How do you spell stressed?

Wow! Getting ready to leave has been crazy. We have so much to take! We ar so nervous and excited all at once. The new blog is up and running, so I will post most adoption information on that blog. But keep checking, I will put some adoption stuff on here too!

Brent may use this for a devotional blog while we are gone.
If you want to join him in this devotional, pick up A Call to Die by David Nasser. I think you can get it anywhere.
It's a great challenge to go deeper with God. Hope you choose to do the study.

Pray for us.

Steven Curtis Chapman - Beauty Will Rise - Lyrics

I love this song. Just thought I would share it.
Enjoy.

Christ will do this for you! Isaiah 61:1-3.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, (JESUS)
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

Our private blog is available. If you want to follow it send your email to me in a comment. I will not publish the comment.

Saturday, 9:58 AM

That was the time of which we received an email from our agency saying that WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO TRAVEL!!!!!! WE ARE GOING TO BE LEAVING VERY SOON!!!! AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Any travel advice??? :)

P.S.

I meant to add a few more people to that prayer list before I published it yesterday.

Please pray for the house parents and orphanage directors as they prepare the children to be adopted.
Also they have had such an influential time in the kids lives. I know they will miss the kids very much. Pray for them as the kids leave the orphanage. Thanks

To pray for the children

Hair bows. We don't have hair bows. Football. We have one. A swingset. How much did you say?

It's the little everyday things that you use in life that I think of at night that we need for the kids. I think that we have to have it right now. I have to remind myself that it's okay, we will aquire all of these things - at some point. :)

But then I panic a little when I walk into Hobby Lobby or JCPenny. I think "I just want it all to be perfect." To be everything they like to do, that will match their gifts and hobbies and talents, that they will love to have in their room, to play with, to share with each other and friends. I see items and get excited thinking it will go in his room! It will match her bedspread! Then my heart squeezes and sinks - what if he hates sports? Would he rather have music? Will she play with it? Does she like this? I love music, Brent loves sports. I taught my stuffed animals and played with Barbie as a little girl. Brent played sports and video games when he was little, actually he still does! :)

I know it will take time, maybe a long time, maybe years, maybe months, for the kids to feel at home. It may take awhile to feel like a family. I guess I think if their rooms and our house is just what they wanted, then it help the matter go much more quickly. I posted a question on facebook one day asking for suggestions about what do 10 year old boys like. An old boss wrote "the love their mom and dad."

We are about the ask these kids to leave their home. Their house parents, friends, who have become their family. They will leave a place where the sights and sounds and holiday traditions are familiar and come to a place where nothing is familiar or normal. I know that no amount of decorating or toy supply will heal their grief when they walk through our door. They are in need of so much prayer.

Please pray for them as....
*They have lost much in their life. They will miss their country, their family, friends, etc. They will grieve for all that has gone on in their life. Things we don't even know about, things we do not understand.
*They have to learn a new language.
*They start school in the fall.
*They make new friends
*Adjust to living in America - it is going to be completely overwhelming for them.

*Pray for us to know what to take to Peru and how to pack
*Pray for safety and protection as we travel to Peru and live in Peru for a few weeks
*Pray for the first day of meeting the children and they meet us!
*Pray for our Embassy appointments and medical appointments
*Pray for the plane ride home :)
*Pray for our families

*Pray for us for wisdom as we get into their world and help them walk their pain and grief.
*Pray for us as this is stressful time for us.
*Pray for us as we become parents for these kids and we become a family.

Whatever God the Father lays on your heart, we will need your prayer and Jesus presence and wisdom and healing.

One of my favorite quotes from Russell Moore's book, Adopted for Life, says:

"But then there's Jesus....."


He is Everything.

We are okay

Just letting you know we are okay. As you know the tornados destroyed parts of downtown and many other places cities, towns, and homes and families. Our house is fine. We are fine. Just waiting for power to come back on which may be a few days. I'm at moms, so that's why I can blog. They have power and hot water. :)
Thanks to everyone who checked on us. We sure felt loved!
As it comes to mind, pray for the 6 or 7 states and the families who were affected by the storms. There is much rebuilding to be done now.

We still haven't received word from the Embassy yet. But wow, the skymiles are flooding in! So exciting! We are SO thankful for everyone who has donated their skymiles! If you have any Delta skymiles and would like to donate, leave a comment of how we can reach you and Brent will gladly give you instructions.

The Folded Napkin

Brent told me something that he learned this week that neither of us knew.
We knew that when Jesus left the tomb, he left the linen cloths there. Now this is the meaning what we did not know and where it gets really interesting. John 20 records that the cloth that covered Jesus' face was folded and laying separate from the other clothes.
In Hebrew society, during meal time if a man got up from the table and threw his napkin down, it meant he was finished with the meal. BUT if he got up and folded the napkin and laid it down, that was the signal that he was coming back and not to remove his plate.
I LOVE IT! Jesus wasn't even out of the tomb before He was leaving a promise of His second coming! He's coming back!
I don't know about you, but I think that is awesome.

Happy Easter!

Information

Just a heads up, I finally just decided to make a new private blog for when we travel. I'm getting it ready. If you wish to view this blog, I will have to email the link to you. If you want to follow along while we are in Peru, send your email in a comment (I will not publish the comment) or email me or send a facebook message.
Thanks.

S.N.S.

S is for Shower
We had the 3rd adoption shower a few weeks from our home church. It was just as great as the other two! But there was an extra suprise. There is a class of senior adults who said they were going to do the "grandparent" gift. So they got 2 bikes and tricyle for the kids! They even got 2 helmets. WOW! We were so excited! We started to purchase some bikes one day, but we weren't exactly sure what to get and decided to wait. Then these gifts came and they were perfect! They were exactly what we wanted! (even though we didn't know it until we saw them! haha!)
There are lots of miles to be driven on those tires!

Since the world (or rather part of the world) is celebrating Holy Week, our agency said all activity (i assumer legal activity) has ceased in Peru and will start again next week. Hopefully then the Embassy will send our approval and we can be on our way. We didn't realize we had to wait for this part, so it's MUCH longer than we thought. But God has His timing, so for now we are still waiting.

N is for Notice
I also turned in my notice at work the other day! WHAT?!?! I don't know why I got so nervous, they have know about the adoption and me leaving from the day they hired me.

S is for Skymiles
This is the most important paragraph in this post.
If you have any Delta skymiles you wish to donate to us that would be fabulous! Just leave a comment or contact me and I will get you the information.

If Life Had Background Music......

then this would have been my theme song the past two weeks. :)




Song: "This Is The Stuff"
By: Francesca Battistelli

Okay! No more complaining!!