http://www.abcnews4.com/story/20321422/give-the-gift-of-christmas-shoes
I thought I would share this since it was sort of the beginning of God connecting our hearts to a country that we knew nothing about, but would one day lead us to our son.
Someone told me recently that God put a burden on my heart for Uganda.... It led me (along with my 9 year old son, Gabriel, and many friends and local businesses ) to collect nearly 1,400 pairs of shoes for orphans and now to our adoption journey. I just don't know what else He has in store, but we are ready.
It's interesting because it must have been less than 2 years ago that I remember feeling like my spiritual tank was near empty and in turn, my marital love tank seemed to be following. We spent the better part of a year looking for a new church home while lugging around an extra 60ish lbs and a baby bump. Had baby H, and hormones didn't seem to help the situation.
Beautiful little lady, handsome hubby, and a very sweet kind hearted son with a great job to boot!
I just couldn't figure out why things felt unsettled and why I felt so far away from God.
....it really bothered me that I wanted that fire back and was mourning the fact that I seemed to be sleeping at the wheel when I lost it!
I realized that I had shut God out when I stopped giving in to what I felt that he wanted from me and for me. Once I had this epiphany, the Holy Spirit started knocking at the door of my heart again.
I gave up 1 thing after another....those things that I so desperately clung to. When I made one change, He asked for another and another. I felt like He was picking on me, but as it turns out he was preparing me for all of the blessings that He had been keeping safe for me.... For when I could start clearing out my garbage to make room for the good stuff!
God, thank you for this "burden", it has lifted my soul!
Matthew 11:29-30
"Take my yolk upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowely in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls , for my yolk is easy and my burden is light."
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION FOR OUR JOURNEY
If you feel led, please join us in our journey by making a tax-deductible donation to our adoption fund!
The sooner we can raise the money, the sooner we bring our baby home!
Once you make a donation, a receipt will be instantly emailed to you.
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!
Dossier
Well, this is an exciting and scary week!
After weeks of putting my family through adoption paperwork boot camp with my "driver" / drill sargeant personality, we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!
As of last Tuesday, our Home Study was complete, and put in the mail to SC DSS.
And to think- It was only November when we started researching information on adoption, and here we are - just 2 months later.....
As of Friday, I finished the Dossier and put it in the mail to International Adoption Net in Colorado.
As of this time next week, we could be officially "waiting" for a referral!
For those of you who don't know the lingo yet, that basically means that we will be waiting for our agency to locate an orphan who matches what we are looking for. When they find him, they will send us a picture of his beautiful face, and tell us what little they know about him....his history..... his medical records, etc.
Unfortunately its not like here in the US where the babes are put up for adoption..... Often times they are literally found wandering the streets or left near an orphanage or police station. This means that they may not ever know anything about our baby's birth family.
Whooo. I just got a little teary eyed just thinking about the kind of hole that could leave in a child as they are growing up, trying to figure out who they are.
Thankfully I know that no matter how deep the hole.... no matter how vast the chasm- God is big enough to fill it!
Gabe and I prayed tonight that Gods hands are on our paperwork, seeing it through to its destination, and that he also blesses the hands that it touches when it gets there.
And as always- God, watch over our baby tonight as he puts his head on his pillow (if he has a pillow). Wrap your arms around him and let him feel an unexplainable sense of peace that he is loved! Keep him safe and bless those who care for him. Give him dreams of us tonight, Lord.... that mommy and daddy will come for him, and give us all patience and strengthen our faith as we wait on you Lord.
Goodnight.
After weeks of putting my family through adoption paperwork boot camp with my "driver" / drill sargeant personality, we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!
As of last Tuesday, our Home Study was complete, and put in the mail to SC DSS.
And to think- It was only November when we started researching information on adoption, and here we are - just 2 months later.....
As of Friday, I finished the Dossier and put it in the mail to International Adoption Net in Colorado.
As of this time next week, we could be officially "waiting" for a referral!
For those of you who don't know the lingo yet, that basically means that we will be waiting for our agency to locate an orphan who matches what we are looking for. When they find him, they will send us a picture of his beautiful face, and tell us what little they know about him....his history..... his medical records, etc.
Unfortunately its not like here in the US where the babes are put up for adoption..... Often times they are literally found wandering the streets or left near an orphanage or police station. This means that they may not ever know anything about our baby's birth family.
Whooo. I just got a little teary eyed just thinking about the kind of hole that could leave in a child as they are growing up, trying to figure out who they are.
Thankfully I know that no matter how deep the hole.... no matter how vast the chasm- God is big enough to fill it!
Gabe and I prayed tonight that Gods hands are on our paperwork, seeing it through to its destination, and that he also blesses the hands that it touches when it gets there.
And as always- God, watch over our baby tonight as he puts his head on his pillow (if he has a pillow). Wrap your arms around him and let him feel an unexplainable sense of peace that he is loved! Keep him safe and bless those who care for him. Give him dreams of us tonight, Lord.... that mommy and daddy will come for him, and give us all patience and strengthen our faith as we wait on you Lord.
Goodnight.
Monday, January 21, 2013
LOVE STORY
Mike and Sundae Johnson , both Charleston natives, were married under the big oak tree at Middleton Plantation in August of 2003.
Since she was a teen, Sundae always felt that God put a special call on her heart to adopt. When Mike and Sundae started dating, they discussed adoption as an option if they were to ever get married. In an effort to win Sundaes heart, Mike agreed that if they ever got married that they would have 2 children of their own and then adopt. They laughed....It seeemed a bit premature... Like a little girl planning her wedding day or a little boy committing to be the quarterback for his favorite NFL football team when he grows up.
Almost a year after being married, they were blessed with Gabriel. It was just the 3 of them for 8 years. They had so much fun, just like 3 peas in a pod!.
The older Gabe got, the gentle whispers of a 2nd and certainly 3rd child faded away. They experienced some ups and downs in their marriage, as most do- but God showed his faithfulness by renewing their marriage and giving them a testimony of grace and healing!
In 2011 they were blessed with baby Havannah who has just turned 1.( Gabe was so happy when he heard the news that he was going to be a big brother that it brought tears to his eyes. )
Now thinking that they had the "all American family", they have discovered that God isn't done with their story!
A few months ago, Sundae started hearing those quiet whispers once again. They got louder and louder until they couldn't be ignored. Mike and Sundae started talking about adoption as a real possibility, but needed to explore what that entailed and what it would mean for their family. They had no idea on where to start- domestic or international, boy or girl, and certainly not how to pay for it..... how it would it all come together? Was this really Gods plan, and if so- was this the right time? So many questions...
During this period, Sundae and son, Gabriel, heard a call through their church ,Calvary Chapel,to help collect shoes to send to an orphanage in Uganda (Agape Childrens Village). They worked hard and collected almost 1,400 pairs of shoes.
As they were exploring the adoption process and collecting shoes, Mike and Sundae couldn't help but wonder if God had put the a Shoe Mission on their hearts as a way to lead them to a country they had never heard of, on a continent on the other side of the world!
After prayer and fasting, He so perfectly made the answer crystal clear-yes!
They are now at the beginning of their adoption journey....a jorney of love.....to save and love a boy who does not yet know them.... An orphan who might otherwise never know a family, have food, clothes, healthcare, and education, or even clean water without finding a "forever family". They know in their hearts that God has a son that he will lead them to in Uganda. Although they don't know his name and wouldn't recognize him in a crowd, God has made him perfectly for them. They are all so excited,Gabe especially.... To become a big brother again!
They do not know how they will raise all of the funds in time, as Uganda is particularly expensive due to legal requirements and length of required stay in country, but they are stepping out in Faith. They know that God will not give them more than they can handle.
They also realize that this journey is a part of something larger than just themselves and know that once they say yes to Gods call, they will see God unravel his marvelously laid plans, right in front of their eyes!
Orphan care takes on many different forms. They are hoping that others will hear the call- to care for the orphan and become a part of their love story.
John 14:18 says:I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.
Thank God he came for us and made us His adopted children! Now we go in His footsteps for another!
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