Moving on up and a prayer for rain.

That's right we have moved on the wait list. Our July number is 37! I didn't realize I hadn't posted our number lately until this weekend. Numerous people stopped me while out and about to ask where we were on "the list".

Referrals have been going out and children having been coming home, so we are hopeful that there may still be some action on the list during E*thiopia's rainy season. The rainy season in E*thiopia causes the courts to shut down for about 2 months, which in turn means there are no children being adopted during that time. But embassy appointments still go on and families who have already passed court can bring their kiddos home. So we are optimistic that we won't be 37 for very long!!!!

We are praying not only for this raining season to provide continued movement for us on the list, but most of all for the rain to come early and in just the right amounts to provide relief to the horn of Africa. I pray that they might see a miracle and great provision would pour out. The people of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia have been greatly effect by drought. Their already limited resources are being jeopardized by the shortage 0f rain in the last two rainy seasons. This has led to a lack of water, crop, and livestock . Prices are soaring on goods and causing those who were already hurting to lose even more. It is so hard to hear. To know that our future child or any child maybe suffering at this time wanting for water and food just breaks my heart. the need over there is so great and so big that I can't even imagine. We are so blessed as a family with love, care, and our every basic need is met.

To help provide financial aid to those in dire need you can go to World Vision or check out this instructions to give through Hope Chest. Please prayerful consider how you and your family might be able to help.

~ANDREA

A Lifetime of Thanksgiving

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17

That was just an excerpt of Colossians chapter 3 that instructs us as believers to put away our old ways and take on the new image given through our rebirth in Christ. This passage makes it very clear that we are to live with a constant heart of gratitude. That we are to focus our hearts intently on Christ in all things and at all times. Doing everything as an act of praise and thanks.

Webster's dictionary defines Thanksgiving as the act of giving thanks; a prayer expressing gratitude; a public acknowledgement or celebration of divine goodness.

My prayer for this Thanksgiving Day is that we not make the celebration a one day event based on the history of this country. But in turn that we approach each day as a day of thanksgiving. A day when we are grateful in our prayers, actions, and acknowledgement of God.

~ANDREA

Dossier Finished!!!

I am so excited to say that tomorrow morning I will be sending off our dossier!!! This has been quite a process. We have completed many documents, have had many others complete documents for us, visited the notary a hand full of times, made trips to the doctors office, police station, and even a trip to Springfield. Yesterday when I got the call that the State of Illinois had endorsed our home study I was on cloud 9. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. So today I met our case worker in a near by town and picked it up. Our case worker has been so good to us and so very helpful. We also finished taking our pictures for our dossier and making all of the copies. It has been very busy around here. But I am so glad it is all together!! Now we have to pray that it will be reviewed on Friday and there will be no request for revisions.

This is the amount of paperwork in our dossier!

Some fun pictures taken this evening!

Didn't get any individuals of D. She was done after the family pics.

And a few pictures of the local festival (Corn Days) this past weekend. Our "hippie chicks" in the doll & pet parade

The children's home float that went through the big parade. This year's theme was Corn Pioneer! My two oldest "pioneer" children rode on the float while D rode along side via the jogging stroller!

Please continue to pray for us. I hope to be posting Friday night again with our waitlist numbers!

My Simple Unsuspecting Prayer

If you remember in our story of how we had came to adoption. I had been the one that for many years had the desire to adopt and how it had taken Josh a while (ok 9yrs!) for God to move him to the same desire. Well tonight I was looking through one of my notebooks and I found a prayer that I had wrote only about 12 days prior to him coming to me and stating he was being led to this. It is AWESOME how God works!! The first part of the prayer was for the ministry that I work in full-time and this was the next:

I also ask that you will move Josh and I's hearts to the same place. That you will place the same desires on us both. Keep him Father at the spiritual front of our home, help him to lead us in your ministry and plans for us. Lord thank you for life and the opportunity to be in your ministry. I love you and thank you!

While I pray often about these things I haven't found that I have wrote it in such a direct manner anytime recent. How wonderful that God was raising up in me a desire that had been there for many years and that He again brought me to pray for the unity of our desires. I love how he works!! ...FYI: I know my prayer is not grammatically correct but it is what I wrote! = )

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:22-24

I am thankful also for a husband who is a great leader in our household. Who even when things are hard stays the course and continues to lead us down the path of the Lord.