Answered Prayers!

So I didn't realize until a few emails came in that I hadn't updated everyone since we've been home from the hospital.  Shows what my crazy brain has been like lately!

The only way to describe our hospital stay was one big old answered prayer after another!!

From the minute we arrived, until the moment our car door shut to leave, we felt absolutely at peace and incredibly thankful for the way God was taking care of our little Gabe.

From the hospital service (WOW, Cook's is amazing!) to the neurologist we were working with, to the time we got to spend with Gabe alone (there hasn't been much of that, actually, in a family with three sisters!), we were just counting our many blessings. 

And, that was all before the seizure study began!

When we arrived, Gabe was quickly fitted with his stylish head covering and dozens of wires hooked to electrodes.  

We were warned that he would not like it, because of the freezing cold air and the stinky glue.  

As she began the procedure, you can see that Gabe was very curious.  And, he really wanted the technician to be his friend and smile at him.  So, she kept stopping to smile back.  This made him really, really happy.

But, then, the air got cold.  And, the tears did fall.

He would lock eyes with me, as if to say "Why are you doing this to me?"  Broke my momma heart.  And made me laugh at the same time.  :)  He is just so cute when he's sad!

He made it through, and the infamous Gabey smiles returned within minutes of us being back in our room.

And, the smiles continued for hours.  And hours.  And hours.  

In other words, the boy was too happy to sleep.  :)

At 11:45 pm, after he pulled out his first IV of the visit (there would eventually be two more!), and after he laughed and played and flirted with every nurse, he decided bedtime was an okay thing.  (Boy, am I glad he's a really good sleeper otherwise.  That felt really really late.)

As he went to bed, we were told to most likely expect the first seizure sometime in the next two hours, based on how long it took to get his old medicine out of his body.  He was being monitored through the EEG he was hooked up to, as well as a sound and movement video that followed his every move in our room.   (I'm glad that doesn't happen at home, by the way.)

So, I woke up quite a bit to check on him in the night.  The next morning, I just knew I had missed the night seizures.  But, I hadn't!!  The nurse came in around 8:30 to let us know there didn't seem to be any seizure activity through the night!!

Then, we spent an entire DAY with no seizures either!!

Still wondering if they would begin later in the day, the doctor decided to wait on selecting new medication, and also on educating us further about epilepsy and seizure first aid, until he was able to see what kind of seizures Gabe would have.

But, then, another night passed (with MUCH better sleep!) and no seizures!

And, another day passed...and no seizures!!

The final day, the neurologist came to tell us that Gabe would leave the hospital with NO seizure medication, except a med to use in emergencies.  This is HUGE God-sized miracle news!!  This means no side effects for his little body, and the opportunity for Gabe to be more alert and catch up even quicker on developmental delays.  Thank you, Lord!!

Before we left, Gabe was sedated for an MRI.  We were then walked through what they found, step by step.  

Gabe's cyst (left parietal cyst, for those who want details) has not changed.  It is still present, and the same size as before.  The neurologist told us alot about his brain and we really felt very educated, and very encouraged as he shared.  The future plans for Mr. Gabers is to start pretty intense therapy to help with developmental delay and motor skill difficulties.  And, we are happy to do so!  He has been officially diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which we are not afraid of, nor is he limited by.  We know God is continuing to move mountains for this little guy, and we'll stop at nothing to make sure he gets what he needs!

(And, another answered prayer about that.  We have a set of therapists coming to the house each week through ECI, PLUS a wonderful opportunity for additional therapists from Our Children's House of Baylor to see him each week as well.  And, they are located DOWN THE STREET!  We had no idea!  And, this is really huge news for us!)

Already, since we've been home from the hospital, Gabe is so much more alert, and ready and willing to try more physically.  We've also been laughing because he's much more opinionated too!  Apparently, the medicine was making him feel quite dopey!  We're so thankful, though, to see his spirit come through!  And, every time I look at him, I think what a miracle he really is.  Now he is a seizure-free miracle too!

Thank you ALL for praying those miracles would happen!  And for walking beside us with the encouragement we need.  Appreciate you!!

A {Heart} for Africa

Coming home from Africa is usually hard. Part of your heart (or most of your heart) stays there.

But, this week has been GOOD. We are feeling giddy about what lies ahead, and can already see some clear direction from here. And, it has been so good to be back with my girls and Mark.

In His goodness, every single day has involved Africa in some way. Whether it be through conversations with others, lunch with some VO teammates, or long dinners with friends, we have been so encouraged by how many are walking this journey with us. Some amazing teams are already being formed for the summer trips. Some plans are already being formed for new His Chase projects. And, God has given us some wonderful friends who share a love for Africa.

Our sweet Mrs. Suzanne brought these cookies by earlier this week:

And, it was the perfect way to celebrate what God is doing in our lives, and in our family.

She brought a little cookie decorating kit for the girls, complete with icing and directions on how to make a heart for Rwanda, "because part of our heart lives there". How precious.

The girls had SO much fun decorating these...and so did I!

Of course, we had to show our Ghana love a little too! We had Rwanda hearts...

And Ghana hearts...

And a whole lotta icing bites. :)

Thank you, Suzanne, for the perfect "welcome home" surprise!

And, then, to continue the {heart} for Africa theme, we got to have dinner with a group of friends, who are all adopting from Ethiopia. Angie had the CUTEST decorations on the table, showing our LOVE for this continent:

It was SO cute and it just might inspire some new Valentine decorations around our house.

It was such a fun night, and I can't wait 'til this group of families has expanded by five beautiful children!!

We {heart} Africa.

We {heart} our little one.

And, we {heart} our many friends and family who share our love for Africa.

We are SO so blessed.

My Bonus Time in Rwanda

Note to my Readers: I wrote all of these blogs in advance (on the 16 hour plane ride), and am posting them now that I'm home. But, I'm trying to spend as much time as possible just being mommy today. I've received quite a few questions, comments, ideas, etc. and I am going to answer each one, I promise! It just might not be today...or tomorrow. :) Just know that I absolutely love the excitement that so many are showing about God's call to take care of the orphans. Don't stop!!! Keep sending it all my way. And, I will definitely be sharing more on a future blog about Visiting Orphans and some opportunities you will all have to support the places we have gone. Mark and I are already working on some of those things and would love your involvement! Thank you for your patience, too, as I re-enter life here...loving on my kids, trying to get over jet lag, and experiencing my usual "post-Africa blues" too. Love you all so much! Your prayers and support are amazing and humbling and encouraging. :)

Now, on with the blogging....

After two intense days at Noel, we got to have dinner Sunday night on the beach at a very nice hotel called Serena. This is a vacation spot for many local people and I can see why. It’s on Lake Kivu and it was the perfect place to celebrate our last night as a team. These are the Texas representatives on our team. :)

I just love our whole team. And, I'm missing them all. Even though most of us did not know each other beforehand, it was hard to believe that this was our last night together after what seemed like months of being by each other’s sides! (Two weeks seemed much, MUCH longer than that!)

And, here is my sweet friend, Jane. I love her. We were all sad to say goodbye to her. But, I've already told her that she is going to be my guide every time I come to Rwanda!

The next morning we began the beautiful drive back to Kigali, had lunch at our favorite little spot, Caribou, and then headed to take the team to the airport.

It was such a mix of emotions for me. I was tired and ready to see my family. And, I knew I would miss my friends who I had served with over the last two weeks. But, at the same time, I was so excited to have two extra days in Rwanda. I am still so thankful that it worked out for me to stay a little longer, to get to know Jana and her family (who is facilitating our adoption), visit the orphanage where our baby will eventually wait for us, and just experience more of Rwanda in a different way with people who live here.

And, it was SO good.

Jana, Dave, and their daughter Sophia picked me up at the airport, and we went to see the church and school they have started here in Rwanda. I was so impressed, not only with what they have done, but also with the way God aligned it all from the very beginning. It was very obvious that the Lord has found favor with the Jenkins and is blessing their efforts there in amazing ways.

And, it was such a blessing for me to experience Rwanda with a family who lived there! Just being in their home, listening to their conversation, seeing their love for this country and its people, and getting to know their sweet children….it was all just incredible.

Jana and I got to have some wonderful conversations on their back porch (with a beautiful view!) about all kinds of subjects, and I can tell already that God has brought us together, not JUST for this adoption, although I’m SO thankful that we were led to Jana for that! But, it seems bigger than that. He has brought us together for His even greater purposes. I’m looking forward to finding out exactly what He has planned.

And, of course, the next day was a dream come true for me.

Early that morning, Jana arranged for me to meet Jean Marie, the precious woman who processes all adoptions in Rwanda. I have heard her name for SO long and have prayed for her constantly. So, to meet her in person (especially when she was SO busy) was just wonderful.

We sat and talked for a while, and I was able to tell her how much we appreciate all that she is doing, and that we pray for her always. As I asked her how I could be praying for her, she said, “Pray that I can do it all. I go to bed at night and think “how can I do this?” Sweet Jean Marie. She has three children of her own, and she works hours and hours on behalf of the children who are waiting for their families. She said she feels like her own children are becoming orphans because of how much she works! I told her that we will pray for her strength and that God will allow the workload to not be overwhelming. She also said “Pray that we can go fast, fast, fast on the paperwork too!” It was sweet to see how much she loves these children, and loves adoption, and wants to do all she can to make the process go quickly. Believe me, she has many mommies and daddies praying the same thing all over the world.

After we met with her, I got to go with Jana to her weekly women’s Bible study. Again, another God moment where I knew He planned for me to be there that day. I sat at the feet of an amazing woman leading the study, and every word she said was just pure wisdom. If you haven't read her books, you should! I'm ordering them all today! Her name is Mimi Wilson, and she just moved to Rwanda, but was raised in a missionary family, and has lived many places serving the Lord. I can't believe I just sat and chatted with this amazing woman, not even realizing all that she has done and seen in her lifetime! What a blessing! She has written Holy Habits and Trusting in the Goodness of God, as well as a cook book called Once A Month Cooking.

I also got to meet at least 15 other women from either the US or Europe who are living and ministering with their families in Rwanda. It really encouraged me to get to know them, hear about their children, and their experiences in living in Rwanda. (And, yes, it made me want to join them!) There are some amazing things going on in this country….and it’s being done by some of the most amazing young families! It was very encouraging to me.

After the study, I got to take the whole Jenkins family out to their favorite restaurant to celebrate the first day of school and to let them know how much Mark and I appreciate what they are doing in this country. It was DELICIOUS Indian food and was a fun little time with the family. The Jenkins are raising five amazing children and I enjoyed getting to know each one.

After lunch was my favorite part. We had collected some money to spend on the orphanage’s needs, so Jana and I had a blast spending the money to stock up on cleaning supplies, towels, new mops, baby items, snack food…and lots more for the nuns to have.

And again, it was fun to see what “daily life” in Rwanda was like. I got to visit their mall and the store that I would equate to an American Wal-Mart, called Nakumatt. Much smaller, but had anything you could imagine in one place.

And, there was the Rwanda version of Starbucks across the mall from it! It is called Bourbon Coffee and it is SO YUMMY!! We also laughed as we were walking out, because look at what the restaurant was called next door: Dallas Pizzeria! With an American flag on the sign!

After shopping and filling up Jana’s car, it was time to go to the orphanage!! The sad part is that they don’t allow pictures, so I don’t have much to show you except the front gate, which I had seen so many times before. It's that symbol that we adoptive families in the US just get butterflies in our stomachs when we see...because it represents our children to us!

And, I did get a picture of my favorite sign...from Mother Teresa: Make of your life something beautiful for God. Love it. (And that is the orphanage behind the sign.)

As we drove up, I could hardly believe I was REALLY there! It was just surreal. I had been praying for weeks that this visit would be just what it should be, and that God would guard my heart as I went. I wasn’t sure what my emotions would be like, and I just wanted to love on the kids without being consumed with thoughts of my own adoption. I know that sounds strange, but I felt strongly that these children who are there NOW deserve my full attention and love. And, I truly was able to do that without any problem at all. They were all so precious!!

We met the nuns, delivered our goodies, and went on a tour of the orphanage.

It made me very sad to hear that they don’t allow visitors to go into the little baby’s room, but she did allow me to stand at the door. I said silent prayers over every tiny head I could see, asking the Lord to bless each one with love and good health while they wait for their mommies and daddies to come. (By the way, will you join me in praying about that? That visitors will be allowed to love the babies? I hate knowing my little one will someday lay there in that room without anyone coming to rub them and pray over them and love them. Of course, the nannies will, but they need more than that!!)

I did get to rub some heads and bellies in the toddler room, again praying over each one as I walked. They were SO cute and I loved knowing that these will be the sons and daughters of many people I know in the Rwanda adoption family!

The rest of the time, we spent outside with the children ranging from 18 months to 5 years. We sang preschool Bible songs and played on the playground, and just loved on them all. I was really happy the whole time I was there and didn’t feel discouraged at all. I think it was because I know that so many of these children are about to be in a forever family!

Yes, there was still the usual sadness over how desperate they are for love...for food…for attention. But, I also just enjoyed getting to know them, trying to memorize each little face so I can share with adoptive families later whatever I knew about their son or daughter.

We were there about an hour with the big kids, before it was time to go. Again, it was just a surreal experience to be on the very ground that my baby will live for a while. I was just so grateful to be able to now have a picture in my mind of each room there, of where our baby will sleep and play, and of what the nuns look like who will feed, clothe, and take care of my little one until we can get there.

We then visited one of Jana’s friends who has also adopted two boys from Home of Hope, and then moved to Rwanda a year later. They had such a cute little family and showed me all the pictures of Gotcha Day for their boys. It made me so anxious to be doing that with our own baby soon!!

It was a wonderfully full day, and ended with dinner as a family back at the Jenkins house. With each passing moment of these extra days, my desire to live in this country just kept growing. No, I’m not kidding. I’ve already told Mark we need to cover this in prayer. Because it’s really not like me to be ready to move across the world at a moment’s notice. But, I’m ready. :)

On my last day, I was really just planning to pack and take our time checking email and hanging out until my flight. But, I was totally surprised to get to come back to the orphanage again! Jana came in on Wednesday morning and asked me if I would like to go back again. Of course, I said YES! And, was so glad for another opportunity to love on these precious ones.

This time was different. There were 8 of us that went this time, so we were able to do more one-on-one loving. And, after playing with a few rambunctious ones (they are always the ones who get the first hugs because they knock you over!), I noticed the ones who were hesitant, hanging out on the sidelines, afraid to get too close. These are always the ones God draws me toward.

I spent some time letting one little boy “warm up” to me. He would hardly respond at all when I touched him at first and there was not a smile to be seen. His eyes looked sad and cautious. But, as I sang songs and rubbed his back, he began to come closer. And, finally, he just gave in completely. And, once he did, it was like he couldn’t get enough touch. For the last 30 minutes of our time, he was laying on my chest, rubbing my arms, while I sang and rocked him and rubbed his little back. He also loved “Ride a Little Horsey” and would cackle laugh when I would “drop” him off my knees. It was precious to watch him open up, and I just prayed over and over about this sweet one and his soon to be family. It was hard to watch him learn to trust, and then have to say goodbye. It killed me to think of how many times they've done this.

But, at the same time, I was so thankful that this dedicated group of women who live here, come EVERY single week to love these kids. How wonderful that all of our waiting kids still receive love from mommies consistently like this! Little “E” has a precious little heart and I can’t wait to see where he ends up. I look forward to sharing his story with his mom someday soon!

It was an amazing couple of days. I loved every minute of it. And, God DID protect my heart as I had asked. I didn’t know if going to the orphanage would be harder for me, since part of my heart lives there. But, it wasn’t hard. It filled me with joy and anticipation. It just made me more eager to help and be involved in what they are doing there. And, it gave me a better picture as I pray for the children there.

Dave and Jana, thank you so very much for your sweet hospitality. You are doing amazing things and I can’t wait to see the ways God has planned for Mark and I to be involved. Sophia, thank you for giving up your room for two days. I'm praying for your college search! :) And, Caleb, Ethan, Ruth, and Timothy, thank you also for allowing me to enter into your sweet family's life for a while. You are all a blessing to me!

As I got on the plane to leave Rwanda, I cried again. (I know you’re all surprised.) I certainly left my heart there and as we flew away I prayed that God would bring me back again soon, and that He would make our way clear from here.

I know He will. And, I can’t wait to see what comes next!!

Rwanda

I’m sitting here typing in my bed with the windows open, and looking out on a beautiful Rwandan morning. I’m listening to Kari Jobe sing about “praising a God who brings redemption to the nations”, and I’m thinking about what I experienced yesterday, as I arrived in this beautiful country. It was a year ago this week, when Mark and I received the clear direction to begin the adoption journey. And, it was a year ago this week that I also dreamed a dream that at the time I did not understand. But, months later, God would reveal to me that my dream was about Rwanda. (If you want to read my entire dream, go HERE to my adoption blog.) In my dream, there were gunshots all around me, but I was not being harmed. There were men in uniform, but they did not seem to notice me or be alarmed by me being there. I was handed a baby carrier from the president, and was told, “It’s okay. You’re supposed to do this. You need to take him.” I ran with the baby carrier back through the armed officers…and then I woke up. Yesterday, in the airport, I saw the exact uniform that was in my dream: solid navy blue with a beret hat. I about freaked out…I would never have known that when I dreamed it. And, as I sat staring at the officer in the airport, God was whispering to me yet again that my road here was intentional. He planned it all along, and He has been giving me pieces of His plan since a year ago this week.

At the time, I would never have guessed that the Lord would show us a country to adopt from that I would eventually fall in love with. I did not know that He was painting a parallel picture of healing, comfort, and redemption, both in our own family and in a tiny country thousands of miles away. We had both experienced our own form of tragedy…Rwanda’s being much bigger than my own. But, we would each eventually find comfort from the other.

The night we chose Rwanda for our adoption, was a night I will never forget. It was in February, late one night after our adoption class. As we sat and read the story of this nation…of its ability to be restored and renewed from a place of such despair and loss…I was struck by the way God was redeeming Rwanda. And, at the very same time, I saw a tiny bit of that same redemptive healing story in my own life.

We fell in love with Rwanda that night. Not only with its story and its resilience after the genocide that should have wiped it away…but also with the people and the land itself.

I have seen countless pictures of Rwanda. But, I was literally overwhelmed by its beauty yesterday as I landed. It reminds me so much of Mark’s birthplace, Hawaii. And, it literally put new energy in our team to be surrounded with its tropical flowers, lush greenery, and beautiful hills.

I was a mess. I cried as we drove along the road, thinking, “I am really here! And, it’s better than I dreamed it would be!” I cried when we got to the restaurant for lunch, as we sat outside in the breeze, and enjoyed an amazing meal and cold Cokes!! Why did I cry over cold Cokes and a breeze? I don’t know! I was tired, but also I just feel so at home here. And, I’ve been anticipating this for so longBut, of course, the crying only continued as we went to the Genocide Memorial after lunch. It was absolutely heart wrenching. I was so glad to learn more and was so impressed with the exhibit itself. They did a wonderful job of showing visitors what it was like before, during, and after the genocide. They showed us the mass graves they have built….slabs of concrete, under which lies thousands of bodies in coffins.

We saw names and pictures and remaining possessions of those who had been killed.

We heard descriptions of specific children and how and where they were killed. We learned about how peaceful this country was before Europe came in with its separatist ideas and colonized this country, giving distinctions among the people that should have never been made. We learned about how a minority ruled a majority based on these distinctions and how, ultimately, the Enemy crept in like a lion, ready to steal, kill, and destroy this country because of these divisions.

That’s what made me cry the hardest. Satan himself was so stealthy in how he tried to destroy this place. But, God said NO. You can not have this country. And, as a result, He has brought new life to a place that should not still be standing. All odds were stacked against this nation for having peace again…for rising above the death and destruction…and especially for being able to forgive and dissolve the lines of separation that had been drawn here by others.

Rwanda is the most amazing story of the Lord bringing beauty from ashes, and redeeming what has been lost, so that His glory may be seen. As I was walking through the last part of the display, I began singing (in my head,) Selah’s song called “Unredeemed”…a favorite of mine.

The cruelest word
The coldest heart
The deepest wound
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter nights
The wasted years
Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are
Places where grace is
Soon to be so amazing!
They may be unfulfilled, they may be unrestored.
But when anything that’s shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see, it will NOT be unredeemed!!

This land was shattered. But, it was also laid before the Lord. And, He is redeeming this land. There is hope here. There is healing here. There is forgiveness here. And, God is revealing His glory in this land.

I couldn’t help the tears that fell as I thought about the reason I am even sitting here this morning. I would not be here if something had not been shattered in my own life…if He had not offered me healing in the most unexpected way. I am just so thankful to watch Him redeem the brokenness both in my own life and heart, and in the hearts of the people here.

As we walked out of the museum, there was a small gift shop. I actually already owned quite a few of the books that were offered there, but I was still looking at them all to see if there was anything else I needed.

And, lying on the table was a book called “Beauty From Ashes”. At the very same time, I found it, Sara and Amy also found it on another table. We all turned around to show each other what we found, and we were all three holding the same book. So, of course, we all bought it!

I’ve only read the introduction, but I can already tell it’s going to be amazing. The author sums up what I’ve attempted to say in a thousand words, in his last introductory paragraph:

“They (the Rwandans) want the world to know how much they have suffered, and to respond to that knowledge by ministering God’s comfort to those who survived. They want the world to know how powerful God is to heal the wounds and restore the soul. And they want the world to know that despite all it has heard about genocide and cruelty and terrible suffering, there is much of Jesus to be found in the people of Rwanda….It is not we who are taking Jesus to Rwanda; it is we who are discovering Him here among the people. The stories in this book are designed to help you discover Jesus among the Rwandan people: healing, restoring, and empowering. And, as you discover Jesus among the Rwandans, you will discover the God of hope who can take a shattered nation, wash it, heal it, and hold it up to the world as a demonstration of His wonderful grace.”

At the very end of the tour, our guide told us that he is involved in taking care of orphans whose families were victims of the genocide. He said he thinks it is very important that we came to this memorial first before we begin to serve here. He said it will help us realize the full impact we are making when we come, and to know the importance of helping those who have been left behind.

That’s exactly what yesterday did for me. I am so proud that Rwanda will be a part of our family forever through adoption, and I pray that the Lord continues to show us other ways we can come alongside Him in this country, and continue the restoration and healing that has already begun.

A Whirlwind Week!

We have had a busy few days, and the next few are even crazier. But, the week has been full with so many wonderful things that I had to stop and blog about them (even if it's 1:30 a.m.)!

This week was Popsy's birthday, and we got to celebrate with him with dinner (mexican, of course!) and a benefit concert held in honor of the Gage family. It was a great night with our sweet Pops.

The traditional b-day sign was made for the eighth year, and the girls decided to give Pops malaria nets for his birthday. Pretty original, huh? :)

We also got to spend Saturday cheering for our friend, Charlie, as he rode THIRTY MILES on his bike for His Chase!! Can you believe that??

We were so proud of him, and we're so thankful for all that he is doing to raise awareness and raise funds for the children living in Chase's Place! The girls had such a fun time being the cheerleaders, and Charlie showed us how strong and determined he was by going 50% further in his bike-a-thon than he did last year! Check out Charlie's bike-a-th0n Facebook page HERE.

We haven't received the grand total of what he has raised, because it's top secret, but regardless, we are just so proud of Charlie, and we love seeing how much he loves the children in Ghana already. He and his family are going to do great things for these kids, I can already tell! Griege family, thank you for letting us be a part of this amazing day! Charlie's gonna be a world changer, and we are so thrilled to watch it happen from the front row! :)

After a wonderful Saturday celebrating Charlie's accomplishment, we spent the evening celebrating Orphan Sunday in some great ways. As I mentioned in my last post, November 7th was Orphan Sunday across the nation. And, we were blessed to be a part of this day at our church.

We were all able to share our hearts for orphans in a few different ways. Besides worship and the excellent sermon (which I cried through as usual), we also served fair trade coffee from Rwanda and Ethiopia, showing that even drinking coffee from these countries--who have such an orphan crisis--can enable families to thrive.

We all buy coffee anyway. Why not buy it HERE or HERE, and make a huge difference in these countries?

We also sold more 147 shirts!! (And are still ordering more if you're needing one of your own!)

This has become one of our very favorite ministries, and we have absolutely loved working with Gwen and Suzanne. They inspire me to be a mom who stands up for orphans and helps in any way I can. They are doing so much for orphan care, and we are proud to be partnering with them in this. (And it was REALLY fun to see everyone in their orphan shirts...including Chris, our preacher, and our whole worship team!! So fun!)

Our friend, Jessica, ran a Compassion booth as well, and we were so thrilled to hear that EIGHT more children now have sponsors from the weekend at the Branch! This is so wonderful and those eight miracles are worth it all.

We also handed out paper bags for each family with an Orphan Outreach Family Challenge attached. As people take the challenge and complete the ideas, they will turn their bags back in at church, and we will have supplies of every kind to benefit orphan care ministries.

We announced the launch of a new adoption class, starting in January as well. If you know someone who may want to be a part of this class, email me! We are excited to already have many couples ready to start, and many more praying about what their family will do to help orphans! So exciting!!

It was a wonderful weekend, and as I sang "A New Hallelujah" in church that morning, oh how the tears did flow. One year ago was my due date for my precious Chase. I am celebrating orphan sunday and singing a "new hallelujah" one year later. And, that is not by mistake or accident. It is because of my precious God and His great plans.

And in three days, I will be sitting on an airplane, heading to GHANA! I still can't believe we're going again. This has been such a whirlwind. And, I still don't have my head on straight or my bags completely packed. But, regardless, we are excited and know that God will take care of the details. He always does!

As we get ready to leave, how do we accurately describe the incredible response we have received from all of you? We have raised enough money to buy 1100 mosquito nets, when our original goal was 500. We have pounds and pounds of candy of every kind...when our original idea was just a few small pieces from children's halloween stashes! We have suitcases full of supplies and children's toys...when we never officially asked for most of what we got.

Thank you so much!! You never stop giving! I can't WAIT to show you pictures of the children in Ghana enjoying these blessings!

And, just a side note about the donations: We have reached our limit for this trip. The suitcases are all overflowing and that is a GREAT problem to have! We couldn't have done it without you! And, if you still have donations, I will be glad to talk with you about some other options, because it can still all be used!

And, thank you, everyone, for filling our bags--and our hearts--as we leave again this week!!