A New Blog Design!

I am super excited about this lovely new design for our blog! Thank you, Nikki--I love it!

http://www.madebynikki.blogspot.com/

Our Dossier (all the paperwork required by Joshua's country) has arrived in Eastern Europe! It has all been translated! We are expecting the papers to be registered in 2 weeks--so excited for that! I am hoping and praying that we won't be asked for more documents and that we will quickly receive Joshua's official referral. Our first trip to meet Joshua could happen soon--or may still take a little while. It is an exercise of patience, and trusting in God's perfect timing in all things.

We have a super fun and exciting fundraiser giveaway coming really really soon!!! I am so excited to share about it! Stay tuned.........

Our Dossier Is On Its Way!!

Finally, I feel like we are getting somewhere!  It is so exciting to know that our paperwork (Dossier) will be received in Joshua's country sometime this week, and all the documents will then be translated into his country's native language and registered in Joshua's region of that country.  Although it seemed to take forever to bring us to this point, I know that the timing is all in God's hands, and I am choosing to trust Him in all things.  It won't be too long now before we get our dates for our first trip to meet our precious Joshua!

I thought that I would take some time to give you a little peek into this adoption process.  Every country has different rules and requirements, and a different process.  For Joshua's adoption, things are way different than our experience of adopting Valerie from Hong Kong.  But no matter what country, International Adoption is not for the faint of heart!  It is a long, grueling process that is every bit as emotionally draining as it is financially exhausting.

International Adoption involves stacks of paperwork and red tape, multiple finger-printings by the police and the FBI.  We have gotten to know several local notaries on a first-name basis.  We have gone through several interviews with our Social Worker where have discussed basically everything we ever did, said, or thought about!  (At least that is how it feels!)  We have had to make detailed lists of finical assets and liabilities to prove that we can adequately care for an adopted child and that we are financially stable.  The paperwork and forms that need to be filled out seem to be never-ending.  We have to receive 30 hours of training classes, which we are doing on-line.

Sometimes in the middle of all of this, we stop and say, "Why are we doing all this?  It is so inconvenient.  It is so hard.  It is so exhausting.  It is so expensive."  But then when we look at Joshua's sweet face, we know that it will all be worth it, so we press onward toward the prize.  We know that we are following where God is leading us, and we find peace and rest in knowing that we are obeying His calling in our lives. 

So here we are, with our Dossier en route to Joshua's country!  This week we also sent in our I-600A application, which is basically seeking approval for Joshua to immigrate to our country, where he will be a US citizen once the adoption is finalized in his country.  What do we still have to do?

* Our Dossier has to be translated
* Our Dossier will be registered in Joshua's region of his country
* The country may ask for additional documents (pray that they won't!)
* Make our 1st trip to meet Joshua and formally accept his referral
* Get appointment for FBI finger-printing for the I-600A
* Get I-600A approval
* Wait for court date in Joshua's country (usually 2-3 months after 1st trip)
* Make our 2nd trip to Joshua's country for court
* Wait for 30 days after court, for court documents to be released (back in the US)
* Return to Joshua's country after the 30 day wait, get his US passport and visa
* Bring Joshua HOME!

Please pray for us and with us as we work hard toward bringing Joshua home!  And please pray for Joshua, for his health, safety and protection--that he would know that he is loved!

Waiting.....and Working

I wish that I had a real update to give everyone.  I wish that we could be celebrating another step closer to our Sweet Joshua, instead......we are still waiting.  Waiting is hard work.  Waiting is exhausting.  It would be so much easier to be doing something.  Soon, soon I hope we will have news of progress--but for now we wait, and we trust in God and we quietly ache for Joshua who still does not know how he is loved.  Oh,  how he is loved!  I long to snuggle him into me and kiss his precious cheeks and whisper love to him--each day that slips by with out a family is another day too long.  Soon, soon, Darling Boy!

In the mean time, as we wait, we do stay very busy.  We are working hard to be ready for Joshua's arrival.  We are working hard to raise the money that is needed to bring him home.  We had a garage sale last weekend and we did well.  Now we will be having another on May 5th, and we are praying to raise even more adoption funds.  Please let me know if you have items that you can donate to our sale!

We are SO Grateful and so Thankful for those who have lovingly given to our adoption fund!  It is such a blessing and an encouragement to our family!  It is so humbling to see how God is working in our lives and in the lives of many people who we love--and even some people who we don't even know--to supply the needed funds to bring Joshua home.  There is no better way to "store up treasures in heaven!"  We continue to trust God, as we still have a long way to go with funds--but we know that He is ABLE! 

Please keep us in your prayers as we wait!

Garage Sale Fundraiser!

Our community is having a huge indoor craft and garage sale at our local event center.  I have rented space, and now I am needing to fill it!  Please let me know if you have any unwanted items that you would like to donate.  All the proceeds will go directly to help with the expenses of bringing our sweet Joshua home.  It is a craft sale as well as a garage sale, so I will have an area set up with my handmade goodies as well.  It is just one week from tomorrow--yikes!  That is on April 21st.  I have a lot of work to do!  :)  If you are doing some spring cleaning and have some extra things that you were going to get rid of anyway, we would love them for our garage sale!  Let's fill up the space get a little closer to bringing our sweet boy home forever!

Isaiah 53--What Easter is All About

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		Are you ready to celebrate Easter? Isaiah 53 Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.
		He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
		Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
		But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
		All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.
		He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
		Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
		He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave.
		But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's good plan will prosper in his hands.
		When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
		I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels. Easter is about what God has done.  It is about Jesus' sacrifice of Himself, so that we could be forgiven.  He went through tremendous physical pain and emotional anguish, so that WE might be healed of our sin-sickness.  Oh, His Redeeming Love!  He has done it all--we just need to admit our rebellion and ask to be forgiven--He is waiting to take us into His arms and change our hearts.  Then we can turn our rebellion into obedience, and put our trust into what God has done.  I am so ready to celebrate Easter!

31 Product Fundraiser--Today and Tomorrow Only!

Have you checked out all the cute products that 31 has??

My sweet friend, Lauralee, has graciously offered to donate all her proceeds from her 31 business--to Joshua's adoption fund--from all sales made from NOW until MIDNIGHT TOMORROW (Wednesday)!!!

Check out the link below to see the catalogue of cute bags and purses and other great items!

Happy Shopping!  You can order by calling Lauralee at 218-330-2008

http://www.mythirtyone.com/lauraleetupa/

Getting Closer! We need your help!

Our documents are almost ready for submission to Joshua's country!  We are just waiting on one little document and we are praying that it will be completed today--please join us praying for this mountain to move.

And speaking of mountains moving, I am trying not to panic.  I believe that God means what He promises in His word, "And I will meet all your needs, according to the glorious richness in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19.  But this mountain feels impossible.  Again, I believe God's words when He says that "With God all things are possible" Mark 10:27.

Like I said, trying to hold onto Jesus and not panic.  However we have an impossible amount of money that we need to raise in a very short amount of time.  We have already had many family and friends give generously and sacrificially, and we are so humbled and thankful for each and every gift.  I have been working until the wee hours of the morning on fundraising and sewing items to sell.  Tim has gone through his coin collection and sold many items to help cover adoption expenses.

This week we have to write a big check to our adoption placement agency--$8,000.  And praise Jesus, we have it all!  He has met that need!  We are so thankful.

However, before we can travel to meet Joshua we need to pay our country fee, which is $16,500--ouch!  We do not have this money!!!  We need help!!  Please join us in praying for God's miraculous provision--and please be a part of the miracle!  If we all give what we can, we can throw this mountain into the sea!

Remember, gifts given to the RR account are tax-deductible!  Please give to Joshua--this little boy needs to know that he is LOVED, that he is WANTED, that he in not an outcast!  We are hoping to travel in May, so we have about a month to raise this money.  Please help us reach this impossible goal of $16,500.  Let's see God do a miracle!