More of You, No Matter the Cost!

I've really got to stop writing posts like the last one!  Seems that every time I do, I'm challenged on the truth I put into words.  Later the same day that I had written the post, I received a letter in the mail that opened a firestorm of events in my life.  Events that would bring a first for me.  You know when you say on a phone call, "get this fixed or you will be speaking to my attorney?"  Well, I had to make good on that for the first time in my life yesterday!  Someday I will share details - but right now, please pray for me.  I am up against a system in our society that I have learned this week is known for it's retaliation and blackballing of people who whistle blow.  And anyone who knows me knows that nothing gets my blood boiling like injustice....and this system works with underprivileged people all the time!  If they are doing this to me, I cannot even imagine what they are doing to those who do not have an understanding of the system or have the means to fight this giant!  It is on their behalf that I will fight this!  I wear a bracelet that says, "Be the Change!"  Putting feet to that in this situation.

Then we get news about a family member that sent us to our knees in fear as well as concern and overwhelming sadness.  The battle with the social system had me once again wanting to walk away from the work that I do.  I know the enemy is out to get my ministry.  It is evident.  As I was in between phone calls on Monday dealing with the current issue, my phone rings and it is a reporter from the New Yorker calling to fact find on the piece I gave information for over a year ago (that honestly I thought had already gone to print and I just missed seeing it) about the corruption in adoption in Liberia when we worked there.  I am going to have to find the post of when we brought Toben home and re-post...not even sure I ever really posted about it because it was such a traumatic event at the time.  Google my name.  You will find a news article that says I trafficked children.  That was what we found when we got on US soil with our precious Toben after a 10 day fight!  Working internationally and accused of child trafficking.  Working domestically, and now this.  It was as if God was sending me a message with the call from the New Yorker..."Remember what happened when the enemy did this?  You spent a couple of weeks worrying if the FBI was going to show up on your doorstep and arrest you.  Nothing came of that!  You almost laugh at it now.  You will do the same of this situation!"  It was in that moment that God solidified once again the call He has on my life.  I'm not special!  He has a call on all our lives...you have one on yours too!  And then He reminded me of the week I went to Austin and had some life transforming moments with Him.

I listened to Bill Johnson podcasts all the way to Austin that week.  He spoke right to my soul!  He taught on some things that God has used to literally transform my life, my thinking.  The podcast that challenged me the most was "Being the Sacrifice Fire Falls On".  Google it and listen to it, but beware!  It is life changing!  God reminded me yesterday that I had prayed the same prayer Bill Johnson prayed....more of you, God, no matter the cost!  When Bill Johnson prayed that, he woke up paralyzed three nights in a row.  It's an amazing testimony!

Within weeks of coming home from that trip where I prayed with all my being to experience more of God and to know Him at a different level than I ever have, a child left our family, my house was torn apart by a remodel, my marriage hit some bumps and my ministry is threatened!  Every area of my identity has been rocked!  The small voice came back, "Do you still mean it?  Do you really mean  whatever the cost?"  And in the face of all the conflict, especially the threatening of my ministry, and in a moment that I truly believe God was saying, "You can walk away!", I knew I really did mean it!  More of God, less of me, whatever the cost! Bill Johnson says it best:

"Doesn't matter what it costs.  I died to that a long time ago.  I'm not in this because of what I get, I'm in it because it's what I was born for.  I was summoned.  I was called by The Only One who has a right to rule my life. I was summoned, I was called by name.  I would be a fool to say no to that summons, that call, that invitation. [I have a desire] to be the offering, that which attracts God."

Don't hear me say that God puts us through trials for kicks or for His own pompous need for us to need Him.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  He allows trials in our lives for our own need of Him.  In our weakness is when He is strong. It is in our raw need that we see Him the most.  It is in our desperate times that we learn to lean on Him...when we literally have nothing or no one else. And that is where these events have left me!  Raw, vulnerable and totally open to the presence of God because He is the only One who can bring peace.  I have learned to find contentment in any and all circumstances.  I have learned to not be led by emotions.  I have learned to trust Him and fight the enemy not believing the lies the enemy tries to throw at me.  I have learned to live by faith - being sure of what I hope for and certain of what I do not see - in a way I never have.  I have been challenged to believe that without faith it is impossible to please God and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him!  To believe any of that, I had to believe what I read in the Bible is truth and "reality" and not my circumstances!

And in the face of it all, I say, if I get a more intimate knowledge of God and relationship with God in the exchange, I say, YES!

From Liberia to Kingergarten

This is my baby boy. He went to kindergarten this week. Did I cry? I managed to choke it back! I was actually doing great until John says as we headed to his classroom, "You came all the way from Africa for this!" That did it! My heart broke and the tears welled in the eyes.

I am learning that there are many significant events in life that with adopted children are even more significant. Not that the first day of kindergarten wasn't a big deal for Callie, it was! She was my first one to go! I thought my heart was being ripped out! But, there was never a doubt from the time she was conceived that she would go to kindergarten. That is just what we do in America. And really not a doubt that she would go to college...unless God calls her to the mission field before that....because that is just what we do in our family.

But that is just not the case with my baby boy, Toben! From the moment he was conceived, there was a question mark. Liberia has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. One in five babies die before they reach the age of five. That means one of my five children would not make it past five. That is sobering. It is also has one of the highest deaths among births for moms in the world. I can't imagine the fear mixed with joy his mother must have had when reality hit that she was expecting her second baby. Would she make it through the delivery to raise this baby and his older brother? If she did, would the baby survive? Would she have enough milk to nurse him? There are no other options for her, you see. No Wal-Mart to go buy formula if the milk doesn't come in. Toben defied the odds. He survived delivery, and so did she. He made it to two and a half years old before there was no more milk. Then he was brought to a home. A home full of children. A home that housed his older brother whose court decree had just been signed making him the son of an American family.

A mother who loved her son enough to let him go. A father who dreamed of a better future for his little boy. But more importantly, a Heavenly Father who had ordained Toben's days before even one came to be. He has a plan for Him!
All of that for Toben to make his way to kindergarten!

You see, this is the house that Toben live in before he moved to the orphanage.

These are children in his village as they were when I visited last year.

They don't attend school. They have no hope of attending school. As we waited for him mother to come in from the field, we sat in the kitchen (pictured here) and talked to the girls and their babies. I use girls purposely as most of them could not have been more than 13 or 14 years old and had one or more babies. Those who were able were working the fields to get enough money or food to sustain themselves for one more day. Survival. That is the name of the game.

But not for Toben. God picked him up out of that and placed him in my home. He entrusted this little boy to me and John. He entrusted us to provide for him the things that he would not have received if he had been left where he was.

Why? Why did Toben leave and these other children remain? Why was it important for him to escape that life?

I.

Don't.

Know.

I wrestled with that as an adoptive mom before Toben, and I wrestle with it even more as an adoption/humanitarian worker. It is one of those things that I just have to release and rest in knowing that God's ways are not mine!

I often forget all that Toben came from, but on this day, as I walked him to his class, it came flooding back and I was overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to be this little boy's mommy! I was overwhelmed with the magnitude of what that means. I have a job to do with all my children, and I will be held accountable for my failures - which are many! But for my adopted children, God removed them from the mom they had for a reason. I don't know always why that reason is, but I owe it to those women and more importantly to God to bring honor to their decision to let them go and God's decision to place them with me.

As I took this picture, I knew in this situation, I was doing that! Toben was starting school. He was beginning a new chapter of his life that would not have been possible had he remained where he was. Even if I had supplied his mom with the money for school as so many think should be done (aka: UNICEF, Save the Children), there was NO SCHOOL for him to attend! It. Would. Not. Have. Happened! It wasn't just a matter of money! It was a matter of everything....and now, he has gone from Liberia to kindergarten, and only by the grace of God!

And he is not the only one! In an amazing thing that God has done just to add icing on the cake, Toben started with an orphanage mate! The little boy in this picture with Toben was in the orphanage with him. His family now lives two blocks from us and are some of our best friends!

God, thank you for my little boy. Thank you for entrusting him to me! I am overcome right now with how unworthy I am of this little guy! And you quietly remind me that I am so unworthy of the cross, and the oh so many other good gifts you have given me! My life is not enough, Lord for what you have done for me, but it is all I have....and I give it to You! Thank you for allowing me to be apart of this miracle of adoption! What a picture of Your love for us! Help me to always bring honor to your decision to place this little boy in my home and to be called my son. Thank you! I love you! Amen!

From the Addy's Hope News Blog

I am cross-posting this from the Addy's Hope News Blog...thank you faithful prayer warriors! I believe we are seeing the first mortar fall from the wall we have been marching around for a year and a half now! I hear the sound of cracking brick and we will soon march over the ruins of wickedness and corruption that have kept us from heping the chidren! Praise God!!!


The meeting with the new Minister of Justice and other parties involved in the persecution of adoption it set for tomorrow morning. I have been in continual prayer for this meeting. I believe it was no irony that yesterday's sermon at my church was on spiritual warfare. But even before the message was delivered, during the worship time, I felt a strong sense of needing to pray for the battle waging for the children of Liberia. As such, I began praying for them. Immediately a peace flooded me. I believe this matter is settled. We will see great victory come from this meeting. Of course, my time is not God's time. I don't know that this victory will be evident immediately. My request to God is that we see immediate results, but I don't know that it will happen. I believe God was encouraging me to hang tight and not lose hope or question the outcome if immediate results are not evident. He will bring about that which has been settled in His timing...which is rarely the same as mine! Can anyone relate?!

This morning as I prayed again about the meeting, God took me to Psalm 33 and 34. I ask you to join me in proclaiming the Word over this meeting and the situation with adoption and children in Liberia. Let me remind everyone that this is much bigger than just adoption. We are talking about leaders in the Ministry of Health who have taken, from the last report I heard, over $300,000 (US, not Liberian dollars) from children who are in orphanages that have nothing to do with adoptions. This is the money the government was supposed to be giving those who care for the children to feed them. This money was literally stolen out of the mouths of the children by the very people set in authority by President Sirleaf and her people to care for the "health and social welfare" of these children. Anyone else see a serious problem?

So my prayer is not that adoptions open. Yes, that is part of it, but I am asking you to pray that these people be brought to justice and removed from their seats of authority so that Godly men and women can be put in authority and the well-being of the Liberian children can once again be at the forefront of what the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is doing.

Here is what God brought me to and I am asking you to agree with me in prayer:
Psalm 34:
7 ~ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
8-10 ~ O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him: O fear the Lord, You His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.
15-22 ~ The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken, evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Psalm 37
7-15
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laugh ts at him, for He sees his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow to cast down the afflicted and the needy [orphans and those who care for them], to slay those who are upright in conduct [those of us who have spoken out publicly against the corruption in the Ministry of Health]. Their sword will enter their own heart, and their bows will be broken.

34~ Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I am dancing for joy at the truths in those verses! The authority is all God's! He will deal harshly with those who plot against His people and especially against His children! Praise Him! To Him be all the glory from the outcomes of this meeting!

Concerning what I believe to be God speaking victory over the wicked in power over the care of children and the battle waging for these children:
Psalm 33:9-12 ~ For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

Thank you for journeying with us and praying for the children of Liberia. I look forward to reporting to all of you prayer warriors the victories we will see in the days, weeks, months and years to come. I have always believed that God has big plans for Liberia and intends to make Liberia a power house nation....much like American. But He must have righteous leaders before that can happen. Your prayers are working to bring that about. Just one more time we as Christians are called to a very small part of a much larger picture! Thank you for your faithfulness and dedication. Words can't express the gratitude I have for those of you praying with us!

For the oppressed,
HollyAnn

It may be an all-nighter!

There is a really important meeting in Liberia this week regarding adoptions! It is "our" chance - the pro side of adoption to be heard. There is a new Justice Minister that has been named. She is looking over many issues that have been dealt with in Liberia - and lucky for us, adoption is one of them. She knows there are things that haven't gone as they were supposed to - like us paying money directly to the Ministry of Health - which is not supposed to be done according to government protocol. Eva Morgan has already been removed from her post at the Justice Ministry - Praise God!! She is the one who said, "This is not America. They don't need to eat three times a day." And in a meeting I was in and heard for myself, she said, "Poverty is no reason for placing a child for adoption. Why do we have so many adoptions? Do we need more support for families?" Duh!!!!!!

But even with her gone, we still have the people in charge at the Ministry of Health who are totally corrupt. We need to be heard at this meeting. We will be dining with the enemies...but that's ok because Psalm 23:5 says that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. God guides and protects me, and He has prepared a table before my enemies. My cup overflows! Praise God!

I believe this is what we have been waiting for! President Sirleaf was warned by me as well as other key people that listening to those on the Presidential Adoption Committee would cause her great embarrassment. She has been listening to lies of the corrupt. And as Psalm 10 promises: "You [God] have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand
The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, seek out his wickedness until You find none. The LORD is King forever and ever; nations have perished from His land. O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror." Hallelujah!

So please pray! Pray that the truth will be told and heard. Pray that those in attendance of the meeting will be open to hearing the side of the adoption service providers that has been silenced by those in power. Pray that God will open the doors wide for the children of Liberia to be helped through adoption.

I will be fasting and praying July 16 for the meeting and all those in attendance. There are some adoptive parents who have flown over there to attend the meeting. We have one family, but there are some from other agencies as well. Pray that they are heard. We also have one of our older boys going to speak. Pray for him, his name is Prince. Pray that He would speak the heart of God and be bold for all the orphans he represents! He is an amazing young man!

I'm excited! For the first time since the turn over of the orphanage, God has shown me a glimpse of what all the letters I have written and the battles I have fought might be about to help accomplish. The coolest thing? Maria Luiken of WACSN, who is Liberian, is responsible for this meeting! I have always wanted the Liberians to lead the charge. Maria is an amazing women! She is very much responsible for my son being home. She has been under great warfare as she has battled for the children. We may not agree on everything, Maria and I, but the two things we very much see eye to eye on is: 1) we work and fight for children! We do this because we are called of God and love the children of Liberia and 2) we don't care anything about who getting the credit for the battles, we just want the victory! We just want the band lifted and the corruption stopped so safe adoptions for children can pursue! May it be, in Jesus Name!

Will you fast and pray with me? We need warriors! Pass this along, please! We all know that truly, these people in power are not who we are fighting for they only have the power God allows them to have! Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powerful forces of evil in this dark world! We need warriors praying to send these evil forces back to the abyss!

Can you tell I'm excited! :) God is bringing a new thing....a stream in the desert! That is the first thing I thought of when Maria called and we talked and I knew that this meeting really is crucial. So this may be an all-nighter! I have five years of documentation to go through and send to her to get to the Minister for review before the meeting! But Praise God I have documentation of letters written and letters received! The truth is in them! The path of deception and corruption can be found weaved in them....and it's time for it to be told! Praise God!

For the "professional" version of the meeting prayer request :) go to our Addy's Hope News Blog.

For My Children

I have put it off as long as I can. Kind of like the post about it! I want to send a video to my (well, God's children) at the home. I want them to know that "MOther HollyAnn" has not forgotten them. I want them to know that this is a good move that I fully support and believe is an answer to prayer!

A family is traveling next week, so I am sending it with them and have to get it in the mail. I am also sending some notes with Bibles to some older boys who will more than likely age out even if the adoptions open before we can get them out or boys that I just think need to know they are God chosen leaders...whether in Liberia or America!

So today may be hard, but when I am weak then He is strong! Love it!

It's Done!

Thank you Lord for grating me the strength, the words, the opportunity.

It's Done!

It is here.

My prayer....

No one told me that in adoption work adoptive parents would be supportive until things went wrong, and those parents that sang your praises when things went right would be the first to slit your throat when things beyond your control went wrong. No one told me in ministry that the Christians would be the hardest to deal with. My only escape and comfort right now are in the words of David who had enemies pursuing him at times as well! So these are my prayers to God, just as David sent them up so many years ago!

Psalm 5
Prayer for Protection from the Wicked.

1Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my groaning.
2Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to You I pray.
3In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
5The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.
6You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
7But as for me, by Your abundant loving kindness I will enter Your house,
At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.
8O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes;
Make Your way straight before me.
9There is nothing reliable in what they say;
Their inward part is destruction itself
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold them guilty, O God;
By their own devices let them fall!
In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out,
For they are rebellious against You.
11But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You.
12For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.
Psalm 6
Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your wrath.
2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.
3And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O LORD--how long?
4Return, O LORD, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your loving kindness.
5For there is no mention of You in death;
In Sheol who will give You thanks?
6I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
7My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.
8Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD has heard my supplication,
The LORD receives my prayer.
10All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.

Can I ask you to pray for my, my Liberian staff, my husband and our board as we seek God's way to deal with these issues? Pray for us that we would have the heart and mind of Christ as we deal with the false accusations that can have devastating effects on the children who remain in the home and need us to care for them. Pray that God would silence the mouths of the lying and wicked as it says in the Psalms. Pray that He would raise up warriors to fight for these children even against the falseness that is being spread here in the US.

If you don't think adoptions are of the heart of God, talk to someone who works in adoptions...listen to the stories of the attacks...even internal ones...they rarely come from the "world" in my experience. The enemy is determined to destroy adoptions. If we don't have warriors raising up to fight this battle on our knees, we will lose. Please pray with us!

Aristotle visits Liberia

Criticism is something we can avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, being nothing. ~Aristotle

I don't usually quote Aristotle, but this was in a book I am reading and hit home. I imagine this will end up on a canvas in my office! This has been one of the hardest lessons of the ministry I am in and the government work God has called me to in Liberia. So often, I know without a doubt what God is calling me to do, yet it goes against the positive public opinion. Many times it is just because when you sit in different seats you see different angles. Sitting in the seat I am in as adoption professional, been there done that adoptive parent, and person talking to the government officials, I have a different angle than many of my critics. I am also charged with the job of caring for all children, not just my personal ones who I want to adopt. I know I made this same mistake as an adoptive parent talking to my adoption agency. I just wanted Eden home, well Eden and the other two children who were being adopted when I want to get Eden. But those to come after them really weren't my concern, but they should have been.

I have been quiet many times for fear of backlash. But what God has revealed to me over the past few weeks is that the only fear that is appropriate, is fear of HIM! He is the one holding Victory in His hands. He brought this home again over Easter. He has conquered the grave. That same spirit that raised Jesus from death lives in me! Why do I have fear of man? Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world!

There are two people that I have dealt with in Liberia who have amazed me time and again at their actions. One is just two people removed from the President. He is a Deputy Minister which is like the officials in the US government who are directly under Secretaries of the different government entities such as the Secretary of State. Mr. Joseph Geebro is Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare. My first encounter with this man was when a UNICEF worker advised him to put the passports of my son and the other 8 children being adopted with him on hold. He is the reason that we almost did not get to bring Toben home. He is the reason all of our adoptive families had to pay thousands of dollars to have their plane tickets changed plus the expense of staying in Liberia an extended time. However, I am pleased to say that God has replaced that money! It was His anyway! But that was just the beginning.

Since that time, this man has continually stepped in the way of Liberian children receiving care. In just our tiny organization in Liberia he has held our container captive ultimately requiring us to pay $7,000 in taxes to get what should have been a duty free container out of port. Thus he stopped the construction of a school for the children of Margibi County in Liberia. That $7,000 was going to build the walls and desks to complete the school. So thanks to Mr. Geebro, the children of Marbigi County still don't have a free school on the road to Marshall. The shell sits there, waiting for us to have the funds to complete it and open it. The Ministry of Education in Liberia is so excited about our efforts. Unlike the Ministry of Health, they have been so supportive and told us that they will help in any way they can to see that our efforts to help the Liberian children are successful. What a concept!

The next major intervention of Mr. Geebro came as the death of Matthew, a precious little boy that God entrusted to our care. Matthew's parents had been to three other organizations begging for help, but had been turned away. We were the first ones to say we would take him and all that entailed. He was our first special needs baby. Matthew taught me more than any other child we have had in our care! Matthew will live on in my heart forever...he will be memorialized in many of the actions I take as he is the motivation for them! Matthew lost his fight for life when the Ministry of Health, specifically, Geebro's office and a lady that works for him Ms. Lydia Sherman, refused to allow Matthew to travel to Ghana for the medical care he so desperately needed. We had done everything we knew to do for Matthew. We were not comfortable with Matthew having surgery in Liberia as we were concerned about what would be found when he was opened. However, unknown to me at the time, another US organization was working with the Ministry of Health. This organization was putting Matthew on their blog as if they were in charge of his care....not paying a dime or providing any food or workers for his care....but claiming he was in their care. I am pretty sure that is called fraud, but once again, any words I said in this situation made me out to be the bad guy, back to that criticism quote, while I was the one who had been fighting for Matthew all along! I was the one paying personally for his care when the agency couldn't afford it. I was the one doing the fundraiser to raise the $2,000 he needed for medical care. Which by the way, the amazing foundation called the Hext Foundation, made sure Matthew had all he needed....yet Geebro and Sherman said, NO! He can't leave because he might disappear. Disappear??? He was traveling with the woman that THEY sent to us! We were just working under what we though were their efforts to save Matthew only to find out they would block his care! I was furious! But remained silent for fear of retaliation and because of other people here affected by Matthew's death who would later turn on me as well...another lesson of how pleasing God is the ONLY way to be motivated..people are fickle! The Ministry of Health along with this organization in the US would arrange for Matthew to have surgery in Liberia and would remove him from our custody. Within only three days of Matthew being placed in the care of this other organization at the demand of the Liberian Ministry of Health, Matthew was gone. He lost the battle with life. Lydia herself told us that the home was not fit for foster children and the conditions Matthew were in were not sanitary. Really? Then why did you order him to go there? Aren't you charged with caring for the children of Liberia? Isn't that the whole purpose of the MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE?!

Then most recently, Geebro has been accused of taking the government subsidy checks for 18 orphanages over the past 9 months. The Ministry of Health was supposed to close down these orphanages and relocate/reunify the children. But guess what? He didn't! The children are still in the care of these orphanages, the only difference? Geebro took their money! The man in charge of seeing to the well-being of Liberian children was pocketing the money given by the government to feed them. Did you see that in the Liberian papers? Of course not! Why? Because we are afraid? Afraid of what he will do since his office is in "control" of adoptions.

Well, I'm not afraid anymore! You know why? Because as I was reading my Bible this morning, I started counting the number of times I have "Geebro" written in my Bible. Why? Because as I read, God gave me promises over this man over the past2.5 years! You see, God doesn't take kindly at all to people messing with His orphans! In fact, God says it is better for a man to tie a heavy brick around his leg and jump in a lake than to cause one of his little ones harm! God also says in Proverbs 25 that the Redeemer is strong and will not plead the case of anyone who goes into the field of the fatherless. Now, these officials may not be afraid of me, and they may not think I have any power over them, but God sure does! They may get by with this for awhile, but God will have the final say....just as He did at the Resurrection! Praise God!

So here are a few places where Geebro is written in my Bible:

• Proverbs 22 ~ Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the Lord will plead their case and take the life of those who rob them. ~ In Jesus Name!


• Proverbs 11 ~ The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. ~ In Jesus Name!


• Proverbs 10 ~ He who walks in the integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. ~ In Jesus Name! ~ Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool...what the wicked fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. ~ In Jesus Name! ~ The way of the Lord is a stronghold (protection) to the upright, but ruin to the workers of iniquity ~ In Jesus Name!

And that is just in Proverbs! These are God's promises to me! This is what God has said to me when I have said, should we forget about adoption in Liberia? Should we cave to the demands of UNICEF and Save the Children as they make demands on these government officials if they want to keep their money! I have spoken to NUMEROUS senators, the Minister of Health the advisor to the President, even the Vice President of Liberia. They all know what this man is doing yet he holds his position! I pity these leaders when they get to judgement day as the blood of Matthew as well as the numerous other children who have been denied life because of the direct actions or their careless attitude toward the complaints brought to them about Geebro's office! God will have the final say regardless of what is done or not done on this earth!

The battle has been lonely lately! We have a group of adoption service providers. We are working together, a huge miracle in and of itself! But we are all weary as well. We feel like our efforts to help the children of Liberia are blocked at every angle and the ones with power in Liberia are really not concerned about the children. Like in any political game, they are not the "hot topic", so they get ignored. Adoptive parents are weary. Of course! Many have had their lives on hold for two years or more. That is eternity when you are waiting on a child! It wears you down and wears you out. There are really no words to describe it. When you are in that place, you want someone to blame. And I am the easiest person. I become the bad guy. That makes the battle even lonelier.

But then I read the quote again. Even when it is the people I am helping who want to turn against me, I still must fight on. Why? Because it is the children who need me...and ultimately, it is God I work for, not man! I have been silent because I felt maybe the crowd was right...maybe we needed to be silent and let the "system" work. Well, we are 15 months into a halt on adoptions that has seen the death of at least two children and who knows how many countless others that those of us funded by adoption fees could have helped but didn't because we have no money and our homes are full. Fifteen months into this, being quiet hasn't helped! As I was reading and praying about what to do, Proverbs 31:8-9 came to mind. I looked it up. "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy." These kids are the mute! They are the unfortunate, the afflicted and needy! It is not just the kids, it is their families! They put them in our care because the conditions of Liberia and the neglect of the government brought them to a place of desperation! Proverbs 31 doesn't say be silent and wait. It says open your mouth and defend! I don't know what all that means right now, but I know sitting and waiting is over! Even if I have to go alone, God will give me the sling shot and stones to defend the giant if no army will fight with me.

If you are reading this, would you pray these scriptures with me? It is in God's Word that heaven is moved and battles are won. My bubbly, always smiling children are now forlorn and downcast. They are losing hope! I refuse to stand by while that happens! Pray with me about the next step. Is it a media campaign to expose the officials in Liberia? We have not done that because we have wanted to "play fair" while those on the other side publish untrue accounts of adoption agencies and the mistreatment/trafficking of children while they take the food right out of their mouths and we remain silent. Pray that Madam President would somehow see this post and know the acts of those in her Cabinet toward the children of her country. Pray that those here in the US dancing with the enemy would read this and tell Geebro and his office so they too can read it and hear the Word of God. Pray for their hearts to be changed. Pilot was made for the day of evil, I often wonder if that is true of these people who have all experienced the wonderful American life, whose families are still here in America while they block the poor of Liberia from being adopted and coming to have that same freedom and privilege their families enjoy. Have they too been made for the day of evil that God can use them in the same way He used Pilot, or will God use what is about to come in their demise to turn their hearts to Him and bring them to their knees and ultimately back to relationship with Him.

Pray with me! Write your Senators here in the US! Why when we are going trillions in debt are we sending millions to Liberia for them to eat the food of the children? Write your local media! Put a link to this on your blogs....to steal a Buckner motto...DO SOMETHING! Please!

God, forgive us for remaining silent. Guide us in Your ways as we seek to move forward. Silent us when we should be silent give us stones when we need to slay the giant! ~In Jesus Name ~ Amen and Amen!

Prayers for Liberia ~ Part 2

"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

"His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." ~Psalm 30:5 Praise God!!!!

"Let the lying lips be mute which speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt." ~Psalm 31:18

"Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it." ~Psalm 37:34

"Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God." ~Psalm 40:17 This was actually the verse that I prayed over and over as we waited for Toben's visa to be released along with the 7 other children so we coudl bring him home! He did it then, and I believe He is about to do it now for the hundreds of children waiting to come home NOW!

"How blessed is He who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble." Psalm 41:1

Prayers for Liberia

Today I am starting my fasting and praying for Liberia that will last through Saturday. I would love for you to join me! The timing of this is not random. Tomorrow and Saturday will be the dates of an Adoption Symposium in Liberia. Here are some of the people in Liberia who are involved:

Sponsored by: The Foundation for Human Rights (FOHRD)
The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) and
The Child Protection Alliance of Liberia (CPAL)

Co-Sponsored by: The Liberia Council of Churches, National Muslim Council of Liberia, Liberia Democratic Institute – (LDI), Female Lawyers Association of Liberia – (AFLL)

In Association with: Adoption Services Providers; Child Advocacy International; National Union of Liberian Orphanages and Children Welfare Institute; Children Assistance Program; Mano River Women Network for Peace; Liberian Girls Guide Association; Boy Scouts of Liberia; Liberia National Student Union; Varsity Christian Fellowship; Christian Health Association of Liberia; Young Men’s Christian Association; Young Women’s Christian Association.

The symposium is a two day interactive round table discussion intended to discuss and dialogue on the Liberian Children’s Bill. Principally, the symposium will aim at ensuring that the evolving Children’s Law serves the best interest of the Liberian child. The event will bring together, legislators, policymakers, child rights advocates, Supreme Court Justices, religious leaders, parents and children services providers mainly for the purpose of: a) critically reviewing the draft children bill; b) providing advice to legislators on the rethinking and rewording of specific aspects of the bill that may not be in the best interest of the Liberian child; and c) adopting concrete action programs that will facilitate the scrupulous implementation of the bill when it is passed into law.

Speakers at the symposium will share insights and experiences as well as address the most pressing challenges facing the Liberian Child. Following the deliberations, participants will convene in group sessions and work out recommendations and suggestions to strengthen the children’s Bill and educate and advice legislators on the thinking of a broad spectrum of the Liberian society regarding the draft bill.

A huge thanks and God Bless goes out to WACSN for coordinating this event! The most exciting thing about this whole deal is that it is the Liberians doing it!!!! That has been my prayer forever! We needed the Liberians carrying the torch on that side with us carrying it on this side, united and working together! That has happened! I am so excited about that!

I have always been transparent on here, so no time to stop now! If you are like me, fasting is still a new spiritual practice! You may not totally understand it. I'm still learning also! It doesn't mean you have to refrain from all food for four days! You can really fast from anything...tv, spending, food, caffeine, sugar, etc. It is just a way to focus on God, a way to deny other cravings and replace them with a desire for God and a relationship with Him.

One of the reasons I haven't posted a lot about Liberia is that God clearly told me to step back. He told me to put my focus on licensing here in Texas and getting everything in order for when adoptions do open in Liberia as well as working toward domestic licensing to work on getting the 600+ kids in Texas legally eligible for adoption into permanent adoptive homes. So I have done that. I fully believe it is one more way God has humbled me. I worked and worked...nothing really happened. I believe there were foundations laid by all of us working in this battle. I believe we can all feel blessed by the par that we played, but God waited until I took a back seat before He really opened up the flood gates of movement! Just a reminder that while I must obey and fight when He says to, the battle belongs to HIM! I am so thankful for Angel Rutledge and her willingness to work with me along with Linda from WACSN and many others in Liberia! Those who decided to put aside differences and the "competition" that so often plagues this type of ministry to work toward a common goal!

Over the past week as the preparations for this symposium have gone on. God has taken me back to scriptures that I have marked in my Bible concerning Liberian and specifically Addy's Hope. Some are dated as far back as 2006. Scriptures that I believe he gave me as promises for the work we do over there and promises for the people of Liberia. Those who know me, know that I have come to love Liberia as much as I do my own country. My heart for the Liberians is ever growing as I learn more and more about their plight and their fears of the future!

So it is with that attitude and humble heart that I will be entering into this time of fasting and praying. I will share with you here the scriptures I will be praying for the people of Liberia and specifically the adoption symposium. If you have other prayers you feel God has laid on your heart, or specific scriptures, please feel free to post them in comments so others can see them and pray them as well! I fully believe this battle will be fought and won in prayer followed by earthly action! The battle for adoption goes way beyond the legalities of Liberia! Satan wants to see it shut down everywhere...it is one of the few things in this world that so clearly shows the love of God in a tangible way to the hurting world!

"For you will spread about to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities.' ~Is 54:3

"All your sons will be taught of the Lord; and the well-being of your sons will be great. In righteousness you will be established; you will be far from oppression, fr you will npt fear; and from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you, it ill not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you...no weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgement you will condemn. And their vindication is from Me, "declares the Lord." ~Is 54:13-15

Amen and Amen

Prejudice Mandated

In Esther by Beth Moore, she states, "The palace inflicted a prejudice on the population that most didn't originally - or perhaps ever - share. The enemies of the Jews in Esther were a small group in leadership."

And so it is in Liberia with adoption! God have your way with the officials of Liberia that are blocking what the public desires and deceiving many in high places of leadership in Liberia to inflict their prejudices on an entire nation!

Same song 6th verse!

On my way! Trip 6 to Liberia! I am sitting in Brussels airport watching my daughter sleep wondering what the next few days will bring about in her life as God uses the people of Liberia to impress on Callie a world so much different than her own!

Probably will not have internet acces in Liberia much if at all. So no updates this trip like normal. But we are in our new orphanage....so when I get back, I will share lots of pictures...I imagine Kami has already put up a bunch....click on the Orphanage Project button n the right to check and see! I have only seen a few, but what I have seen is amazing!!!!

Will send pics and updates when I can!

Blessings

Callie and I are headed to Liberia! We don't have the full amount....about $4,000 short, but John and I both believe I need to be there, so we booked the flight and are waiting and trusting God for the rest!

We didn't book until Wednesday, so that kind of sent me in a scurry thinking of leaving...with Callie...in a week! So on Friday we went to Goodwill to look for some skirts and cool shirts...especially for Callie since she mainly has knit and denim capris that would be really hot!

Well, we ran into an old friend from Garden City at Goodwill. We had a basket full of stuff as we ran across tons of kids chapter books in series (like Babysitters Club, Goosebumps, etc). I sale those on Ebay and make good money back, so we bought them to sale to help make money for the trip. We start talking to our friend Renee and end up in line behind her. When the lady tells her the total for her purchase, Renee tells her to keep ringing us up! I was floored! She paid for all of our purchase as well as giving us some cash for "airport snacks". It was such a blessing and encouragement on a day that had been filled with battles starting at 5:00 am with a phone call from Liberia! God gave me a shot of encouragement just when I needed it and it was such a promise that He will provide! It was amazing!

So thank you, Renee, for blessing our socks off! And thank you God for perfect timing that encourages and restores!

Fundraisers!

I am posting to ask for your help in raising funds for a mission trip to Liberia the end of this month. I am finally getting to go on a mission trip to Liberia! I am sure I will have to do some adoption work, but the main goal of the trip is to teach birthing classes in the villages with my friend who is a midwife. Well, she will be teaching and I will be assisting. Callie is going with me! She and I both are so excited about that. Addy's Hope will not be funding any of this trip as Addy's Hope can't even pay salaries right now! So the fund raising is up to me...the world's worst fund raiser! Tickets have increased since I last traveled. With Callie and I both traveling, we are needing to raise about $7,500. We raised enough at our garage sale to get Callie's visa and help with our guest house fees. We are about $7,000 short! But I am trusting God to provide...and asking for your help to spread the word about two fundraisers I am doing. I would be most grateful if you would let any inter-racial families know about the t-shirt and spread these fundraisers with a link on your blog if you would! I appreciate it greatly!

The first is the sale of the t-shirt I designed and shared on here a few weeks ago. It is for inter-racial families. I will order them after I get a few orders as they are cheaper the more I order...so the more money we raise! :) I share that to tell you it may be a couple of weeks or more before I get the shirt shipped to you! Adult sizes are $15.00 and children's sizes are $10.00. Here is the t-shirt (DO NOT CLICK THE BUY BUTTON - I'M ORDERING THEM LOCALLY):

Make custom t-shirts at CustomInk.com

E-mail me at hollyann@addyshope.com with your order, or you can leave a comment with your order.

The other fundraiser is a fun and unique raffle! We are selling raffle tickets for this beautiful wooden hand-carved nativity set from Liberia. We are selling 100 numbered tickets. The price of the ticket is the number on the ticket (i.e.: ticket #1 is $1, ticket #2 is $2...#50 is $50 etc). So you want to purchase your ticket fast to get the best deal on a ticket! You can e-mail me at hollyann@addyshope.com to find out which tickets are available. There are 11 pieces total (a sheep is hiding behind the donkey)! This is the #1 requested souvenir from Liberia!

Capitol Hill - check!

So my first miracle of the day on Friday was arriving at the right place BEFORE my meeting time! Those who know me know how directionally challenged I am! The fact that I navigated the subway system from VA to DC and then found the right building and office, well, let's just say, "Thank you, Jesus!!!"

I met with three Senator's offices and two reps offices. Some were seemingly more interested than others, but at any rate, we met, they have my documentation, they know my requests, and I will follow up. As I have told everyone, working with the government is much of the time like watching grass grow! But seeds were planted, and I am trusting God to water them!

I will blog more later as I study Acts and visited the Holocaust Museum, I have some heavy thoughts...need to process some more before I put them all out there!

Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill, here I come! I have meetings with three rep/senator's offices today with hopes of sneaking in two or three more with a visit to the Liberian Embassy. I'm thinking I will be working through lunch! ha!

As I have made the arrangements to meet these people over the last couple of days, the question that keeps coming up is, "what am I doing here?!" The only answer can be: GOD! I am just a little 'ol housewife from a far West Texas town. But somewhere along the way, God gave me a passion for the rights of the poor and hopeless of Liberia (Proverbs 29:7). He has called me to a be a voice to those with no voice...not just for the children, but for their parents and grandparents as well!

So today I go as not an ambassador for Liberia, but an Ambassador for Christ's Kingdom. Asking those with more power than myself to help out my brother's and sister's in Christ.

If you are just an ordinary person who God has put an extraordinary dream in your heart, GO FOR IT! Me being on capitol hill is proof that ALL things are possible with God!

They Need YOU!

Please go to our website and read about two desperate needs! One is for this little boy who needs medical treatment not available in Liberia. His name is Matthew!

He has taught me that I could adopt special needs kids when I am not traveling internationally! I love this little boy! He will die with out medical treatment! You can read more about his amazing story and how you can help here.

The other need is for these children! They live in Grand Kru. They are children without parents or a roof! The building you see is the one they live in, but it has no roof! All that is needed to complete the building is a chainsaw! Go here to read more about how you can help!

Please prayerfully consider these two needs. I have talked to countless ministries and all of us are struggling right now! Children are going hungry because people are not giving like they should! I don't want to get preachy here, but please consider giving of even just a little of the surplus God has given those of us here in America and trust God to take care of your tomorrow!

And if money is too tight to give even a dollar, then please pray that God would raise up those with money sitting in a bank to provide for His children! Thank you in advance for hearing this plea and answering the call!

New Perspective

The title of today's chapter in Dangerous Surrender was "An Unexpected Bond." It has given me a new perspective.

Kay Warren talks about going into a depression because of the brokenness and hopelessness she saw day in and day out as she traveled the world learning all she could about HIV/AIDS in order to be an effective advocate.

Funny, but I have found that most Christians who enter into some kind of sold out ministry for Christ eventually deal with deep depression. That has always baffled me a bit...really baffled me before I suffered from it, but even now that I have experienced it myself, it is a source of frustration and mystery how someone laying down her cross daily (well almost!) and walking in faith and obedience does not even come close to experience the abundant life Jesus promises for such devotion. Today's chapter has given me LOTS of food for thought!

Listen to this! "You now get to taste just a portion of the anguish God feels about our broken world. If you let it, this will bring you into a deeper communion with him as you begin to share in the sufferings of Christ. He suffers for our world. Now you have been allowed the privilege of joining in his pain and sorrow. You and Jesus will weep together." That sounds simple, right?! But when you see devastation time and again, when you look into the eyes of hopeless people time and again with no answers for them, when the efforts you make to try and change the world for these people are seemingly blocked from every angle, you begin to lose hope, you enter into despair, and if you are me, you blame God and get very angry at Him for not showing up! But this new perspective is that Jesus is suffering with me! Why has that thought not really occurred to me before? Well, partly because I am a self-centered, flesh filled human! And Kay talks about taking on the "I will save the world" mentality. We don't do it on purpose, but when you are confronted with that kind of despair over and over, you feel like, "I have to do something!" I have e-mails almost weekly, well they have tapered off now, from grown men in Liberia who call me "mother". Why? Because they see me as a provider, a care taker. After four years of having to tell them, I can't do anymore than I already am, and feeling horrible for not being able to change their reality, I get discouraged. I don't want to write them encouraging e-mails anymore...I just want them to leave me alone. That's Christ-like, huh?!

But this new perspective is that God is allowing me to see this so that I can enter into a whole new level of communion with Him! I can be broken over the world like He is. Then I can work with Him to impact their brokenness with the Truth of Him. This is going to take some time to ponder and soak in! If I'm rambling its because you guys are witnessing my thought process here...scary, huh?!! :)

She talks about how looking at it from this perspective means to love God passionately and deeply would automatically lead to my heart being broken, which in my flesh leads to "Take on the world by yourself!" She shares that with that attitude, I am "inadvertently cheating myself our of the consolation and comfort available to me through sharing in the fellowship of the sufferings of Jesus." Then a sentence I need to write on my mirror and the wall of my office: "I had to surrender my desire to save the world."

Wow! That is going to take some time to soak in! I think that sentence is going to be profound for me! I never started out thinking I will save the world! In fact, as I stated in the past posts, I have tried to guard against that. But with the more devastation I have seen, the more I felt a need to "do" something! When how God wanted me to respond was to sink deeper into Him and weep with Him while working to help whomever He allows!

Now for a passion of mine that she touched on! As I work in this ministry, the inability of Christians to work together mystifies me! I have attempted so many times to reach out to others to join our efforts. Some have been receptive, but many more have not. It is frustrating and often a source of anger for me that I have to work through. I can just see how much more effective we could be in showing Jesus to the world if we worked together. But I think Kay hit a nail on the head when she said this:

"In community our misguided attempts to save the world by ourselves are challenged. In community, our motivations are held up to loving scrutiny. In community, the weight of the world is carried by other committed Christ-followers. In community, we go into his presence together to share the celebration of his sacrifice of our sins. In community, dangerous surrender on the part of a group member is a cause for rejoicing, not a decision to ridicule and mock."

Oh if the Body could get that! What a difference it would make!

Lots to ponder.......

Calling all prayer warriors!

We need all of you prayer warriors to hit your knees for the people of Liberia! The battle is fierce! I have never experienced anything like this in my life to even compare it to except through my work in Liberia. In my time with God this morning, He impressed on me the dire need for prayer in order to defeat the powers of darkness that are seeking to keep these people captive....not just captive here in this world, but more importantly, captive for eternity! I know it is hard to imagine in this day and age that there are people who have never heard the gospel, but I have learned of a county in Liberia where that is so! God has sent two men our direction who are working there, diving connections that only God could bring about. I pray we have the opportunity to work there.

This is what God gave me this morning that I would ask that you pray with me for the people of Liberia!

"How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind...He supports the fatherless and the widow, but He thwarts the way of the wicked," Psalm 146 (emphasis mine)

Praise God! I have to say that after a couple of weeks of trying to pretend like I never heard of a little country called Liberia because I am just so weary of the battles, my spirit is soaring this morning! I am ready for the battle! But I need an army! I need prayer warriors! If you would pray for Addy's Hope, Kami and Jeremy who are there now on the front lines fighting the battle to get the new home and school up, Amos who is our country director and has to fight this battle every day on the front lines: a battle that really we can't even comprehend here in America, if you would pray for us, would you leave me a comment?...just so I can know in the bad times that there are people praying.

Headed to battle!

Save the Children...they need to change their name!

Read this!

SAVE THE CHILDREN FEDERATION, INC.
CODE OF ETHICS AND BUSINESS CONDUCT
Save the Children is committed to preserving a working environment that promotes integrity in its business practices. All representatives of Save the Children – employees, volunteers, interns, consultants, Board members and others – must conduct the Agency’s activities honestly, with integrity and good judgment, and in the best interest of the Agency and the children, families and communities we serve. Save the Children representatives must demonstrate conduct that upholds the Agency’s reputation, is respectful of the rights of others, and complies with all applicable laws, regulations and standards.
The following are specific requirements for Save the Children representatives in conformity with these precepts. The list is not exhaustive.
Compliance with Law, Regulations and Standards
Save the Children representatives must act in conformity with the laws and regulations of the United States and the countries in which the Agency works. They must abide by Save the Children’s own policies and procedures and act in conformity with professional standards common to representatives of other charitable organizations, non-profit corporations and non-governmental organization.

Save the Children's website has a link to their code of ethics and business conduct. I thought I would glance at it in light of some news I just received from Liberia. I couldn't make it past the first two headings of the 4 page document before the knot in my stomach just about made me puke! I can't speak for the organization anywhere but in Liberia. But what I see in Liberia meets NONE of these ethics or conduct!

My first encounter with Save the Children was in January when we went to get Toben and had four other families traveling with us. This is when a representative from UNICEF, Dr. Emmanuel Dolo, saw us eating out at a restaurant with our children and by the time we got to the Ministry of Health that morning, all the children's visas (well not technically all since in the professionalism that they always have, they had only gotten 4 of the 9 children's names correct!) had been put on hold illegally. When we FINALLY had clearance to leave after proving the adoptions had occurred legally and ALL papers were in order, we went t meet our plane. When we got home, we discovered that a newspaper article had been written which stated that representatives for Save the Children were headed to the airport to stop the "illegal" removal of these children! Really?! With as much attention as had already been drawn to our children, there is NO way that we would have gotten out of the airport with out having every "i" dotted and every "t" crossed! Did Save the Children look at any of our paperwork? NO!!!!! Did Save the Children call and talk to me, the Executive Director of both a non-profit here in the US and an NGO in Liberia? NO!

Read that first part again: they must work in the best interest of the children, communities and families they serve???? Who were they serving then? It sure wasn't the nine children about to board a plane to loving homes with plenty of food, clothing, love and the promise of a future and opportunities NEVER afforded to them in Liberia. It sure wasn't the families who had danced out the doors when they relinquished the children because they knew the children would never g hungry again and they could be free from worry about where they would get the next meal for their child! You see, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has NO MEANS TO PROVIDE FOR THESE FAMILIES!!! I know of two babies less than two months old that have been turned away from Deputy Minister Geebro's office without food! This is the Deputy Minister in charge of the welfare of the people of Liberia! Now I am not rocket scientist, but I would think that providing food is just the minimum required to protect the welfare of Liberia...especially to the most helpless...the children! But Save the Children would rather support the ILLEGAL work of this man than the humanitarian work of many NGO's in Liberia! Why, you ask? I don't know! You would have to ask them! In fact, feel free to do so! We tried, and never got a response! Here is the e-mail contact on their website:twebster@savechildren.org.

Please pray for these children. They did this at another orphanage before the first of the year. I don't know for sure how many they took, but 13 of the ones they took ended up in the hospital and one DIED! Tell me how that was protecting that child? MoH ended up returning the children to the home because they could not take care of them! Are you kidding me? IF conditions were so bad they had to be removed, why would they return them?

One of the Liberian legislatures that we have spoken with many times says that Save the Children and UNICEF are so against the work we do because with out the orphans, they don't have a pay check! If people like us work ourselves out of job, they are out of a job also....so they work to stop us. I hated to think there was truth in that, but the more I work in Liberia, the more it looks like he is right!

Pray for these children! Pray God protects them from these groups and the Liberian government! Pray that God's wrath and justice for His children reigns down on Liberia! People are suffering! People are dying! People are in need!