We are excited to announce that we have had a change in plans. God showed us who are son is to be, BUT he is not in the Congo....he is in Ethiopia. We first saw his picture 3 weeks ago. We talked about how cute he was, but that was about it. Until the next day, when his picture was brought in front of us again in only a God sort of way. I told Bryan that I thought God was trying to get my attention. So we talked with each other, talked with the agency, talked with our children, and prayed. We really had no reason to say no, and trust me, there have been other adoption situations that have come to us that we have said no to. But with those, one of us felt peace but the other did not. Never were we on the same page. We didn't have that same doubt this time. He was waiting and we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting with no end in sight. We had lost peace months ago about the Congo program we were in and this just seemed right. So we told our first agency that we were leaving them and their Congo program to pursue this child. They were wonderful and said they would pray for us. The past 2 weeks have been crazy with us having to fill out another application, contract, referral acceptance, update our homestudy and gather documents for our Ethiopian dossier. As of today, our new agency received our contract and referral acceptance. So now it is legit :) We are in the process of adopting our son!
I know you probably want to know a little bit about him. There is really not much we can post on the internet until the adoption is final. We can say that he is 6, has a huge smile, and his Ethiopian name begins with a D. We're still working on the correct pronunciation of that :) We are very thankful to finally be able to write a happy post and thankful to have a face to match up with our prayers. We are thankful to those who have supported us and prayed for us and continue to do so. And we are thankful to God who is always faithful, even in times of doubt or worry.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
No News Is.....No News
Sorry its been so long since we updated! Unfortunately we have no exciting news to share. As of now, we have been waiting almost 5 months to be matched with our kiddos. Honestly, I never thought it would take this long. The Congo program for our agency, Lifeline Children's Services, is a pilot program (meaning it is brand new--no children have been brought home through it yet). All the families in the program, including us, are essentially guinea pigs. They tell you to prepare for bumps in the road and unexpected things, but you really never think it will happen. Most pilot programs go pretty quickly and decently smooth (as smooth as international adoption can get!) So after we sent another payment to Lifeline in December, we thought we would get a referral fast. Boy were we wrong. Originally our agency started out working with 2 or 3 orphanages. By January they were only working with 1. It was in a very difficult area and our attorney had was unable to travel there. Our agency had told us they would be traveling to the Congo in April to straighten some issues out, meet with our attorney, meet with government officials and also check out other orphanages to partner with. Little did we know that they had basically pushed the pause button on the Congo program until they took their trip. On April 14th we finally got an update from them saying they had great results from the trip and found more orphanages to partner with BUT..... it will be 6 more months until referrals start getting handed out. I'm not sure I can put into words the disappointment I felt. In defense of our agency, they are really taking the time to make sure they are going where God is leading them. They want to do things as ethical as possible which can't be said for every agency. Ultimately, we're glad they are taking extra precautions with this program because I would hate to find out later that my child's birthmom was still living and didn't want her child to be adopted. Or maybe that really young infant was actually taken away from his mother at the hospital and placed in an orphanage because she couldn't pay the delivery bill. As an adoptive parent, you never want to look back and question whether your child really belongs with you or not. Or whether he could've remained intact with his birth family. Adoption is born out of trauma and loss no matter what the circumstance is, but to think you may have unknowingly contributed to that is frightening.
Amazingly, we finally both have peace about waiting on God's timing for this. I can't say that we have felt peace the whole time because we haven't. There were plenty of times where we questioned God's plan and asked Him if we should be going down a different path. But Glory To God: while we waited, we have raised & saved enough money to pay for the rest of our agency fees and our referral/court fees when the time comes. We will still be saving up for our travel costs, but it looks like we have some time for that :) When a friend who adopted told us that God provided the $30,000 they needed for their adoption, I really didn't think He could do that for us. I have the pleasure of saying that He is proving us wrong. So far, we have saved & fundraised $20,000! Praise God and a HUGE thanks to those that have so selflessly given to us. We still have $10,000-$15,000 to go (mainly for travel) but it sure is better than $30,000-$35,000 which is where we started. God has allowed us to see Him through the generosity of others. What a wonderful and amazing feeling.
Just a request if you don't mind :) Would you pray that we will see the faces of our children soon? We are all getting anxious, even our children. Brenna keeps asking when we are going to bring our kids home, and last week she prayed for us to adopt 1,000 orphans. I told her that was quite a stretch, but it just shows how much God has opened her heart to this. Wade is ready too. Like really ready. In fact, just look at the next picture and you will see how much he needs a brother!
Also, please continue to pray for the safety and health of our children while they wait for us. Here we wait in the comfort of our home with our wonderful family filled with love, all of our needs being met, knowing there is a Big God who loves us....while they wait in a dirty orphanage, with no one to love or protect them, maybe getting 1 meal a day. And while we are talking prayers here, I would ask you to pray for a special family too. Their kids need to come home NOW and they need your prayers to help make that happen. You can find their amazing story at http://www.sweetinterruptions.blogspot.com/
Hopefully we will have exciting news the next time we update :)
Amazingly, we finally both have peace about waiting on God's timing for this. I can't say that we have felt peace the whole time because we haven't. There were plenty of times where we questioned God's plan and asked Him if we should be going down a different path. But Glory To God: while we waited, we have raised & saved enough money to pay for the rest of our agency fees and our referral/court fees when the time comes. We will still be saving up for our travel costs, but it looks like we have some time for that :) When a friend who adopted told us that God provided the $30,000 they needed for their adoption, I really didn't think He could do that for us. I have the pleasure of saying that He is proving us wrong. So far, we have saved & fundraised $20,000! Praise God and a HUGE thanks to those that have so selflessly given to us. We still have $10,000-$15,000 to go (mainly for travel) but it sure is better than $30,000-$35,000 which is where we started. God has allowed us to see Him through the generosity of others. What a wonderful and amazing feeling.
Just a request if you don't mind :) Would you pray that we will see the faces of our children soon? We are all getting anxious, even our children. Brenna keeps asking when we are going to bring our kids home, and last week she prayed for us to adopt 1,000 orphans. I told her that was quite a stretch, but it just shows how much God has opened her heart to this. Wade is ready too. Like really ready. In fact, just look at the next picture and you will see how much he needs a brother!
Also, please continue to pray for the safety and health of our children while they wait for us. Here we wait in the comfort of our home with our wonderful family filled with love, all of our needs being met, knowing there is a Big God who loves us....while they wait in a dirty orphanage, with no one to love or protect them, maybe getting 1 meal a day. And while we are talking prayers here, I would ask you to pray for a special family too. Their kids need to come home NOW and they need your prayers to help make that happen. You can find their amazing story at http://www.sweetinterruptions.blogspot.com/
Hopefully we will have exciting news the next time we update :)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
And I just have to add this fun tidbit.....Chuck Norris homeschools his children :)
Monday, January 23, 2012
Ucherek's Great Giveaway!
For a chance to win some awesome gear, check out Dan & Christi Ucherek's blog giveaway! God has called them to serve in Solala, Guatemala at Eagle's Nest orphanage. All proceeds from their giveaway will help support their fundraising efforts.
http://godetchedyourname.blogspot.com/2012/01/great-giveaway-send-me.html
http://godetchedyourname.blogspot.com/2012/01/great-giveaway-send-me.html
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Adopting....Must Sell!!
God used something to speak to us last night, and boy did it get our attention!
"There is not one example in the Bible of God calling someone to do something and then using debt as a tool to accomplish it!"
--Dave Ramsey (personal money-management expert)
So now Bryan has decided to sell his truck. A really big sacrifice for him, but one that will have eternal benefits. Hit us up if you are interested :)
2006 GMC Sierra 1500 Z71 4X4
-$18,900 or make an offer
-Excellent condition
-62,00 Miles
-Soft Tonneau Cover
-Bed Liner
-Chrome Grill
"There is not one example in the Bible of God calling someone to do something and then using debt as a tool to accomplish it!"
--Dave Ramsey (personal money-management expert)
So now Bryan has decided to sell his truck. A really big sacrifice for him, but one that will have eternal benefits. Hit us up if you are interested :)
2006 GMC Sierra 1500 Z71 4X4
-$18,900 or make an offer
-Excellent condition
-62,00 Miles
-Soft Tonneau Cover
-Bed Liner
-Chrome Grill
Monday, December 19, 2011
Happy Dance
What is a Happy Dance you ask? For our 2 year old daughter, it is when she eats something that she really loves (like chocolate). She smiles real big and starts dancing in her seat waving her arms in the air. You know, getting her groove on!
For us, a Happy Dance also involves a big smile, just without all the funky dancing! Instead we say a huge "thank you" to God.
Now you maybe asking why the Happy Dance? Well, let me tell you....We got 2 bits of exciting news today. I really wasn't sure if I was even going to tell anyone. You know that feeling when you are so excited about something that you are afraid if you talk about it something bad will happen? Kind of like when we posted on Facebook that our homestudy went to Illinois to be approved....and then we found out a week later that it was denied. Ouch! But, honestly, if we believe that God is in control, then we can't fear "karma". So back to our good news.....
1. Our homestudy was APPROVED!! And after only 6 business days, which is incredible. We had to jump through some extra hoops, but it was all worth it. On a side note, I may have had to apologize for being so excited that I yelled on the phone when the woman called to tell us we were approved. But I don't think she minded :)
2. We were approved to fundraise through Lifesong. Which means that now when people donate, if they write the checks to Lifesong with our name in the memo, it is a completely tax deductible donation! (More on that in a later post.) We have also applied for their matching grant, which means that they would match up to a certain amount of funds that we raise. This is also based on approval, and not everyone gets approved, so we are praying for favor in that area.
The next step is to send a chunk of change to our placing agency. They will send a portion of that money along with our homestudy to their attorney in Congo who will then start the "matching" process. Hence the title of this post "HAPPY DANCE"!
You know, with each delay that we've had we have seen God work. While it is completely frustrating every time (especially for someone who lacks patience like, ahem, me) we are always able to look back and understand what God was teaching us at that moment. It's really pretty amazing. I just wish it was a little easier to see at the time :)
Prayer Requests:
1.For us to always rely fully on God
2.For a wall of protection around our children "across the world" as our 6 year old puts it. Their health, safety & emotional well-being.
3.For our fundraising efforts
4.For our friends and family to love ALL of our children the same and to see each of them as they were made to be seen: wonderful works made by the hands of God.
After all, every child deserves a loving family and the opportunity to know the Savior who died for them and for all of us.
For us, a Happy Dance also involves a big smile, just without all the funky dancing! Instead we say a huge "thank you" to God.
Now you maybe asking why the Happy Dance? Well, let me tell you....We got 2 bits of exciting news today. I really wasn't sure if I was even going to tell anyone. You know that feeling when you are so excited about something that you are afraid if you talk about it something bad will happen? Kind of like when we posted on Facebook that our homestudy went to Illinois to be approved....and then we found out a week later that it was denied. Ouch! But, honestly, if we believe that God is in control, then we can't fear "karma". So back to our good news.....
1. Our homestudy was APPROVED!! And after only 6 business days, which is incredible. We had to jump through some extra hoops, but it was all worth it. On a side note, I may have had to apologize for being so excited that I yelled on the phone when the woman called to tell us we were approved. But I don't think she minded :)
2. We were approved to fundraise through Lifesong. Which means that now when people donate, if they write the checks to Lifesong with our name in the memo, it is a completely tax deductible donation! (More on that in a later post.) We have also applied for their matching grant, which means that they would match up to a certain amount of funds that we raise. This is also based on approval, and not everyone gets approved, so we are praying for favor in that area.
The next step is to send a chunk of change to our placing agency. They will send a portion of that money along with our homestudy to their attorney in Congo who will then start the "matching" process. Hence the title of this post "HAPPY DANCE"!
You know, with each delay that we've had we have seen God work. While it is completely frustrating every time (especially for someone who lacks patience like, ahem, me) we are always able to look back and understand what God was teaching us at that moment. It's really pretty amazing. I just wish it was a little easier to see at the time :)
Prayer Requests:
1.For us to always rely fully on God
2.For a wall of protection around our children "across the world" as our 6 year old puts it. Their health, safety & emotional well-being.
3.For our fundraising efforts
4.For our friends and family to love ALL of our children the same and to see each of them as they were made to be seen: wonderful works made by the hands of God.
After all, every child deserves a loving family and the opportunity to know the Savior who died for them and for all of us.
Monday, December 5, 2011
A Great Opportunity to Help Children in Ethiopia!
Children at the Lifesong Ethiopia school are fed 2 nutritious meals per day, provided with a quality education, and taught the message of Jesus Christ. This gives kids like Beza the hope they need in order to break free from gripping poverty.
We currently have a need to build a 12-room expansion to our existing school, in order to reach more children like Beza. We have been blessed, by the generosity of a donor, to be able to MATCH all donations to the Ziway and Adami Tulu Schools between now and December 31st... up to $130,000!!!
mug, Gobena t-shirt, andGobena tote bag. This basket is worth over $250!
*To commit via check, please send an email to info@lifesongfororphans.org. Make check payable to Lifesong for Orphans, indicate 'preference Hope Ethiopia: 100' in the memo.
This week, the 5th through the 9th, we invite you to join Hope Ethiopia:100. We are looking for 100 people to give a one-time $100 donation!
Joining this team will not only give hope to kids like Beza, but your dollars will be matched AND you'll be entered into a drawing for a FABULOUS gift basket (details below).
*Gift basket includes: $100 itunes or amazon gift card, Lifesong t-shirt, Lifesong cookbook,Journey On CD, handmade necklaces & note cards by orphans in Zambia, handmade ornament from a child in Ukraine, 5 bags of Gobena coffee, Gobena coffeemug, Gobena t-shirt, andGobena tote bag. This basket is worth over $250!
*To commit via check, please send an email to info@lifesongfororphans.org. Make check payable to Lifesong for Orphans, indicate 'preference Hope Ethiopia: 100' in the memo.
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