OVERNIGHT!!!

LOOK AT THE CHIP-IN!!  Go ahead....I'll wait...;).  Did you SEE what God did OVERNIGHT through people we've NEVER even met?!?!  We stand utterly amazed at the blessings you have lavishly poured out on us!!  THANK YOU just doesn't seem like enough, but THANK YOU anyway:)!  We LOVE and appreciate you all, and pray God gives it back to you 1000 fold!!  JUST WOW!! 

Adoption can be a very "lonely" undertaking as a family....not many understand.  But you all "get it"!!  Your prayers and support are what hold us together and BUILD our faith in the Lord even stronger!  Our CHILDREN'S faith has grown because of you!  They SEE God at work through you!  They SEE the answers to our prayers!  They SEE the miracles!  THANK YOU for loving our family in this way!!  We are SO humbled and blessed by you!!

Phew!  Now what...Oh, I KNOW....COME ON COURT DATE!!:) 

And here's a song to share our feelings on this VERY GOOD MORNING!;)

Are You Tired of Hearing About Money Yet;p!?

I know you're probably tired of me talking about money...BUT...I kinda feel like I owe it to those who've donated to let them know where their donations are going exactly.:)  So, bear with me folks!

Here is what we've paid out/put aside so far for Trip 1 to Ethiopia:  THESE ARE COVERED!:)

1.)  Final Processing Fee to West Sands-$1200

2.)  Guest House/Meals(to West Sands)- $480-this is approximate since we don't know exactly how long we'll stay.

3.)  Transportation Fee (In-Country)-$350 approximately

4.)  Immunizations(poor Hubby;))- $435


That will leave plane tickets($3800approx.-INSANELY expensive right now!!), and the $230 Visa fee(for Baby B, due on first trip)

We're still thinking we need to raise about $2500+ to cover the above "leftovers".  *SIGH*

Still waiting on a court date.  I don't wait so well;)!  It DOES help to check those costs off the list thought!!:)

This is tough stuff ya'll!   Just trying to remember that "God doesn't always call the equipped, but He DOES ALWAYS equip the called"-financially and otherwise!  PRAISE GOD!

Keep praying friends!

Oh, and I can't believe I didn't post a little taste of our SCRUMPTIOUS baby girl!!  So here ya go:)!

PAYPAL

Was just having a discussion with another adoptive family about Paypal, and decided to give you another option for donating, so we don't "lose" some of your donation to Paypal fees!:)

If you have a Paypal account, you can click on "send money" and choose the "personal" option at the bottom of the page, then choose "gift".  That way you're not charged a fee, and we receive ALL the donation you send.:)

Our Paypal address is richardfamily@embarqmail.com if you would like to choose this method of donating.

I'll keep the Paypal address in the sidebar as well, for future reference.

AGAIN...THANK YOU to all who are supporting our family through prayer, sharing the need, and donating!  We are blessed by YOU!:)

The "Lull"

Well, it's Friday and we're in a bit of a "lull"...we've packed a little this week, Ben got his travel immunizations, we had our "travel webinar" with West Sands to go over travel do's and don'ts, etc....and now we wait. 

We're still selling some of the yard sale items via Craigslist, so that's AWESOME!:)  And we've had two more generous donations this week, so our little ticker over there is moving on up!  YIPPPEEE!

On the downside, we learned that there is a $50 per day transportation fee while we're there, so that will be an added expense..

Also, we still need to find a home for two of our boys while we're gone.  Everyone is busy this time of year, etc..and we're just having a hard time.  So, would appreciate your prayers in that matter...although it might help GREATLY if we had an actual TRAVEL DATE so we can tell people when we would need help;)!  Um..hoping that's TODAY, by the way:)!

We also talked with an Abba Fund rep. and she agreed to go over our app. asap, since we are expecting travel soon...but we haven't heard back...not sure if that's good :\.

So, that's where we are today....waiting....trusting...HOPING for good news today!

PLEASE keep praying for us!!  God IS faithful!:)

Renae

Laying It ALL Out

WOW!  It's been an exhausting couple of days!  Exciting, but exhausting!:)  Our yard sale brought in about $700!  YAY!  Praise God...because over 1/2 of that came in as we were CLEANING UP the yard sale!LOL!

I would be lying if I said the fears haven't started to sink in...the what if's...the we can't's....the impossibilities...

But, we are going to just keep walking out our faith.  We're going to do a little packing in the next couple of days(because we know it's going to happen quickly), and we're going to purchase all of our "extra" stuff...you know, like duct tape, and 100% Deet;).

We're just going to TRUST.  It's all we can do.  That and PRAY of course:)!

It's helps me to lay it all out, and see EXACTLY what money is going where, so bear with me. Also, if you would like to give to SPECIFIC areas, this will be right up your alley;)!

Immunizations: $435

Plane Tickets: $3200-$3700-2 people, round trip

Last Program Fee: $1200

Visa:  $200

Hotel(1 week):  $350

Food(1 week):  $150

Total: $5535-$6035

TOTAL RAISED SO FAR:  $3506

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US!!  WE ARE SO BLESSED BY YOU!!


Now we have only $2029-$2509 to go!  COOL!






If you would like to help in ANY way, whether it's through posting on your own blogs, FB, giving directly, or PRAYING, PLEASE do so!

You can also choose to shop at one of the online stores on the right/left sidebar, use the chip-in, or send gifts directly to our agency(click the button in top right corner), which will be anonymous.

But PLEASE don't stop praying!  LOVE YOU ALL!

EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK! IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!

We got the call TODAY!!!! We have a beautiful new BABY GIRL!!!!!!! She is approximately 3 months old and precious! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK! We're SO excited and a ridiculous mess since we will most likely travel in about 2 or 3 weeks and we are still short about $4000!!!!!!! Today is our yard sale as well(how appropriate;)), and we have sold only about $2 worth of stuff!LOL!! BUT, we have a BIG GOD who knows us and WILL provide!! Please pray with us for His provision to come quickly. We have a grant app. out there with One Less Ministries, and a no-interest loan app. with Abba Fund pending, so just pray that if it is His will, that we would have success through those two opportunities as well. SO, SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!:)

Lifesong-Blogging For Orphans

"The blessings go way beyond any financial support because the family is just knowing that the church cares."

-­‐-­‐ Dave Blaske, His Kids-­‐Our Homes Adoption Fund Director

Listen in as His Kids-­‐Our Homes Adoption Fund share about their partnership with Lifesong for Orphans...

It has been exciting for us as a ministry to have a front-­‐row view in what God is doing through our 210 active and intentional Church Fund Partners.  In the past six months alone, we have seen the generosity of these churches provide over $627,650 to 193 adoptive families in the form of grants and loans.

The refreshing joy of serving families, blessing orphans, and ultimately glorifying God is at the core of each church fund that we partner with.  We celebrate the work that God is doing through each of them as He places the lonely into families (Psalm 68:6). 

For more stories about how a church fund can bless adoptive families, we invite you to watch the Quine & Stewart family adoption videos.

To learn more about Lifesong Church Funds, please visit our website or contact Rich Metcalfe (309.747.4528, rich@lifesongfororphans.org)

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." Hebrews 10:24  

Half-Way There!

We're SO excited!!!!!  God has blessed us through some very generous donors and we are half-way to our goal for TRIP 1!!!!  YIPPPEEEE!  SO very thankful!:)

This weekend, we are having a yard sale to benefit our adoption as well, so PLEASE PRAY that we sell EVERYTHING!!  Hoping to bring in over $1000 with this sale!!:)

On another note...we would love to get a referral THIS WEEK(I mean who wouldn't, right?;))...because this is probably the last week that we could get a referral and still MAYBE get in to court before it closes down for the rainy season(until October).  In addition, my friend who would watch half our "zoo" while we're gone, goes back to work the third week of August, and I really don't want to spread my kids out all over the place if I don't have to.  Uggggh:(! 

Also, school starts for us at the end of August as well, so it would be one less headache if we could get through court BEFORE I start homeschooling again...especially because Ava will be in a traditional Kindergarten setting(so someone would have to get her there and back) and Caleb will be attending preschool in the afternoons....Uggggh:(!

All that said, we KNOW God's got this, and whenever we get a referral, He'll take care of the details.  I just like to have my ducks in a row...and for it NOT to be "messy" I guess;)! 

Keep praying friends, we're almost there!:)

Renae

Today....

Today, I am filled with fear and uncertainty:(.  As we sat and went over all the things we have yet to pay for in our adoption, it just kept adding up and adding up and adding up...things we didn't expect to cost so much...like IMMUNIZATIONS(almost $800 for both of us), and plane tickets(HOLY MOLY!!)..and we realize we are MUCH further behind than expected.  NOT, where you want to be when you're expecting that call any day.  $13,000 short.:(

So...I worry... 

It was easy in the beginning. We had enough money to start with, and we could see where the rest could come from down the road...then my hubby lost a little income...and Sarah ended up in the hospital last summer...and Caleb got hit by a tractor this summer...and I had heart issues that needed to checked out.. And last Friday a storm came through our town and knocked out our power for 4 DAYS, and ripped sections of our roofing off(praying insurance covers most of this, but....) All unexpected things that had to come from savings...our adoption savings...  But still we trusted that He who called is FAITHFUL...

But, still I worry....

HOW is this going to work out?  WHEN? 

So, we keep working and doing our part and TRUSTING that although, RARELY does international adoption run smoothly....in ANY aspect of it... we are doing what God has called us to do..

And I take comfort that what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34 is JUST as true for us today, as it was for His followers in "New Testament" times.

Matthew 6

25."Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about you body, what you will wear.  Is not life more imprtant than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes?  see how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in a ll his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will given to you as well. 34 Therefore not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of it's own."

God has this...we know that...

Will you continue to pray that in these last few steps of the process, we will just be BLOWN AWAY by HIS FAITHFULNESS?!?!?!  We want HIM to get the glory for the provision and NOT us...this is NOT about us...IS NOT!

Rambling over:).

Love you friends!:)

Village of Hope Guatemala-Giveaway!!

Check out TWO of my favorite families, and support special needs orphans at Village of Hope in Guatemala!  They are following hard after God's own heart and NEED us to share, share, share the need with the body of Christ!  PLUS, you can win cool stuff!:)  NO.BRAINER.

Who can resist this face anyway;)!

http://buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com/2012/07/it-takes-village-to-raise-child-african.html