No words......

There are so many things to share today....really my heart is heavy! I am sooo encouraged by all that God is doing, yet my heart is so heavy. The task seems insurmountable, yet God says all things are possible through Him!

We drove WAY out in the boondocks today to look at a possible site for the new orphanage. We are hoping to get the construction done...although if the government doesn't start moving adoptions and enforcing the Liberian law, I am not sure how to fund the orphanage and care of children once it is built....but that is a post for another time! One of the dads on the trip went to the site with me. The land was gorgeous! It is beach front property with a lagoon in the middle! Truly, it looked like a scene from a movie....then right across the street is a page out of the National Geographic.

There were little grass hut villages all up and down the road where the land is. We parked right by one when we walked the distance to the beach to view the land. When we got out of the car to walk, I noticed a lady weaving what looked like a basket. So when we came back, I looked and she was finished. It was long and skinny, but I wanted to get it for my mom as she collects baskets and since I saw this one actually being made, I decided to ask if she would sell it. She said sure. So I asked her how much? She said she didn't know, so the lady behind her said 20 dollars. I said, "Twenty dollars?!" But I had already opened my mouth, and I figured she could use it more than me anyway. So I agreed. About that time the lady said, "Yes! Twenty Liberian dollars." Folks, that is about 30 cents in US money! She had two sitting there, so I asked her if I could buy both of them? She said yes, so I pulled 200 Liberian dollars out of my wallet and handed them to her. She jumped up, handed me the shrimp traps...I asked if I could take her picture with them, and she said of course...so this is her! After I took her picture she ran off! I saw her later smiling from ear to ear showing her friend the money. You would have though I had given her the moon! I gave her just under $4.00! I prayed that I could be Jesus to the least of these in Liberia as Tom Davis has challenged me in Red Letters. As I have looked for ways to do that while I am here, I am realizing with great shame just how hard it is to be Jesus to the least of these! I honestly don't know what to do. I am always afraid of offending or belittling....but I hope and pray that my shrimp trap lady was blessed today! And I hope that if we get to build on that site, that I get to see her again and share the story of Jesus with her!

Below are pictures of the children in that village! There is no market with in walking distance, no school with in walking distance, no clinic with in walking distance. They don't have cars, and there is not a taxi for miles. They live off the land alone! The UNICEF report in 2007 says that Liberia's infant and under 5 mortality rates remain amond the five highest in the world. More than 15 % of children die before reaching their first birthday. There was a one month old baby girl that I held today at this village....will she make it 11 more months? UNICEF further reports that nearly 40% of children under age five suffer from stunting as a result of malnutrition. Will these children make it? If we are able to put our compound there, their chances will increase dramatically! With this compound will come a school which will educate them at a reduce or free tuition (education is the only hope for the youth of Liberia to have a better future!) and a medical clinic that will treat the diseases that kill!

If you look into these eyes and can walk away, then close your browser! But if you look into these eyes and see the need that truly exists here, then click on the button on the sidebar of my blog and donate to The Orphanage Project! The sooner we have the money, the sooner these children have hope!

I miss my family! :(

I was headed to bed, but then my internet started working, so I had to send a few e-mails, but I am just about cross-eyed now, so I am really going now!

I didn't get an e-mail off to my family before it quit working again, so I hope they are checking the blog! The middle of the week when I am here is always hardest, and I am starting to feel that! I talked to the kids on the phone, and that did it! My heart broke! Little Ava's voice saying, "wuv oo" and Toben saying, "Mama?!" Then Noah jumping on in his voice like all is just fine in the world! I just wanted to see that big grin! And my sweet Callie....she was having a bad day and I hated I wasn't there to hold her! And then John...having to deal with them all! I just want to plant a great big juicy kiss on that man right now! (Sorry didn't mean to be rated R there!) My sweet family sent me with cards to open throughout the week! They are really sweet and help a lot! However, one that John sent me said, "don't worry about the kids! A person really can live on coke and brownies!" :) That's my man! So if anyone in close proximity is reading this, will you take some fruit to my children???!!! Just kidding! I am sure they are loving it!

So to my sweeties, I love you! Have a great day and sleep well tonight! Only 5 more nights until I am home! Miss you! XOXOXOXO

Keep the prayers coming!

I had a great day today! I haven't eaten the past two days except dinner because I have been too busy to stop for breakfast or lunch! But that isn't a bad thing, either! :)

I was able to meet with members of the House and God showed great favor! We are not out of the woods until we are on the plane with these children, but I am confident God will part the Red Sea once again!

Please keep praying! I know as the week wears on, Iwill be weary! I am working literally from sun up to sun down either in meetings or working on paper work. I can do that for a few days, but then fatigue sets in, so I need miraculous energy!

The Embassy appointments went great! We were in and out in record time! We

That is all for tonight! I am tired! Thanks again for praying and keep it coming!

Whewh! Long day!

Well, the parents and children are snuggled up in their beds! I had the pleasure of seeing four more children rest in the arms of their new mommies today! I was in a meeting when the children were brought to the parents, so I didn't get to see "the" moment they met. I hated that! But I wasn't selfish enough to postpone their meeting until I could be here! Thought about it, but not for long! :) When I walked in to the room, both of the oldest ones of the sibling sets ran up and jumped into my arms! Oh how that blessed my socks off! Made everything I have to do, all the battles I have to fight all worth it! These precious children have to have some one fighting for them....when I am back home, it is so easy to forget in all the e-mails, papers, government struggles and money issues that there are real lives at stake! Real little people counting on me to find a way to get them home! Those hugs reminded me that no matter what, I must fight! And their Reedemer is strong. He will plead their case! (Prov 10:11).

Continue your prayers! We have the Embassy appointment in the morning. This should be fine. But later tomorrow I will be meeting with more officials...some of which no one in the adoption world has had luck getting out of them what they need. But I am going in the Power of Authority of the One who sent and am expecting great things!

"The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes." Prov. 21:1

Adoption Bible Study

One of the things that I want to do while I am here is work on a project I have started because I believe God has asked me to do this. I have started writing an adoption Bible study for families who are in the process or just finished it. I have some lessons written but need several more. So since most of my blog readers are adoptive parents, I thought it would be neat to get your input! If you have a specific verse, testimony or lesson that God really used adoption to speak to you, I would love to hear it! Leave a comment! I know from my work with families that God uses each and every adoption to transform the parents as well as the child...and often entire families. I always say I must be a slow learner because He has to take us through three adoptions! ha!

I look forward to reading your comments! Off to bed now...the eyelids are getting a little droopy and I am ready to get out of the clothes I have been wearing for the last 36 hours! :)

We made it!

We are here! We made it and so did all our luggage! Woohoo!! Praise God!

We had an uneventful trip over here. We ran into weather in Atlanta that delayed us an hour and luggage issues in Brussels that delayed us an hour, but he made it up and we landed in Monrovia on time.

They have really done a nice job on their airport! Plus they are keeping all the guys away that used to swarm you to carry your bags. So it was actually a pleasurable experience to get out of the airport. This is rainy season, so it had just quit rainnig about the time we landed, so it is VERY humid!

We all are settled into our rooms and I have had my chicken fried rice and I am ready for bed! The parents will meet their new kiddos in the morning, so be praying for them as they make their first aquaintance!

I just feel like I have to sing God's praises here and count my blessings that have already happened on this trip! I found my shoe (see post below), we got here with no issue, we got here with all our luggage, and I had ticket agents in the US and Brussels that did not charge my for my extra bag! Thank you , God! What blessings He has already brought us! I can't wait to see what else He does on this trip!

Thanks to all of you praying! I feel them and keep them coming! I am armored up and ready for battle! :)

In Brussels!

I made it to Brussels. It has been crazy! Not long lay overs means running to gates and barely getting there just in time to board!

Here is right before I told my family good bye! I hate the good byes! But I did good this time, no tears until they couldn't see me! The kids did good! Callie and Toben took it the hardest! So pray for them....and for John!

Next stop....Liberia!

Headed to the airport.....

....just as soon as I find my other shoe! I imagine a little munchkin with either two or four legs hauled it off yesterday....one is there, but the other is not!

I have told many of you I would post a prayer list, so here it is:

• Pray for my family that I leave behind!
• Pray for wisdom and discernment as I seek to know God's will for the future of our ministry in Liberia
• Pray that I am able to move each case at least one step forward
• Pray that I have favor with officials I meet with and am able to get solid answers to the many questions that I have
• Pray for our three families who will be picking up their children
• Pray for the two children I will be bringing back to their parents
• Pray for easy access through the airport
• Pray that I would hear God each and every second of the time I am there so that I can walk by faith and not by sight.
• Pray that I am His hands and feet to the "least of these"

I could go on and on.....but this is a great start!

I know I am walking into a battle. I don't know exactly how to explain this...I don't mean that I am going to actually be warring with "anyone", but Eph. says our battle is against the evil in this dark world, not flesh and blood, and I know I am walking into a great battle for these kids as well as the future of our ministry. This morning, I could not get up out of my Bible study chair....my spirit was willing, but my flesh was weak! Over the past six months it has been my place of solitude, rest, and safety! I knew this morning that it was the last time I would leave before the battle ensued. So as I sat there, God reminded me that He is not just with me in "the chair", but He is with me wherever I go....even to the ends of the earth! So with that I got up and packed the last bag! My armor is on and I am ready for the fight!

Oh, and as I was typing this, Noah found my shoe! Praise God even for the little things.....He is faithful! So we are off to eat breakfast as a family then to the airport!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I leave in less than 48 hours and I still have soooo much to do! I don't know how after 4 trips to Africa, I still take everything down to the wire. I thought I had done so good this time! I started preparing the day I knew I was traveling, but there is still just so much to do! So what am I doing? I am blogging! Why do you ask? Well, because somehow just sharing my distress with the world seems to lighten the load! ha! So there you go! Off to pack.........

He knew....

The timelessness of God's Word just keeps me in awe! Over two thousand years ago, He knew that I would need to know on July 22, 2008 (and MANY other days as well) that He is here no matter what the circumstances say. In many areas of my life over the last 10, especially 4, years, I have asked God, "Where are you???"

He knew that! So many times, the only hope I had to hold on to as I struggled through a rocky marriage, another hold in my adoptions, another hold in the adoptions of my families I work with, a phase of my children that I don't think I will survive, was that somehow through it all God would be glorified! Sometimes I rejoice in that, and sometimes I really don't care, I just want my circumstances fixed!

But what comfort to know that David, a man after God's own heart, felt the same way! I have read this verse so many times, but today it brought so much comfort! I know many of my blog readers are adoptive families with children half way around the world caught up in red tape, so I wanted to share this with you......praying it encourages you as it did me!

~ I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.~ Psalm 27:13-14

Father God, for the mothers and fathers out there who have followed Your calling to bring Your children home, give them a day of peace! A day of rejoicing in the fact that You are working in ways they cannot see. God allow them to rejoice that they are getting to take part in seeing Your goodness...make that enough for today! Allow them to see just a little bit of your work today.....help them realize that they are changing lives for eternity, not just theirs and the child/ren they are adopting, but everyone who hears testimony of their adoption or who touches a piece of paper for their adoption can be changed for Your glory! Give them a "bigger picture" view that reaches beyond their own homes. Make them strong today and let their hearts take courage, may the words "wait on the Lord" bring peace and rest today trusting You to work out every detail and every time table as You see fit. Let them rest in Your will and Trust You to be the wonderful Father You are to them as well as their children! Thank You God for allowing us to walk this journey with You!

Monday is gone!

One day closer to leaving. I got a lot of paper work done today and a couple of errands run. I seem to not be able to make complete lists and am finding myself needing to go back to places I have already been. Ugh! I hate that! For medical reasons, I am a scatter brained nit wit right now! Drives me crazy! I hate being a nit wit! I have no idea if that is spelled right.

What I did today:

• bought office supplies to help get Liberian office running effectively (then remembered I forgot to get half of what I went for!)
• started packing the supplies for the orphanage that I am taking
• printed out documents that I need to take with me
• contacted some families with what I hope and pray I can do on their case while there
• bought lots of frozen food for while I am gone (Callie REALLY worries aobut Daddy's cooking while I am gone!)
• painted cars and crosses with my kiddos (pictures to come later!) - this week I am trying to do house work in the mornings to get things ready to be gone for a week, work agency stuff before kids wake up and then at nap time, then spend the afternoon doing an activity with the kids! I miss them so much when I am gone! I wish I could be in two places at once!
• then we went to Chuck E. Cheese to eat dinner because that is where Noah wanted to go for his birthday meal!
• came home and mowed the yard, then jumped in the pool to cool off and spend more time with the kids...my favorite two things in the world!
• put kids to bed and did a little more paper work
• then ate a bunch of chocolate chip cookies and blogged when I should be in bed! :)

Good night!

Oh - everyone is asking when I leave. I leave Saturday, July 26 and return Monday, Aug 4. I will blog if at all possible while I am gone. If we stay in the same hotel and their internet is running, I should be able to log on a few times during the week. But I imagine my nights will be filled with papers and more papers as I work through cases and issues with different officials! That and lots of time in prayer and reading the Word to make sure I am walking WTH God - not behind or in front of Him!

The Race is on!

So, I leave for Liberia in 5 days! My list is longer than my time! Plus tomorrow is my precious Noah's birthday, so add a swimming party to the list! But I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me, right?!

I am totally excited about my trip! God is opening doors right and left for our ministry, and I am so excited to see where it takes us! I will share more as it progresses.

For now, let me just say that my friend Kami rocks! You can see her blog here. And you can see how she and her husband are partnering with us in our ministry by clicking on the box to the right of my blog that is orange and in the shape of Africa. If you know anyone in Colorado, PLEASE let them know about our benefit dinner! If you have a blog, would you please put an excerpt on there about it! Kami and Jeremy along with their friends with Passion Africa have worked super hard to make this dinner a success, and we need to sell all the tickets for it to be the biggest success possible! Oh, AND, the most exciting thing..........TOM DAVIS, AUTHOR OF RED LETTERS AND FIELDS OF THE FATHERLESS IS GOING TO BE THE INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER! How cool is that? That is a total God thing! So please help us spread the word about the dinner! I will be there too, but I think Tom will draw a bigger crowd than me! ;0)

So I better stop blogging and get to work!

Headed to Liberia!

I am officiallly headed to Liberia. Just got the flights booked this morning! After my last trip, I really thought I would be anxious, but I am not. That is what being in the will of God does....gives you peace! I am very excited to go back, to see the kids in the home again, to work on getting cases further down the pipeline, and maybe to even visit Toben's home county! That is not confirmed yet, but I made a promise last time I was there and intend to keep it if at all possible!

Pray for me and my sweet family as times before I travel are always stressful! Adoptive families need more help and my kids need more reassuring as they know their mommy is about to head halfway across the world. I am anxious about leaving TOben so early, but God has made it clear it is time for me to go. So I trust (most days!) Him to care for TOben and make right any wrongs I am doing by leaving for this period of time so soon after his home coming. God knew when He made Toben and when He placed him in our home what I would be doing in response to His call, so I place my trust in that and try not to be a worrying mother!

With much sorrow....

With much sorrow, I present my nails. Yes, they are fake! There is a post forming in my mind that will hopefully be published in the near future which will help explain, but for now I will leave it at, I thought I deserved them! Ouch! That hurt to write! I have been justifying why I can keep them. I won't go through the list of justifications as it will only increase my sorrow. (I use sorrow because of a teaching my Pastor does on sin that is phenominal..as Chrsitians, we are not guilty, but we have Godly sorrow for things we do that we shouldn't, for sin - don't crucify me here...I am not saying fake nails are a sin! I am saying when we put our desires before God's commands we are sinning....this is my conviction and I am not pushing it on anyone else, just sharing!)

What brought this on? Well, I started reading Red Letters by Tom Davis. I have heard much about it and have even added my blog to the Red Letters Campaign adoption blogs, but I haven't actually read the book, so I picked it up. I am devouring everything I can right now on walking closely with God, and everything I have read says this will change me forever. I am also reading The Shack. That is amazing as well! There is another reason I am reading Red Letters. There is a pretty good chance that I will be meeting the author of this book the first part of August. It would probably be best for me to have read his work before I have a conversation with him! :) There is another cool thing about Tom Davis's rightings that I will share another time. I swear if this world gets any smaller, I will no longer fit in it!

So I read a little tonight (or this morning..whatever you want to call 12:45 am!). He talks about hoarders, people who keep what they have "safe" for fear they will not have enough. John and I have never been hoarders, shoot, we can't even save the "Dave Ramsey Emergency Savings Amount", but we are not what I would consider generous people with our resources either. We have recently met a couple that has really challeneged us by their generosity and we are being convicted. As I read Tom's explanation of the usual "if you give up your Starbucks for one day you could...." analogy, I felt a pain go through my heart! That was the Holy Spirit hitting me right on target with His arrow! I don't buy Starbucks but once every other month or so, so that little analogy usually lets me wipe my brow and say, "whew! I am safe there! No conviction needed for that! We are doing the best we can...." Well, not this time! That little arrow had a note attached to it. It read, "For what you have spent on nails this month, you could have sponsored two children in your very own orphanage!" Yikes! So needles to say, the nails will be coming off! I can grow nails for free! Fake nails are silly for me! Ok, so growing nails requires not biting mine, which is a digusting habbit anyway, right, so what is the problem? Well, we'll leave that challenge for another day! For now I know that the two girls that God has laid on my hear to disciple every time I go to Liberia will be receiving monthly support instead of my fingers getting fake nails! I will live my faith in the hopes of ending poverty in at least two lives that I know I can impact for Christ! What a privelege to walk this life with Christ! Nails are silly, but the closer I get to him, the more all the sacrifices I have made seem silly in comparison to the knowledge of knowing Him more!

She's a ham!

My youngest is defintly comimg into her own! She is getting funnier by the day! I definitly have a class clown on my hands here! She has a new face that she gives me when she doesn't want to do what I say. She puckers her lips, squints her eyes and puts her head in her hands! It is hilarious! Then when we start laughing, the show is on! So here is Miss Ava in all her glory showing off her goofy faces!

And this is all the kids showing their "Ava" face!

Happy Birthday, my Love!

My hubby turned 34 yesterday! He loves to tell people he married an older woman. We graduated the same year, but I turned 34 in December. It is kind of funny because I usually dated men considerably older than myself! Anyway, we celebrated John's b-day with my family with a home made cake and then the kids and I surprised him with another cake(and trick candles - the kids' idea) at a small group swim party we hosted at our house.

John and I got engaged 11 years ago this June. Our marriage has not been an easy one. I know no marriage is, but John and I have had some pretty big obstacles to overcome. Unrealistic expectations and baggage have haunted our relationship from the beginning. But I have NEVER doubted that God told me (before I knew God 'talked') to marry this man. I know God gave me that assurance 11 years ago because He knew it would keep me dedicated during the hard times.

In those hard times, I tended to focus on how lucky John is that I didn't leave him. That I stuck by and stayed dedicated (yes, I know how conceited and self-centered that sounds!). But what I am realizing as the years tick by and I watch marriage after marriage fall apart around me is that I am just as lucky that John has stayed committed to me and our family. That he has not chosen to walk out or take the easy road when things got hard. For that I am truly thankful and blessed!

So on this, his special day, I am so thankful that God made John fearfully and wonderfully. That God chose to bring a little boy into the world 34 years ago that would be my soul mate! Thank you God! And thank you John for a lifetime of memories...and more to come! I love you! Happy Birthday!

How to Scare Your Husband to Death

If you want to scare your husband to death, text him these pictures with the title, "Guess what we are doing today!"

The demolition crew!

To be continued.......

A Fun Summer Day

I am determined to have a summer to remember this year as last year when school started I was so sad that the summer was gone and I had not spent enough time with the kids. Today we went to a pool that has lost of neat fountains and slides! The kids had a ball...and we all have a little pink skin!

Toben loved the slides! He also loves the fountains. He likes to see how many he can stop at once! Lets just say that he has a clean tushy!

Ava wouldn't go down the slide, but she had a ton of fun dumping a whole bottle of sunscreen on her!

Noah loved these "lilly pads" that floated on the water. He was a master at getting across them and to the other side. Callie liked these too, but her favorite was the big slide. The problem with that was, my little digital camera would miss her coming out the slide with the delay on the shutter.

And affter a long day at the pool, this is what I came home with....doesn't get any sweeter than this!