I'm am sitting here this morning blown away by God.
When we decided to do this giveaway I wrestled with how to pray. Otto started with NOTHING in his grant account when I first blogged about him. The Blooms needed over 23,000 dollars to fund their adoption.
I'm a bit on the wimpy side when it comes faith stuff. I never want to limit God but I also am terrified to come out and state outright what I am begging Him to do. I never even posted on the blog what I was hoping and praying this giveaway would do.
I'm a coward that way.
Want to know what I was praying and hoping for??
I wanted Otto to reach $1,000 in his grant account. That was my BIG prayer. That was my FAITH-STRETCHING PRAYER!
Did you see his grant account????????
HE HAS $4,712.45 IN HIS GRANT ACCOUNT!!
FOUR THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWELVE DOLLARS AND FORTY-FIVE CENTS!
That's well over four times my prayer!!!
My BIGGER prayer for Otto is that a family would FIND HIM. God hasn't answered that prayer yet, so I am staying in front of the throne and begging the Lord because Otto may look big in the pictures but he is just a teeny tiny little boy who needs tender loving care.
My prayer for the Blooms was BIG. It was truly a Faith-Stretching prayer. They needed over 23,000 to be fully funded and so raising $1,000 in their grant account was not going to come close to touching that need.
So I prayed big.
I asked the Lord for $10,000 for the Blooms.
I wanted our little Giveaway to move in hearts enough so that they would have their financial burden eased by $10,000.00.
I honestly didn't think we would reach $10,000.
I figured that between the Blooms AND Otto we MAY POSSIBLY get to $10,000 but just that much to the Blooms alone.... HUGE prayer of faith.
Oh me of little faith!!!
YOU DONATED $11,456.00 TO THE BLOOMS AND ANOTHER $500.00 IS ON ITS WAY TO THEIR ACCOUNT THIS WEEK!!
WE RAISED A TOTAL OF $16,568.00 IN THIS GIVEAWAY!!
I don't know how many of you APOLOGIZED for your little gifts. Are you serious?? Your gifts - whether 5, 50 or 1,000 are NOT little. They are beautiful offerings before the Lord and He took them and He did BIG THINGS with them.
Thank you to each of you. And thank you to those who gave and didn't tell me. Thank you!
Tammy, Karen, Lesley, Brianne, Lin, Emilie, Nicole, Danielle, Rebecca, Amanda, Jamie, Holly, Naomi, Stephanie, Keshia, Leah, Tammy, Lorene, Anne, Jaime, Dana, Elaine, Kara, Anonymous, Anastasia, Teresa, Mary, Becki, Cyndi, Blythe, Carolyn, Casey, Osborn, Kim, Peter, Deb, Mary, Karen, Kim, Lindsay, Joseph, Stephanie, Clint, Stephanie, Beth, Eric, Ben, Seana, Chris, Bethany, Stori, Lisa, Frankie, Rob, Jennifer, Amber, Beth, Missy, Teresa, Alicia, Rachel, Brian, Victoria, Erika, Gene, Carolyn, Michelle, Audrey, Susan, Lexii, Julia, Regan, David, Stef, Delisa, Keely, Mrs. Post, Amy, Amy, Heidi, Errin, Paula, Aaron, Jennifer, Angie, Darla, Jenny, Yvonne, Andrea, Debby, Christa, Christina, Susanna, Colleen, Christopher, Stefanie, Daniel, Robert, Juliette, Holly, Alicia, Kim, Cassie, Laura Anne, Molly, Kristina, Tammie, Tonia, Carol, Jenny, Michelle, Judith, Renee, Susanna, Ron, Vivian, Hanna, Luba, Leah, Beth Ann, Jeannie, Joel, Dawn, Kaitlyn, Gretchen, Amanda, Ann, Britta, Angeline, Pam, Anne, Christiana, Dana, Trish, Annette, Kathy, Erika, Sharon, Nicole, Debbie, Julie, Carla, Tracy, Kameron, Jenika, Mark, Lea Ann, Katie, Taylor, Lisa, Adrienne, Ronnie, Rene, Tammie, Lucille, Staci, Amanda, Julie, Karen, Kalee, Tiffany, Annette, Molly, Amanda, Trisha, Shannon, Sherri, Micheala, Karla, Beth, Martha, Jessica, Colleen, Sarah, Cayla, Mary
The coolest part is that God used 5 shadow children who have been hidden away all their lives in institutes across the ocean - He used them to break hearts. Each person who donated and each person who prayed and each person who shared - their hearts were touched by these 5 shadow children.
I cry just typing that.
I lose my words when I consider how much He loves these 5 lost babes. Their cries in their cribs do not fall on deaf ears. He has raised up a family for 4 of them. He tenderly watches over the one who waits. He is well aware of the plight of the orphans around this world and He is moving and stirring hearts to hear their cries. Whether you can adopt, pray, give, share - everyone can take part.
Otto. Violet, Amos, Lee, Daisy
They would thank you if they could.
I'm thanking you for them.
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I will be drawing names later today and will announce winners tomorrow so stay tuned.....
If you didn't have a chance to give...
The Blooms still need
$11,484.00 to be fully funded.
Every 5.00 matters.
