Updates, updates and more updates!!

Our online fundraiser is coming to an end and we're thrilled that we get to complete our homestudy! Just one step closer to getting our little boy. A big THANK YOU to Clare Holmes for hosting the online fundraiser. God really knows how to orchestrate His body of believers to bring His will into fruition. Please go and order yours or someone elses little one a custom shirt. If you can't do that, check out all the prizes that are being raffled off. There's everything from delicious munchies to jewelry to professional photography sessions. Here's the link to read about the fundraiser details.

www.cherrylimeadecreations.blogspot.com

Also, to place an order, become a fan of "Cherry Limeade" on facebook and message her to let her know what you want to order or how many raffle tickets you want to purchase.

A little background on how this fundraiser started--Clare is an old family friend from forever ago, and we had reconnected through facebook. She had messaged me and told me about her business, Cherry Limeade, and she had been praying for an opportunity to use her business for His glory. That's when she came across my blog and that's how this fundraiser came about. Clare, you rock!!!!!!!!!!

I think I've realized just how big and powerful God's presence is. He's moving in our lives in such a big way and we feel such great joy! This weekend I got to be a part of the Together For Adoption Conference in Austin, and got to meet and connect with a lot of great people. WOW, what an encouragement the conference was for us! It really provided healing with the lawsuit and just allowed me to focus on what I feel, running through my veins. If you've ever been pregnant/or have wanted to be pregnant, you understand that overpowering feeling of having a hole in your heart that only a child will fill! Guess what, adopting a child feels the same way! So, we decided to finally finish up our preliminary paperwork and FINALLY MOVE FORWARD amidst this crazy lawsuit! I love the way He loves us!

So, here's what we need right now-- A LOT of prayer!!!!!

Please pray for our finances. it's still unknown how much money we will have to settle on with the lawsuit and we're praying that He will provide the funds we cannot provide. We are completely trusting God that He will guide us in the right path financially.

Another prayer request for my prayer warriors: I'm having a surgical procedure done Friday on an irregular mole that I've had on my arm for a while, and finally went to the doctor. Please pray that everything goes well and that the test come back negative for cancer. Also, pray for a speedy recovery so that I can get back to work as soon as possible!!


"Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." Hebrews 12:12-13

Garage Sale Update (2 weeks to go)

Wow! The garage sale collection has been growing daily. We are so blessed to have such amazing people surrounding us and supporting us on this crazy journey. Thanks to everyone so far who has donated to our cause. We've been doing our nightly sorting of all the items and we are just so grateful that we have bags of stuff to sort through each night. The garage sale is quickly approaching and we're excited to be doing a fundraiser like this in our community. It's such a great way to raise awareness of adoption and the orphan and a great way to live in community with one another. We have a lot of work to do still, and still need more donations, so keep 'em coming! I've thoroughly enjoyed just getting rid of all the "junk" at my house. It feels so liberating, stripping down your house to just the things you need. I can't believe I buy some of the things that I buy.

So what are the proceeds of this fundraiser going to?????

1. Our IAP form (Initial Application Package) $2500...This is the first payment to our agency.
2. Home Study $600-$1000

Once we finish these two steps we can start our dossier and then finally be put on the waiting list for our little boy.

Please continue to pray that God shows up big time at this garage sale! Also, that the process continues to move forward into the next step in the process.

Also, if you, or a family member, or a friend have any stuff after your spring cleaning that you would be willing to donate, please email me. We can come and pick it up if you need us too. The garage sale is going to be Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19.

Let the Journey Begin...

So, after a couple of weeks of figuring out the "blog world" (thanks, Thomas) I am finally at the point of writing my very first post!!


As most of you know already, Jordan and I have decided to grow our family by one more and adopt a little boy from Ethiopia. Right after my youngest was born (Maximus) we thought that we were done. We had the "set", one girl and one boy. We were living the American dream and we were happy. While I was having babies, one of my closest cousins was in the works of adopting her first 3 of 6 from Ethiopia, and I became addicted to reading her blogs and just wanted to know more about Africa, orphans, and all the injustices going on. God began to break my heart for all of these things.



A couple of years later, the Haiti earthquake happened, and my heart had felt the heaviest it had ever felt in my life. I kept having images of all these children that were just like my kid's, with nowhere to go and nobody to hold them and love on them when they were scared. The most heartbreaking thing for me, was that a lot of people thought that the earthquake was what put Haiti into a crisis situation, but the reality is, Haiti was already a crisis situation that we neglected. The extreme poverty and millions of orphans in one of our neighboring countries. Then I knew. I felt deep down inside that I had to do my part. As a believer, that's what we are commanded to do.





"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God, our father, accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:26-27




Why adoption?? Because there are 147 million orphans in the world and God revealed to us that one of them is our son. Period.

Why Ethiopia? Ethiopia has the most orphans in all of the world and is one of the poorest countries in all of the world. It receives less aid than any other country in Africa. One out of six kids will die before the age of 5. To think that, children are dying because of starvation, and I complain that my pantry "never has anything good in it". In Ethiopia, the patient to doctor ratio is 1 to 24,000, and I complain about copays. The list goes on. But, I continue to be amazed at the people in the midst of all the poverty, injustice, and crisis. They have absolutely nothing, but have such amazing spirits. We have so much as Americans: Freedom, mind blowing technology, etc. but yet we can always find something to complain about. These people have nothing. They sleep on dirt floors, they have no clue where their next meal is going to come from, but yet they have so much joy. Not only must we help these people, our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we can also learn from them. I believe that I need Africa, more than Africa needs me.



"Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help. If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business," will that get you off the hook. Someone is watching you closely, you know- someone not impressed with weak excuses." Proverbs 24:12 [The Message]

Adoption is a long and expensive process. We would love for you to come with us and follow us on our journey. There are so many ways you can play a part in getting our son home. First, is prayer. Right now we need some prayer warriors to pray about finances. I wish we had 20K laying around in an account somewhere, but we don't. We know God isn't going to let that get in the way of His will. We are getting together some awesome fundraisers and we need God to show up big time! Another way, is donating to the cause. Our first fundraiser is a giant garage sale (thank you, SMBC for all of the experience and training!!) If you, or someone you know has anything to donate to sell at our garage sale, please let us know. Every dime we get will go straight into our adoption account. We'll keep you posted, too, about other fundraisers that we have brewing that not just people in Austin can contribute to as well. God is doing such amazing things, and He is good.

Let the journey begin....

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11