The Sweetest Fundraiser

When I came in from a bike ride this afternoon, the girls were at the kitchen table cutting and gluing. After asking "WHERE is your father?' (just kidding), I asked what are you all working on?

They announced that they were making pictures to sell for the adoption. They were very proud of their efforts--and so was their mama!! (times like this I smile to think of my grandkids--I hope there will be several adoptions in my children's families)

To all of you who were holding out on your "got love?" purchase, maybe you would prefer a magazine collage hand cut and glued by two of the sweetest big sisters to-be!!

DISCLAIMER...if you choose to buy Lucille's...it has a picture of boxer shorts with ducks on them that reads "butt quack"--don't ask b/c I do not have an answer!)

Brotherly Kindness

How can we keep from "being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"?

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, ant to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, BROTHERLY KINDNESS; and to BROTHERLY KINDNESS, love." 2Peter1:7

Our journey to our fifth child has been paved with a lot of brotherly kindness and love. We have encountered faithful prayers, encouraging word speakers and cheerful, financial gift givers. Weeks ago, my dear, like-minded friend Jody (from www.talkissheep.blogspot.com) bought and posted our "got love?" mug and tote on her blog. Our first online sales came from two of her followers. Tisha (from www.myrestingplace.blogspot.com) bought 2 totes.

On Monday, without me asking her, Tisha posted a give-away for one of our bags. Here are two friends, one I see all the time and the other I have never met, but both have added some BROTHERLY (or SISTERLY) KINDNESS in their effort to support and encourage our family.

Thank you to everyone that has held us up in prayer, followed our blog and left encouraging comments that remind me everyday that we are in this together! We, as a group, are seeing the need and the neglect and are doing what God has called us to. May we NEVER become unproductive and ineffective!!!

What's in a number?

David Platt: "So when you and I hear staggering numbers and statistics about the poor and needy around us and around the world, we have a choice. We can switch the channels on our mega-TVs and continue our comfortable, untroubled, ordinary, churchgoing lives as if the global poor don't exist. We can let these numbers remain cold, distant, and almost imaginary. Or we can open our eyes and our lives to the realities that surround us and begin considering the faces that are represented by these numbers."

Any number in the millions is hard to picture. This is a video that helps to put "faces" on the number of 143 million. (I believe the newest orphan statistic is close to 160 million by UNICEF)

What will you do? Make a choice!!

Dora vs. Zebco vs. Daiwa

Three different fishing poles and three different children all catching fish!!!

DORA:

ZEBCO:

DAIWA:

One BIG step closer

Our dossier left for Korea yesterday around 2:00!!!!

I was so surprised when I got the mail and saw the USCIS return address. It has only been a little over 4 weeks since we sent in our I600A and a little over 1 week since our fingerprinting!! I am so relieved to have it on its way!

We celebrated at Cold Stone last night. I had been holding on to a gift card that I got for Christmas. (Thanks John and Dani!!)

So begins our countdown! (The latest on referrals is about 6 to 8 months.)

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. Is 65:24

I hope what I have is CoNtAgIoUs!!!

I have self-diagnosed my condition. It occurred after reading this quote from David Platt:

"...orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes."

And so you see...I am having a hard time ignoring the 147 million orphans because now they all have Lindsey's smile. They all love pizza, splash in the bath, cuddle with their bunny, call me "my mom", and giggle a giggle that makes me melt! They are an affectionate daughter and silly sister! They are REAL. And unlike Lindsey that have no one--hear that--no one! They live everyday, like the one before, without a family. Why is that? How can there be so many, more than 147 million, great families and they have none? Why does it seem so out-of-the-ordinary for families to be welcoming them home?

Why are adoptive families a minority and not the majority?

PLEASE JOIN US!

We are on Facebook under Minus 1 Project group! I find this quite exciting, although I don't know why, except for the fact that it may allow for many people who haven't considered adoption the opportunity to see what it looks like.

Post our group on your status and let' s see how many members we can reach--and let's pray that God would use your family and mine to stir hearts to action!!

For all you adoption t-shirt lovers...

..by popular demand and complete generosity (from dear friends) we are excited to announce we now have "got love?" t-shirts! Please, buy one today and help us raise the money we need to complete our adoption.

This is such a fun, bold shirt!! We have sizes from youth XS through adult XXL.

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 3:3

A birthday with 6 sisters!

We had the best weekend celebrating Lindsey's birthday with our China travel group. It was so great to see the families that we bonded with in China. We were missing three and hope they can come next year. Someone told me you know you are special friends when you haven't seen each other in a while and can pick right up where you left off.

I hope Lindsey can remember this birthday...being surrounded by her Chinese sisters.

We attempted to reenact the "red couch" photo! Wish I could show the original...they were all such babies!!

Lindsey was very excited to try out her birthday fishing pole. I think everyone, especially her brothers, were pretty impressed with her fishing ability!

One last picture of all the girls and their siblings (some couldn't be there). We did take one big group picture, but I think by then our camera was dead! But believe me, these are six of the most loving, giving, and fun to be around families! We love them all and are so thankful that they said "yes" to adoption and that the Lord chose our daughters to be "sisters" while they waited for us to bring them home!! What a special bond they will forever share!!

We are off for fingerprinting in the morning...yeah, one step closer to adding a little somebody to the above picture!! We have some other exciting MINUS 1 PROJECT news to share this week!

Please pray about how the Lord can use you in helping those without find families! The church (believers and doers of God's word) can change the world for one orphan at at time...be a part in it. DON'T MISS OUT!!