It is July!

Matt and Isaac fishing in Canada

The falls in Canada

Matt and Isaac at the beach

July is usually one of my favorite months of the year. This year we spent the 4th of July in Canada with Matt's family. Isaac did not want to leave! We wish it was not so far away, otherwise we would spend more time there.
Next week my brother is getting married. We are getting ready for the big wedding. My dress gets fitted tomorrow, can't wait to see Matt and Isaac in their tuxedos!
Tomorrow Matt and I are going out to dinner to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. Wouldn't it be great if we got a referral for out little boy tomorrow?? We are expecting a phone call any day.
My birthday is also coming up! Often we take a week to vacation at my parents home. Not sure about this year, I may have to go up without Matt because we have to save some vacation days to travel to Ethiopia! I just can't hardly stand to be away from up north in the summer!!!!! When we visited Canada I thought to myself, "why don't I spend from Memorial Day to Labor Day in either Canada or Northern Michigan?" I am just having withdrawls today...
Two local families are in Ethiopia right now and several more should go by the end of the month. Pray for a friend who's baby will need to see some specialists next week when they return home. He is a cutie pie and it would be very difficult to not know exactly what he needs. I am sure they just want to bring him home!
I have my final exam in bible school tonight and lots of groceries to get. Thankfully the wash is complete!
Have a great week and I will be posting some beautiful wedding pictures soon.

Almost There

We celebrate with families last week who received referrals for their children! Five in all to families all across the nation. Two local families leave next week to meet their little baby boy and girl.

We believe we are next in line for a little boy. Their are several in front of us that are waiting for a girl. What a blessing!!

Some of you know Matt and I are in bible school through our church. It is called Leader's for Christ Training Center. We will complete 5 trimesters and receive an associates in ministry. Both of us will be finished next May. I am currently in a summer session to catch up to Matt.
A couple of months ago our facilitator asked us to believe for something specific by July when the class ended. He stated he would be praying for us daily.
Right away in my spirit I felt it should be for a call from our adoption worker telling us we had a child. Of course, my next thought was doubt. What if it does not happen? What if I feel let down by God? All those thoughts that can run through our mind daily.
Since the birth and loss of our son Samuel my relationship with God has grown and changed. It is definitely more intimate. So I talked to Matt about my feelings and to God. Matt's response was, "why not?" God is bigger than any human circumstances.

I decided, "Yes" I would step out in faith and believe for a referral by July. I really want to have a picture of our little one to show off at my brother's wedding. Now of course here we are next in line...I had to really put my faith in God!
Also, I step out and tell people we were believing for a referral by JULY! That we believed it could happen ANY day.

I went through all of Isaac's clothes and sorted through them to donate or repack for our baby. It was a step of faith because those clothes were waiting for Samuel and he did not get to use them. Thank You Jesus you have him in your arms in heaven and have made a way for us to continue growing our family through adopting. Adoption is so important. Just last night alone I was talking to Isaac about how Moses and Esther were adopted.

God wants us to believe Him for more than we could ever ask, think, pray or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)
More news to come soon...oh, and our next step of faith is to put up the crib!

Prayers for Friends

Cousins and Best Friends

We pray for two families in Ethiopia seeing their children for the first time. How exciting it would be!

I also found out today an American family who lives in Ethiopia, who we happen to get connected with through a friend of mine, knows and assists with programs in Ethiopia. (Kind of confusing how we know each other, basically Facebook connection) This family lives in Ethiopia, has adopted and knows the directors of Yezelalem Minch Children's Home.
So she was helping them with their community feeding program the other day. She told YM's directors, Birtukan and Nesibu about a recent Youtube video she had received from me! She said it made them smile!!
Small world isn't it? YM is a large part of the video Bethany put together recently. Anyway, we can't wait to get there and meet this family and of course our baby!! Praying it is soon.

9 Months Waiting

My Niece and Nephew

My Mom and I


This Friday will be 9 months of waiting for a referral. We started the process of adoption 8 months earlier. We are believing we hear something by mid-summer! We can believe God for anything.
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through His spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him." Ephesians 3:14-17
Last Friday I went to an amazing adoption baby shower for a family from our church. God is putting adoption on the hearts of people all around the world. I pray we can bring the children home and into our hearts and families forever!!
On Saturday we had an open house for my niece. It was a beautiful windy day, but everything turned out wonderful!

Changing...

So obviously I am changing my blog a bit. I was getting tired of my old colors. I lost everything in the transition, including my blog links. When I tried to add them they would not show up. I will keep trying!

So Much To Be Thankful For

There has been quite a bit of activity for the families waiting for children. Referrals, court dates, travel, so exciting!!!
Now we wait for travel calls for several who have passed court!! This week we pray they receive travel dates.

Also, several are going to have court hearings in the next two weeks. We pray God's favor falls on them and the Bethany staff so that all the families pass court the first time.
Last Thursday a bunch of us adopting mothers met at a local coffee shop. Can't tell you how encouraging it is to get together with everyone. We have so much in common and I know God put us together to encourage each other and fulfill His hearts cry of adoption. Isn't it great Jesus died for us and God has adopted us into His family? We are able to call him Dad and be loved and love.
Matt and I are believing for a referral very soon. With God, all things are possible. We are thankful for a wonderful agency to work with and the grace of God in our lives.
This week was Tulip Time in Holland. We watched the parade and had a ton of fun with friends and family. I snapped this picture of Isaac and my mother-in-law.
This is one of my favorite new verses.
Proverbs 30:4 "Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if you know?"

More Referrals!

At least two more children were referred to families today. I am shocked that there were more this month because 5 were referred at the beginning of April. Today, I was thinking how far we are down on the list and how it seemed it would take another year. I have to keep reminding myself how big God is, He can do ANYTHING!
I am thinking maybe we are around 11th now, but several people ahead of us (like 5) have specific requests, where we have none.
So our prayers for our baby to come home this year can still happen!