We got an email today that our 2 girls have left their orphanage 14 hours away in Kamashi and are on their way to the Transition House in Addis Ababa. This is great news! So now all three of our kids will be there together!
Praise God!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Gifts on December 24th ... Christmas Eve
We've been waiting for this form called an I-171H from Homeland Security. This is our approval to adopt our 3 kids in Ethiopia. So I called their office in Helena, Montana and left a message, wondering when we might receive it. The Lord knows you can't talk to a person! They called back and said they had already sent it to us! That letter of approval we got, WAS the I-171H. It was just behind the typed letter. So we've had it since Dec 24th!
December 24th, 2002, I stood in my front yard with my little family and buried a little box under the fir trees. We had lost our last baby after 3 months of pregnancy. It was buried on Christmas Eve. As we stood there singing Amazing Grace... it started snowing. I love the snow. The Lord knows I love the snow. It was a gift. It reminded me of the song...
Mercy is falling, is falling, is falling.
Mercy it falls like a sweet spring rain.
Mercy is falling, is falling all over me...
And now 7 years later we recieved 3 gifts on Christmas Eve.
Our court date
Our I-171H
The CD of Gadeza, our Ethiopian son
God is so good.
December 24th, 2002, I stood in my front yard with my little family and buried a little box under the fir trees. We had lost our last baby after 3 months of pregnancy. It was buried on Christmas Eve. As we stood there singing Amazing Grace... it started snowing. I love the snow. The Lord knows I love the snow. It was a gift. It reminded me of the song...
Mercy is falling, is falling, is falling.
Mercy it falls like a sweet spring rain.
Mercy is falling, is falling all over me...
And now 7 years later we recieved 3 gifts on Christmas Eve.
Our court date
Our I-171H
The CD of Gadeza, our Ethiopian son
God is so good.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Faith Like Potatoes
I sought the Lord and He heard me,
and delivered my from all my fears.
O taste and see that they Lord is good
and blessed is the man who trusts Him.
I've been "on my face" as it were, for the past few days. Really crying out to God regarding our adoption. Was this really you God? Or have I done all this in my own strength? Now that we've gotten this far, will you send the money that we need to complete this adoption? Or will you leave us hanging here? I'm not good at waiting. I'm good at getting the job done. Are you there? Are you listening? Why are you silent? I need to hear from You! It has felt like God has withdrawn Himself, to see what was in my heart.
We watched a great movie last night. "Faith Like Potatoes" A story about a South African farmer. Who had a dramatic conversion to Jesus. Based on a true story. He was used by God because of his faith in God's power and God did incredible miracles. And after hearing from God he planted potatos in the dry drought land of Africa. Then prayed for a harvest. Everyone thought he was crazy. But He believed God and did not doubt.
He explained it that faith is like potatoes that grow under the ground where it is hidden. You can't see what God is doing sometimes, until the time is right and it's ready to harvest.
Today, Christmas Eve, we received not one but THREE really cool things.
1) We have a court date in Ethiopia. January 21st.
When we pass our kids will be legally ours!
2) We got an approval letter from Homeland Security for our I-600A
3) We got a CD of our son, Gadeza in Ethiopia,
looking at our photo album. He looked a little scared
and kept shaking his head, Yes then No. Please, pray for him...
But the Lord is faithful. He hears the cries of our hearts. He is doing things even when we can not see. So .... I will, with all of my will, TRUST my Lord to deliver these children all the way home to us and bring us all the finances we need.
and delivered my from all my fears.
O taste and see that they Lord is good
and blessed is the man who trusts Him.
I've been "on my face" as it were, for the past few days. Really crying out to God regarding our adoption. Was this really you God? Or have I done all this in my own strength? Now that we've gotten this far, will you send the money that we need to complete this adoption? Or will you leave us hanging here? I'm not good at waiting. I'm good at getting the job done. Are you there? Are you listening? Why are you silent? I need to hear from You! It has felt like God has withdrawn Himself, to see what was in my heart.
We watched a great movie last night. "Faith Like Potatoes" A story about a South African farmer. Who had a dramatic conversion to Jesus. Based on a true story. He was used by God because of his faith in God's power and God did incredible miracles. And after hearing from God he planted potatos in the dry drought land of Africa. Then prayed for a harvest. Everyone thought he was crazy. But He believed God and did not doubt.
He explained it that faith is like potatoes that grow under the ground where it is hidden. You can't see what God is doing sometimes, until the time is right and it's ready to harvest.
Today, Christmas Eve, we received not one but THREE really cool things.
1) We have a court date in Ethiopia. January 21st.
When we pass our kids will be legally ours!
2) We got an approval letter from Homeland Security for our I-600A
3) We got a CD of our son, Gadeza in Ethiopia,
looking at our photo album. He looked a little scared
and kept shaking his head, Yes then No. Please, pray for him...
But the Lord is faithful. He hears the cries of our hearts. He is doing things even when we can not see. So .... I will, with all of my will, TRUST my Lord to deliver these children all the way home to us and bring us all the finances we need.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Submitted to Court!
I don't know how she does it, but our director Sue is awesome. I just barely got my dossier off Express Mail, when I got an email from Ethiopia saying our cases have been submitted to the courts in Ethiopa and we should have a court date soon! Probably by the end of January!
This is incredible! Very exciting! Very scarey too, because we still do not have our funds ready to complete the adoption yet. This is definately a Faith journey. There is nothing I can do to make this happen. It is totally in the Father's hands. A hard place to be when you are used to getting things done.
Wait on the Lord ... and He will stregthen your heart.
This is incredible! Very exciting! Very scarey too, because we still do not have our funds ready to complete the adoption yet. This is definately a Faith journey. There is nothing I can do to make this happen. It is totally in the Father's hands. A hard place to be when you are used to getting things done.
Wait on the Lord ... and He will stregthen your heart.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Updated Adoption Status
Steps we have completed:
$ Home Study - Tons of paperwork
Choose Children to be Adopted - We chose 3!
$ Get Fingerprints Taken
First Home Study put on on Hold
$ Second Home Study - new agency - Redo Paperwork
Get an Approved Home Study - Praise the Lord!
$ Apply for Adoption Grants
$ Get State Seals from Sec of State
Copy of Dossier hand carried to Ethiopia by our Director!
Steps to be completed:
$ Submit Dossier to be Authenticated in Washington DC
$ Original Dossier Sent to Ethiopia
$ Receive Grant money
$ First half of In-Country Fees - This is a HUGE Mountain!
$ Second half In-Country Fees - Same
$ Receive an I-171H Approval from Homeland Security
Receive a Court Date
Pass Court - Kids legally ours thru Power of Attorney!
$ Submit I-600 to Adopt 3 kids
$ Submit DS-230 App. for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration
$ Submit I-864 Immigration Affidavit of Support
Receive an Embassy Date
$ Make Travel Arrangements - another financial mountain
Travel to Ethiopia
$ Food and Lodging
PICK UP OUR KIDS!
Show up for Embassy Appointment
$ Pick up Visas for kids
Travel Home at last!
$ Home Study - Tons of paperwork
$ Choose an Adoption Agency - More paperwork
Education Requirements - Reading and paperwork Choose Children to be Adopted - We chose 3!
$ Gather Documents for Dossier - Mountain of paperwork
$ Passports for Everyone
$ Submit I-600A - Apply for Homeland Security Approval$ Get Fingerprints Taken
First Home Study put on on Hold
$ Second Home Study - new agency - Redo Paperwork
Get an Approved Home Study - Praise the Lord!
$ Apply for Adoption Grants
$ Get State Seals from Sec of State
Copy of Dossier hand carried to Ethiopia by our Director!
Steps to be completed:
$ Submit Dossier to be Authenticated in Washington DC
$ Original Dossier Sent to Ethiopia
$ Receive Grant money
$ First half of In-Country Fees - This is a HUGE Mountain!
$ Second half In-Country Fees - Same
$ Receive an I-171H Approval from Homeland Security
Receive a Court Date
Pass Court - Kids legally ours thru Power of Attorney!
$ Submit I-600 to Adopt 3 kids
$ Submit DS-230 App. for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration
$ Submit I-864 Immigration Affidavit of Support
Receive an Embassy Date
$ Make Travel Arrangements - another financial mountain
Travel to Ethiopia
$ Food and Lodging
PICK UP OUR KIDS!
Show up for Embassy Appointment
$ Pick up Visas for kids
Travel Home at last!
God is Faithful. He hears our Prayers.
I had been working really hard the past few weeks getting ready for the big annual "Chirstmas Stroll" event here in Whitehall, MT. Always a big $ maker each year for my little business, www.wildprairiefarms.net. But this year, with the economy the way it is, it has been slow all year. But in faith (and absurd boldness) I prayed that we would make $1000 by the end of the day, (more than we ever had). We need it for our Adoption Fundraiser to bring our 3 little kids home from Ethiopia.
This week with a huge list of things to finish up, on top of everything else, 2 of my kids had birthdays. Ben turned 10, and Anna, the next day, turned 8. Two separate days of birthday parties, 2 cakes, 2 sets of kids, in the midst of everything else.
Thursday, I made 20 Pies, the kids and I made 6 batches of Cookies, and Charlie made 2 batches of Fudge. We made 4 gallons of Hot Chocolate. And 13 loaves of bread. So come yesterday, my birthday, I spent it working my tail off at a craft fair, sitting in the far back, dark corner of the room, (I called it the Tundra), praying for customers.
By 1:00 I was ready to cry, it was so slow. I called our Pastor and told him our dilema, and he began praying and also agreed that we could bring the rest of our baked goods to the church to sell as part of our fundraiser between services. By the end of the day, we had made about $500. Pretty good for a small town of 1400 people in a bad economy. I was grateful.
We packed up and on our way home stopped and had a great charbroiled dinner at the Two Bit Saloon, :) (I love Montana), then we went home. We unpacked my stuff in the now frigid wind, then built a fire and sat down to open presents and cards and have cheesecake, my favorite.
There in a card, was a check for $500. My legs about folded underneath me and I started to cry. God knows our needs. He knows the timing of everything. He works all things together for good for those who love Him. He answered our prayers. $1000 by the end of the day.
Plus, as an added bonus, today at church we made another $228 from the remaining cookies, fudge and pies. God is able to do exceedingly more, above and beyond what we can imagine or think.
This week with a huge list of things to finish up, on top of everything else, 2 of my kids had birthdays. Ben turned 10, and Anna, the next day, turned 8. Two separate days of birthday parties, 2 cakes, 2 sets of kids, in the midst of everything else.
Thursday, I made 20 Pies, the kids and I made 6 batches of Cookies, and Charlie made 2 batches of Fudge. We made 4 gallons of Hot Chocolate. And 13 loaves of bread. So come yesterday, my birthday, I spent it working my tail off at a craft fair, sitting in the far back, dark corner of the room, (I called it the Tundra), praying for customers.
By 1:00 I was ready to cry, it was so slow. I called our Pastor and told him our dilema, and he began praying and also agreed that we could bring the rest of our baked goods to the church to sell as part of our fundraiser between services. By the end of the day, we had made about $500. Pretty good for a small town of 1400 people in a bad economy. I was grateful.
We packed up and on our way home stopped and had a great charbroiled dinner at the Two Bit Saloon, :) (I love Montana), then we went home. We unpacked my stuff in the now frigid wind, then built a fire and sat down to open presents and cards and have cheesecake, my favorite.
There in a card, was a check for $500. My legs about folded underneath me and I started to cry. God knows our needs. He knows the timing of everything. He works all things together for good for those who love Him. He answered our prayers. $1000 by the end of the day.
Plus, as an added bonus, today at church we made another $228 from the remaining cookies, fudge and pies. God is able to do exceedingly more, above and beyond what we can imagine or think.
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