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A Papa’s love… {One step closer–thank you dad}

12.12.2012

I had been putting off getting our dossier documents authenticated (stamped by the Secretary of State) as I thought it’d take us much longer to get through USCIS–but when they took us the SAME day we got our appointment letter and after we heard other locals say they got their approval back in a couple of weeks we realized we should have already gotten the ball rolling. This momma started doing the math–and I realized we could actually have our approval back this week or next–so I needed to TRY and get our documents authenticated and back by THIS Friday.

Adopting from Ethiopia is a little different than adopting from China when it comes to what you have to do for the dossier. For Ethiopia, we only had to get a few things authenticated–but for China…the list is long. AND every single document MUST be authenticated in the state it originated FROM. When it hit me that this was different…meaning I couldn’t just go downtown myself and that 2 of our documents required OUT OF STATE authentication…I closed my eyes–and did what I always do “think, think, think”. Well, I’ll just overnight them to the Secretary of State. Then I started reading up on Alabama and Kentucky’s website to please allow for 5 days for processing for mail-ins. WHAT are the chances of finding someone to so kindly accept my marriage and birth certificate…go to the state capital of each state…and visit the Secretary of State FOR me? Because walk-ins are processed immediately:) Thanks to the power of Facebook, Ryan and Brianna Tenges took on Kentucky (RYAN–you Rock! Brianna–can’t wait to hug your neck at Created for Care!) Now…Alabama…hmmm–well, my parents live in Alabama but they at least 1 hour away from the capital. I asked any way:) My dad is often there for work–and when I asked…that sweet man jumped on it. Anything to help bring home his grandson.

Richard is traveling this week–I’ve had a lot of crazy–so God’s timing is so sweet as I opened my email tonight to see an email waiting from my dad. As I read it…I started crying. Because I’m so blessed. Being in the adoption community, I know not everyone is so lucky. Not everyone has parents on board with adoption. Not everyone has parents cheering them on when they appear to have a full plate–but they are adopting again. Not everyone has a dad whose heart breaks for orphans and who wants to see them all in families…and I was reminded of that tonight when I read his email. I’m so blessed. And so is our newest son–to have him for a Papa. Although Papa would deny that and tell you he is the one who is blessed to have another grandson across the world.

This part is for you son–I want you to read what your Papa did today. Everyone wants you home so badly–and we’ll do whatever it takes to make it one day closer. We are boogieing on our end to be ready the minute the immigration approval comes so we can have you home sooner. I asked your Papa to run a pretty big and important errand today for me–and the Lord went before Him just as He has gone before all of us as we all try to get you home. You are SO LOVED. The Lord must have such BIG plans for you as He truly continues to pave the way! Here is the email I got from your Papa today–the story of how he went to get an important stamp and how although things tried to make it hard for him, God provided…

My marching orders were to get to the office of the Alabama Secretary of State on Wednesday or Thursday and then FedEx the authenticated document by Thursday afternoon. It seemed simple enough. In December my work is almost always slow. On slow days I work out of a work center only a few blocks from the Capitol.

Then, suddenly on Wednesday morning, everything got very busy and my work week was totally scrambled. By 10:00 A.M. my simple task started to look more like MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. I was at our work center in Montgomery when I received a priority dispatch that I needed to get to as soon as possible.

I find it only slightly amusing that the priority order on the front end of this scramble was for God’s Little Lambs Day Care in Opelika, Alabama, about an hour away. Once I left Montgomery, I might not be back in town until Friday. (Mission Fail!) That would not do. How could such a simple assignment suddenly become so very complicated?

I decided to try to swing by and see if I could rush through the process before leaving town. As I approached the Capitol Building I thought about how impossible it can be to find parking. I decided to park in a place near the front of the Capitol where the gazillion steps to the front door discourage many visitors from parking there. Parking was easy breezy but I only had $0.15 in change. Yikes! Wait, there’s a quarter on the ground. Plink, plink, plink and I’m good for 42 minutes. If it’s longer than that I’m in big trouble anyway. Since I wasn’t sure which building I needed to go to, the Capitol Building seemed logical since I knew the Secretary of State has a few administrative offices there and I could ask someone there and could get precise directions for exactly where to go.

After a brief minute waiting on the lady to complete a phone call, I asked if she could direct me to the appropriate place. She stepped away from her desk and pointed out a window to make sure I knew exactly which building I needed to go to. It was a few hundred yards away and the race was on. I was quickly out the door, down the elevator to street level, to the end of the block, across two crosswalks, to the middle of the next block, to one of the many RSA buildings in downtown Montgomery. Then I went in and up the elevator to the 7th floor to Suite 770. There I was directed to see one of two ladies across the partition to have the document authenticated. The lady in the first office was waving me in as soon as I rounded the corner. I briefly explained my assignment, handed her the documents and waited. There was virtually no wait time involved but in the two minutes (or less) that I sat waiting to get the documents back; I made the mistake of looking at my watch.

MAN! I’ve got to GO! Now my mind (and heart) was racing! I don’t have time to go 30-45 minutes out of the way to go to FedEx. I don’t know where there might be a FedEx drop box in Opelika and there is no way I can get to Alexander City in time for a 3:30 pick-up at the FedEx box there. BOOM! “Here you are sir, have a nice day.”

With my mind racing, I go out the door resolved to call Andrea and ask her (if by some miracle she actually answers the phone 😉 to see if she could go online to find a drop box in Opelika that I can get to after my priority appointment.

As I round the corner to the elevators, the elevator door is closing. Just as quickly as it closes, it reopens and a nice lady sticks her head out and says, come on, there’s room. Me: “Thank you so much!” She: “I’m not in a hurry and you sounded like you are”. It was a quick non-stop ride to ground level. I am quickly out the door, to the street, up a block, across two cross walks, over a block, across a cross walk, and up one more block to my truck without ever even having to break stride.

Still, I am worried about where I will drop this package off. Before I get in my truck I have to do the required safety walk all the way around my truck, that my employer calls the “circle of life”. At the back of my truck, I look down the street and; THERE IT IS!!! There is a FedEx truck at the intersection, a block away, about to come my way.

Well, what else could I do? I stepped into the street, just across the center line, grinned and held up the envelope as if to ask him to take it off of my hands. As he came up the street I could see the driver break into a big smile as he slowed to take the envelope. (Insert mental image of the scene near the end of the movie “The Postman”) As I handed him the envelope he laughed and said, “Man! This is somebody’s lucky day!” (He has no idea! 😉 I said, “Thank you so much for stopping!” He said, “It’s what I do. Have a blessed day!”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

As I stepped onto the running board to get into my truck, I looked at the parking meter and saw there were 28 minutes remaining. I just looked up, smiled and said (to God), “Now you’re just showing off!” 😉

SO BLESSED and so thankful to have you as my daddy! I love you to pieces. Thank you so much for helping me today–I couldn’t be more thankful or feel more loved. As your daddy would say, “Ya done good!” Can’t type through my tears as I realize how blessed I am!!! I’d give just about anything to bring you and mom with us to China! Man…how loved this sweet boy is!

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Jeanne - December 13, 2012 - 6:45 am

What a Dad!!!!! That story is awesome, and I love that baby will know that his Papa fought to bring him home ASAP!!!!!!!

Kelly Brown - December 13, 2012 - 8:54 am

LOVE it! You are right, it is such a blessing to have family who shares your passion. I can see where you get your writing skills from! :)Got your Christmas card in the mail yesterday and loved that too! I can’t wait to see what next years will look like with your new sweet son home!

Kristin - December 13, 2012 - 2:11 pm

Awesome! What a great family you have. And FYI-we received our approval today! Our appt was Dec. 3rd!

Wendy - December 13, 2012 - 5:10 pm

I am crying! what an amazing story!!!

Learning to say ‘Yes’ and trusting the Lord with the Boundaries…

12.11.2012

I’m really not sure what you would say if you were to look into my life this week…or most weeks. It really looks absolutely crazy–and I won’t overwhelm you with the crazy and I certainly do not want to share what I feel I’ve been asked to do by Him–because the fruit of it is really HIS strength working rather than my own. But I had a thought today when an acquaintance so kindly offered me some advice today when she saw me passing by in my crazy.

“Andrea. I have a really great book I want you to read. It’s really helped me–it’s about how to say no.”

Really?

And why did my heart feel so sad at that kind recommendation? This mom really didn’t know me–but what she did know is I looked and appeared over committed, and she thought this momma (AKA: ME) just needed to learn boundaries. But…

What if God is a God with limitless boundaries?

What if that same God asked us instead of learning to say no well and often…to stop pouring over books on maintaining healthy boundaries and how to say NO…what if He wanted us to actually take more chances in saying YES…even when it doesn’t make sense?

Why would we only say yes to what “WE” can do–when it’s really not supposed to be us doing it anyway? Wouldn’t we trust Him to do more through us if we really believed it was Him working?

What if we actually got down right messy with those who needed us?

What if we sacrificed our space and our comfortable…

Our schedules that already feel crazy?

To trust God with “there is NO way I can do this…I need peace in my day…BUT I see where you can work in it–I so here are my hands…use them if you want to. Let it be your strength and not my own…take it all Lord…and may it be YOUR strength alone seeing it through.”

I completely understand and agree that you can’t and should NOT say yes to everything. But when you see need…when you see no one else is already there…when you feel compassion and you feel it is from the Lord–yet your calendar seems full–instead of just saying you’ll pray…maybe He is challenging us as believers to really learn to make room for what really matters and to say YES…to be His hands and feet even when it isn’t easy or convenient.

I have to say–I have been so much more blessed by the yes’s…than the no’s. Yet the world encourages us to learn to say NO…and I guess to just let someone else do it? Stepping out in crazy…when it doesn’t make sense–RATHER THAN being protective over calendars, schedules and “When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life” mentality. I’m sorry–but *I* do NOT want to have control of my life. I can’t afford to protect my schedule or calendar…for myself. Because when you wake and ask Him to show you need–He will. When you ask Him to use you in it no matter what you think you can handle…He does.

Miracles happen.

And by His sweet grace, you get to be a part of it.

All the while your children are in it with you…and blessed through it. The “arithmetic and reading” of homeschool can just wait…because you have some times more important things to teach them.

I ran into that sweet acquaintance (that thankfully doesn’t know I have a blog;) again tonight who reminded me she had that book for me to read. I had to be honest, decline it–and say I really, really appreciated it. BUT–I just can’t afford to read it. I’m really trying to learn how to say yes and to step outside of my comfort zone. Because I think the world is really trying hard to teach us all how to say no instead.

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Ali - December 12, 2012 - 1:51 am

So beautifully put….

Caytie - December 12, 2012 - 7:27 am

Oh my! I can so relate to this a bit. When God calls you to hard things and to live in ways that are so radically different it makes others question your motives and it can really thwart what God has for you if you cave to the “conventional”. We are accountable to Jesus for all that we do and that is where we rest and find peace in what He calls. It’s amazing though, how a little doubt from someone else can creep in and affect us if we let it. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face and the things on earth will grow strangly dim in the light of his glory and grace”. This has been my song this week. You sharing your heart might just be the beginning of her seeing life lived in a different way….! Hugs to you friend:)

Katie Day - December 12, 2012 - 8:12 am

Lol, I’m offered a Christian “self-help” book on a weekly basis because of the crazy people see. It’s almost become a talent and game to dodge those conversations now :). I like my crazy, chaotic life and really don’t see how living for others gives someone the idea I need to be fixed. You really just have to laugh and move on!

Nicole @ Living Out His Love - December 12, 2012 - 9:35 am

Oh Andrea, this spoke to me this morning. I am praying through something right now and I think this is what I needed to read. Thanks for your honest words.

Meggan - December 12, 2012 - 11:28 am

Perfect reminder. Needed to hear that.

Lauren Casper - December 12, 2012 - 3:15 pm

I love this Andrea!! I feel the same way! God certainly makes it clear when I’m to say no… but more often he makes it clear that I need to say yes… even when it is scary and looks crazy to the rest of the world.

I wonder if you declining the book taught this woman something. I wonder if she got a nugget of God truth out of what you shared with her. I hope so!!

Mary Ellen Ponder - December 12, 2012 - 3:39 pm

Andrea! Thanks so much for this post. You are so FULL of his Spirit it is incredible. I just love your perspective on things, because it is HIS perspective. I still remember reading your post on how God DOES give you things that you cannot handle, so that we will turn to HIM instead of rely on ourselves. This post will be remembered for years to come as well. Thanks for ministering to my soul!

Jessica - December 12, 2012 - 10:29 pm

Oh how I LOVE this post. Saying no to things that don’t matter is one thing, but not being available to God is another. We just brought our 7th sweet child home 4 weeks ago–to our crazy homeschooling family that has grown 4 times through adoption in less than 3 years. I can’t imagine if we had said no because what God was calling us to was more than we could handle (and believe me, it is more than we can handle in our own strength). The best parts of my life have happened when we’ve said yes to the “crazy.”

Sandi H. - December 12, 2012 - 10:54 pm

I have friends who make similar comments in jest & I simply ask, “If I don’t help, who will?” There is no greater feeling than to know that despite our imperfections that God chooses us to say, “Yes!” & he entrusts that we will step out of our comfort zones to help those in need. Like the lonely older gentleman at the grocery last night whose basket was full of pot pies, who needed assistance paying for his groceries to be reminded that there is good left in humanity. Or the sweet nurses aid who missed work today because her son is in the hospital, who as a single mother will need help with hospital bills. Or the families who are struggling just to pay for food, who will get help paying for Christmas. It is no accident that we feel that we have no choice but to act when we feel that he is whispering to our hearts. He may be overfilling our plates but those who turn away are missing out on a feast. Can an employee say, “no” to the boss? Fulfilling needs is his business…we are all his workers…

Waiting…

12.10.2012

I love how God’s timing is always perfect! In a season where we are anxiously checking the mail EVERY day in hopes to receive our USCIS approval from our fingerprints–instead of standing there every day BUMMED at the mailbox…I get to pull out new Christmas cards of families we love each day. (Note to self–if there is any month to impatiently await an important adoption document in the mail–it IS December:). Photo Christmas cards of family and friends have been a sweet treat in this time of waiting and running to the mail box each day. Momma’s birthday is on the 19th…it’d be sweet if it came on that day–BUT EVEN SWEETER if it came before!

We are working on getting all of our other documents authenticated–which means they must receive the official state seal from the state the document originated in. SO–my birth certificate must go to the Secretary of State in Kentucky…my marriage certificate to Alabama…Rico’s birth certificate to Georgia…and the other 7 documents also to Georgia. BUT before my Georgia documents can get the state seal–they must get the county seal at the county it originated from. WEDNESDAY of this week is our county clerk field trip day. I’ve got some extras at my house on Tuesday so I’ll put off adoption crazy tomorrow–but be back in full gear on Wednesday meeting every county clerk with 4 littles in tow in the Atlanta area;). SOUNDS EXCITING DOESN’T IT?! CRAZY–but so worth it!

ALSO–on Wednesday and Thursday we have two families going to bat for us at the Secretary of State in Alabama AND Kentucky! THANKS to miracles on Facebook–we were able to say a shout out looking for any crazy folks in Kentucky who would be willing to hand deliver our stuff AND return it next day. God always provides!! In about 5 minutes, the Lord had provided another adoption family (THANK YOU TENGES FAMILY for sacrificing your time AND being a part of our story in this way!) SERIOUSLY–isn’t it amazing how others come alongside one another to see children home?! If any community completely has rocked my world in their sacrificial service it’s adoption families who so get the crazy you go through to see your children home! SO THANKFUL! My sweet and awesome dad is heading to Montgomery to go to bat for us in Alabama…pretty cool to see a grandpapa going to the Secretary of State and being a part of a step to get another grand baby home! WHICH MEANS–by Friday or Monday we will have EVERYTHING in our hands authenticated…and Lord willing the USCIS approval here soon to get authenticated too!

AFTER that–we will send everything off to Washington D.C. to the Chinese consulate. THEN it will all come back to us–and then finally, finally, finally be off to China and we’ll get a LID (log in date). From there we will wait any where from 30 to 200 days for our LOA–which is your official referral before they give you travel dates about 2 months after that. STILL PRAYING for a May miracle!!!

In the midst of all that crazy–Rico Suave is a traveling man…and we’ve got crazy like everyone else. Kicking myself now for signing up to do the Christmas party for American Heritage Girls tomorrow night (18 girls) and momma is making everything for it…and I’ll have 3 boys on my hip while I lead a cupcake walk and Christmas games and such. Daddies travel dates always seem to fall during nights like these;). Homeschooling littles…home study crazy…retreat preparation…the Lord always provides and trusting Him for the details for JUST TOMORROW. We are studying Moses’s life right now–and we talked today about how He always gave the Hebrews just enough. YET they complained…and in His grace and mercy He met their needs to their requests…yet they still complained. I pray I will not be like the Hebrew people and I would not complain but instead I would see His daily provision and trust Him to provide everything I need…and to be THANKFUL and rejoice in His daily provision—BEING ENOUGH.

Thank you for trusting Him with me. Love y’all in Christ Jesus!

Andrea

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Kristin - December 11, 2012 - 1:29 pm

I think we are on the same track! We had our appointment on December 3rd. I enjoyed your post about going early, that was great!

Believe He Goes Before You {USCIS fingerprints…DONE!}

12.05.2012

This is gonna be QUICK–this momma has little time to blog in this season of crazy…getting a dossier ready, homeschooling, preschoolers…but THIS story has to be documented for our sweet boy’s journey. YESTERDAY…

…began just as a normal day. Kind of. We had 3 extra dears at our house–so 7 little children running around. In between homeschool crazy, I worked on Christmas cards (hope to get those out before Christmas!). Around lunch time, I decided to take the 25 cards that were ready to go out (while the rest of the stack still sits waiting to be stuffed and addressed) to the mailbox. I opened the mailbox to see two official looking envelopes inside…and my heart LEAPT. Could it be our anxiously awaited for USCIS fingerprint appointment letter with the date for our fingerprints. IT WAS!!!

My heart was beating–and right there in the culdesac I did my best Kevin Bacon impression. My hands were shaking with excitement, and I ran in to shout to the children, “WE GOT IT!!!” Only I wasn’t so graceful and slipped on the hardwoods in my socks as I turned the corner from the hallway to the kitchen. THIS is a true picture my friends of what we adoption mommas look like. There is nothing that brings us more JOY than to be another step closer to our children. I rip open both envelopes–one for Rich and one for me and both have the official government fingerprint appointment dates of 12/20/2012 at 12:00. I read through everything 3 times. “Please appear at your designated time…” Yadda, yadda, yadda. I get on Facebook to quickly share our NEWS–and a few dear adoption parents share their experiences of attempting to go early.

“Okay,” I think to myself, “I’ll totally go on Thursday–just to try.” I just so happened to have my babysitter Karissa here so I could focus on the big kids schooling while she plays with the littles. I tell her my plan to go–and she asked me if I wanted to go NOW. Hmmmm…now? And leave you with 7 littles??? I finished up the big kids lessons in the next hour–and called Rich to meet me up at the government office in 30 minutes (thank goodness we live near the office)…it’s worth a TRY where our sweet boy is concerned:).

I didn’t want to be gone for more than 1 hour–and I remembered it taking HOURS for our last adoption–and THAT was on our designated appointment day and time. I prayed the entire way down–that the Lord would go before us–that we would have His favor with the front door official who would determine whether to let us in early or not. I pull up to see Richard waiting outside on the phone finishing up a business call. The official sees he is about to try and enter the building and remind him no cell phone or electronic devices are permitted in the building. EEK. He is serious–so I PRAY while he runs to the car–just before he tells me this is probably not going to work. We both step in and the official asks for our appointment letter…BIG, DEEP BREATH…

Keep in mind he sees hundreds of people EVERY day for many different things–and he looks me in the eye and smiles and says, “Ma’am, what are you going to do? Are you just gonna adopt 8 children before this is all over?

Richard makes a CONFUSED face. Do y’all know each other? (We don’t by the way! The Lord truly just went before us!)

And I say, “Maybe. But sir–if you will allow us in today–we will be so much closer to that.”

The officier laughed and said, “Of course! Y’all come on in.”

I grab his elbows and without thinking jump and say, “PRAISE JESUS! PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE JESUS!”

The officer looks right back at me and says, “Yes ma’am. I will praise Him every day!”

Richard is standing there with his jaw DROPPED–and I grab Rich’s hand and pull him into the building. We are given clipboards to fill out basic information as we hold our passports and appointment letter to who the next official. BUT just before we make it to the next official–the officer at the door comes to man the post we are about to get to. Richard keeps asking me HOW I know him–and I keep insisting that I don’t–reminding Him that God is faithful and I prayed for God to go before us–that God loves our boy and He is simply making a way for us to get him home sooner. Every day counts.

Richard isn’t satisfied with my answer and wants to know HOW he knew we were adopting. I assure him I’ve never seen the officer a day in my life–and if it was 3 years ago when we were at this stage bringing Isaac home–we certainly wouldn’t remember each other. At that, Rich insists on going to ask him HOW he knew we were adopting…so he goes up to him and asks, “Sir, how did you know we were adopting? What made you say that about adopting 8 kids?”

He looked at Rich and smiled, “I just knew. And your wife totally gives it away. Walking up with a big ole smile like she is all desperate to get in the door with her hands shaking with her letter in it. Y’all have that happy to be parents again look. I just knew.”

“And the 8 kids part??”

“Y’all just look like y’all are people that love kids.”

We waited maybe five minutes–and then we were individually called back for the biometric official fingerprints–the LAST hoop we have to jump. (We just have to get all our dossier documents authenticated next–including this clearance that we would receive in the mail from today’s fingerprints). This is really the last hoop though so to speak.

An asian lady called my number for my fingerprints. She looked at my letter and saw my actual fingerprint date and said, “Well, it looks like today is someone’s lucky day!”

“Yes ma’am. God is so good! We have a son to bring home. Do y’all ever turn early folks away?”

She replied, “Yes–if we are busy we have to–but you came on one of the slowest days of the year looks like.”

In and out–and home in about an hour. We are praying big that we will have our clearance BEFORE our actual fingerprint date–and that our dossier can be off to Washington to be authenticated at the Chinese consulate. THEN–it will be time to ship it off to China! That’s when we will get a log-in date and our LOA wait (any where from 30 to 200 days) can begin…then our travel dates. We still have a VERY long road–but we are believing and know the Lord is going before us…JUST like He did yesterday.

In all that you do–ask Him to go BEFORE you. He can and will and WANTS to. Expect to see Him work–and give Him glory when He does. I always say that I have never seen so much spiritual warfare and hard stuff happen in any other thing than the adoption journey…the enemy would want nothing more than for orphans to remain orphans without hope and love. BUT I also have to say I have never seen the Lord work so greatly than through adoption as well—and HE ALWAYS WINS. The battle is there–the battle is real–but He always wins. There will be mountains and hurdles ahead…but He goes before us and we can trust Him to pave the way.

On your journey–whether it’s adoption or raising godly children or following Him in ministry or maintaining a strong marriage…whatever your particular journey is you will not only have to face hard things the enemy puts in your way–but you will ALSO have friends/acquaintances/others on similar journeys who breath negativity and play the devil’s advocate near and around you. GUARD yourself from those who discourage and play this role in your life. LIMIT your time around them–and acknowledge them for what they are. Know the role they play–so when you hear their negativity and voice of being the devil’s advocate you can call a spade a spade…hold your head high and keep your eyes on Jesus. We are called to LOVE every person–but we do not have to like what they do…or even like the role they choose to play. Do not carry their words–but instead get on the horse that Your King rides–and stay focused on being on the journey He has called you to. And find others with similar callings to ride beside (that are NOT the negative voices–because they will be the loudest of all)–find others who are dreaming big through the Spirit to dream big with and lift one another up…imagine putting your hands together and helping them up to sit on their journey right behind Jesus as He goes in front of them navigating their journey before them–REMIND them who they are riding with and to keep your eyes UP and FOCUSED on His call.

HE IS WITH YOU and HE GOES BEFORE YOU…trust Him for big things!

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Amy - December 5, 2012 - 11:31 am

Thank you for this post! We too are in the early process. We have identified a child and trying to get all the paperwork done, before her file has to go back. Our hang up as been funds. This has all happened so fast we can’t seem to raise it fast enough. Your post is encouragement to my heart for something my head already knows, God is faithful and will go before us. Thank you!

Corinne - December 5, 2012 - 1:19 pm

Powerful!! Thanks for sharing as always….encouraging for me.

Kelly Brown - December 5, 2012 - 1:28 pm

That is soooooo awesome!!!! I loved hearing the story! It made me tear up about the official’s response to you guys. God is so good, praising the Lord with you as He prepares the way!

Kelley - December 5, 2012 - 1:31 pm

How awesome! You always share so well and leave us all hungry to walk closer with the Lord! Thank you!! We’re up to our eyeballs in paperwork too and appreciate the reminder to be asking that God goes before us with every form and signature. 🙂

Gretchen - December 5, 2012 - 2:02 pm

That is awesome! Praise the Lord! It’s so fun to hear good news! Praying your son home quickly.

Corinne Cline - December 6, 2012 - 3:05 am

You are always such an encouragement to me, even though I have never met you. And the timing of my reading your posts always seems to be straight from the Lord. We got an important call today in our adoption process, and once again, I needed to read your post!

Natasha - December 6, 2012 - 10:52 am

Yaaay! Praise God!!! So excited for you. We are currently awaiting our biometrics appt, too, anyway now… I keep checking our mailbox….

Jenny - December 11, 2012 - 10:50 pm

Oh Andrea! I LOVE this post! Praise Jesus indeed!!! Love seeing Him at work and going before us to get our kiddos home! Truly worthy of praise!

To Watch God Move…

11.29.2012

Truly–it is amazing…when you take moments to step back…and you watch God working.

About 3 years ago (if I’m doing my math right) I began dialoguing with an old high school acquaintance of mine through Facebook. Her heart was being stirred–and she was beginning to draw close to the Lord…she wanted to know more…talk about Him more…and her heart was being broken for the poor and orphaned throughout the world.

Weeks went by and we continued to dialogue back and forth–usually after the kids went to bed. I’ll never forget one particular night in January–as we were dialoguing back and forth (seriously at 2 or 3am…NOT normal for me…BUT the questions were sweet and the dialogue was ordained–and I knew it was better than sleep). I had the sweet privilege of watching the story unfold for this old friend and watch her come to Jesus–and watch her begin to follow Jesus with reckless abandon. It was fresh…it was pure…and it was real. She read the scriptures–and believed them. It said GO–so she did.

Christy now serves in Uganda with Ekubo Ministries and once again–God is on the move in the ministry the Lord has begun through her and her family. (Yes–this single girl who left now has a family…and a very big one in fact). They are now working on raising funds to build a children’s home and they just need $10,000 to do it. The BIG NEWS is this–they have a supporter who is offering a matching grant up to $5,000! So they need to raise $5,000–which will then become $10,000!

Truly–I am blown away how much the Lord has done in the life of Christy as she has followed Him in just 3 short years. As C.S.Lewis would say–“Aslan is truly on the move!” The Lord is going to do this with or without us–but what a BLESSING to be a part of what He is doing!

Here is a little bit about the home from Christy:

A million ministries will share hundreds of millions of needs this holiday season. Some will be urgent and some will be dreams of theirs for the people we serve. I would like to share a need with y’all, which is both. We exist to share the love of Jesus as we serve orphaned and/or vulnerable children. For almost a year, we’ve been pouring blood, sweat and tears into making Ekubo Children’s Home a safe haven for such children. Some will come as total orphans. Some will come as a result of abandonment. Some will come for safety. Some will come for nourishment. Some will come for a short time as we struggle to learn their stories and trace their families in an effort to resettle them. This is the heart of our ministry. Some will come for a longer time as we struggle to exhaust all avenues of having them resettled into the community they came from or into a foster family here in Uganda. As a last resort, we will seek to place them into loving families outside Uganda that God has called to grow their families through international adoption. In the last year, we’ve done a little of it all. God has a story for each child, and if anything, we’ve learned that TRUE orphan care is a mosaic of so many different details that God uses to weave into His story. Our part is to always do what is in the best interest of the child while he/she is with us and trust God to provide an ethical avenue to them having a loving family. We are currently caring for 11 children, with 7 of those being a sibling set.


In order for this home to be a fully functional home, in addition to furnishings, we need $10,000 to finish the home itself. $5000 for the inside (floors, painting the walls, plumbing, tiling the bathroom, etc.) and $5000 for the outside (outside of building, pit latrine, etc.). An additional $10,000 will be needed to build a security wall around the property to ensure the safety of the children. This wall will be a work in progress but the urgent need is for the home itself to be finished so we don’t have to turn away children. We have worked diligently on each and every child’s case that has come to us since we accepted the first 2 children in May of last year. Because of the vision and hearts we have for the orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda, we are the first contact for our district’s probation officer (child welfare). If we are unable to take the child, an orphanage is her next stop. What we have learned the hard and rather heartbreaking way since we were approved as an NGO to do this work is that many orphanages in Uganda exist to be a long-term home for children. They never once try to find any family to resettle the children and these children end up living in these institutions. Throughout our investigations into whether or not the children brought to us have families that are willing to care for them, I have been shocked to see what one can find when money is not involved (no info is “found” because then the child will be available for international adoption, which keeps the orphanage operating). We searched and searched but came up empty handed with one of ours (out of 12 that we’ve fully investigated so far this year), it COULD have been the case with all had we not gotten our hands dirty, taken hours out of our days, and spent money we didn’t have to ensure these children have a voice. I came into this thinking that an abandoned child is just that – abandoned. Case closed. But what I’ve learned from this culture is that if you dig deep enough, you will find answers. Uganda is a very family-oriented country. There are not many children who will have absolutely NO family members willing to care for them, IF the investigations begin as soon as the child is found orphaned or abandoned.

An orphanage is not a home for a child. Each and every child belongs in a family. What we’ve seen is that what starts out as “good intentions” in people starting these institutions ends up becoming profit-making business. These places are kept in horrific conditions so that when visitors come, they are moved to empty their pockets. This money never reaches the children, but instead is used to continue to keep these children separated from their families. The government is seeking to close these “orphanages”, as they are finding in addition to what I’ve just pointed out, that many of the “orphans” in these “orphanages” aren’t orphans at all. Many have parents that live in the communities right outside the orphanage gates. They are allowed to live there where their education is exchanged for donations from unsuspecting Westerners that come tour the orphanage on short-term mission trips. When we learned of these dark, horrific truths when investigating and interviewing these orphanages as part of our approval from the government to start helping orphaned and vulnerable children, we knew we needed to be a light in the darkness. It was then that we decided to open a transition/foster home and pray about being the first stop on our probation officer’s journey to place these children in a safe situation. It is our heart to care for them while seeking to find them a loving family. Please pray with us that God’s will be done in the lives of each and every child in our care. His will is ALWAYS in the best interest of the child.

Please pray about helping us finish the home. The $10,000 for the building itself and the $10,000 to provide a security wall do not include furnishing for the home or for things for everyday operations. Things like food. Cooking supplies. Soap. Beds. Bed sheets. That kinda stuff. I got a message that rocked me to the core a couple days ago. Someone said they’d love to help out but their donation was so small that it seemed senseless to even contribute. Trust me, I know that feeling. I see the immense need around here and sometimes I want to run to America, get a job making $80k like I used to, and just work for a while and then come back here. But that’s just the fear talking. I prayed over that message and how it made my heart feel, and God immediately stirred something in me to figure out just what your donation would do for the immediate (and some on-going) needs that will help get the children and caretakers “settled”. These figures (especially food, soap, etc.) are just based on the 2 caretakers, 2 newborns, and 3 toddlers we have at the home now.

The older 6 siblings of one of the toddlers are in our home because the children’s home doesn’t have enough finished rooms to accommodate them. Our home was already bursting at the seams and because school is on holiday, that means that we go from providing our own children more than 1 meal a day (the school provided 2 through their sponsorships). We now have 6 more mouths to feed. 3 meals a day.


Will you considering joining Christy and what their ministry is doing in Uganda this holiday season? Consider giving a donation in honor of a family member in lieu of a tangible gift? Will you prayerfully consider jumping in and being a part of the movement of His working in the lives of orphans in real and radical ways–making life change for kids across the world? You can donate to this amazing project by visiting the blog: COMPASS IN MY HEART

Never underestimate what the Lord can do through someone who opens their hands and gives them to Him. Never underestimate what He might want to do through you!

Wish y’all all a wonderful weekend. Someone in our house has 2 more Nutcracker performances…AND a birthday. It’s gonna be a great weekend!

Blessings,

Andrea

Posted in Orphan & Widow Care
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Christie - December 1, 2012 - 3:05 am

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! Just now seeing this! Thank you for the sweet words and for spreading the word!

Sister, since you wrote this ANOTHER supporter of our has pledged to match ANOTHER $5000, which is ONLY HIM because we needed a total of $20,000 for the home itself and the security wall built around the property. So we raise $10,000 and it will be matched.

Only God. Praise. His. Name.

Lauren Casper - December 1, 2012 - 9:15 pm

Love this!! Christy’s story is just so beautiful and it’s been absolutely incredible to watch it all unfold over the last couple years as I’ve read her blog and followed her on facebook. Her faith is so real!! Praying that all $10,000 is raised before Christmas! I saw her comment above… so that would mean the whole thing gets fully funded! WOW!! God is so good!