Deeply Humbled

It is nothing short of a blessing to be able to share a story of how God has brought something beautiful from something so painful, ugly, and hard. 

I was given the opportunity to share my testimony of my journey to motherhood and Abby's story today for a group of moms.  I got to share how God brought infertility full circle to adoption and child advocacy.  I got to share how God brought Abby from death's door to full life.

God was so present and my prayer was that He would speak to each woman there in the way that she needed to hear from Him.  I knew He wanted to speak to them and that each one could receive something different.

I am humbled to my core at the response and at His faithfulness.  One woman came up to me who has a 6 month old with brain abnormalities and very frequent seizures.  As she thanked me with tears in her eyes for sharing and being real and shared how she is dealing with many of the same emotions and pain... all I could do was be so blessed and thankful that Abby's story was bringing hope, encouragement, and strength to another mother walking through her own storm.

Woman afer woman came up to me to share how they or someone beside them had been touched.

And so I praise the God above... our God, who is the master redeemer, who is the lover of our souls, who is our constant in the raging and ever changing storms of life.  And I praise Him for allowing me to share His light and love with others... and His sovereignty.  And I praise Him for the beauty of women gathered in His presence.

His name is Charlie and he joined our family on Sunday!

Oh... he is such a bundle of love and pee puddles!

It is amazing and overwhelming how much love and happiness can fill you in the presence of a puppy!

He is a vizsla and he was rescued from some pretty sad circumstances!

We are blessed and very lucky to have him!

When there is nothing left...

When there is nothing left to give... when I can't take one more 3 year old meltdown... when I can't respond to one more spout of disrespect... when I can't clean up one more puddle of urine... when I can not process one more emotion... when I can not find any motivation to wash any article of clothing or clean one more surface... when I want to crumble and have a fit of my own...

                      I walk by my bathroom window and God so sweetly grabs my attention with this...

and He steals my breath... for a moment... as I see Him in all His creative glory... reaching down to me with a gift...a gift of His beauty and presence and His voice saying, "Come to me."

And I do.  And He is there... as always... waiting and ready to give me what I need for another hour... for another day.  And I am thankful.

To God be the Glory... always

"What is impossible with men is possible with God."  Luke 18:27~

"Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power."  Oswald Chambers~

I think healing has begun and lessons are emerging.

We put ourselves, our love, our time, and our family out there to one in need and we were rejected.

The one in need doesn't see her need.

Her eyes are veiled... thickly covered in lies from the enemy.

She said, "No thank you."

And we had to accept it.

The pain of rejection runs deep.

The pain of watching someone run forward on a path towards destruction runs deeper.

Questions taunt the heart and mind.

The enemy looks for a way in...to wreck more havoc.

And he delivers more painful blows.

My heart breaks.

My heart struggles in a battle of emotions.

But my God is bigger than anything the enemy can scheme.

And even though she said no... God's love and light was given and I know in my heart of hearts that some of it settled down deep.

And God will be glorified.

I rest in Him.

*Note: I promise more on Adacar is coming soon.

Love

We are saturated with images in our society of love.  They all usually revolve around one aspect of love... the "feeling" of love.  Most of them miss the core and true meaning of love... the verb.  The verb that demands to remain when the feeling is not there.  The verb that demands to remain when the one being loved hurts you and disappoints you and rejects you.

God's love is never failing.  It is unending.  It is unconditional.  It is boundless and incomprehensible.

How often God loves us when we are hurting Him.  As I read the Old Testament and see His deep, deep love for Israel (His chosen people) and watch them turn against Him time and time again... I get a glimpse of the kind of love He has for me.  He never stopped loving them.  He allowed them to fall in their sin and disregard for Him and His word... but He never stopped loving them. 

Isaiah is one of my favorite books in the Old Testament.  God's love for His people is vivid and alive in these pages.  I am moved at how much He loves us.  

"For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you.  With a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer."  Isaiah 54:8~

Hosea is another book that is the love story of the LORD with Israel.  If you have never read Hosea... you would be giving yourself a gift to do so.  It is a short book... just 14 chapters.  And it is simply beautiful.
And there is something I must say.  It is something I learned during this past year and it has caused the Old Testament to become alive to me.  It has given me a passion for reading it as I have never had before... because I never knew how much it applied to me.

I have often been confused at how the entire Old Testament could be about Israel (God's chosen people) and how the New Testament was about Christ who came for sinners.  How did these two books fit together?  Why was it given to us and so important?  If it was only about the New Testament... why were we given the Old too?

My answer was that it (Old Testament) was to simply show us God's love and grace and mercy and power.  It also showed clearly how He views sin and disobedience as well as righteousness and obedience.  But then I was shown something that changed everything.  I was shown that I am part of Israel.  It was always about Israel and it is still about Israel!  And then it all had new meaning... it was written for me and about me.  Isn't it sad that something has to be about us sometimes to really speak to us?  It may be sad, but it often true.  Suddenly God's passion and pain and love and mercy and grace and blessing and promise was not just about Israel (and I didn't really understand that)... it was personally about me.

All through the books of Psalm, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Hosea and Ezekiel (and other books too) the LORD refers to the house of Judah and the House of Israel.  The house of Judah refers to two of the twelve tribes of Israel and the house of Israel refers to the other ten.  After each set of "houses" were sent into captivity (due to their disobedience) God offered freedom and restoration to them.  The house of Judah (including the tribe of Judah... the Jews) returned to God but the house of Israel (10 other tribes) liked their worldly life and said "no thanks... we want to stay here".  So God scattered them to the ends of the earth and they married Gentiles and people outside God's chosen people... foreigners.

Psalm 106: 24-27  "Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word, But complained in their tents, And did not heed the voice of the LORD.  Therefore He raised an oath against them, To overthrow them in the wilderness, To overthrow their descendants among the nations and to scatter them in the lands."

The chapter continues to give example after example of how they disobeyed God over and over and over.

(34-36) "They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them."
(39) Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds. *(The book of  Hosea is about the harlot who goes back to sin over and over and over... Israel and how God continues to follow her and forgive her and love her.)
(40,41) Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people, So that He abhorred His own inheritance. And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, And those who hated them ruled over them."
(46,47) "He also made them to be pitied by all those who carried them away captive.  Save us, O LORD our God, And gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to your Holy name, to triumph in Your praise."

Psalm 108:5,6 "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, And Your glory above all the earth; That your beloved (Israel) may be delivered, Save with your right hand, and hear me." *(Christ sits at the right hand of God)

Psalm 110 announces the reign of the Messiah... Christ Psalm 22 is also the crucifixion story!
(1) "The LORD (GOD) said to my Lord (Christ), "Sit at my right hand, Till I make your enemies Your footstool.."

Psalm 111 talks about God's faithfulness to HIS people... and who is HIS people... Israel.
(4-10) "He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion.  He has given food to those who fear Him; (manna and qual in the wilderness to Israel) He will be mindful of His covenant.  He has declared to HIS people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.  The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure.  THEY STAND FAST FOREVER AND EVER, and are done in truth and uprightness.  He has sent redemption to HIS people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.  His praise endures forever."

Psalm 118:21-24  "I will praise You, For you have answered me, and have become my salvation. (Christ)
The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. (Luke 17:25 "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.")

 Isaiah 56:1-3 "Thus says the LORD: Keep justice, and do righteousness. For my salvation is about to come, and My righteousness be revealed.  Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold of it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing evil.  Do not let the son of the foreigner, who has joined himself to the LORD (Gentiles) speak, saying, The LORD has utterly seperated me from HIS people (Israel)." (8) "The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, (10 scattered tribes... House of Israel) says, Yet I will gather to him (Jesus) others (Gentiles) besides those who are gathered to him."

Ezekiel 34 refers to scattered Israel as lost sheep needing a shepherd.  MANY are the references to the scattered tribes as the lost sheep.  (5,6) "So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.  My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.  They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
(11-13) "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. (Christ our Shepherd) As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep.  I will rescue them from all the places from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. (16) I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.  I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and strong I will destroy.  I will shepherd the flock with justice. (22-25) I will save MY flock, and they will no longer be plundered.  I will judge between one sheep and another.  I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David (Christ), and he will tend to them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.  I will make a covenant of peace with them..." *(Christ is the Prince of Peace)

Jesus Himself talks about this in the book of John in chapter 10.  (1-5) "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." (7- 11) "Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me (false gods) are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I AM THE DOOR.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief does not come excpet to steal and kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.  I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD.  THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVES HIS LIFE FOR HIS SHEEP."  

This next scripture shocked me and sent me deeper into study.
"Matthew 15:21-24 "Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is sverely demon-possessed. But he answered her not a word. (*Wow... someone cries out to Jesus and he ignores her... that should catch our attention!) And His disciples came and urged Him saying, "Send her away for she cries out after us.  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  

I have read this passage before and yet read right past this!  The woman, who is a Gentile, goes on to plead and worship Him! (26) "But he answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread (Israel's inheritance of salvation) and throw it to the little dogs." (Gentiles) (27)  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  This is so bold, sweet, humble and sincere and heartfelt.  She was recognizing she wasn't entitled... but still in need and asking for His mercy. I LOVE this passage and I LOVE this woman! (28) Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed that very hour."  HER FAITH is what touched Jesus!

Isaiah 42, 60, and 63 talk about how it wasn't enough to send Christ only to gather the lost sheep but He would be sent also as a light unto the Gentiles.  Paul talks about how once you hear the voice of the Shepherd and follow him, it is no longer about being Jew or Gentile... because Gentiles are grafted in... and the two become one... Gentiles are taken into the fold and become part of Israel.  They become part of God's chosen people.  And God's chosen people is Israel.

Once I saw how intertwined the Old Testament is with the New and realized that I am part of Israel (whether I am descended from the lost tribes or grafted in) and that Christ came to find me and call me by name... the entire Bible became 3-D and my passion for His word exploded.

I know that was a lot.  And I am not sure how this post really came to be.  But we are weathering some storms right now and I was clinging to God's word and the reality of His love for me.  The enemy is raging and trying to steal, kill and destroy.  And I was led to share this about God's love and who we really are in Christ!  If the holy and living God loves me despite my flaws and weaknesses and shortcomings... and seeks me out, calls me by name, and gives me grace... then WHO am I to deny someone love who has not earned it?  

This past year has been huge for us as God reveals more and more of His word and His love and His will and His presence.  I can not keep it to myself!

I pray you are encouraged.  I pray you take time to dive into His word and read it!  The enemy keeps us (tries to keep us) distracted and out of God's presence.  He gets a hold of us so quickly when we allow him to keep us from the most important place to be.  We need a shepherd... every moment... of every day... and we have one in Jesus Christ!

Love and hugs...
 

Boundless Love and Emotional Roller Coaster Rides

THANK YOU for your patience.  I have several of you mentioning, so sweetly, that you are looking daily for a new post.  I have to say a big, "I am sorry", as life has been one high and low after another and moving in fast forward.  And I also apologize that this post is not an Africa post.  I promise to get back to them soon!

As I mentioned earlier, God so amazingly has provided a forever family for Vladimirs AND his brother!  Don and I knew we weren't feeling God lead us in that direction and it was hard to feel that way as he was just precious.  But God showed off for us again as His plan unfolded and a PRECIOUS and SUPER amazing family stepped up to take BOTH boys to keep them together.  God's word says that God's plan is often BETTER than ours or what we could even imagine and He proved it yet again!

I flew up there (a state up North) to meet the host family who had his brother and the adoptive family and they are ALL amazing.  I am so humbled that this process has brought 4 more amazing people into my life.  And as I watched them with both boys, I was overwhelmed with how blessed I was to get to watch this family have their first day with both boys.  It was so so sweet.

While I was up there, Don and I decided to bring a girl back down to our home and advocate for her as a family had not stepped forward to adopt her.  My heart just skipped beats when I saw her the first time and I had so much hope.  But the enemy is working strong and it has been challenging in many ways.  I had much more written out here but I feel now is not the time to share details.

Last night, I felt like a wet rag.  I just have nothing left.  I am so empty and emotionally spent.  And my devotional spoke to me so clearly as it always does.  "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you can not do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"  Luke 12:25-26~  I could have just sobbed for hours.  First of all, God considers adding an hour to your life a little thing!  Wow.  How amazing are His ways and mind blowing is His power!  But He clearly went right to the core of my pain and problem... I am worrying... and by doing so I am not trusting Him.  I am relying on myself to say and do the right things to reach this precious child and try to convince her there is a better way.  I- can- not.  It is not up to me to save her.

I am having a major case of emotional battle royal!  Wow.  Hard is an understatement.  We need prayers.  And boundless love.  Overflowing boundless love and massive amounts of emotional energy! 

A Forever Family

God is moving a family to adopt Vladimirs!  We are thrilled and blown away with God's love and provision and wisdom.  And the kicker... the cherry on top... the bonus prize.... they are also being moved to adopt one of his brothers to keep them together.  I know... can you stand it!!!!!!?????

My soul leaps with delight at how God's plan is ALWAYS better than one we could do on our own!

We will be flying to visit this family in their home state this weekend.  I am about to burst to meet them and see the boys there together. 

I can not praise the LORD enough... nor get enough of Him.

"Nurturing your spirit with everlasting truth"... one of my newest daily "Must Do's"!

Last night, my spirit was deeply nurtured by the Holy Spirit.

Thank you Father.

I am so very, very thankful for the women who are inspiring me right now.

And I am deeply thankful for the everlasting truth.

Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.  Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed."  Psalm 103: 1-6~

The Lord so sweetly gave me this scripture for my trip.  I shared it with the people there, I embraced it while I loved and served them and I cling to it now.  How mighty is the LORD who is our Savior!

This post is deep.  I pray as you read it... and get a glimpse of what happens daily... over and over... and over... the Holy Spirit will blow upon you and whisper to your soul.  That is my prayer... that is my main prayer.

Preparation starts early and wood is gathered.  There is a meal to be made... THE meal of the day.

Powder is mixed with water and posho is created.  I may be spelling that wrong (M, let me know), but it is a substance close to our grits... after they have sat in your bowl for an hour... but hot! And the cook does this day after day after day after day... for hundreds of orphans. 

It is stirred with sticks... heavy, thick and strong sticks that can take the weight of the posho as you dig and flip... dig and flip. 

And it cooks all morning... in the kitchen... until early afternoon.

The children are released from school and they come across the road and gather... beneath trees.  Everything happens beneath the greatness and shelter of the tree.

This is when the separation occurs.  There are two great trees.  Beneath one, children form into organized and very orderly lines.  This is the tree of the sponsored... the children who have been profiled and are in the sponsorship program.  There are about 250 beneath this tree.  And they wait.  They are about to be fed.

Then there is the other tree.  The tree of the "have nots" as if there is a tree of the ones who "have".

They are the children in the background of this picture.  And in reality, they are far more than a blur.  They are hungry.  They are not sponsored.  They are not a part of the program.  And they gather beneath the shelter of the tree... and they wait.  But they also watch... for almost two hours... and this is what they watch... every day... over... and over... and over....

Children line up and patiently wait for the blessing of a hot meal...

they wash their hands...

and one by one... they are handed a bowl...

there is never a complaint about the child in front of them getting more...

just smile after smile mingled with "thank you"... over and over and over.

There is a humility that floods your soul when you hand food to a hungry child... a child who is really hungry... that is like nothing else.  It stings as it collides with your heart and yet it immediately floods you with the Father's love and delight.  And it... like so many other things there... lingers.  It does not leave or let go.  It moves every time I stand in front of my overflowing pantry.  It moves every time I realize in the early morning hours that my kids are being fed around the world.  I could stand and feed them all day... over... and over... and over.

The last child in line has gotten her bowl.  Stomachs have been filled.  Hearts have been replenished with hope.  And God has provided... again... through this amazing program of Children's Hope Chest and the willing and generous people who lovingly give $34 a month to sponsor a child... this child... these children.

And this is where the angels in heaven stop for just a moment... this is where everything changes for several intense moments.  This is where many on our team have to turn their backs as they release sobs from deep within... this is where the 200+ children who are beneath the tree of the "have nots" come rushing towards us for anything left.  After two hours of sitting... waiting... and watching... raw survival instincts overcome these precious ones and the heavens cry.

Eyes are looking, pleading, begging.  Feet are rushing.  Arms are pushing and voices are raised.  Hunger become personified and becomes flesh.

And in what seems so unlikely, it takes only the presence of a stick to direct them back to their tree.

(I must emphasize GREATLY that this stick, this small stick, was never used on a child.  It was only picked up off the ground and shown.  I mean look at it.  I was amazed and humbled to the core that just the image was enough to restore order.  The one holding the stick LOVES these children with compassion and dedication we can not even begin to comprehend.  He lives there and loves them every day.  But when chaos erupts, the children are in danger, and the image of the stick worked. :0)

As they walked back to their tree, I was so overcome.  We had left overs... no posho... just some extra beans... enough to feed about 12 children.  Twelve. 12.  Out of hundreds.  My tears came from the deepest places and I knew THIS would be one of my most important stories to share.  I found comfort in knowing that God would bring beauty from these ashes.  This moment would be used for His glory!

Precious Agnes, our female discipler there, would take the responsibility of going over to the tree and making the choices.  She would choose who would get some food today... some left over beans.  And one by one... she chooses the smallest ones... the ones who had been most shoved and trampled.  As her very body was battling Malaria for the third time, she walked over with a tiny reed in her hand and made choices that none of us could imagine making.

And here they stand... looking in the almost empty pot to see if there really is anything left.

And in God's grace... there was... something left.

 And then there was the last bowl of the day.

And there remained hundreds of hungry children...

who could be given a meal every day...

for just $34 a month.

And here is where God's provision multiplies.

Children who are not yet sponsored but have been profiled got a meal.

God takes the $34 of the sponsor families and uses that to feed all 250 children in the program.

And then He provides some left over to feed a few that have not been profiled.

Just think what God could do in this community if we were able to not only get all 250 children who have been profiled sponsored... but all the children under both trees!

Children who are too young for the program could be fed.

More disciplers, who teach them of God's love and the word, could be hired.

Teachers could be given more support.

School books could be purchased.

Desks could be made/purchased.

Grandmothers, widows, raising many orphans, could be helped.

The first aid box could be stocked and small wounds would not turn into massive infections.

Children could be taught skills and crafts.

Teens could go to high school.

Community gardens could flourish.

Hope could explode and life could flourish instead of try to survive.

Thirty four dollars... a month... for all of that.

Three large one topping pizzas- $34

One dinner for four at Moe's- $34

One pair of pants on sale at Ann Taylor- $34

One week worths of Starbucks for many people- $34

Three bottles of cheap wine- $34

Two music cd's- $34

One pair of tennis shoes- $34

-OR-

changing a child's life, changing a communities future, impacting the kingdom of God...

This happened there today and it will happen again tomorrow.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  Isaiah 55:9-11~

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. He sets the lonely in families..." Psalm 68:5,6~

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  James 1:27~

Please let me know if you are interested in becoming a part of God's light reaching out to this community.

(note: the first day we were there, as a treat, the children were given rice instead of posho.  They also receive meat once a week on Saturday.  Sunday... there is no meal.)

http://www.hopechest.org/

 

Vladimirs

My next post about Uganda flooded me this morning when I awoke but I need to post about Vladimirs today, the 9 year old child we are hosting from Latvia.  We are so privileged to be a part of the Project 143 summer hosting program.  It gives amazing opportunities to older children who need homes... who need love... who need forever families.

Vlad arrived while I was in Uganda and then it took several days to sleep and get back into some sort of routine so this hosting has been different for me than the previous two we have done.  It took me a little longer to get my brain back "home" and into the hosting that was already going on!

But Vlad is a PRECIOUS young man.  He blooms more and more each day and it is really a sweet thing to watch unfold.  I can not even try to imagine what it is like for these kids to board a plane, full of wounds and pain and fear and rejection with sparks of hope flooded with wonder and the unknown.

He has gone from making very little eye contact to making great eye contact.  He has gone from not making any attempt to learn, repeat, or try any english words to trying and even saying some on his own.  He gets along great with our three children and our little poof ball dog!

He loves to do things with his hands and is pretty active.  I guess that is very much little boy!  He had so much fun playing with floam the other day and made a flower, a house, a car, and a basket with eggs in it!  I was very impressed! :0)  He also likes to play Wii and bowling and boxing are his favorite games!

He also loves to swim!  He is a good swimmer and loves to race and jump!  Very much typical little boy things!! :0) 

And one of the most precious things about him is his desire to help.  When I am in the kitchen, he comes in and wants to help cut vegetables, set the table, grate the cheese, or clean up.  He also follows Don around in the yard or garage and help him do just about anything.  It is precious.  It really touches my heart.

So that brings me to the main reason of this post.  Vladimirs is available for adoption.  And he needs a family.

This is an alert for some serious honesty:  Don and I are prayerful.  We know we can not host or adopt all the children that need us.  We also know that God will lead us in His will as we seek Him and listen for Him and obey Him.  At this time, neither of us feel led or moved to adopt him.  Ouch.  That is kinda hard to say but it is the truth.  The only reason is that we don't hear God calling us to do so.  And THAT is what drives us... moves us.

But we are a part of the puzzle.  We are a piece of the plan.  And God has made it clear... we are a voice for these children.  We are a voice for Vladimirs.  And he needs a home.

If you are interested, please email me or call me.  allfromhim@comcast.net is my email address.

If you know of someone who may be interested, please share this post with them.

And please pray.  I know God has a family for Vladimirs.  I know there are major blessings getting ready to unfold.  And I know that pray moves the heavens.  Please pray for God's will to move in a manner that brings Him amazing glory and changes this precious little one's life!

There is a land...

There is a land.  There is a land where hundreds of feet of precious children run to gather beneath a large mango tree when the bus comes into view.  In this land, the beautiful sound of song from voices so sweet fill the air before you even step foot upon her.  And in this land, faces shine with deep emotion that knows no boundary... hope, caution, wonder, pain, joy, anger, excitement, humility, spunk, sadness, hunger, contentment, survival... love.  There is a land... her name is Uganda... and I love her with the depths of my heart.

THIS is what we were created to do... to worship the Father of all creation by loving and serving His people.  THIS is where the Holy Spirit soars on the wind and dances in your spirit.  THIS is where God can really show off... just for you and for His glory!  This is where raw need crashes into His provision in such splendor it can leave you on your knees... in wonder, humility, and deep, deep thankfulness... leaving His joy lingering on you like rain drops from heaven.  THIS is where God can stand before you in His glory and it takes everything in you to remain standing.  THIS is where I fell totally in love with being a simple vessel... a clay pot... to allow the overflowing of His living water.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine...

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you...

When you pass through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze...

For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior... "  Isaiah 43: 1-3~

There is a land.  There is a land where young girls bring you a new baby and ask you to pray over her.  There is a land where the Holy Spirit whispers special prayers that are meant only for the Father to understand.  Prayers that leave me overflowing in tears to witness.

And in this land, babies smell sweet like fresh powder and suck their fists.  They lie quietly in your arms and soak in their prayer like a personal lullaby. 

In this land... children smile with faces full of joy and love... against all odds... and soak in the Father's touch and love like tiny little sponges.

Oh... this land of Uganda... Adacar, Uganda.  I think I am ready to take you there... one post at a time.  To the God of all creation be every drop of the glory!