Books That Changed My Life... Forever

The new year is upon us and if you're like me, you'll want a great book to jump start you into 2012. These past few days I have been thinking about what my "word of the year" will be also. Have you ever picked a word for the year? Several years ago our pastor challenged us to grow spiritually by picking a word for the year; something that we need to work on or focus on personally. It has proven to be a great way to focus on areas of my life that need to be acknowledged and improved. In 2009 my word was "Trust", in 2010 my word was "Glorify", and my word for 2011 was "Wait". (gee, can anyone take a guess as to why?" :)

I wanted to share with you some books that have changed my life. The first one is called "A Voice In The Wind", by Francine Rivers. It's the first part of a trilogy. The second part is called, "An Echo In The Darkness" and you need to have it handy so that when you're done with the first one, you can go right into the second one. It's historical fiction about a young Christian woman who becomes a Roman slave. I'll leave it at that. It does have a strand of romance running through it, which keeps you on your toes, but it's really about her growing faith, her complete trust in Christ, and her love for the people she serves... This is a book about what it truly means to love and serve others the way that Jesus did. It will change your life. I've read them 3 times.

The next one is called, "Radical" by David Platt. I won't even try to explain it, but get ready to dig deep down into your soul. It's not a quick read. You'll want to pace yourself so that you can chew on his challenge. It took me a long time to get through it because it goes against the grain that American culture teaches.

The last one is a fiction book called, "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn, but I believe it is based on a true story. This book brought me to my knees. I stayed up all night long to finish it. It was SO GOOD. And for those of you with a heart for China... It will make your love and respect for the THOUSANDS of underground churches even greater. In a communist country where Christianity is very restricted and where many are martyred because of their Christian faith, thousands are coming to Jesus daily. Their passion and commitment for studying the Word of God is convicting. They will meet for hours after dark, in secret places, to worship Christ and read the Bible. These Bibles are smuggled in and people walk for days and risk their lives to hear the truths that we SO take for granted.

Those are just a few of my favorites. I have many more... but nothing can take the place of the Bible. I love to study my Bible. My weekly Bible study starts back up in January. We will be going through Genesis. I can't wait!

As for my word of the year... I'll tell you in 2012! What will yours be?

Blessings,
Rebecca

An Orphan Named Kyle

...The namesake of my blog... Leeland's "Love Is On The Move". It reminded me tonight why I started this blog in the first place; to advocate for the fatherless. These children need families. They deserve to be loved. I can not imagine. As I've said before, when I look at these faces, I see my own children. The thought of them being alone is gut-wrenching. It makes me physically ill. Let's earnestly pray for Kyle & Anna and the millions of other children who are going to bed with worry on their minds. Dear Father, please have mercy...

This sweet boy only has until Friday to find a family. If not, he will age out and never have that chance again.  Please pray for him. I know God has a plan for this child and he wants a family of his own desperately. Adeye & Annie are advocating for him. That means that thousands of people are seeing his adorable face. Surely someone is looking to adopt an older boy. I know that special family is out there. If you'd like more info about Kyle go to www.nogreaterjoymom.com.

13-year-old Kyle and the lady who is working so hard to help him find his family.

An Orphan Named Anna

I need your help. Some good friends of ours (Brian & Sarah), who have 1 biological child and 3 adopted children, are hosting an orphan from Ukraine until January 10th. She is lovely. Her name is Anna, she is 13, & in the 7th grade. Her mom died when she was 9 and she has been in the orphanage ever since. According to the orphanage staff, she is quite an exceptional kid. She is quiet and calm. She doesn't speak English, but she is eager to learn. She speaks Ukrainian, understands Russian, & speaks a little Italian. She is very smart. Sarah says she has so much going for her & a sparkle in her eye. She is happy and great with their children. She laughs a lot and has loved being in a real family this week. Anna told Sarah today, through Google translate, that she had bad dreams last night about staying in the orphanage forever. Brain & Sarah are praying and pleading for help for this precious child. At this point, they feel that their purpose is to be the vessel God will use to help find Anna's family. Anna will go back to Ukraine very soon and then she only has 3 short years before she will be turned out on to the streets...we all know what this means for her future. They need our help to get the word out quickly.

Are you feeling that pull towards adoption? Could the adoption of an older child be for you? Would you at least pray about it? If not you, then maybe someone you know... Would you help us spread the word? We are not allowed to post her pictures on the internet, but if you are interested, please email me at rebecca@mattmckee.com and I will put you in touch with Sarah. She would be happy to share some pictures with you through email.

Blessings,
Rebecca

Merry Christmas!

Round 2 at Matt's parents' house; Christmas afternoon. I LOVE my In-laws!!! Seriously, they are THE BEST.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did. The partying began last night after church service and didn't end until 8:30 this evening. Both mine and Matt's families live in town (except for my dad and his wife) and so we bounce around quite a bit, but it's always a great time. My kids have been on a sugar high since school got out last week and today it just compounded with the "gift high". Our 6 year old did the typical, "are there anymore gifts???" about 100 times tonight. Oh my. We try really hard to keep it simple, but somehow it always spins out of control. We usually get each of our kids 1 big gift and then fill their stockings with socks, underwear, movies, games, books, puzzles, lip gloss, nail polish (for Ansley), & clementines! (In memory of my Mimi) Then there are the grandparents... Need I say more? We also have 2 amazing extended "family members" who spoil the socks off our kids; Uncle Dave & Aunt Val and Mr. Larry. Not to mention Aunts & Uncles & Cousins. Our daughter said, "I think it's kind of weird that we get gifts on Jesus' birthday. We should be giving Him gifts." We had our devotional time this morning before the family arrived. We read the story of Jesus' birth in the gospel of Luke and spent some time in prayer. I mentioned in an earlier post that we've been struggling with some heartache this past week. I'll spare you the details, but sometimes it's hard not to cry out to the Lord about how unfair life can be. Then I remember the life of Jesus and it instantly convicts my heart. As hard as it's been, we spent time this morning thanking God for each and every gift He has blessed us with, including the gift of heartache. It draws us ever closer to Him and reminds us to work on those yucky areas in our own lives. Because we all have them. Instead of complaining about the speck in our brother's eyes, we prayed about the logs in our own. Can I just say, that doing that is so extremely freeing? I tell my kids all the time, "You can not change other people. You can only change you. Instead of fretting over what your brother has done to wrong you, you just work on being the best brother you can be." The Lord deals with us individually. When we are standing before Him at the end of our lives, He is not going to ask us what our brother did for Him. He's going to ask us what we did for Him. He knows our sorrows. He can relate. We have to leave it in His hands. I would much rather be the "wronged" than the "wronger" any day. How about you? So, we have peace in our hearts tonight and we are thankful as we reflect on another amazing year of great health and financial provision. God is so faithful. He continues to bless us even in a very unsteady economy. I knew He would provide the way for this adoption and He is. We have been able to put a big chunk into our "Ashlyn Fund" and that is a great feeling. We still have a long way to go, considering all the medical treatments she will need when she gets home, but we know it's going to be ok. We will do whatever it takes.

I finished up my 10-hour online training tonight. Matt finished his earlier today. We are happy that part is O V E R. Boring. The books we are reading and the real-life adoptive families we are learning from are way more beneficial. I guess they just want to make sure you are as prepared as possible. I'm just ready to start our life with her. It feels like it's never going to get here. This is by far the longest pregnancy EVER. :) Please keep praying that God will prepare us for each other. Her birthday is February 18th, so we will probably send her something. I wish we could somehow hear back from her.

Blessings,
Rebecca & Family

While I'm Waiting...

This post is dedicated to my sweet friend Brook. She is one of the best friends a girl could ever hope for. She is loyal, kind, graceful, humble, wise, honest... beautiful inside and out. And she loves the Lord deeply. She and her amazing husband have been trying to have a baby for a VERY long time. They are that couple who you just know would make the most incredible parents. It's SO hard to see her go through the rounds of fertility treatments and get her hopes up, only to have them fall time and time again. I know it's been so incredibly tough, but their faith is strong and they are not giving up. This song is awesome! I used to listen to it while walking on the trail and praying for Ashlyn before we made the decision to make her a part of our family. Waiting is so hard, but that is where we find the sweet spot in life... TOTAL dependence on the Lord. There is truly no greater place to be.

We love you Bill & Brook. You are always close in our thoughts & prayers. We can not wait for that day to come.
Blessings,
Rebecca

Home Study Progress:

I received our completed home study this evening via email from our social worker. I'm not an expert, but I was so impressed. She did a great job. All we have to do is finish up our 10 hrs. of education and we'll be all set. Matt completed 3 today. I did 2 last week. So, I'm pulling an "all-nighter". Gotta wrap this thing up and get to China!!! Next is the dossier. I hear it's taking about 6 months. Then all the immigration stuff. It looks like we are still approx. 10 months away from travel.
I am so excited. I have had such a peace lately. My friend Jaci told me that she has been praying that God would prepare Ashlyn's heart for us. This has been my exact prayer too. She said that she had prayed the same thing for their little Mia & when she had learned some English, she told Jaci that God told her in China that everything was going to be ok. She was only 3 years old. That's amazing.
I also just wanted to thank our friends the Culloms, Putigna's, Grandstaff's, Radcliffe's, & Anderson's for writing our reference letters. You guys are the best! Each one of these families have been in our lives for more than 10 years. One of them has been my best friend for the past 27 years. 4 out of the 5 have adopted children, or are also in the adoption process. Some domestic, some foreign. They have all been a huge support to us. We are eternally thankful.

Blessings,
Rebecca

5 Days Left!!!

 You probably think I am talking about shopping days. Actually, I am talking about our sad little Jesse Tree that has 4 measley paper ornaments hanging from it. We are like 3 weeks behind. UGH.

I have started this tradition EVERY Christmas since my kids were very little and have NEVER finished it. I Know, how ridiculous right? I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I mean, come on! This is Christmas! I feel like even when we try not to be busy around the holidays, we are still ...busy. I hate that word. Too busy for Jesus just means too busy, right? That can't be good. Priorities? I'm just being real. I sure have good intentions, but that just isn't enough. He is the REASON. The ONLY REASON we celebrate. Somehow, even though I love Him more than ever, I still get distracted and lured away and I hate that. I have too many things rolling around in my head tonight.  My heart is conflicted about many things. Is yours?
The one thing I love the most about this blog is sharing my love for Jesus. The second thing I love most about this blog is sharing my passion for orphans and connecting with other adoptive families. We all have that same thread running through us and we can relate to one another and share in each other's joys and sorrows in ways that other's just don't understand. I am so thankful for the experiences that other's share on their blogs.
Tonight my heart is heavy and I need to ask you all to pray. It has nothing to do with our adoption process. Matt and I have known for many years that God was calling us to more.. we just don't know what that means exactly. Trust was broken again today by a close friend. It's disappointing and hurtful, but mostly it just throws us back to that place of wondering... when Lord? When, what, and where? We don't want to run away from life. But if there is something more rewarding and fulfilling than staying where we're at, we want to be there. If we can be better used somewhere else, that's where we want to be. We believe that God is our Great Provider. Every bit of business that comes our way is from Him... And every bit of business that doesn't? Well, that's from Him too. Tonight we are just trying to keep things in perspective. Forgiveness; 7 x 70 times. Doesn't mean it's easy... But we do trust that what the enemy meant for evil, God will use for good.

Blessings,
Rebecca

BTW, Amanda... I replied to your emails, but I don't think you're getting them. Do you have two accounts??? I am so excited that you reached out. I can not wait to tell Ashlyn about you!!! Thank you for the many prayers.

I have had Ashlyn's stocking for 4 years! I love that I can hang it knowing that it's finally a reality!

4 crazy kiddos! Aren't they cute?

Exactly One Year!

One year ago today, I saw Ashlyn's picture for the first time on Rainbow Kids and Cornbread & Chopsticks. You know, the one to the right of this post where she is holding the stuffed animal? It's an older picture, but my very favorite. Each picture I have of her is very different. It's weird. It's almost like a different child is in each one. It makes me wonder which one she actually really looks like the most. I think the one at the top of my blog is probably most realistic. It's candid and shows her genuine smile. Her eyes are all lit up at the person she's looking at. Oh, my goodness! I can not wait to see her face to face! I am so tired of staring at these pictures. I just want to get on with our lives, but we still have such a long way to go.

I got an update from our agency on Friday. We asked the facilitator if she could find out if they gave Ashlyn our pictures and letter. They told her that they had. Matt still thinks they didn't, but I am hopeful that they have. She needs to see our faces so that we won't seem like strangers to her when we get there. Also they suggested that we use Ladybugs in Love to send her a birthday cake in February. Have any of y'all done this before?

Can you believe Christmas is in 1 week?! I still haven't finished shoppping and I haven't even bought gift wrap! Where did the time go?

Look who stopped by last wednesday! Carollers!!! It's our neighbor's church small group. We were so excited and so blessed. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day. Thank you Segalini's!!!

Blogging

I have some personal convictions about blogging that I still struggle with, and I'm looking for some (kind) feedback. (And for the record, I am not on Fac*book either:) This is a personal conviction... meaning it is about me. Not you. I have sometimes felt that blogging was just a nonchalant way of bragging. Not always, but sometimes. There are wonderful public blogs out there that give glory to God and do wonderful things for others. I am not talking about those blogs. Blogging has been my biggest source of help and encouragement in the world of adoption. I love how candid people can be about their struggles and how much they just want to help and give support. I LOVE how people come together to promote help for the lost and lonely. I LOVE how with one single post Adeye is able to raise awareness for a family in need and that need is met overnight. I LOVE THAT. I LOVE that thousands of children are finding families because of advocacy blogs and websites. I LOVE that it's free!!! But there is another side of blogging that made me very leary of ever joining the club. I'll give my example... There was a blog I was looking at about 4 years ago, when I was brand knew to the whole blogging world. I knew this gal personally. She blogged about her entire life and sent it out to the cosmos. Beautiful pictures, inspiring stories, personal beliefs, creative ideas... Her children & marriage were the primary focus. As I read her posts I was confused. Yes, she is a fantastic mother and her children are precious and she has a good marriage, but I know the whole story. Not just the fairy tale. What made me stop and think was a comment that a stranger left on her blog. This gal's marriage was suffering. Her children were misbehaving. She felt like a failure. She was deeply depressed. Her comment said, "I wish I had a husband and children like yours." This made me stop dead in my tracks and think, "Oh, no..." This poor lady was looking at my friends blog and thinking that her life was just one big dream boat. I have to wonder... is that the point? (This can obviously go either way. Some people share deeply personal stories that could potentially be embarassing to their children & husbands.) I admit that I love to look good too. Deep down I want to be a success too. I don't want for others to see all of my ugly weaknesses. I want to put my best foot forward too. Don't we all just want to be known & accepted? I love approval from others. "Words of Affirmation" is my #1 love language. It is very tempting for me to want to post pictures and stories of my family and share with you all how are terrific they are. But, I still struggle with this. I am an open book for the most part. I'd rather throw myself under the bus and tell you all of my junk before I tried to make you think I've got it all together. I know I am a good mom and wife. That's what the Lord put me on this earth to do and He has given me the desire and the strength and the wisdom to do it well. But this life is a journey and none of us have it all figured out and we all come to the table the exact same way: as sinners. I struggle daily with demons in my head that tell me that my best is simply not good enough. I worry that I will have great regrets at the end of my life because I did not read with my children each and every day. We did not do crafts very often. I lost my temper too much. I didn't jump on the trampoline with them as often as they'd have liked. I am too forgetful. My cooking wasn't as yummy as Mrs. Melody's. I wasn't as grace-filled as Mrs. Susan. I didn't buy them as many treats from the store as Mrs. Jill... The list could go on and on.
So, what's my point??? I started this blog as an advocacy site for Ashlyn. It has turned into a great source of therapy for me. But at what point when she is home, do I take a step back? I don't know if it's ok to share her journey with hundreds of people daily. Would I be ok with that if I was her? Yet, I love the help that comes from it. What do you guys think? Many of you, like myself, are ghost readers. I see that my blog is viewed by hundreds of people daily, yet only a couple of you leave comments. :) I'd love to have a discussion with you all about your thoughts on this matter. Does anyone relate?

I'll close with a verse of scripture that my brother read at my beloved P-Paw's funeral years ago:
1 Thessalonians 4:11 "...and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you."

BTW, I do have a family blog that I keep as a journal. It is not public. I keep it for my out-of-state family and close friends. I use it as a journal of our lives together and my kids love to read it. I brag like crazy on that blog because it's just for us and my kids love to read about themselves. It's great fun.

Blessings,
Rebecca

Funny How God Works...

About 4 years ago I was in a Wednesday night Precepts Bible study at my church and this really cute lady walked in and sat down up front. Our great teacher (Jeannie Boyer) who is an amazing encourager, would always pick random people out of the group and brag on them. Well, this one evening she chose to brag on this particular girl (Jaci is her name). She went on and on about Jaci and how she and her husband had just recently adopted their little sweetheart (Mia) from China. My ears perked up and I thought, "When's it gonna be my turn Lord?" Every time I heard of someone adopting from China I wanted to know more and I found myself somewhat jealous. Not envious, just jealous. Jealous that all these people had answered that call and we hadn't. As you know, I was on board way before my husband and so I was constantly in a waiting period, wondering if it was ever going to happen for us. Well, time went by and I didn't ever really have the chance to talk to Jaci about her adoption experience, but she signed her children up for the kids Precept class I was going to start teaching for homeschoolers and that's when we became friends. I got to teach sweet Mia and her bio son Alec the gospel of John every Tuesday morning for an entire year. I learned very quickly that Jaci is a no-nonsense, God-fearing, servant-hearted, tell-it-like-it-is kind of gal. I loved her from the very start.

Well, this very month a year ago we got a call from one of Matt's clients who had moved to the inner city to minister to the families living there. Their Haitian neighbor's house had burned down in the middle of the night and they needed clothing and toiletries for several children and the 6 adults who were living together in that home. We quickly gathered up as much as we could find and emailed all our friends requesting help from them on behalf of this family. Jaci jumped right on it. She was at Tar*et and wanted to know what she could buy. I met her at her home later that day (December 17th) and she filled up my entire trunk with clothes, household items, and cash for groceries. I remember it like it was yesterday... I then proceeded to tell her that Matt and I had decided to go for it and start the process to adopt a child from China. She hugged me and said she'd pray for us and email me with some helpful websites. We said our goodbyes and I was off to collect more donations.
That evening I sat down in my chair next to my Christmas tree and checked my email and there it was. It simply said, "Get a box of tissues." And next to it was the Rainbow Kids website and Cornbread & Chopsticks advocacy blog. I still remember logging in and waiting to be accpeted to view the waiting kids on RK, so in the meantime, I headed over to Annie's site (Cornbread & Chopsticks). As you probably already know, we were originally looking for a toddler with a repaired cleft lip/palate. We did see a couple of sweet faces that matched our profile, but when I saw "Desirae's" picture, she jumped right through the computer and into my heart immediately. I just knew. I even said to the Lord, "Is this the one?" It was as if I'd already known her. She wasn't a stranger to me somehow. I finished scrolling through the rest of the faces and headed back up to Desirae's picture. She didn't look like a "Desirae" to me. She looked like our Ashlyn.

Fast forward to last February... We started the process to adopt her and were doing great. All the doors were opening and we were dreaming of the day she would be home. Then we got the bad news. Older child adoptions were REALLY hard. HARD, as in, "this isn't what I signed up for", HARD. We just had no way of understanding what we were in for. When we heard all of the many stories, we got SCARED. I mean, the kind of scared that stops you dead in your tracks and causes you to say, "NO WAY! Not us! We just aren't cut out for that kind of thing." So after 2 long, agonizing weeks of prayer and consultations, we backed out... Heartbroken, weary, guilt-ridden, embarrassed... You name it, I was feeling it. That's when I started this blog. It became my therapy. It was my only connection to her. I felt as though she was mine and it was my responsibility to make sure she was ok. I can't tell you how many people emailed me wanting more info about her. Probably more than 10 serious families wanted more info on her and thought she just might be "the one".

Fast forward to this past summer... I received an email from an interested lady who said, "I just have to ask... Are you sure she isn't meant to be yours?" And then it happened. The very next day Jaci called to ask if Mia could stay with us 2 nights during the week of VBS, then when VBS was over, we headed up north to Canada and stopped to stay with our friends the Lawrence's in TN who have a Chinese daughter. Then on our way home from Canada we stayed with our friends in GA who also have a Chinese daughter. Then we got home and received the call asking us to host 2 Chinese foreign exchange students. It was quite "coincidental". That's when I prayed and told the Lord, "I hear you, but you're going to have to speak through my husband because he's not gettin' it." That very night Matt said, "Let's do it." It was a TOTAL GOD THING. Miraculous. So here we are...

Ok, so I'll get back to the point of this long post. When we decided to do the garage sale, Jaci was the first one on board. We borrowed her two long folding tables and she loaded us down with items to sell. Twice I met her to pick up donations.
I texted her this morning to tell her that Matt was bringing her tables back to her. When he got there he and her husband Todd stood and chit-chatted for a few minutes and then he handed Matt an envelope and said they'd like to give a little extra towards our fund. When Matt got in the car he opened the envelope. He called to tell me that he had some news that was going to make me cry... Our sweet friends have given us a very generous donation.

I called Jaci, and through my tears, told her that a year ago this coming Saturday was when we found our daughter. God used her to show us where she was and He is continuing to use her and Todd to help get her home. It is really funny how God works. He uses just ordinary people to do extraordinary things to bring Him glory. So beautiful.

THANK YOU TODD & JACI!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

***If you'd like to give to someone today who desperately needs it, please hop on over to the Evan's blog and read their amazing story. www.yourlovewillcarryme.blogspot.com
Their little Alaina was on reece's Rainbow a while ago and I had even inquired about her over the summer before we decide to move forward with Ashlyn. She is PRECIOUS. The Evan's family needs money to send off their dossier. I think it's somewhere around $5600.00.

Precious Alaina! Oh my goodness, I am so excited!!! Doesn't she have the sweetest little face?

Blessings,
Rebecca

Christmastime!

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. I just did my first shopping spree today. It's always a mad dash at the end for me because with this being the slow season in the real estate market, we have fewer closing checks. I am usually waiting on the green light from Matt and it never comes early. This song is my very favorite Christmas song. I love the sound of the orchestra and the choir and the nostalgia of Michael W. Smith's voice. I grew up in Nashville where we were blessed to visit the Tennessee Performing Arts Center on a regular basis and hear amazing concerts and see great shows. My dad always got tickets for Christmas shows from work and we LOVED going as a family. Also, Michael's kids went to my school and he led our chapels quite often, so I literally grew up on his music. Tennessee Christmas's were the best. I have wonderful memories of my childhood. When I hear this song, it takes me back to that time in my life...even though it's one of his "newer" songs. Isn't it crazy how music and smells can just throw you right back to another time and another place almost instantly? My dad LOVES music. I grew up on a variety of great stuff like The Eagles, Christopher Cross, Bread, England Dan & John Fortcoley, Alabama, Ronny Millsaps, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie... Oh my goodness, it drove my mom nuts! But he also loved Christian music. He used to get up on Saturday mornings and throw on Wayne Watson or Phillips, Craig, & Dean and just listen to the same song over and over again. That REALLY drove her nuts. But I fell in love with music because of him and for that, I am extremely thankful. I LOVED growing up around Christian artists like Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Amy Grant. I never took it for granted and I miss it terribly. I hope you are enjoying this season of Christmas and reflecting on all of the many blessings that we have here in the USA. I am so thankful for my freedom...that I can worship my God openly and freely without fear. Our pastor reminded us yesterday of many people around the world who do not have that same freedom. There is a Christian pastor (husband & father to 2 little boys) in Iran who is on trial right now and may lose his life because he will not renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. Have you heard of this story? You can find it on www.foxnews.com I can't imagine how difficult that would be. It's something all Christian's will face eventually. I don't know about you, but I wonder just how long it will be. Maybe not in my lifetime, but I think for sure in my children's...

Grand Finale...

Today was our final garage sale. I forgot to ask y'all to pray. We have made almost exactly $4,000.00 with this amazing little fundraiser. What started out as what we thought would just be a one-weekend garage sale turned into 5. We took a couple of weekends off and then had 1 more final blowout sale Friday and today. We had quite a crowd on Friday morning. I had to get the kids ready for school and then get myself ready to head out the door at 9:30. The kids had a special chapel on Friday and both of my lower school kiddos were receiving character beads and I didn't want to miss it. Matt stayed back with my mom and his parents to help him out. The West Orange Times (our local paper) did an article on our family last week about our adoption and the garage sale. It drew out SWARMS of people. Yay God! And "THANK YOU WEST ORANGE TIMES!!!"  We met some of the nicest people. SO many people were so genereous to us and wanted to hear more about our sweet Ashlyn and see her picture. It was so much fun...and a lot of work. At around 3:00 this afternoon, we started putting things out on the lawn for free and that was SUPER FUN. Alex and I loaded up a truck-full of toys and drove them over to a needy area in town where there are a lot of Mexican families and TONS of little kids. They were so happy. I came back to find our neighbor's entire church small group rummaging through the rest of the things in the garage. It was so awesome! I LOVE giving stuff away! One little lady came over around 2:00 and I told her just to gather up as much stuff as she could put in her car and I told her it was all free. I thought she was going to pass out. She said, "You people are so generous!This is a great day for me!" She called her son and he came over with his truck to get some things for his apartment. By far, this was the best part about the entire 5 weeks. I was giddy for them. Free stuff is so great! Especially in this economy where so many people are working hard just to keep from losing their homes. We are so thankful for our amazing friends who gave and gave and gave to us. We have literally had donations on an almost daily basis since we started this back at the end of October. Our friends are some of the most amazing people. Thank you also to those of you who donated money from afar by purchasing one of Sonya's prints. BTW, I still have 4 left!!! Someone buy them please! :) She is such a sweet & talented little girl. I would love to be able to tell her that I sold them all. (BTW, she and her parents are headed to get her sister in China sometime this week I think.) Here are some pictures from today. I wanted to take more, but we were so busy the whole time. I ran in and got my camera when we had slow spells. They are mostly of my family who were so HELPFUL! My mother-in-law and father-in-law were here at the crack of dawn EVERY single day we had a sale. We gave them some free stuff too! ;)

My mom, Averleigh, Matt, & his parents having a much deserved lunch break yesterday on one of our sale items:)

Alex and some of the neighbor boys acting like dorks, digging through some "junk" on the lawn.

This is a pic from the outside of our very full garage. We sold a ton of clothes.

Matt's sweet sister; Charlene

Ansley & her sweet friend Eden playing with a sale item and singing along to "Feliz Navidad" on the radio.

Another view of the driveway. This was AFTER we sold most of the stuff that was on it!

Champ of the month: Miss Averleigh! She be-bopped around the entire time, having fun playing with all the toys.

Good Night Ashlyn...

I wrote the words to this song several posts back. It is my good-night prayer over Ashlyn tonight as always. I love you sweet girl. I pray that you feel my love and prayers across the thousands of miles. You're probably at school right now. I hope you have a wonderful day. When you're walking to school and you see the clouds in the sky and the birds flying around and the beautiful trees and flowers, I pray that the Lord speaks to you and draws you near to Him. He loves you and has great plans for your life.
Love,
Mom

Kolina & A Testimony From A Former Orphan

This is Kolina. She is 9 years old and weighs somewhere around 11 pounds. Kolina has Down Syndrome and is living in (WAAAAAAY) less than ideal conditions in an orphange in Eastern Europe. She is desperate for the love of a family, as you can clearly see. It is unbelievable how sad this child looks, but with the love of a family, she can flourish. I have seen it with my own eyes. Please pass this on to your adoption-loving friends. If you feel led to give to this child's adoption fund you can go to www.reecesrainbow.org and make a donation. If you are interested in knowing more about this sweet girl you can email Shelley at shele337@yahoo.com. Please stop & pray for sweet Kolina right now.

This little sweetheart is Xiaoyun. She is a former orphan; rescued just a short time ago. She HAS the love of a Mama & a Baba now. Praise God for that one family that said, "Here I am, send me!"

Oh, and 1 more cutie pie from Reece's Rainbow. I had to advocate for her because her names is ASHLYN! Isn't she adorable! She is 2 years old and has DS also.

Blessings,
Rebecca

Making Progress

Matt & I spent the day yesterday finishing up some home study paperwork, getting it notarized and mailing it off. It's been hard to have a separate home study agency from our actual adoption agency. We essentially have had to work with 3 different agencies to do this. It has definitely slowed down our process. We are trying to finish up our required reading as well. This "Adoption Parenting" book is a great source of education. It's like an encyclopedia on adoption. It is mostly written for the person adopting a younger child/infant but it does talk about older child adoptions as well. I am still wading through the waters of my uncertain feelings right now. I am getting passed the initial feelings of excitement to the latter feelings of reality. I am by nature a "realist". I try to never have dreamy notions of things for fear that I will be disappointed and then not be able to cope or accept the reality. I know that God has called us to this without a doubt, but I do have legitimate "fears". Not only am I concerned for Ashlyn and all that she is going to endure and for mine and Matt's ability to properly handle that, I am also trying to think ahead to how this is going to impact our current children. I think that "twinning" her with Alex would be harder if Alex was a girl. He is a strong, mature young man. I don't think she will pose much of a threat to him. We have been advised to not let her know that she is the "oldest". Realistically, she will most likely not even be as socially/emotionally/developmentally mature as our 9-year-old daughter. Our 6-year-old is my biggest concern and we are going to have to find a way to spend more time with him, communicating with him and making sure he is as prepared as possible. He (and our 2-year-old) won't be travelling with us to get her and he was the only one who originally showed resistance to this decision. He has accepted it now and even shows a lot of excitement, but he's just too young and it's still too far off for him to really grasp it. I just worry that he will feel misplaced somehow. He's such a love-bug. His heart is so tender. He still needs a lot of attention. There are just so many things to consider when adopting, and does anyone REALLY process ALL of those things beforehand? I mean, we knew ahead of time what many families were dealing with. We have several friends who have adopted, and some who have adopted older children. But, I don't think we let ourselves really face ALL of the the hard realities straight away. I replied to a question (on a y*hoo group) someone had about considering older child adoption a while back. I told her that I wouldn't suggest listening to a lot of the hard stories right away. Some of it is beneficial in deciding if it's right for you, but some of it is down right scary and could hinder your ability to listen to God's calling. Another reader commented back that I should not be adopting in the first place if other people's stories could scare me away like that. I didn't want to argue with her. We are afterall, on the same team (as she has adopted older children as well). It's not her place to be judging other's decisions, and I really took her unkind words hard. It sent me into a tailspin of emotions. I was shocked at how rude she was, yes, but also at how quickly I could be "ruffled" by someone else's opinion of me and my personal convictions. I was convicted of how many times in the past I might've been judgemental towards someone elses decisions. At the end of the day, we are all just humans. I know when the enemy is on my heels and I know the Source of my strength, but I am still just a human being at the end of the day. I love what Adeye had to say on her blog today @ www.nogreaterjoymom.com. If you haven't read it, stop over and do so. I am aware that this decision to adopt an older child was not initiated by me, but by my Heavenly Father. I will not be able to weather the storms on my own and i have to be ok with the fact that there WILL be storms. I have to keep reminding myself that He will calm the storms of my life and He ALLOWS the storms in my life. My biggest desire is that I would be able to trust Him even more; that I would not be afraid. That I would move ahead confidently, keeping my eyes fixed on HIM. Please pray for peace in my heart today. I still look at those eyes and see a precious child. A chosen child. A helpless life who has to endure WAY more than me. Just think about the storms in her life and she doesn't know the One who holds her... yet.

Confession

Yesterday was one of those days where I felt like the walls were closing in on me. We are just an ordinary family. We are not the Duggar's. I always joke with Matt and say, "If only we were more like Michelle & Jim Bob." :) But we aren't. I am a stay-at-home mom and Matt works from home, so we get a lot of great family time together. That also means we have a lot of opportunities to get under each other's skin. Matt & I are good parents and we have a good marriage (for the most part). We love our children immensely. We try really hard to keep Christ at the center of all we do and we try to model Him for our kids as best as we can... But you know how life is. It's HARD to be a parent. I feel like I am constantly on guard against the world and all the lies it tries to throw at my family, not to mention my own frailities. My point is, I see our shortcomings. I know where we are weak and so does the enemy. The attack on me came in many forms yesterday: information from an email about older child adoption, questions from well-intended family members, our own short-tempers, (slow business...grumpy hubby)... On and on it went. I start to worry that Matt and I won't be able to handle the added stresses properly that adoption brings. I  know that all families feel this way, but I was especially concerned yesterday. I texted my BFF (Tracy) and she spoke truth to me instantly. I knew what she would say. I just needed to hear it from her. Then I woke up to more encouraging words on my blog from Aus.
The issue is, we are jumping into this adoption with our hearts wide open. We are "sitting ducks" in the biggest way. I am scared of the unknowns. But if we knew the unknowns now, the Lord knows we (probably) wouldn't go through with it. We wouldn't do most of the things we do if we knew ahead of time how callenging the journey would be.
Matt sent me an "I Am Second" clip today of a guy named John Rivers. He owns our favorite bar-b-q restaurant in Orlando, named "4Rivers". He spoke right to me. I just love how God does that. You can watch it right here:

Somewhere in Between...

If you have ever adopted a child, you know exactly where I am right now mentally. There is this great HOPE in my heart and mind for this child who has captivated our hearts. I see her adorable face and I imagine a lovable, precious, needy child. Someone who was left as a 3-year-old little girl wondering when her mommy was coming to get her and then finally letting go of that hope probably just a few short years ago (if at all). I know she has struggled in school and that her speech is unclear. I am sure she has been teased for many reasons. Then I see the group pictures of her at her "home", holding other children in her lap and hearing about how she "will help the other children who get into trouble", and "share the good things with others", and how the younger children like her very much... Are these statements true? Maybe, maybe not. I just get a feeling when I look into her eyes that she is an old soul. Someone who has had to be very brave and courageous. An overcomer for sure. I also see HOPE. I see a little girl who is going to have to be very brave... AGAIN. Just one more time.
Then there is this other side of my brain and heart that won't let me hang out there for too long. She might reject us. Why wouldn't she? We look nothing like her birth parents or her nannies, OR HER. We don't sound the same or smell the same or act the same... Why would she want to move to America and leave all that is familiar behind? I sure as heck wouldn't! How frightening that would be?! I am an empathetic person. I have the ability to feel other peoples emotions as if I myself were experiencing them. I find myself very frequently taking on others emotions throughout the day. I try to always put myself in other's shoes and ask myself, "how would I feel if..." Or in this case, I imagine my sweet 12-year-old son having to leave all that is familiar behind and go alone with some strange family to China and make a new life there with them and learn to love them in place of me and Matt.
Yes, she is better off in the long run. But that doesn't make her journey any easier. It is a journey for sure and one that she will have to be brave enough to take on. I think she is. I believe with my whole heart that God did not bring us this far, to then leave us at the altar. But this is something to consider. I know that this has been a reality for some families. Will it be ours? I hope not, but we will have to cross that bridge when we get to it. And I believe that God will use even that experience for our good, should that be the case. Because He is an awesome God. And I can look behind me and see His footprints in the sand. I can see His fingerprints on every aspect of my life... ESPECIALLY in the bad times. He has used those times to grow me in ways that I never would've been able to grow any other way. For His faithfulness, I am truly thankful.

Maybe you've never experienced what I am talking about. Maybe you don't believe in God, or in Jesus. What have you got to lose? He loves you. He has been wooing you your whole life. He makes the sun to shine on your face and the birds to sing you lullabies. He moves the waves of the ocean to show you His almighty power and strength. He can be trusted. He provides you with food, shelter, clothing, friends, & family. Every good and perfect gift is from HIM. So, what are you waiting for? Lose yourself in Him today. Maybe you wouldn't even know how to do this. Is there a wrong way? No. Just get alone and close your eyes and imagine yourself at his feet. He is your Creator. He made you and He knows every thought & detail of your life. He knows the very number of hairs on your head. Just ask Him to show you what to do and then be silent. Confess to Him that you are a sinner (as we ALL are). Tell Him you want to have a relationship with Him and you don't know how. Tell Him you want to trust Him, that you want to surrender your life to Him, that you want to believe. Ask Him to forgive your unbelief. Then wait in great expectation. Open up your Bible and read the book of John. He wants you to know His story. The book of John was written, "that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME." Don't wait another day. Do it today and then share it with a friend or family member. It's life-giving, life-saving, life-altering, goodness that can not be found anywhere but through Him.

I just felt like that needed to be said. Sorry for the sermon;) But, what good is a blog if you can't use it as your mountain top to share the good news with others? Amen? I pray that God might use me to touch the lives of others. I am so thankful for the people He has used to touch mine... SO eternally thankful.

Blessings,
Rebecca

Cross Your Fingers & Toes...

I'm not a superstitious person, so I'll ask y'all to pray along with me today. I just had a great talk with our social worker (Mallory) at our agency (Lifeline) and asked her if she would ask our Chinese facilitator (Lilly) to call the orphanage and request that they give Ashlyn our pictures and letter. I don't really care about the gifts. I just want for her to start getting used to us. Right now we are just a figment of her imagination. If she could read our letter and see our faces, she would start to get to know us a bit. That way when the day comes for them to bring her to us, it won't be so shocking for her. Mallory said she would definitely ask. Even if Lilly asks, there is a chance they will say "no". They may even say "yes", but then not do it. As I said before, the families of older adopted children from Ashlyn's orphanage told me that their kids did not get their care packages until the day they met their child. In Most cases they do this to protect the child. It's understandable to a degree. But we are a sure thing!
We are reading a great book called, "Adoption Parenting". Have you read it? I highly recommend it to ANY adoptive or pre-adoptive family. It's a great resource.

BTW, I got a $10.00 off coupon in the mail today for Build-A-Bear Workshop:) Funny timing, huh? I guess that confirms my idea!

I am so anxious to get past the home study! 1 & 1/2 books and 10 hrs of online training to go...

Growing Up...

I am having an emotional day today for some reason. It started back when Toy Story 3 came out... you know at the end where Andy is giving his toys to the little girl? Well, this triggered a very emotional nerve in me again last night as we watched it on TV...

 Our oldest (Alex, 12) had a bear that he named "Grizz" that he got at his sister's 3rd birthday party at Build-A-Bear workshop almost 7 years ago. All of our kids have one of these special bears, including Ashlyn. Grizz sat on Alex's bed in his Orlando Magic outfit for years. He went to school for teddy bear picnics and on other various trips. Well, last year our neighbors were having garage sales and our kids wanted to know if they could sell some stuff too. So Alex came out and put a box of his toys in our neighbors driveway. Apparently someone was inquiring about the teddy bear in that box and so my neighbor yelled over to Alex asking how much he wanted for his bear. Alex wasn't sure and so he asked me. I said, "Are you sure you want to sell Grizz???" He said, "Well, I don't know..." I told him it was his decision. So he went next door to collect his profits from the gal and off she went... looking quite happy. Alex came back over to me and said, "I had a lot of good times with Grizz. Now he can go on and give someone else good times." :(
He says he didn't mean to put Grizz in the box. I think he was regretting the decision even before the girl pulled away from the curb, but he was afterall 11-years-old. It was one of those great decision moments. He was growing up. If I had had enough time to ponder the idea, I'd have said "no way!" But we were busy that day and I felt like it was his decision to make. I had to let him make it on his own. UGH. We all went to see Toy Story 3 together as a family when it came out at the theater. Averleigh was a baby and slept the entire time. We all thought about Grizz at the end of the movie and my not-so-sappy husband and I were both in tears. Not for the silly bear so much, as the time that flies by. Our kids only stay little for a short time and then something happens overnight and they aren't so little anymore. Last night I was realizing that again. I'm about to be the mother of a teenager. 2 teenagers!!! One who I've had the amazing privelage of raising his whole little life and one who is a great hope growing in our hearts. It hasn't been easy. Our firstborn is strong-willed to the core, but tender as a little lamb. He is wildly protective and fiercely courageous. Fittingly his name means, "defender of mankind". The Lord gave us that name, as He has of all our children, and I know He intends to see it through. I am so thankful today for my sweet Alexander Benjamin. I think I will kidnap him from school one day soon and take him to Build-A-Bear... Just me and him. He's still my little boy and he needs another Grizz! Well, ok, I need another Grizz.:)

Victoria

This precious little girl is VICTORIA. She is an orphan at "Eagle's Nest" in Guatemala where the Block family (www.buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com) serve full time. Victoria is 11 months old. She was born without her left ear and only has part of her right ear. She also has cataracts in her eyes and has limited vision. She was blessed to be able to go to the States on a medical visa and receive medical treatment for her eyes and an evaluation on her ears. Victoria needs a special hearing device called the BAHA. If she is able to get this her hearing will improve drastically. Eagle's Nest is able to get those hearing aids for $4,800.00 which is a fraction of the usual cost. However, this is a huge amount for a small orphanage to come up with. They simply can not afford it. They have miraculously raised $2,200.00. If you feel led to donate to this cause, please visit their blog and let them know. Please pass this on and let the Block family know you are praying for them and spreading awareness for their needs.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Fundraising Update:

Garage sale earnings thus far.... (Drum roll please)... A whopping $2600.00!!!! And more to come on the second weekend in December. We hope this will be the last sale. My back won't take much more. Seriously. I have been in enormous pain. I fractured my tail bone in high school and after 4 pregnancies, my back has taken a beating. Moving all the heavy tables and boxes in and out of the garage 8 times has left my lower back in a bad state. Not to mention we have a very chubby little toddler who I lug around all over the place...

Thanks to a generous family, we are down 2 prints (Basket of Flowers & Crooked Stream) and we have raised $50.00 so far! Thank you Phil , Ruth, & family in San Diego!!! Phil and his wife Ruth adopted little Li Zhou back in 2009 (?). Her American name is Meilani and she is a very special little friend of Ashlyn's. She was born with a deformity in her arm and was put on the "special needs" list like so many others because of it. Phil and Ruth were waiting for a healthy baby when they were introduced to little Li Zhou. They decided to skip the LOOOONG wait for a "healthy baby". They saw that sweet face and fell in love. From the pictures they send us, her arm doesn't seem to hold her back from loving life. She is precious and we are so excited to reintroduce her to Ashlyn one day. I met this family on the yahoo group for Ashlyn's orphanage. When I joined and introduced myself to the small
group, Phil sent me some pictures he had of the group of kids in the orphanage and told me to check to see if Ashlyn was in any of them. I said, "Yes, she is! She is the one holding the little baby!" He said, "That baby is our daughter!" AMAZING!

Ashlyn holding Meilani at the orphange

Sonya

Hey Y'all! This is Sonya; beloved daughter of a fellow sister in Christ, and now my blogging friend and fellow adoptive mom: Cheryl. I met them on Adeye's blog a couple of weeks ago. Cheryl posted about her sweet adopted daughter Sonya, and how she was raising money to get herself to China with her parents to meet her new sister. Sonya is an amazing little artist. By selling her pastel prints, (which she painted when she was just 6 & 7 Years old!) she not only raised enough money to buy her plane ticket, she is now raising support to fly her sister home and they are SO CLOSE!!! Please help them out and visit their blog at www.yiandmeitogether.blogspot.com. OR you can purchase one from us! Cheryl told Sonya about us and she told her mom that she wanted to help us out, so they sent 6 of her pastel prints to us for us to sell on our blog.

Flowers In A Basket

Flowers In A Bowl

Flowers In A Vase

Apples In A Basket

Cattails

The Crooked Stream

 If you would like to purchase one of these beautiful prints and help bring our sweet girl home, just leave me a comment with the one you want. We'll do it on a first come, first serve basis. Feel free to give whatever you feel led to give. Every little penny helps!!! Thank you!

THANK YOU HOIUM FAMILY!!!

Leeland

I LOVE these guys! They wrote the song that I got the name of my blog from; "Love Is On The Move". Today is "National Adoption Day". I hope all of you fellow adopters are having a blessed day!

Answered Prayer

Rita & Aidan (our 6 year old)

Michelle & Rita: making egg fried rice

I mentioned in an earlier post that we had 2 Chinese exchange students stay with us this past summer. They played a huge role in our decision to move forward with Ashlyn again. The Lord really did use them to touch our hearts and I am eternally grateful.
"Rita" & "Michelle" are 12 & 13 years old. They were here in the USA for 4 weeks with their school. They spent 2 of those weeks with us and the other 2 weeks in NYC & Boston. I couldn't get over the fact that they were so young and yet their families had sent them here for 4 WEEKS. I kept asking them if they missed their familes and they were like, "What? No. We not miss our families." Their English was pretty good, but still not good enough to have real conversations, so we learned very little about their lives while they were here. When I would pick them up from school every afternoon, they would come running to our car, so happy to see us. They wanted to skip out on some of their field trips just to be with us. We bonded with these girls and loved every second of our time with them. They were in class and on field trips during the weekdays, but they were home with us in the evenings & all day on Sunday. SO we took that opportunity and were thrilled to be able to bring them to church with us. I went to the Christian bookstore to purchase them some Chinese New Testaments, but they didn't have any. They did however have the gospel of John. So I purchased 2 of them and prayed that the pastor (who happened to be a guest speaker that day) would be teaching from John. Not only was his message from John, he challenged the congregation to take a leap of faith and follow God's leading in our lives. He even said, "For some of you, the Lord may be calling you to adopt. What are you waiting for?" I looked down our row that day and there sat 5 Chinese girls. 2 of them were our exchange students and the other 3 were Olivia and her 2 sisters and their family. How God weaves His plans for our lives is so miraculous. I was so overwhelmed with His love and kindness towards me. That He would use a sinner like me, put a dream in my heart, and show us so clearly what we were to do is beyond any words I can find... Only God.

As I was driving the girls to the school on that last morning, I asked them if they knew who Jesus was. Rita had bought Ansley some cross earrings while she was at Universal Studios and Alex a cross necklace. She even caught on to family prayers and initiated one evening. So I was not completely surprised when she answered, "Yes." Michelle said that she did not know who Jesus was. I asked Rita if she went to church in China and she said, "Yes." I was shocked, so I repeated myself &  said, "Really? Is your family Christian?" And she said, "Yes! Really!" I still wonder if she understood my questions, but who knows, maybe they are believers. Regardless, the Lord brought these girls into our lives and I will pray for them for the rest of my life. They got a taste of His goodness while in our home and at our church. I pray that it was enough for them to keep searching.

Rita has called me almost every single day since the day she left our house last July. I love hearing her sweet voice on the phone and her giggles when she can't find the right words. Her English has improved leaps and bounds since July. We actually had a real conversation last time about her school. It turns out, she goes to boarding school and only goes home on weekends. No wonder she didn't miss her family. She rarely sees them;(
After our last chat (about 3 weeks ago) I stopped hearing from her. So I started praying. Then again this morning while mopping my floors, I thought of her and prayed that she would call. I emailed her about a week ago, but nothing...
As I sat down to pray after I was done mopping, I heard that "ding" on my iPhone. You know that ding? :) So I looked and there it was! An email from Rita. Of course I started crying and thanking God for His goodness again. She said she had lost her cell phone but she was doing well and would call soon. Please pray for our sweet friends Rita & Michelle. Pray that one day we might meet again and of course, for their salvation.
Blessings,
Rebecca

Venting...

We were told how frustrating the adoption process can be, especially the Dossier part, but I REALLY am frustrated with how repetitive this how ordeal can be at times. I'll not go into the details and waste my time (and yours) whining, but SERIOUSLY, how many local police clearances & budget reviews does it really take??? And we aren't even to the Dossier part yet! I feel like we have been on this hamster wheel FOREVER. I guess maybe I'll feel better when the home study is finished, but we still have so much to do. Please pray that I can get my act together and balance this juggling act.
Tomorrow is a new day...

Garage Sale: Weekend 4 & Counting...

Not to mention one very sweet reformed RH (Reluctant Husband) :)

We have had yet ANOTHER amazing day selling the belongings of our wonderful friends and family. We made $623.00 today and we still have tomorrow to go! We are becoming pro's at this garage sale thing. We've had several of the same people come back each week and that's always a lot of fun. They are so sweet and excited to see us each time and ask how it's been going. We have been handing out slips of paper with our blog on it so that those who are interested can follow us along on our journey. That way they can see what they have contributed to by spending their hard earned money at our sale. People like to know that they are helping a good cause.

Please continue to pray for us. We'd like to make it a rounded $1,000. 00 for the entire weekend. I think we can do it. We still have lots of stuff to get rid of. Then we will be taking a break for the next couple of weekends for Baseball games and Thanksgiving.

If you'd like to support us in this endeavor, but live far away, we will be selling some beautiful pictures on our sidebar very shortly. They were painted by a precious former orphan named Sonya who painted them to raise her own support to fly to China with her mom and dad to get her little sister. Sonya and her parents donated several of them to us to sell on our blog. They will be $10.00 a piece and they are AMAZING. You will not believe she was 6&7 years old when she painted them.

Blessings,
Rebecca

The Block Family

This Is the Block Family. I found them on Adeye's blog this past summer when they were raising funds to move their family to Guatemala to serve full-time in an orphanage called, "Eagle's Nest". They are such an amazing family. As you can see, they not only serve full-time at this orphanage, they have adopted quite a few times themselves. They are walking the walk in a radical way. Matt and I admire their faith so much. I keep telling Amy to scope out a place for us:) You just never know what God has in store...
Their need was for 100 people to step out in faith and commit to giving them $25.00 per month for living expenses. This is a small $2500.00 a month. They have how many children??? NINE! (Two of them are away at college.) The Block family left for Guatemala without having reached their goal. They knew God was calling them there and so they stepped out and went anyways, knowing that God would provide. You may not be able to adopt a child yourself, or you may not feel called to adopt, but you can help someone else who is, or someone else who is serving orphans. Would you join us in supporting the Block family? I know you would bless them so much if you took a minute to visit their blog at www.buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com and sign up to be a monthly supporter. Maybe even just tell them you'll commit to praying for them. It is HARD to leave the comforts of home. Amy has been blogging this month about the things she is thankful for. I know she would love to hear from you.

Blessings,
Rebecca

Dakota

I originally started this blog to advocate for Ashlyn and I want to continue to advocate for others like her. There is a PRECIOUS little girl with Down Syndrome listed with Lifeline named "Dakota". She is breathtaking. I saw her a few months ago and it was love at first sight. I am drawn to those with DS. My dad had a cousin named Rex who had Down Syndrome. He was my dad's age, but he was OUR buddy. All of us little cousins used to go visit the hills of NC in the summer to see my Uncle Hugh & Aunt Sue (seriously, the Beverly Hillbillies) and REX. He had a different profession each summer. He started off being a "doctor", then he was a "NASCAR" driver, then he was a "preacher"...Oh, the fun we had!!! Rex passed away at the age of 55. His mother was told he wouldn't live past the age of 5... God had other plans and used him to bless SO many lives.
Anyhow, I know first hand the JOY  this syndrome brings to one's family. They are so pure of heart. Just look at this sweet face. Maybe she's waiting for someone just like you to love her and give her a family. If you would like more info, visit www.lifelineadoption.org and click on Mao Ming Kids.

Dear Blog Friends,

Hey y'all! Thanks so much for all the encouragement you have given to us since reading about us on Adeye's blog. I love meeting new people in the adoption community. We got a really nice email from a man named Aus (a former RH) this morning, just giving us his affirmation of our decision. He knew he didn't have to do that but something (the Holy Spirit) told him he should and we were so extremely blessed by that.
Our family has been unbelievably supportive of our decision. Probably because we have shared our hearts with them every step of the way. They have seen our desire turn into excitement and then to fear & uncertainty and then back to desire which has led to peace. We have been very open and honest with them and have tried to pass along what we are learning and educate them along the way as well. They have ALL jumped on board. It is an amazing feeling to know that others believe in you. They see our frailties and our weaknesses and yet they believe in us just the same.

I mentioned a while back on my blog that one of the most frequently asked questions we get is, "Does she speak any English?" And my response to them is usually, "No, and that is the least of our concerns." :)
Seriously, I wish that were the hardest part. Our friends, the Jacoby's, brought their daughter (Olivia) home from China last December at the age of 13 and she is now speaking fluent English. AMAZING. Even though she is 14 (or so they think) she is in the 6th grade with our son. I think that, in and of itself, is AMAZING. To come here and within less than one year be speaking English clearly and be in school with kids close to your own age is remarkable. Ashlyn has some speech delays due to her cleft palate and it is stated that she doesn't do very well in school, so we have no idea where she will fall academically when she gets here, and quite frankly, we really don't care. I don't care if we have to start from scratch. She'll eventually get it. It's not like she's going to turn into a pumpkin when she turns 18 if she hasn't graduated from high school. So we are planning on homeschooling her. I still have our "Reading Made Easy" curriculum and we will get her an English teacher. We have Olivia here to translate when we are in a bind and for that we are extremely thankful. I also have Aidan's "Leap Frog: Letter Factory" DVD. As silly as that sounds bc it is for younger kids, I think it will really help her. I do plan on taking her as far back emotionally, socially, academically, & developmentally as necessary. There is a lot of healing that needs to occur and I am up for the challenge. I am excited to be able to give her the love and nurturing that she has missed out on and I PRAY that she will be open to receiving it.