Confirmation In Haiti

I have been home three days and honestly have no idea how long it will take me to process everything the Lord did during my time in Jacmel, Haiti the 11 days I was there. I could have NEVER dreamed or imagined what the Almighty had up His sleeve for my time there. One thing He made clear was His desire for me to use my spiritual gift of nursing for medical missions. While I don't know just yet what that is going to look like, I do know that is why He called me back to school when He did. I have decided to spend the next 12 months finishing school and staying in constant prayer that He would continue to make His path for my life known and that I would be obedient.

 

Haiti is such an amazing beautiful place but so dark at the same time. The enemy is alive at every corner, prowling over the poor and desperate. Voodoo is overwhelming there and the amount of people who think that is the answer is overwhelmingly sad and real. There were times that I just wanted to scream at them to turn from the darkness and turn to JESUS, their Savior and light!!! If only it were that easy. Sadly there were many who heard the Gospel and yet still turned from it. I can only hope that the many seeds that were planted will grow over the coming weeks and months and that those who turned will soon find the Light.

 

 

Our six days of medical clinics went amazing. The sick were healed in the name of Jesus, the Gospel was preached and over 30 people gave their lives to Christ!!! It was incredible. In every child's face I saw HOPE, with every smile I saw JESUS and with every "thank you" spoken in my broken French with a Kentucky twang I saw relationships being built with the Haitian people and the local churches and pastors who we were partnering with. I'm thankful that even though we are gone, that the wonderful pastors in Jacmel will follow up with those we helped and Lord willing more lives will be won for Christ!!

 

There is SO MUCH MORE I can/want/need to say about my trip, and who knows maybe I will, or maybe the experiences will stay forever etched in my heart, never to leave, always reminding me to go to all nations and preach the Gospel, even if for one soul, one is still a soul for Christ. I hope as the days continue I am able to come back to my little space here and write more. For now I will let the pictures tell a little part of the story.

"I raise my eyes toward the mountains.  Where will my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

 

 

What Is It??

I don't know about ya'll but whenever the Lord is preparing me for something new, usually a big something new that comes in the form of an unexpected change in my life when I least expect it. Take for example when He lead me to the decision that I needed to find a new church home when I brought Isaiah home. I never would have thought that was what He wanted for me and the boys, mainly because Noah enjoyed going and had a few little kiddos that he really enjoyed seeing BUT the Lord knew it wasn't the right fit for ALL of us and after certain things happened that don't need to be mentioned the Lord made it crystal clear my boys and I needed to find a new church home where we would all be accepted and welcomed and most importantly loved by the Body of Christ. The decision was hard, but then again when is following God easy? If ya'll say all the time, you are just lying, lol

The Lord lead us to a wonderful church where not only have we been welcomed with open arms and loved on by many, but where we have all 3 grown individually and as a family. Noah has learned more and looks forward to going to church, Isaiah has come to know his helpers in the nursery and doesn't scream his head off while having a death grip on my clothes, lol and he actually has fun playing with all the little kiddos in his class. As for me, after dealing with hurt and mistrust from two separate churches and building a wall that guaranteed my heart would be protected, I have slowly taken down that wall and by no other way than by answered prayers and the loving Father Himself, I have met some wonderful ladies who I hold dear to my heart, who have mentored me, prayed for me and encouraged me along my walk. Did I mention that our Senior Pastor and teaching pastor ROCK and I leave their every weekend full of the Spirit and feeling that much closer to the Lord through their teachings. Seriously ya'll I LOVE my church and everything about it!! Even if some do call it Six Flags Over Jesus!! I think the name fits it because that building of believers has taken me on an awesome ride this last year and I can't wait to see what the future holds and what the Lord is going to do through those He places in my path every weekend.

So that brings me to the most adventure the Lord has brought me on, because let's face it life isn't crazy enough being momma to my two precious boys, going to school full time, homeschooling Noah and praying about our future and where the Lord wants us? God is awesome like that though, He proves over and over that what our humanly minds think we can't handle, we CAN handle with HIM!! So in just a little over 36 hours I am boarding a plane and heading to Haiti!!! Yep, the Lord has called me to go to Haiti with a group from my church for a 10 day medical mission trip. To say I am excited, anxious, nervous, and just giddy is an understatement. I have longed to go to Haiti for years but the timing was NEVER right. I knew when they announced the trips for this year that Haiti was definitely a trip I wanted to go on but being in school and being unemployed I wondered how in the world it would work out?

I can tell you I wasn't able to work anything out when it came to scheduling and finances, but our God worked EVERY SINGLE DETAIL out, down to the timing of my exams for school and provided every single penny in ways that only HE could!! I honestly don't know why I am surprised but I am and am still in aww at how the Lord works in my life!!! So humbling to say the least. I can not wait to get to Haiti but of course my mommy heart is aching that I will be away from my boys for 10 days but at the same time my mommy heart also wants my boys to grow up seeing their mom living out her Jesus. Being His hands and feet wherever the Lord calls me. I don't want my boys to remember me for being a safe Christian and only following the Lord when it feels safe to do so. Those who know me best know that I was forever changed when I came home from Ethiopia 15 months ago after my first trip and I have not been the same since. It has been my constant prayer that the Lord would make my path known to where it is He wants me to go, no matter where that is. I never want to miss out living His Will for my life because I was to busy making excuses or allowing the world to clutter my judgement.

So as I prepare to leave I ask myself, "what is it" that the Lord is preparing me for? I feel the slow paced change with things, I feel it in my heart and I know it is coming, but what is it? I am moving forward with anticipation and waiting on Him to reveal it to me in His timing. Knowing that no matter what it is, it will be an adventure because let's face it, following the Lord is never boring :-)

 

My sweet boys at our favorite place Chick-Fil-A (I may or may not be currently addicted to their new cobb salad, lol)

 

The picture is not that good, but the picture below is Noah practicing his bible verse on the way to his baseball game last night. I just love his hand!! May the Spirit always fill his heart always and forever.

 

Checking out exactly where Haiti is and where his mommy is going to be for 10 days. I must add that he is seriously convinced that I am bringing home another brother for him when I come home. If only it was that easy :-)

 

Getting in as many kisses as I can before I leave. Lord give my heart the strength to be away from these two blessings for those ten days!!

 

If you think of it sweet friends I would covet your prayers for my trip. That the Lord would guard my health and heart while speaking to my heart and showing me what it is He is calling me to do next. Also if you would please pray for my boys. Pray that time would go by quickly for them and that their little hearts are guarded as well and that Isaiah does well with my absence as far as our attachment, and for my sweet Noah who struggles with my absence and struggles with his routine being messed up. Pray that the Lord would fill his days with activity and fun and remind him what it is Mommy is doing.

 

Thanks so much friends. I shall return in a few weeks :-) With lots of God stories and pictures I am sure!!

 

Isaiah's Gotcha Day

I still can't believe my sweet boy has been home a year already. While time continues to fly by, I still have moments where I look at him and it still feels like he has always been here in our little family. There are few words that can describe the journey the Lord has taken me on this last year. The lessons He has taught me through the relationship that grew between my son and I, the hearts I saw softened by Isaiah and his smile, and the faith I saw grow in friends who stepped out and followed God's calling in their own life after hearing how God worked in my own life. All because I chose to say "yes" when so many thought I should say "no" I look at his sweet face and it breaks my heart to think of how many people are missing out on this amazing blessing of adoption.

 

For Isaiah's Gotcha Day celebration we had some yummy Ethiopian food, some cake that a friend of mine made me from the vision I had in my head :-) and some friends came over for dinner. Their daughter came home with Isaiah and I just love that the two of them get to see each other often and will always share that special connection to each other from being together in the transition house in Ethiopia.

 

 

 Yes, I know the flag is upside down, lol I had little helpers helping me hang it up and I didn't realize until after the picture was taken that it needed to be fixed :-)

It was a labor of love, but after 3 weeks of staying up till 2am almost every night between school work and preparing for a mission trip the Lord has called me on, I finally finished Isaiah's Gotcha Day video!!! He absolutely LOVES to watch his video. Almost daily he will walk up to my computer desk and point to the screen and say "mom, mom" with a sweet smile. That in Isaiah's language means turn the video on :-) I won't lie, it is a video made for him, not for anyone else, so yes it is long. 18 minutes, lol so if you want to pull up a chair and get comfortable feel free to watch it. Click here

I'm still waiting on my blog update. I didn't realize how long the wait was for the person I chose to do it :-) Time to get back to studying, packing, studying and packing :-) Until next time!

Orphan Care Summit 9

I am writing this post as part of the Summit 9 Blogger Giveaway. When I found out about the giveaway I was so excited, as I wanted so bad to go to the Summit this year but being a single momma of two boys, still unemployed from losing my job last year and being in nursing school full time there was no way I could afford it this year :-(

For those of you who are not familiar with the Summit I copied some information from their site directly: The Christian Alliance for Orphans’ annual Summit has become the national hub for what Christianity Today recently called, “the burgeoning Christian orphan care movement.” Summit IX on May 2-3, 2013, at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, TN is expected to draw 1,800 to 2,000 pastors, grassroots advocates, organizational leaders and church ministry heads. Alongside more than eighty workshops, the unforgettable plenary sessions will include David Platt, Randy Alcorn, Michele Bachmann, Bishop & Donna Martin, and other global leaders. Summit inspires, equips and connects for adoption, foster care and global orphan ministry.

Doesn't that sound amazing!! The Summit came to my hometown in 2011 during which time I was in the paperchase process of my adoption. I remember thinking how awesome it would be to go but I had just recently started a new job and was unable to get off work. Thankfully my mom went to it for me and just seeing her facial expression as she told me about the sessions and speakers made me wish that much harder that I would be blessed with the opportunity to go one day. She still talks about everything she learned and experienced that year and because of her experience there I have met and become friends with some wonderful Godly people with incredible hearts for orphan care. Things my mom shared with me over the weeks helped me understand not only why God had called me to adopt (when so many thought I was crazy and shouldn't as a single mom) but that is also when the Lord started the reveal very slowly something he would make crystal clear 18 months later about what He was preparing me for and would call me to do.

Fast forward 2 years and I am home with my sweet Isaiah, nearing his first Gotcha Day celebration in a few short weeks and here I am hoping and praying the Lord would allow me this blessing of attending the Summit9!! Why do I want so badly to go? Well, I'm glad you ask :-)

During my time in Ethiopia the Lord broke me and showed me things that my head and heart had truly not been prepared for. The images of children wondering the streets, barely clothed, without shoes, some begging for food or money and others trying desperately to get you to allow them to wash your shoes in exchange for money. The memories of seeing little boys who were no bigger then 3 walking down the mountains alone, with no expression on their face, just dirt. Seeing children dig in the garbage, eating stale injera that had been laying there for who knows how long. These images will never leave me. I would lay in bed at night not able to sleep, thinking about those children and wondering what were they doing? Were they still walking alone, had they stopped to sleep on the side of the road? When I saw their sweet faces, I saw the face of my son who at the time was asleep in our home, in his bed, safe and without any worry about where his breakfast would come from. It was during that first trip that the Lord began to reveal to me that my journey was not going to stop once I got Isaiah home. Really, my journey was just beginning.

After I brought Isaiah home I couldn't stop thinking about Ethiopia and missing it terribly. I missed everything about that beautiful place and the people there. I began praying that the Lord would reveal to me what He was calling me to do. Over the next few months through Scripture, prayer and a God appointed meeting with a dear friend that Lord made clear what He was calling me to do. Not only did I partner with a dear friend of mine and beginning an organization aimed at orphan and widow care called Partners For Ethiopia. (You can read about it at partnersforethiopia.org) but the Lord also called me back to nursing school to further my education, so that I can do medical mission work once I graduate. 

The Lord truly broke me during my time in Ethiopia and He has spent the last year putting me back together, allowing me to see things through His eyes and with His heart. Through more Scripture, prayer and many conversations with those He has placed in my life, I see that orphan care is more then just adopting a child or children. Don't get me wrong my adoption journey was an incredible experience full of God's Grace and Provision but there is so much more the Lord calls us to do for the least of these. All of His children need to hear how loved they are by their Heavenly Father, they need to see Christ in us and feel safe and secure, even if they are still waiting for a forever family to call their own. Why should any orphan ever feel alone, scared or unloved?? They shouldn't!! 

On Maundy Thursday the Creator of the universe bent down to his knees to wash the dirt from the callused feet of his followers. And as he scrubbed away the dirt, he scrubbed from his Bride all possible justifications for ethnic and economic hierarchies. He radically upset cultural norms. And now he calls us to go low in foot-washing-like service to one another. What does that look like for you? For me it means letting go of what I have known to be normal and follow Christ wherever He leads me. Currently that means going to Haiti in 6 short weeks for a 10 day medical mission trip with my church. I can't begin to express to you how excited I am. Anxious to see what the Lord has in store for me.

So there you have it. Why do I want so badly to go to the Summit9? Simple, because I love and am passionate about orphan care and ministering to all of God's children. I want the opportunity to hear wonderful speakers and soak up every word like a sponge. Feeling called to medical missions, it would be an amazing blessing to hear David Platt speak, as it would be awesome to attend The Global Church session. Along with my desire to attend the session Maximizing the Impact of Your Ministry to enable myself and my friend/partner to learn how to best utilize our tools and resources to impact the children and widows we are working with in our ministry Partners For Ethiopia.

Another very important reason I want so badly to attend is to bring back everything I learn and help empower others to step out in faith and live out James 1:27 The enemy worked overtime during my adoption journey trying to place doubt and fear into my head. I want people to know it is not able how much money you make or if you have the ideal family dynamic to adopt. I was a single mom, fresh out of nursing school with a 5 year old who had been praying for a brother. Of course I was praying the Lord would bless me with a husband, but the Lord had other things in store for me and my boys. Would I change one thing about my adoption journey? Never! I am so thankful that the Lord called me to adopt, because not only did He bless me with my sweet Isaiah, but He also opened my eyes and heart to what breaks His and continues to use my experience to grow me and prepare me for the next season that waits.

Thank you so much for considering me for this amazing opportunity. I know whoever wins will be blessed and I hope and pray the Lord allows me this opportunity.

Seasons

Seasons come and go, some lasting longer then others. One thing is certain, with each season there comes change and sometimes life lessons. My pastor once said "learn from the past, don't live in it" and that is exactly what I am trying to do. This current season I am in is coming to an end and with the end brings joy, sadness and harsh reality. Through it all though the Lord is faithful and is teaching me new lessons and stretching my faith, reminding me that even during the times where I feel alone, He is there and He is enough.

 

I honestly don't even know if anyone still reads this little blog of mine, but just in case there are one or two of you who do, I thought I would let you know that with the end of this season, also comes the end of this blog. Don't get me wrong, I am still going to be blogging, but right now I feel it is better for me and my boys to start fresh. So I am currently in the process of setting up a new blog with a new address. This blog was great to have to journal my amazing journey to bring Isaiah home and I am thankful that he will have a way of reading about how God orchestrated bringing him to his forever family. I am excited to start a new chapter with a new blog. I have been quiet for a while not blogging, and trust me I miss it!! That is one of the reasons I can not wait to have the new blog set up!! You may be wondering why the need to start an entirely new blog and don't worry I will be posting all about that on the new blog. Until then I wanted to give ya'll the opportunity to join the boys and I on our new blog. So if you are interested in following along you can e-mail me at  aqueenandhertwoprinces@gmail.com

 

 

Will You Say Yes?

BUSY!! There is no other word to describe my life right now!! With normal every day things with the boys, starting school, celebrating Ethiopian Christmas this past weekend (that gets a post of it's own because WOW what an amazing day it was spent with TONS of sweet friends and their kiddos who have all come home from Ethiopia over the last year) as well as something super special and awesome that the Lord has been orchestrating and yes that is all I can say about it right now but trust me in the coming weeks I will be sharing some big news!! (No, I haven't met my Godly husband, yet lol)

Anyway, I thought now would be the perfect time to share another guest post with you guys while I still work to find my sanity with all my school stuff this week. This post if from my friend Lindsy from http://wordfromthewallaces.blogspot.com After reading her guest post you MUST go and check out her blog and their recent awesome news that is adding another bit of awesomeness to the beautiful story God is writing in their family. Enjoy!!


I'm not a fan of adoption timelines. (You'll see why below.) But there's no easier way to share our story and journey than to lay it out timeline style so, here goes:

September 2005 – We decided to adopt during pre-marital counseling.

October 2005– We got married:-)

June 2007 –Began researching placement agencies and decided to adopt from Ethiopia. I read every adoption book ever written.

August 2007 – We found out we were pregnant with our son. We put our adoption plans put on hold.

June 2008 –Moses is born!

October 2008– I attended an adoption seminar (The first of many!) and we decided on a placement agency.

March 2009 –Officially applied to adopt from Ethiopia.

July 2009 –Home study #1 complete.

August 2009 –Dossier #1 complete.

August 2009 –We found out we were pregnant with our daughter! We put our adoption plans on hold.

April 2010 –Meadow is born! Adoption journey begins again.

July 2010 –Home study updated.

July 2010 –Dossier #2 complete.

July 2010 –William is diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. Adoption plans put on hold.

Second half of 2010 – Blur of surgeries and cancer treatments.

February 20, 2011 - My step-mom is diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer.

March 10, 2011 - My step-mom passed away.

March 22, 2011 –William is given a clean bill of health!

April 2011 –Meadow is diagnosed with calcifications on her basil ganglia (brain). We are unable to proceed with our home study update (required because of William's cancer) until a “diagnosis” is given by the pediatric neurologist.

August 2011 –Meadow is given a clean bill of health - aka God healed her and the brain calcification's were gone! Home study update #2 completed.

September 2011 – Dossier #3 mailed to Ethiopia.

October 19, 2011– Ethiopia denies our case. (cancer)

October 26, 2011– Switch to the Democratic Republic of Congo pilot adoption program.

November 2011 – Home study update #3 completed. Dossier #4 mailed to the DRC. Officially waiting for a referral for the first time in 2 ½ years!

November 18, 2011 – Matched with a 3 ½ year old little boy!

February 10, 2011 – We learn the little boy we have been matched with was claimed by his uncle and sister. One less orphan! We are back on the referral list.

March 26th, 2012 - We took in two boys through the Safe Families for Children program.

May 7, 2012 - Referral Day: Take Two
May 31, 2012 - A request has been made for the Consent to Adopt our little guy in the DRC! The first of many steps in the DRC court process.
June 7, 2012 - Our two boys transition back to their mother.
September 6, 2012 - Our two boys come back to us under very difficult circumstances.
October 9, 2012 - Our two boys officially become our foster kids!
October 30, 2012 - End of first 30 day waiting period in the DRC court process. Getting close to filing for court!
December 7, 2012 - We learned our little boy is not ours. He was returned to his family and for that we are grateful.


I share our story a lot. God spoke to us a couple years ago about the importance of sharing our story. Not because we are awesome - because He is writing it for us. Because we are simply the pen in His hand. So we share. In person, over the phone, on our blog and through speaking engagements. More than once, after sharing our story I've gotten the comment "Well, at least we know what worse case scenario looks like."


But I don't see our story that way.


Our desire has been to simply say "Yes" to what God puts in front of us. In the world of adoption, more often it is saying "Yes" to who he puts in front of us.


So we said "Yes" to adoption as an engaged couple when we were CLUE. LESS.
We said "Yes" to adoption when we were newly married and broke.
We said "Yes" to adoption when our world had been turned upside down by cancer.
We said "Yes" to adoption when we were deemed unfit to parent a child from Ethiopia.
We said "Yes" to adoption when we were scared of corruption.
We said "Yes" to two little boys in need of a home and a family because we had both.
We said "Yes" to foster care when we didn't really want to be a part of that broken system.
We said "Yes" to His will when our little Moise went back to his home in his village in his country.


Saying "Yes" is simple. And it's not. (Does that timeline above strike you as simple?!)


We've said "Yes" as best we could but it's never ended the way we expected. When you give your life away and realize you are simply a pen in the Writers hand, His story becomes your story and that story becomes far greater than anything you could have written. Not easier. Not safer. Not more fun. FAR. GREATER.


While we eagerly wait for the return of our Savior, we do our best to say "Yes" to the things and the people He puts in front of us now.


I'm guessing there is something in your life, dear reader, He has placed in front of you. Let me encourage you to allow Him to write your story. You are simply a pen in the Writers hand.


Will you say "Yes"?

My 2012 Top 10

Yes I know I should have posted this yesterday like everyone else, lol but the big party animal I am I didn't even make it to the ball drop, lol I enjoyed a dinner out with my family and then came home tucked my boys in bed and hit the hay pretty early :-)

 

I did want to document about our year though, so better late then never right?

 

For those of you who don't know me personally or haven't been reading my blog that long, you won't know that this time last year I was actually in Ethiopia. I actually rang in the new year with my best friend Lesli while flying over the Atlantic Ocean :-) Here were were preparing to leave DC for Ethiopia on December 31, 2011

 

 

One of the best moments of my life! Finally holding my little boy whose picture I had been looking at and praying over for 2 months!! January 1, 2012 was the day I met Isaiah for the first time!

 

Of course I have to give a shout out to my Kentucky Wildcats for winning the national championship!! My boys and I definitely bleed blue :-)

 

During the LONG 15 week wait to go back to Ethiopia my sweet Noah turned 7!!! Seriously, where does the time go?!?! This precious boy made me a mommy for the first time, my little miracle from God!! I am so thankful for him!!

 

After an 18 month journey full of excitement, stress, fear, bumps, joy, Grace and the Lord's Provision on April 21, 2012 Isaiah and I walked through the gates of the airport and were greeted by Noah running up to us before we could even get through the gate, lol

 The sweetest picture of my two boys, finally together!! Poor Isaiah he was exhausted, lol

 

Getting ready for his baby dedication at church. What an amazing feeling it was to be able to stand before my church and the Lord and dedicate my sweet boy to Him and commit to raising both he and his brother in the Lord's way.

 

My first Mother's Day with BOTH of my boys!!

 

It had been my prayer that Isaiah would be home to celebrate his first birthday! The Lord answered that prayer and we had so much fun celebrating with family and friends!!

 

After a crazy adoption journey and two trips to Ethiopia, it was great to get away for the day with my big boy for a day of fun at Holiday World! We had so much fun and made lots of great memories!! That was also the first day Isaiah stayed with a friend of mine for the day and he did great :-)

 

My church's newspaper contacted me and wanted to do a story about myself, my boys and my adoption journey. What a humbling experience that was. I was excited to share with others the amazing ways the Lord provided for my adoption. This is one of the pictures they took for the article. 

 

My mom, sister and I were blessed to be able to go to the opening night of The Story Tour. The first show was at our church and it was AMAZING!! If you ever get the opportunity to go, do it!!

 

After being sick for a year and being diagnosed with a condition that would have caused me lifelong problems, the Lord completely healed me!! I am still in awww and so thankful for the many people who prayed for me during that time!!

 

2012 came with it's fair share of ups and downs, but through it all the Lord was faithful. I am excited to see what He has in store for 2013 (praying it includes a husband, lol) I pray that each of you have a year full of God's blessings and that most importantly you know Him and have a personal relationship with Him!! He loves you so much and is waiting for you :-)