The Power of One

One God in control.

One Daddy waiting to see her again.

One Mommy waiting for a first hug.

One Family waiting to be whole.

One Goal... to bring her HOME!

And It's Off... to Colorado!

The dossier (dossier = big stack of important and expensive adoption documents) has been checked, double-checked, prayed over and kissed good-bye! It will be on someone's desk by Monday morning.

Once there, it will be looked over with a fine tooth comb, checked that all the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed, put through an acid test, gone the whole nine yards, and translated into French! When all that is done, it will be on its way over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to Haiti where it will team up with Nephtali's dossier.

CCAI said yesterday that they located and received Nephtali's birth certificate and the rest of the paperwork from the old lawyer when we started before! (PRAISE GOD it was found!) It is as complete as it can be at this point. There will be a few more things needed for her dossier that can't be done until our paperwork is there. But as of right now no problems are expected.

Once the two dossiers are completed they become one and then the long wait for it to go through four different government hands begins. This is where the days turn into weeks, and the weeks months (and sometimes months into... well, you know), waiting for word that she is ours.

Today as I was reading Scripture,I read Isaiah 45:2

"I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron"

As our journey continues and we travel a little further down the road with Faith as our close friend and traveling buddy, what a joy it is to know our Lord goes before us and prepares the way!!

We would be grateful for prayers that:

1. Our dossier arrives in Colorado safe and sound
2. The critical review, translation, and legalization is quick and seamless.
3. We have not overlooked anything, and that there will not need to be any changes, addendums, or further paperwork
4. Our dossier arrives in Haiti safe and sound
5. We arrive in Haiti safe and sound (when we go there later this summer to sign a very important piece of paper)
6. Our dossier moves quickly and without problems through the four different IBESR offices.

Thank you so much. We will keep you posted.

Nephtali, May You...

May you be safe and sleep soundly through the night

May you be safe as you wake to the morning's light

May you feel our love from so far away,

May it comfort and protect you throughout each day.

We will pray for you my little one,

Until our time of waiting is done.

We will pray that the Lord keep you safe from harm,

Until the child of our hearts becomes the child in our arms.

How To Say Thanks?

How does a family say thank you when they don’t know everyone to thank? Maybe I’ll just have to share, in hopes that you’ll read this and know that you were a very specific answer to prayer for our family this past week.

This past week has been full of many blessings. God is providing left and right for this adoption to take place!

Thanks to the generosity of so many of our family, friends, and those we don’t even know, the yard sale was a huge success and such an encouragement to our family. We are so thankful and have been blessed beyond measure.

How else have we seen the Lord at work? Last Thursday morning we received a call from The Topeka Community Foundation and learned we were awarded a $1000 grant!

And just this morning, we received a check for $500 for "unclaimed property" that we did not (until recently) know we had! That money had been sitting safely in an account with the Kansas State Treasurer waiting for just the right time and the purpose God had for it.

With all of these events, we've raised the money needed for the next payment to CCAI which will be sent in with our dossier sometime in the next week or so.

Does the Lord work at just the right time or what?

He's continued to shows us in BIG ways (and small) that HE has this in HIS control and we just have to continue to trust Him.

How can we not say that our Heavenly Father LOVES the orphan? That He rejoices in rescuing the perishing? That He desires that a child no longer sleep in an orphanage with no one to tuck her in at night, no one to tell her stories, no one to kiss her booboo's better, and most importantly passing on the gospel so that she can be adopted into His forever family!

So. . . thank you. Thank You. THANK YOU. You have provided tangible evidence of God is at work!

“Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.” -James 1:27

S.O.S.

We need your help! Spread the word! It's an S.O.S!!!

Sale on Saturday!!

Get ready for another great day of new bargains and an opportunity to help us raise some funds for Nephtali's adoption!

This Saturday from 7:30 to 4pm at 1737 SW Amhurst Rd

(If it rains we will move the date to the following

Saturday, June 11th).

Please pass along the message to your family, friends, church and anyone else you can.

We will have...

Furniture (beds, bookshelves, table and more)

kids car beds

household ( Tupperware, ice cream maker, and more) Computers , TV, and other electronics

Kids toys ( Fisher price, Playskool , Little Tikes and more)

Playhouse

Books

Collectibles

TONS and TONS of name brand clothes! ( kids, teens, womens and mens of all sizes)

Most only .50 to $1!!

There something for everyone....

even a MiniVan !!!

Waiting on One More Thing So We Can Begin Waiting

Does that sound strange?

Most of the adoption process here at home is waiting and then waiting some more. Which is followed up by a good old fashioned dose of waiting.

Right now we are waiting for one more document for our dossier. Given that it is coming from the federal government it doesn't surprise us that its the last one we need and even though we are told every other day its should be done in a day, here we are still waiting.

Once that document is here we will be shipping our dossier off to Colorado and wait while the adoption agency goes over it with a fine tooth comb and translates it into French/creole.

When they are done they ship it off to Haiti and the real waiting begins!!! This last wait will be one of the hardest to do. There is no time line, no numbers to call and check, just time going by, day by day.

But each day will be a day to lift up our prayers to God. Each day, no matter how many go by, will be one day closer to bringing her home. We will fill them with faith in God's word and hope is the day we receive the words "you've been approved."

Until then we wait.

Growing Up in Pictures

Nephtali, age 3

Nephtali,  age 6

Being a mom or a dad watching your child reach the various milestones in their life is an experience that fills you with so much pride you feel like you will burst. Every little thing brings joy to your heart, even on those days when its comes after the messes are cleaned up and the sun is going down.

Plain and simple... it hurts to know our little is growing up. And for us she is growing up in pictures. 

So far she has grown up...

Without a dad to wrap his strong arms around her when her belly hurts.

Without a mom to kiss her boo-boos.

Without a dad to hold her tight when bad dreams come in the night.

Without a mom to fix her hair and tell her she is a beautiful young lady.

Without a dad to ask for a dance when she hears music made for a princess.

Without a mom to whom she can run when she is proud of a drawing she has done.

Without a dad to sneak her a treat just before dinner because she batted her big brown eyes.

And she's not the only one who's missed out. So far, we've...

Missed her first steps.

Missed potty training.

Missed her first twirl in a pretty dress.

Missed her first day of school.

And even though we get closer each day I can't help but stop and wonder ....

Will we miss her first loose tooth?

Will we miss her learning to read?

Will we miss the day she decides she is a "big girl" now?

Its so hard having your baby grow up in pictures. But through it all there is one thing that doesn't change...

GOD IS GOOD

Though she doesn't have a mommy or daddy with her there in Haiti, she has a mommy and a daddy here. Praying for her, fighting for her, loving her with each heart beat, each moment of each day.

And even though we have missed so much, and might miss even more, these things are happening and that means she is growing each day. Growing stronger, smarter, closer to our arms each day.

And when she is here in our home, in our arms, we can look forward to experiencing... together...

Her first sleep in a home all her own

Her first family photo

Her first family dinner

Her first taste of Brussels sprouts or Lima beans

Her first spat with a sibling

Her first real birthday party

Her first time to a zoo or park

Her excepting Christ as her Savior

Her first time driving

Her graduation

Her first love

Her marriage

Her first child

,,,and so so much more when our family is whole and she grows up in our arms along with our hearts instead of just pictures.