Progress!

On the heels of my last, "stuck in the mud" post, we have suddenly had a great deal of movement...I'm delighted to report!

We traveled to GZ last Friday on the "fastest train in the world" and were delighted to complete our 5th set of fingerprints.  I'm sure the fingerprint tech was really impressed with our style and the flourish of our impeccable "whorls!"  Since riding on the fast train, things have been coming at us at just such a rapid pace!

We've had some news about close ones to us that has been difficult to process.  I'll write more about that in a later post.

We got an email that some folks we highly respect from BC will be paying us a personal visit next month, just to encourage us!  What great news this was!  As we live away from the main cities that people visit...we're always blessed when someone makes the EXTRA effort to come see us!  They want to be with us, to hear about our projects here and the school...we're so, so excited about it!

Out of the blue I received a call from an interested local person who would like to potentially "partner" with us on some humanitarian work assisting older kids who have no family.  Specifically, the need for older kids, with no family, to receive a real education and life skills.  We too often see that this group of kids is so vulnerable to exploitation!  The brothels and crime rings are all too happy for a young person with no family who will come looking for them.  I've a meeting later today with this person, so I'm cautiously enthusiastic about what it will entail.

We also finally have a breakthrough with the tiniest beginning of a relationship between us (our school) and a large,   "officially" run location that houses young children with no family.  This has been a very difficult road.  But soon we'll be rolling out a full project to raise funds for formula, milk, diapers, and other necessities for some dear ones who live at The Bruiser's old "home."  For this, we are praising Him!  Whenever we've reached an impasse these past several months I remember that there are more like our Bruiser waiting for their families...and I feel renewed to press for more avenues to support the work going on there.

Another huge praise is that we received an email yesterday, quite out of the blue, from our dear Grandma D!  She said she was thinking about bringing Nehemiah home and the money we were waiting to come and that she remembered and old policy, purchased when Daddy was just a kid (10 years ago or so ;) that had a small cash value!  It is so fun to see how He moves to bring these resources to us that we need to pay the "ransom" due for our children.

Nightly, during our family prayer time, our kids have been lifting up Nehemiah's homecoming.  They ask for it to come quickly, for him to be prepared for his big, crazy family, and for the money we need to come in.  Lately, we've been praying for the specific amount we need to send the paperwork on to the next step.  For two weeks the kids have been praying nightly for the $2800 to move the paper.  I want to encourage any of you out there with children in the home to ask them to pray with you about specific things...these are FAITH BUILDERS for our kids!  Our kids pray with enthusiasm and total trust that He will meet whatever need it is!    What a joy to share that He was indeed answering their prayer for the $2800, and that we had received word of $1200 coming from out of the blue from the old insurance policy!  After they did the math problem, they amended their prayer last night, and added genuine heart-felt prayers of thanksgiving that He was hearing their prayers and was working to provide what was needed to bring Nehemiah home!

I once read in some adoption literature that often the money of adoption is the dream-killer for bringing a child home to one's family.  I have experienced this many times as I've now counseled dozens of families about adoption.  Our retreat time in February was an endless string of families who wanted to adopt, but were too afraid of the money.  But I loved the way that this author put it, that as believers, we should view this "money" as instead a "ransom" that was due, since the Word often speaks of a ransom being paid for us.  The writer encouraged us to examine our hearts and consider what would happen if one of our children, currently in the home, was kidnapped and was being held for a ransom.  Of course, your mind then goes to the reality that you would do ANYTHING, sell anything, ask anyone for help to bring your child home to where they belong.  In essence, the author went on to explain that if we have determined that we will parent a child who is waiting somewhere in the world for us, they are JUST AS MUCH our child as those already living at home...and a ransom is due to bring them home.  We have certainly followed this pattern, as the needs have arisen for our adoptions, to use/sell whatever we have, to raise the money.

In that vein, and because of how we were blessed to see the many responses to help Qian Qian, we're following the recommendation of some readers and posting another "ChipIn" where if you would like to help us bring Nehemiah home, you can easily give.  We were astounded how gifts of every denomination added up so quickly to provide for Qian Qian's medical needs.  Should you like to be a part of bringing him home, the avenue is there.

On another matter, we've updated the blog to include an "email" opportunity for following us.  I believe (and I'm eager to hear from someone who has done it and it has worked) that if you enter your email address on the top right of the blog, that you can be notified by email whenever there is a new post here.  Just wanted to draw your attention to it...and if anyone experiences it working...please let me know!

We have some big transitions coming for our family in the next month.  Please be remembering us and the children as we go through them...a time of shaking appears to be at hand.  But The Singer's favorite song from our Sunday morning gatherings is "I will not be shaken!"  He has memorized nearly all the words and asks to sing it ALL THE TIME (on the bus, on the way to school, on the field trip, with Dad playing guitar in the evening.)  I will share more specifically about this when I am able.

Thanks for carrying us in your hearts...we are encouraged by you.