Jesus Babies

Unplugged.

2009-04-26T22:25:00.006-06:00

This weekend went...Unplugged.

To start with, my irritation with that mind-numbing box for selling "soft-sin" that sat in my living room finally put me over the top. Now it's in our basement...Unplugged.

No more "baby-sitter" with a cord. We didn't let the t.v. be on that often prior to this weekend, but now it sits in the "dungeon" with its twin and all its technical partners.

To be honest, it's really hard to define, but what we do notice is that our kids (& ourselves) seek God more fervently, love each other more sincerely, and have a lot more self-control when the tube is dark. I truly believe that, for all of its beneficial uses, too often it becomes a conduit for selling selfish thoughts & impatience. And our family benefits from its silence. We'll keep "Tubey" around a while longer, but for now we'll let him rest peacefully.

Secondly, my "Not today" got Unplugged.

Take Jaden, Kellen, & Sage turkey hunting? Well, "Yes, today". We dressed in camo, drove through a creek, ate candy bars, talked about our Great God, army crawled in the dirt, hid behind sagebrush and little cedar trees, made turkey calls, and, oh, yeah, saw some turkeys. What a blast!

Add to that some frisbee, dodgeball, cuddling, Mountain Dew, drum circles, dancing, praying, conversations about our Awesome Lord, and lots of laughing.

"Not today"...Unplugged.

Thirdly, worship Unplugged.

Just two voices, a guitar, a djembe, & a sermon on our need for Jesus. Simple. Like our relationship with God should be...Simple. No PhD required. No multi-media effect required. No coffee kiosk required. No special Bible required. Really there are only two requirements: "...sincerity and truth." (Joshua 24:14)

God gave us a plethera of good things (including t.v.) to enhance our experience of trusting and serving Him, but every now and then the "good things" seem to distract our eyes and interests from the One who gave them to us.

So...have I gone Amish? Are we trading our minivan in for a horse and buggy?

I'd be lying to say that it doesn't seem appealing from time to time, but the Unplugged version of life reminded us this weekend that "All of life, comes down to just One thing. That's to know You, O', Jesus!, & make You known."

Maybe we should Unplug more often...

Let there be Light...

2009-04-11T23:50:00.002-06:00

"Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you." (Is. 60:1-2)

God, may every day be about You and Your glory. May Your everlasting light shine.

The Light has come, indeed. And it will never leave...

Friday Night Lights Out...(O Sacred Head, Now Wounded)

2009-04-10T22:30:00.004-06:00

"He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.'

'Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."
'All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:3-6)

And the lights went out...

2009-04-08T15:41:00.012-06:00

Isn't she bright, and cute, and cheerful?!? Yeah...this is what I would like to feel like! (I think my hubby and kids would like that too!) However, today, this is a little more accurate...

It is just one of those days when it is difficult to be loving and encouraging. I am quick to snap, easy to become irritable, and looking to pick an argument! I just want to be grumpy!

Unfortunately, the grumpiness is oozing out of me and infecting all the innocent bystanders--my husband and kids!

I need an attitude adjustment.

I tried chocolate...no dice.

I vented...nada.

I took a cat nap...still grumpy!

I think during these times, it is easy to believe the lies of this world...I can't control my emotions...I deserve to be grumpy...I can't help how I respond when my hormones are out of whack...it's all about me...

I am reading a great book right now called Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. It has been reminding me of my need to renew my mind (my thinking) by the Word of God. So, I went to my backpack (which is still unpacked from the hospital) and pulled out this book. I referred to some of the truths that counter these lies that I'm believing. Here is one that just happened to catch my eye...

There is no excuse for ungodly attitudes, responses, or behavior.

Ummm....maybe I shouldn't have gotten this book out after all. But I keep reading, and I turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 in the Bible...

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole
spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus
Christ comes again. God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.

Although I feel like I want to cling to grumpiness right now, my heart's desire is to be holy and blameless before God.

So, I am making a decision to choose a right attitude, a right response, and a right behavior--and I sense God's prompting me to begin this change of heart by publicly asking Todd's forgiveness...

Todd I love you! Will you forgive me for being argumentative, rude, and grumpy?

It's amazing how God works. The truth truly sets us free. I think I can see the sunshine starting to peek out!

Good Night

2009-04-07T22:54:00.002-06:00

It's pretty tough to look at one of your precious ones when their hooked up to all sorts of hospital contraptions. You can't even hold them as cuddly as you want. You know that they are less than comfortable, but you know that those contraptions are helping them to improve their condition.

As a dad, I typically respond to illness in my children with frustration and anger. Not so much anger that spills over toward my children, but anger that I feel helpless to "fix" what is wrong. I've had great difficulty trusting God with the health of my kids. I know intellectually that He is more than Sufficient and Capable, and I choose to believe that. I know experientially that He is Sovereign over ALL things, and I choose to believe that. But there is difficulty in living that belief out.

I'm thankful that God continues to be just as Sufficient, just as Capable, & just as Sovereign no matter how I'm feeling or what I'm believing. He just IS. Malachi 3:6 says, "For I AM the LORD, I do not change..." Amen.

As it all relates to Katie, she is doing well. She should be able to come back home tomorrow morning. I can't wait. I hate leaving her hospital room knowing that I won't wake up and see her. I can only "visit" her.

For those parents who have a routine of hospital visitations and stays, I pray that God surrounds and protects your family, and that He provides you with encouragement and refreshment at just the right times.

I am hopeful and excited that tomorrow I will tell Katie "Goodnight. Sleep in the knowledge of the presence of God.", then kiss her, lay her down in her bed with her idea of a pillow, and know that she is home. That will be followed by a "Daddy, ada pease?" Then I'll get the water, and she'll say, "Taint-yu, Daddy."

Then I will know that it is a Good Night.

Back to the hospital...

2009-04-06T14:46:00.002-06:00

Since arriving home with our family, Katie has flourished beyond our expectations. Sometimes I catch myself smiling and just watching her interact with her brothers and sister.

Everything from her physical motor skills to her health to her verbal communication has really blown us away. We are so thankful at how God has allowed her to blossom. So much personality in such a small package.

However, it seems that we keep revisiting ear infections. She has basically spent most of her life suffering from an ear infection or trying to recover from one(or two). As a result, the fluid and pressure in her ears is not able to drain properly. Well, this week we are hoping that those problems will be taken care of.

Thanks to a well organized and thorough team of doctors here in Billings, we were able to coordinate for Katie to have a "simple" procedure done in which she will have tubes put in to relieve pressure and fluid. Of course, by now you know, there is not much related to Katie's healthcare that is "simple".

Normally, the procedure would take less than half a day including the prep and observation/recovery time. In Katie's case, she will go in this afternoon to begin prep which will include an IV and a blood transfusion (courtesy of an unknown selfless volunteer who donated their own time and blood- Thank you). That will make up most of today. She will stay overnight, then wake up in the morning for the procedure. She will remain in the hospital for obeservation and recovery until Wednesday if all goes according to plan.

She seems to be doing very well today, which is a great sign. We are praying for God to strengthen her body for the procedure, protect her during the procedure and recovery from it, and for God to bless the doctors with success in all of their hard work. There are multiple variables (too numerous to mention) that the doctors have had to account for to keep Katie from as many risks as possible with her sickle cell. Thank you to them from our family for their dilligence, thoroughness, and humility.

Pray with us on her and her doctors' behalf. Thank Him with us also for bringing Katie to the one place in the world where she would have everything she needed. Just as God had prepared our family to receive Christopher and Katie, he also prepared our community both spiritually, physically and intellectually. Even before Katie made it to MT, God was training some of the doctors and hospital staff in treating a patient with sickle cell. He also brought into our lives folks whom have been a tremendous asset in making sure that she gets proper treatments (which are often quite different than the norm).

God is always Good. He is always Sovereign. He is always Omnipotent. He is never surprised. We rest in our Father and Lord. He is our Sufficiency. There is none who love our little Katie more than Him. So, while we pray on her behalf, we pray not with worry, but with trust in the One who heals merely with His Word.

James 5:16-18

Living With Purpose

2009-04-05T23:23:00.002-06:00

It seems that God often communicates at deep levels with me at the tail end of the day. It might be that I'm not very good at paying attention during the daytime when life seems to happen at full throttle. Thus, I sit here, while most of the family sleeps, with my mind weaving in and out of life's purposes and praying for God's perspective and wisdom.

An hour ago, I wrapped up a discussion with Jenny concerning God's purpose for our lives. When we have these discussions, I love how Jenny always points me back to Christ, His Word, and communication with our Father. She is the greatest asset God has given me apart from Himself. I am so thankful for her...words are lacking.

Jenny and I are not content to simply be "positive" influences to those we meet and know (especially our children). We long to be people who, by God's grace and power, influence others toward life changing decisions to pursue and serve Christ passionately.

For some, that may mean we ask a genuine, but challenging question. For others, encouragement from God's Word. Still others, a life well lived in their presence or service. Whatever the specific situation may be, I pray that we would not casually squander our moments by settling for superficial conversations about busy schedules and nasty weather.

Too often we have wasted our moments. Too frequently we have taken the "easier" road. And too much we have missed the joy of helping someone surrender their life to Christ.

Father, please don't let us miss another opportunity with our children or with our friends, family, and acquaintances. Let Your heart's desire be our joy.

Not much else really seems to matter in the context of eternity and the Hope of all mankind, Jesus. Let us eagerly prepare for the celebration of the empty tomb and the defeat of sin and death.

Intentional Obedience

2009-04-02T11:56:00.005-06:00

We had a huge celebration last Sunday as Jaden, Kellen, and Sage were all baptized. It was a glorious day. They each have their own story as to how they came to their decision to be baptized. The Holy Spirit prompted each of them at different times and in different ways.

We have talked about baptism throughout the last couple years with our kids... We would make it a point to have our children present (instead of in the nursery/child care) when someone was being baptized. Our children loved watching baptisms, and it would usually prompt many questions. It would also come up whenever we would read particular Bible stories. Sage especially like reading about John the Baptist and how eccentric he was, and we would usually end up in a long discussion. However, she would always end our night with "...but I don't want to be baptized. It would be too scary."

We never wanted to be the ones to "make" our kids be baptized. We truly wanted the Holy Spirit to be the One stirring their hearts. We were very careful to give them info about what Scriptures says about baptism, what it means, why God commands us, etc. without causing our kids to think "this is something my parents want me to do."

We started talking about baptism in everyday conversation a couple weeks ago. We told the kids that there was going to be an opportunity at church. Sage actually responded immediately with enthusiasm. She said, "I want to be baptized and tell the whole world that I love Jesus." She was genuinely excited and had plans of all the people she wanted to tell.

Jaden, on the other hand, was very hesitant. He knew it was a command, but he did not want to get up in front of the church. He had his mind made up that he would not be baptized.

Kellen has such a tender heart for Jesus. He wanted to be baptized because he loves Jesus and wants to follow him! It was something he just knew he was supposed to do.

Later in the week, just a few days before Sunday, we had Jaden and Kellen write in their journal why they have chosen to follow Jesus and also why they should be baptized. Jaden said, "well I don't have to write in my journal because I'm not getting baptized." I told him that he still needed to write about why he has decided to follow Jesus. So he reluctantly went to work. I ended up taking a cat nap, while they worked on their journal (unbeknownst to me). When I woke up, Jaden eagerly came to me with his journal wanting to read what he had written. He began sharing why he has chosen to follow Jesus. Then he flipped the page and started reading "why I should be baptized..." I was surprised, and asked him why he wrote that. He said that he decided that he should be baptized because God was commanding it, and he loves Jesus and has already chosen to follow Him. We were so proud of Jaden--especially that he would not let fear get in the way of doing what God has commanded! After making the commitment to be baptized, Jaden had such a joy and enthusiasm. He kept saying, "I can't wait until Sunday!" Then Sunday morning when he woke up, he ran up the stairs, saying "Today is the day I get baptized!!!"

Then on Friday, March 27th, we had each of the kids send an email to Pastor Marc, telling him of their decision. I love their emails because it shows their individuality--each of their personalities shine through. Pastor Marc actually had the emails put into power point and shared them with the church before each of their baptisms. Here is what each wrote...

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Hi

I am Jaden and I would like to baptised. Could I? Because I chose to follow Jesus for my whole life. I believe that God is my Savior!

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FROM:KELLEN
TO:PASTER MARC

I want to be BAPTISE ! I Love Jesus with all my hart ! I hav a journal to i'm going to read it.

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I want to be baptised...
because Jesus loves me and I love him a lot too (like a thousand, million, gillion, killion)
I want to follow Jesus because I love him so, so, so, so, so, so, so, much. I want to follow him where ever He goes. Jesus loves me and someday I will go to heaven. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. That makes me want to follow Him.

From: Sage (as dictated to my Mommy)

P.S. The "so, so, so, so" went on for about 2 minutes!

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On Sunday, everyone was so excited. We brought clothes to change into, towels, cameras.... Once we were at church and in the bathroom changing, Sage became very upset. She did not want to have to wear her capris over her swimsuit. They were going to get all wet. I tried explaining that everyone wears their clothes. She did not like this idea. It did not make sense why you would wear your clothes knowing you are going to get soaking wet. She remained a little uneasy throughout the service, and I was beginning to wonder if she might change her mind last second.
Finally we were called up front as a family. The order was for Jaden, the oldest, to go first, then Kellen, then Sage. Sage watched with a huge smile and clapped as her brothers were each baptized. Then on her turn, she quickly hopped into the "tub" eagerly anticipating her baptism. As she was dunked under, she had that panicky response, of being put under water. She scrambled, standing up, wiping the water off her eyes, as Pastor Marc asked if she was ok. She hopped out with a towel wrapped around her, and immediately turned to me and said, "Mommy, I want to do that again." We kept walking down the hall back to the bathroom, with Sage asking the entire way, "Mommy can I be baptized again. I liked that so much." She was disappointed when I said no, but I explained to her that she had many friends that had not been baptized yet. She can now encourage them to be baptized and tell them how special, awesome, and celebratory it is to be baptized. A week later, she has asked me a couple more times if she can be baptized twice because it was so much fun. I am so thankful that she has a memory of it being a joyous occasion.

It was such a special day. I was very overwhelmed with emotion and shed many happy tears. I couldn't help but think how we have prayed for each of our children to accept Jesus as their savior, to love Him wholeheartedly, and to pursue Him with passion. I realized that we had even begun praying that while each of our children were still in my womb. God had heard our prayers and He had begun answering them! There is no greater joy than living a life in complete surrender to Jesus. And to see our children start on that journey....pure joy!

Pictures!

2009-04-02T10:30:00.007-06:00

Spring had finally sprung and all my crocuses were blooming! I was so excited. Spring is my favorite time of the year, and flowers just make me smile!

Then...we got more snow

Then...it melted. It would warm up during the day to melt everything, but freeze again at night. During this crazy Montana weather, we got this picture of a crocus completely encased in ice! (this was the day after taking the snowy basketball picture!)

For school, Jaden and Kellen had to dress like they were 100 years old. This was their interpretation...black socks and flip flops, highwaters, a robe, beards...

...and didn't you know that every old man has some great moves...

just a cute picture of Christopher!

Saddle Up! This is some Work Horse! Look how many kids are piled on!!!

Then the old horse gave out...

Then Mommy realized that half the kids were shirtless for the pictures as they were all getting ready for bed. So everyone had to find shirts so we could just take a couple more pics...but it seems we may have lost our Kodak moment...

The Quarantine House

2009-03-25T00:03:00.004-06:00

This is the time of year where us Montanans catch some major Spring fever. There are a few who desparately cling to winter by catching a few extra runs on the ski slopes. But for a home full of kids, we're desparately ready for some serious outside time.

Spring fever is here in more ways than one. First, Jenny is just ready for them to have some room to run during the days, and not be stir-crazy inside. It seriously is getting to be like feeding squirrels coffee beans and turning them loose in our house.

Second, there is something about the arrival of warmer weather (perhaps the outside time helps) that helps us to sterilize our house from winter germs. We figure that most of the kids in Billings have been to our house this winter-or, at least, their germs have been. I'm finding that I'm becoming a bit OCD with keeping things cleaned up. Thankfully, Jenny does a GREAT job of keeping our house spotless. I'm really amazed at all that she accomplishes in a day. I certainly feel a bit guilty that she doesn't at least get paid vacations. She deserves it for sure.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've basically been keeping our house as a nonofficial quarantine site. Let's see...we've done the coughing, aching, sneezing, stuffy head thing. We've done the fever and headache thing. We've done the asthma/Croop cough thing. We've done the throw-up thing. We've done the whining, grumpy, "I want it now!" thing that goes along with all the other things. I'm sure I'm leaving something out,--and to that particular Virus or Viruses, I apologize for the lack of recognition.

So, if you've got sick kids, bring them on by, maybe we can expedite this "germ sharing" thing that we've drawn out all Winter. We're ready to be done with it.

FYI: Currently we are in the Asthma/Croop & Fevery, achy, runny nose, whining, grumpy, "I want it now!" thing. As a result, Katie has made her customary trip to the ER for blood work to rule out infections. She seems to be doing very well inspite of her fever. She is drinking a bunch of water & juice which is really helping. Hydration is a very big deal for her. We are so thankful that she continues to recoup pretty normally after these viruses blow through our house. It certainly is a contrast to our first few months after her arrival.

It's times like this where I know Jenny gets fatigued and strained from the "daily" stuff, but God knows how to strengthen and uphold her. Pray for her strength, patience, and rest as Spring finally blossoms here in MT.

Emmanuel - God with us.

2009-03-18T22:31:00.008-06:00

Tonight we sat and ate dinner as a family. Nothing unusual about that. But conversation insued with Jaden, Kellen, Sage, and us about orphans who need extra medical care -like our Kisakye (Katie) used to be. As we talked with the kids, I found myself saying-without having truly considered it-that if Kisakye wasn't here with us, she might be dead by now.

(Pause) My own words made me stop for a second as I injested them. Lord, could that be true? Is it possible that the sunbeam smile, captivating eyes, and personality-plus sitting two seats down on my left might not even be in this world apart from Your Mercy expressed in our family?

(Another pause) Thank you, Father, that we get to be a part of what your doing down here. It's hard to believe that in my very house, the tangible expression of God's grace and mercy wakes up every morning singing her own praises to her Creator before Jenny gets her out of bed, and then dances her joy-filled limbs through the house to the breakfast table.

Emmanuel - God with us.

A couple of days ago, I was asked about generational sin and illnesses like Kisakye's. Though it was a sincere question, I found myself wanting to take the part of Protector of my baby girl. But still, it is true that children too-often bear the burden of rebellious offenses against God by adults around them.

I've ruminated on that question since, and asked God to give me His perspective and wisdom. Something about the context disturbed me,...until right now. Like dawn chasing darkness from a hidden valley, John 9:1-3 blazed in my mind.

Now as Jesus passed by He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."

I get it now! The question over who sinned is totally irrelevant and unproductive. The fact is, God has chosen to reveal His works in a little girl that is my daughter. Praise God for little miracles. And praise God that whatever her heritage may have been, it is now one that is blessed by God.

Emmanuel - God with us.

Quotable Quote

2008-12-23T16:48:00.001-07:00

"When we make a present for Jesus, does He close His eyes?"

--Sage

Real Life

2008-12-22T12:41:00.006-07:00

We recently received a package from J.B.,a friend of ours in Uganda. (I have written about him in previous posts from when Lacey and I were in Uganda. He is the pastor of the church I went to in Jinja, he took Lacey and I to a village to distribute our suitcase full of goodies to the kids, his wife, Grace, cooked many yummy meals for me, and he and his whole family blessed me tremendously. We love JB and his family!)

So when we opened the package, it was full of African outfits for each of our children. For any of you that have had to buy clothes for others, you know how difficult this can be. Imagine being in Uganda, buying African clothes for American kids you have never met nor seen in pictures! And all the clothes fit perfectly! Everyone loves their individual outfit and is very appreciative.

So, ever since we received this package, I have been thinking about how important it is for me to get a picture of the kids in their Uganda clothes. This is almost a daily thought. When I woke up this morning, I thought, since Jaden and Kellen are on Christmas break now, and everyone is home this morning with no plans of having to go anywhere, this will be a great day to get pics done. So I made a quick chore list for each of the kids with the last one being--change into African clothes.

Everything was going well until I had the camera out. All of a sudden the whole morale of the group went downhill fast! So I reminded them how fast pictures will be if everyone just cooperates and smiles!! This is how the next 20 minutes went:

Me: Everyone stand over here, ok smile, look at me! Christopher, put your shirt down. Jaden no bunny ears for this picture. Look! Smile! Uhh, that would have been good, but Katie you weren't looking at Mommy! Again...Sage please stand on two feet, Jaden, relax a little bit, that doesn't even look like a smile anymore...Click! That would have been good, except I can see your undies! Come one everyone, this doesn't have to take soooo long. Please just LOOK AT ME! SMILE! NOW! Sage, please stop looking at your reflection in the TV. Jaden please stop making funny faces. **Now comes bribery** Everyone look at me, smile and you will get a cookie! (Everyone gets excited and shouts "cookie") click, but now Christopher is sooo excited at the idea of cookie he can't stand still. Jaden has had it...there are no more smiles, he keeps raising his hands in the air, like he's had enough. I'm irritable and grouchy and just keep clicking the camera anyways. Kellen keeps running from his spot to the camera because he wants to see the picture I just took! I know I am nearing the end of every one's sanity, so I try to muster up some enthusiasm and announce that this is the last picture. Everyone give me your best smile! Click! Ok...that would have been the last picture, if Sage would have had been standing on TWO feet, if Jaden was smiling, if Kellen didn't have his arms wrapped so tightly around Katie and Christopher that it looked like they were in a choke hold, if Christopher didn't have his arms in the air, and if Katie didn't have drool down the chin! Augghhh! Let's try this again....Augghhhhh!!!!

And all of you are wondering why you haven't received our family Christmas picture in the mail yet! HA!

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So, in the middle of posting the above pictures, my friend Megan, popped in to say hi while on her lunch hour. She and I were downstairs, when we heard a sudden crash and the sound of things breaking or at least hitting the floor. We ran upstairs to find our Christmas tree laying sideways! Ornaments were everywhere. And there were two guilty hoodlums standing next to the tree! This gruffy mom (you are getting a great mental picture of me today!) sent them all to bed. Megan and I tried to lift the tree back into a standing position, which did not work well. As we are lifting and holding and the other is fixing the base, we realize part of the base broke. We notice this, as the tree is in the upright position, I am just letting go of the tree, and Megan is down on her knees looking at the base of the tree. This picture explains the rest...

When this happened, I said, "Megan, are you OK?" She muffled out a "yeah." So I said, "then hold on, I have to run and get my camera!" She graciously let me take this picture. We had a good laugh! If it were not for her being here at that moment...who knows... God knows how much we can handle, and then I guess, he sends in reinforcement!

thoughts...

2008-12-16T12:36:00.012-07:00

Many have asked about Katie's health. Right now, she is doing well. We have had many ups and downs since bringing her home in April, and know that this will be the norm throughout her life. It is hard to get used to the fact that blood transfusions, hospital stays, and increased risks of complications will all be normal for Katie. My heart breaks and I have tears flowing as I write this. I want my daughter to be healthy. I want her to be able to play in the snow, to go hiking in the mountains... We know that God has chosen her for our family and that we would not be complete without her. I remember just a couple weeks ago when Kellen was in the ER getting an IV started...he was crying and saying how much it hurt...Kellen and I talked about how often Katie has to get an IV and how it helps us to understand what she goes through and to have a deeper compassion for her.
Why Lord does she have to have Sickle Cell? Why does she have to experience such pain?
A dear friend of ours, who is in his 20's, also has Sickle Cell. He lives in the same town as us, and is from the same town as Christopher and Katie in Uganda. (God has blessed us so much!) He is in the hospital with complications right now, and I ask you to pray for him. That God would heal his body, give him strength and that God would receive the glory. It is hard for me to watch what he is going through. The pain is so great. My heart aches for him. As I watch him, I can't help but think that this may be Katie some day. I feel so helpless. I want to stop the disease and not allow it to wreak havoc on her little body. But I can't. We live in a fallen world where there is sin, pain, and suffering. My eyes have to be fixed on Christ, the One who gives us hope, who forgives us for our sins, and gives us life everlasting. One day, there will be no more tears and no more suffering. Thank you Lacey, for sharing this song and video with me and for giving me a fresh perspective.
click here to view

I am flooded with emotions right now, there are tears falling onto my keyboard, and I am reminded by another song playing right now, "...that You make everything Glorious..." We are not alone. This is not in vain. Everything will be made glorious in His time. I also think about how hard it is to watch my child suffer and to feel helpless, and then I am reminded of God watching His only Son suffer on our behalf. God loves us so much. I am overwhelmed. Thank you Jesus. Click here to view another

2008-12-15T19:31:00.010-07:00

I am determined to post tonight. I have sat down a couple other times over the last couple months and have really struggled to convey my thoughts. My thoughts are still jumbled, but I guess jumbled thoughts are better than no thoughts, right?!?

I will highlight some happenings from the last couple months to get you up to speed...

There was Halloween...we are not big fans of Halloween and we don't "celebrate" the day, but we do get dressed up and go to a Harvest Party hosted by a local church. I only included this so you could see the picture of our night out! Take a good look...Christopher, not Katie, is the pirate this time!

Then we had Kellen's birthday. He had a party at the bowling alley and we had a ton of fun. Kellen requested a particular cake that he had seen in one of my magazines from over a year ago. The moment he had seen this cake, he knew it was the one!

Todd got his first elk! I am sure I am leaving lots of details out on this one, so you'll have to talk to Todd to get the scoop!

The African Children's Choir was in town and it was amazing! Those kids are incredible. If they are coming to a city near you, GO! You will be in for a treat. I was emotional during the show, thinking about all that God has brought us through to unite Christopher and Katie with our family. What a fun night and we got to experience it with some dear friends!

Sickness...this could be a whole post in itself. We have had 4 with pink eye, 2 with strep throat, sinus infection, bronchitis, ear infection, emergency room trips for croup/severe breathing difficulty, emergency room trip for an inflamed hip joint which was thought to be a bone infection, impetigo, bacterial infections, hand surgery, and an allergic reaction to the antibiotic for the strep throat...and this is all in a 3 week period!

Jaden lost his two front teeth!

My sister has moved up to Montana and is in her 9th month of pregnancy! We are preparing for the birth of her little boy. We are happy to have her so close! My parents are living with us until they head back to Uganda, and the kids are loving their time with Grammy and Grandpa. Add 5 kids to the mix and a couple of dogs, and we have a full house! There is never a moment lacking in adventure. Our days are full and a wee bit busy! or crazy! However, you want to look at it!

Our life is full of blessings, and as we approach Christmas, we are so thankful that God has united our family. (Last Christmas we were longing to to have C & K here). God has accomplished a lot over this past year. As we go through dry times, it helps to look back and remember all that God has done. Today, I started reading our story from the beginning just to be reminded of our faithful and sovereign Lord. Even at times when I can't feel or see Him in the day in and day out, He is there. It has challenged me to look for glimpses of God throughout my day--even in the mundane activities or routines. I want to be in awe of God. I want to be aware of His presence.

Thank you Lord for never leaving us. May our eyes be fixed upon You, Lord, this Christmas season.

It's Official!

2008-10-15T14:56:00.009-06:00

On October 1, 2008, we finalized the adoption of Christopher and Katie! Their names are legally changed and they now share our last name! We will also be getting Montana birth certificates for C & K with our names listed as the parents! This is the final and complete step in the process and it is a huge celebration. We will forever remember and celebrate Oct. 1st as our official adoption day. Our lawyer was very generous and did all the work at no cost to us--just because he is passionate about adoption. The judge loves adoption as well and made the day very special for us. He was genuinely interested in our story, in the kids' lives, and was quick to give God the glory for it all. On top of all this, we got to finalize the adoption with our friends--the Lundman's! We traveled together to Uganda in March to get our children and we got to finish together. It was a wonderful day!

The kids (there were 13 of them!) got to sit in the jury box!

************
We also celebrated Sage's birthday recently as she turned 4! WooHoo!!

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Katie spent another weekend in the hospital. This time she was hospitalized for sickle cell pain which we believe was caused by the sickling of cells in her back. She is doing better and ibuprofen is her best friend.
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We had a major snow storm come through this last weekend which dumped 22 inches. The kids had so much fun building snow forts and snow men, throwing snowballs, and drinking hot chocolate. We lost many, many branches from our trees (the trees had not dropped all their leaves yet and it was a very heavy, wet snow).

Christopher's version of getting ready for the snow!

Sage's version of getting ready for the snow!

Since daddy did not approve of her first outfit, this was her second try at getting ready to play in the snow!

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Katie's hair is slowly getting longer, and I am having fun experimenting with tons of different hair products and hair styles. Here is one of them...

This is actually Katie's favorite look. We thought hair extensions might be too expensive and take too long, so we just have her wear the head-piece from Pirate's of the Caribbean =)

Feeling Guilty

2008-09-23T07:33:00.010-06:00

I agree that I have been silent for too long... updating this blog has been on my to-do list for 4 months now! It is one of those things that has been hanging over my head, and the longer I wait, the more overwhelming it seems. Erinn is the one that finally gave me the little kick I needed to get this done, so thank you Erinn C.

Life is full! There is rarely a free moment to spare. I am going from the moment I wake up til the moment I go to sleep. I have never been so busy, yet I have never been filled with such joy from day to day. There is a new level of contentment that God has brought in my role of being a mom. The lesson that was ingrained in me while I was in Africa was "simplify." I have slowly been putting this into practice as I learn to differentiate between what things are good and what is best. I find it very easy to fill up my week with commitments and obligations only to be worn out and tired by the end of the week. I have decided that I am in a season of life where I need to scale back my level of involvement outside the home so I can focus more time in the home. My two main goals this school year is to homeschool Sage and to make "good" sit-down dinners every night. I want my family to know that they are my first priority and to show in practical ways that I care about them.

Since Katie and Christopher have been home, there is a greater since of unity and peace in our home. It is as if our family is a puzzle and there was a piece missing...and K & C were the piece that completed the puzzle. It is so normal, natural and just feels right having K & C in our family. There really hasn't been a transition. I honestly feel as though bringing these two home has been far easier than the transition of having my first, second or third child. We immediately found our routine. I believe this is only possible because of God's mighty hand. I think this is another reason I have taken so long to blog...because in one sense, it feels like Katie and Christopher have been with us forever, since birth. It feels like my time in Africa was years ago. Sometimes I forget that K & C have only been here for 5 months and although it feels so ordinary and normal to us, there are so many people that have traveled this journey with us that are longing for details and pictures. So please accept my apologies for not posting sooner. If I were in your shoes, I would be going crazy for pictures as well!

Katie's personality: Katie is very persistent and stubborn. Although this can be a trying trait for a parent of a 2 year old, we believe this is the reason she is still alive. She is a fighter! She is doing very well health-wise. We have had our share of ups and downs already...3 weeks after coming to America she had a blood transfusion and a hospitalization of 2 days; last month, she had another hospital stay of 2 days for a kidney infection; and then we've had a few ER visits here and there. We have also flown to the Denver Children's Hospital and are working with an excellent doctor down there who has teamed up with her pediatrician here. We feel very blessed to have found these doctors. She is on penicillin daily, we know to keep her bundled up, and we have learned her cues for when she is not feeling well. It has been a learning curve, but it has also become a part of our normal family life.

The best part has been watching Katie grow, flourish, thrive, and come to life. Nobody at Amani Baby Cottage would even recognize her now. She is constantly smiling (a great big smile that shows all her teeth), running around, talking, playing, pretending with her babies and the play kitchen...and she loves her music--anything with a good beat! Katie has amazing dancing skills and we have no idea where she learned these--it must be in her genes! Katie's great accomplishment this week is potty training. She is still in diapers at bedtime, but is doing awesome during the day! Katie is very compliant, likes rules and boundaries, and is very quick to let us know when Christopher has been disobedient. In public, Katie is quiet, reserved and shy, whereas, her brother Christopher is outgoing, loud, and loves to be the center of attention. He is a ham. He is very intense about everything he does. He does everything whole-heartedly and usually has a ton of fun while doing it (even things as simple as climbing into a chair). He is a charmer and has some wonderful facial expressions. Todd's nickname for Christopher is "Cos" because there are a lot of similarities between Christopher and Bill Cosby! One last thing about Christopher is that he tends to be very neat and orderly, a little OCD at times. His blanket has to be just right, his shoes have to be lined up in the mud room, things have to be put back where they go. It is a little funny that his favorite toy is the little red Dirt Devil vacuum.

Christopher and Katie have overcome most of their original fears...dogs (well at least our dog), stuffed animals, bath toys, and bugs. There is still one thing they cannot stand (not necessarily a fear) ...They hate the microwave. Every time I put their milk (they love warm milk) or food in the microwave, they start crying. We go through this everyday. I think they believe the microwave is going to eat their food! But everyday I explain and show them that their food is still there. Christopher is crazy about his food. He LOVES to eat. One day C & K were doing laps around the kitchen table having fun and chasing each other. All of a sudden, Christopher comes to a screeching halt, bends over, picks up a crumb, puts it in his mouth, and goes back to running full speed. Needless to say, Christopher is a few pounds heavier than Katie and a few inches shorter! He is our little football player. Katie is long and lanky, she is our dainty dancer!

We have had fun with the endless questions I get asked every time I go anywhere. Here are some of them:

*Do you run a daycare?

*Are Christopher and Katie twins? (Some have even asked if they are identical!) Then when I answer "No, but they are only 6 days apart," I get a funny look and am asked, "so are they from the same mom?"

*Is your husband black?

"Wow, you have a lot of kids. Do you like it that way?"

We are enjoying our time together as family. Todd and I love watching Jaden, Kellen, Sage, Christopher and Katie all interact in a way that can only be explained by the bond of Christ. God is good, all the time!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

***Just to give an idea of time...I started this post on the 24th early in the morning. I got 1 paragraph written. 9 hours later, I got another paragraph written. 2 days later, I got the pictures loaded and finished! Whew!

Something Old, Something New

2008-05-13T13:20:00.002-06:00

That's basically what it feels like around here.

There's definitely something new with Katie and Christopher. A new family dynamic; a new routine; a new perspective on God's purpose for our lives; a new beginning for all of us in many ways.

Yet, still, there is something old about it all...

Have you ever bought a pair of shoes or pants that made you look twice to make sure they weren't "pre-worn" because they provided the comfort of your old one's? Have you ever been to a place you know that you have never experienced before, and it still felt strangely like home? Have you ever made a new friend in some wierd circumstance, and after a few moments you connected like best friends since junior high?

In a very abstract way, that's what it's like with Katie and Christopher being "home". By our strange disappearance of blog entries, you may have deduced that our days have precious little "left-over" time which has definitely caused us to be more deliberate with each moment. Yet, God's presence is still abundantly clear, and His grace flows in a continual stream.

I've often found myself at the edge of a mountain stream wondering when the water will run out and stop flowing. Perplexed, I keep watching and listening as the dribble, gurggle, pop, and splash never show signs of fading.

Welcome to God's grace. It is the stream that never fades or falters. It is never late, and is always enough for the present need. Sure, there is never enough water in that mountain stream to meet the demands of hundreds of years, but there is always enough for that moment. There is an endless supply of grace; never in surplus or need; always just enough.

We remind ourselves of this as Katie is in her first major hospital visit here in Montana. She is requiring a blood transfusion to overcome some difficulties with her sickle cell. She's weak, tired of being poked and prodded by the nurses, and generally in a little of a fowl mood, but she is very gritty and tough. A couple of weeks ago she had blood drawn, and I watched in amazement as she merely blinked when they poked her with the needle. Then I watched her scream in complete terror as they attempted to put a band-aid on her wound. Go figure, but she is certainly tough. That's God's grace in the life of a little girl with a difficult disorder. His grace is practical and sufficient.

Pray for her health, and ask God to do what we pray over her every night: That she would rest in the knowledge of the presence of God.

Matt. 28:20, "...And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Lots of...

2008-04-27T16:22:00.002-06:00

Lots of poopie diapers,
Lots of crying,
Lots of chaos,
Lots of messes,
Lots of laundry,
Lots of dishes,
Lots of love and joy!

We are getting into a good routine and I am feeling almost caught up on sleep. There were a couple days when Todd got home from work last week and I had the kids fed and in bed already--it was only 5:30pm! And they actually slept through the night until 7am! C & K are doing terrific. They are eating very well and liking all the new food. I know the Amani mamas would be shocked that the kids are surviving without eating any posho! Their starch bellies are even shrinking in size. Katie eats about the same size portions as Todd. She keeps eating and eating. I will ask if she is all done and she shakes her head no. I then ask if she wants more and she will sign "more." So we keep feeding her. I can't wait to take the kids to the Dr. for a checkup in a month to see how much they have grown. They already look and act healthier.

At home, the kids feel safe and secure, so we have really seen their personalities blossom. Katie is a little teaser. She has the funniest faces. She and Todd will make funny faces and point at each other--this has become a morning ritual. She makes us laugh so much. She is following commands very well and is signing "please," "more," "all done," and "thank you." She loves music, singing and dancing. Yesterday as the radio was playing, Todd picked Katie up and started dancing and twirling around with her. Katie had the biggest smile and my heart melted as time seemed to freeze for just a moment. She is just so happy so much of the time. Katie seems to be more outgoing and courageous than Christopher, but when she doesn't want to do something there is no changing her mind. She can throw a good temper tantrum!

Christopher is a ham. He loves to laugh and his new saying is "tickle, tickle, tickle!" as he tries to tickle your chin. He loves to find the humor in everything--even mischief and discipline--he usually has this little smirk that is not so funny when you are the parent. When we go out in public, Christopher is the scaredy cat. He is extremely cautious and scared of everything....
Todd's guitar, stuffed animals, toys that make noise, and most people... He will give high fives and pound knuckles, so this is a start. Today he went into the church nursery with minimal crying. When I picked him up, the workers said he did great. He just ate lots and lots of goldfish crackers--That's a sure way to get on Christopher's good side!

Jaden, Kellen, and Sage are enjoying their new brother and sister. They are adjusting very well and have become huge helpers around the house. It has been such a joy to have our family together. Although to an onlooker it appears as complete chaos in the home, there is actually a sense of peace. I even had a dream the other night that I picked up the violin and played perfectly. (I do not have one music gene in my body). Todd says the violin is the instrument of peace and that I must be feeling peaceful. I can't find any other way of describing being home and being together as family. It just feels right, normal, natural, peaceful and joyful.

I know we have been covered in prayer and I thank you for that. There has been an outpouring of love, support, encouragement, prayers, and kindness. It has been a wonderfully warm welcome home and we are so blessed. Thank you for partnering with us in this journey. I had previously mentioned in a blog, "it is finished!" I believe it is more accurate to say that that particular chapter is finished. However, this new chapter is just beginning!

**I have not forgotten about posting pics and video. It just requires a little more time than I can seem to find! One of these days...!

Home Sweet Home

2008-04-22T14:23:00.003-06:00

It has been a sweet reunion!
We are enjoying being together as a complete family--it has been worth the wait! Everyone is adjusting well and the transition has been smooth so far. It is a very natural and normal feeling to have the babies home and to be a family of 7! There is honestly never a dull moment, and the fact that I can sit and blog for a few minutes is a miracle in itself!
Christopher and Katie are doing wonderful. Katie has just blossomed, she is so full of life and personality! Christopher is a ham...he loves being the life of the party. They are smiling all the time and are looking healthy. Jaden and Kellen are wonderful big brothers and Sage is a super big sister. Sage keeps telling everyone, "I love my brother and sister sooo much."
We are currently looking at two hospitals to treat Katie's sickle cell--one in Tennessee or one in Georgia. Please be praying as we begin the referral process and finalize decisions. We are hoping to fly out as soon as we can.
I will be posting lots of pictures and hopefully some video soon! Stay Tuned!

Touchdown!

2008-04-17T21:10:00.004-06:00

Touchdown is at 10:30pm tonight!

I am not just a little excited about reuniting with my best friend, and eagerly awaiting delivery of two 22 month-old "babies" after 2 years of labor (with many false alarms).

It's late, but if you want to be a part of the welcome home team, head on up to the airport. It's only appropriate for all who've shared in the journey, that you get to experience the joy of the fruit of your persistant labor.

Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing...[!] (Psalm 66:5)

3...2...1, LIFT-OFF!

2008-04-16T11:06:00.006-06:00

TURN UP THE VOLUME!

I just now happened to stop by our house to pick up some tools for another jobsite. It was a last minute thing that I decided to do. Thank you, Lord, for letting me be so easily side-trackable.

There was a home phone message that I checked when I arrived that mentioned that Jenny and the kids were ON THEIR WAY TO NEW YORK ! My head is sort of spinning now.

Now I'm scrambling to get their flights in the US arranged.

Pray for flight availability for them on Northwest Airlines, and that the airline medical requirements would all be resolved quickly so that they may immediately get on a flight.
Pray that they will have a very direct route to Billings, MT.
Pray that Katie and Christopher hold up well, and, especially, that Katie will not need any special medical attention in flight.

Katie is doing very well. Thank you for your prayers. The oxygen support availability is all precautionary.

The good news is they have left the ground!

Costly Grace

2008-04-15T09:22:00.010-06:00

I stare, think fragmented thoughts, and say to God, like Aaron Shust's song:

Give me words to speak. Don't let my spirit sleep. 'Cause I can't think of anything worth saying, but I know that I owe you my life.

I woke this morning to a phone call from Jenny. Because of some confusion with the ticketing for Katie & Christopher, they were likely to miss their flight. So we prayed. The next phone call a few minutes later confirmed that God did yet another thing which is like Him. The flight was delayed by nine minutes which allowed Jenny just enought time to get the ticketing resolved and make the flight!

While I was thanking God for how His timing is perfect, I received yet another call from Jenny. While taxiing for take-off, the airline discovered that Katie has sickle-cell, and that it is possible that she may require use of their on-board oxygen supply. So, the plane turned around and returned to the gate where Jenny and the kid's baggage was unloaded and they were asked to leave the plane because the flight did not have any additional oxygen available for Katie's potential need.

Per the airlines request they will now have to return to Kampala to visit an airline approved doctor, submit a request to accomodate Katie's potential need of oxygen support, and wait for the airline's approval of that request. This delays their travel by at least two days. It is a severe understatement to say that this is not the happy birthday that Jenny was hoping for. She has reached her breaking point.

It is so difficult for Jenny and I's human minds to understand why God allows for such disappointment to occur on the heals of what we believed was some form of a miracle in getting them on the flight in time. There is no questioning His sovereignty. There is no doubt that His plan can never be made "more" perfect. Yet, in our humanness, we still ask, with great heartache, "Why?"

It is not an answer we search for. What we desire is simply a calming reminder from God that He is still in control, and that in His perfect knowledge and grace has caused these things to occur as they have for His purpose. We feel like King David who, in the midst of overwhelming spiritual torment, said, "This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."(Psalm 77:10) We remember that God is sovereign. We remember that He has heard our, and your, prayers. We remember that He is not only capable, but He is also faithful to finish the work which He began. We remember.

Still our spirits are heavy. This journey has cost us more, in every way, than we ever imagined it would. It has likely cost us more than we would ever have agreed to willingly. However, there is not one sleepless night, one penny, one prayer, one heartache, or any single cost that we would not give again. God has taken us farther than we ever wanted to go, but we would not ask for it to be any different.

The apostle Paul said,

But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings...but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (Phil. 3:8-12)

What we have experienced so far in this journey is merely the tip of the iceberg of God's total plan. It has been full of: heartache, joy, anger, peace, helplessness, victory, thankfulness, humility, exhaustion, and divine strength. We have experienced God in ways and depths that we never knew existed. We have seen the power of God displayed in His people, and over those who oppose Him. Daily we have known His timely, practical, and sufficient grace. We have seen unity in the family of God that is beyond anything that we have experienced.

We regret nothing.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged by Adolf Hitler for passionately following Christ, wrote:

Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light.' (The Cost of Discipleship, 45)

A delay of two or three days seems a small inconvenience, yet in this portion of the journey it has felt like more than we can bear. Yet we will press on mindful of God's supremacy, and calmed and strengthened by His words and Spirit:

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shalll utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

God's plan for us is no greater or less than the plan He has for each of His people. He requires no special ability, reputation, stature, personality, giftedness, likeability, or beauty. He seeks the willing heart that would say, 'Here am I! Send me.'(Isaiah 6:8) We never imagined what God would choose to do with us when we uttered those words. We are ordinary. Jenny's a stay-at-home mom and I'm just a carpenter. We have practically nothing to contribute to His purpose; only willing hearts.

Still we say, "Here are we, LORD! Send us."

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorius triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. ~President Theodore Roosevelt

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-14T19:39:00.002-06:00

Happy birthday! I'm overwhelmed still that God chose you for me and me for you. Sometimes I think of you, and can't find the right words or enough of them to describe the love God has given me for you. You are full of integrity, and your passion for God is contagious. You are even more beautiful at 30!

Love,

Todd

Happy, happy, happy birthday!!!!!!!!!there is a birthday, birthday for my Mom!I'm going to have Christopher & Katie for a erly show & tail.I can't wate intill Chistopher & katie get here! It's going to be a the best time ever and daddy will haveto chang dipers.and sometimes Kellen & sage & Mommy but never me.Not even if they tell me to.

Love,

J.C.M.

love kjm
mom happy birthday 03 mommy is not snowing am momtana

Vvgbbbbbbbbbbbbb kkkkk kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkggggggggkkklllk nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn jnjjhhhhhi 88

love,

saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
(by Sage's hands- she dictated while she typed- it's difficult to remember all of it, but she basically said that she loves you. Happy Birthday, Mommy. Thank you Jesus that I get to go to Mommy's party. It's only for girls.)

We are all waiting anxiously. God's speed home.

The blog entry I have been waiting to write for 2 years!

2008-04-11T09:32:00.003-06:00

IT IS FINISHED!

We are coming home!
There was a huge sigh of relief this morning as I was told that we could pick up our visas on Monday! We will begin traveling on Tuesday--my 30th birthday! What a birthday present!! I am still trying to process the reality of all this. We have been waiting, praying, trusting and believing for two years...today, Friday, April 11, 2008 is the day the Lord had appointed, and it was not delayed. Our Lord is faithful. He is so faithful. All those times I felt discouragement, hopelessness, and fear...my God kept reminding me to trust Him, to wait and be of good courage. It is hard waiting. Not one part of me likes to wait, but it is for our own good and for God's glory. As I look back at all the obstacles (and there have been plenty of them) I have seen God receive the glory and honor and praise. It is worth that every single time!

Our discouraging day yesterday, along with the pouring down rain, caused us to remain in our car the entire day. I wanted to have a pity party. I felt hopeless. There was even a very real possibility that we may not be able to receive the visas. I was so discouraged. Pastor Sam started praying, singing, encouraging, quoting scripture, retelling Bible stories...all in the presence of our Muslim driver. It donned on me at that moment...this is why "it is not all about me." I become so focused on what I want, and I want God to give me an instant answer, blessing, or miracle. But He will choose what will bring Him the most glory. In the long scheme of things, having to wait a little longer is nothing compared to having someone accept Christ as their Savior, seeing others increase their faith, or being a part of making God's name famous around the world. Yet in receiving another full day of trials, we got to be a tool in God's hands. There is truly no greater joy than walking in the fullness of His Spirit.

Honestly, everyday of this week, I have said, "This has been the longest day of my life." And then the next day I would say, "Alright, this has been the longest day." It has been a spiritually challenging and physically exhausting week. Satan has been working overtime all around us. But our God has defeated Satan! He has given us victory. This morning as my mom woke up, the first thing that ran through her head was, "This is the day the Lord has made." As I was sitting in the official's office this morning, God said to me, "This is the day!" It is amazing to see, to live, to feel, to experience, the day we have been waiting for and it has come without delay. There has not been anything that has taken God by surprise. He has used everything for good, even that which Satan intended for evil. Our God is so good. He is awesome and worthy of praise.

Take time to rejoice! Shout praises to our God! Sing a new song to our Lord! Get on your knees and worship our King. HE IS FAITHFUL!

"Mommy is in Africa fighting Satan!"

2008-04-09T12:13:00.002-06:00

These are the words my three-year-old said a couple days ago and it is so true. The battle is not against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities of this world. And God has had the victory! He continues to show Himself to us in miraculous ways. It doesn't come easy. God requires us to give our all, and when we have no more to give, then He wants us to trust Him even more. Again, I felt like giving up yesterday. I was spent in every way possible. I even started to cry in an official's office--it was the last official of the day and I emotionally could not handle what he said to me. He responded kindly after that, but I felt defeated and worn out.

That night, I called in reinforcement. I had my mom and Pastor Sam meet me in Kampala today to help with the kids, to be prayer warriors present on the battlefield, and to offer the encouragement I so desperately needed. Today was a wonderful day that will be marked in the history books of our family...we got C & K's passports today!! There is absolutely no way to explain this other than a miracle! We are rejoicing, to put it lightly.

Tomorrow early morning, Mom, Pastor Sam, the kids and I are going to the US Embassy for the final step--the visas! Please cover us and this official in prayer. We are so close! Words cannot describe the range of emotions I feel as I approach the finish line after two years of waiting.
Thank you Jesus!

Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-07T10:42:00.003-06:00

This has been a very long, exhausting, nerve-wrecking, exhilarating, and glorious day!

I do not know where to start...

I had a great time in Masaka and met wonderful people. They love the Lord and have the most beautiful servant's hearts. When I would thank them for their unending hospitality, inconveniences, and service, they would always respond...we are all called to serve...Jesus said whoever is the least among these will become the greatest. Jesus himself washed his disciples feet. He came to serve not to be served....Again I was humbled by their perspective on life and their willingness to serve continually and joyfully.

My driver met me at the hotel at 6:30 am today, and I was accompanied by Jacqui (Pastor Benjamin's wife, who is 9 months pregnant and not supposed to travel, but just had to meet me and spend time with me!), Pastor Sam (who works alongside Pastor Benjamin at Mountain of the Lord Church, and is working at teaching me Luganda), and Fredrick (my brother! if you haven't heard this story before I will have to tell you later!). It was quite the team! I felt surrounded by God's handpicked army as I entered the battlefield of Kampala.

We tried to no avail to find a certain official, but this person could never be found. We walked down hallways, into rooms, up stairs, down stairs, through security, talking to this person and that, made phone calls...it was so frustrating and we finally left. We met the Amani foster coordinator along with C & K at the courthouse. We sat and waited just hoping that our written ruling might be done today. Because we have such a tight schedule this week, I wanted to make the most of every minute, so we waited in hopes that the ruling just might come today and allow us to get started on the next process a half a day sooner. But I was totally prepared for spending the night in Kampala and starting again the next morning. Our lawyer found us around 11am and said that the registrar had not yet shown up. I was crushed. And frustrated. But having Sam with me was like having instant encouragement. He was quietly praying the entire day. He continually reminded me that our God is capable of accomplishing anything. Even in the past, if prayers have not been answered according to our wants, we cannot stop believing. We have to continue praying even when we don't understand. About an hour later, the registrar showed up! And he said that he would sign our papers in another 45 minutes! Praise the Lord. We finally received the papers and it was quite a moment of rejoicing. Then we left to go to another official's office. There is an enormous amount of details I could go into to explain my feelings of anger, frustration, nervousness, and outright fear. When I had to speak, my voice was shaky. My knees felt like they would buckle, my heart was pounding...all this and we are in a small crowded office where it was probably 100 degrees and C & K screamed almost the entire time. C & K had also missed their nap and none of us had had a bite to eat. I began to imagine angels surrounding us at the entrance of the room, on either side of his desk, by the window, on the couch with us, and even in the adjacent room. I knew God was softening his heart. It took four hours to obtain the letter, but God prevailed! It truly is a miracle.

So tomorrow I start the passport process. We are getting closer and closer as I got to cross two steps off our list today. Hallelujah!

Christopher and Katie are doing very well. Katie is looking great. She did not get carsick today! She smiled all morning (at least until we ended up in a certain office), she drank a ton of water today, and she was so happy. She is saying more and more words. I believe God is bringing health to her little body. Christopher is such a character and is very expressive. He is so much fun and loves to laugh. It is good to see them doing well. I know it is in response to your prayers. Thank you!

I know I am being vague on many things. I will have to elaborate at a different time. God is at work, He is revealing His glory, and He is giving us the victory! All praise and honor and glory are His!

Spiritual Warfare!

2008-04-07T06:35:00.002-06:00

I spoke with Jenny long enough this morning to find out two things: 1) We have the written ruling! and 2) There is a lot of spiritual warfare right now.

Today is "On-your-knees" Day! I don't know any details, other than the enemy wants to stop it all! Victory is not his to take, however, and we will not give up the fight! Raise your swords high Saints! The Sovereign King goes before us!

"No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You." (Psalm 33:16-22)

Today is "On-your-knees" Day!

2008-04-04T12:40:00.002-06:00

I only have a few minutes before the internet cafe closes...so I will type as fast as my fingers will let me as I have so much to say!!
Today we went to Kayunga district. We got to see Tender Mercies Outreach office. (See www.tendermercies.org) Then we went to one of the schools where Tender Mercies is focusing a lot of their efforts. This school has 700 children...and we met all of them! First we inflated a huge football and I had the children form a big circle. I had Prichard translate for me as I made up a few games we could play with this extra, extra large ball. The kids were laughing and having so much fun. It was a great sight. We also blew so many bubbles. The kids were screaming with enthusiasm and chasing bubbles and the ball for over 2 hours! Then I went into each classroom and was introduced and handed out "sweeties" to each child. I also gave each classroom a special gift..a puzzle, a football, bouncy balls... They were so appreciative. We explained that these gifts came from people in America. The givers of these gifts wanted the children to know that they love them and that Jesus loves them. We told them not to thank us, but to thank God for these gifts. We were told by the HeadMaster that we made a huge difference today. He said every child will go home and tell their parents that they had special visitors who gave them presents. For a village that is dominated by witchcraft, we cannot underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit working through us in demonstrating love to these kids. We were exhausted at the end of the day, but had the most wonderful time.
Also, we began to realize how God had so perfectly orchestrated so many things to allow my mom, dad and I to experience this today. There are way too many details to explain now, but take my word, this day was planned, directed, and fulfilled by our Lord. He had a purpose in us being there!
Today I found out that, once again, our written ruling was not completed. We will have to wait until Monday and hopefully get things going on Tuesday. There are a lot of crucial decisions I am having to make and some very specific connections that have to happen (i.e. meeting the right person at the right time, all of whom need to be in a good mood on that particular day and more than willing to help us out. Pray, Pray, Pray!) We are wanting more than ever to be finished and ready to go home as scheduled! I believe it can happen.
One last thing...My parents and I are leaving for Masaka tomorrow. I am excited and plan on being there until Monday or Tuesday.
Our piki's are here! I will fill you in on more details as soon as possible.
Thank you for your continued prayers. They are making a difference for eternity.

2008-04-03T10:58:00.002-06:00

HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER KIMMY!!!!!!!! I love you! Dad, Mom, and I have been talking about how much we would love to have you here with us. We miss you and hope you have a great birthday and a blessed 23rd year.

Lacey, thank you for your last post. I enjoyed reading that perspective of the widow. I am continuing to reflect on that passage to grasp the full meaning that God has intended for me. It is so fun to see how God works in our lives with these intricate details.

My parents have arrived! My camera battery has stretched its life to give me a few great pictures of the kids with Grammy and Grandpa. (Jessica, your insight into the converter/adapter was extremely helpful....thank you so much!)
Christopher immediately went to my mom and dad. He gave them big hugs and was filled with lots of giggles. He rarely chooses to leave my arms. However, he kept reaching and whining for my parents. If my mom would hold him, he would then lean to my dad. As soon as my dad took him, Christopher would lean back to my mom. He could not get enough of them and could not decide who he wanted. We did a lot of passing back and forth for the 3 hour trip back to Jinja. Katie does not do well in cars, but this was the first time she did not get sick! WooHoo! Because she doesn't feel well in the car, she was fussy and clingy. Today, however, she has been full of smiles and giggles. Dad pushed C & K on the tire swing for awhile, and they absolutely loved it. I got some great pictures that I will post soon. This afternoon, Grammy and Grandpa got to take a special outing with C & K (or as my kids like to call it...C & K got to go on a "date" with Grammy and Grandpa). They got to give C & K ice cream, and then we all went on a boat ride. C & K loved it and were pointing at all the birds. We got to see many monkeys, and they kept saying "monkey" and pointing. It was a special time together.

Tomorrow we are going to a village called Kayunga, with Tender Mercies Outreach. This is through a connection I made with Prichard. (Nadine, thank you for setting up our meeting!...I believe meeting him was a divine appointment. He has so encouraged me about sicklers and is a great new friend. Also, he is friends with Terry, who is someone my parents were supposed to meet with upon arriving here, but they didn't have his number or anything! God is so good! We also met Charles, another Ugandan, who was wearing a "Billings Central High School" shirt!) I am planning on taking more supplies/gifts to Kayunga to distribute to the students. There are about 33 students in this program, all of whom have AIDS, sickle cell anemia, or are HIV positive. I believe this has been scheduled by God, so I am looking forward to our time in Kayunga. This particular village is dominated with witchcraft. Pray that we continue to shine the light of Jesus, share the gospel, and for Tender Mercies Outreach to have a major impact in the lives of this village. To God be the Glory!

Jaden, Kellen and Sage...you will have to tell Mamaw to make lots of banana bread...Christopher and Katie LOVE banana bread too! I received my pictures, paintings, and letters that you sent me. I have enjoyed each one and have them hanging around my hotel room! I think of each of you ALL the time. I just know that you would love it here. There is a really big swimming pool with pretend crocodiles! You could ride on the back of a boda boda all by yourself! You could carry babies on your back like the other 5 and 6-year-olds do! You could play drums, sing and dance, play soccer, catch lightning bugs, and learn to carry things on your head! Give Daddy a great big, super-duper hug from Mommy. XXOO

I am having a great time and believe that God is continuing to direct my time here and use it fully for His purposes and glory. I received word today that our written ruling should be finished tomorrow and ready for pick-up! That would mean that we could start out Monday by traveling to Kampala to get the passport process started. Erryn and I are feeling the time crunch, but are believing that we will finish in time to make our flight home. We are counting on your prayers. We have already witnessed so many answers. Praise God!

The widow's offering (posted by Lacey)

2008-04-02T10:35:00.006-06:00

Jenny,
Once again I am amazed how God has spoken to us through scripture. Last night we spoke about your week. You said at church JB talked about the widow with two coins. I had just came across the exact scripture in Mark only days before. It is amazing how God shared the same story with both of us within days of each other. After opening my bible today I was given 100% confirmation that we didn’t hear that portion of scripture by chance. I actually didn’t believe my eyes when I looked down and saw WIDOW WITH TWO COINS written at the top of the page. It was a character sketch of this women. I knew I had to share this with you.

Giving Everything
She stood in the corner of the temple, fingering her last two coins. They were worth less than a penny, but she hesitated, reflecting on the last few years of her life, her husbands death, the struggle to make ends meet. Without a family to support her, she had nowhere to turn. All she had left lay in her hand. It wasn’t much-perhaps she should hang on to it.
Then she remembered the goodness of the Lord and all that he had done for her. She could not withhold from the one who had sustained her and blessed her. No. She had to let go. Surely he would provide a way for her to survive.
As she dropped the coins into the box, a heavy weight fell from her shoulders. She was totally in the Lord’s hands now. He had invited her to trust him far beyond the comfort zone of faith. Her heart leapt. She felt free. Her struggle was over, and God was in control. She felt safer than she had ever felt in her life. She fell on her knees to worship Jehovah-Jireh, her provider, Jehovah-Shalom, her peace.
She had given her coins in secret, thinking no one saw. Unknown to her, Jesus watched and made note of her gift. “Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said,’I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”
He alone knew how much it had cost her. EVERYTHING. She gave not just her money, but her heart, her trust, her daily bread, her future. He alone knew how much she had gained- freedom of a child of God leaning wholly on her creator. Her act was praiseworthy in his sight.

Life is unpredictable. We never know when we might come to the end of our resources-financial, emotional, mental or spiritual. We may think ourselves alone in the struggle, but the Lord is always watching. In our time of need, we can remember this dear widow who so blessed the Lord. She brought everything she had and laid it at his feet. She left with everything she needed, her hand in his.

I committed to writing a final blog when I returned to America. I have been here over a week and am just now settling back into life here. However, I don’t know that my heart will ever settle here. I believe that is how God wants it to be. God took me to Africa for a reason. I feel so blessed to be an American, we have so very much to be thankful for here. I will admit that I am struggling to make sense of this life and all of the stuff I have accumulated here. What does that mean? Where do I go from here? I don’t know, but I thank God for sending me, for transforming me, for showing me what it means to truly have Joy in the Lord, no matter what the circumstance . I went with hopes to teach others, and in return I was taught so much. My life will never be the same, and for that I am grateful.

Todd and Jenny thanks again for including me in your journey! I can't wait to hold those beautiful babies in my arms again!

A Whirlwind of Awesomeness!

2008-04-02T00:24:00.003-06:00

I have not been able to blog for a day or two, and I feel like I have been away for a few weeks! The last couple days have been so much fun...I have been spending a lot of time with J.B, his wife Grace, and their 4 children. They are a Ugandan family who loves the Lord. JB is the teaching pastor at Calvary Chapel in Jinja. They are beautiful people and have shown the love of Jesus to me in such tangible ways. I thank the Lord for bringing them into my life. I believe God has something big planned regarding this family and possibly my involvement with them.

Yesterday I spent a couple hours at Amani with Christopher and Katie. Katie must be feeling well because her little personality is just blossoming. They are so much fun! During this time, I received the great news that the judge said YES! I was shouting praises to God with 11 little children all around me. They all began raising their hands in the air like I was doing. We are so happy!

This entire adoption process has felt like a never-ending marathon. Not only do I have to run, but I have to jump hurdles! Each hurdle is a huge accomplishment, but the importance and weight of the next hurdle looms over me. I am rejoicing over this particular victory but am continuing to pray for the next several steps we have yet to pass. We also found out that the wording of the ruling could potentially pose a problem. We cannot do anything but wait and trust in our Lord. I know He has a plan and He will see us through. In the mean time...KEEP PRAYING!

* We need a written ruling
* We meet with an official who has to write a letter to enable us to file for passports
* We file for C & K's passports--this can be an intense process
* We take our written ruling, our "okay" from the medical exams (which we have already done), and the children's passports and apply for the visa. This is where the wording on the ruling is crucial. This determines whether or not the children get a visa and clearance to come to the US for final adoption.

I have 9 days to get this accomplished (if you include the day I fly out)! We want to leave as scheduled. Please continue to pray us through the remainder of this process. We are so close! I am thankful we can be in this journey together with so many of you. Even though many miles separate us, we are unified through the bonding of the Holy Spirit. We get to celebrate together -- our Lord is awesome!

Yesterday, after I got the ruling, I went to Calvary Chapel and helped dig post holes. They are raising several tarps/tents (for shade) for a funeral that is today. (A 76 year old missionary, who has been here for more than 30 years passed away this weekend from natural causes). It was so hot yesterday and the labor was intense. There are very few tools to work with, and the ones that are available, are in poor shape or are very primitive. No one had gloves, so we received many blisters. Yet it was an incredible bonding time. Watching a handful of these men dig a six-foot-deep grave was emotionally overwhelming. It took an entire day--and they would not stop until is was finished. It spoke of such an intimate love, compassion and respect for this missionary couple.
Later that afternoon, I spent a few hours with Grace. She cooked another delicious meal for me and then we left together to go to a women's prison. There is a team of about five women that go 2 times a week to do a Bible study with the prisoners and to also teach an English class--using scripture! There are about 30 women that show up regularly. It was another wonderful experience.

I continue to meet people that love the Lord with all their heart--I am being blessed tremendously. It is hard to imagine never returning to this place. I know I will return one day, and hopefully with my entire family! Once you experience a place like this, it does something to your heart. You cannot remain unchanged. You cannot go on living the same. You have to make a choice...who will you serve? Who will you give your life to? What are the most important things in life? It is a very reflective time, and it causes you to take an evaluation of the life you are living. I know, more than ever, with incredible confidence, that I serve an awesome God who loves His people. Life is about glorifying Him. There is no greater joy!

I am signing off...I get to go pick up my parents from the airport! Yippee!! C & K are going with me to meet Grammy and Grandpa. My camera battery is dying...and I cannot find my converter to charge the batteries. Pray that my camera batteries lasts long enough to get pictures of this first meeting of grandchild/grandparent!

Thank you for partnering with us.

Still our Awesome God

2008-04-01T06:48:00.003-06:00

I'm sure Jenny's update is coming very soon, but for all of you who've doubted or felt like giving up; for all of you who've been faithful to the end despite every discouraging turn. Let me remind you that our God made a little shepherd boy a king! He made three men walk into a forging furnace and walk out again not even smelling of smoke! He closed the mouths of hungry lions, made the sun stop, made waters part, storms cease, ruler's rise or fall, a donkey talk, a blind man see, dead people live, and a world from absolutely nothing but the power of His voice!

And He's bringing our babies home!

The Judge said "Yes."

Thank you. There are still several administrative things to take care of, including receiving the "written" ruling. Keep praying! You all are a force rallied in the name of Christ! You're prayers are powerful because they are received by the Creator of the universe who loves to answer them!

Stand by for the...rest of the story...

We'll continue to consider them opportunities...(Todd)

2008-03-31T08:46:00.004-06:00

"Setback", "Delay", "Inconvenience", "Discouragement", "Disappointment"...we could call it that, but we will call today an opportunity. Yes, you've figured it out already. Jenny did receive that call from the lawyer that she was waiting for, but it was not the news we sought. It seems the registrar was not at work again today. Pray with us that the registrar's "car" will run tomorrow so that he/she may get to work and give the ruling that the Judge has likely already given.

It's a bit frustrating, but God is helping us to keep our minds and hearts on the things that really matter. 20 years from now, it won't have mattered if we had to wait two extra weeks for that ruling. However, right now, it can seem like an eternity.

I'm not by nature a high-strung individual, but these last couple weeks have me feeling like I'm on a quadruple espresso shot I.V. dripline. I awoke this morning to my heart sounding like a hyper squirrel on a treadmill, anxious for news from the court.

I know many of you whom have prayed so intently for this ruling are anxious for news, as well. Thank you, and pray with us that God will help us rest in Him. That peace would still characterize our days, and that every evil thought toward those who "seem" responsible for delays would be dispelled immediately that our attitudes would resonate Christ. The world already knows what it looks like when folks are self-absorbed, impatient, prideful, greedy, unthankful, and full of slander, but, as Christ-followers, we are not of that world. God's Spirit lives in us that we would imitate Christ, no matter how great the temptation to have bitterness in our hearts.

"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice.'
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:16-18)

...so, knowing that God does all things with purpose, we will consider this an opportunity for kingdom work and His display of His more perfect glory.

Action Packed

2008-03-31T01:48:00.011-06:00

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Katie is doing terrific! She has energy and spunk! She is smiling and is even saying a few words. She was very active this morning while playing with all the toys. She looks great! Thank you Jesus!
I have been having a great time. I am so thankful for Rachel and Arielle, they have truly been an incredible blessing to me. Arielle's parents and sister were visiting for the last couple weeks, and we joked that Rachel and I were their 4th and 5th daughters. They were so kind and generous, they encouraged me with hugs, prayed for me, and were great company over many dinners. I believe this is another way God has ministered to me...it is tough being in Africa alone, but I have not felt alone because I have been surrounded with new friends who I just love!
Yesterday, we had to take Arielle's family to the airport, so we made a fun day trip out of it. We went to Kampala Pentecostal Church (KPC), see www.kpcministries.org, you can also YouTube this church! It was a very powerful church service. The singing was incredible. Just watching Ugandans praise the Lord through song causes many emotions to stir within me. Seeing their hands lifted high, jumping up and down, shouting with excitement, swaying back and forth and dancing...they are singing their hearts out to the Lord. It is beautiful. KPC has started an orphanage called Watoto Babies Home, see www.watoto.com This place is amazing! We got to tour this facility and love on the children here. None of these children can be adopted, but they are in a great place. It would be wonderful if every orphanage in the world could look like this one.
One our way home, the main road to Jinja became closed (we don't know why). So we took a detour on a tiny, one lane, extremely bumpy, road at 10:30pm, where traffic is still trying to go two ways. A huge truck carry a lot of cargo, was going the opposite way and caused everyone to come to a standstill. Everyone turned off their engines and got out of their cars, trying to direct traffic in the dark. Imagine 20 Ugandans all shouting at the same time, some vans going in reverse barely skimming the side of our van, while we are sitting in a stuffy van trying to figure out what is going on. As Rachel sticks her head out of the van to have a say, we see a man peeing right in front of us. That is when we had one of the moments..."we really are in Africa!" As I write this, I realize there is no way of accurately portraying the chaos last night! We finally had to just laugh, and were thankful when we arrived at 11:45pm. We got home just in time for a huge thunderstorm!
As I write this, I just got a message that, Nicolas, our lawyer is waiting at the courthouse right now. He will call as soon as he receives any news! I will keep you posted.

Pray for Katie

2008-03-29T08:28:00.002-06:00

Katie is not doing well again. She developed a bad cough this morning and has a fever. She is weak and irritable. We are having a difficult time getting her to take liquids and she has already vomited twice. Please pray for her.
I held her for 1 1/2 hours today while she slept on my chest, but she was really restless. I feel so helpless for her. It seems that her health status changes so quickly from day to day, even hour to hour. I long to see her healthy and well.
Thank you for your prayers.

A peek inside African living

2008-03-29T00:27:00.011-06:00

This is an African bathroom, called a pit latrine. It is located outside the house and there is no light inside. You have to squat over a hole in the ground. Little Sarah is NOT going to the bathroom in the picture. She is just posing!

This is at Mama Susan's house. This is her sink and her "pantry" area. There is no refrigerator. There is no hot water, but she is blessed to have running water--A trickle out of a makeshift faucet.

Mama Susan's daughter, Sarah, and her house girl, named "Kevin Cinderella" are doing my hair. They kept laughing and couldn't believe that my hair was so "slippery."

We had fun making funny faces for the camera. They would laugh hysterically when they would see their picture on the digital camera. We had to take a funny picture again, and again, and again...

They taught me how to make beads out of magazine paper. Then Sarah, who is five years old, showed me how she makes the necklaces. Mama Susan said it is important for her to learn how to contribute to the family's income.

This is Mama Susan's kitchen. Kitchens are always outside. She has two little stoves as you can see in the picture. She cooked me a feast using this kitchen. It took her 2 1/2 hours and the meal consisted of chicken (which is a luxury item cooked only when a visitor comes), rice, potatoes, avocado, and cabbage. She also made fresh squeezed passion juice and bought me my own 1 liter of coke. Hospitality is amazing here in Africa. I have learned so much from them about giving from your heart, giving all you have and giving the best.

I was distributing magazines to the mamas. These magazines are used to make beads so the mamas can make necklaces and earn a little extra income.

I am enjoying my time here in Africa. I just wish I could click my heels together and have Todd and the kids appear! I miss them so much and the thought of being here another two weeks is overwhelming. I want my time here to count for eternity. I want to make the most of each moment. I want my times with the Lord to be sweet. It is so difficult being patient and waiting on the Lord. All throughout scripture I am reminded to wait on the Lord, to be of good courage, the Lord is with me, and He is faithful. I know God is stretching me and growing me...so it is for my good...but it is still hard!

May God receive all the glory! Amen.

Disappointing...

2008-03-28T08:25:00.002-06:00

I got a call this afternoon that the clerk/registrar did not show up to work today at the courthouse. Therefore we could not get our ruling. We now have to wait until Monday. Upon hearing this news, I was immediately reminded of Habakkuk 2:3. "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." God has an appointed day, and I will wait in hope for that day.
Keep Praying. Do not be discouraged. Our God is still awesome, great, sovereign, and faithful.

2008-03-28T02:41:00.009-06:00

Lacey, you're the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the pictures on the previous post! I LOVE them. Jaden and Kellen, you are so handsome and Sage you are beautiful! You are quite the artist--you're paintings are great! It looks like you had fun with Mrs. Gipe! I can't wait to see you! xxxooo

Christopher, Katie and I are all doing well. We cant wait to get home and see everyone. Christopher is saying new words everyday. Katie is looking better. She gets grumpy before meal times (just like her mommy!) but after eating and drinking, she has a sparkle in her eye and a mischievous smile. I have been able to catch up on sleep, make lots of new friends, hang out with Christopher and Katie, do lots of walking and sweating, and am learning all the good restaurants. (Sounds like a rough life-huh?) I am hanging in there and enjoying my time here...but I can't wait to be at the airport with my kiddos!!

Right now I am waiting for a phone call from our lawyer to hear our ruling...I will post as soon as I know anything!

Just a little Sunshine to brighten your day

2008-03-27T20:22:00.008-06:00

Kisses to you mommy
Handsome little man
To Mommy....Love Kellen

Artist in the making
To Mommy...Love Sage
Girls just wanna have fun!

Tears of thankfulness

2008-03-26T00:39:00.003-06:00

To all of you who are leaving comments...you are getting really good at making me cry! ...in a good way =) God has been so good to me and I have been blessed beyond what I could ever imagine to call you my friends. You are just as much a part of this process as Todd and I are. Thank you for recalling special memories, for the reminder of scripture, for the continual encouragement and support. Every time I get on my blog and read your comments, I know it is God who is speaking directly to me. I think that is why I am so teary eyed...because I know without a doubt that God is ministering to me through you. Thank you for being so willing and obedient to be used by God for his purposes throughout this adoption journey.

The thought that I cannot escape right now is a quote from Gavin, a five year old, "Maybe Jesus had the judge say no because he wants Mrs. Moore (me!) to tell more people about Jesus." Thank you for that encouragement Gavin! I will keep my chin up, and I will look for opportunities to proclaim the love and name of Jesus!

This is a shout out to Amy and Bethany... Johnson, your piki driver, sends you greetings!

Looking forward to seeing God at work today, even in the littlest details,
Jenny

Our God remains to be praised!

2008-03-25T10:42:00.003-06:00

We arrived at the courthouse in Kampala at 2pm, spent about 2 minutes in a tiny room with the judge, and were told that he had not had time to look at our file. He said he will give the verbal ruling to the registrar, who will then read it aloud on Friday. The lawyer said we should receive a written ruling some time next week. I do not understand how all the miscommunication happens, but it does, and frequently.
I am confused, upset, angry, sad, lonely, discouraged, and frustrated, yet our God is still the same God and he still deserves our praises. I have had some deep and difficult conversations with God, journaled my heart out, and have cried till I have no more tears. It is hard. It is difficult being here by myself. Erryn and I talked tonight, and she has had a long and difficult day as well. It looks like both of us are delayed another week. We are discouraged but are clinging to the hope that we have in Christ. It is so ironic that Erryn and I are both in Uganda at the same time, going through one of the most challenging journeys and we can't be together. We keep telling each other, "I wish I could be there for you..." We cannot wait until the day when we are both on that plane with four children! I know it will happen, so I will choose to persevere. I know I am not doing it in my own strength. My flesh says to give up and go home. I am tired. I miss my family. I hate the drama. But I know I have been called to a bigger purpose, and in my weakness, God's strength is made perfect.
Keep praying...I know deep in my heart that God is at work. Even when we can't see the answers we are praying for, I know ultimately it will be for our good and for God's glory. I have to remind myself, "it is not about me...it is all about God and for His name to be made known." I would give anything to be finished with this adoption and to be reunited as a complete family, but in the mean time, I will choose to be obedient and willing so that I can be used to the fullest for God's glory. I need your prayers. You are fighting a big battle in the spiritual realm on my family's behalf.

Big Day, Bigger God!

2008-03-24T20:36:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is the Big Day!

Pray purposefully tonight as you lay your head down that the Judge grants us irrevocable guardianship of Katie & Christopher. Pray with purpose, and with the knowledge that the One we speak to and with hears us, and desires to do good things that shine with His glory.

Pray for a favorable verbal & written ruling.

Big Day...Bigger God!

SMILE

2008-03-24T11:57:00.003-06:00

Wonderful first milkshake for Christopher/Not so wonderful first haircut for Katie

2008-03-24T11:41:00.008-06:00

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.... WONDERFUL MEMORIES....SAD GOODBYE

2008-03-24T11:22:00.005-06:00

Life in Africa

2008-03-24T11:01:00.003-06:00

Single moms and moms of Twins,

2008-03-24T01:00:00.003-06:00

I wish you could have a glimpse into my heart right now...I am overflowing with gratitude and complete humbleness. I am truly without words as I try to explain the way God has ministered to me through you. Your prayers and your words of encouragement left in the 'comments' section have left me overwhelmed. I had huge tears streaming down my face as I read every comment left on the previous post--'Little Katie-Big Appetite.' God has created us to have fellowship with other believers...and there is nothing like it. It is a sweet fragrance to my soul, a comfort, and a reminder to stay steadfast. I treasure you. With this said, I want everyone to read the comments left on the previous post. Just scroll to the bottom of 'Little Katie-Big Appetite' and click on 'comments.'

I am hanging in there. Last night was a tough but memorable night. I decided to bring Christopher and Katie to my hotel room for another slumber party. I really want to focus on getting Katie well, but I cant leave Christopher out. Every time I go to Amani, Christopher is obsessed with the window, pointing and saying 'GO!" He delights in our special outings. So with each child on a hip, and wearing a big backpack, I set out for the hotel. We did shower time--again, not a favorite!- got jammies on and then went to bed. They did really well, until Katie woke up about 3:30 am screaming at the top of her lungs. I could not figure out the problem but continued to cuddle, pray, and sing to her. I got her medicine, a drink of water, changed her diaper...still an ear piercing scream. I felt so helpless as well as concerned for the hotel guests on either side of me. So I called Todd...I think the first line I said was, "Help, I am at the end of my rope!" He comforted and encouraged me and then had Lacey call. It definitely helped get me through that moment and eventually Katie fell asleep on my legs and stomach. Then I woke up at 7am to a soaked bed. Katie had leaked through her diaper, and it wasn't just pee! Auugghhh! So as I lay awake this morning, I decided that I was going to do an honorable mention to all those out there who are single parents and to those who have twins. It is hard work and I have a better understanding of the kind of strength and love that is required of you on a daily basis.

I did receive some hopeful news today that there is a good chance that we will get our written ruling at the time of our verbal ruling! This is what I've been asking God to provide! The written ruling is usually at least a few of days later. We are scheduled for our verbal ruling tomorrow (Tuesday). I have been encouraged to take C & K to Kampala for the ruling (which has not traditionally been required) because we must be present for the written ruling if it comes. Pray hard with me that both rulings will come tomorrow. The written is needed to finalize passports, visas, etc.. Knowing that God is in the business of doing big things, we will continue to trust Him for big things.

Thank you for all your prayers. Let's continue to unite in one accord and petition to our Father in Heaven for a positive written ruling soon, for continued health and protection over Christopher and Katie, and for us to be reunited as a complete family soon. God's timing is always perfect and beautiful--so let His will be done.
Amen!

I apologize if this is all difficult to follow. Last night has left me somewhat emotionally and physically drained. On top of that, I am pressed for time. Mamma Susan has invited me to her house today!

Little Katie- Big Appetite

2008-03-22T09:09:00.003-06:00

Last night, I brought Katie to my hotel room for a 'girls night.' We had a little slumber party just the two of us and it went really well. I know there are people out there praying specifically for Katie to drink more water because she has been willing to drink more than usual! This girl has got an appetite. This morning she had breakfast at the hotel... she drank a huge glass of milk without coming up for air, a small bowl of cheerios, three eggs with onions and green peppers, a piece of toast, a banana, and a cup of juice. We had to leave in a hurry to meet our driver, so she was still hungry. Once we were in the car she started eating a clif bar.
I want to thank you Nadine, for recommending Prof. Ndugwa. I was able to reach him on his mobile this morning and he told me to meet him at the clinic...he would be there from 11 to 2. I called a driver this morning and was able to reach the clinic at 11:30. It is truly a hole in the wall and was a little difficult to find. But when we found him, it was like finding a hidden treasure. I only had to wait for 10 minutes, and the father waiting in front of me was bringing his sickler for his monthly check up. He told me that Prof. Ndugwa is the best in Uganda for treating sickle cell anemia. Ndugwa ended up writing out a plan for Katie and drew more blood. Since last Mon. her hemoglobin had gone up... It is now 8.0 which is good. The unfortunate thing is Katie does get motion sick...so that huge breakfast she had this morning...yep you guessed it! The doctor says he has nothing to give someone as little as her for motion sickness. We have many more trips to Kampala to make as well as a looonng flight ahead of us. Please add this to your prayer list! I have a lot of work ahead of me in order to help Katie get well. I am feeling encouraged by my visit with Prof. Ndugwa, but I am needing to change her diet, increase her fluids by 3x what she is normally drinking and adding a few medicines to her routine. There is also some challenges and discouragement I am facing from other areas so please continue to pray. It has been a difficult and long day.
I am on very limited time right now and am unable to proof this...hope it makes sense. I cant tell you what a difference it makes to know you are praying for me. I cried as I read through Todd's last blog and all the comments that have been left on the posts. You are making a difference. Thank you.
To my family --I miss you so much. I love you and am continuing to pray for you. Have a happy Easter. I will be celebrating in Uganda while thinking of you.

Good Friday- Saturday looking for hope.

2008-03-21T22:56:00.004-06:00

(per Todd)

In the sober thoughts and emotions of Good Friday, and, yet, an overwhelming thankfulness and humility before God, we continue to ask Him to heal His little Katie-girl.

She is beautiful. Have you studied her eyes yet? If not, search through some of Jenny's recent photos on her posts. I'm telling you, her eyes go right through you. It's like you can see God's purpose in them- a purpose much greater than any of us realize.

Katie shows signs of discomfort continually, and I can tell from her voice on the phone, Jenny is pouring all of her love into Katie. I can also tell that Jenny has that worried mother's heart right now. Not worry that God is not sovereign, but that worry that her child is far from well.

It is our Good Friday night, and her Saturday morning. As we will be asleep, she will be traveling to Kampala hoping to meet with a specialist that we were referred to by a friend. We are very hopeful that he will be able to help her in some way.

Please pray as you read this that God would give them safe and easy travel (we think Katie gets motion sickness- and Kampala requires a few hours of car time).

Pray that the Professor they are to meet may be able to help, and that he is available (an odd thing to be available on a Saturday on Easter weekend).

Pray, also, that Jenny will receive encouragement from other believers. This whole thing with Katie is emotionally and spiritually very difficult to do on her own.

As an important note to that, she is greatly encouraged to know who is praying for all of us right now. If you have not left a comment before, please do so that she may be encouraged by the many who hold her and our whole family up before the LORD.

Thank you. A million "Thank you"s for your encouragement and prayers. I truly believe that you have no idea the crucial role that God has for you during this time. However, thank you that you have chosen to submit to His call on you to pray and encourage. As a husband and daddy, I am eternally grateful to you, and to the God who is able to draw His family together for His purpose and glory.

Ahhh...Pictures at last!

2008-03-20T23:39:00.015-06:00

All the mamas at Amani with their care/gift packages

Lacey and kids at Danida Village

Some of the children at Danida Village displaying their new gifts

Lacey getting a kiss from sweet little Weiss

Rub a Dub Dub...Christopher hates the tub

Ayub, Miriam, and Baby girl with all their new gifts!

Giving a gift of food to some children in an alley

Mommy and Katie at the Dr. appt.

Christopher and friends having "potty time"

Christopher in his favorite spot with Mommy

This morning while I was walking, I saw Mama Gladys and Mama Edith--they had finished their shift at Amani and were walking home. They immediately asked where Lacey was. I told them she went back to America, and they asked if it was because she had to return to school. I told them no, she had to return to her husband and children. They gasped and looked astonished. They said, "we thought she was just a girl...she has a husband??!" Then they said, "well, isn't the maid taking care of the children?" I was giggling inside, but said no, we don't have maids to take care of our children. The mamas again gasped and looked shocked. I told them it is not common like here in Africa and that it costs a lot of money. They told me that they would gladly come be our maids and that we can pay them whatever we want! It was a fun conversation which somehow led us to talk about rainy season here. I reminded them of when Lacey and I got caught in the downpour last week. Mama Gladys then said, "Did you fear the rain?" I said, "No, why?" She said that everyone fears the rain here. This is the second time we have heard this. Supposedly when it rains, everyone goes to bed!

Lacey everyone is missing you...Patrick at internet cafe asked about you and said that I must be really sad now, Fred our piki driver was disappointed that he didn't get to say goodbye to you...then I had to check back into the hotel last night, and guess what room I got? When they brought my bags into my room, I asked what bugs were on the walls and they told me it was just lakeflies....then he said, "if you fear them, I can have someone come and spray for you!" Lacey I about cracked up laughing and I immediately thought back to our previous fumigation!

This morning, I was reflecting on a couple verses in Isaiah 26. Verses 3 and 4 say, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Then in verse 8 it says, "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." I have complete peace this morning. I know I am not alone in Africa...I have my Lord right here by my side. It is the desire of my heart to have the name of Jesus be made known across the world. If that means staying here for another couple weeks so God can accomplish His purposes, then it is well with my soul. I am so encouraged that I have an eternal God to trust, a firm Rock to stand on, a God who will direct my steps.

Oh Lord, I pray that You bring the lost unto You. I want them to experience the grace, peace, and joy that you lavish upon your children. I want this world filled with people who are sold out to the one true God. May your will be done. Amen.

Jaden, Kellen, and Sage--I love you all the way to the sky and back and around the world a million times. I am praying for you. I am so excited to be together as a family soon! You will have so much fun meeting your brother and sister, and they can't wait to play with you! Hugs and kisses xxxooooo Love, Mommy

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 and Philippians 4:8-9

2008-03-20T10:41:00.004-06:00

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your words produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything, is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things...And the God of peace will be with you."

These two passages are on my heart right now...today has been a tough day. I am emotional, I am missing my family, and now I am missing my dear friend, Lacey. There have been many discouraging things that have happened today and I find myself wanting to dwell on those. However, after receiving a pep talk from my hubby, I am getting back on track. I know God has a purpose, a plan, and a mission for me to accomplish in these next few weeks. I would not choose to be by myself right now...it is not what I want nor is it in my comfort level. However, I am choosing to see God in the little details around me, and what better time to experience the fullness of God! So I will persevere...

The first verse I wrote above came to mind as I thought about my time with Lacey. Her friendship is definitely one that is appointed by God. I just love her! We had an incredible time here in Africa, and I really believe we used each moment to the fullest. Lacey has a servant's heart. She is willing to do anything for anyone at anytime. She puts others before herself and truly loves others as Christ has commanded. Her heart is pure and she loves the Lord. I have loved spending every moment with her. It has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am so blessed to call her my friend. Thank you Lacey for your unending compassion, your faith, and your encouragement. I love you, sister! I am praying for your safe return and for lots of zzzzzz's on your Dubai flight *smile*

I know there are soooo many of you praying, and it delights my heart. I couldn't do it without your prayers. Now, I am calling all you prayer warriors to your knees on Katie's behalf...
She needs good medical care in the States and quickly. I cringe at the thought of having to wait another 2 to 3 weeks (not only because I am homesick but because of her health). We need a verbal and a written ruling to happen miraculously fast. Then I can meet with another official to get a cover letter, apply for the passport, and then the visa. The passport is typically taking 2-5 days and the visa is 24-48 hours. The verbal ruling is scheduled for Tuesday and the written ruling generally takes 2-7 days. I want this next process to be finished without delay.
Katie is responding better since being on the Amoxicillin. However her hemoglobin is so low, that she might need another blood transfusion. The nurse called me today and is very concerned about Katie's blood levels and she is suggesting I get her in for a transfusion. She is also dehydrated, and it is painstakingly hard to get her to drink water. (The other day I had to put a few drops of strawberry milkshake in her water to get her to drink!) I know Katie is feeling ill but I have gotten very mixed responses from the medical staff here on what to do for her. All I want is to get her to the USA before we seek any more medical treatment.
*Please join us in praying for strength and hydration in Katie's little body. The pain associated with sickle cell anemia is severe, so please pray for the pain to be totally eliminated. Pray for her hemoglobin levels to rise to a stable level. I know and believe with all my heart that God can cure her from this disease if it is His will. Nothing is too big for our God. So let's increase our faith together, and ask God for a miracle.

Praying with you and experiencing the presence of God,
Jenny

Seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus

2008-03-19T04:11:00.004-06:00

I feel as though I have a very big responsibility to communicate a clear picture of life here in Africa. I know there are so many of you that have committed to praying for us, helped financially to get us here, and given generously so we can bless the people of Uganda. I have a deep desire to capture the essence of the people, the culture and their lives here. I want you to understand and to know how much you have blessed this community. I want you to see the huge smiles, the tears in the eyes, the bowing out of respect, their response of sincere gratefulness. I honestly feel guilty or humbled that I get to be the messenger of these gifts, that I get to be a part of blessing these people. It is so much fun. Thank you to all of you that have given so graciously of yourselves, of your time, and of your money. As many people have said to us...may God return the blessing to you tenfold.

As Lacey and I have blogged and looked through our pictures, we realize the stories and pictures do not do justice for what we are experiencing. There is the context of the culture, the smells, and the sounds that are missing. All these pieces put together make a beautiful, awe-inspiring experience. It is truly life changing.

We have given out coloring books to children while getting down on the ground with them to show them how to use the markers. We have blown so many bubbles that last time, I about hyperventilated. We have given supplies to adults...lastnight at Danida village, all the women (about 30 of them) excitedly looked through their bag of goodies--filled with soap, shampoo, lotions, paper, pens and pencils, scissors, bouncy balls, devotionals, Bible activity books, toothbrushes, hair rubberbands, etc. One woman took out a box of Irish Spring soap and opened it. She kept smelling the soap over and over. She was telling all the women around her how good the soap smelled. She kept looking at me and saying thank you. She had an entire bag filled with things and she was enjoying each item. She was so excited about a box of soap. This is Jesus ministering through you. You made someone's day lastnight, and people were brought to Christ.

Last week we gave care packages to all the mamas at Amani. We had them all gather on the lawn with the children and told them how much they are loved and prayed for. These bags were filled with items for each mama's entire family. These bags were put together from an assortment of donations from Grace Bible Church, Adelphi Christian Academy, J.J., Randi, and their children, the Wilson's, Hurt's, and many other families. We also learned that one of the greatest ongoing needs at Amani is formula for the little babies. So with the blessing of the Clough's, Lacey and I got to buy 13 cans of formula. We have distributed many magazines to the mama's and have been told by several that they want to make necklaces from these magazines before I leave. J.J. and Randi and their children, along with the Power's family, blessed Amani with brand new pajamas! The list goes on and on. We still have a stash of goods to hand out and are continuing to pray about who should receive them. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are making a difference! And we are having a blast!

An update on Katie...she is hanging in there. She is very weak and tires easily. She is very clingy and it is apparent that she is constantly in pain. She moans and groans a lot, sleeps restlessly, and appears irritable. We were able to see a British doctor who said her ear was very, very red and said she had been on the wrong medicine, so he immediately put her on amoxicillin. Her white blood cells were high which I am expecting that to be from the ear infection. Her hemoglobin level is very low, around 6.6. Todd is doing research to find which children's hospital will be the best for her. There is no pediatric hematologist in Billings, so we will have to travel to one. This will need to be done within the first month of bringing her home...and the sooner the better. I am fearing that she is close to going into crisis. Please continue to lift her in prayer. And that God would give me the strength to love her the way she needs to be loved.

Christopher is doing great. He is full of smiles and loves to be cuddled. Did I mention how much he and Katie like to eat?! If you have food, you can pretty much gurantee that you will gain two little friends!

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

A Bittersweet Goodbye

2008-03-18T12:20:00.005-06:00

As I sit in this internet cafe writing this post I am reminded of the lyrics to a song I just heard. It is the perfect description of what I am feeling in my heart:

I know this world might think I am losing touch with reality but it would be crazy for me to choose this world over my eternity.
I have not been called to the wisdom of this world, but to a God who is calling out to me.

It is very hard to believe my time here is almost done. I am so excited to see my family! To be reunited with my handsome husband, and hold my little girls in my arms. However, it is bittersweet, I have completely fallen in love with this country and these people. I have grown so much and there are no words to describe the feelings in my heart. I am sad to leave Jenny, even though I know she will be home soon. I thank God for sending me here. I can't wait to bring my family here (hopefully one day soon).

Things that seem normal hear but unthinkable in Montana:
*Riding 3 people on one piki (motorcycle) sitting sideways with no helmets wearing skirts, flip flops, and holding bags.
*Paying someone to take me somewhere on their Boda Boda (bicycle). Yesterday a man was giving me a ride downtown and informed me that I am fat! He was working very hard to get us up a hill. I don't blame him!
*Eating lots and lots of starches (no wonder we aren't losing any weight here)
*Seeing kids make toys out of old plastic jugs and string
*Babies bracelets made out of the plastic rings from an oil container
*Sleeping under stinky mosquito nets
*Riding in car without seat belts, and riding in the front seat with children on your lap without seat belts
*Driving on the wrong side of the road
*Women carrying babies on their backs, and carrying anything and everything on their heads
*Riding on a small wooden boat without life jackets in fast moving water with children sitting on our laps, and with who knows what kinds of creatures swimming below us

We just got done having dinner with pastor JB the pastor from the Calvary church that we attended on Sunday. Going to church was an amazing and emotional experience to be surrounded by people who have very little, singing praises and giving thanks to the lord. One of the verses in the song really stood out to me...

And his joy is going to be my strength, though my sorrow may last for a night
But joy comes in the morning!
I'm trading my sorrow I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord!

Wow! I want that kind of strength, I want to trust in the Lord even when tomorrow is so unsure. I see these people, they are always smiling even though many of them don't have food to eat and or a home to go to. I find it so easy at home to complain and grumble over things that are soooo minimal. I should be thankful for all that I have been blessed with.

Today we went with pastor JB to a small village outside of Jinja. On arrival we were greeted by children, lots and lots of them. These children have very very little. As soon as we got out of the car they surrounded us "mzungu, mzungu" (meaning white person) they shouted. We played games, sang songs, and with the help of Pastor JB translating we were even able to speak to them about Jesus. I was so amazed by their beautiful smiles. In the midst of such hard times they were smiling, smiling to see us and to hear about Jesus.

We still had a whole suitcase of supplies left so we brought that and were able to bless the families and the children with all of the wonderful things everyone donated from America. We were overwhelmed when a few women came to us at the end and gave us necklaces that they had made. Knowing they had very little and still were willing to give what little they had. AHHHH I get emotional just thinking about their hearts. The same with Pastor JB and his beautiful wife blessing us with dinner tonight. Their kindness will not be forgotten. I have learned so much about giving through these people.

So many things happen here in one day. A few nights ago we left our room light on not knowing it would attract lake flies. Big mistake, we had to have someone come and spray our room. We learned very quickly that when they spray they mean business, meaning there was so much spray in the room that we had to evacuate immediately. We had no where to go but the lobby of the hotel. Once again God directed our steps. Even in those bugs on our ceiling God had a plan. While sitting in the lobby we met the two men who run the front desk we had a very good conversation with them. We were able to share our faith and give them gifts for their children.

As we sat in the lobby we saw a man and a prostitute walk in to purchase a room. At first I felt so disgusted, Eric the man from the front desk told us a prostitute usually makes around 20,000 shillings or $12 for a nights work. As I thought about this woman my heart began to hurt for her. I began to wonder about her story.....how long had she been doing this? Why was she doing this? What was it like for her in the morning when all was said and done? Did she have a family? People that love her? Why? Why so much hurt here? So many lost people.

I don't really understand and am not sure if I ever will. However, I do believe in the power of prayer. I have seen how powerful prayer is firsthand. So that is what I will do, pray for her along with all of the other millions of people hurting, and suffering. I feel so blessed that I have a hard working husband that supports our family. I am blessed to be able to stay home and teach my children right from wrong. I am so thankful and grateful for all I have.

After sitting in the lobby for a few hours, we were just about to head back to our room when we saw something. Something I really hoped I wouldn't have to encounter. A bat flew right by our heads. It circled the lobby and every time it flew by us we would scream. Everyone in the lobby was getting such a good laugh at watching to mzungus screech and squirm about a little bat.

Several days ago we had a dog that would follow us everywhere. We liked having his company, and everyone here fears dogs so we called him our guard dog. People will actually stop and turn the other way for fear that the dog might attack. However, we soon learned they do not fear bats in fact they thought it was so funny how scared we were. We have been joking all week about them being so afraid of dogs. I guess this bat was just a taste of our own medicine. Finally we were able to crawl out and run to our room.

One thing that is for sure everything here in Africa seems to turn into an adventure. A few days ago we took Christopher and Katie on their first outing in the stroller to the Source cafe. We had so much fun! They ate and ate and ate, bananas, bread, chicken, and lots of milk. As we left we realized it was really starting to look like rain but we thought if we hurried we could make it, after all it was only a few kilometers to the baby cottage.

WRONG!! about half way there the downpour began. So there we were running, sprinting, as fast as we could go with that stroller. Praise God we saw one of the mamas from the cottage. She called for us to come into her home for shelter. What a blessing to get out of the rain. We were so wet and even know these people had a very little hut to live in, they were so generous to let us come in and get their floor and furniture wet and muddy. We felt horrible, but once again these people showed us kindness and welcomed us with open arms. We waited for the rain to pass and then made our way back to the cottage.
We are running out of time this evening even though I have so many more things to blog about, I have to share this one last blessing. A few days ago I was sitting on the balcony of the hotel as I looked out on the beautiful lake I saw two white birds that looked like doves. When I think of doves I think of peace. These two birds started separate and then came together and flew across the lake, when they got to the middle they went their separate ways. They were so peaceful and I thought what an amazing picture. That is the perfect image of my journey to Weiss... God brought us together for a short time and he has now given me peace as we both go our separate ways.

After much prayer I was able to sit and speak to his new forever family. They seem like wonderful people they are from California. They love the lord and even do medical mission work out of Kenya. I feel so much peace after getting to know them. I thank them for opening their hearts and adopting him and precious, the little girl who will now be his sister. Little Weiss will always have a special place in my heart.

Renae one of the volunteers here at Amani shared a verse with me that gave me even more peace and confirmation.
Genesis 18:14 Is anything to hard for the Lord? I will return to you about this time next year and Sarah will have a son.
She had asked me a few days ago if I would still adopt a little boy. YES! of course we will, Jordan and I believe God placed adoption on our hearts and we will definitely adopt one day. Just as that passage describes, nothing is to hard for the Lord. His timing is perfect, he makes everything beautiful in his time, not ours. I will rest in knowing he already has it all planned out.

He knows the perfect little boy for our family. Until then I will pray for his will, and wait in excited anticipation to one day hold our son in my arms. For I know that in ALL things God works for the good of those that love him.

This will be my last blog here in Africa. I will be getting on the airplane tomorrow. What an amazing journey this has been. We have seen Gods fingerprints all along the way. Christopher and Katie are so very precious! I feel so privileged to be their auntie. It will be so nice to finally have them home. I have faith that God will bring them home soon.

As I leave Africa one verse comes to mind
Proverbs 30:8
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.

Nothing compares to the joy of the Lord

2008-03-18T12:04:00.002-06:00

There is joy welling up in my heart that cannot come from anything else except God. There is such an incredible peace, complete joy, and confidence in the one true God we serve. We are standing on a firm foundation, our rock, our fortress, shield, and strength. Our God is so good. He is so faithful. I am in awe that He has chosen me to be a daughter of the King. I am so blessed.

As I write, I have a million things on my mind...as well as a million distractions...so there will be no particular order... Come along for the ride!

On Sunday, Lacey and I went to Calvary Chapel Church in Jinja, just down the street from Amani. I immediately recognized a Ugandan pastor named J.B. from pictures I had seen from Deke and Erryn's mission trip last summer. Deke had developed a special friendship with J.B. During the sermon, God had put it on my heart to talk to J.B. and ask if he knew of any villages we could go to to distribute the supplies we had brought from home! After church, I told Lacey that I wanted to talk with J.B., and what do you know...God had put the same thing on Lacey's heart! So we immediately made a connection with J.B. and found out that he just "happened" to be going to a village on Tuesday afternoon as part of their regular outreach.
So today, we had an entire suitcase full of toys, flip flops, toiletries, school supplies... We went with a team of about 10 Ugandans to a village called Danida. As we began driving through the village, children were waving and jumping up and down. I told J.B. that the kids seemed so excited to see him coming. He said, "No! They are excited to see YOU!" What?! As we got out of the van, we were literally mobbed by over 50 kids! We blew bubbles for about 10 or 15 minutes with a response of pure enthusiasm, cheering, celebrating, jumping, shoving...whenever we would take a picture, the children would erupt in shouts and screams of excitement. At one point Lacey was pulled to the ground by a mob of children because they wanted to touch her, be close to her, have her attention, have their picture taken... It was unlike anything I have ever seen. Then J.B. had all the kids sit down and he asked us to share a message with them. A what?! So Lacey and I quickly put together a mini sermon on the spot, and started sharing how much Jesus loves them and how special they are, while J.B. translated. In response to being told how special they are, one little girl piped up, and said, "even me?" Yes! Even you! We told them we had brought gifts for them from people in America who love them and have been praying for them. There is no other way to explain the next 45 minutes other than it was complete chaos but pure joy. News travels fast in a village, so before we knew it, we had another 20 children in front of us. Soon after this, part of our team took over with the children, and we went to meet the adults who had gathered. We began handing out care packages that we had put together from all the supplies that were collected in Billings. J.B. and the team had brought a few benches and Bibles, so we got started...first we opened in praise and worship, with clapping and beautiful voices, then Pastor Aaron shared a message and 4 people accepted Christ as their savior!!!!

When we concluded, the women decided to bless Lacey and I with necklaces they had made. Every woman wanted to run back to their home to pick out a necklace for us! We left wearing three necklaces each. Later that night, J.B. and his wife took Lacey and I out to dinner and had the most delightful time. Todd, I cant wait for you to meet this man! You would love him! During our conversation he told us that he was so blessed by our coming to the village with him today. He said that our presence brought many people out of their homes and to the "Bible study," people that have never come before. There were about 8 new people who showed up, the very same people that J.B. has been trying to get to come for a long time. And guess what???...out of those 8 women, 4 of them are the ones who accepted Christ tonight!
Praise God! He is so good and His timing is always perfect.

Today at Amani, we brought a case of Luganda Bibles and some English Bibles to distribute to Mamas that do not own a Bible. One Mama in particular, named Sarah, came up to us to give us hugs and to thank us. She had tears in here eyes. I asked if she had ever had her own Bible, and she said no, this was her first one. I wish I could see more people treasuring their Bible as much as she was. It was beautiful.

Another fun adventure we had today (and you thought we have just been hanging out by the pool sipping sodas and getting a nice tan) was meeting with a man named Ayub. He is a Christian man that we met one of the first days we arrived in Uganda. He was our driver and we developed a special friendship with him. His wife had delivered a baby in Jinja while he was in Kampala with us, and it took him a week before he was able to get home to see his wife and brand new baby girl. When he finally arrived in Jinja with Cheryl and Erryn, he asked the four of us to go with him to visit his baby for the first time. I had known from day 1 with Ayub, that God wanted me to do something special for him and his family. The Clough family had given me money to use specifically for the Ugandan community...I knew right away how to use it. So today, Lacey and I called him and told him we were taking him shopping. He said, "WOW!" He and his wife and their week old baby met us in Jinja town. She placed the baby in my arms and I got to carry her as we walked all through town. I loved it! We had asked Ayub and his wife , Miriam, to make a list of their needs for the baby, so we began walking to different shops and crossing item after item off their list! I cannot even begin to describe the level of gratefulness. Ayub had tears in his eyes many times. He said he had been so worried about how to provide for this baby, yet God had provided abundantly. We were able to get them a baby tub, towel, 3 outfits, a mattress (which became the first and only one they own), a mosquito net, sheet, baby carrier, nappies (disposable diapers), and various baby toiletry items. We also got a pair of shoes for their 5 year old son. Also on their list of needs was a suitcase. J.J. and Randi...we were able to bless them with your suitcase!

It has been incredible doing God's work, and in His timing. Thank you to so many of you who have blessed the people here through your generosity, giving, and prayers. We are loving being the messenger.

We are seeing such specific prayers answered even the littlest things. For example, I have been wearing a green bracelet that says "Orphans No More Psalm 68:5" for many, many months. I had committed to wearing it until our babies came home. Today as I was sitting with the adult Bible study at Danida village, there was a little boy sitting next to me, who was having pain in his ear. He looked to be about 2 years old. I thought about giving him my bracelet, but wasn't sure if I should, or if I was ready to give it up. This was the first time I have ever considered taking it off. I made a little prayer, and said, God, If you want me to give it to this little boy, have him show interest in my bracelet. But the boy never did, and I forgot all about it. Until we were in the van with our team. The man sitting behind me touched my arm and said, "Where do you get these bracelets...I really like them, but have never seen them in Uganda." Without even thinking, I took off the bracelet and told him to try it on. I told him that I wore it as a reminder to pray for the orphans and mine specifically. He said he would continue the path I have walked, that he would continue praying for the orphans. I later found out that he had grown up as an orphan. God delights in the little details!

There is a miracle I want to share with you all...The other day, I got to look through Christopher and Katie's medical record book. I found out that Katie had actually been HIV positive when she was born and arrived at the baby cottage. This is because her Mother was HIV positive and Katie was carrying the mother's antibodies in her little body. Per standard procedure, a second, more involved test was given to Katie, and it was declared that she is truly HIV negative! We praise God for this miracle. I am constantly reminded that He has chosen Katie and Christopher for our family for a purpose. And once again, God's grace is sufficient. I am seeing over and over that Katie is covered by His grace. Even in the meaning of her first name, Kisakye, (Katie is her nickname), which means "God's grace."

I cant conclude this blog entry without a word about court yesterday. First of all, I have to tell you, yesterday might have been the longest day recorded in history! We started out by arriving at Amani to a locked gate, with the night guard nowhere to be found. We spend 15 minutes clanging the gates together and shouting at 6:30 am. So we got a late start on the road. Then Katie began feeling very ill and threw up all over Lacey, again, and again, and again. Poor Lacey. She handled it so well, although I gagged the entire time I was helping clean up. Lacy ended up sharing clothes with Ditte, another person traveling with us. This happened to be one of the few times the Judge showed up on time, and we were not yet there! We were able to squeeze in with no problems and court went really well. The judge did not ask any questions which is a good thing. I could not understand anything the judge said, so as soon as our hearing was done, we filed out of the courtroom and I asked our lawyer for a translation...The verbal ruling will be next Tuesday, March 25. The song that kept going through my head is "It is well with my soul." And it is...God is in control and everything is for His glory. That has been our desire all along, and it continues to be my heart's desire. So we will wait and know that God is right here with me during this time. I am in the center of God's will, and there is no better place.
Thank you for praying. I am really skipping many details but the internet cafe is closed and we need to get home. We will post again soon.

"Give me words to speak."

2008-03-17T17:02:00.003-06:00

"The fig trees might not bud. The vines might not produce grapes. The olive crop might fail. The fields might not produce any food. There might not be any sheep in the pens. There might not be any cattle in the barns.'
"But I will still be glad because of what the LORD has done. God my Savior fills me with joy.'
"The LORD and King gives me strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He helps me walk on the highest places." (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

A mix of thoughts and emotions whirl inside us, and God's words are the comfort for our tangled hearts.

Thank you for the sweet aroma of prayer that has lifted to God on behalf of Katie, Christopher, and the rest of our family. That, alone, has been enough to swell my heart with joy. God has had immense pleasure in seeing so many draw together in complete surrender to His desire.

Jenny will provide many details very soon, but I will catch you up on all that you have been praying for:

First, the judge heard our case and postponed his decision until next Tuesday (March 25). Things seemed to go well.

Second, Katie's health continues to concern us. Each day she seems a little weaker and uncomfortable. We are not sure the reasons for all of this. However, Jenny took her to the doctors, and her blood test was not normal on several counts.

Third, we are continuing to worship God for who He is. Whether they are all able to return to Montana sooner or not, He will continue to be worthy of all of our adoration.
"I am the LORD. I do not change." (Mal. 3:6)

Our most urgent concern has become Katie. She is not well at all. It is breaking a daddy's heart to have his little girl suffer, and be helpless to do anything about it. However, Jenny will continue to be a terrific mommy, and shower her with love and care.

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see. That is what the people of long ago were praised for. '
"We have faith. ..." (Heb. 11:1-2)

You hold everything together...

2008-03-16T23:11:00.004-06:00

My Lord and Keeper of my soul,
The One who created the earth and all that is in it,
The Sovereign King who places rulers and authorities in their position,
My Kind Ruler who moves the hearts of kings like water,

Hear the heart of an earthly father, and the many who join with me.

Your name has been glorified from the begining of this story. Your mercy has permeated every part. Every minute detail has Your gentle fingerprints all over it. You gave us a love for two children, and a hope for their futures. You have moved in the hearts of many of Your children to join together in one voice asking You for that which only You can do.

Your eyes "are on the righteous, and [Your] ears are open to their prayers;" (I Pet. 3:12)

"Now this is the confidence that we have in [You], that if we ask anything according to [Your] will, [You] hear us. And if we know that [You] hear us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of [You]." (I John 5:14-15)

God, move in the heart, mind, and spirit, of our judge in only the way that You can to grant us favor in his eyes. Make Your glory so shine through Jennifer, Katie, Christopher, and all those who are at her side, that our judge may clearly see You. Show Your power in what men say is "improbable". Let all those watching have their faith encouraged and deepened by the way You work.

Your ways are beyond our comprehension, and Your compassion for these orphans beyond compare. Let our judge be moved by You, and only You, to rule immediately in our favor. Men say this can't be done, but we don't place our trust in men no matter what position they hold. We trust in the name of the Lord, our God! There is none equal to You. There is no one who cares for the weak like You.

Your heart delights in the unity of Your children. Be delighted and blessed now as we ask You to do what only You can do. Be honored by our prayers and longing for Your glory. Make Your name famous around the world on this day. Let Your works be told of over and over and over in the decades to come.

We are Yours. Katie and Christopher are Yours. We yield with thankfulness to Your sovereign desires, and we will be glad in whatever You choose to do. It is not for our glory or selfish ambition that we present these requests to You. It is for Your renown and pleasure.

You are sufficient for us. Find joy and favor in Your people today.

We love You with all that is within us, and lift this all to You in the only name by which we are saved, Jesus.

Amen.

"All things were created by Him. He created everthing in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can't be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. Everything was created by Him and for Him. Before anything was created, He was already there. He holds everthing together." (Col. 1:16-17)

2008-03-16T12:48:00.004-06:00

Our days feel like we are squeezing five days into one! We are constantly on the go and things are going super. We are continuing to soak up all that God has for us. I have sooooo much to write and am keeping track in my journal so that when I get a chance, I can finally spill my guts!

Todd, you did a great job blogging...thank you! As Todd said, we are praying for a miracle. Volunteers, mamas, staff, our lawyer, our waiter, our hotel receptionist...all are aware of our request to God. We are expecting big things to happen tomorrow. We know we will see God moving in our midst. Whether or not it is the miracle we are specifically asking for, we know God's plan will not be thwarted... and what better place than to be in the center of His will! So join with us at this very hour praying that the judge would grant a verbal ruling with a written ruling following a day later. We will be in court on Monday, March 17th at 9am, which is midnight Sunday, March 16th (Montana time). Everyone shows up at 9, waits for the judge to show up, and then cases are heard based on the seniority of the lawyer. So we do not know when our case will actually be called before the judge...so pray until you read a blog or hear a shout of praise coming all the way from around the world.

We appreciate your prayers, support, encouragement, and you! Thank you for traveling this journey with us.

Praying and believing God for a miracle...

P.S. Carol L. please call Sharon W. and tell her we are seeing dragonflies everywhere! They keep us smiling!

There is no God like our God. -from the homefront

2008-03-15T16:59:00.005-06:00

I guess that I'm your substitute Jenny for this entry. I know that you'd rather hear things straight from her since she has a great way of bringing us right into the moment and fullness of what God continues to do. However, the last couple of days have been very busy with prayers for miracles, logistics, increasing problems with Katie's health, seeing prayers answered, and Lacey and Christopher getting lost.

I suppose if I stopped there I'd be in big trouble, so I'll try to break it all down per Jenny's request.

We have been reminded time and again by various experienced people that it is impossible for the Judge to give his verbal ruling the same day as our court case, but, as you've probably guessed by now, that is exactly what we are praying for. We are praying this for several reasons:
First, and most importantly, we want God to be glorified in ways that are unexplainable by any other means than His direct hand at work. Our hope is that those who are watching or have learned to expect "less" from God would be reminded of His greatness, and have their faith deepened and stretched.
Second, Katie's health has been a constant question mark, and it appears to be declining. She has acquired a double ear infection, and we're thinking that there may be other issues, as well. Every day that she is in Uganda is one more day that she is separated from getting the medical attention that she needs to be healthy and comfortable. So, we're praying that the Judge's decision would be given out very quickly, and that the passports and visas would also be obtained very quickly so that they may all be able to come home sooner than expected.
Third, being without Jenny is like being without my right arm. She is a crucial part of me, and a great encouragement to our whole family. We long for her return.

Please pray with us that God would, in His mercy and sovereignty, move the heart of our judge to give his verbal and written decisions in miraculous fashion that all would know that God did this. In this, however, we stand on the knowledge that He is glorified and sovereign whether He does this miracle or not. He is who He is, that will never change.

In relation to our Katie, she is our daughter hand-picked for our family by God. We love her as our own because she is our own. Please pray that she will be healthy and strong for the flights home. Flights can be a very difficult experience for people with Sickle-Cell. Their bodies aren't very efficient at delivering oxygen throughout their body. With the change of air pressure, comes greater diffuculty in getting sufficient oxygen. Any illness can greatly increase the chances of her going into "crisis" while traveling. This is our baby, and our hearts hurt for her.

One answer to prayer related to the traveling is that Emirate Air has graciously given Jenny freedom to use available oxygen support while on their flights should the need arise. Thank you, God, for taking care of our little girl- only You know what she really needs.

Oh, did I mention that Lacey and Christopher disappeared? It made for an intense half-hour of prayer and searching, but all turned out well.

While Jenny and Katie hopped on their "piki" (motorcycle), Lacey and Christopher climbed onto theirs. Well, as you well know, all white people look alike...so Lacey's driver apparently confused her with some of the volunteers at the baby home who had plans to go to a completely different destination. We're still not quite sure how the mix-up happened, but the short of it is: Jenny and Katie arrived safely to their destination, and realized that Lacey and Christopher were no longer behind them. After several minutes of their absence, things began to seem more urgent.

Jenny began making phone calls, and there were many folks keeping their eyes peeled for a white lady holding a little Ugandan boy. Thankfully, in a confusing turn of events, they were found, and eventually delivered to the right address.

In the midst of that adventure, I began to allow fear to creep in. Then God reminded me that He knew exactly where Lacey and Christopher were, even if nobody else did. He reminded me that He also knew how to get them where they needed to be. Sometimes my life feels that way...like I'm not sure where I'm at or how to get to where I need to go, but, without fail, our Pilot always delivers us to our correct destination in perfect timing.

Please pray, also, for strength, rest, and health for Lacey, Erryn, Cheryl, and Jenny. All of them are experiencing some fatigue. God is more than equal to what He has called them too, and will be faithful in meeting what needs they have, but He is extremely delighted right now that His family is asking Him to do great things on their behalf. Thank you to the faithful who pray for all of them. It is because of you that there is such power throughout the Lundman's and our stories.

Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who trust in the LORD will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weary."

There is no God like our God!

I am right where I am supposed to be...written by Lacey

2008-03-13T01:55:00.006-06:00

We're do I begin?? This has been such an amazing journey all along the way. God is so good!! I must start off by saying if there is ANYONE out there who is reading this blog and doesn't know the Lord..seek him, find him. There is no greater gift than Jesus. I have seen his fingerprints all along our journey. I know he has appointed us to be here for such a time as this. His timing is perfect!! I am learning that all things truly do happen for a reason, they are all part of his glorious plan.

Right now as we sit in this internet cafe the words of the music play "it's undeniable how brilliant you are" how perfect, and true are those words. This land is full of soooo many beautiful people. I thank God for sending me!!

Many of you have been waiting patiently to here about my encounter with one little boy..So I won't keep you waiting any longer.

For those of you who don't know over a year ago I came across a picture of a precious little boy by the name of Weiss. One look at his picture and my life heart was sold. I felt prompted to pray for him. Why him?? out of so many other kids why him?? I didn't have the answer to that question but I believe God called me to pray, so that is what I did. I prayed for his safety, happiness, a forever family, but most importantly that he would know and love the Lord all the days of his life.

We thought maybe I was having such strong feelings for him because he belonged in the Moore family, but shortly after this thought, the Moore's were told K and C were their children. Now what?? I still feel strongly about this little boy so I continued to pray. After giving birth to our second daughter we immediately began dreaming of having a son. So as Jordan and I prayed about our future son, we also prayed for this precious little boy. I am sure you can imagine what conclusion we came to??? Yes, we immediately wrote to the orphanage to find out his status. We were told at that time, there was a Ugandan family who might possibly be adopting him, therefore he wasn't available at that time. Even then, I felt so strongly about him that I made the decision that as long as God called me to, I would be obedient in prayer for his will on this little boys life.

I was so excited when the decision was made that I would travel to Africa. I would not only get to meet C and K but I would also get to meet Weiss. As we drove to the baby cottage I prayed that if God wanted us to have a connection that it would come easy. When we pulled in, the mamas brought precious Katie and adorable Christopher over to us. They immediately knew Jenny was their mama. Praise the Lord!! I was so excited to be a part of their reunion. What would happen next was nothing short of a miracle. I looked down and at my feet was one little boy just one. Yes!! you guessed it. He reached for me and said, "They call me Weiss." Just to give you a glimpse of why this is such a huge miracle... all of the other kids at least 20 and mamas and volunteers were all out in the yard. Anyone could have come, but it was him. This little boy that I had prayed for, for so very long. I scooped him in my arms and was immediately speechless, tears welled up and I was once again reminded that God is soooo faithful!! He said to me "I miss you." "You miss me, but we have never even met??" I said.

He asked if I would help bathe him and he would not let me put him down. So I walked him over for dinner and put him down to take his shoes off. He reached for me again and said I had to go with him inside. Then after washing up I told him I would see him later and he said "no you come with me." Wow!! I will never forget that time with him.

I was so unsure of where to go with my feelings so we prayed and studied scripture. We prayed for peace and discernment. That morning, during breakfast, we were introduced to a family that had just arrived at Amani Baby Cottage. It was then that we learned that Weiss had just been assigned to this family...he was actually assigned to them the day we arrived at Amani. Once again I was speechless?? I was completely overwhelmed and unsure of where to go with these feelings. My heart was aching and at the same time rejoicing. I kept coming back to the fact that I had always prayed most importantly for God's will on this little boy's life. I couldn't help but feel sad as well, I really felt like he was going to be a part of our family.

After a lot of time in the word and prayer, I am learning to find peace in whatever the circumstance. Today I was reminded of one of my very favorite verses, the same verse I was reminded of the week before I left and a few days ago when we felt unsettled about traveling north to Gulu.

Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the lord ALWAYS, I will say it again: REJOICE! Do not be anxious about anything, in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. "

So I will rest in the Lord and his plan for this little boy. I know just as his word says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!! I ask that you would all join me in prayer for this little boy. Most importantly that Gods will would be done whatever that should be, and that he would follow the Lord all the days of his life. Thank you God for choosing me to pray for him!!

Ryen,
I am really really missing my little snugglebug, but at the same time really enjoying my time here in Jinja. I got to ride my first boda boda (bicycle) today. It was a blast!! We have encountered some of the most beautiful children, Ryen I know you would love playing with them! I saw a little white girl getting into a big truck today with her dad and was reminded of you and reminded that I believe God has given Daddy and I a desire to do missions work, and how excited I am to see that plan fulfilled one day. I know you will do amazing work for the Lord one day. Take good care of Peyton and give her lots of hugs and kisses from mommy!! By the way you would love all the birds, frogs, and bugs here. I Love you to the moon and back angel bear!! Love, Mommy

Jordan,
I just want to thank you, you are so good to me. What a blessing this has been, it has been truly life changing. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the future. I feel so blessed to call you my husband and father to my beautiful girls. It makes me happy to hear you all are having such a good time together. I thank God for you every day. Thank you for all the work you are doing for our family!!! I love you more than words can say!!

I will close with a thanks to all of you who have been praying for us, what peace comes from knowing we have so many people surrounding us through prayer. I have to also thank Jenny for asking me to come. I knew God brought her and her precious family into my life for a reason. God is showing me everyday how blessed I am to have her as my sister in Christ. Words can not express how thankful I am!! I can't imagine life without my Jenny!! Her smile and love for the lord are contagious!! As I think of our friendship and this journey to Africa I am reminded: Two are better than one, because they have a better return for their work. So I thank God for sending us together to do this work for him. Thank you for giving us a bond that only you could have created. Christopher and Katie are so blessed to be a part of the Moore family.

May all we do glorify our father in heaven!!

Here is what you've been waiting for...

2008-03-13T01:53:00.005-06:00

Thank you for praying. Nothing is too little or too big for our God! Enjoy the pictures...

I am having a hard time finding the words to express what God is doing here in Uganda. I get to be a part of God's plan, I get to see miracles first hand, I get to see God's incredible creation in another part of the world, I get to be with children that God has grafted into my heart. Why me? I am humbled that God can use me to further is name, to make Him famous throughout the world. I am so encouraged to hear how God has touched so many lives through this adoption journey. It spurs me on. God is so intimately involved in every little detail, it is all for His glory, and yet I benefit with this unsurmountable joy. Thank you for joining us and experiencing alongside us what God is doing. He is real, He is alive, He is faithful and good, righteous, sovereign, and He loves us. We are in the palm of His hand. We are the apple of his eye. We are in an incubator of his love. Yesterday, Lacey and I walked a long ways and it was very hot. We had sweat rolling down our faces and our backs, we got sunburned and were so thirsty. When we would stop, we would look for shade. And I thought, when we are walking with Jesus, we are hidden in the shadow of his wing. How peaceful, refreshing, and comforting is that? I love my Lord so much. There is no greater joy than to walk faithfully, obediently and willingly with Him. As Jaden would say, He rocks! There is no one like our God.

Being with Katie and Christopher is so natural. They fit in my arms like a puzzle piece. I am counting down the days till we are reunited as one complete family. Jaden, Kellen, and Sage are going to make excellent big bothers and a big sister. Christopher loves looking at pictures of Jaden, Kellen and Sage. He points over and over and over at them. He never grows tired of seeing their picture. I am praying that God puts Jaden, Kellen, and Sage in Christopher and Katie's mind and heart, that when they finally see each other in person, it would be as if they have known each other their entire lives. Please begin praying, even now, for our reunion as a family. What a glorious day that will be!

I originally thought that I had a judge named Margaret. All the other families have had her. I just found out the other day that I actually have Judge Eldad. He is the only judge that has issued a verbal ruling immediately following the hearing, and it has happened only once. And guess what??? That is exactly what we have been praying for. We are praying that when I am in that court room, the judge would know that I have been with Jesus. That Eldad would sense something different about me and the children. That he would see God's fingerprints all over us. A verse in Acts has been the overlying theme of our trip. We pray this verse over us all the time. It is Acts 4:13 and it says, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Every person we come into contact with, we pray they would know we have been with Jesus. This is so cool...because we have been asked over and over again, when we have just talked to someone for the first time very briefly, they say, "Are you a Christian?" This is asked when we are wearing no crosses and we have not mentioned anything about God. It has happened so many times in the airport, on the plane, in town...it is incredible...people are noticing something different about us...we bear the mark of Jesus on us! Praise be to God.

I want to try and paint a picture of the people of Uganda. They are very hard working and beautiful people. It is very common to see people carrying baskets of fruit on their head, jerry cans of water, or even 100 kilos of beans--that is a huge bag that weighs over 200 lbs in which they carry on their shoulders. The boda boda drivers (a boda is a bicycle) work very hard driving us from one place to another. They have to pedal uphill with us and our heavy backpacks, you can see the sweat on the back of their shirts and on their faces, yet they do it as if effortlessly and joyfully. When I am riding on a boda, I find myself praying for the driver that God would give him strength, endurance and refreshment. They work so hard. All for the mere price of 30 cents. It is fun to tip them with sweeties--suckers, tootsie rolls, and other candy. We see children walking to and from school with no shoes, yet they have the most beautiful smile. Yesterday as Lacey and I were walking to Amani Baby cottage, we passed a man that asked to talk to us. He said he had a bad foot and needed a specific medicine. His foot was indeed swollen and tight and causing the skin to split, creating an infection. I think being in America has made us grow skeptical of people asking for money, not trusting their story or their motives, and we found ourselves applying this same stereotype to him. But Lacey and I agreed to help him. He understood we had to go to Amani first, but we would be back to help him. As Lacey and I walked away we realized that we both had had the exact same verse running through our head during that time... Matthew 25:35-40 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" When we left Amani we could no longer find this man, but we believe we will see him again today some time. Be praying that if we are supposed to help him, God would put him in our path.

We are having so much fun being the bearer of gifts. Thank you to everyone that packed our suitcases and wallets full to bless the people of Uganda. We will be posting another blog soon with stories and pictures about our meeting the needs of these people through the generosity of others. It is very important to be praying about who we are to bless. There are so many people here that there is no way to meet everyone's need. God knows who needs what and when. We want God to hand select the people we are to give to, who we are to encourage, and with whom we are to share the Gospel. We want God to be preparing the hearts of his people. (By the way, we got to share the Gospel with our muslim driver the other day--we had 7 hours together. Be praying that the seeds we planted would begin to take root. As of now, he is not interested in being 'born again' but he is very willing to talk).

We are having a wonderful time. Lacey and I have thought back to those times we gave our husbands a hard time for taking a weekend here or there to go hunting, and we dreamed of having a weekend for 'girl time'.... We are finally experiencing it to the fullest...and it is much longer than just a weekend! Thank you to our husbands who love us so much and are doing a terrific job!

Jaden, I miss you and wish you were here. I have seen so many children that you would have fun playing soccer with. There are trees to climb, butterflies and dragonflies to chase and catch. I bet you would have fun riding on the back of a boda boda and you could do it without holding on! I love you Sweetie!

Kellen, My punkin', I miss your hugs, you twirling my hair, and cozying with you. I wish you were here to love on all the babies. You are so good with little children and they would love you. You would have fun teaching the kids how to play with bubbles and playdoh, and passing out all the gifts. You are a mighty warrior.

Sage, my Princess Dora, I love you! I wish you were here to play CandyLand and puzzles with all the children here. They have never played games like that before. You would love playing with Christopher and Katie outside, pushing them in the swing or pushing them around in their little car/trike. I miss you and can't wait to see you. Keep praying for Mommy!

P.S. I am sure there will be some surprises for you all in my suitcase when I get home...but isn't Christopher and Katie the best surprise ever?!?!

2008-03-12T12:16:00.001-06:00

We are having a very difficult time posting pictures. We have been working on it for over 2 hours and only have this one picture to show. Believe me, we have some amazing pictures to come...please be praying for a speedy internet!

This one is for Lana...Write in your prayer journal...we are now at a place with hot water...that means no more cold showers Lana! We will be enjoying them in spirit with you =)

Oh...our piki driver is here, we gotta go.

Oh Lord, You are so good, so good to me

2008-03-11T10:59:00.002-06:00

I am overwhelmed, speechless and in awe of our great God. He is so good all the time. He is faithful. Praise be to our Lord and Savior.

There is something about being in Africa that draws me nearer to my Lord. Maybe it is from being out of my comfort zone, being in a different culture, or being surrounded by suffering. Plans and details are continuously changing in Africa. It really is emotionally, spiritually, and physically exhausting, yet one thing remains the same--Our God is faithful and He is the one who directs our steps. What a comfort it is to trust, lean on, and rest in our God. There truly is no greater joy.

So once again plans have changed.... Beginning last night, Lacey and I were feeling very unsettled about going to Gulu. We could not pinpoint the cause of this inner turmoil, and we could not escape the feeling. It continued all night. We discussed our thoughts with each other but could not put a finger on what was causing this anxiety. We began spending the evening in prayer. We prayed individually, together and with all four of us. I called Todd seeking advice, I poured into scripture, I sang praise and worship songs...neither Lacey nor I had clarity on what we were supposed to do. Did God want Lacey and I to go to Gulu or not? We were overwhelmed with this decision. We have known from the beginning that God has a plan and a purpose for us being in Uganda. We knew before we left Montana, that we would be staying together as a group of four and traveling North. There is a mission for us to accomplish. So why was there such confusion all of a sudden? We stayed up until 2am and had to wake up at 4am. We still did not sense any direction from God. Right before it was time to go, Erryn and Cheryl came into our room to find out if we were going. I broke down in tears with emotion I did not know was there. It was as if the Holy Spirit began speaking through me and expressed everything that was in my heart. We realized that for some reason, that only God knows right now, Lacey and I were not to go to Gulu. Proverbs 16 was on the forefront of our mind...It is man who plans, but it is God who directs the steps...commit to the Lord all you do and your plans will succeed...(paraphrased because I forgot to bring my Bible with me). Later that morning as it began sinking in that God has another plan for us, we began recalling other scripture...do not let your hearts be troubled...do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. I cannot express the load that was lifted. We were in the center of God's will and He has a distinct purpose for us being called to a different location than Erryn and Cheryl. So we called our driver and set up plans to make our way to Jinja where Amani Baby Cottage is located. God had replaced that uneasiness with pure and complete joy. So here the next adventure begins...

We actually had to travel to Entebbe first to pick up the missing luggage from the airport. Last night when Erryn when to get her bag, she found out that I had to be the one to pick it up because all 12 bags were checked under my name for some reason. So Erryn completed her roundtrip of 3 hours with no luggage! So we set out for the airport (which turned out to be a 4 hour roundtrip). We had to check in at several different offices/desk/locations...quite the run-around. We had to go through security several times. As we place our backpacks on the x-ray conveyor belt, the guard said, "Why are you here in Uganda?" We told him I was adopting two children from Jinja. His next reply came immediately after, "Do you have any Holy Bibles with you?" Lacey and I froze and I think our eyeballs bulged in fear...was he confiscating our Bibles?? But Bibles are allowed here...every thought was flashing through my mind. Then the man said, "I am a born-again Christian...do you have any Bibles to give me? There are always people that need a Bible." We about fainted in excitement and relief! We told him YES! Eventually we went back to our driver (who was driving a four door sedan which held 6 pieces of luggage, our full size stroller, 2 back packs, 3 people, and five bags--the fact that this all fit is a miracle in itself) we started pulling out all the luggage and searching our bags to find the Bibles we had brought. Earlier we had given a majority of the Bibles to Erryn and Cheryl to take to Gulu, but we were able to find 9 more. Adelphi Christian Academy, these included the Bibles that were collected from Kindergarten, first and second grade! We took them to the man, whose name is Constantino. When he saw us coming with the Bibles, he shouted, "Amen!" This is while he is in the middle of his job watching people walk through the metal detector, scanning bags, searching people etc. The woman he was working with started pleading, "We pray! We pray! We want Bibles too!" We told him who had sent these Bibles with us and asked if we could get a picture to post on our blog. Unfortunately, it is illegal to take a picture in the airport. I tried though! Thank you to Mrs Payton and Mrs. Price's class for the Bibles. Pray for Constantino as he reads his new Bible and begins distributing these to others who need them. We praise the Lord for our lost luggage! We praise the Lord for the inconvenient 3 hour, unsuccessful trip Cheryl and Erryn made last night to get the bag. All of this led to God's perfect plan.

After leaving the airport we traveled 3 hours to Jinja, to Amani Baby Cottage! WooooHooo! I get to see my babies!!!!!! We pulled in at 5:30pm to see everyone gathered around the grass and gravel driveway, cheering us in. Mama Gladys and Mama Edith came running up to me with Christopher and Katie dressed in their "smart clothes" complete with a headband in Katie's hair. They said they had been awaiting our arrival all day. I hugged both Mamas and then started talking, tickling, and hugging Katie and Christopher. They immediately started smiling and laughing and they came right to me! They look so good. Katie is smiling ALL the time (in December she was not feeling well because of her sickle cell anemia, and never smiled). I have been reunited with my precious children. Words cannot describe how satisfied my heart is. Katie is walking well and is so happy. She has the tiniest bird legs and arms, which I cannot wait to fatten up! We got to be there for supper time, potty time, bath time, play time and bed time. I prayed for them and got to tuck them in. I am delighted! Right before we left for the evening, Stacy came in to tell me one last thing...Katie has been assigned the same court date as Christopher! We serve a sovereign and faithful God. Praise Him!

Things are happening. God is at work. The Holy Spirit is present. We are in the center of His will. We are having a blast. I have so much to share and having a hard time finding the time to fit it all in. We are lacking in sleep and have not eaten all day, and because it is later in the evening, we need to take a piki (a motorized bike) back to our hotel. Rachel, Ariel and Katie have given us a great recommendation of a driver who we call to take us and pick us up. Lacey braved her first trip already! The wind felt great, and even though I was sitting side saddle, we made it! We are having so much fun! Thank you for your prayers. God is faithful.
Love, Jenny
P.S. Jaden, Kellen and Sage...I love you so much. You rock! I am praying for you! Christopher was looking at your pictures and pointing and trying to say your names!

**Pictures coming very soon!

We are here!

2008-03-10T10:10:00.002-06:00

We arrived in Kampala yesterday and found out that we were missing one suitcase and we now have a 3-wheeled stroller! Today we are being reunited with our luggage, we shall see if there is a stroller wheel hanging from it!

True to Ugandan fashion, plans have changed a hundred times. We have now come full circle in our plans and will be travelling to Gulu and Kitgum tomorrow early morning. Erryn has her court date on the 12th and a major answered prayer...
****Her court date will be for both Nancy AND Bosco**** This is a huge praise!

We are loving being in this country. The landscape is so green and lush--absolutely gorgeous. We have already met so many Ugandans and have given out many suckers! We have taken so many pictures and have fallen in love with so many children. It is a beautiful place!

We had an idea...maybe you are wanting to have a glimpse of what it is like to be here in Uganda...so tonight and tomorrow and for the next couple days...when you hop into the shower, turn on ONLY the cold water! You may hear a few squeals, but you may begin quoting scripture..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ...or maybe singing songs like..."It's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day..." Sometimes being in less than ideal situations makes us more thankful, encourages us to look for the positive, and causes us to lean on our Lord a little more. So once again, we will welcome our cold shower!

I want you to know how much we are enjoying your comments. They are a priceless treasure to us during this time. We appreciate your prayers and know, without a doubt, God is listening and answering. It is such a comfort to know we have sisters and brothers in Christ praying us through this adoption journey. You are playing a critical part in this adoption by praying. Thank you.

Unfortunately we are being attacked by mosquitos at the moment and need to sign off. We will look for another opportunity soon.

P.S. Thank you Todd for your kind, encouraging words, your compliments, and your love for the Lord. I love you so much!

He said, She said.

2008-03-08T23:50:00.002-07:00

Because I love Jennifer, my bride, more than my last breath, I will reserve the right and responsibility to provide some homefront perspective throughout this portion of the journey. Hopefully, it will provide an even more complete view of God's enduring grace, and His faithfulness to those who are a part of His family.

I am so thankful to be given the priviledge of leading this family. It is, by far, the greatest job God has given me. What makes it even sweeter is that I have a gorgeous wife who is the most trustworthy, Christ-like, and genuine person that I have ever known. She is my first pick every time for a teammate. In all, life is better with her, and it's tough when we're not together geographically.

However, while I was thinking about our family and thanking God for His sovereignty and perfect plan, He pointed my eyes toward Psalm 145;

"I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Everyday I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness in unsearchable.'

"One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty; and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.'

"The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works.'

"All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures througout all generations.'

"The LORD upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.'

"The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

"My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever."

Jennifer and I pray that our children will see God at work around them, and praise His works to their children and grandchildren. And, just like when Moses came down from the mountain, we pray that the reflection of God's awesome glory is what others see in our family both now and for generations.

Still almost there!

2008-03-08T18:42:00.003-07:00

Yes we are still in Dubai. After 7 cups of coffee and 14 meals we are still here! We thought by now, after only a few short hours, one of our loyal blog readers would have responded by now. But sadly, no comments yet.

As you can tell no sleep, lots of caffiene, and hanging out with friends makes us crazy, giddy and goofy. We are learning to have fun in whatever situation we are in...not that we would want to take up a second home in Dubai...

Just as much as you LOVE hearing from us, we love hearing from you. So the comment challenge is on...we would love to receive a comment from every single person who follows our blog. So gather your thoughts, hit the comment buttom, and start sending us messages!

One last thing...to those of you who are not aware, there are four of us travelling together (well actually 5 when you count Jesus)...Erryn and her mom Cheryl, Lacey, and me (Jenny). Erryn is at the same stage in the adoption process as I am, so she will be bringing home her two children along with my two. Follow her blog as well to get a different perspective on our Uganda adventures.

Remember, post your comments. Follow the directions below if you are having difficulty...
1) At the end of this post, click on "comments"
2) If you have a google account fill in your username and password
3) If you do not have a google account, there will be a place to click on "sign up here" on the comment page
4) You will follow the directions to create a google account (I wanted to walk you through this step as well, but when we tried clicking on "sign up here" it was written in Arabic. We are not yet fluent and I am hoping yours will be in English)
5) Finally, write your comment and then submit it.

We are off to our gate... We love you and appreciate your support and encouragement.
Love, Jenny & Lacey

We're almost there!

2008-03-08T13:40:00.002-07:00

We are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates right now! God has been so good. Everything has gone so smoothly and we believe God has paved the way for us. Thank you prayer warriors! Here is a list of some of our miracles and answered prayers...

* Knowing our bags were borderline overweight, and praying before we approached the counter, once again God showed us HE IS FAITHFUL! The airlines chose not to weigh any of our bags.

* By airline standard one carry-on is permitted. However, by the grace of God, we were allowed 3 a piece, no questions asked.

* Good Health, Good Conversation, and Good Flights.

* Emirates allows two bags to be checked per person. Each additional bag is $135. We believe God softened the heart of the Emirates supervisor. He made the decision to waive half of the overage charges.

* Originally, none of our flights had us seated next to each other. Thanks to the willingness of our fellow passengers, people moved, seats opened, and with hardly any effort on our part we were seated together.

* One bag was lost in New York. We were easily frustrated after getting the run around, until the Lord reminded us how blessed we are. In the midst of a very busy New York airport, with people scrambling everywhere, we jumped on an elevator to find that God had chosen only one to share the ride. It was a blind, deaf, and mute man. We felt as if the wind had been knocked out of us. Who are we to grumble over a lost bag?? We were immediately reminded that we are so easily distracted by our circumstances, and that our focus must remain on Christ. Thank you God for that lost bag and the gentle reminder to keep our eyes fixed upon you. Isn't it amazing how God can bring good out of these small hiccups? (By the way we found the bag!)

* On arrival in Dubai we received a complimentary meal at the airport.

* Erryn found out via email that there is a trustworthy woman in Kampala who has graciously offered space in her home for our extra supplies while we travel to Northern Uganda.

***********************************************
We are in the middle of a 12 hour layover, 8pm to 8am. We have been succesful at using up 5 of those hours so far. We have had lots and lots of funny moments, lots of laughter. It has been great "girl time." We are doing well, just a little (or a lot) tired. The farther we get from "home" and the closer we get to Africa, the more it sinks in--we are bringing home our children!!!! As we push our stroller, that is packed to the brim and overflowing with carry-ons, through the airport, we have gotten many looks of terror or shock and questions... "Are you forgetting something?" or "where's the baby?" We have treasured the response..."We are going to get our children and bring them home!" Oh, how I have longed to say those words.

Stay tuned...Next stop, Entebbe, Uganda!

READY OR NOT, HERE WE COME!!!!!

2008-03-06T22:19:00.001-07:00

Pray, Pray, Pray!

2008-03-04T11:10:00.003-07:00

Prayer is powerful. Prayer works. God wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. He cares. He delights in us. He delights even in the little details of our lives. There is nothing about our life that is insignificant to Him. He is our Father, and He loves us. He wants to be intimately involved. We know that Jesus prayed. In Hebrews 5:7 it says, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” In John 15, Jesus prayed for us! In Hebrews 7:25 it says that Jesus lives to intercede for us. We are to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Prayer can be done anywhere and at any time. While doing dishes, driving, in the shower, lying awake in bed, cooking, doing chores, while on hold on the telephone, exercising...we are to pray continuously. Let’s strive to incorporate prayer into every aspect of our daily life. God LOVES prayer, but more than that, He LOVES the heart of the one praying. Give Him your heart and let’s pray!

We want to be covered in prayer while we are in Africa. Everywhere we go, everything we say, everything we do, we want the path to already be paved in prayer. Praying is hard work, but it may be the most important part of this entire trip. Know and believe that the Holy Spirit is alive and working and accomplishing His purposes. There are no coincidences... We want God to be lining up every single person we will come into contact with, at every specific moment. Please join us in praying and let’s wait in excited anticipation for the outpouring of God’s answers. This is for God’s glory, for His pleasure. It is His will.

Pray for...
Katie to be appointed the same court date as Christopher's
Our health—no cold, flu, stomach problems...
Not one mosquito bite
Safe, smooth, and on-time travel whether by plane, car, boda boda, bus, piki…
Safe food and clean drinking water
That our belongings, supplies, money would be kept safe
God would show us who to bless with our supplies and Bibles
God would protect us everywhere we go
Get good sleep and no bad dreams (which can be common with the malaria medicine, stress, etc.)
That there would be unity and a deepened friendship among our team of 4
That we would be filled and led by the Holy Spirit
No fear, worry or anxiety
No contact with bats or snakes
We would be willing and obedient wherever God leads
Powerful times of prayer, worship, devotions, and reading the Bible
We would hear God speak to us
We would come home sooner than 5 weeks
That Katie would be healed of her Sickle Cell Anemia
We would experience God’s presence, comfort, security and strength
We would get a positive court ruling with the exact words that the US Embassy needs
All passports would be ready immediately—no delays, lost, or soiled…
Judge would be feeling well, hear our case and rule favorably
That we would have the opportunity to share the gospel with the officials and citizens of Uganda
Visas would be granted efficiently
Children would be healthy
We would come home with ALL four children
There would be no homesickness
Erryn and Jenny would both get their written rulings on the same day as the court date
We would have electricity everyday
Children would know/recognize me as their Mommy, God would already have our hearts knitted together
We would have time and a place to blog regularly
God would place a hedge of protection around us and defeat the ways of the enemy
Protect, provide, encourage, and love on our families here at home
We would be used by God in the most effective way possible
God would be glorified

Bring me anything that brings You glory

2008-02-22T08:34:00.003-07:00

This is one of my favorite songs. It is so hard for me to sing the words, but it is my heart's desire. With a worshipful heart, this is my prayer.
I believe this could be the theme song to our entire adoption process. It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and circumstances, but we have truly believed that whatever it takes, we want God to receive the glory. We want the spotlight on Him.

bring the rain

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I’ve gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It’s never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you oh Lord
My only shelter from the storms
But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know There’ll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that’s what it takes to praise You
Jesus Bring the Rain

I am Yours regardless of
The clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what’s a little rain

Chorus

Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Is the Lord God Almighty (repeat)

Written by MercyMe© 2006 Simpleville Music(ASCAP) / Wet As A Fish Music(ASCAP)All rights administered by Simpleville Music, Inc. All rights reserved.

Shouting from the roof-top!

2008-02-15T09:44:00.003-07:00

I literally want to pull out the ladder, climb on top of the roof and sing praises to our Lord!

WE HAVE OUR COURT DATE!!!!!!

It's finally happening. The date is March 17. We also got the news that Deke and Erryn, who also are adopting two from Uganda, got their court date--March 12! It is always exciting living for the Lord and we are continually being reminded of His sovereignty, love, and faithfulness.

Thank you Jesus!

2008-02-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to our news story and spot on KULR 8 News. Make sure to click on 'watch the video'
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/15149336.html

Here am I. Send me!

2008-02-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

I love this passage...Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Tonight I was reading a long (12 page) testimony of Deke and Erryn's time in Africa last summer. It is an incredible story of the power of God and His unfailing love. It's amazing how we never tire of hearing about the workings of God's hands. I was in tears several times as I saw how God had orchestrated this entire trip and how He accomplished His purposes through willing and obedient people. Lives were changed for eternity!
God began creating a fire of enthusiasm within me. He has stirred my heart for His people. I am filled with awe, with joy, and with a longing to be sent and to be used by God. I am excited at the thought of what God has instore for us to accomplish while in Uganda. I have already known this, but tonight I have been brought to another level of understanding...this is not just about bringing home two children from Africa. God has such a bigger picture of what He wants accomplished. God renewed my perspective of how I will be spending my time in Uganda. Although 2 weeks to a month is a relatively short time, God can use that time to change lives for eternity. I want to be available. I want to be ready. I want God to choose me, to send me, to use me to the fullest. So Lord here I am, send me!

2008-02-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

Where's Waldo... Where's Katie?

Christopher and his friend Amberly

Christopher peeking out from the bottom of a stroller

2008-02-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Psalm 105:1-5 "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles. and the judgments he pronounced."

Psalm 126:3 "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

God is at work around us. He is powerful, He is our mighty fortress, He loves us and He has done great things for us. Le us praise Him. Let us love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.

We are still waiting....waiting for a court date that God had planned from the beginning of time. We have had many spiritual attacks in the last few days. I am refusing to be discouraged. I am doing my best to keep my eyes fixed upon my Lord and Savior.

** We are rejoicing that our friends Tim and Leala, who are adopting Melody and Joseph from Amani Baby Cottage, just received their court date for March 10. We are so excited and praise God.
** Our friends Deke and Erryn are adopting two children from Uganda. They have an amazing story of how God has led them to these precious siblings, Bosco and Nancy. Read their blog to see God's fingerprints all over their lives... http://lundmanzoofollowinghim.blogspot.com
I will be travelling with Erryn and her mom, Cheryl, to Uganda. If it's God will, we will be bringing home four children!!
** Our friends Jordan and Lacey have been extremely supportive and encouraging through the entire process of our adoption. Just recently we found out that Lacey will be travelling with us to Uganda! It is such an incredible joy and blessing to have friends that love the Lord and with whom we can do life together.

So there are four of us going to Uganda, and we will make our flights as soon as Todd and I receive our court date. Erryn and I will be appearing before separate judges and awaiting their approval to bring home our children. We will also have to obtain visas and passports. Although our priority is meeting with the officials and receiving our positive court ruling, we will also be meeting the needs of the Uganda people. We are collecting Bibles, toothbrushes and other hygiene items, medicines, flip flops, bouncy balls...basically anything we can squeeze into our luggage to bless the children and families of Uganda. We are so excited for this trip, we can hardly contain ourselves. Please cover us in prayer.

Psalm 150 "Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."

Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases."

Labor Pangs!

2008-02-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

So I was in labor all night...in my dreams. I was dreaming that I was in so much pain and getting ready to have a baby. I wasn't progressing for the longest time and then suddenly I delivered my own baby and my mom was the one to clamp the umbilical cord. Then my dream immediately switched over to me being pregnant and in labor again. But this time I was being prepped for a c-section.
I will tell you that this adoption journey has felt like a never-ending pregnancy. A pregnancy without a due date! Agghhh! Oh what a day of rejoicing there will be!
This morning as soon as I woke up, I checked my email. There was a message from Amani Baby Cottage. This is what it said:

Just a quick update for you...first of all, Katie is officially walking consistently! She was moved to Baby 2 over the weekend! It's great...she toddles all over. On a less positive note, I spoke with the lawyer, and it will be awhile longer before you are allocated a court date (awhile is as specific as we could get) because the registrar is taking a course on how to be a judge. Scheduling is temporarily on hold until a replacement can fill in. I will keep you posted!

It is easy to be discouraged by this news. However I believe that God was whispering to me that He is in control, do not be discouraged. I think sometimes God likes it when the situation is obviously out of our control and not humanly possible. It is then that we clearly give Him the glory. I know that God has huge things planned. He will receive the glory. We are constantly learning what it means to trust and wait on our Lord. He is faithful and He will bring it to pass...And it will be in His timing!

More pictures from Auntie Rachel and Auntie Arielle

2008-02-03T15:53:00.001-07:00

We serve a big God

2008-02-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Chili Dinner was lastnight and it was a huge success. We had such a great time and were in awe (and crying) the entire night. It still amazes me that this fundraiser came together in exactly two weeks. It was truly mind-blowing.
Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" God did immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine...God provided $9000 lastnight! We are overwhelmed. God has blessed us abundantly. He has blessed us through family, friends, strangers, and the community. We have been embraced by the community of Billings and there has been an outpouring of love, support, prayer, and encouragement. We stand in awe of God and are speechless. Thank you Lord. Thank you Billings, and thank you to everyone who was a part of the dinner lastnight whether you were there physically or in prayer. Uganda here we come! (as soon as we get a court date!) Please stay on your knees before our Father. May God bring Katie and Christopher home soon.

Thank you to all of our donors:

Ophthalmic Associates of Billings
Billings Flying Services
Bob & Joan Carr, PostNet on Grand & Rehberg
Shad Fancher, Independent Silpada Representative
Wal-Mart, King Ave.
Wal-Mart, Laurel
Tracy Pare, Independent Mary Kay Consultant
Billings Bulls
Let’s Party Party Store
Enzo
Starbucks
The Brake Shop
City Brew
Wild Birds Unlimited
Fuddruckers
Grains of Montana
Mustard Seed
Café Desserte
Tammy Sturdevant, Independent Two Sisters Gourmet Consultant
Lana Wilson, Quixtar Consultant
The Soup Place
The Pita Pit
Sunset Bowl
Sherwin Williams
Coldwater Creek
Misty Tull, Independent Mary Kay Consultant
Cookies By Design
The Fireplace Center
The Outlaws
Scheels
Papa Murphy’s
Ginny McDonald
Billings Athletic Club
Johnny Carinos’s Italian Grill
Snow Country
Park Place Salon
Elise Laininger, Independent Private Quarters Consultant
Eileen Pinkerton, Independent Consultant with The Smart Home
Brandi Phillips at Synergy Salon
Carmel Cookie Waffle
Natalie Mullet, Photographer
The Wave Car Care Center
UltraTan Full Service Tanning Resort
Billings Overhead Door Company
Kirstina Hedges at Park Place Salon
Rick, Linda, and Lance Kouba, Heavenly Homes Real Estate
Merle Norman
Linda Lundman, Independent Pampered Chef Consultant
Hope Church
Heights Fitness Center
Apex Mortgage
The Little Gym
Davidson Home Furnishings
Tara Pool, Artist
MTM Jewelry
Kristi Davis, Independent Creative Memories Consultant
Copper Colander
Starlite Roller Rink
Party America
Bible Book Store
Rustic Mountain Furnishings
Poet Street Market
KULR 8 News

Update

2008-01-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

In my last entry we had just found out that Amani Baby Cottage had received our affidavits....

Well, shortly after that, we found out that our affidavits had one too many signatures and because of that, it could not be filed with the courts. So we had to do that part of the process over! We had to reprint the affidavits, sign and re-fedex (another $130)!! The most discouraging part was that it would take another week for the affidavits to arrive in Uganda. It felt like we had just wasted a week. I have to remember that there will be hiccups along the way--that's a given! It's amazing how many circumstances God can use to continually remind me that He is in control, His timing is best, and patience, patience, patience!

Our papers finally arrived last Tuesday, Jan. 22. The affidavits were filed with the high court on Wednesday, Jan. 23. We rejoice that this part of the process is done. We are officially waiting for a court date. One of the other families in our group got a Feb. 11 court date, so we are praying for a Feb. date as well. But again, God is in control, His timing is perfect, and He has a day appointed already, and it will not be delayed from that.

We also found out recently that Amani had to increase their prices for adoption. We now need to come up with an additional $3000. Again this was discouraging news, but this is no surprise to God. When we heard this news and shared it with some close friends, God began bringing his purposes to light. God gave an idea to our friend Erryn, and the motivation to bring it to completion. That night Erryn brainstormed and developed plans for a dinner and silent auction fundraiser!
This Saturday, February 2nd, we are having a "Crazy Chili Cookoff Dinner" at Hope Church on 56th and Grand from 5 to 9 pm. It is $5 per person, all you can eat chili, drinks and dessert. We will be having a silent auction and raffles. We have had an enourmous response from businesses who are lavishing us with support and generosity for this event. Our goal is to raise $5800 which will cover the increased adoption fees, travel expenses for me and the children, and costs while in Uganda.
We believe God has big things planned for this event Saturday. This is about God accomplishing His purposes and may all the glory go to Him. He is wonderful!

This journey has been long (two years in April) and we are tired. The finish line looks so close but we know that it requires a great deal of emotional and physical endurance. Please pray for us that we finish well. We want to be willing and obedient to God wherever and whenever he chooses to direct us.
We appreciate your prayers, support, encouragment, and friendship. God has richly blessed us through you. We are rich indeed.

WooooHoooooo!!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

Another milestone...
It's amazing how one email can just make our day...we received news that Amani Baby Cottage received our signed affidavits--2 days earlier than expected! These papers should be delivered to the lawyer today, then he will file with the court by Friday! Then we wait to receive our court date!
Keep praying!!!
We also got some encouraging news...Siouxanne, the nurse at Amani, started requiring that Katie drink water four times throughout the day. (We had been concerned that she might be dehydrated which is critical with sickle cell anemia). The report has been good. There seems to be a noticeable difference in her energy level and health, so much that Siouxanne wants to make this mandatory for all the children.
We praise God for this!

GOT MILK?

2008-01-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

Yippeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-09T14:25:00.001-07:00

We received our affidavits! They arrived in our email inbox this morning, we printed off copies, got them notarized, and Fed Ex'd them off to Uganda! The documents should arrive in Uganda on the 17th. The lawyer will then take the signed affidavits to the Clerk and file a court date for us! This is a major milestone that we have been waiting to reach! We are so excited...things are moving forward. We have seen God answer so many prayers.

We continue to pray...
*that our affidavits will arrive intact at Amani Baby Cottage on the 17th or earlier
*that the lawyer will continue to be reliable, efficient, full of integrity, and bold
*that we will receive a court date in February
*that God raises up the last bit of adoption money
*that God makes it clear who He wants to travel with us
*that God gives us the energy to finish this adoption process well
*and last but not least, that God continues to receive the glory!

We have been reminded of the Scripture verse Ecclesiastes 3:11, which says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time."

2007-12-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

I want to write about all we learned in Africa, but it will have to wait. Today I am only posting pictures--and they are great ones! These are off of Rachel and Arielle's Blog, two long-term volunteers at Amani Baby Cottage. These girls are AWESOME! Thanks for the pics!

2007-12-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

We have made it safely home and are slowly adjusting to the quick pace.
I am posting some pictures from our trip. Once we are caught up on sleep and I fight this cold, we will write more.

yikes! scary hair!

learning the art of balancing

Here's tech support!

Tell this stork to hurry up and deliver our babies!

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

2007-12-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

We have never been so thankful to be an American. After landing in JFK Airport and going through Customs, we were greeted by an offical who said, "Welcome Home!"
Todd said he wanted to reach across the counter and kiss the guy--we were so happy to be "home" in America.

We are still travelling...we are now going on 49 hours since we first boarded our plane in Uganda. We made it to Salt Lake City Airport lastnight and found out that we had missed our connecting flight by about 40 minutes. Once again things did not go as hoped or as expected, but God continues to reveal himself to us in the midst of these circumstances. He allowed us to form a relationship with another travelling passenger--a divine appointment to accomplish His purposes. We also got to stay in a very nice hotel for a very minimal price. It was wonderful! And the pillows were so cozy and soft... I think I raved about the cozy bed and pillows for 1/2 hour.
One thing I can say for sure...our appreciation for life, family & friends, and things has definitely changed. We are so richly blessed, rich indeed.

After we reach home, we will post more pictures from our trip and write about some of the lessons we have learned from being in Africa.

Thank you for coming alongside us in this journey! God is writing an amazing story...and it's not over yet!

God is good ALL the time!

2007-12-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

God does not always answer our prayers as we hope or expect...but God is always good and He will do whatever brings Him the most glory. We will not be bringing our babies home this trip. But we know God has a day appointed and it will not be delayed. We are not discouraged. We are confident that we are in the middle of His will and our responsibility is to be willing and obedient. We delight in Him. He has so richly blessed us and we take comfort in knowing that He loves C & K even more than we do. He is the Father to the fatherless. We will wait in excited anticipation for the day to come when we will be united as a complete family.

Lord, we pray for continued health, safety and protection for our family while we are together and apart. Please appoint a godly lawyer to fulfill your will of helping to bring these babies home. Give us strength as we wait for the day to come and may we experience You, Lord, to the fullest. We love you Jesus and may your name resonate in our lives. Amen.

It took a MIRACLE to get this posted!

2007-12-11T01:37:00.000-07:00

I am welling up with tears as I read through all the comments on our blog. God has so abundantly blessed us with friends and family. We are overwhelmed by the love and encouragement and prayers you have offered on our behalf. Thank you for believing with us that God can do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or imagine. You have been a balm to our weary souls.

So much has happened since we last posted which explains the delay in our writing. We know God works all things together for His glory. Todd and I can already see how this is happening. God is uniting Todd and I in a much deeper way than we have ever known. We have had to dig in God's word together, pray fervently together, and wrestle with incredibly difficult situations. In the midst of such trying circumstances, we have had an incredible amount of laughter. Our God is so good.

On Friday, Todd and I met Mama Gladys and Mama Edith at the Source Cafe for brunch. We found out the other day that they had never had ice cream so we told them we would be taking them out. They were so giddy--it was truly like taking little kids out. They got to order whatever they wanted off the menu--they chose fried chicken and chipote and soda. For dessert they got to pick out an ice cream treat out of the freezer. I had to explain all the different choices. They both decided on a drumstick. However they did not eat it right away. They wanted to take it home so they could share it with their children who had never had ice cream. They wrapped it up in a little bag and carried it with them for 45 minutes. We kept telling them that it would melt but there was no comprehension of this. Unbelievably the ice cream made it to their home. We were with Mama Edith when she shared her ice cream with five people--each person getting a little spoonful. They smiled and said "it's so sweet!" We were delighted.
We went to Mama Edith's village on Friday and Mama Gladys' village on Saturday. The hospitality was the most incredible thing I have ever seen. Todd and I were humbled almost to the point of tears. Along the way to Mama Edith's village, we stopped at a market to meet her sister who is a shopkeeper. Her sister welcomed us into her tiny wooden shack/shop. She dusted off the bench and laid her sweater down so we could have a nice place to sit. She then reached into her small pile of coins (her income from the day) and said, "what kind of soda would you like?" This women was going to spend over half her income to show us hospitality. We very politely decline and instead gave her one of our chocolate granola bars. She was very excited and thankful. We took pictures and had a great time. We have never seen poverty like this, yet the most beautiful smiles ever. One lady who spoke no english was very excited to greet us. She gave Todd and I new names--which I cannot pronounce--but mean "handsome" and "beautiful." All the children smiled, waved, and some would yell "Mzungu" which means "white person." I have never seen someone so excited to bring us to their home. When we got there, she pulled potatoes and tomatoes, and bottled water out of her sack (which she had bought along the way) and had her daughter prepare a meal for us.
At Mama Gladys' we met her children, her brother and his wife and their five children, and Mama Gladys' mother. They all live in this home. They each greeted us with hugs and handshakes and went on their knees bowing before us with respect. Her mother shook our hand and greeted us in her language for five minutes. When we asked Mama Gladys what she was saying, she said that she was still greeting us. Her mother even went on her knees many times. They prepared a meal for us and her brother took off work to meet us. These two experiences gave us such a different picture of hospitality and generosity. We are changed forever--may God bless these families and allow us to remember them forever.
On our way back to Jinja Town, Todd and I had to ride a piki (a motorcycle). He climbed on first, sitting snugly behind the driver, and then I had to sit sideways (because I was wearing a skirt) behind Todd. We went FAST. We were holding on to the underside of our seat holding on for dear life. We were flying over potholes where I was becoming airborne and letting out little squeals. Todd kept turning his head towards me so I could hear him saying things like...
Do you think insurance will cover this?
Now riding 70 mph on a Harley without a helmet doesnt sound so bad
This is just like motorcross, but with three people
I have never sat so close to a man in all my life
Our driver was inventing his own lane and driving so close that I could reach out and touch a dump truck and another piki at the SAME time!
We made it safely, but not to our destination. Our driver apparently didnt speak english and did not know where the Source Cafe was located. Thankfully we had done enough walking around...when we finally recognized a building, we yelled, "STOP, right here!" Our legs felt wobbly when we got off and our hands were numb and tingly--because we had been holding on so tightly to our seat.

Later on Saturday I got my hair done! I got hair extensions twisted into my hair which took 5 hours and 3 ladies working on it. I had been wanting to get it done for awhile, but what I was not prepared for was how painful it would be. It was five hours of perpetual, cringing pain. I cant say that I would ever do it again, but it's fun to have long hair and look part Ugandan! All the Ugandans keep telling me, "You look smart!" I will post pictures later.

On Sunday we got to go to church with Mama Gladys and Mama Edith to Liberty Church in Jinja Town. We were the only Mzungus and received quite a warm welcome. We had a great time. The praise and worship time was like aerobics and the entire service was like a marathon. We even had to go up to front with a microphone and introduce ourselves and give a mini sermon of praising God. We got a huge round of applause just for saying our names. Church started at 9:45 and we got out at 1pm. We got to give Mama Edith our little Bible (one of the Bibles you gave us, Lacey) because she did not own a Bible. It would take her a little over three days of wages to purchase one. They are very expensive. Mama Edith was very excited and appreciative to have her own Bible now.

Here we are on Monday. There is lots of talk about the Ebola outbreak. Pray for continued protection, health and safety for us. Pray that the airports would remain open so we can leave on Wednesday. We are ready to be home. We miss you so much.

Praise God with us for all He has done and is doing. Our God is good, All the time!

2007-12-05T05:31:00.000-07:00

our morning view

at The Source Cafe

Christopher enjoying his ice cream

Mommy and Katie playing tickle bird

Mama Edith and Katie

Weiss

children receiving their beanie babies

Junior

Christopher enjoying his first sippie

update

2007-12-05T04:29:00.000-07:00

The pics did not load this morning so I will keep trying. We took the kids on their first outing this morning. It was so sweet because Mama Susan--head of all the Mamas--was so conscientious and thoughtful. She told us to ask the Mamas for clothes, we got to use disposable diapers, she told us they always have snack at 10am so she gave us "biscuits" to take with us, she told us how much to pay for the boda bodas, and she was very excited for C & K. It was truly like the Mom looking out for her children and knowing their needs, wanting to make sure we had everything we needed. So we left the Baby Cottage and waved down two boda bodas. This time I had to straddle the seat in a long skirt, balance and hold a child--it was as difficult as it sounds! But we made it and it was nice not having to walk up some long hills holding 20 lb. children. We took the kiddos to the Source Cafe and had them share their first bowl of chocolate icecream (I told you we are a lot like grandparents!). Christopher made a funny face at first, but then decided that he loved it. He kept his mouth open for refills. We have decided that he will eat pretty much anything--he just really likes food. Katie was very unsure of the icecream. She made a funny face and kept moving her tongue around. She had a few more bites and was drooling ice cream everywhere. She ended up leaving the rest for Christopher, which he was pleased about. Then my bowl of pineapple was brought out and Christopher attacked that. While Katie nibbled on the same piece of pineapple the entire time, Christopher gobbled the pineapple as fast as he could. The pineapple is the best you can imagine. It is so delicious and cheap! A big bowl of fruit salad costs 60 cents.
Oh...before I forget a funny thing happened yesterday...when Todd and I were taking our first boda boda, the driver told Todd, "You are heavy!"
Here are some unique things to Uganda that I have been keeping track of...
...bats, storks, geckos, red dirt, steering wheels on the right side of the car, boda bodas, pikis, people walking everywhere at all times of the day, toilets without seats, squatty toilets (holes in the ground), lots of bug spray, mosquito nets, delicious fruit, beautiful sounds of birds, mamas singing all day long, putting bleach in our water and using a filter to sterilize, goat and chicken sausage on menus...
Todd and I love it here so much we have talked about getting a vacation home here. It would be so awesome to be able to come here as a family every year and it would be great for Katie and Christopher to be reminded of their heritage. Don't worry, there will be room for all of you to stay!

2007-12-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Although we are grieving the loss of Todd's Grandpa Moore and we are on the other side of the world away from family, God has given us strength, joy, comfort and peace. We are doing well. God's mercies our new every morning.
We have some firsts to report...
Yesterday, Tues. Dec. 4, we went to Jinja Town for lunch, shopping, and some internet time. On our way back we took our first boda boda. For those of you who dont know the Ugandan lingo, a boda boda is a bicycle with a little seat on the back. This is a major mode of transportation. Women must sit side saddle, and men straddle the seat. It costs about 400 schillings a ride which is about 30 cents. There is nowhere to hold on except the bottom of your seat. When you get more confident, you can take children with you on the boda boda holding them on your lap while you ride. It was fun and I made sure my driver knew that this was my first time and I did not want to crash. We made it safely! WhooHoo--we did it! The next challenge will be a piki--a ride on a motorized bike. Those guys get going fast!
When we got back to ABC, we saw all the children playing on the lawn. Christopher and Katie spotted us quickly so we ran over to greet them. When Katie saw me, she used her friends and Mamas as leverage to stand up. She had a big smile as she look at me while I called her name. She then took her first steps!! The Mamas were hootin' and hollerin', and I was clapping. It was so special to see our daughter's major milestone!
We are still staying at Hotel Triangle and it is working out nicely. We enjoy our walk to the baby cottage every morning. We do not tire of the beautiful scenery. It is so lush and green, the birds and their music are beautiful, the lake is so serene-- it is a breathtaking view every morning. Todd and I are still waking up by 4 every morning fully rested. This morning we realized it is not because of jet lag, it is because:
1) we are in bed by 9pm every night
2) we aren't taking care of three kids everyday
3) the mamas do everything for us
So we have decided that we want to take a Mama home with us. I think I really would be a better mom and wife!
The food is delicious here and we are enjoying experiencing new things. We still have not had a rolex--something similar to a breakfast burrito that everyone raves about--you find them along the street in town. Last night we ate at The Gately, a restaurant and hotel right across from the ABC. We had heard good things but were not prepared.... We were the only ones there, we were ushered to candlelit tables beautifully set, a nicely manicured property in front of us with a waterfall, all overlooking the lake. Todd had tilapia coated in lemon parsley breadcrumbs...he said it was the best fish he has ever tasted. When we looked up at the awning over our table we counted 9 geckos dining with us! Dinner cost us 33,500 schillings--which is expensive in Uganda--$20.
It has been fun being the messenger of gifts. Friends in Montana packed our bags full of goodies for the kids, mamas, volunteers, and others. It has brought us such joy handing these things out. Yesterday, I brought playdoh to the toddlers. Rachel and Ariel, two awesome volunteers here, do school time with the kids everyday. For their craft time they got to play with the playdoh. When I brought it to them, all the children yelled, "Thank You Auntie." The mamas have loved getting wipes which are a rare thing around here. For some of the items I have prayed asking God to show me who, when and where to give the goodies. God showed me that there were needy children along our walk from the hotel to ABC every morning. They wave, shout hello, and smile big smiles every morning. That morning I brought along some beanie babies
and gave them dto five children walking along the road carrying their water. They went crazy. Todd thought I might get mauled by them. They were so excited. We took their picture of them smiling holding up their new stuffed animal. We then showed them their picture on our digital camera. They giggled when they saw themselves.
Christopher is extremely clingy to Todd. He only wants Todd and he absolutely adores Todd. He will cry, no actually it's scream, whenever Todd sets him down. The only time he will stop is at mealtime as soon as food is placed in front of him. He likes his food! This morning Todd and I are taking the kids to The Source Cafe for some spoiling time with the kids. They get to wear their "smart" clothes. "Smart" is a term used to say, "you look GOOD!"
Katie is smiling more and more everyday. She loves snuggling up next to me and gets very jealous when others get too close to me. She is a biter, and we think she always keeps her mouth open so she can be ready to chomp at a moments notice. It is like she is blossoming right in front of us. She is really coming to life.
Well, I have so much more to say, but we need to hop on our boda boda and get to town with C & K. I am posting pictures of Junior (mom's favorite who has the best smile), Weiss (Lacey's fav. little boy), Mama Edith with Katie (K & C's favorite Mama) and some other cute pics. Enjoy. We love you and Miss you. Jaden, Kellen, and Sage, we send you great big hugs and kisses. We cant wait to bring you here--you will love it! See you soon.
P.S Katie loves "Tickle bird" as you will see in the picture.
P.P.S Aaron & Ariel, tell them to do the best they can on the truck with $1000. Thanks.

Difficult Thanksgiving

2007-12-04T04:20:00.000-07:00

My Lord, My Sovereign Savior,

All praise and glory and honor to You. Every day Your creation and all its creatures give honor to You.

I am a very blessed man, and my family a very blessed family. We have never deserved Your grace or mercy, but You have chosen to show it again and again and again. We are not royalty in any way, but You have called us chosen ones, ambassadors, Your children by choice, not accident.

Thank you that You have given my family a royal heritage in Christ. Thank you that I am not the first to follow You, but that I was preceded by generations of men and women who loved you and called You Lord. Thank you that we were blessed to spend time and have memories with many of them before You brought them to their real home. I know this world has never truly been home for them, but now, in tears, we are overwhelmed that they now are in Your presence. That they aren't as they were here, broken, pained, discomforted, and longing for home, but they are as You have always intended them to be: strong, joy-filled, healthy, young, and free. They will never again know pain, or tears, or sadness, or lonliness. You loved us enough to keep them here a little while, but You loved them enough to remove them from their pain and give them new and forever health and joy.

Thank you for my Grandpa Moore and my Grandpa Collett, and the many before them. Thank you that they chose sometimes a more difficult path because it was right. Thank you that they worked harder than many because they loved their families. Thank you that they let us know how much they loved us. And thank You for the legacy they leave behind them. Sometimes we recall it too late, but they were mindful of it all the time. Thank You for their wisdom.

May we always be working to perfect the legacy that they have left behind in Christ, so that our children, and our childrens' children, and the many who have been our friends will all one day stand together at our Saviors feet as faithful and blessed. May each day of our lives tell the story of the gospel which now unites them all in heaven.

Lord, this is a difficult thanksgiving because I miss my Grandpa. I love him. We all do. But knowing that You do even more brings peace to our souls.

Yours forever with anticipation of our reunion in heaven, and in Jesus' name,

amen

Now I know what it must feel like to be a grandparent!

2007-12-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

I say that because Todd and I are coming to visit the children when they are on strict routines that work well, and all we want to do is spoil them. The poor mamas have had to deal with more fits and crying because we keep distracting the kids, they dont want to participate in the "normal" circle time, when we put them down they cry, and when we go in to tuck in our babies all the other babies start yelling "auntie and uncle". The mamas are so gracious and actually encourage us to show this special love. So all this to say...Mom, go ahead and give Jaden, Kellen and Sage some extra M&Ms!!!
We are doing very well. We are having such a great time and are continuing to soak it all in. I have so many thoughts to share that today I will do it in a list format...
* We are still amazed at the things Ugandans balance on a boda boda (a bicycle). We saw a couch strapped to the back of one!
* When we were flying to Africa and passed over all the very, very dry deserts, it made us think of when Moses led the Israelites through the desert and God provided their food and drink for 40 years. It gave us a whole different understanding of the magnitude of that miracle.
* When we saw the Nile River it made us think about baby Moses being placed in a basket floating down that river.
* There are 37 mamas that work here on day and night shifts. These are very godly women that shower the kids with the love of Jesus. They sing ALL the time. There is so much joy in this place. They always greet us with smiles and hugs and are so appreciative of us being here. They are so happy that Chirstopher and Katie have a family waiting for them. They do an amazing job. Mama Edith is especially LOVED by our kids. They are crazy about her. She is the only one that are kids will even think about leaving our arms for. It is so comforting knowing how much these mamas love on our children to meet their physical and emotional needs when we cannot be the ones to do that. Please lift the mamas up in prayer and pray a special blessing on them.
* We are eating so well here. For breakfast we eat at hotel Triangle. We eat omelettes loaded with diced vegetables, mango juice, slices of fresh pineapple, slices of papaya, watermelon, bananas (which are sweeter and better than ours), bread with butter and jam. For lunch yesterday we had rice, potatoes, cooked cabbage, and beef stew. Mama Cook is an excellent cook and the food was delicious.
Our kids eat porridge in the morning and a hard boiled egg. They have snack at 10am which were "biscuits" a hard rectangle cookie like Nila Wafers. At lunch and dinner they eat potatoes and beans, or stir fry, and the kids eat everything even all their vegetables. I am pleased with the amount of nutrition they are getting. They have a snack at 3pm which consists of chunks of fresh fruit.
* We never see the kids drink anything though and are a little concerned about Katie staying well hydrated with her sickle cell anemia, so today we gave the kids sippie cups from home (different than the kind they typically use) and filled it with water and a Propel drink mix. It was hilarious watching their expressions. Christopher, aka Chubbers, could not get enough. He kept downing the drink, which tastes like lemonade. We finally had to take it away because it looked like his tummy would explode. We saw our first temper tantrum! Katie who is much more cautious and timid, was a little unsure, but she continued to drink, make a funny face, and then smile. We then played bubbles with all the kids--they loved it! And then we realized that because of the sippies are kids had su-sued (pottied) and were leaking through the diapers.
*Christopher has been glued to Todd. He only wants Todd, he reaches for Todd, he goes anywhere Todd goes. When we were playing with bubbles, Christopher was in a real dilemma because he wanted so bad to chase and catch the bubbles but he would not leave Todd's lap. When Christopher goes to me, he immediately reaches back for Todd and will fuss and lean out of my arms until Todd takes him. I am delighted to see this connection.
* Katie is mainly in my arms. Whenever she sees me she lights up. Yesterday the kids had awaken from nap time, but they have to stay in their cribs for awhile. Todd and I kept peeking in her room, and she would smile everytime she saw our faces. She cries anytime I put her down or hand her over to the mamas. We are having so much fun with them and will soon take them out on their first outing!
* Christopher is busy and likes to get in things and is very curious and adventurous. He is not afraid to push someone out of the way so he can have Todd's attention. He is fascinated with birds right now and yesterday we got to hear him say "bird" and point!
* Katie is much more reserved, cautious, and hesitant. She can be moody too, so as a girl, I think she will fit into the Moore household well! She has given us many smiles and giggles. She loves to be pushed in the swing. She also likes to be tickled and have her feet massaged--what girl doesn't??
* Erryn thank you for the clothes you have let me borrow--they have worked out great. Siouxanne loved receiving her goodies and families and volunteers loved the chocolate. We have been able to share baggies, and possibly some Malarone and pepto. We were able to give some gatorate packets to someone yesterday. Everyone is looking at us as being ultra prepared and full of resources--all thanks to you!!
* Ariel, thank you for the clothes. It is so nice not having to worry about what to wear each day. I am staying very comfortable. The kids loved the bubbles, I wish you could have seen the excitement in their eyes and voices. The mamas and volunteers were excited too. We are still waiting to disperse some of the toys.
* Lacey, I wish you could be here to experience this and to see all the kids. I have no doubt that you would have a little boy picked out in no time. It might actually be dangerous if you came...you wouldnt know how to say no, and you might end up as a family of 12! I will have pictures of Weiss soon.
Mom, Junior and Weiss seem to be good buds. He has an incredible smile. Yesterday they were sitting in the hammok with Todd pretending they were on a boat and that they couldn't fall into the water. Melody kept pikcing flowers and leaves and carrying them in a frisbee saying "auntie, here's another flowe.r" She also told me she wanted to hold my hand as we walked. We had fun playing ring around the rosie, and our circle kept growing bigger and bigger.
Jaden, You would love the green grass. There is so much room to run and play. Yesterday the boys were having races to see who could run the fastest. The tree house is really cool. The weather is beautiful, sunny and hot. Great weather for playing outside.
Kellen, you would have so much fun with all the kids. They love pretending--yesterday the kids were under the treehouse playing "kitchen" since all the kitchens here are outside. They also like running around playing with balls and hula hoops. You would make so many friends. Also, there are so many babies that like to be held and cuddled, you would be great at that.
Sage, you would love all the animals here. There are chickens and baby chicks that run around, lots of birds, geckos, and dogs. You would have so much.
* Yesterday, we got to be part of a send off for a family. They were going home with their two Ugandan children!! The volunteers, mamas, children, and families all gathered around. We prayed for them and sang "You are Worthy, You are Faithful." It was emotional and awesome to celebrate with this family. God is faithful and He keeps his promises.
* Pray for our lawyer here. We just found out that she has not returned any calls and is proving already to be unreliable. Amani needs to have a reliable lawyer. Pray that God would direct the right lawyer. We cannot move forward until then.
This has been one long entry, so I should probably sign off now. As you can, a lot happens in one day!
* Christopher and Katie were weighed today. Christopher is 22.2 lbs. and Katie is 20.8 lbs. They feel and look totally different though. It is amazing was two pounds can do at that age.
Love you and miss you.

I had trouble uploading pics and I couldnt flip them, etc.
Also, this post was very long so I am not going to proof it...hope it made sense!

How much joy can be in one place?

2007-12-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

We are here!!!!!!! Yesterday we arrived in Entebbe around 3pm, paid for our visas, and then exited through a tunnel of people. I felt like it was the paparazzi...people had their faces pressed up against the glass looking into the airport, and we had taxi drivers trying to convince us that we needed them, not our driver, to take us to Amani. We had a hard time convincing them otherwise because our driver was not there. We were a little panicked, but the taxi driver let us use his phone, and we were finally united with our driver--and we got the best one there is. Abdulla, was very kind, generous (he stopped at the grocery store to buy us bottled water--which was his own idea), and answered our million ongoing questions. Half the time we were in silent awe just soaking everything in, other times we couldnt stop talking. It is so fun experiencing everything in context, not just through pictures and stories. Putting the smells, the sounds, and the scenery all together creates such an experience. It is incredible here. It took us about 4 hours to get to Amani from the airport because of traffic. Along the drive, we saw the funniest thing...there are shops everywhere...and one of those shops had art for sale...one of the giant paintings was of an American flag and Bill Clinton!
We pulled up to the gates of Amani Baby Cottage around 7pm. We were told that they would keep the babies up for us and wait for our arrival. We pulled in through the gates, and were greeted by many excited mamas who were so welcoming. The name given to me by all the mamas is "Mama Christopher" or "Mama Priscilla" (Priscilla is Katie's given name at birth). There is another Katie in Baby 1 Room so they have to call her Priscilla. We had one of the other families video tape us walking into the baby cottage. We went into Baby Room 2 where Christopher was sleeping with 10 other children. The mamas flipped on the lights, pulled up the mosquito netting, and lovingly yanked Christopher by the arm up out of his sound sleep and said, "Christopher, your Mama" and put him in my arms. He was adjusting to the light and trying to figure out where he was. He had his little hand gripped tightly to my shirt. I immediately started kissing his head and cheek and held him close. He laid his face against my chest and shoulder, just snuggling. I had tears of joy sliding down my cheek. Then the mamas brought Katie to us (she sleeps in a different room) and handed her to Todd. She went right to him. After soaking it all in, and loving every moment of it, Todd and I traded kids. And then we saw a very specific answered prayer. Katie reached for Todd. So there was Todd holding both kids. It was the best picture in the world. He then started bouncing them up and down, and they loved it. They were laughing, smiling, giggling, and loving every second. We were laughing in delight. After an hour, we put Christopher and Katie back to bed, and I got to stroke Katie's head and rub her belly, as she fell asleep. We then left for the Hotel Triangle where we are staying. It is gorgeous here. Our room looks out over the lake and we went to sleep to the sounds of frogs and crickets and awoke to birds singing and roosters crowing. We had a great breakfast and walked to the Baby Cottage. Again we were greeted with big hugs from all the mamas and were ushered into Christopher and Katie's room. They immediately came to us and gave us big smiles and giggles. The kids wake up at 6:30, get bathed and put back into their cribs. They then get ready for breakfast at 8am. Christopher eats his porridge out of a "big boy" cup. We were amazed to see 11 kids under age 2 drinking out of cups and there were no spills! In Katie's room she was getting ready for her porridge out of a sippy cup. When she gets excited and wants something, her legs start bouncing and she starts flapping her arms. We left to go put our stuff upstairs in the living quarters (which are very nice) and returned downstairs later for play time. When I walked in, I was literally attacked by children. I think I had four or five on me all wanting to be held, climbing up my shirt and back. Katie wanted to be held, and then when Todd walked in she crawled over to him. When we walked into Christopher's room, he was already sitting in their snack circle. He immediately got up with a smile and walked over to Todd with his arms reaching up, so he could be picked up. We are enjoying every second. Both C and K look very healthy. Christopher is walking and is strong. Katie is thinner, more petite looking, and is standing and walking along things as she holds on. She has a mouth full of teeth and resembles her sister Sage--because the exact same front tooth is chipped! Her skin and hair is soft and smells so good. Her cheeks are so kissable. Christopher is more solid and his hair is thicker. He is so cuddly.
I had wondered what it would feel like as their mother. Would it be an instant bond or would it come over time. The way I can explain it is when you are in the hospital after the delivery of a child, and they place the newborn baby in your arms. It felt like that--instant love, attachment, and bond. I could not stop kissing them. They are my children. We wish Jaden, Kellen and Sage could be here. They would love it. The kids would have so much fun with them. The toddler room is a high energy room, where every single child came running up to us yelling Auntie, Uncle, and giving us hugs, wanting to be held, and saying, "I want to go home with you." Break my heart, maybe we can get one or two more?!? Just kidding, I will just start picking out ones for Lacey, Erryn, and Ariel!! Lacey--Weiss is a cutie. He was climbing the triple bunk bed this morning in his tidy whities. His underwear was a bit big, though and it kept falling down, he had to keep reaching behind as he climbed to give them a tug. He is adorable. The kids are all so loving, and they love Jesus. All the mamas are so good with the kids and teach them about Jesus. It is such a great place. The scenery is beautiful. I wish you could all be here with us experiencing it alongside us. We will have lots of pictures and video to share. We are still trying to figure out how to download that stuff. Hopefully soon! We love you, and miss you, but God has us in His hands. We are safe and well. Keep praying for health (my stomach was really upset yesterday just from the travelling and lack of sleep) I am feeling better today.
Jaden, Kellen, and Sage, thank you for your notes to us. I loved getting them on the computer. Thank you for your prayers. God is answering them. We will bring you each a surprise. Have fun with Grammy! Make sure you give her quiet time! Thank you for watering the tree and I am excited to find your hidden pickles. Have lots of fun, we will be home soon. Oh, we also found our picture that we made for the babies this summer hanging up. Katie held the picture and she pointed to Jaden, Kellen and Sage's picture. They love you and cant wait to meet you.
Lord, thank you for your awesome power and love for us. You are so good to us and lavish us with blessings. We love you and praise you for your beautiful creation of people and nature. May you be glorified. Amen.
Sorry if this post was a little jumbled and hard to read, I am a bit overwhelmed!
Love you and miss you!

We are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! An unexpected surprise...they have a free internet booth at the airport. I have had to wait a few hours to find an opening, but when you have nothing else to do for 8 hours, it's not so bad :-) The diversity is unbelievable, and for someone that loves people watching, I am having a hayday! We are doing well...we are safe and healthy. The flights have been incredible! We LOVE flying Emirates--Todd and I have enjoyed the pampering and the time together. We have so many details to share...where to start. First of all, it is about 3:30am Dec. 1st. We board the plane at 8:15 and will arrive in Entebbe, Uganda at 2:50 pm. It's getting close--we are so excited! Dubai is amazing with shops everywhere, it looks and feels like a busy mall. Even in the middle of the night, things around here are bustling. We got a free meal because we have over a 4 hour layover. Let's just say the food was interesting! Right after we ate, Todd said, "I am ready for some french toast and bacon!" We'll have to wait a couple more weeks for that...right Mom?!? Jim and Beth, I think you would love it here...this should be your next vacation spot--good shopping and good golfing!
Let me highlight a few happenings of the trip so far...
* On our flight to New York we sat next to a young man who is a senior at BYU. Before he even said anything, I knew that we were supposed to talk to him. Sure enough, we ended up talking the entire flight, a little over 3 hrs. I believe it was a divine conversation.
* Arriving at JFK airport was exciting. I think I had culture shock just being in New York! Every single person we talked to was genuinely friendly. Then before we boarded our flight, we saw a woman (I am assuming she was muslim) walking through the airport carrying her 6 year old son who was unconscious. The airport staff really didnt do much for her, but got her some ice and a wheelchair. They began talking to her trying to figure out what happend. In the meantime, the rest of her family boarded the airplane and the plane took off, leaving her there by herself! She was crying and Todd and I had a heart that was breaking for her. We stood just watching trying to figure out what we could do for her. I knew to pray, but what else. Todd and I continued praying for this little boy, and as I was asking God what I should do--He told me to pray for the boy. I said, I am praying. God nudged me further saying "Pray over him." I froze. I thought surely that is my crazy, loopy mind speaking to me. God said it again. Todd confirmed that I should go. I was only hesitant out of fear and embarassment, but I knew I had to obey my Lord. I walked over to the women in the midst of staff people around her, I asked if the boy was ok, and I asked if I could pray for him...she said yes. I laid my hand on him and prayed out loud. When I finished I walked away. It was later that I learned that she did not speak any english at all. I still dont know why God had me pray over a muslim women's boy, but I am confident that God was at work and things were happening in the spiritual realm.
* We made a stop in Hamburg, Germany and I asked some of the Germans how to pronouce my maiden name (which has always been something my family has wondered about). It is exactly the way we have always said it! I told them that they say it better though! I also found out that the first part of the name means "early". Kinda cool!
* One last thing, Todd and I got a really hard laugh when we were flying to Dubai and were trying to figure out what time it was and what time zone we were in. As we were talking we realized that on Nov. 29 at 7 pm we ate dinner and at 11pm we boarded our flight. During that flight we ate another dinner, breakfast, lunch and two snacks...the funny thing is...it was only 11am!! It had been the middle of the night! It is so weird how you dont realize that when you are flying. With all that food you would think we were running a marathon...nope, we were just sitting and watching movies and playing video games on the seatback in front of us!!!
We are having a super time although we already miss Jaden, Kellen and Sage sooooo much! We are so thankful for my mom and my friends who love us so much and are loving on our children. Jaden, you would have loved the tv and video games on the airplane--it was a lot of fun. Kellen, you would love seeing all the people here and talking to every one of them. We know you would make a lot of new friends on this trip. Sage, you would love all the food we have gotten...mousse, brownies, cheesecakes, and chocolates...and we have seen so many cute little girls your age that you would have fun playing with. We love you and miss you so much. We are praying for you. Thank you for praying for us. It is so special knowig that you are praying for Mommy and Daddy. We will write again soon! Oh, I am thrilled...the next time you hear from us we will be holding our two precious Ugandan children. We will give them lots and lots of hugs and kisses from you all!
Keep praying, God is at work!

WE ARE GOING TO AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

We can hardly believe it...we are actually going to Africa! This is the first of two required trips. On this trip we will visit with Christopher and Katie for a few days, talk to the official and tell him "yes we still want these children" and he will transfer foster care from the director of the baby cottage to us. It is then that a court date can be set. They said it would take a miracle, but there is a chance that we could have a court date by Christmas! Chances are more likely that it will be at the beginning of the new year, but we can pray to the author of miracles! Oh it feels so good to know things are moving forward. We long to see and hold Christopher and Katie--I cannot even describe the anticipation we are experiencing!
We will soon have many pictures to share. I can't wait!!

2007-11-21T13:13:00.001-07:00

I have put off blogging for quite awhile...I knew that there was so much to write about and I kept waiting for a big chunk of time. I should know by now that with three kids there's never a big chunk of time!!
God is at work around us even in the little details--we are constantly reminded of that. Although things may seem slow, God has an appointed time and it will not be delayed from that. We have been learning that this is not about the end result (of getting our two children--although we wanted them yesterday!)it is about embracing the process and experiencing God to the fullest. He is alive and active amongst us. I do not want to miss all that God has for us.

* In September, Vern Streeter, the pastor of Harvest Church, met with us to learn more about our heart and vision for Africa. We got to share our story and how it all originated with my mom two years ago. That weekend Vern's sermon was on Abraham and his faith. At the end of his sermon, he talked about my mom and the faith she displayed in responding to God's call to go to Africa. The part of my mom's story that I absolutely love is the "ripple effect." Her obedience to go resulted in many lives changed for eternity. She impacted lives on her trip, we decided to adopt, others who have heard our story are now adopting, my mom and dad have started a foundation-- http://www.hewillprovide.org ...the list goes on and on. When we make a decision to respond obediently, God blesses many.
As Vern closed, he prayed for our babies to come home soon and that the Judge would rule "yes." He asked the church to be praying for our babies and the Judge.

* God has blessed me with many "divine conversations." I often get phone calls or emails from people I have never met--friends of friends of friends. It becomes a conversation of mutual encouragement and praise to God. I have gotten to know people in Washington, Texas and throughout Montana. God is so good! I am so thankful for these people God has sent my way and for the encouragement and blessing He has poured out on me through them.

* A couple months ago there was a high school convention held in Billings for the surrounding high schools. The schools were talking about world travel and had to pick a country, do speeches, make a food, and learn as much as they could about that particular country. A high schooler named Kiah, who had met us once in the summer and had heard our story, got her school to choose Uganda, and invited us to be apart of the convention. We got to have a table displaying our scrapbook, t-shirts, and items that had been brought back from Uganda. Erryn came with me and displayed her jewelery (100% of the profits from her jewelery business go to Jireh Ministries Foundation). We had many great conversations that day, sold lots of t-shirts, and even got to give an impromptu speech to a few hundred students about Uganda and our adoption. It was so incredible to share this God-given passion with so many.

* For about six months we have been saying that Billings is budding with excitement for Africa. It is waiting to blossom and God has big things in store. That could not be any more true. In March 2008, Billings is having a H20 Day to raise awareness and funds for clean water in Africa. It is a huge event that will require many months of planning. Erryn went to the initial meeting and got to share about Jireh Ministries Foundation and their needs. Because of that, Jireh was chosen as one of the five projects for H2O Day. One fifth of the funds raised will be given to Jireh!

* We received a link to the Canadian paper that wrote an article about Katie and her blood transfusion in which the blood was donated by Jocelyn, a volunteer at Amani Baby Cottage. http://www.thecarillon.com/070517/070517_thecarillon.shtml

* I also met another volunteer who had served at Amani Baby Cottage in the fall of 2006. Her name is Katie and our meeting each other through email was God-orchestrated. She had grown attached to our little Christopher while she served at ABC and has prayed for him ever since. She has prayed that he would find a forever family to love him, long before we knew that he would be our son. God has reminded me over and over that He loves us all so much and He truly is the Father to the fatherless.

* We just found out that the Uganda officials are now requiring parents to travel two times to Uganda. They want to know that we are serious about our children and make sure there is no child trafficking taking place. Although this means added expenses, we are thrilled to see our children.

our HUMONGOUS, GOD-ORCHESTRATED fundraiser

2007-09-06T14:36:00.000-06:00

In April 2007, God woke me in the middle of the night (probably because that’s the only time He can get a hold of me) and prompted me to spend some time with Him praying and writing in my journal. Around 3:30 am, I began to get a very clear vision of a huge fundraiser for our adoption. Over the past year, I had brainstormed fundraisers many times but never felt compelled to carry them out. The idea in itself always seemed overwhelming. This time, however, I was getting very excited. I felt like God was giving me all the ideas and I was just putting it on paper. About 1 ½ hours later, I went back to bed. When I awoke later that morning and thought back to my time with the Lord, my first thought was “that was the most overwhelming idea ever.” I quickly dismissed everything I planned earlier that morning. A week later God brought the vision back to me, this time with an abundance of enthusiasm and confidence that I was to carry this out. As I began writing, details filled the paper. I could barely keep up with my thoughts. God even gave me a date of June 15, so I wrote it down. An hour later, I came out of the office and told Todd that we were going to be having a fundraiser on June 15 and 16. I called my friend Lacey and my parents. I think I needed to tell someone so I would have some accountability. This time I was sure that God was asking me to bring this fundraiser to completion.
Over the next month I prayed. I prayed about locations and volunteers to help implement this event, and I met with a friend to begin planning. Over this time, God refined the vision and made it crystal clear. I was to have a massive garage sale, BBQ, and bake sale. I wanted the whole community involved. I wanted our neighbors, friends, small group, church, etc. to be a part of this. I started sharing my vision with more and more people and word traveled.
I was on the phone constantly trying to nail down a location. I had prayed about it and even had a list of criteria we were looking for, but every option was a closed door. As June 15 approached, many people suggested that I postpone the fundraiser because we had no location. I felt very strongly that I was supposed to carry it out on that day—there was no changing it. I persevered and would not let discouragement seep in. I knew God would provide a place for us. A few days before our fundraiser we decided on a location—our home!
In the mean time, I got another idea—let’s make t-shirts. A friend of a friend, Shauna Majerus, quickly agreed to help us. On very short notice she designed the front and back of the shirt for us. To save on time, we ended up using the painting she had made for our friends Erryn and Deke for their mission trip to Uganda. We had over 500 shirts made through Sutton’s Sportswear. The turn around time was supposed to be 3 weeks. However, Sutton’s was very supportive and generous towards us—they not only donated some of the costs, but they put a rush on the order, so we would have them before the 15th.
Within one week of our fundraiser, details came together. Our phone was ringing off the hook, and we were constantly sharing praise reports of what God was doing.
 A family from our small group donated 800 hotdogs, hamburgers, and buns, along with some help from Sweetheart Bakery and Food Services of America.
 City Brew donated a carafe of coffee that serves 80-100 people for Fri and Sat.
 Starbucks donated a carafe of coffee that serves 80-100 people for Friday.
 Donut Hole donated 5 dozen donuts for Friday and Saturday.
 Let’s Party donated a balloon arch for over our street.
 Wheat Montana called and said that they had seen our flyer. They thought this fundraiser was an awesome idea and for a great cause. They brought a carload of pastries, turnovers, cookies, cinnamon rolls, breads, etc.
 Target donated a $30 gift card.
 Wal-Mart donated a $25 gift card.
 Albertson’s donated the use of their copy machine to Lacey and I at midnight (because we found out Kinko’s is not open 24 hours) for us to make 250 flyers.

Our big living room, which had no furniture in it since we were remodeling our house at the same time, was completely filled with donated items. A person could not walk into the room. There was not a square inch of space left. We had items dropped off on our doorstep overnight. Over 35 families cleaned out their homes to donate to our sale! On June 13, I had some friends come over to help organize this pile. Amber, Sarah, Lacey. Rhonda, Carol, and Summer began distributing items to vacant rooms of the house and pricing each item. I was making phone calls to find 6 ft. tables. I ended up tracking down 30 tables and had volunteers drive around to pick them up. We had people at our house around the clock helping. Becky and Char made an enormous array of baked goods. Neighbors dropped off more goodies. Sharon helped watch my kids and cleaned my house. Since we were still without a washing machine, Carol and Sharon both took ALL my laundry home and brought it back the next day folded! Jon and Christy, Jana, and Cindi, and Chuck all stopped by to set up for the sale. Sarah spent hours making signs for the sale—complete with a map to assist the person posting them. I wrote a letter to our neighborhood informing them of what was going on. They all responded positively and parked their cars on side streets and alleys to keep our street open for the public. We blocked off our street to have more space and used our neighbor’s grass and driveway.
The night before the sale I got 45 minutes of sleep. We had people showing up at 6am and it stayed busy until the evening. I was stationed at the “cashier” table where we had our t-shirts on display, a scrapbook of Christopher and Katie, and a donation jar. We had lines of people waiting to pay and to hear our story. I repeated our story non-stop all day long for two days. Masses of people heard about God’s love and His faithfulness. People were brought to tears. Nobody tried to negotiate prices. In fact, the majority said “keep the change.” I even had a few give me $100 bills. One particularly vivid memory is a woman who said she had just met my husband a couple days earlier because he was working on her neighbor’s house. She heard about our adoption and fundraiser. She said she had just gone to the bank and handed me an envelope. We were so busy, that I just looked at her eyes and said thank you. I put the envelope in the donation jar. A few hours later when we had a moment, we unfolded the envelope and saw $1000 cash. I was in tears. I called Todd at work to tell him of this amazing blessing. After Todd got off the phone, the song “Who Am I” came on the radio in his truck. Todd is not an emotional person by any stretch of the imagination, but as he listened to the words of this song and thought about this woman’s generosity, he cried. As the tears were pouring down and his eyes were blurry, all he could think about was what would happen to the pies, that his customer had just made for our bake sale, if he crashed from not being able to see!
We were completely humbled and overwhelmed.
KULR 8 News came that afternoon, interviewed me and put us on the 10pm news.
Friday night we were exhausted. We thought we would go to bed early. It was around midnight. The moment I crawled into bed, Jaden woke up with a severe asthma attack. We gave him his rescue inhaler but it was not helping. I prayed with him and Todd tried calming him down. After an hour, his asthma only progressed. Todd stayed home with Kellen and Sage while Lacey hopped in the car with us to go to the ER. I began praying out loud for Jaden who was panicking. I made a phone call to the hospital to let them know we were on our way. I also called our fellow prayer warriors Chuck and Sharon. While I was on the phone, Lacey took over praying out loud for Jaden. About five minutes later we pulled up to the hospital, and the moment we walked through the ER doors, Jaden was breathing normally. His oxygen level was great, he wasn’t wheezing anymore. After seeing the Dr. they had no explanation for us. They could not explain why he was breathing normally now. But we knew…without a doubt, God had just made Jaden better.
We were able to get 1 hour 45 minutes of sleep that night. God showed us that He can be our strength, that we need to rely on Him and He will carry us through. And He did!
A couple days later a reporter from The Journal Gazette tracked us down and wrote an article about our adoption. Our fundraiser was a huge success because Christ was at the center of it. He received all the credit. He brought our friends, neighbors, and community together and they embraced us with love and support. It was amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. We saw God working in the midst of us. He was alive and present at our garage sale. God was glorified!

 In the late evening of June 14, Sharon and Chuck drove to the Heights to run an errand for us. As they were overlooking the rims, they saw a beautiful rainbow and were reminded of God’s promises to us. On the morning of June 17, on the way to church, we saw another rainbow. God gave us a rainbow at the beginning and end of our fundraiser.
 People often asked how much money I expected to raise from this event. I had no idea. Of course I wanted it to be a successful weekend, but I truly believed that the weekend belonged to the Lord. It was His to do with as He wanted. If not one person came, it would still be ok because I was only doing this fundraiser out of obedience to what God has asked of me. He would receive the glory no matter what. In my moments of daydreaming, I thought it would be incredible if we could raise $6000 plus another $1000 to give to Amani Baby Cottage. (Amani does not keep any money for themselves, they are totally run by donation). On the evening of Saturday, June 16, after the completion of our sale, we counted $6996. Over the next couple days, some more money came in, bringing the total over $7000. Praise God! He is so good to us.

Update

2007-09-05T22:14:00.000-06:00

It has been difficult writing this blog only because I started a year and some after we began the adoption process. Therefore, everything I have written so far, is a retelling of what has happened in the previous months. I have been trying to get caught up with the present. I am almost there!
As of today, September 5, 2007, Christopher and Katie are 14 months old.
We are still waiting for an affidavit to be written and sent to us. Once we notarize it, we Fed Ex it back to Uganda and the court date is then set.
This past Labor Day weekend, I had an uneasiness in my spirit. I sensed that something big was happening in Uganda regarding the adoption. I even had a dream that everyone was talking about something significant happening. In my dream, I was praying. While I was praying, God showed me the judge looking at our file and seeing our names and who we are adopting. The judge then said, "I have never done this before, but I am going to give a ruling without seeing Todd and Jenny in court. My answer is YES! They can take them home. When I awoke, I felt a great need to pray for the judge that he would love Jesus, ask forgiveness of his sins, and give his life to the Lord. I told Kellen to be praying for the judge. Kellen said, "The judge already knows Jesus, he is just being disobedient." Interesting! We are praying that God would move upon the judges heart in such a way that a miracle would happen.
I am clinging to the scripture verse in Matthew 21:22. It says "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Lord, increase my faith!

Jocelyn and Katie

2007-09-05T22:04:00.000-06:00

I was able to get in touch with Jocelyn--the one who donated blood to Katie. She had incredible pictures to share with me and great descriptions of my children. It was a prayer answered. I had been longing and praying for someone to share a special connection with my children, to love on them and hold them. The following is an excerpt from an email she sent me:

"I'm so excited to spout off everything I know about Katie. Her and I spent most of 2 1/2 months together and coming home was pure torture for me. Where do I start? She is the most precious, unspoiled, unwhiny baby at the baby home. The only time she ever really cries is when she's really hungry (she doesn't like the breakfasts at the baby home and does usually eat very much, so around lunch time she gets a bit cranky. Well, she used to, that is. I don't know if she's still pulling that stunt). Other than that, she's happy and independant. Cuddly when you want to cuddle, but not so attached that she'll cry every time you leave. She always had this one special look for me when I walked into the room. The Mamas said that she didn't look at anyone else in that way. But I'm sure that as you get to know her, she'll transfer that special look onto you. It's a kind of "Hey! Jocelyn's here! Everyone, look! Jocelyn's here! Yay!" look. Haha, at least, that's what I pictured her thinking as she did it. She has the most beautiful big eyes in the world and she's quite lanky - I think she'll be a very tall, very thin girl as she grows up. She has a thing about biting and if you see her leaning toward you with her mouth open, it's usually a sign that she's going to take a chomp. Come to think about it, Christopher does it too. Katie doesn't have typical Ugandan hair. It's quite straight and fluffy (or what's there is - she doesn't have much!).As for Christopher, we didn't spend nearly as much time together, but I did get to know him fairly well. He's a very funny guy. Very active. We called him the Juggernaut because he just plows through anything and anyone in his way. He's always either crying loudly or laughing like a crazy person. He doesn't have much of an inbetween stage. At least, he didn't when I was there early this summer. He's a lot of fun."

Friends, Packages, and Uganda

2007-09-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

God has blessed us with a beautiful friendship through Erryn and Deke Lundman. They are passionate about following Christ. Their enthusiasm and love for the Lord radiates from them. God used my mom to spur them on to a mission trip with Believer's World Outreach (the same one she went on two summers ago). They responded obediently to God's call and went to Uganda for two weeks in July 2007. It is so exciting seeing God use them in mighty ways in and out of Africa.

Before they left for Uganda, we put together a package for Christopher and Kisakye, which was hand delivered by Deke and Erryn. We made a laminated collage of our family pictures and filled a soft, durable photo album with pictures of all of us. We also sent an IU (Indiana University) outfit for Christopher and Katie to have their pictures taken in. Jaden, Kellen, and Sage have all worn these same outfits which were given to us by Papaw and Mamaw. We then surprised Papaw and Mamaw with these pictures. IU fans all the way from Uganda!

When Erryn delivered the picture collage to our babies, Christopher and Katie became instant celebrities! The mamas held onto our babies and wouldn't even let Erryn hold them! The mamas wanted to ask questions, hear stories, and see pictures. Everyone in the baby cottage had to see and hold the collage. Mamas were grabbing the pictures out of the kids' hands because they were so excited! It was a little crazy! Erryn had to keep telling the mamas that these pictures belong to Christopher and Katie!

It is our prayer that these pictures will familiarize our babies with us. We are asking God to create a special bond so that when our babies see us for the first time, they will acutally recognize us. We pray that God would unite our hearts together even now, that Christopher and Katie would know they are a part of our family--forever!