Third year with Elijah in our family!!!!!

John 14:18


I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

It is so hard to believe that three years ago today we met our son Elijah Chongli aka Wu, Chong Li.  Our times in China were exciting as well as very trying.  He had never seen blue eyed people and our eyes scared him.  He had lived with a wonderful foster family since he was an infant so two weeks before our arrival he went back to the orphanage to prepare for his new family.  His world had been turned upside down and he was grieving the life and family that he lost.  He tried to run away from us constantly.  At six years of age his heart was broken, but I can saying that he is finally mending and he is becoming happier and more secure in his new life.  A different boy today than three years ago. 

Elijah has accomplished so much in three years. 
1.He has learned English and now is at a 3rd grade reading level-no more ESL
2.He is learning about the Bible and how it impact on  every aspect of life
3.Learning to embrace a life of opportunity in America
4. He has recovered from major skull reconstruction surgery,been without seizure meds for 6 months, and is in the process of recovery from hand surgery.
5.Learning that he is not alone in his special needs-CP and  massive stroke as an infant and that there  are others in the world with similar needs and they are successful people.  He has been able to meet children with similar needs at Shriner's Hospital
6.He is learning to trust that we are his forever family and we will stick by and love him in the good and bad.

We love you Elijah and are so thankful that God brought you into our lives!!!!



Psalm 68:6



God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Productive Week

I am watching and waiting......

ACTS 2:17-21

17 “‘In the last days, God says,



I will pour out my Spirit on all people.


Your sons and daughters will prophesy,


your young men will see visions,


your old men will dream dreams.


18 Even on my servants, both men and women,


I will pour out my Spirit in those days,


and they will prophesy.


19 I will show wonders in the heavens above


and signs on the earth below,


blood and fire and billows of smoke.


20 The sun will be turned to darkness


and the moon to blood


before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.


21 And everyone who calls


on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
 
 
Wow this week is almost over.

Monday-Salt Lake City with Elijah for the first post surgical check up.  Not the immediate out come that we had hoped for.  He is in a hand brace for a month to stretch the hand and thumb and it is starting to look better.  We will go to Salt Lake monthly until they are satisfied with the outcome.  A very trying day for Elijah who was expecting a radical change.

Tuesday-I finally sent my visa application to hopefully go back to India in April.  I forgot how time consuming and complicated to sent "official" mail.

Wednesday-Taxes sent off to accountant.  We are praying for a large adoption tax credit refund to assist us with our Ghana adoption.

Thursday-Where did the housekeeper go, I just can't seem to find her?  Oh the is right that is me.  The house is finally clean and wood floors polished.  My house where there are two parents, four kids, and three dogs=lots of messes and clean up for mom.

Friday- One more day off before my work week starts tomorrow.  After being sick and in bed for days last week I needed a week to catch up.  I am very thankful to have a job that works so well with four children..


On the travel fronts we are preparing our hearts and minds for the up coming trip to India.  I am very excited, but also apprehensive, a whole different world where nothing is the same as home.    I am praying for miracles out of ACTS to happen in couple of months across the world on a mountain top.  I know that miracle exist in this day and age.  We just need to step out to see them.  They usually happen when we are not in our own strength, but in HIS.  Once a person sees the power of God come alive you will go to the ends of the earth to see it again and again.


WE are approved to adopt from Ghana.  Now we need a plan to make it happen.  Our plan to rely upon God for every step making the miracles from above visible for all to see.  Our Father will move mountains to place the orphan in families we just need to wait and watch his plan.
 
Luke 17:6



He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

Word to define our year---FAITH

     
Psalm 36:5

Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.


     My  word of the year is FAITH.  If I could just have a little faith in all the unknowns in our lives.  I have to admit it is very difficult.  Why can't I trust?  Human nature and it's doubtfulness!  I have a constant battle in my head, should we step out in FAITH and wait to see or should we stay in a relatively  "safe" place.  God is in control of every thing any way so why do we crave control?  We are not in control ever not even on the best day.

     Medical testing and waiting is not in our control.   So many ifs, ands, or buts and worrying brings us nothing.  Thinking and rethinking if a Ghana adoption is going to happen or not?  Then there is India!!!
A trip that brings many apprehensions and unsettled thoughts.  I know that I am to travel there again, but I need to prepare my heart and mind.  I am praying for big things to happen.  I am expecting a true MIRACLE to unfold in India while we are there.  I am not longer content with so so. I know that our FATHER in HEAVEN performs miracles and I want to witness a true revival and awakening in the people of India.  Are my hopes too high, maybe, but I want to have faith and know that it is possible.  I just need to remember each and every miracle that happened in the process to bring Elijah and Sneha home.

.Psalm 33:4


For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

Remembering Great Falls Christian Center....the place that forever changed us

Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

I am so thankful for face book to hear about friends from past times.  Great Falls, Montana  and Great Falls Christian Center will forever be in our hearts.  This is where our eyes were opened  to the true meaning of life and our responsibility to act.  I do not know where we would be today with their influence.  It is hard to say if we would have Elijah and Sneha???Pastor Bob words come to me more than I could imagine, the words from the Bible that he brought to life.  We so appreciated the leadership at that church Kern, Lee,Nate, and Pastor Bob. 

 Steve and Brenda changed our hearts and minds about how important guiding our children in God's truth is.  They changed our lives in regards to raising children that mind and love the Lord.  Teaching them to honor and respect with Biblical truth as the standard.  We love and miss you and your family!

 Nate preached the sermon that I have remembered  years later.  The sermon about being a slave to our Lord Jesus.  He did some acting in the aisle and brought the truth off the pages of the Bible and into my heart forever.  Thank you Nate for your passion.

 The awesome worship that rocked our hearts and souls!

 The dinner where we first attended" The Purpose Driven Life" series.

We miss the humor, love,  and wisdom of Pastor Bob.  You are all in our thoughts and prayers!  We know that Montana and the world is changed because of the love of Jesus working in the hearts of his people in a town in northern Montana.


Ephesians 2:10



 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

January 14, 2011

THE TRUTH

34% OF CHRISTIAN FAMILIES CONSIDERING ADOPTING ONLY 1 % OF CHRISTIAN FAMILIES ACTUALLY DO.

January 13, 2011------------ Becoming a family of 7

        Wow, does time fly by.  Elijah's surgery is done and he has no pain.  The boy is tough as nails!!!Yesterday he went a part day to school and was up and going in good shape today.  We are hoping that the tendon transfer and skin tightening on his left hand will help with control and grasp.  For those of you who don't know Elijah had a massive stroke on his left side as an infant.  Since it happened when he was so young his brain rewired it's self a true miracle.  As a result he does have left sided weakness.  He wears a foot brace to help his foot drop and his left hand doesn't have fine motor control.  This surgery should help with grasp and grip.  Hopefully his thumb will be more stabilized and the joint won't pop out.  Three surgeries in almost 3 years and he is such a good patient.  Start with a huge surgery like a cranio-plasty with 46 staples across the top of the head from ear to ear and other surgeries seem small.  Shriner's Hospital in Salt Lake City was soooo good to us.  I have to say that they are better with children than Children's Hospital in Denver and they were wonderful.  Every step was taken to make us both comfortable and to ease his nerves.   The smallest details for children before surgery make all the difference.  I am so thankful that another step is almost complete is helping Elijah's quality of life to improve.  I now know why I worked in surgery admit and post-op care to prepare me to take of my children for surgery.  Four children and everyone has had surgery to date and I am so thankful we live in the USA.

    Looking to future is what we do in New Year and we looking forward to adopting from Accra, Ghana.  If it is His will we will be approved to adopt a 6 year old little girl waiting in Ghana.  She is hearing impaired and will either need surgery, hearing aides, or implants.  At least here in the US she will have options for help.  She has been lovingly cared for by sisters in a convent for the last four years and I am so thankful that she has been loved.  A simple need such a sight impairment or hearing impairment are very limiting where resources do not exist.  I know that without my glasses I couldn't even go out side, drive, or do anything.  The sisters have been praying for a family for her since she arrived at their convent four years ago, exactly when we started to consider Ghana adoption.  It just took us time to find her.  God's timing is always right!  We know that this seems crazy to many, but we must follow the path that God places before us and we are ready for this adventure.  Hopefully by New Year 2012 we will be a family of 7!!!

Ghana in our hearts........Give us Faith........

Matthew 17:20



He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”


God placed Ghana in our hearts and minds in 2007.  He was stirring our hearts for orphans of the world.  First for China,  India, and Ghana.  We thought that Ghana was a vision of the past, but God will not let us forget that we are to not forget Ghana and he has work for us to do there.  We are unsure if it missions, adoption, or pleading the case of the orphans to advocate for them.  We moving forward in faith alone, for our Father in Heaven has the pieces of the puzzle of our lives.    Crazy yes, in the world view.  Why now, and why us????  Aren't there so many other people that could do this???  Are our resources limited by our selves, yes, but our Father in Heaven has a thousand cattle on a thousand hills.  Give us the faith the size of a mustard seed and we can follow your lead.  I do not have all the details, but in my heart we must follow.   The time is now and not to wait.Soon we will know if  this is your will, and we pray your will be done.  Father hear our prayers!!!
     


These children  have worth and deserve  to have HOPE......




The place that changed the face  of Africa, a place of terrible sadness and loss.  I need  to see this in person to see how humans were bought and sold for profit, no regard for the truth of the worth of all humanity.