A Good Memory

FORGET each kindness that you do

As soon as you have done it;

Forget the praise that falls to you

The moment you have won it;

Forget the slander that you hear

Before you can repeat it;

Forget each slight, each spite, each sneer

Whenever you may meet it.

REMEMBER kindness that is done

To you whate'er its measure;

Remember praise by others won

And pass it on with pleasure.

Remember every promise made

And keep it to the letter;

Remember those who lend you aid

And be a grateful debtor.

REMEMBER all the happiness

That comes your way in living

Forget each worry and distress

Be hopeful and forgiving;

Remember good, remember truth,

Remember heaven's above you;

And you will find, through age and youth

That many hearts will love you,

By H. Skinner

The steel door?

When a woman we know (who has the gift of prophecy) was asked to pray for us regarding M, she recently shared that she constantly received a vision...

of a closed steel door.

Interesting, because that is exactly what we have been running into recently. We are challenged with some very hard decisions to make about what to do next. We need your prayers to cover us in the next few weeks as we try to follow God's will for our family and get some much needed answers.

When God Says “No” . . . Pray by Charles R. Swindoll

When nobody is around and when we're able to be absolutely honest with ourselves before God, we entertain certain dreams and hopes. We want very much by the end of our days to have _________________________ (fill in the blank). However, it may well be that we will die with that desire unfulfilled. Should that occur, it will be one of the hardest things in the world for us to face and accept. David heard the Lord's "no" and quietly accepted it without resentment. That's awfully hard to do. But we find in David's final recorded words a life-sized portrait of a man after God's own heart.

After four decades of service to Israel, King David, old and perhaps stooped by the years, looked for the last time into the faces of his trusted followers. Many of them represented distinct memories in the old man's mind. Those who would carry on his legacy surrounded him, waiting to receive his last words of wisdom and instruction. What would the seventy-year-old king say?

He began with the passion of his heart, pulling back the curtain to reveal his deepest desire—the dreams and plans for building a temple to the Lord (1 Chronicles 28:2). It was a dream that went unfulfilled in his lifetime. "God said to me," David told his people, "'You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood'" (28:3).

Dreams die hard. But in his parting words, David chose to focus on what God had allowed him to do—to reign as king over Israel, to establish his son Solomon over the kingdom, and to pass the dream on to him (28:4–8). Then, in a beautiful prayer, an extemporaneous expression of worship to the Lord God, David praised the greatness of God, thanking Him for His many blessings, and then interceded for the people of Israel and for their new king, Solomon. Take some extra time to read David's prayer slowly and thoughtfully. It's found in 1 Chronicles 29:10–19.

Rather than wallowing in self-pity or bitterness regarding his unfulfilled dream, David praised God with a grateful heart. Praise leaves humanity out of the picture and focuses fully on the exaltation of the living God. The magnifying glass of praise always looks up.

"Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone." (29:10–12)

As David thought of the lavish grace of God that had given the people one good thing after another, his praise then turned to thanksgiving. "Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name" (29:13). David acknowledged there was nothing special about his people. Their history was one of wandering and tent-dwelling; their lives were like shifting shadows. Yet, because of God's great goodness they were able to supply all that was needed to build God a temple (29:14–16).

David was surrounded by limitless riches, yet all that wealth never captured his heart. He fought other battles within but never greed. David was not held hostage by materialism. He said, in effect, "Lord, everything we have is Yours—all these beautiful elements we offer for your temple, the place where I live, the throne room—all of it is Yours, everything." To David, God owned it all. Perhaps it was this attitude that allowed the monarch to cope with God's "no" in his life—he was confident that God was in control and that God's plans were best. David held everything loosely.

Next, David prayed for others. He interceded for the people he had ruled for forty years, asking the Lord to remember their offerings for the temple and to draw their hearts toward Him (29:17–18). David also prayed for Solomon: "give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision" (29:19).

This magnificent prayer contained David's last recorded words; shortly after, he died "full of days, riches and honor" (29:28). What a fitting way to end a life! His death is a fitting reminder that when a man of God dies, nothing of God dies.

Though some dreams remain unfulfilled, a man or woman of God can respond to His "no" with praise, thanksgiving, and intercession . . . because when a dream dies, nothing of God's purposes die.

Easy from scratch holiday drinks

Snow day! I decided to make some egg nog from scratch. It was surprising easy and so much more healthy than the store variety.

Here is the recipe:

Egg Nog:

In saucepan beat 2 1/2 cups milk, 1/3 cup sugar, ground nutmeg (to taste) and 6 eggs. Cook over med heat until thickened but DO NOT OVERCOOK OR BOIL. Add a splash of vanilla. Cool pan quickly in sink of cold water. I added a spash of half and half, but not necessary. Chill.

I also made hot cocoa. Way too many scary ingredients in the mixes from the store, and the expensive ones that contained high quality ingredients are essentially the same as in this recipe made from scratch:

Hot Cocoa:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder (Hersheys)

dash of salt

1/3 cup hot water

In saucepan, mix and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes. Add dash of vanilla.

Add 4 cups milk and heat on low. Do not boil. Serve hot.

E. school update

E. age 4.

E. age 7 months, Nov. 2007.

E. has been home now for over 20 months! Wow, has it been that long already? I can't believe it! This morning I finally got around to cleaning out his backpack for preschool. In it I found his progress report. He has been attending developmental preschool since late spring, after quite a process to get him in. He is loving it and I am so glad I fought for him! I wanted to share with you the nice things that Teacher Gayle wrote about my little guy. And while you are reading it, be amazed by how far this kid has come. At age 7 months, E. weighed 8 pounds. Found at a hospital, he was severely anemic, unable to suck, sit or hold up his head. He was malnourished and suffering from kwashiorkor (protein deficiency).

E. is doing a great job at preschool! He has learned to recognize his name in print and is working at tracing and writing the letters of his name. He is able to follow classroom routines and transition from one activity to another with less teacher support. E. seems to enjoy his time at school and he willingly gives his best effort. He is interested in what others are doing and with some modeling and adult support he joins in other's activities. He is able to stay at a table and work with a teacher for 15 minutes then move to another table to work on another task with a different teacher. He is improving his fine motor skills for coloring, and using scissors. We are learning about alphabet letters and sounds using a program called Zoo Phonics. We practice the letter names and listen for the sounds in words and print. E. enjoys sharing the object in his letter homework bag. It is a pleasure to have E. and his wonderful giggle in our classroom.

Christmas gift giving

K. and E. looking in the Santa bag

This year we are following the growing trend in our family; less is more. Last year we did pretty well, I think I stuck with giving each child three smallish gifts. This year, my goal is to keep it to one gift each from J. and I. Yesterday we had the kids draw names between each other. They will each pick out and help buy a gift for one sibling. Then as a family we will be buying gifts for extended family and close friends. I will try to do some homemade crafts or baking for teachers, mail carriers and the like.

On Christmas morning we don't have stockings, we have a Santa bag. Santa fills the red sack with individually wrapped small gifts labeled for each person. But Santa does not take center stage here.

We are going to be focusing on the ONLY reason for Christmas. What we aren't spending on toys and stuff, we will be giving to others. We will be spending quality time with each other, making memories. Loving Christ. Worshiping the King.

Check out this site: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

I am still trying to figure out plans for celebrating Christmas eve and day. Unfortunately J. is working both. He works over 10 hour shifts. We will not be seeing him much these days. We have celebrated Christmas many times without him, but we always had family to visit and keep us busy. This year, family is not available. One side is across the state, the other have vacations and in-laws to celebrate with. So we are contemplating changing the date of Christmas to one that J. will be off work.

When I grow up

I have been thinking about going back to school. Maybe not right now, but when I have some free time!

I took an online career explorer quiz. Here are the results:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

EDUCATION and CHILDCARE

CULINARY

Um, don't I already do all this now? I am constantly practicing conflict resolution, breaking up fights and doing detective work. I homeschool most of my kids, and am a full time childcare provider. I cook three times a day.

Who needs school?

14 little reasons

LYDIA

KAWA

MICHAEL

BRIAN

DOROTHY

VALENTINE

RICHARD

RACHAEL

GIFT

DAVID

JEREMY

MERCY

OPIO

MARIA

No, I did not come home with a daughter after a total of nine weeks in country. BUT I feel my trip to Africa was not a waste in any way. While the outcome was not as we hoped, there was a reason I was there. We are not sure what God had planned, but know that He loves me and has what is best for me!

I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people (including M. of course). I think the biggest blessing was to be able to form relationships, love and care for 14 very special children at HSH. J. and I miss them all!

BIRDS!!!

I can now say I am officially a little scared of birds. Well, some birds. I had a huge stork dive toward my head, found a chicken on my bed while staying at the Howards, walked beneath trees full of weaver birds, was emotionally tormented by calls of birds that sounded like laughing hyenas, was pecked on the foot by a chicken during dinner, and woke to a rooster crow at 4:30 am most mornings.

Some of the birds in Uganda are BEAUTIFUL. I just wish we had a better camera to photograph them. The ugly ones were somehow easier to capture on film!

Marabou Stork or 'Undertaker Bird'

The Marabou Stork is a huge 1.5 metre tall bird with a 2.6 metre wing span. In fact, it is so large and heavy that its leg and toe bones are hollow to reduce weight during flight. It has a long, dangling throat sac which is not associated with the ingestion of food; instead it is air-filled and probably used for courtship or breathing. The naked 18-inch inflatable pink sac is particularly conspicuous during the breeding season. It connects directly to the left nostril and acts as a resonator allowing the bird to produce a guttural croaking. While usually silent, the Marabou Stork will also emit a sound caused by beak clacking if it feels threatened. The pink head and neck is naked of feathers, with the rest of the plumage being black and white, and commencing with a white ruff at the base of the neck. Males and females are very alike with the female being slightly smaller.

Black-headed Weavers at the nearby resort

This battle between two chickens took place at the compound of the orphanage!

buggy

Haunted (but thankful!)

On one of my last days in Africa I was brought to the orphanage where M. spent a year. I was saddened. There was very little supervision of the older children, although they had a really nice yard and play area. It seemed the children who were disabled were not cared for. I was sad to think about M. being there for a year, suffering from epilepsy. So today I am thankful for the home and family she has. For the love she has received. Thank you so much HSH and especially S.

Thankful day 10

So I missed a few days. Sorry about that. I have been busy and feeling not so thankful lately. I hate to admit that but it's true. There are many hard emotions that I am feeling. I don't really want to go into all that, so I have been busy. If I am not really busy I try to make myself busy!

• S. had his developmental preschool evaluation today. There are some concerns in his cognitive/reasoning areas as well as his expressive communication. We will come back the first part of December to hear the results.
• I have had to catch up on a lot of paperwork/school work/household things this last week.
• I am most likely going to be starting a weight loss challenge with my sis in law. This may be interesting. More details later.
• I am trying to get things in order to finalize S.'s adoption. He needs to get his name legally changed, it's about time! He's been with us for over two years now!

So, what am I thankful for today? I am thankful for candy corn! I am thankful that it is gone and that I had some kids around to help finish off the bag too!

lowering the risk

INCREASED RISK:

My S. has many neurological complications. He has had to undergo several surgeries at a young age, and has a VP shunt for hydrocephalus. Because of the shunt, he must be monitored closely and undergo yearly visits including imaging at the nearby children's hospital. Children with shunt-treated hydrocephalus are exposed to serious amounts of radiation when undergoing computerized tomography (CT) scanning. I know S. has had at least 4 CT scans in his life so far, he is 2. I found this article interesting and alarming:

The risk is especially high for children. Researchers say that children are 10 times as sensitive to the radiation as adults are, putting them at an even greater cancer risk.

"Children's tissues are more sensitive to radiation, and they live longer than adults do, which means the cancer has more time to develop," says Cynthia McCollough, a radiological physicist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "However, if you need a CT scan, parents shouldn't lose a minute of sleep over it."

The reason parents shouldn't be too concerned is that the individual risk of developing cancer is small.

"One in four Americans will develop cancer in their lifetime," explains McCollough. "That's 25 percent. Radiation from CT scans when you are a baby increases your risk of developing cancer to 25.1 percent."

Since last year, S. has been administered MRI's instead, which do not use radiation. But I AM concerned. Cancer freaks me out. I have had many members of my family suffer from cancer related illness or death. We have cared for a teen from Haiti who lost his leg above the knee from cancer. My mom recently had surgery because of cancer.

HOW WE ARE CHANGING:

I have become more and more cautious of our health in our home. We try to eat a lot of produce, healthy oils, whole grains and lean meats. We are concerned with environmental toxins like PCBs, VOCs, pesticides, and the like. This article has many good ideas. (I wasn't aware that avoiding sugar can help prevent cancer. I did know eating a lot of sugar can cause other health problems.)

1 Eat more vegetables
Vegetables aren’t just delicious and filled with vitamins and nutrients; they also contain a lot of fiber, antioxidants, and beta-carotene. All of these help reduce your risk. Eating vegetables makes your body more alkaline, which is also good for preventing any illness.
For more on why eating a more plant based diet is better for you and the environment, please read another great resource at GoVeg.

2 Go organic
Organic food not only tastes better, it doesn’t have all those pesticides, antibiotics, steroids and growth hormones that can make you very sick. A lot of people say to me organic costs more. One trick is to go to your local farmer’s market right before closing. The vendors are practically giving their products away. Plus, eating organic is much cheaper than getting sick, missing work, and having medical expenses.

3 Sweat more
Sweating releases toxins through the skin. Fewer toxins in your body, the lower your risk of getting sick. Go for a hike, take a power yoga class, or sit in a sauna on a regular basis.

4 Do a liver cleanse on a regular basis
If you’ve been getting my newsletters for a while, you know I’m a fan of doing a SAFE cleanse at least once a year. Along with sweating, a liver cleanse will flush out the bad stuff that’s stuck in your liver.

5 Taking care of your mental health
Stress can weaken your immune system. Thus, making you more susceptible to getting sick. So whether it’s meditating, therapy, a spiritual practice, exercise, or all of the above, please take care of you!

6 Avoid sugar, including sugar substitutes, and dairy
Sugar feeds cancer. Eat some fruit instead. And dairy is mucous forming, since it’s mucous too. Try milk alternatives, such as hemp, almond, or rice. You can get really creative and make your own.

7 Deep breathing
Cancer cells won’t thrive in a highly oxygenated body. So take out that yoga mat and breathe.

8 Don’t store or cook your food in plastic.
Highly heated plastics release dioxin (carcinogens) into your food and ultimately into the cells of the body. In fact, avoid using plastic altogether.

AVOIDING PLASTICS:

More recently I have become careful about the use of plastics. I have become a plastic tossing fool the last few days. I am not throwing them out, since who knows how long this phase will last? I hope it will be a life long, healthy living choice. But I will keep my Tupperware and Rubbermaid in storage for a bit to be sure I really don't want to keep them. Or maybe find another non food storage use for them? I am trying to not bring any more plastic into the home. That is my intention.

GIFT GIVING:

Then I think about Christmas. And toys and gifts loaded with plastic. Read this article if you are buying toys for children this Christmas. Or avoid toys all together and give something different.

Some great ideas:

memberships

classes

trips or mini vacations

books

gift cards or certificates

Thankful day 6 and 7

I am thankful for the weekend, and that J. was home to help me transition back to being a mommy and take care of me while I've been sick.

Today I am thankful for all the people I have come to know who serve and care for the orphaned. There are many and I appreciate every one of them.

Thankful day 5

Today, I am thankful for iTunes on our computer. Not only for the music it plays throughout our house since our stereo speakers blew out (thanks to karaoke and young people screaming into the microphone!); but for the hours of entertainment it provides while E. sits in front of the screen hypnotized by the visualizer feature! A teacher in service day and rainy weather are no match for iTunes. Heaven for a sensory seeking kid and a mom who needed to wash dishes and help get other school kids out the door.

my love

Sure, I did hint at it, well, I specifically said what I would love and how to do it. When I got home yesterday afternoon after flying for nearly 18 hours, I was greeted by J. and the three youngest kiddos at the airport. After getting in the car, I was surprised with a bucket full of goodies. Halloween candy, chocolates, apples, homemade cards, and a jewelry box. I knew what was in it, but was so happy that he listened. He took my engagement/wedding ring into the jewelers to get resized. We got married at age 19. Needless to say, my ring finger is several sizes chubbier than it was 15 years ago. I have been wearing a different ring (one we got on vacation in Hawaii five years ago) for a long time and I have kept putting off the desire to get this done. But J. listened, and he took it in to get resized, cleaned and polished before I got home.

Thankful days 3 and 4

I am thankful for the overtime my husband got at work today. Although it was not really fun to have him leave for several hours, it was nice that he picked up 6 hours for 2.5 hours of work!

I am thankful to be able to cook and clean in my own home today! I really missed it.

Thankful Days 1 and 2

Last year I posted a series on what I was thankful for. Everyday I listed something different up until Thanksgiving. I didn't remember to do it yesterday, but I think I am going to do it again this year.

So the TWO things I am thankful for:
1. How God places wonderful friends in your midst during difficult times.

2. The fact that I am heading home tonight! Although it will be a long couple airplane rides, I will be happy the entire way. I can't wait to see my loves.

LOVE

Orphan Sunday is coming up on November 7th. Churches around the US are preparing for this Sunday. One of the ways we are preparing is in prayer. Please join us in 40 days of prayer. Even if your chuch is not planning anything for Orphan Sunday please join us in praying for all of the churches that are. I am posting the prayer suggestions for the next 40 days, be prepared it is long. You can also find many resources at the Orphan Sunday website. www.orphansunday.org

40 Day Prayer Guide for Orphan Care

Day 1—Pray that the Lord would give you a personal sense of responsibility for the next 40 days(and beyond) for praying for orphans, your pastor, your church, and your community. Ask Him to break your heart for the orphans. Ask that He would help you see orphans with His eyes and His heart. Ask Him to use this 40 days of prayer to change you and your church.
Day 2—Pray for your Pastor to have guidance and provision as he seeks to follow the Lord’s commands to care for the orphans.
Day 3—Ask God that of the 2 billion Christians in the world, 7% would show hope to a single orphan, looking after the child in their distress. Ask the Lord to convict the church and the world that if we did this, there would effectively be no more orphans. Ask the Lord to show each of His followers that we can each do something.
Day 4—Ask the Lord to help your church congregation to feel His heart for the orphans as seen in Psalm 68:5: “A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. . . “
Day 5—Pray for the fatherless in your community. Ask the Lord to protect them and to care for them and to defend them and keep them safe,
Day 6—Ask the Lord to help your church family to live out Proverbs 31:8: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”
Day 7—Thank the Lord in advance for all that He is going to do to bring glory to His name in your church and community. Thank Him for the care He is going to provide for orphans through your church.
Day 8—Pray for the Lord to raise up workers for the harvest from your church and community. Ask Him to call Christians to go to the ‘fields of the fatherless’ to experience the joy of caring for orphans as we are commanded in Isaiah 1:16-17 “Give up your wicked ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Day 9—Pray that God would break the heart of your city’s pastors with the plight of orphans. Ask that he would convict them to lead their churches to pray, go, and love in Jesus’ name.
Day 10—Ask the Father to set the lonely in families. Pray specifically for families in your community who may be in the process of adopting an orphan. Ask for God’s provision for all of their needs: physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Day 11—Pray specifically for any orphans you may know by name. Pray for their health and safety. Pray for their shelter. Pray that they will be brought into loving families who will provide for their education.
Day 12—Pray that God, the Defender of the orphan, will rise up and secure justice for the oppressed.
Day 13—Ask the Lord to lead the lawmakers in every nation to protect and provide for orphans.
Day 14—Pray that your whole congregation will believe and be convicted by Proverbs 22:9: “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Ask for the Lord’s blessings on those who share their food with orphans.
Day 15—Pray for yourself as a church member. Ask the Lord to lead you on, that you might walk in obedience. Ask God to show you how to encourage your church family or youth to care for the needs of orphans.
Day 16—Pray that because of God’s mercy, He will provide caregivers and counselors for children who have been abused.
Day 17—Ask for forgiveness for Christians around the world who forget the orphans and forget to heed 1 John 3:17: “ If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
Day 18—Ask the Lord to raise up respite care providers to support and give relief to the caregivers caring for orphans who are waiting to have families adopt them.
Day 19—Pray for your Pastor. Ask God to provide him with resources, encouragement, courage, and a strong prayer team to support him as he seeks to live out James 1:27: “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.
Day 20—Pray that the Christians in your village, town, city, and country would believe and live out the truth of Proverbs 14:31: “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Day 21—Pray for government leaders in your country. Ask the Lord to burden their hearts for the orphans. Ask that they would feel compelled to protect and provide for orphans.
Day 22—Pray for families who have members living with HIV and AIDS. Pray for the children orphaned by this disease. Ask God to provide treatment, care, and support through the church.
Day 23—Ask the Lord to strengthen the faith and resolve of Christians working in orphan ministries.
Day 24—Pray for any church staff members and leaders. Ask for the Lord’s hand of blessing on their lives. Lift up the health and safety of them and their families. Ask also that the Lord would break their hearts for the orphans in you community.
Day 25—Pray for God’s provision for your church’s orphan care ministry. Ask Him to provide people and prayers and money and food and supplies to give the orphans all the care they need.
Day 26—Pray for children who are not yet orphans but may only have one parent who may be sick or dying. Pray for the health and safety of their parent. Pray for God’s provision. Pray for protection for the children in these households.
Day 27—Ask God to care for child-headed households. Pray that the Lord will provide for their needs. Pray that an adult would come alongside them and adopt them. Ask the Lord to protect them from abuse.
Day 28—Pray for families who are taking care of their grandchildren or nieces or nephews in addition to their own children. Ask the Lord to bless them for their sacrifice and to provide enough food, clothes, education, and shelter for all of their children.
Day 29—Pray for mothers or fathers who might be having trouble caring for their children and feel they need to give them up or abandon them. Ask God to help them find support. Ask the Lord to meet their needs and give them the resources to be able to take care of their children.
Day 30—Ask God to protect children affected by war and violent conflicts. Pray that the Lord will protect their vulnerable hearts and keep them safe. Pray that a church will reach out to them.
Day 31—Pray for families in countries all over the world who have room in their homes and hearts for a fatherless child. Ask that the Lord would speak to them even now, leading them to consider adoption or foster care.
Day 32—Pray that every member of your church would remember and acknowledge and praise the Lord that before the world was made, He loved us and chose us, and that His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ and that this gave Him great pleasure.(Ephesians 1:3-5)
Day 33—Ask the Lord to help your church be an example of the Lord’s love for orphans as written in Psalm 10:17-18: “The helpless put their trust in You. You are the defender of orphans Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will listen to their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them.”
Day 34—Pray for youself and the other prayer team members. Ask the Lord for strength. Ask Him to help you no grow weary in battling for the orphans on you knees.
Day 35—Ask the Lord to encourage and strengthen your church. Caring for orphans and changing attitudes and beliefs and actions is togh work and the enemy is bound to attack. Ask for protection for your pastor, his family, their health, and their ministry. Ask for God’s hand of blessing on their lives.
Day 36—Ask the Lord to release and speed any care supplies to refugee camps where many orphans live and need even the most basic necessities. Ask Him to cut through any governmental regulations or corrupt leaders to miraculously get the supplies delivered to where they are needed most.
Day 37—Pray for families who are in the adoption process. Pray that God will provide the funds and help them with all the necessary details.
Day 38—Pray for street children. These children live under bushes and in dumps and sewage pipes. They may eat meals out of trash cans. Many people walk by them without seeing them or view them as pests. Ask God to open the churches’ eyes to help them see the orphans all around them. Ask the Lord to provide food and shelter for the street children.
Day 39—Pray for the health of orphans around the world. Ask the Lord to provide medications and treatment for the simple things that are unnecessarily killing children like unclean drinking water, malaria, dysentery, AIDS, and malnutrition.
Day 40—Thank the Lord for the past 40 days of prayer for orphans. Ask Him to bring more prayer warriors into the battle. Ask Him to help you to continue praying diligently. Ask Him to continue to give you His love for the orphans. Ask Him to continue to challenge the hearts of your congregation that “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has."

photos

there are more on my facebook album if you want to check them out!

ramblings

I know on my last post I said I would see you when I am home. I am not home yet, but just couldn't stay away! Blogging really helps clear the head and kill some time.

The other day I met up with some friends I met online. Another adopting mom and a mom who lives here with her family. They are both wonderful ladies. We hung out for most of the day. They offered support and love, and I offered...well I don't think I really brought much to the table. Beth was planning a Halloween party at her house, and was driving back to the city that night. She offered a place for me to stay for a the rest of my trip if I wanted. It sounded really great to have a change of scenery, hang out with some great new friends, and get a ride closer to the airport so I wouldn't have to travel so far alone on Tuesday. So, I took her up on that offer, went back to HSH, packed my bags, said goodbyes, and left. M. did not seem sad or upset at all. She was really excited about the things I was leaving behind. New to her clothes, books, little toys, etc. She forced a hug and a kiss, which was better than the last time I left!

Last night was the Halloween party. A group of adoptive families who are here in country attended. It was the second time I had seen them. And for some reason it was so hard to be around them. Most of them were young. The children they are adopting are young. And I felt so dang jealous. They have been here for a small amount of time, with court way behind them, and some are ready to go home very soon with their precious kids. They didn't really have a lot to say to me, and I ackwardly escaped to my room a few times throughout the night. I did have a good time visiting with several women who are missionaries here, and learning more about the way things work. We ate homemade chili, coleslaw, cake and lots of candy! The kids went from door to door inside the house trick or treating. They dressed up as characters from Lost. So cute!

Last night I was tired and fell asleep early. Then I had some dreams. Weird dreams that seemed to last the whole night. I woke up around 4 am thinking. I thought about homesteading; raising animals and gardening. I thought about Christmas gifts and how I should shop for some while I am here. I thought about what foods I want to eat when I get home. I thought about my family and how excited I will be when I see a few of them at the airport. I have one full night left before I board that plane. I can't WAIT.