Fight for Family

Words are beginning to come to mind for the many moments and emotions we have been through for the last 3-4 years.  I am excited to finally be able to talk more about our hearts in regards to the needy, orphans, adoption, and Africa!

Adoption is a very hard, emotional, and stretching process.  For some the hardest parts are once they finally get to meet their child face to face.  For others the process to get to that first meeting is the most grueling.

Our family is blessed.  I don't know why.  It is not because of anything we did.  We did not earn this.  We do not deserve this.  We are grateful.

Our adoption process was hard and stretching and very emotional.  But I have learned of and been alongside others who have had extremely hard and trying times as well.

When we were getting ready to travel and knew that within weeks we would be meeting Cohen face to face for the first time, I had great fear that we would not get so lucky.  At that time in DRC they were beginning their presidential elections.  This was only their second elections in the country that had it's own independence.  There are still many militia in Congo.  They like to solve problems with violence.  Demonstrations were happening regularly the weeks before we were issued a visa.  If it were too unsafe we would not be able to get Cohen and then we would have to wait for the elections to finish and then if they did not finish well- we'd have to wait for it all to settle.  Given the history and the quick uproars in their history we were definitely feeling that if we didn't get him out NOW- then we were not sure what the future would hold.

These fears stayed fears.  In the nick of time we were issued his visa and able to travel and get him.  We were able to steer clear of the demonstrations and keep safe from harm.  Praise God that we were able to bring him home when we did.

Things went much better with the election than many had thought.  They still were not without hurt or hitch.  But adoptive families were still able to bring their children home.

For many families they are not as fortunate.  They fight battles, bureaucracy  legislation, laws, officials, evil, and many other enemies for MANY, MANY, MANY
days,
weeks,
months,
years- to get their child home.

Both Ends Burning is trying to do something amazing and make a change to this.  Our own government, although well intentioned, is part of the problem.

They have been showing their documentary across the country.  They have been traveling along with the showings getting petitions signed.  They will have a march Friday, May 17th to bring the petition to the President and legislation.



Please join us and be a part of this movement.  Please help our government know what to do to help these families with "Stuck" children and to prevent future children from being "Stuck".  Please help in creating laws and legislation that is more helpful for adoptive families.

The kids need this-the families need this- we all need this.

Please sign the petition online here
Please order and download a viewing of the documentary here

Come along side us and thousands of others...we will fight for families!

Win an Orlando Vacation!!!!

This awesome Momma over at Millions of Miles has done an amazing job helping and supporting kids in Congo through this yearly fundraiser.

It's a win, win people!

Jump on the bandwagon!  Click over to her blog to learn more and make your donation!!

Update on Rachel...

Rachel has made it safely to Sierra Leone and has been enjoying her time there!

Her internet connection is very rare and so she will be posting about her trip once she returns home.

Next week she will be home and back at her blog!

Thanks for all your prayers, support, and encouragement!

A Song, A prayer, Africa... song Again, Prayer Again, Africa AGAIN!

"Break my heart for what breaks yours,

Everything I am for your Kingdom's cause"

Sometimes in life God uses music to speak to us and touch our hearts.  This song, "Hosanna" from Hillsong United by Brooke Frasier, is one of them.  God has used this song, more specifically these words, as pegs in my life.  My heart has been broken for what breaks His, when I hear these lyrics I recall the moments that I was aware of what breaks our Lord's heart.

It began in the very beginning of 2009.  We began singing this song in our worship times at church.  Something grabbed me from this song.  God laid it on my heart that I desired to be closer to Him and to have my heart broken- broken by the things that break His.  Through this brokenness I would find a close, intimate place to meet my Father.

TRS in Sierra Leone, Africa

These lyrics were the prayer of my heart for more than 6 months when God began to show me the plight of the orphan in 2009.  As my heart became soft and vulnerable, my wonderful sister- in- law was used by the Lord to deliver the first crack.  She taught us about a group of orphans in Sierra Leone, Africa that were in a very desperate situation.  She introduced us to a group that was devoted to doing something about that.  This group is called The Raining Season (TRS).  For our family it was through this group and this connection that God brought us to our son in DRC.

On Friday as I was praying for someone special, this song came on through Pandora.  It moved me to tears because I was praying over my sister in law who was preparing for a journey God is leading her on.  A journey she has desired and waited for, for many years.  It reminded me of the first days of praying those words and the events that transpired.

She is traveling to Sierra Leone for several days for two trips.  First she will be going to Freetown to see the orphanage TRS has established called The Covering.  She will get to meet face to face the boy their family has sponsored for several years and whom their family has grown very close to!  Then she will travel to another part of Sierra Leone to meet a community that has been blessed with life sustaining livestock through World Vision. Livestock that was able to be provided from an event titled: Livestock: A celebration of giving and music.  Livestock: A celebration of giving and music, is a large event sponsored by World Vision that Rachel helps in launching each year in Minnesota.



Yesterday at church (now a new church for our family) the Hosanna song was played by the worship team.  Our congregation came together and praised God- "Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest".  As we sang the words "Break my heart for what breaks yours" my mind drifted to my sister in law as at that moment she was on her way to Africa!  How great is our God that He allows us to see such cool, intricate, details and webs of His design!


Would you join me in praying, supporting and encouraging Rachel as she travels to Sierra Leone, Africa?  You can follow her journey on her blog, "The Essence of Pearls"  or here at the Livestock MN blog.

My Sister in law's blog!

Ain't no place I'd rather be!

I know I will sound like a broken record here- but seriously there are so many things I wish I had time to blog about...but I haven't!

I have been busy savoring each moment and have been practicing the art of being "fully present" with our family!

Getting into the hearts and heads of my three kiddos is the greatest place to be this side of Heaven!

So what have we been up to?

Well, here are some snapshots!

A moment in time

Grateful and full of love.

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