Life's a Journey.... here's a glimpse of ours.

This is Little Jacob. Isn't he just a doll? His family who was trying to get to him call him Henry Jacob. This teeny tiny soul is no longer here on Earth. He never got a chance to be held by a mothers embrace or shine on top of his daddy shoulders. He passed away yesterday just one month before his mommy and daddy were to come and rescue him. Our Father in heaven rescued him first but not before he changed lives. Not before he grab hold of the heart of his mother and father. Today they grieve; they grieve the loss of their son they never met. They grieve because the moment they saw his photo they fell in love.
Here is just a small window into Jacob's fathers heart (he posted this yesterday on his blog)
As I write this, my hands are trembling and tears are streaming down my face and onto the keyboard. I have never felt like this before. I am so terribly sad that my little angel never got a chance to see his mama and papa. He never knew the love of a family. I was not there for him as he struggled to hang on until I could unite him with his forever family. My poor little angel will never see a beautiful sunrise over the pond. He will never know the joy of a spring morning playing with his brothers and sisters or the incredible happiness that can come from the morning song of a robin.
Henry/Jacob joined our family the day we saw his picture and read his story. In my heart , he was our little boy from then on. We did not know much about him. He had Down syndrome. He was extremely tiny for his age and severely delayed physically. He appeared to be quite malnourished. But things were really looking good for him. He had prayer warriors on his side. A church youth group had spied him and began praying for him and raising money to help with his adoption. The ball got rolling right away. We all knew that time mattered. We just did not know how “life and death” his situation was.



No child should be living a "life and death" situation because they have Down Syndrome.  Our two little ones have Down Syndrome and just like Henry's family we wait to rescue them and set them free. I fell in love with them from the moment I saw their photo. I can only imagine how Henry's family is feeling. I understand the love they have but I don't even want to begin to understand the pain they are in. I know it is hard to understand how you can love someone you never even seen but if you think about it that is exactly how we fall in love with our biological children. We fall in love before we even feel them in our womb; even before we set eyes on them. This is what my eyes saw when I set eyes on my children. It was love at first sight.  I just knew they belonged in our family.

Posted in: on Saturday, May 14, 2011 at at 6:15 PM 3 comments    

First of all check out our new Family Sponsor Page Button, brother and sister side by side. Aren't they adorable? I said yesterday in my post that I was going to post a cost bread down for all of you who are curious to why R***** is so expensive. This may also help those of you who are or considering adopting from Region 14. Don't let it scare you God's provision has gotten us almost to the end and We trust He will get us to the end.

Expenses Paid Out Already:

$250        Application Fee
$1000      Consultation Fee to our Agency
$7000      Agency/Post Placement Fees
$920        USCIS fee for filing I-600a - permission to immigrate a child
$1300      Homestudy

$10,670 Total paid so far

Expenses still to come

$15,500       Foreign Program Fee for "R*****" one child
$8,250         Foreign Program Fee second Child
$800            Visa for Jason and I both trips
$8000          Airline tickets... includes Jason and Mine for both trips and one ways for the two babies
$6000          Daily expenses for both trips, $200 a day for 4 weeks.
$880            Assistance while in country paper work preparation driving to and from airport
$360            Second trip 3 days Hotel in the Capital
$250            Babies Medical Exams
$1510          Immigration Visas
$1200          Jason and Mine medical exam in country


Total for These Expenses   $ 42750.00

Posted in: on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at at 8:30 AM 2 comments    

or even think it. I do believe even before we said yes to this journey God knew the exact dollar amount it would cost to bring our sweet babies home. It's crazy to think that Reece's Rainbow had it off by $12,000. I have contacted them once about the cost but looks like I will need to contact them again.
I clearly understand why people don't choose to adopt from "R*****". The cost is unbelievable. I understand that most won't understand why we would choose a country with cost this high. I know I have explained this before but we didn't choose. I like to explain it like this "Our children choose us" or "God choose for us." All along this journey has not been about Jason and Igetting "more" children to fill our home. Said it before and I will say it again.... I can still have children and I love being pregnant and I would of had no problem doing it again but that isn't what God asked. He asked us to trust him 100%.  He asked us to rely on Him with all the Faith we can muster up. He asked us to follow in His footsteps and with all that He promised He would see us through to the end.
What He didn't ask is for us to worry that it would work. He didn't ask us to loose faith that He will provide. He didn't ask us to quite with just one child because of the money. He didn't ask us to stop fighting for the least of these. He didn't ask us to feel guilty for asking for your help.
So we choose to walk in obedience. We choose to keep advocating for our needs. We choose to move forward with the faith we have. We have chosen to love the unloved.
So it leads me to begin to ask for your support again. I will be posting about a few fundraisers in the next couple of weeks one being a  "31 Gifts" party, another is we will putting together a fundraiser/garage sale for all you local folks.  We will need donations and word of mouth to spread our story.
As always we would be so blessed to receive any monetary donations. I know you all have donated so much already but we can not do this with out you. I know some of you are saying then why are you doing this. Why take on something you can not afford. Well it's quite simple because these are our children that God has asked us to rescue. These two children need the Hands and Feet of Jesus to bring them home. They need all of us to make a small sacrifice for just a short period of time to save them from a life that isn't even fit for a dog.
We need approximately $13,000 still. As always all donations are tax deductible through Reece's Rainbow. Our family grant has almost $19,000 that was donated by all of you over the last 9 months and we are blessed more than we can imagine but we can not give up now that we are so close to rescuing not one but two lives. Hence... Two Lives one Journey ;)
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you for all of your prayers. Thank you for what ever you do to help our cause.
Next post breakdown of added cost for bringing Matthew home.

Posted in: on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at at 8:57 AM 4 comments    

Posted in: on Monday, May 9, 2011 at at 9:52 AM 4 comments    

  



 

Posted in: on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at at 2:15 PM 1 comments    

ACCELERATE
"My times are in Your hand..."
(Psalm 31:15, NASB)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria
One thing I've learned is that God doesn't always work on our timetable. In fact, He rarely does. But in a single moment, God can change your life! All throughout Scripture, we see examples of how God was working behind the scenes and instantly turned things around for His people. Scripture tells us He is the same yesterday, today and forever which means He can instantly turn things around for you, too!

You may be going through some difficulty today, but be encouraged because your times are in God's hands. He wants to accelerate things in your favor. He wants to take you further than you dreamed possible and work in your life in ways beyond what you have ever imagined.

Let this truth sink down into your heart today. Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going to accelerate your times and lead you into the life of victory He has for you!



A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, today I humbly come before You giving You all that I am. I trust that my times are in Your hands. I trust that You are working things out in my favor. I set my focus on You knowing that You are working things out for my good. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Posted in: on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at at 6:39 PM 0 comments    

I am beginning to think that I should change my blog name to Our Journey to TWO Lives. I have just got to find a way to bring this sweet boy home. He doesn't need to spend another day behind the wall of an orphanage.  I want to scoop him up and give him the life he deserves. Just look at these new photos!!! Ahhh!!! there just has to be a way. Actually there is a way. His relatives have to release him, he needs another 9,790 in his grant and the judge has to see us as fit parents for him. There is not one of those things that is in my hands. Not the relatives, not the money and not the judges. There is only one person who I can rely on. The one who leads me. They one who invited me along His journey here on earth. The one who called on me to be His hands and feet. My one and only savior who adopted me into his family. Jesus Christ.

Yep, Mommy and daddy I have my two front teeth.

"How much longer did you say I had to wait for my mommy?"

"This is what I have to say about being here"

Posted in: on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at at 9:59 PM 3 comments    

This is how I feel right now. This journey is full of ups and downs and quit frankly I am absolutly sick of it. I want our daughter home. I wanted her here before she turns 4 which is in September. We should of traveled in March!!! We should of had her home this month!!!  I would like to lay on the floor and throw a tantum, but I learned long ago that they don't help any situation out!

PLease allow me to feel like this for a bit.  

No more words need to be said! UGH!!!

Posted in: on Monday, May 2, 2011 at at 11:11 AM 2 comments