It's the end of another month on our adoption journey. Continue to pray for wisdom for us in some important decisions that need to be made as we move forward. My sister sent me the link to this blog post today, and it was so very encouraging to me at this point on our adoption journey. If you love Jesus and want to understand His heart for the orphaned children of this world, you must read it.
Jesus, please give me your eyes and your heart as we wait for our daughter...
We had a successful Pampered Chef fundraiser, thanks to many family and friends. Thank you! We continue to wait for a referral, and rest in the Lord for His timing and provision. You can pray that I sell a lot of cookbooks and copies of my sister's poetry book at our church this month, as we are putting out information this weekend in the church newsletter and will be putting out samples of both books in the lobby. I am also in the midst of a flower bulb fundraiser which is being communicated to the church, so I hope for a good response to that. To be honest, I'm getting pretty tired of fundraising, but I feel that I need to do something to keep the ball rolling and people's awareness of our situation up. So, the beat goes on!
Until Sophia is home...
I am hostessing a Pampered Chef party next week as a fundraiser for our adoption of Sophia. In lieu of hostess benefits, a percentage of all purchases will go towards our adoption fund. If you would like to order something (it can be shipped to you!) please visit my consultant's website, and click on my show! The deadline to order is Friday, March 26. Thanks!
Nothing much new to report on the adoption front. We are still waiting for a referral. Our adoption agency has changed, which caught us by surprise, but we are trusting God to direct and will sit tight for the time being. In God's time, Sophia will be revealed. Meanwhile, I'm trying some more fundraising avenues (Pampered Chef anyone?) and continuing to walk forward until God closes doors!
Almost 25 years ago to the day, I was sitting in the dining hall of a conference center in a small town on the central coast of Chile when the ground shook. And shook. And shook. It was 1985, and I was a young teenage missionary kid at the time. That earthquake occurred on March 3, and today, February 27, the ground shook again in Chile. And shook. And shook. My two younger sisters and their families are back in Chile as missionaries and thankfully, are safe. My youngest sister lives in northern Chile and didn't feel the quake. But my middle sister lives in Santiago, the capital, where the quake was felt at around a 7.7 (Richter) magnitude. That's slightly less than the 8.3 we had in 1985, but not by much. Please pray for my nephew, Matias, as he seems to be the most affected by this quake. School was to start again after summer vacation on Monday. That won't be happening as the classroom bookshelves and such came tumbling down...not to mention that the country is in a state of emergency for at least three days per the Chilean president. Please pray for the southern part of Chile, the most greatly affected by the quake. We know missionaries and families of friends who live in the affected area and have not yet been heard from. Thanks for keeping this beautiful country and her beautiful people in your prayers. Part of my heart is in Chile...and I'm saddened by her loss tonight.
Pain
The gift nobody longs for, still it comes
And somehow leaves us stronger
When it's gone away
Pray
I try and pray for Your will to be done
But I confess it's never fast enough for me
It seems the hardest part is waiting on You
When what I really want Is just to see Your hand move
(Chorus)
I want a peace beyond my understanding
I want to feel it fall like rain
In the middle of my hurting
I want to feel Your arms as they surround me
And let me know that it's okay
To be here in this place
Resting in the peace that only comes
In the waiting
Time
Time to let it go and just believe
Trusting in what no one else but You can see
Free
Freedom from the fears that close me in
When I can't get beyond where I have been
But then again
The silence doesn't mean that I'm alone
As long as I can hear That I am still Your own
(Repeat chorus)
In the waiting...
(Lyrics by Greg Long)
Please read the following post and consider how you might get involved. The children need to be heard!
http://godslittlestangelsinhaiti.org/2010/02/02/unicef-a-call-to-action/
For more information, my sister has various posts on this topic on her blog:
http://iansadoption.blogspot.com/2010/01/children-caught-in-middle.html
http://iansadoption.blogspot.com/2010/01/children-caught-in-middle-part-two.html
http://iansadoption.blogspot.com/2010/02/children-caught-in-middle-part-three.html
http://iansadoption.blogspot.com/2010/02/children-caught-in-middle-part-four.html
