Even though it is summer, spring has sprung!

 

“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalm 68:4-5 NIV

This is the verse that I received in my email inbox from http://www.biblegateway.com/ .

We are singing to God, we are praising His name! He is the father to the fatherless and so much more! Spring has sprung in our hearts once again! Our dear Lord has matched us with a precious 12 year old girl, Abby. We are so thankful.

Abby’s story… (she has a different Ethiopian name that she can go by if she wants to… just not publishing her real name on the internet)  She is not living in a traditional orphanage, she is part of a Christian organization, Fields of Promise, who support a care system for children in Ethiopia that are “family-based care homes” – the kids live in homes with some other children and parent figures so they can function as a family as opposed to having to live in an institution.

Here is an excerpt from the Fields of Promise website and their link so you can learn more:

“Operation Rescue (ORE) focuses its energy on ministering “wholistically” to nearly 350 full and half-orphans in Mekelle.  These children attend a half-day program provided by ORE which includes a hot lunch, daily devotions tutoring, English classes, computer training, a library, and a recreation program.  ORE also offers a hygiene program with showers twice a week, and a social worker who visit each family-based care home monthly to ensure the kids are respecting the house rules, attending school, and that the children are benefiting from the program.  The children are well-loved in this program.”http://www.fieldsofpromise.org/1794/index.html

Our paperwork has been received and we are now waiting for the paperwork for Abby to be processed in Ethiopia and once it is completed we will be given a court date to travel.

Basically we are hoping that our paperwork can all be processed before the courts close for the months of August and September so when they reopen in October we may be given our court date for sometime in October or November so we can travel for our first trip. The leaders in Ethiopia are trying very hard to make sure they do all the things necessary for each orphan in their adoptions and because of this the process has had to slow down. We really have no idea of what the timeline for us will be. We know that we need to trust in the Lord that He will orchestrate it all. 

At the beginning of all of this we were told that adoption isn’t for the faint at heart; really no matter how God brings a child into your life there is no “guaranteed simple route”.  We are just putting each foot in front of the other as we follow Jesus in faith.

We are trusting Him

that Abby is the child He chose for our family,

that He will guide us how to navigate all of the unknowns (paperwork, travel, language, parenting etc.),

that He will somehow put the last $5,000 in our account so we can finish the work He has begun,

             that He will provide us wisdom, protection and guidance as we need it
                            on each turn.
Here is a song that I have attached that is really speaking to my heart about all of this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjcRpDyUWbQ

One True God by Mark Harris

I don't have a God I can put on a stand
Or a God I hold in the palm of my hand
I have a God that's holding me

And I don't have a God that I can create
In the place I live with the money I make
I have a God He made everything

 So I don't need a temporary man-made deity
When I got the real thing, I got the real thing

He's the Lord of all the earth the maker of all things
He alone is the one true God

Kingdoms rise and fall but even through it all
He remains the one true God

I don't have a thing that I got on my own
I don't have a care that I carry alone
But I have a God who's carrying me

And I don't have sin that He doesn't forgive
And I don't have a heart that is worthy of His
But I have a God who still loves me

So I don't need a temporary man-made deity
When I got the real thing I got the real thing

Lord of all the earth the maker of all things
He alone is the one true God
Kingdoms rise and fall but even through it all
He remains the one true God

Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty
Who is this King of Glory? Who is this King of Glory?

 He's the Lord of all the earth the maker of all things
He alone is the one true God
Kingdoms rise and fall but even through it all
He remains the one true God

He's the Lord of all the earth the maker of all things
He alone is the one true God
Kingdoms rise and fall but even through it all
He remains the one true God
He is He is the one true God

I don't have a God I can put on a stand
And I don't have a God I can hold in my hand
But I have a God holding me

http://www.kovideo.net/one-true-god-lyrics-mark-harris-514479.html

After listening to this song these words continue in my heart even after this song has ended...

I don't have a thing that I got on my own
I don't have a care that I carry alone
But I have a God who's carrying me

He is the one true God and He is the one who we are looking to, watching and passionately following.

We lift up all of the orphans in the world and that God’s people who each seek Him how they are to serve Him to help these children . We thank Him that Abby is going to no longer be an earthly orphan… she has always been His daughter, now she will be ours too.

We so value each action step of prayer and support to help bring Abby home.

In Jesus love,
Donna, Chris, Daniel, Molly, Zayden … and Abby!