

Following Jesus with reckless abandon is ALL that really matters in this life. He and He alone is the only ONE who can give me the grace to endure any circumstance and any situation He allows me to go through.

I have such a long way to go. But I am learning, slowly but surely, that for those who surrender to Christ, we really do lose our lives when we give Him full reign to do whatever He pleases with us. And when we say yes...

Grace follows.

No matter what.

My journey continues. The Lord has been good to us in this place. Doors of opportunity have flung wide open and we are walking through each one of them. We're listening carefully to His still, small voice which gently leads and guides us, and we're trusting that He will use our family however He pleases. Our lives are not our own--we belong to Him. We long to be clay in the hands of our Maker.

"I'll just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." 2 Cor. 12:9

And daily....I'm learning to abide.

~~~~~~~

Head on over to Anthony's blog to read the first part of an awesome interview he did.

one final call!

2011-12-27T13:44:00.007-07:00

Oh my goodness!

Last Friday I posted about a few children in desperate situations who so urgently need someone to come and rescue them. Thankfully, I have heard that there have been inquiries on most of those children. Praise God! Even sweet Shannon, who only had a few days to find her family, has had TWO families inquire about bringing her home.

Sadly though, one young man on that list has not had a single family ask about him. And even worse is the fact that he is quickly running out of time to be adopted. Last week I was told that Kyle had only three days to find his family. Yesterday I felt so absolutely heartbroken for him. I wondered how a young boy must feel when he knows that time has run out--and nobody CHOSE him. My heart ached for him as I thought about his feelings of rejection and abandonment (too many times). Just awful.

Today though, my friend Annie, who is a huge advocate for orphans, found out that it IS still possible for him to find a family. Annie spoke to another family who also rescued a son when he literally only had days to spare before becoming unadoptable.

There is still a glimmer of hope for Kyle!

His dream of having a family of his own can still come true.

Friends, we need to find Kyle's family in the next couple of days. A Letter of Intent to adopt him will have to be submitted by this Friday--or it will be too late.

A challenge? Yes.

Impossible? No way! Nothing is impossible for the Lord of Lords.

The ONLY way that Kyle is going to be saved from a life of sheer hopelessness on the streets is if a family who is already traveling to China to adopt another child feels called to add this precious boy to their adoption. He MUST be adopted before his fourteenth birthday in February.

Please will you help us spread his story? I'm begging you to share this desperate need anywhere you possibly can in the hope that his family will find him before it is too late. Honestly, I cannot even bear the thought of what will happen to him when he gets released from the orphanage. He will be in a situation much the same as Jonathan (who is being adopted). Oh, God in heaven!

All Kyle longs for is his own family. He knows his time is running out. Surely he too will be blessed with the greatest desire of his heart--an opportunity to love and be loved. I just have to believe it.

Please will you rally for Kyle? It is his only hope!

Thank you for joining in one final call for Kyle. Thank you, body of Christ, for caring and for sharing the story of one young man who, like countless others, is on the verge of a life few of us cannot even comprehend.

Thank you for believing with us that Kyle WILL be saved (just as Kevin was).

Anyone wanting more information can contact Annie right here.

"The condition for a miracle is difficulty, however the condition for a great miracle is not difficulty, but impossibility.”

The movie: Faith Like Potatoes

rub a dub dub

2011-12-26T21:19:00.002-07:00

One little girl in the tub.

So. Do you think they will notice that I climbed into the bathtub for a second time...clothes and all this time?

Surely not? I'll be oh so quiet in here.

Shhhhh...don't tell them.

Heeheee....I LOVE the bath. This is SO much fun.

And look, my pj's got nice and clean too! That's because last time I was in here (like, ten minutes ago), I emptied a whole bottle of shampoo in the water.

A girl can never be too clean, you know.

merry christmas

2011-12-24T16:12:00.001-07:00

From Anthony and me.

And these who we have been exceedingly, abundantly blessed with.

To all of you and your beautiful families.

Jesus, you are our everything!

praying for their Christmas miracles

2011-12-23T14:44:00.020-07:00

Hello, friends. Here is a list I have put together of children who are in URGENT need of a family to come for them. Some have mere days left to find a family, others have urgent medical needs, and a few just need the body of Christ to rally for and to care for them by sharing their story in the hope that they will be found.

All of these angels have one thing in common. They ALL need to be chosen. They all need to be loved, to be embraced, to be given every opportunity under heaven and earth to be all who God has created them to be. Family! They all so desperately need a family.

Please read their stories and then share them anywhere you possibly can in the hope that God will move on someone's heart to GO! Each one of these children needs a Christmas miracle--the gift of a family.

~~~~~~~

KYLE, 13, ONLY HAS THREE DAYS LEFT TO FIND A FAMILY!!!

"Kyle is a sweet and very handsome boy who greatly wants a family of his own. He wanted to be adopted by my wife for sure. He bonded with her during an orphans' camp that she volunteered at this last July. It was in Yantai. I believe that he could still bond with another family. He loves basketball and airplanes. He has not been in the orphanage all his life. He was placed there three years ago after his mother's death. His father died when he was about two. His surviving family is unable to support him. He won't talk about his mother's death. Some of his family believe he may have witnessed it. He is respectful and mature. His only special need is his age. He is normal in all accounts as far as we know."

PLEASE HELP THIS SWEET BOY, WHO WANTS NOTHING MORE THAN A FAMILY TO CALL HIS OWN, TO FIND HIS MOM AND DAD!!!

Anyone interested in finding out more about adopting Kyle can contact Donna right here.

~~~~~~~

SHANNON ALSO HAS JUST A FEW DAYS LEFT TO FIND HER FAMILY!

Shannon has mild CP which weakens her left hand and leg. Her speech is not affected. She likes to take walks, jump rope, and do calligraphy. She is smart; does well in school, and likes history and language arts. Her dream is to go to college and become a lawyer. Others think she will be a teacher because she always helps care for and teach the younger children. Shannon knows some English and really wants to learn more. Shannon is LONGING for a family of her own. Her best friend has been adopted by an American family and they are in frequent contact with each other.

Beautiful Shannon will turn fourteen in February! She is running out of time fast! Surely someone will go for this lovely young lady?

More information about Shannon can be found here.

~~~~~~~

THIS IS MICHELLE. SHE TOO IS AGING OUT REALLY SOON AND NEEDS A FAMILY FAST!

Michelle is thirteen years old. This girl is ready and waiting for a family to call her own and doesn’t have much time to find them as she will age out when she reaches fourteen. Michelle’s infectious smile and outgoing nature have made her many friends, and she has a great capacity for affection. One of Michelle’s great joys is singing with friends.

Given Michelle’s age, it is critical that a paper-ready or near-paper-ready family finds her very quickly before she “ages out” at fourteen and is unable to be adopted. It would be heartbreaking for this lovely girl not to have a family when she is so close!

Michelle’s file is with Great Wall of China‘s Waiting Child Program. For more information about possibly adopting Michelle, please contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com or cori@gwca.org.

~~~~~~~

DAVID DESPERATELY NEEDS A FAMILY! HE IS ALREADY THIRTEEN AND ONLY HAS A COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR A FAMILY TO COMMIT TO HIS ADOPTION!

David has been waiting his entire life for a family!

HIS ENTIRE LIFE! Oh my goodness.

He was born in 1998 in southwest China. This boy is enjoyable and energetic. He is always eager to get out and play soccer, volleyball, or whatever sport anyone will play with him. David is quiet and enjoys drawing. The orphanage director says he is quite mature and very smart. David has amazing potential to be a strong leader.

His special need is cleft lip and palate. He has stated repeatedly that he wants to be adopted! He wants a family! Poor boy.

Please share David's story and let's believe that his very long wait for a family will finally come to end. This boy needs to be CHOSEN!!!

More information about adopting David can be found here.

~~~~~~~

Brianna is a twelve-year-old young lady who is longing for a family of her own. She knows that she has until she turns fourteen to adopted.

Brianna is a hard worker who has hopes and dreams to become a nurse when she grows up. Her classroom skills are continually improving, and she wants to do well in school. Getting along well with her teachers and peers seem to come naturally to Brianna, and she says that she has a desire to help other people when she can. The only issue she has is trouble with her knee--but that does not stop her from walking and playing with her friends.

Please contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about making Brianna's dream of having her own family come true.

What a beautiful addition to any family this precious girl would be!

~~~~~~~

Wendy is another beautiful twelve year old who is running out of time to find a family.

She attends school and is determined to grow stronger physically as well as academically. Wendy was excited about the challenge of starting public school this fall and is making progress there. She is meeting her goals one at a time, improving in self control and participation in class. She enjoys math and gets along well with other children. Additionally she participates in special events like the jump-rope competition. Her teachers have noticed her strength and diligence.

Wendy is longing for a family! Please help her dream become a reality. For more information about adopting this sweet girl, please contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com.

~~~~~~~

Ahhhh....just look at this darling boy. This is Jack.

Jack was born in October 2000 in an eastern European country. He says he would love to find a family with a brother or sister of a similar age so they can play together. Before he was about to transfer to the older child orphanage, he asked a visitor, "Do you know anyone who would like to take a boy like me. I would really like a visitor, at least, because I am all alone and I have no one." He is open and easily shows his emotions. He has always seen parents coming for the younger children.

Jack lives with HIV. He asked, "What do I need to do for a mom to come? Do you know where she is? Is she looking for me?" He has enough mental fortitude to maintain his positive outlook on the world.

Breaks my heart!

Surely someone will give this adorable boy the ONE thing he is asking for...a family? Surely it's not too much to ask for? PLEASE share his story! More information can be found right here.

~~~~~~~

KAREN IS 15 YEARS OLD AND IS ABOUT TO AGE OUT! SHE IS LIVING ON BORROWED TIME.

Karen is a beautiful Roma girl with dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. At 15, she is healthy and smart and has no diagnosed special needs. She goes to school and has no negative behavioral issues. She is just a teen in need of a loving family! Karen has a sister, Chrystyna, who is also available for adoption.

Karen and Chrystyna are living in different orphanages but in the same region. It would be wonderful if they could be adopted together, but our facilitator says it may be possible to adopt them separately. If you might be seeking a sibling set, please inquire! Both girls need a loving family!

More information about Karen and Chrystyna can be found here.

~~~~~~~

Oh my goodness, how can I not share this sweet boy with you all?

Sam, as I'll call him, is a handsome eight-year-old boy who is already living in an institution for adults and children with special needs! His needs are barely being met, yet he has a beautiful spirit and greets his biological grandmother, who visits him when she can, with a smile. Sam has been diagnosed with CP and has made good physical progress with very minimal therapy. He is a little boy with great potential locked in a broken body.

Three years ago a family traveled to his eastern European country and adopted Sam's sister. For three years they have done everything they possibly could to find a family for the little brother they had to leave behind. Many have inquired. Many have seen his information. Sadly, he still waits. No one can committed to bringing him home.

Anyone wanting more information about adding this adorable little angel to their family can contact Katie at thebaronsix@sbcglobal.net. Thank you!

~~~~~~~

What a beautiful little lovie Miss Ellie is! Just look at her smile.

Ellie was born in 2000 and has mild CP.

"She is active, extroverted, has a ready smile, and is very polite. She will voluntarily say hello to familiar people and is very adorable. In the institute, she is fond of reading books, drawing pictures, playing with toys and games, and doing the training with other kids to help strengthen her limbs. She is very optimistic and gets along very well with other kids.

At present, Ellie is studying in the pre-primary school class. She can count from one to 100 and write numbers within ten. Her language ability improves very quickly; she can read children’s songs, tell stories, and performs songs, etc. At present, she can walk alone but not very steadily.

Although Ellie is living with a big family, she still wants to have a family of her own, with a father and mother who love her very much. Having waited for years and years for her turn to come, Ellie envies those kids who are adopted. When she sees them adopted by foreign families, she will say to caretakers with tears in her eyes: “ I also want a father and a mother.” How eager is she to have the care and protection from parents! As a result, she is willing to be adopted by families, especially foreign families."

Ellie has been listed on so many waiting-child sites and numerous agencies have advocated for her. No one has chosen her...yet! So heartbreaking.

Sweet little girl. Who will go for her? Anyone wanting more information about lovely Ellie can contact my friend, Annie, at 5puppies@comcast.net.

~~~~~~~

Isn't this little boy just an angel? His name is Sergey and he is only four.

Sadly for Sergey, even at his tender age, he has already been transferred to a mental institution! An institution, for heavens sakes! They are generally awful--a place where only the most basic of needs are met. Sergey has strabismus and HIV and is cognitively normal. He is physically active and developing well. His caregivers describe him as being a kind boy, never aggressive. Sergey is a happy boy with a wonderful smile. He gets along well with other children. Photos and videos available.

Oh, my heart aches for him. Just four years old and already transferred. How can it be? Surely someone will rescue this sweet little darling from a life of absolute misery? I have to believe it.

Unfortunately, NOT ONE family has ever inquired about adopting Sergey! Not one. He has been overlooked so many times. Please share his story in the hope that that will change. More information can be found here.

~~~~~~~

And last, but certainly not least, this little cutie is Wyatt.

Friends, Wyatt so desperately needs someone to come for him. Recent updates state that this little guy is not doing well. He is hanging on by a thread in Eastern Europe. He is described as a recumbent (lying down) patient. Along with his Down syndrome, he has hydrocephalus and can hardly move his hands.

How desperately this sweet boy needs to be rescued! Just like Lilianna, he is literally wasting away in a crib!

Wyatt has a grant of more than $3000. PLEASE share his sweet little face and his story in the hope that he WILL be saved!

More information on Wyatt is here. An advocacy site for Wyatt has been set up here. Please pray for this angelic treasure.

~~~~~~~

If I have missed an e-mail or you know of another child desperately needing their story to be shared, please leave a comment with a link to where they are listed as well and any information you can share about them. Thanks!

PLEASE share this page wherever you can. All these children just need ONE family, ONE person to say yes! Please share their stories in the hope that we can find their parents. I appreciate that so very much.

Trusting and believing with all my heart for their Christmas miracles.

children aging out

2011-12-22T14:10:00.001-07:00

Since sharing Jonathan's story, I have received a lot of requests to help other kids in similar situations. Gosh, I so wish I could do separate posts for every single one of the children who find their way into my inbox. It's a balance I struggle to find at times. The need is just so, so dire!

It seems that there are many children who are on the brink of aging out (becoming too old to be adopted) and have mere days to find a family. It breaks my heart. So I am busy working on a post to bring an awareness to these precious children. The ones who, like Jonathan, are literally out on the street in a matter of days or months.

If any of you know of an especially heartbreaking and urgent situation, please let me know ASAP so that I can include those children on my post. I am also more than happy to post children who are about to be moved to institutions and will more than likely not be able to be adopted once that happens.

I am hoping that by putting all the names and faces of these beautiful children who so urgently need families on one post, that it will be easy for you all to share them and let many people know of their plight.

I hope to have a post up tomorrow, so please let me know as soon as you can.

nogreaterjoymom@gmail.com

Thanks so much.

this is how

2011-12-21T19:59:00.003-07:00

This is how.

We do our schoolwork.

Do our schoolwork.

Do our schoolwork.

This is how.

We do our schoolwork.

All on a Wednesday morning.

We LOVE homeschool!

people ask me...

2011-12-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

Why I spend so much time here on my blog advocating for orphans around the world?

"You can't save them all," they say.

"Why don't you just let children grow up in their own countries?"

"Is this your family blog or an adoption blog?"

Well, the answer is simple really.

Like it or not, I will spend the rest of the days the LORD gives me breath on this earth fighting with everything I have for the orphan--for the ones who have no voice!

I will never, ever give up on the ones left behind.

Why?

Because I have seen with my own eyes. I have witnessed what a difference family can make in the life of a child. I have seen a miracle unfold before my very eyes...every single day in my home.

Her name is Hailee, and she is a miracle.

Hailee in the orphanage--on death's doorstep!

Hailee after just nineteen months of being home.

I believe with all my heart that there is HOPE for every child on the planet--no matter what is "wrong" with them, no matter how malnourished they are, no matter how profound their needs are, no matter how many people feel that they are better off where they are...

I disagree.

Family. It changes everything.

mighty to save

2011-12-20T12:37:00.003-07:00

I know that many, many of you are following Jonathan's unfolding miracle! I cannot even begin to tell you how much we appreciate your continued prayers as his family works hard to bring him home.

Over the last few days there have been many obstacles to overcome. At times his adoption has almost seemed impossible.

BUT GOD!

He who sits upon the throne has heard every prayer on behalf on this precious young man! He truly is mighty to save the orphan.

This is an update from the precious family trying so very hard to bring Jonathan home:

"The Embassy in his country has made Jonathan's case priority. They emailed back quickly! All we have to do....get this....all we have to do is submit our I600a before his birthday to USCIS. We don't even need to update our home study to submit it! I'm overnighting it today! That is for his visa. One thing down.
Now, we are working on making sure the orphanage doesn't release him. We should know more about that today! I'll update you as soon as I hear anything! Praise the Lord! His hand has been on this the whole time! Even when I couldn't see through the fog! It almost doesn't seem real. I'm so humbled and blessed that we serve a God who cares so much for us, so much for Jonathan!

The prayers of God's people! That is what led us in the right direction. Thank you!"

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. There are still a few hurdles to jump over, but things are definitely starting to look more positive. Please keep praying! Pray that they will be able to keep Jonathan in the orphanage until his family gets there. Pray for a heart of compassion for those who make decisions on his behalf in his country. Our God is ABLE.

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zeph 3:17

the Keller family: choosing to give LIFE

2011-12-19T10:00:00.002-07:00

Back at the beginning of November I felt like I needed to share the testimonies of as many families as possible during Orphan Awareness Month. I set out with great intentions of posting a good few stories each week.

Well, life happened--a move across the country with a family of nine plus a dog; an awful virus which sent our two little lovies to hospital the day after we arrived in the mountains; those same two angels on oxygen for several days; a house to unpack; adjustments all around...You get the picture.

Needless to say, I never got to post all the testimonies I had hoped to post. So here I am, continuing to share the stories of some pretty amazing families with you all--simply because there is such power in the testimony God gives each one of us.

I have been so looking forward to sharing this next family's adoption story with you. I actually asked my friend, Jen, if she wouldn't mind sharing their journey. You see, just a couple of years ago I never even knew that embryo adoption even existed! It was only through following Jen's story that my eyes were opened to something truly heartbreaking yet so redeeming at the same time, something we hardly ever hear about...the fate of hundreds of thousands of embryos in this country who are literally frozen in time.

It is an absolute JOY for me to introduce you all to Jen and her sweet, sweet family today.

~~~~~~~

HELLO ALL! I’m Jen, BLESSED MOM TO 8. My blog is http://www.handsheartsquiverfull.com/

I was SO EXCITED when Adéye asked me to share our precious adoption story! Specifically our seventh adoption which is the miracle of EMBRYO ADOPTION!

There are currently over 500,000 frozen embryo babies just WAITING for a warm place to snuggle in and grow. These embryos are the result of couples who have done IVF and have “extra” embryos left over from their cycles. These embryos have 3 fates…DESTRUCTION, DONATION to Science for research and Donation to another couple.

We’ve always really wanted to experience the intimacy of pregnancy and child birth together as a couple. When we got married 10 years ago, we did not have good insurance or the finances to explore IVF or the like so we moved straight to traditional adoption. Adopting our 6 wonderful kids through foster care/private adoption.

In March of 2009, I was REALLY feeling the nudging by God I THOUGHT to do an international adoption but my husband was JUST NOT FEELING IT AT ALL. After deciding that we were NOT both being called to adopt internationally, we decided to give TTC (trying to conceive) one last shot.

In April and May we both went through many tests with our RE (reproductive endocrinologist) and it was discovered that we could do IVF BUT we had some problems that would lead us to either egg donation, sperm donation or BOTH. Embryo adoption/donation IS NOT IVF. It is simply a frozen embryo transfer.

After much discussion and prayer, we decided that we did not want to create embryos that were not "ALL US" meaning either 1/2 The Captain + 1/2 donor or 1/2 Me + 1/2 donor AND we did not want to be in the same predicament and create embryos only to have to decide where our "extra" embryos would go as we only desired ONE pregnancy.

Because of all these factors, we were led straight to embryo adoption. Focus on the Family and many other Christian organizations support and encourage embryo adoption. It obviously didn't matter to The Captain or I whether it was our biological child or not-we were actually thrilled that this child would be adopted just like our 6 littles! Many couples agonize over what to do with their remaining embryos after IVF. There are 3 choices. Donate them to another couple, destroy them or donate them for research.

We started doing research and found that embryo adoption can cost anywhere from $3,000 up to $20,000. There are basically 4 ways I know of to do embryo adoption. I will list them from most expensive to least expensive.

1.) You can adopt your embryos through an agency like Snowflakes which is the most expensive way but they are experienced and pioneered embryo adoption. You can choose either open or closed adoptions. Home study required $12,000-$16,000.

2.) You can go through an infertility clinics anonymous embryo donation program. No home study required. $5,000+

3.) You can go through NEDC (National Embryo Donation Center). You must travel to their clinic in Tennessee twice once before your transfer and once for the transfer and get your home study through Bethany Christian Services. Total Cost $4600-$7,000 with an extra $3,000 if you want an open adoption.

4.) Miracles Waiting. Which is what we did. For $100-you post a profile and perspective donors read through and email you if they are interested. Some donors are also listed and you can contact them. Although we got chosen in just 9 days-many people wait over a year or more. Our cost $3800.

After we were chosen by the donating couple, we had our attorney here in KS draw up a contract and both couples agreed to it & it was finalized. I began the process of preparing my body for the transfer and then our 6 adopted embryos were flown to my clinic in L.A. and waited for my arrival! On October 22, 2009, 2 precious embryos were implanted in my womb.

Here is the photo of one of our precious ones right before implantation!

I gave birth to our PRECIOUS MIRACLE. Ms. Blakely Laurel on June 14, 2010. GOD IS GOOD!!!

I am pleading with you today...If you are a Christian and you believe that life starts at conception and you have that desire to give birth to a child or desire to adopt another child. PLEASE PLEASE think about embryo adoption. It is just a BEAUTIFUL way to help out the 500,000 FROZEN ORPHANS that are waiting right now…FROZEN IN TIME.

Please email me at handsheartsquiverfull@gmail.com with any questions you may have as I LOVE to talk about Embryo Adoption. Here is a link to my embryo adoption blog which DETAILS EVERY SINGLE STEP I went through in the EA process. http://www.womb4onemore.blogspot.com/.

~~~~~~~

Hi, I'm back.

Oh my! Two years ago I never really gave much thought to what happened to "left over" embryos once a couple had been through IVF. Wow, were my eyes opened! As I followed Jen's story, I began to research and educate myself about frozen embryos. My heart broke. I believe with all my heart that life begins at conception. I believe that embryos are human lives and that they too deserve a chance at LIFE!

Being unashamedly pro-life, two words that I read over and over in my quest to learn more about frozen embryos left me heartbroken...

DESTROY.

DONATE (to science).

Oh, God in heaven!

PLEASE contact Jen if your heart is being stirred to adopt an embryo! And if you can, share their story in the hope that maybe, just maybe, someone else's heart will be moved to save the life of a CHILD.

Embryos choose life too! And just like the millions of orphans around the world who so desperately need voices--people to advocate and bring an awareness to their situations--so do embryos!

a lesson from my daughter

2011-12-18T12:44:00.002-07:00

She loves.

Everyone.

And every thing.

Passionately!

With all her heart.

How I pray I can be more like my daughter each and every day.

She simply knows how to love.

an update on Jonathan

2011-12-17T07:41:00.006-07:00

Oh my goodness gracious! What an outpouring of LOVE we have received for Jonathan. It truly has been an amazing thing to witness. Thousands and thousands of people have read his story in the last 48 hours--only because so many of you cared deeply enough to share on your blogs and facebooks. So many people shared Jonathan's plea for a family. The army of God took up the mandate to care for the orphan!

I am so, so thankful.

As of yesterday we do have a family who has stepped forward and who is qualified to adopt Jonathan. That is the GOOD news and we are rejoicing. However, as things so often go with international adoptions, this is truly going to take a miracle. Definitely not impossible (for NOTHING is impossible with the King of Kings!), but it is going to take us all praying and believing that this young man WILL come home!

Many have asked me how they can be praying specifically for Jonathan and his adoption. Obviously with time being so crucial in this case, there are many obstacles in the way and we covet your prayers. Every day counts!

~~ The family who is trying to adopt Jonathan will have to have an update done on their homestudy. While this is typically a very simple and easy thing to have done (usually just a paragraph or two which needs to be added), unfortunately with the holidays upon us everyone is busy and they are struggling to find someone to do the update in a huge hurry. Please pray that the Lord, even now, will be moving on a social worker's heart to jump in and get the job done as quickly as possible. Pray that the Father will lead this potential family to the right person who can help them.

~~ Pray for great favor in applying for and getting the visa Jonathan needs to enter the country on. With so little time before he turns sixteen at the end of this month we really do need to pray that God will move this mountain too.

~~ Finances. With no time to fundraise (because adoption is insanely expensive!), his family will have to come up with lot of money super quickly. Again...not impossible. I know that many of you have said that you would love to help. I'll keep you updated on ways that you may be able to do that later.

~~ Timing is crucial here. Please pray that things will happen in the Lord's most perfect and amazing timing.

~~ And for Jonathan. Every time I think of him, my heart aches. He knows all too well that time is ticking by and that with every day that passes his dream of finding a family diminishes. I cannot even imagine all that must be going on in that young man's head and heart right now. Fear, uncertainty, anxiety. Please pray that the Lord would put a hedge of protection around him and that He would keep him safe.

So, things ARE moving forward and there is definitely hope on the horizon for Jonathan, but getting him here truly is going to take a miracle of God. Thankfully, we serve THE God of miracles! Please keep praying that every mountain, every obstacle, and every plan of the enemy will NOT stand in the way of this boy coming home. It's a known fact in the adoption community that if you want your faith to be tested like never before...adopt a child! Why? Because this is spiritual warfare! Adoption is about rescuing children out of captivity--taking them out of darkness and bringing them into HIS glorious light. It is about the Kingdom of God advancing on the earth and many, many children being rescued from the most horrific situations our hearts could ever imagine.

But, adoption is never easy, friends. It can be so challenging (especially in situations like this one)! It takes every ounce of faith you can muster on any given day. It takes courage, a huge heart, obedience, and a promise to your child waiting on the other side of the world that you will NEVER give up on them--no matter what the enemies camp throws your way!

All that to say that we need your continued prayers until Jonathan is safely united with his parents. Please pray, church!

I will continue to keep you all updated on specifics as Jonathan's miracle unfolds.

Thank you for all you have done to ensure that this young man does NOT become another statistic!

NOW, SHOW US YOUR GLORY, LORD!

URGENTURGENTURGENT!

2011-12-14T19:29:00.004-07:00

A couple of mornings ago I woke up to an e-mail in my inbox. "A boy needs help!" I read through the information and my heart broke. Not really knowing what my role was at that point, I prayed and trusted the Lord that He would send the right family.

I prayed the entire day on Monday for him. I checked in later that night to see if the many prayers being prayed on his behalf had been answered yet.

No, they hadn't!

Tuesday morning came and all I could think about was this poor young man. I started thinking about when I was a teenager, and what a blessed life I had--a warm bed, food in my tummy, the opportunity to go to school, and people who loved me. I put myself in his position and I felt physically sick.

You see, life as this one young man knows it is about to change. Drastically!

It was then that I knew that I knew that I needed to come to you, the amazing readers of my blog, with another rescue mission. I realized that, knowing all I know about him, if I choose not to advocate for him, well, I may just regret it for the rest of my life. I knew I had to try to help, and I also knew that you guys would be so faithful to rush in and help.

Friends, this time a young man, just fifteen years old, is literally on the brink of an absolute catastrophe!

This is Jonathan. I don't know anything of his history, only that he is an orphan in Eastern Europe.

On December 31, 2011, Jonathan will turn sixteen. A huge birthday for most teens. But a dreaded day for this young man. Soon after the day of his sixteenth birthday Jonathan will be given the "gift" of his freedom. Together with a small bag which contains all of his earthly possessions and about $30 in cash, he will be set free--no longer to be taken care of by a state orphanage.

Freedom?

Sadly, not!

Unfortunately, most of the children like Jonathan who "age out" of the system literally have nowhere to go. They are left on the streets to fend for themselves. With nowhere to turn, and no one to turn to, many end up in the trafficking industry. The majority never make it past their teen years. It is the sobering reality of most orphans who are forced to leave the only place of safety they know. The statistics are staggering. It is one of the many reasons adoption advocates fight so very hard to get children out of orphanages before it is too late. They know.

Here's the thing...

Jonathan has a matter of DAYS to find a family. Mere DAYS!

In order for this boy to be rescued from a life that few of us can even begin to imagine, a family needs to step forward in the next few days and commit to him! I'm told that as long as there is a commitment and the I600 visa is applied for, he will be kept where he is, and the adoption can be completed later. That's the good news.

Right now what is needed is a family who has adopted internationally before. From the contact I have been given, "He needs a family that is married, can travel, and has a homestudy that can be used for immigration approval and is willing to apply for immigration in the next week. If a family is ready to apply they will work directly with the facilitator who knows him."

One week! A visa HAS to be applied for in the next week in order to save this boy!

Here's a little we know about Jonathan:

"Jonathan is apparently a very, very good boy. He has a great sense of humor which has been confirmed by other kids in his class and two children who were recently adopted to U.S. He loves to work on a computer, takes part in virtually all theatrical performances organized at the orphanage, just a great actor, very calm when not on stage, never gets in trouble, loves sports and plays soccer, played basketball and trained in light athletics, studies at good level. Jonathan is respectful to adults and older children. He is obedient and always ready to help. NEEDS A FAMILY to file for immigration ASAP, can adopt later. BEGS translator when he visits if he has found his family yet, desperately wants to be adopted. Can be chatted to on Skype as well as email."

Oh, God in heaven, surely someone can go for this precious young man before it is too late? Surely he can be rescued in time? My heart cannot even bear the thought of what the alternative is.

Many, many people have joined in to spread the search for Jonathan's family as far and as wide as is possible. Many are praying and interceding on his behalf. Will you please join in? Would you use your blogs and your social networks to share Jonathan's desperate need for a family? It is only going to take ONE family to rise up and say yes. Just one. Surely between all of us we can help one boy to be united with his family...and spared the future he is rapidly heading toward? I have to believe it.

I believe with all my heart that we serve a God who LOVES to show His miracle-working power through seemingly impossible situations. He loves to show His power, His glory, and His faithfulness when all the odds are stacked up against us and things seem so dismal. Of course He can do this!

Thank you so much for joining us in the search for Jonathan's family! I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Please, I'm begging you to share his story wherever you possibly can! It is the only way his family will find their son.

If anyone would like more information about adopting Jonathan, please contact Amy at waitingchildren@gmail.com

great joy

2011-12-13T21:57:00.002-07:00

It is with great joy and a heart overflowing with thankfulness that I can share with you all that sweet, sweet Kolina is coming home in 2012! She has a family to call her own.

How great is the Lord?

How passionately does He love the fatherless?

Wow! I know many of you will be rejoicing with me tonight. The Father has heard the cry of our hearts...and He has answered.

Hallelujah!

Hang in there, sweet little lovie...help is on the way! Soon. You are NOT forsaken.

All glory to God in the highest!

just....thank you!

2011-12-13T11:27:00.009-07:00

Ah, you guys! Truth be told, I have many days (especially recently) when I sit here at my computer and wonder whether I should continue blogging. Sometimes I feel like I really don't have anything of worth to say and I wonder why in the world anyone would choose to come and read my simple thoughts and look at my very amateurish pictures. Some days I wonder if it is all worth it, this blogging thing--especially when I am swimming in my own sea of uncertainty right now and life feels so unpredictable.

But then I come to you with a couple of needs and you really do blow me away. No grand prizes or amazing incentives to donate to a cause. No, just people in need of the body of Christ to rally for them.

How amazingly you all rise up to meet the need each and every time! How generously you literally pour out your love upon those I share here!

Today I am so, so thankful to each one of you who have given to the Evans family since yesterday. Oh my! Their fundraising efforts are finally starting to look so much better. But more than the finances, each and every one of you who have given, offered to help with a fundraiser, or donated an item for their silent auction, have blessed this one Marine family more than you can ever know. You have shown them the astounding love of Christ--simply by being willing to help a stranger. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I appreciate your outpouring of love upon this sweet family. They are so deserving of being blessed in this way. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Also, beautiful Kolina's grant fund is looking fabulous! I have not heard news of a family who has committed to her yet, but thank the Lord that she has a lovely grant which will be such a huge blessing to the family whom the Father chooses to rescue her. I appreciate your generosity so very much. You truly have given one little lovie HOPE of finding her forever family soon.

So I just wanted to thank you all for BEING the church. It is so easy to confess with our mouths that we are Christians...but how different it is to actually BE the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth. The Word of God tells us that faith without works is dead! Thank you for being doers of His Word and for being so obedient to "care for the orphan" as we are commanded to do. Thank you for caring, for sharing the needs I bring to you, and for opening your hearts and your bank accounts to those who just need someone to come alongside them in support.

Together, we can truly make a huge difference in the lives of orphans and those working so hard to bring them home. Please don't ever think that your $5 contribution cannot make a difference! It absolutely does! God LOVES to multiply the seed we sow. He gave us the story of the loaves and the fishes to remind us of that. The amount we sow really doesn't matter...God looks at the heart of the giver. He loves to take what we are able to give and grow it into something so amazing, so beautiful. It's just one of the many ways He chooses to display His glory...and really, it is all about the Father's glory, His faithfulness, and His name being made famous on the earth.

The future of my blog? Well, I have no idea. I only know that it really is not my blog, but a place where the LORD is welcome to have His will and His way. For now, I will continue to listen carefully to His still small voice regarding what to post and who to share about. And even on those days when I feel like I have nothing to offer here, I will continue to remind myself that it really is NOT about me, but ALL about Him.

Thank you for reading here. I am so grateful to each and every one of you who chooses to read my blog.

With a grateful heart.

the Evans family: against ALL odds

2011-12-12T09:37:00.002-07:00

Every now and then the Lord is so gracious to allow my path to cross with a sweet family who touches my heart so deeply. A few months ago I met one such family. I don't know what it is because I have never had any family member in the military, but I have such a special place in my heart for those who serve this nation. I admire and respect the many men and women who sacrifice much to protect my family.

So when I heard that the Evans family were a military family, well, my heart went out to them. They had just committed to adopting their sweet little Alaina in Eastern Europe and were trusting the Lord for each and every dollar they needed. I admired this young couple's courage and willingness to say yes to the Lord in spite of the many obstacles they would face--deployment, limited income, and time apart.

I asked Lauren if I may share their story with you. Why? Because I believe with all my heart that every now and then we could all use a helping hand. You see, the Evans family have truly met obstacle after obstacle in their adoption journey--more so than most. They are working day and night to raise the money they need just to be able to submit their dossier at this point, but sadly, support has been severely lacking...even from their church!

Right now the Evans' dossier is sitting on a desk at their adoption agency. It is ready and waiting to be sent overseas so that one little girl who has Down syndrome can be rescued from an orphanage. But their church refuses to help and promises of other help have all ended up being completely empty.

As the Evans family have given up so very much to serve you, me, and our great nation, I was wondering if we could in turn pour out blessings upon them? Like, shower them with blessings! Imagine how wonderful it would be if they were finally able to submit their dossier AND pay for their first trip overseas (they will have to travel three times to Alaina's country).

It is an absolute JOY for me to introduce you to the Evans family today. Adam, Lauren, Kyle (4), Brandon (3), and Seth (17 months).

I would love nothing more than for you to read their story and then hop on over to their blog. Please prayerfully consider helping this young military family to rescue their precious Alaina. If you feel led, please sow seed into their adoption fund (via the Chip-In on their blog). Also, if any of you would like to help them with a fundraiser or by donating items to one of their future fundraisers, please let Lauren know by contacting her through her blog. I know it would mean the absolute world to them.

Thank you so very much. I so appreciate your willingness to help whenever there is a need. Please share their story and let's get this Marine family across the finish line!

~~~~~~~

Coming across Reece’s Rainbow was not an accident, but a seed planted by God, that would forever change my life.

It was actually about this time of year, last year. Maybe October, I'm not sure. I was blog reading, and stumbled upon this blogger that was advocating for a very adorable little boy. His name was Sam, and he was about to be transferred to an adult mental institute where he would surely die. Included in the blog was a link to Reeces's Rainbow. So I clicked on it.

I will never forget.

All those faces.

I then saw a video that had me on the floor crying. It was a news video that showed the inside of an Eastern European adult mental institute. Everyone should see that video. Everyone should know.

And I couldn't forget. Doing dishes, laundry, talking with friends, trying to sleep at night...the tugging at my heart would not go away. Playing with my boys, that is when I felt it the most. In my mind, I put my happy Kyle, funny Brandon, and newborn Seth over there in those conditions.

Without love, hugs, comfort, assurance, happiness, security...nothing.

Those children over there...they are the same. They have feelings, wants, needs, desires...they are human. They are innocent children, babies, for crying out loud. And their faces wouldn't leave my mind. No matter how hard I tried pushing them away...because after all, what could I do? I had three very young children and there was no way I could handle a fourth, with special needs.

Months passed, seasons changed, kids grew a little more, family relocated...and through it all, those children never left my heart. I started to pray more, asking God what He wanted from me. But I was too afraid to really listen.

My husband and I had briefly talked in the past of one day adopting....far into the future. The conversation was so brief folks that I could be making that up. :)

I think we even had a heated discussion over the topic. An interaction between the two of us full of disagreement. He would say he was open to it, and I believed him, but if I mentioned it too much, it would cause tension between the two of us. Fear in him, maybe?

So that was that. I didn't bring up adoption to him again for months. But I kept praying. I kept visiting the RR website. Not a day would pass when I wouldn't think about those children.

Then I came across Adéye's blog. Her love and her husband's love for Jesus, for serving Him, for giving their life to Him...wow. I would read and read, and think, "That is what I want!" To love Jesus so fully and completely. To stop pretending and to DO SOMETHING.

One night, after months of ignoring the quiet stirrings I felt within....I knelt and prayed and told God, "Okay, I'm listening, I'm yours. I want to do what You want me to do."

Well, I knew what He wanted me to do, because He had been bugging me for the last several months about it. :)

So I told my husband my heart's desires. I told him that I had been praying and that I wanted to adopt a sweet angel from RR. I sent him the link to Adéye's husband's blog and asked him to please read it. That is all I said to him and didn't say another word.

But I did start praying that God would open his heart to it.

Weeks went by, and while I was on RR, I saw a little girl that took my breath away. It was not our Alaina, but another sweet angel. I emailed my husband her picture. He promptly wrote back, 'She's adorable..find out more.' (Things didn't end up working out with her because another family had inquired about her first, and as heartbroken as I was, I couldn't be more thrilled with how He worked things out. We had seen our Alaina shortly after we fell in love with the first little girl, but didn’t know how to decide. He did it for us.)

God worked fast in him. And when I asked him why and how he was so eager and willing, he replied, "Only God."

We committed to Amanda from Reece’s Rainbow in September.

Right before we went through with our decision to adopt, I had an experience I would like to share here. My husband was gone, and it was just me and my computer for the night. For whatever reason, I started to google adoptions gone wrong. I had been reading all these great things about adoption, but apparently I felt the need to be informed about the flip side of all those great things. Big mistake. What I read was terrifying, and I immediately started to cry. Fear came over me, and I suddenly did NOT want to adopt. At all. I just knew we were making a big mistake. I couldn’t stop crying. So I said to God out loud, “I’m afraid, and if You want me to do this, then I need You to bring me peace about it.” INSTANTLY, I had the most amazing feeling wash over me. You guys, it was incredible. I no longer had one ounce of fear in me, I felt completely calm, and at ease. I stopped crying. I was so blown away by this overwhelming feeling that I had to put my computer down and walk away. That is the power of God. I knew then, in an instant, that we were making the right choice.

This road hasn’t been an easy one. The paperwork, so far for me, it’s been a cinch. I don’t mind it. But the fundraising…blah. We’ve had no support from our church. The first time we inquired about doing a benefit dinner, it took them three weeks to get back to us. Even though I felt like a burden to them, I emailed back. I included a link to the Serbian institute video and another one to my blog; I wanted them to know what we are fighting for. I asked another question, and stated that I’d like to proceed with the dinner. It’s been almost two weeks, and I still haven’t heard back. A friend of mine that lives in another state asked her pastor if she could do an enchilada pie bake sale for us. He said no, because then that opens the floodgates and other families will want to do the same. Like Adéye said, they are just not getting it!! I don’t understand.

I have to keep reminding myself throughout this journey to trust God and HIS timing. Not mine.

pressing on

2011-12-11T11:43:00.003-07:00

Oh goodness, it's been a tough few days for our family. Some days I seriously just long, with all my heart, for heaven. I long for the day when there will be no more sorrow, no more pain.

Today we lost someone so dear to our hearts. Anthony's spiritual mom had such a deep and lasting impact on his life--more so than anyone else. She led him out of a cult and introduced him to his Savior in the 70's, and has since been his mom and his mentor. Today Lynn was ushered into Glory after a challenging year of many hospitals stays and surgeries. This morning we could only imagine her heavenly welcome as one of His most faithful servants finally got to see her Maker face to face--the One whom she adored. Though we rejoice and know that right now she is dancing on streets of gold, healed and whole in every way, our hearts cannot help but wonder how life will feel without her in it.

I am so, so thankful for this woman of a Mighty God who helped to shape my husband to be who he is today. I am so grateful that one precious woman saw the amazing potential deep inside a messed up young man many years ago, and she believed in him!

I would so appreciate it if you would keep Anthony in your prayers in the days to come. His heart is aching.

There are so many things on my heart as I write this. Loss, friends struggling, families torn apart, orphans who lie bedridden, my family overseas whom I miss something awful, unanswered prayers, waiting on the Lord to move, on and on and on.

It's just one of those days, you know? The kind where nothing really makes sense and I have to dig deep in my faith and remind myself that God is and always will be the Great I Am. The One who sees every tear we cry. The One who gently whispers to us that this is all so temporary, so fleeting...and then takes us by the hand and lovingly points us toward the finish line and says, "Rise! Keep pressing on!"

"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Praise the name of the Lord!" Job 1:21

If you are going through struggles today, please know that I am praying for you...trusting that the Lord of Lords will be your strong tower--the One you run to.

amazing

2011-12-10T13:24:00.001-07:00

Today I was looking through some old photos.

And I could not believe that these two angels...

Are even the same children.

What a difference FAMILY makes in the life of a child.

No one can ever try to convince me that children are better off in their home country or in an orphanage! Ever!

Adoption changes lives!

just sharing

2011-12-09T19:49:00.008-07:00

My sweet lovies.

Because my family overseas is probably starting to think that I left them on the east coast three weeks ago.

Now you see me.

Now you don't.

Sorry. I have been a terrible blogger recently.

My life has been slightly busy.

And my family will always come first!

Candy? Do I see CANDY?

Ha! Yes! I LOVE candy...and chocolate...and sugar!

So this post.

Is to show you.

That my little darlings are all happy, doing well, and adjusting to life back in the mountains.

They have amazed us with their happy attitudes, resilience, and willingness to go where the Lord sends us.

How BLESSED we are!

With these whom we have been loaned here on earth.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the beautiful gift of children. How rich we are!

the gift of HOPE this Christmas

2011-12-07T20:06:00.010-07:00

Sometimes words are just so terribly hard to find. Many times I feel like Moses when he cried out to the Lord, telling Him that He really was not very eloquent. I can totally relate!

This will be one of those posts--the kind where I struggle to put into words what is on my heart. Sometimes situations are such that no amount of words can do it justice. Trying to convey truth without crossing the ever-present boundaries regarding just how much to post is a challenge for me. I long for the whole world to know the truth and see the truth when it comes to the conditions in which children live in foreign orphanages. But it's a fine line--one I struggle to find.

Anyway.

It's Christmastime. Such a glorious time of the year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Families come together, gifts are given, praise is uttered to the Baby who was born so that we may have life, and life more abundant. Honestly though, Christmas is so different to me now compared to what it was even a few years ago. I am different. I just cannot help but allow my heart and my thoughts to drift to the millions of children around the world who will [still] be alone this Christmas. For most of them, there will be no gifts, no tree to decorate, no fancy meal...and no family. Again.

It will just be another day.

Once you have put a foot in the door of an orphanage where children are lined up in cribs by the dozens, where a staple diet consists of drinking cabbage water out of a bottle, and where no heating exists, well, Christmas takes on an entirely different look. It is no longer a time when we think of all that we can get--but rather what we can give. It becomes a time of being so thankful for the many gifts we have been given--not for the next best gadget or the latest have-to-have, but for the things that truly matter in this life--love, joy that bubbles over, laughter, warm embraces, acceptance, belonging. FAMILY!

This week the Lord led me to a little face. A face who, very sadly, will not even know that December 25 is a reason to celebrate. No, for this little face it will just be another day in paradise--lying in a crib, rarely touched, some kind of liquid diet to barely sustain her, drugs to induce "best sleep" 24 hours a day. I know all too well how it goes.

Allow me to introduce you to Kolina. The little girl who brought me to my knees this week, begging the Lord to have mercy on her fragile little body. One of the saddest faces I have ever seen.

But then again, who can blame her?

Kolina languishes in the same awful place as Liliana. Many of you will remember Liliana as the little girl we all advocated for last August. A family is working hard to bring her home. Praise the Lord. No words can ever fully convey the heinous conditions these children live in. It is truly beyond human comprehension.

Sadly, Kolina has not been found yet. No one is going for her. It is only by Divine Intervention that this little girl is even available for adoption. She almost fell through the cracks...again.

But God! The father to the fatherless reached down from heaven and said, "This one too," and Kolina was made available for international adoption.

This sweet little girl is literally deteriorating daily in a crib in Eastern Europe. On December 16 she will "celebrate" her birthday. Kolina will be nine years old. Yes, nine! She has Down syndrome. Looking at her pictures, she probably only weighs around 10-12 pounds. If that. Clothes cover her clearly skeletal legs, and her pitiful frame is nothing but skin and bones. Poor little darling.

Oh, how I would LOVE a Christmas miracle for Kolina! I would love to see her sad, sad little face turn from sadness, hopelessness and despair to joy. Joy that comes from being in a family. Joy that comes from human touch and from knowing that she belongs.

I would love to give Kolina the gift of HOPE this Christmas.

But, as usual, I need your help. Kolina needs help! In order for her family to find her, Kolina's story needs to be spread far and wide. Just like Julia, and Vanya, and Kevin, and Liliana, and David. The ONLY way these children have found their forever families is through the body of Christ coming together and posting their faces and their stories on blogs, facebooks, and any other social network.

Would you please help Kolina? Will you share her story wherever you can?

Time is obviously crucial and she needs to come home as quickly as possible. Poor lovie is living on borrowed time--she is severely malnourished. A home-study-ready family would be ideal, but at this stage, it is not essential. Anyone wanting more information can contact Shelley at

shele337@yahoo.com.

Also, Kolina has a grant fund which has been set up by Reece's Rainbow. Please pray about donating to her rescue! A large grant would be such a huge blessing for her family. Adoption is expensive! What a beautiful miracle it would be if her ransom was raised. All donations are tax deductible and every single dollar will go to Kolina's RANSOM! If you feel led to contribute, just use the donation box below and all funds will go to sweet Kolina.

As I type this, Kolina's grant fund is at a measly $94.50. Would you prayerfully consider playing a part in her unfolding miracle this Christmas?

Thank you for standing with me and for trusting that Kolina will NOT be one of the 95% of children who have Down syndrome who die in orphanages around the world each and every year. It is beyond human understanding.

Thank you for sharing Kolina's story and for believing that someone WILL go for her soon!

let us cross over to the side

2011-12-05T23:47:00.006-07:00

"One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25

I remember the day like it was yesterday. I had just met Anthony a few weeks prior. Our relationship was blossoming as we were getting to know one another. It was such a blissful time in my life.

So there we were, in my parents living room, with a few loved ones gathered on a chilly winter's evening. We began to look deeper into the Scripture above.

Anthony asked us all a question.

"Why did the disciples have no reason to fear the storm?"

I reread the Scripture again and again. I put myself in the disciples place. If I were in a little boat in the middle of a huge lake and a vicious storm arose, I too would be terrified. Trust me, I would probably be the first one heading to the other side of the boat where Jesus was having a snooze and tell him to please wake up and, like, do something...anything.

"Why did the disciples truly have nothing to fear?"

Well, yeah, He was Jesus after all. But heck..He was napping in the back of the boat. Fine time to take a nap. What could He possibly do while asleep?

Eventually our little group gathered there raised their arms in surrender. We simply could not figure out why in the world they really had nothing to fear. We had been through every conceivable reason and none of it really made sense.

"Let us cross over the the other side of the lake!"

Ha! There you have it--in all its simplicity. Nothing fancy. No deep spiritual meaning (which I so often try to find).

Jesus already TOLD them what was going to happen. "Let us cross over!" He gave them directions and told them in no uncertain terms where to go.

But. He sure did not promise them that it was going to be easy, did He? Nope. He never said that it would be smooth sailing and an easy passage all the way to the other side.

In the last few weeks I have been thinking about this Scripture a lot. Our family has been through another major change. Some days I have wondered what in the world we are doing. I look outside and see the snow piling high and in my humanness I long for a warmer climate. My little darlings have been struggling with horrible sickness and I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I look to the future and have absolutely no idea how the Lord is going to come through for my family in so many areas.

I doubt. I question. I wonder. I become fearful. My heart grows oh so weary.

But.

"Let us cross over to the other side."

Then His still small voice calms my anxious heart. His peace which passes all understanding comes and rests in the depths of my being and He reminds me that just as it was with His disciples in the boat that day, so it is with my family...He never promised us an easy journey. Getting to the other side may take all the faith that we can muster on any given day, but He promises us that He will get us there...come what may!

I am so quick to want the easy way out of situations. So many times I want to get to the other side in my turbo-engined boat--efficiently and as fast as is humanly possible, thank you very much. I want to fly across the water at a hundred miles an hour and not encounter any ripples in the water whatsoever. Just get me there in record time, please! But sometimes (no, most times) all God gives me is an ancient rowing boat with half an oar. Forget the flying from point A to point B. Uh-uh...that's what everyone else seems to do as they whizz past me while I slowly but surely paddle my way to the other side. Paddle. Encounter storms. Pause. Pray. Paddle. Encounter bigger storms. Lose heart. Pray.

Eventually, I do get to the other side. But it is never without storms.

As I reflect on the last two years of our lives and all that has transpired, I think I am finally starting to get something deep in my heart. When I think about the disciples in the boat that day, it all makes perfect sense to me now (yup, I'm a slow learner). God, in all His grace and wisdom allows the storms to come to my shores--He allows the journey to become so trying and so testing that really, all I have is HIM. In His infinite wisdom He allows me to see the view from the lowest valley, only so that when I do eventually reach the mountaintop, I can look back and SEE all that He did to get me to that point. And, He allows my faith to be tested so that when I eventually reach the other side I can declare with all my heart that He is a faithful God!

Crossing over to the other side is never easy, friends.

But one thing I am certain of is that when God calls us by name, when He commands us to cross over to the other side in our individual walks with the Him, we can rest assured that He's already gone before us--that He's already reached the destination and is waiting for us on the other side.

My prayer is that when He calls, when He beckons us to "Come, let us go on this journey or that journey," that we would do it without any hesitation--that our answer would be "Yes" before we even consider the storms which may (or may not) brew.

The journey to the other side? We'll leave in His capable hands.

"Let us cross over to the other side." Simply because He said so.

~~~~~~~

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1: 2-4

the hendershott family: God's love story

2011-12-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to be able to introduce you all to a very special family today. Dardi and I met via our blogs several years ago. I have been so encouraged by their hearts which are so yielded to God's plans and purposes for their lives. I know that you too will be so blessed by their story--the one where God brought sweet Kendi home--right from their hometown.

~~~~~~~

An interesting thing happened in the midst of our wait for K'Tyo, our son from Ethiopia. I got that very antsy feeling in my heart about another child. Say what? I began wondering if we were supposed to be bringing home two children from Ethiopia. Finally, I contacted our awesome coordinator and began doing some processing about my feelings. At that point, there was still a possibility to receive another referral, but as time went on, it became apparent that getting another referral was not going to happen. However, THAT feeling was still there. After some further discussion with our coordinator, we opted to be put on the waiting lists (at the time, the agency we were with allowed for this). We did not share this information with anyone because we just really wanted to focus on K'Tyo's homecoming and not take away from that.

I fell hard for Ethiopia. I love the people. I love my son from there. I was very excited to be going back for another child and we were steadily moving toward the top of the lists. And then Joe dropped a bomb. This man of mine has never been one to flex his "head of the household" muscles, but he informed me that deep down, he was feeling that our child was here and he really felt like we should remove ourselves from the wait lists. I believe God calls us to love…here, there, and everywhere. My heart was "there," but Joe was saying "here." Huh? I must admit I was more than a little ticked that God was talking to Joe about these matters! ;)

It has been my experience that adoption is never just about adoption. There is much learning along the way about everything from faith to relationships. The journey to Kendi was no exception. It was a HUGE time of growth in our marriage. After some prayer, I realized I had a choice to make. I could pitch a fit and get my way (I can pitch a pretty good fit), or I could take a step back and let my husband take the lead. The truth suddenly hit me hard...why would I not trust my husband? His heart is just as invested in following the Lord in this passion for children as my own. And not only that, he is always doing things to make me happy, so why would he come up with some idea of changing direction if he didn't feel strongly that that's what God was calling us to? So, I removed our names from the wait lists and we began working with a private agency in our state.

There were still moments I struggled with not going back to Ethiopia. I struggled with waiting for someone to "choose" our big family with "mature" parents. But God.

In church one Sunday, this verse was part of the sermon:

"The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help." ~1 Timothy 5:5

Light bulb...I had just read something that referenced today's single mother as the modern-day widow. I began praying in earnest, wondering if this was what God had been breaking Joe's heart for. In less than a week, the answer was yes. Have you ever noticed, though, that God tends to go above and beyond as He answers prayers? This time was no exception. Not only did He bring our hearts as one for this birth mother and her child that was also to be our child, but He used this birth mother to convict me of another truth. I had been convinced that no birth mother would choose our family due to its size (I mean, that's what all the adoption experts say...birth mothers typically want smaller families) and the fact that we are older and more mature, so I figured we were waiting for an emergency situation where the birth mother would leave the choice of families to the agency. We were open to a variety of needs, so sooner or later we would be next in line. But God.

Within two weeks of our profile becoming active, a birth mother CHOSE us out of several profiles. I do not say this boastfully. As a matter of fact, I am still quite humbled. Through this birth mother, God reminded me that our family is just the way HE intended for it to be. I love this big, beautiful family the Lord has blessed me with and there is to be NO shame in that! But that's not the end of this birth mother blessing us... we had the opportunity to meet and she proceeded to tell us, "I did not know what I was going to do. I was praying to God every night." Just like the verse He gave me. Beyond humbling.

And even more humbling? Even after all of these things, I was still anxious because all of this transpired over a period of a week. We had not anticipated any of it, so we thought we still had time to scrape together the last of the funds we needed. Instead, we needed them within days. But God.

I admit it. I was downright grumpy, but my husband had faith. He knew that he knew that he knew that God had brought us to this place and this time with this birth mother and this child. And when the mailman came on Saturday, there was a royalty check from Joe’s book (they had changed their accounting system, so it came at a different time than we normally expect). It was his largest to date, and it was for EXACTLY what we needed.

Two days later, Kendi Hope was born and came home at one week old. While I would have traveled around the world for her, Joe was right. She was right here.

Yes, indeed, this journey to Kendi was very much a love story, but not just Joe and Dardi’s love story. It's God's love story. God loves His children so much that He never leaves them where they are. Status quo can be good, but He used an adoption journey to teach us about trusting Him in the details and to show us that as our capacity to love more children can grow, so can the love and trust we have for each other in our marriage grow. Our strong marriage got stronger. God is just cool like that.

You can follow Dardi's blog right here as they head to China for their newest blessing.

~~~~~~~

Is obedience completely insanity? I loved what Anthony shared on his blog about his own journey in learning to surrender completely.

saturday siestas

2011-12-03T20:54:00.002-07:00

Any time.

Any how.

Any where.

Just don't forget to bring a pillow!

a better day

2011-12-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Good morning from the Rockies--where the snow is piling high.

Thanks so much for praying for my little lovies! Yesterday was a much better day. Hallelujah! No fevers. Oxygen in the normal range for both girls. Happy little personalities returning. Blessings! Even Daddy is feeling a tad better today. Looks like we're turning a corner...finally.

Also, I wanted to let you all know that since November was so insanely crazy with my family and we rarely had internet, I really did not get to post nearly as many adoption testimonies as I had hoped to. The days just got away from me. I still have some pretty amazing stories to share with you and have decided to continue posting them throughout the month of December. I know that so many hearts have been touched by the ones I did already post, and I feel like I need to continue until I have shared them all. I can't wait to introduce you all to some very special families in the weeks to come. I also have the most precious little girl who I am so looking forward to introducing you all to.

Slowly but surely we're settling into our new old home. In many ways it feels like we never left. I cannot wait to get my hands on some paint to brighten up the walls around here. My favorite colors have already been picked out and I'm almost ready to begin. I love to paint my homes. It's just my thing. It's not a home until it's painted and glowing with color. I was at Walmart a few nights ago getting some groceries. I made a little detour (because I couldn't help myself) to the paint section and asked the nice man behind the counter for a few sample pots of paint in the colors I had picked out. He took one look said, "I sure do hope these colors are for the inside of your house!" Yup! He laughed and said that my husband is a very brave man. I assured him that my dear hubby gave up a very long time ago. "Rather a paint fetish than diamonds," I tell him. (Anthony says, "Amen, sister!")

And last but certainly not least, my amazing friend Patti is hosting an awesome giveaway to raise the ransom for not one, but two, of the most darling children who so desperately need to come home. There are some incredible prizes up for grabs--all you need to do is sow some precious seed into their adoption funds. Every little bit helps! Thanks so much.

In awe of His astonishing love.

Happy weekend, everyone.

the great big catch up post

2011-12-01T20:01:00.001-07:00

So, where on earth do I even begin?

Firstly let me say that I am so very grateful for the many e-mails I have received checking in on us and making sure that everything was okay. I appreciate it so much.

Our journey back to our home in the Rockies was long. Getting a shaky start didn't help things much. The night before our departure we were driving home and got a huge metal pipe through one of the brand new tires on our van. Lovely! It took AAA until 2 a.m. just to come and change the tire to the spare (in the pouring rain) so that we could get a new one in the morning. It was almost lunchtime before we managed to get on the road after getting a new tire fitted the next day. We were way off schedule.

Oh my goodness--seven kids, two tired parents, a moving truck, a passenger van, and a dog...crazy!

We had a very welcome break in the middle of our trip, though. We were able to spend two wonderful days with new friends in a church in Illinois. They totally embraced all of us and made us feel like we had been friends forever. I love how God does that. We shared our story in their wonderful church on Sunday and by the time we left on Monday morning we knew that we had made friends for life. Sweet blessings along the way.

Unfortunately, though, Anthony got a very nasty bacteria or virus just a few days before we left the east coast. By the time we got to Indianapolis the poor guy was feeling so miserable. I had no idea how in the world he was even managing to drive the long distances we were putting in daily. In sheer desperation he got an antibiotic from an urgent care center and started taking it immediately. It did absolutely nothing to help his symptoms. The bug was (and still is) so stubborn.

As we headed farther west we noticed that Hailee and Harper, too, seemed to be coming down with the same awful flu. Harper started getting the dreaded croup (which lands us in the ER every time). With the help of her nebulizer we thankfully avoided a midnight run to the ER. But by the time we reached our home in the mountains both girls very clearly were not doing well.

Last Friday we noticed that the virus seemed to be more in their chests than anything. I took them to our local urgent care center to be checked out. As soon as they measured their oxygen levels, the doctor immediately ordered the girls to be transported by ambulance to the nearest hospital with a pediatric unit (about 45 minutes away). Oh my! The respiratory bug had caused their oxygen levels to drop pretty low and pneumonia was a concern.

In record time, me and my baby girls were strapped into the ambulance and heading down the mountain. We spent a few hours there where they monitored them, tested for various nasties, and in the early hours of Saturday morning we were discharged with an oxygen tank for both girls. The prescription? "Continuous oxygen."

"Really?" I asked, knowing all too well what lay ahead.

I am sure that any of you who have ever had a child over six months old on "continuous oxygen" can totally relate when I say that it is humanly impossible to keep that cannula in their little noses! Harper has actually done pretty well--she can go with most things and once she got used to having the foreign object on her little face, she accepted that it had to be there. Easy enough.

Houdini Hailee on the other hand? Not on your life! Girlfriend can get out of a straight jacket. I kid you not! Our little 25 pounder (yes, she has lost a sizable amount of weight with this flu) is as tough as nails. There is no way on God's green earth that she will even consider leaving the cannula where it is meant to be. Five years of hell on earth in a heinous orphanage sure has made her a fighter--a survivor--and that means that if there is something she doesn't like, we know ALL about it. First question my friends who know Hailee in real life asked me was, "How in the world are you going to keep that thing on Hailee?" Yeah, seriously impossible!

Needless to say, after being told by the nurse that we had to keep them on oxygen continuously--or have them go into organ failure (yikes!), I became a mother on a mission! Sleep became a distant memory. Anthony and I dragged our weary bodies into bed at 2 a.m. on Saturday morning. We were done! As we lay there, one of the oxygen canisters started making a loud squeaking sound and simply would not stop. Ugh...really loud--like the horn of an ocean liner. I lay in bed and got the giggles. "What next, Lord?" I asked.

Next morning I rushed out and bought one of those gadgets that measures oxygen levels. And so ensued a ridiculous frenzy of checking that their levels never dropped a single point...like every five minutes. With the possibility of organ failure at the forefront of my mind, yeah, I became completely OCD.

Goodness gracious. By the time Sunday rolled around I was exhausted! Wiped out. Thank the Lord I have a few good friends who are nurses and so I started seeking advice. I desperately needed another opinion. Hailee would NOT keep the cannula in her nose. She was completely miserable. She is one determined little girl, even when she's sick. They all put my mind at rest and told me that their O2 levels really were not that awful...and assured me that my girl's organs were absolutely not going to go into any kind of failure. Whew!

Over the next couple of days Hailee started to look better and her oxygen levels began to stabilize. Harpy, on the other hand, not so much. I am so thankful for an amazing doctor up here. When I got the girls to him he was so surprised that Harper had double ear infections which had not been treated by neither the urgent care nor the ER! Crazy! On top of that the poor little darling has bronchitis and something viral/bacterial. No wonder she has been feeling so yucky. She is on a course of antibiotics and should hopefully start to feel better in the next few days. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for my dear hubby who is still fighting this persistent something that just will not go away. Two and a half weeks and counting.

Just to make life even more interesting, while all of this was going on, we arrived home to discover that the washer/dryer we had ordered online a week prior to arriving was not available and could not be delivered for another ten days to two weeks. Nice! A family of nine with three weeks worth of dirty clothes...you just have no idea. The moving truck was unpacked and the boxes stood almost as high as the washing pile.

And through it all....grace! His amazing grace.

Through this crazy season of our lives I have, once again, been so reminded of God's grace. The last three weeks have been so, so insane. But there are always lessons to be learned in the valley, aren't there? Mine have been all about learning complete and absolute dependence on my Father. Using a Scripture in Luke which I studied many years ago, He has gently reminded me of one truth, one thing that I can always depend on. I'll share more on that soon.

Today the little lovies are doing so much better. Hailee's oxygen levels have been in the normal range all day today and she is visibly feeling better. Harper is also doing better and her body is starting to heal, but she still has a ways to go. We are so thankful that they are improving daily.

We're pressing in and pressing on toward the finish line. We're trusting Him to fling the doors before us wide open and show us the way to walk. We're being still and listening to His voice say, "This is the way, walk in it." Isaiah 30:21.

Jesus truly is all we will ever need.

Blessing the name of the LORD!

onward

2011-11-30T22:48:00.002-07:00

We are finally back online! A blessing.

I have so much to share--so much to catch up on. The last few weeks have been such a whirlwind. Oh my goodness!

But here we are...back in our new old home. It's surreal, to say the least.

One thing I am sure of is that God is truly amazing. His grace, His mercy, and His astonishing love poured out upon my family leave me tearful. Where would we ever be without a loving Savior? I just have no idea.

As Anthony and I walk forward into this new season of our lives, we have such hope in our hearts--such a deep sense of knowing that we know that God really does work out all things for the good of those who love Him. I will share more of what the Lord has been doing in my own heart in the days to come.

Onward! With the man I love with all my heart.

And our Father in heaven who has always seen us to the other side. No matter what!

Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.
Psalm 26:2-4

still here

2011-11-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

Wow, you guys! Yes, we are still here. Please forgive my horrible lack of posting. We have had such a crazy and tiring week. Our baby girls have been so very sick and both ended up in the ER the day after we arrived here. Needless to say, they have needed my full attention and everything else got put on hold.

We still do not have internet at home but they tell us tomorrow is the day...we'll see. Just wanted to stop by quickly and update from my phone to let you know that I have not forgotten about my little blog. I so appreciate the many e-mails I have received checking in on us. If all goes well I will be back tomorrow with lots of news.

I would so appreciate it if you kept Hailee and Harper in your prayers. Their tiny little bodies need healing and their immune systems need to be able to fight all the nasty viruses going around.
Right now they have zero ability to fight disease. Poor lovies.

So thankful for His amazing grace tonight.

He writes the story of my life

2011-11-21T21:38:00.011-07:00

I can honestly say that the last week has been one of the most emotional of my life.

We finished renovating our home to rent it out again. Gave away all the furniture we knew would not fit into the rented truck. Packed up the remainder of our things in boxes. Said many goodbyes. Cried more tears than I knew I even had.

Five days ago, with aching hearts, we left the city we love so much and headed west. Oh my goodness. For me, it was hard! Almost as hard as when I left my home country ten years ago.

Last Thursday morning Anthony and I stood in front of our little home in the inner city. The truck was finally packed. The suitcases were loaded, and our home stood empty before us--waiting for someone else to come and fill its walls with memories. So many people came to say goodbye that morning. We felt so tender and emotional. We looked at one another and through my tear-stained eyes we asked each other if this was right. Were we doing the right thing? At that moment it would have been so easy to call the whole thing off and stay put. Every fiber of my being wanted to tell my husband, "Let's just stay! Please!"

Yet, we both knew that we knew that the time had come to move forward. We had waited patiently for the Lord to move on our behalf. We had prayed and cried out to Him with all of our hearts for eighteen months for a way to stay. Any way to enable us to stay.

But there was none. Sometimes the answer from heaven is simply, "No."

God had closed every door we tried to walk through and remaining there was no longer an option. We were left with no other possible option but to move forward. Our mission there had obviously been accomplished. Hailee has doubled in weight, blossomed and grown into a totally different child to the one we brought home last year. Our sweet little girl is finally healthy enough to return to our home in the mountains.

And so we gathered the kids, said our final goodbyes, and drove down our beautiful cobble-stoned street for the last time. I honestly felt like I left a piece of my heart right there on the sidewalk.

We have been on the road for the last five days now. It sure has given me so much time to ponder and pray. Sometimes our journeys in the Lord make absolutely no sense at all. I'll be honest...it is hard for me to move back to the mountains. Just a few months ago when people asked me where we used to live, my standard response was something like this..."In the mountains--where winter feels like it will never end. You can keep it, thank you very much! This is my home now."

Ha! Never say never, huh? I have imagined the Lord having a good old chuckle at me as I have proclaimed with absolute certainty that I will NEVER go back there. Kind of like that "Oh, God, I'll go anywhere for you, do anything you tell me to do...but please, Lord, don't ever send me to Africa." Next thing you know, boom...you're on a plane winging your way to Uganda to serve with a mission team.

Yeah, never say never!

So here we are. As the days have passed as quickly as the miles in the the last five days, I have realized something again. Not some kind of new revelation, but definitely one I needed reminding of as I have found myself focusing on all the negatives, almost falling into a pit of despair. God's plans and purposes for my life are for my good! No matter how painful or crazy they may seem at the time, they are always for my good--even when I simply cannot fathom how things are going to work out.

When my Father in heaven closes one door, He opens another. Giving Him full control to write the story for my life is the greatest challenge. Am I going to hold onto the things near and dear to my heart? Am I going to cling to my dreams and my desires? Or am I willing to lay them all down at His feet? Am I willing to lose control of my life so that God can gain full control of my life?

That, dear friends, is my greatest test of faith in this season.

Faith isn't tested when God calls us to do the things that are easy. Nope. Faith is tested and stretched when God calls us to step out of the comfortable boat we're in and walk toward Him on the stormy sea. Faith is challenged when that still small voice says, "Forget about yourself...and follow me!"

I long, with all my heart, for God to write the story of my life. I long for there to be less of me in me--and so much more of Him. But I'm afraid to say that I still have such a long way to go. I fail more times than I care to count. I hold onto the things I should let go of and I have a habit of looking back, when really, God wants me to look forward. Too many times I fail to remember that He commands me in His word to "Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past. Behold, I am doing a NEW thing." (Isaiah 43)

He alone closes the chapters of my life...and opens the new ones.

I have absolutely no idea what His "new thing" is as we journey back to where we moved from just eighteen months ago. I don't have a clue what the Lord has in store for us or what adventures are around the next corner. I don't know what His plans and purposes for us being there are. But there is one thing I know with absolute surety.

He is dependable.

He is trustworthy.

He is faithful!

And so, as we journey on and get closer and closer to home, I am resting in the knowledge that my Father in heaven has never, ever let us down. As He provided manna to the Israelites, He provides everything we need on a daily basis. As He showed Moses the way out of Egypt, He shows us the path to walk too. As He gave wisdom and guidance to David, so He gently leads and guides us too.

I have a Father in whom I can trust.

When everything is stripped away. When dreams and desires are left on the altar. When our hearts are tender and aching. When the future feels so uncertain. When we have absolutely no idea what God is up to. When we're tired and feeling completely worn out. When life is making absolutely no sense whatsoever...

JESUS IS OUR MORE THAN ENOUGH!

And when everything is said and done, when the final chapter of my life is written, I hope that I will able to say with all my heart that I allowed God to write my story.

the Healy family: God never waited for us to be ready

2011-11-19T20:11:00.001-07:00

It is such a blessing for me to introduce you all to the Healy family. I love their story of how the LORD has knit their family together. We just never know the roads He will call each one of us to walk--but we can rest assured that they will be for our GOOD.

~~~~~~~

Mark and I have been married for 17 years. We met and married in the Seattle area and moved to Idaho 6 years ago. We adopted our oldest son, Matthew, in 1998. He is 14 now and a freshman in High School. A year after returning from Taiwan with Matthew, I gave birth to our daughter Nicole, she is 12 and in 7th grade. Two years later I gave birth again, Noah is 10 and in 4th grade. In 2009 we brought Margarita and Julia home from Ukraine. Margarita, 14 too, is in 8t grade and participating in an Online school this year. Julia is 13 and is repeating 6th grade at the same school as Nicole and Noah. I work full time as a student advisor at a for profit college and Mark is a Stay at Home Dad.

~~~~~~~

Mark and I married in 1994 and a year later decided to start a family. No such luck and off for fertility testing I went. Fertility tests are not that great and in my case provided no answers. At the end of the summer in 1997 my folks called one day and invited us to go to Taiwan with them for Christmas. My sister and family were living there in a sort of Missionary capacity at a Christian international school and the idea was to spend the holidays with them. I will never forget the day, shortly after accepting their invitation, when standing in the living room I said to Mark, "Do you want to adopt a baby while we're there?". He said yes.

I emailed my sister that Friday asking her what she knew about adoption in Taiwan and when I didn't hear back from her right away, I called her the following Monday. Tuesday morning I received an email from her saying that she knew a Missionary man in Taiwan who had his own orphanage and while he didn't have any babies available at the time, he would call around the island and see if anyone else did. Thursday night our phone rang and when I answered I heard my sister say, "It's a boy!". The Missionary had contacted an orphanage down in the southern part of the country, they had a baby available so he told them we wanted him. The next week my sister and family brought him home from the orphanage to care for him until I could get there. It took 6 weeks to get the homestudy, fingerprints and whatnot done, and I left for Taiwan the end of October, 1997.

Being that my sister was living at a school (more like a compound, in a good way...) I was able to rent a "cottage" from the Southern Baptist Mission and Matthew and I were able to live together for the next weeks and months that followed. We did our adoption completely backwards. Most of the time all the paperwork is completed, submitted to the country of adoption, approvals are granted AND THEN you travel. It was Thanksgiving before our homestudy arrived from the States, it still had to be translated and submitted to the court.

Thanksgiving came and went, Christmas with our family came and went, and still our adoption was not done. Each afternoon after lunch I loaded Matthew up in the stroller and we walked around the village where we lived. I *learned* enough Chinese to order a yummy "chocolate milk tea" or "passionfruit and green tea", order shrimp "well done" from the Tepanyaki restaurant or get back to "the American school" when I got lost. I figured out I could buy Skippy peanutbutter at the 7-11 and quickly discovered that it was eggs soaking in black tea in crockpots that provided that *certain smell* in a lot of food stores. I could get whatever I needed by walking. I totally loved how the villages were sort of complete within themselves. I was even able to walk down the street one day and come home with a spaceheater under my arm. :)

On March 23, 1998 we finally arrived back in the States with Matthew. He turned one on May 4th.

So, fast forward several years. Matthew was 11, Nicole was just about 9 and Noah was 6.5. Nicole really wanted an older sister. I told her I was sorry but it just didn't work that way. And then one day I was sitting in the living room with Mark and said, "Do you ever think about adopting again? It's been on my mind". He replied that he would be interested if the opportunity ever came up.

A week or two later I received an email from a friend who was forwarding an email from her friend. The email was about 3 orphan girls coming to our town from Ukraine for the summer. The email was asking for clothes and toy donations. And PS, the girls were all available for adoption. Pictures were included and I clicked on the one of the 2 biological sisters. I instantly knew this was it. I was traveling with my job at the time and so forwarded the email back home to Mark.

Once I was home and we talked about it, we decided to pursue adopting those 2 girls. On June 28, 2008, which was Nicole's 9th birthday, we met the two girls for the first time who were to become her older sisters. Julia turned 10 that summer and Margarita turned 11. We were so fortunate to get to spend a lot to time with the girls over the summer. We started our homestudy in July. The girls went back to Ukraine at the end of August. We received our Adoption Department date in Ukraine for the end of November and traveled on Mark's birthday, which that year was the day before Thanksgiving.

We stayed in Ukraine for a month and were not able to complete the adoption during that first trip (and that is another story in and of it's self...) and so packed up and returned to the states on December 23, 2008. We received a court date for the end of January and took off again. All went well during the second trip and the girls landed on US soil on February 15, 2009 and instantly became US Citizens.

Those first few weeks and months were interesting. They didn't speak much, if any English, and we didn't speak any Russian. Thank the good Lord for translation books! Between those books and the ability to pantomime, it wasn't too bad. :) I had given myself a year for a new *normal* to settle in, and one day I realized we were there, and it had only been 7 months. The day I heard Julia and Margarita fighting in English, I knew we had arrived.

It's been just over two and a half years now since the girls joined our family. Has it been easy? Not always. Has it been harder than I thought? Sometimes. Was I prepared to take over the job of parenting two preteens who had spent almost their entire lives living in an orphange in a poor Eastern European country? No. Was I equipped to handle raising 5 kids with the 4 oldest being just 2 years apart? No. But "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us". (Ephesians 3:20 - The Message)

In both of our adoptions He didn't wait until we were "ready". He didn't wait until we had "enough money". He said "Go" and we went. Even during the tough times I have never ever not even for one second wondered if we had done the right thing. I am 150% certain that these 3 kids were meant to be a part of our family just as much as our 2 bio children were meant to be a part of our family.

amazing news

2011-11-18T19:41:00.004-07:00

We are two days into our long, long journey west. The last few days have been so ridiculously emotional and crazy. Packing up our home, loading a truck, and saying goodbye to people we love with all our hearts was so hard. Goodbyes are so awful. I will share more as soon as I am able to put a few coherent thoughts down here. Tonight I am just too exhausted to even think straight.

But I could not let the day go by without sharing some amazing news with you. So many of you prayed for this little boy.

This morning I got an e-mail telling me that sweet David has a family!

Thank you so much to all of you who shared his story wherever you could. Someone saw his sweet little face and knew that he was their beloved son. They have already started the process to bring him home. In just a few short months this darling little boy will be taken out of that nursing home forever! So amazing.

Totally rejoicing.

I will keep you posted, and if his family has a blog which we can follow I will share it with you.

God is so good to raise up families for children in need. Father to the fatherless--He puts the lonely in families. Thank you for praying and for trusting with me that this precious little lovie WILL come home.

I'll be back soon. Right now though, it's time to catch up on some much needed sleep before we hit the road again tomorrow.

Blessing the name of the Lord.

one business making a difference

2011-11-15T08:54:00.004-07:00

"Can you bring Harper to the studio today? We need her for a photo shoot," the message read.

Of course!

Next thing I knew, sweet Harper was adorned in the silkiest little robe.

And boy, did she ham it up for the camera!

She had the best time--just being her precious, endearing little self.

When I saw Harper in the PoshTots catalogue, I couldn't help but smile. Every person who has ever parented a child with any kind of "special needs" completely understands what I mean when I say that all we long for is for our children to be accepted. Not as "typical" or "normal"--but for who they are--fearfully, wonderfully, and exquisitely handcrafted by a Father in heaven who does all things with excellence. We long for the ever-dividing line which separates "ability" from "disability" to disappear completely. We dream of a world where children are accepted as children--no matter what is "wrong" with them.

I am so thankful to PoshTots. My friend Andrea and her team get it! They get that our children are precious and beautiful...just the way they are.

It absolutely warms my heart that they were so excited to share Harper and her story with the world. They celebrated the fact that Harper is who she is--and that she too could be a little posh model to grace their pages with her adorableness.

I am moved to tears when companies reach out to those who, in the eyes of the world, are more often than not just not perfect enough for their corporate image. I am so deeply touched when successful businesses lead the way in showing the world what a beautiful blessing disability truly is.

It really is such an amazing thing.

And so is she.

Perfect in every way imaginable.

No longer an orphan--abandoned simply because she is "different." Gone are those days! Glorious redemption has come and Harper's life is shouting from the rooftops that...

"Down syndrome is a blessing!"

"Children with disabilities deserve amazing opportunities too."

"Just give them a chance. Please!"

Thank you, PoshTots for leading the way. Thank you for your amazing hearts and your willingness to go where few have gone. It means more to us than you can ever know.

Thank you for pioneering a movement to include, not exclude.

You guys totally rock!

the Knight family: always according to His will

2011-11-14T13:30:00.004-07:00

It has been such a joy for me to share some pretty amazing families with you all this month--Orphan Awareness Month. I hope that their stories are encouraging you and inspiring you to step out in faith and care for the fatherless--no matter how that may look. It is such an incredible responsibility and an enormous privilege to give of ourselves, our time, our finances, and our prayers to those who are abandoned, alone, and even dying in orphanages around the world. How desperately they need us!

What an absolute blessing it is for me to introduce you all to the Knight family today. They are proof that sometimes God works things out just a wee bit differently to what we had originally planned--but ALWAYS to the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

~~~~~~~

This adoption was an adoption of faith-almost from day one! We signed on with our agency in February and were excited to again add to our family through the miracle of adoption. Greg lost his job in October, along with the $5000 adoption credit his company would give. Yikes! There were so many questions at that time—where would he find a job? Would we have to move? What about the adoption? Did we hear God wrong? We chose to have faith and believe God had something in store for us and He did! Greg took a job with our local food bank which lines up with his heart for helping the vulnerable! We were blessed as he only had to go two weeks without a job.

We continued to wait for our referral.

In March we received the referral of a beautiful baby boy whose name means “Praise.” We were excited and quickly fell in love. We received a court date for the first week of June. The Monday of the week were leaving, I received that DREADED phone call. Our little one’s mother came to court and changed her mind and took him home. My first emotional reaction? I am done. Adoption is too hard. I can’t stand the emotional roller coaster anymore. I AM DONE!

Even in the midst of this God was working and moving. My caseworker called my husband first and told him to come home. A friend was walking up the walk for a play date minutes after I hung up. (little did she know it was going to be a cry fest!) We cried, prayed, asked many why’s and just sat in silence.

As we continued to pray God asked me, “what is adoption about? You or the child that needs a home?” I began to realize, (I knew it down deep but it finally rose to the surface of my heart) that this was a good thing. If this little baby’s mom changed her mind and could raise him—than that is who he should be with! A friend emailed me words that comforted my heart “a baby is back in the arms of his mother tonight.” How could I be upset with that? Was I grieving? Yes—for the loss of the child who we thought would be our son. However, I was so happy that this child could be raised by the mother that carried him, named him, and loved him.

We were also blessed to have friends there when she picked up him from the orphanage that took pictures of them together and told us that she loved him and he would be okay. Our hearts will forever be linked to theirs. There was a purpose and reason for all of it. Little “Praise” will be thought of and in our prayers for the rest of our lives. He was not to be our son, but he will not be forgotten.

Fast forward a couple of days and we received another referral of a tiny little boy, Teshale, whose name means “Better One.” I can’t even begin to tell you how that confirmed everything for us. God has blessed us immensely and looking back we can see how everything worked according to His plan. Teshale needed to be home quickly. Because we were already in the court system, the gracious judge just postponed our court date for us. As my caseworker said, “you are ready and he needs to be home quickly--a perfect situation.”

July 15 we were in Ethiopia for court and met our son. He was our son! The bond was immediate and we knew this was the child God had for our family.We came home September 10th ( after an amazingly quick for clearing Embassy) and are doing well.

Adoption is hard. It is emotional. It is full of bumps, curves, and road blocks.

It is worth it.

I now have so much more of a picture of what Christ endured for me. I have a glimpse of His heartache and passion. As I sat and cried over that first little boy I imagined how God weeps over those that He longs to have as His children.

God, continue to break my heart for the things that break Yours.

Charisa blogs about her beautiful family and their journey in the Lord right here.

I'm a big girl now

2011-11-13T08:47:00.007-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated my birthday.

With friends who I love so much.

And my family too, of course.

I got presents.

And yummy cake.

And so many loves, kisses and cuddles.

Yayyeeeeee....I am so, so clever.

'Cause I'm a big girl now!

Happy, happy birthday, sweet Harper.

Oh, how we LOVE you!

the Schaap family: miraculous provision

2011-11-12T21:00:00.006-07:00

Today, as I continue sharing some amazing families with you during Orphan Awareness Month, I get to introduce you to someone who has been such a huge blessing to me. With every fundraiser I have done here on my blog for children in desperate situations, she has always been one of the first to e-mail me saying, "I would love to help by donating a couple of items." Elizabeth has such an enormous heart. The Lord has done amazing things in and through her, as you'll see.

~~~~~~~

The first of two main things I would like to encourage people with is that God provides financially for adoption, because it is at the very center of His heart. And the second one is that He changes hearts toward adoption. Hearts that were previously cold toward it light on fire when He works in them.

The proof of this is in my husband who just a few months ago wanted NOTHING to do with adoption. After much prayer (on my part, without him being aware) he changed his heart and mind and opened up to the idea, and now we are in the process of adopting from China. Only Jesus can do this. Only Him. I asked Him many times to remove the desire to adopt from me, if it was not His will for our family, but it never went away. It only got stronger. The devil had me believe for a time that it was a selfish desire of mine that had nothing to do with the Lord. In time God showed me that this was indeed from Him, and it made my faith stronger in the process.

So now that my hubby was on board, where were we going to come up with the money for this? We are a family with three children on one salary who lives paycheck to paycheck, so we found no place to take the adoption fees from.

One day I was searching adoption blogs on the internet and found this wonderful blog written by a mom who was making bracelets by hand and selling them to raise the adoption fees for her beautiful daughter waiting in China. This so touched my heart! I had a little bit of money in my PayPal account which I was saving to donate somewhere. I just didn't know where yet, But each day the Lord kept bringing me back to this bracelet blog and one day I followed His lead and emptied my account into hers. I emailed her with some questions and she helped me so much and encouraged me to keep praying for my husband's heart to change. A few short weeks later, her bracelet campaign ended. She had all the money she needed to bring her daughter home, and she emailed me to say that she felt the Lord leading her to pass the bracelet campaign onto me!

Only God! At this point we were not even discussing adoption or how we would pay for it, so when I saw the e-mail I began to shake and cry because I just knew this was from Him, a gift from the Lord to provide for our future adoption.

So in one swoop the Lord matched up my heart and my hubby's heart with His and provided the means to adopt our little one! The enemy does not want orphans to have families. He wants to keep them alone and afraid and without Jesus. It is a spiritual battle that, once we are committed to fighting it, Jesus leads us to the front and always wins!

We have "met" so many strangers through this process; people who have never met us before but have opened their hearts and ordered bracelets or offered to pray for us, or both.

We are hoping that we will be matched soon to our baby girl. We haven't seen her yet but love her so much.

Our blog address is http://www.jesuslovesorphans.blogspot.com/

hanging out with friends

2011-11-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

As our time here is coming to a quick close, I have been trying to spend as much time as I can with friends who I love and cherish. Oh, how I am going to miss them!

Yesterday we drove about an hour away to meet up with my precious friend, Kristin. She and I met in person nearly two years ago after connecting here on my blog. Kristin adopted sweet Nadia just a few months after we got home with our lovies. She has become such a treasured friend in my life--I am so thankful to the Lord for allowing our paths to cross.

We had a lovely time together. I was blessed to meet another mommy named Jen who has also adopted an angel from Ukraine.

Our four amazing beauties--all BLESSED with the magnificent extra chromosome.

Trying to get the perfect photo?

Next to impossible!

These pictures totally make me smile. I love them.

How exceedingly blessed we are.

Thank you, Kristin and Jen, for such a special day!

Off to spend time with our beautiful birthday girl, who is no longer my baby but my big girl now.

adoption: A GIFT!

2011-11-11T05:28:00.001-07:00

After sharing my heart recently on being unashamedly pro-life, I got a ton of reactions and questions. I know it's one of those subjects that stirs up a lot of feelings, and I don't ever expect everyone to agree with me on where I stand on this issue, or any other for that matter. But for me personally, I will never change my mind or back down from my convictions. I believe explicitly that Father God alone gives...and takes away.

Some asked:

What about rape?

What about when the mother is a just a child herself?

What about when the mother is simply unable to care for the child?

I understand that these are all very delicate and sensitive issues. I cannot even imagine facing an unplanned pregnancy in any of the above circumstances.

BUT.

I believe with all my heart that God Almighty is the giver of life. He alone gives life, and takes life away. Every child conceived has a purpose and a destiny in this life. Every single child. Every child is meant to be. My God never makes mistakes.

Focus on the Family posted this YouTube video just a couple of days ago. I cried watching it. If only more young women knew what a blessing, a beautiful and treasured gift, their baby would be to a family whose arms are just aching to bring a little one into their home.

This is such a powerful testimony! Since we're focusing on adoption this month, it is the perfect time for me to share it with you.

If only they knew.

Adoption truly is a beautiful gift!

the Annessa family: my brother's impact

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am so thrilled to be able to introduce you all to a very special friend. Brooke's story about her sweet brother is just beautiful. What a joy and a blessing siblings who have special needs are to their brothers and sisters. I read Brooke's testimony and prayed that my own children would have the same kind of lasting impact that comes from treasuring one who has special needs.

~~~~~~~

I was seven years old when I met Brad, who was about to celebrate his 18th birthday. Our relationship started off rocky as I was completely unsure about this new person who seemed so different from me. He was big, like an adult, but he acted like a child and he looked "different". I remember being told that those differences were because he had Down syndrome – which didn’t do much to keep me from being afraid of this new person.

Slowly, I remember being surprised by what we had in common. We liked the same shows on TV and knew the same songs. My dad says he knew that Brad and I were “officially friends” when I patted his bottom as he climbed the stairs in front of me one night. And for my dad, it was critical that Brad and I find some common ground; what I didn’t know at the time is that Brad would soon become my brother.

Between the bottom pat on the stairs and the day my dad adopted Brad were years of memories I could never forget. Watching Brad run around at the petting zoo trying to get away from a less than friendly pig, hours spent teaching him to write his ABC’s, weekly fire drills, trips to Chuck E Cheese, and Friday night pizza. As Brad and I grew up our relationship changed and grew into something I don’t think my family could have ever even hoped for. Though they knew I would love him, I don’t think they ever thought he would be the catalyst behind so many of the major life choices I would later make.

For me, Brad was a source of pride. I was so incredibly proud that he was my brother. This pride that was demonstrated in grade school by bringing him to school for show and tell (Yep! I totally did that!), matured into my desire to not only advocate for my brother, but for all individuals with special needs. As I grew up I learned that those differences I first noticed when I was seven years old were keeping my brother from having access to the same opportunities I had. I chose a career in social work so I could really use my life to work towards obtaining more and better services for individuals with disabilities and their families. I have had the opportunity to speak to crowds of hundreds, to work with legislators, and to educate the general public about the need for better supports.

My family was thrilled that my love for my brother had shaped my career path and gave me the opportunity to advocate on a local, national and even international level. However, they had not yet seen how far this love would reach; from here to the other side of the world!

You see, growing up with my brother not only taught me a lot about the disability community, it also taught me about the impact of adoption.

Today, my husband Michael and I are pursuing an international adopting from a small Christian orphanage in Taiwan. When we look at how we came to choose adoption in growing our family we are reminded of how God is always working in our lives. No one could have known back when I was seven the series of events that would lead me to this place; to choosing to cross the ocean to grow our family through adoption. But God has always known, and we are in awe of all the little ways He has worked our lives together to bring us to this place.

My brother’s impact on my life has shaped and molded nearly every aspect of it. Through my life, I am able to impact the lives of countless others, including our future child.

I suppose the summation of my story is that you can never know how God will use you, and you certainly can’t underestimate how God will use someone else.

Brooke blogs about her family and their adoption right here. I know they would absolutely love it if you followed along as they journey toward their sweet little Adelyn. They are currently hosting an awesome fundraiser with some amazing things up for grabs. Please consider sowing seed into their adoption. It would mean the world to this special young couple who have chosen to grow their family through the blessing of adoption. Adelyn will be their first child.

No Greater Joy Mom

treasures of darkness

this week....

for all the reasons

can you help?

announcing winners

today

operation: rescue!

let's play

looking back, looking forward

choosing to bloom

my latest find giveaway

two things

pause

I am guilty

a little girl with a huge heart

almost $1000 up for grabs!

tidbits and total randomness

do you have a story to share?

so I was wondering...

thank you!

TWO $250 gift cards up for grabs!

let's bring them home!

late night ponderings

urgent situation

boys and girls aging out...please share

the O'Malley family: God's red thread

he never lets go

big bro, little sis

adoption: proceed with caution!

his love endures forever

an update on kyle

astonishing grace

one final call!

rub a dub dub

merry christmas

praying for their Christmas miracles

children aging out

this is how

people ask me...

mighty to save

the Keller family: choosing to give LIFE

a lesson from my daughter

an update on Jonathan

URGENT***URGENT***URGENT!

great joy

just....thank you!

the Evans family: against ALL odds

pressing on

amazing

just sharing

the gift of HOPE this Christmas

let us cross over to the side

the hendershott family: God's love story

saturday siestas

a better day

the great big catch up post

onward

still here

He writes the story of my life

the Healy family: God never waited for us to be ready

amazing news

one business making a difference

the Knight family: always according to His will

I'm a big girl now

the Schaap family: miraculous provision

hanging out with friends

adoption: A GIFT!

the Annessa family: my brother's impact

URGENTURGENTURGENT!