When the devil comes in like a flood ...

Wow, these past few day have been like a flood ... High and low events like you wouldn't believe ....

But our God is faithful ... When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19)

I am like a lamb ... we are the sheep of His pasture ... I KNOW the voice of the Shepherd, My Father.  His voice does not bring fear, chaos or stir up anger.  That is the voice of the enemy.  In the midst of the storm, His voice brings peace.

The morning after receiving awesome confirmation from the Lord that we were on the right path, we were instantly in the middle of a storm.  It left us angry, confused, disillusioned, feeling betrayed.  But not towards the Lord.

We cried out to the Lord to speak to us, to let us know we heard Him correctly, to speak to us in the midst of the storm.....

And that He did! 

As I was walking out of my bedroom, I noticed a piece of folded notebook paper sticking up out of a slightly opened dresser drawer.  An unusual sight, since I don't even use that dresser, except for storage.  Ordinarily, I would have just shoved it back in and shut the drawer, but somehow it intrigued me.  I picked it and opened it.  This was a letter that had gone missing shortly after receiving it 5 years ago.  The letter was dated 8/11/05.  It was from a good friend in Oregon, who had sent us a check for $100, when we were attempting to raise funds five years ago to adopt 2 little boys from Guatemala.  We raised a total of $170.  A clear indication that the doors were shut.  We never cashed the check, and soon the envelope and it's contents went missing.  I was so sad about it, I never even thanked her.

So as we were crying out to the Lord to give us direction, to calm the storm, to bring clarity and peace, we read the letter.

"May the Lord MULTIPLY what He sends you in all love offerings, especially in what I am sending today.  May He open the heavens and richly bless you and yours with His Love .... Regena.  The letter and check were dated 8/11/05.  Five years TO THE DAY of the re-adoption of our 3 new Ethiopian children.

For us, this was a huge confirmation that the Lord heard our prayers and that we are on the right path ... the path that He has set before us today.  We were both instantly flooded with the peace that comes from the Lord. 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Thank you Jesus.

My God Shall Supply ALL of Your Needs ....

My husband spent a day in Prayer and Fasting a while back.  When he was done, I asked him if the Lord had told him anything.  He said we need to get a van.  To be honest, I thought he was a little off.  (This was before I heard the Lord asking us to open up our hearts and home to adopt more kids from Ethiopia.)

We had a Suburban, in fact we have two.  Although the older one is for sale.  But recently when we decided to adopt we realized, we need a van.  We have enough room for the eight people in our family to rise together but not one or two more.

Well this local Catholic Non-Profit organization was selling their used van. Our Pastor's wife, Julie told us about it parked out on a main street in Butte, where we go to church.  So we called about it.  Turns out they just had a new van donated to them.  We test drove it and we liked it.  Then I told the very nice man, Leroy, that I was praying that the Lord would have them donate it to us.  He smiled.  Told me to write a letter to the Board of Directors.

So I put this prayer request out on Facebook, asking my friends to pray that they would donate the van to us. 

First they dropped the price down $500. We said thanks. Then we applied for a loan we really could not afford.  We got approved.  Then we asked them would they consider coming down a little more on the price.  He said they would be having a board meeting Tuesday (today) and he would bring it up at the meeting.

Well Leroy called me tonight and said, "How are you Bonnie?  Have you been praying?  The van is yours. You can pick it up as soon as you'd like to."

THEY DONATED THE VAN TO US!!!!   Isn't the Lord AMAZING????
 
 

Tickle Me!

Ever since Zakeya (4 yrs old) came home to live with us, she has not been ticklish.  Instead she gets this distant look on her face and hardens herself, will not smile, will not laugh.

We've been praying for her to let down her walls, and for the Lord to immerse her in His love.

She made a decision to be baptized yesterday and today ... SHE IS TICKLISH!!!!

Are you sure, you don't want ... just one more?

This blog entry has been removed.  This makes me very sad .....

I posted it so that other mom's across the nation would have SOMEONE they could relate to.  And instead, I have been judged by it ....

As adoptive parents, we have all these books recommended to us on the kids, how to help them adjust, how to help them attach, how to help them connect, but there is no one out there who is honest enough to say what the adults might be going through and that it's OK.  I had done just that ... on purpose... to try to help someone else... and now I am being judged by it.

People don't really want you to be honest.  Then if you are, they label you and put you in a box.

I feel my trust has been violated.   Makes me not want to share here anymore.

My life has always been this:  to comfort others with the same comfort I myself have received.  That comfort has not come from "the professionals", that comfort has come directly from God Almighty.  And I willingly expose myself so that others might find the same comfort and healing I have found.  That is who I am and why I was made.  I will continue to do this for the rest of my life.  But maybe not here and not today.

Can I forgive?  Yes I can.  But, my trust has been violated.

The New Normal

Well here I am.  We survived.  The first month was incredibly hard ... kind of like having 3 new babies that don't stay in the crib.  I was very sick for the first 2 weeks, which made it harder.

I have been WAY TOO busy to sit at the computer.  They keep me busy all the time!  With spring here, there is much I want to do ... start our vegetable garden, clean out the weeds and plant flowers, build my white picket fence, make soap and get ready for the Farmer's Market, finish taxes (oy vey) .. but I can hardly see the floor in my "used to be cleaner and semi-organized" house.  Every day it looks like a tornado came thru!  Mess everywhere!  Why do kids throw everything on the floor?!!

Someday I just leave it all behind and go outside and prepare the garden.  I built some raised beds, started tilling around the soon to be white picket fence for herbs and flowers.  But I just can't seem to get on top of anything!  When will things become normal again?!!

Actually it took about a month and now we call it the "New Normal".  I love my new kids, but being honest I spent some time the first week, greiving over the loss of the old normal, things will never be the same ...  we are now a bilingual, multi-racial, blended family ... and it is all good.   Somedays are hard, some good.  Everyday is FULL.  No chance of boredom here!

The kids are learning English and I am learning Orominya.  We are communicating very good with what we have to work with.  Lately, they are beginning to share some history and included in there are many heartaches.  I'm so glad we know the Healer of hearts.  They are Christians!  So very cool!  They sing Christian songs in their language, remind us to zalote (pray) when we forget, before eating.  They learned "Jesus Loves Me" very quickly. 

They have very tender hearts, but also a very stubborn streak, in each one.  Like normal kids!  Remember when your mom used to say, "Eat your food, the starving children in Africa would be happy to eat ANYTHING!"  It's NOT true.  They are as picky as any kid.

We have a huge paradigm shift going on here.  They LOVE to work (hoji).  If you are doing something and don't give them a job, they are hurt.  "Me no hoji?", with a very sad face and tears.  Out in the garden, Dibora does a mean hoe.  She told me she and Zakeya both worked in Kamashi in the garden.  They were probably only 2 & 3 years old.  Such a huge difference with our kids in America. 

This has been an incredible ride, a white knuckler at times, but I wouldn't give it up for ANYTHING!  God is good, all the time. 

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hands have provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

I'll be back, the next time I come up for air!

Jet Lag

Oh My Gosh ... Will I ever function again?  I can't believe this jet lag!  I am overwhelmed and exhausted and there is so much to tell, but where to start.  The kids are great, beautiful and ours.... that's all I can say today.  More later when I recover....

Time to Travel !

Well, at long last we have recieved our approval to travel to pick up ALL THREE of our children! 

We will be traveling to Addis Ababa through Dubai.  Our whole family needs your prayers for protection.  Already this week, days before we are leaving, our oldest daughter Bethanie, broke her arm.
 :( 

We are SO EXCITED!  We will post pictures and more info when we get back and we are able to catch our breath!

Thanks again for all of your support!

Zoo with Sue

Some of the older kids got to have an outing with the director, Sue while she was in Addis Ababa.  What a treat!  Here is our Gezaw and Dibora!  I LOVE her hair!

The girls meet their new brother!

Girls, this is Gezaw.  Here is your new brother.  Why don't you come over here and give him a hug? 

What ... and get Boy Cooties?

Zakeya's face is priceless!

We Have a New Son!

This is Joshua Gezaw Matthew. 

Joshua means "YAHWEH is Salvation."

Gezaw is Amharic and means "Take Authority over him."

Matthew means "Gift of YAHWEH."