They Marched

They Marched.

The numbers ranging between 20,000 - 50,000 people.

They Marched.

Not a march like here.

We don't have streets lined with soldiers when we march.

We aren't being counted and recorded when we march.

Our names aren't being written down and our pictures aren't being taken so that the powers that be will know who we are.

Despite all of those worries - they marched.

They marched for THEIR children.

Pure and simple.

They carried banners to shame their leaders KNOWING the risk.  

Knowing just how high the stakes are for them.

They threw those banners of shame in a trash bin at the end of the march.

Making a statement for all the world to see.

They marched for their children.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Krem*in met the protest with swarms of riot police, who hemmed the crowd in with metal fences and drowned out their chants with the thumping of a helicopter that hovered overhead.

Yet despite all this - they marched.

They marched mostly in silence, chanting "shame" from time to time.

“They expected that, as usual, we would swallow it, keep quiet,” Ms. Rostova said. “We have had two weeks to think about this law, and not everyone understood right away, but as time passed, people realized what it means to leave invalids, sick children, in Rus*ia, where there is no help. Everyone knows what kind of medicine we have here.” 

They marched knowing that the ban "effectively condemns Rus*ian children in state care to lives of misery in what they say are underfunded and sometimes brutal institutions.  Nearly 130,000 children were eligible for adoption in the country as of late December, according to official figures. In 2011, that number was 82,000, while just 7,400 were adopted by Rus*ian nationals that year."

They marched for the children.

They marched to show support to the 500-1,000 US families who are currently in process to adopt.

They marched for the 120,000 other children who are desperate for families to cross the ocean for them.

They marched in the capital and they marched in smaller protests across the country.

Seeing the pictures makes me want to cry and rejoice at the same time.

I weep for people who are forced to march for their children.  

I weep because their system IS broken and it DOES need to be fixed and children DO need to stay in their own country.  I weep for the Mamas and the Papas in that crowd who gave up their precious treasures at birth because that is just what you do over there.  You give up the ones who are broken.  I weep because we are no better in our abortion happy America.   I weep because poverty and alcohol and sickness and despair causes so many to send their children away in hopes of giving them a better life.  

I weep for people who are forced to march for their children.

I do weep but I also rejoice.  I rejoice that they are recognizing, maybe some for the first time, the worth of their children.  They are not pawns to be played with by government officials.  They are their precious offspring.  They are worth the risk.  They are worth having their names written down in books and their pictures taken by officials.  

They are their children and they marched for them.

I can't march with them but I can stand and applaud what they did.

I can applaud what they did and I can pray that their voices will be heard by the powers that be over there.

They came out in support of  the US.  They came out to support adoptions by Americans.  

They came out because they know that their system is broken and until it is fixed - their babes need to get out of the institutes over there.  

I applaud them.  I pray for them.  I pray for their children.

I pray for the 500-1,000 families in process who are being told that the doors may again close.  I pray for the hundreds of thousands of children who are shut away behind fences and walls.

I pray and I weep and I rejoice.

PLEASE PRAY WITH ME!  The powers that be over there are making some major heavy decisions and hundreds of thousands of lives hang in the balance.  The news is ever-changing.  It is a roller-coaster ride of emotions as we watch with held breath. Please continue to lift up the families.  I know that they are being held up only because of the prayers being lifted on their behalf.  

Especially pray right now for the 46 families who passed court and are all either on their way or getting ready to leave to get their children.  Pray that NOTHING stands in their way and that this first wave of babes is able to get out.

They Marched.  

We Pray.

Proud

Yep.  I'm proud of him.

Last Saturday he was awarded the First Year Arrowman Award for the Order of the Arrow.

Only a few boys earned it which makes it pretty cool!

He loves all things Boy Scouts.

I love him.

Hope

The Battle Belongs to the Lord....

 

HOPE HAS COME!!

 

CLICK HERE

 

The bilateral adoption agreement made between Russ*a and the US this past fall is going to be honored!! THAT IS HUGE! It means that for the next year adoptions will be allowed to be processed!! 

 

Thank you Jesus.

 

 

 

Keep praying that the doors will STAY OPENED!  There are hundreds and hundreds of families in process right now who have just dropped to their knees in grateful praise for answered prayer.  There are hundreds and hundreds of orphans who have just had hope given back after days of darkness and despair.

 

 

Please pray.  Pray that our government will be able to mend and heal the brokenness  between the countries so that adoptions will continue past January 2014. 

 

Pray for the families that they will be able to quickly and efficiently move through the process while the door stands open. 

 

 

Pray for those who are considering adopting that they will have the COURAGE to leap despite the unknown. 

 

Pray for all the babes over there who lay in bed each night whispering prayers for a family to come and take them home.

 

PRAY CHURCH!!

 

 

God's Paths

Here's the truth.

Advocating for those who have no voice sometimes means that I am going to shed tears over children whom I am never seen and will never meet.

I've shed a lot of tears in the last year.

Some of those tears are because of these two boys.

Spencer and Porter

 

Both boys had been transferred. Both needed out.

We yelled.

We prayed.

We cried.

We raised money.  We prayed some more.  We yelled some more.  We cried some more.

And God heard.  Two families stepped forward to get these two boys.

Our rejoicing reached the heavens.

But sometimes paths that seem straight end up going in other directions.

And for both these boys  - the paths did not end with them.

How do I share without tears streaming down my face?

I can't.

Porter's family crossed the ocean a few months ago.  I was jumping for joy that he was going to get out.  But when the family sat down for their referral meeting and his file was pulled and the powers that be began to read  his medical history, they discovered that Porter's medical history was much worse than anyone had been informed.  Porter is paralyzed on one side.

No one knew.  Every single person in the room was completely blindsided by the news.

The family had choices... they could go home and get their homestudy changed since they were not approved for paralysis or they could choose another child.

With tears of sorrow they chose another child.

David (Marcus on RR)

And they fell deeply and profoundly in love.

He was the path God had laid out for them.  Porter was the stepping stone.

David has a family.  The Eriksons have a son.

In just a few days David's Papa will be carrying him out of the institute and he will be crossing the ocean and beginning a new life with a family who is praising God for His faithful guidance in their lives.  I praise God with them knowing that another orphan gets a family because they stepped out in obedience.

If you want to follow their story click HERE.

But what about Porter?

At this point Porter is on hold until his medical condition and whereabouts can be absolutely confirmed.  It isn't as easy as making a few phone calls.  Porter is in a village out in the middle of nowhere.  No bus goes directly to the village from the city.  No train goes through the area.  It costs around $250 US to hire a driver to get to the village.  We know.  This is where Aaron lived.  It is a different world and getting information is slow and painstaking.  All we can do is pray that Porter's information will be verified soon so that we can again advocate for him in order to find him a family.

I have not forgotten Porter and as soon as we are able I will be yelling again for him.  I know the Eriksons will be yelling alongside me.

Spencer's story is just as hard.

His family is days away from crossing but they already know that they will not be bringing him home.

Spencer's biological mom has closed the door.

Though she isn't removing him from the institute - she is refusing to allow him to be adopted.  So Spencer stays.

You can read the story HERE.

When Spencer's family found out that he was not available they too had to make a choice.  Do they walk away from adopting or do they choose another child?

As most of you know - At the same time we were yelling for Spencer - we were also yelling for Brent.

We were praying and crying and raising money and praying some more for sweet Brent.

He was Spencer's 'twin' on RR since one year both boys had their adoption pictures taken in the same outfit.

 

And when Brent had a family we rejoiced with shouts that again reached heaven.

But those tears were mixed with sorrow for me as I knew what was transpiring behind the scenes. 

I knew a choice had been made and the news was definitely bittersweet. 

Oh Dear Spencer. 

 I am so grateful that he is loved by the one who birthed him, and I completely understand her desire to keep him near.  She isn't removing him from the institute and in that I am saddened.  He is going to miss out on all that a family would offer him.  He will spend the rest of his life behind walls.  

In a few short days the Tweitmeyers will be crossing the ocean to bring Brent home.  The path they chose was not the path God had in mind but they are believing that His way is better.  

I will be following their story for Brent with great joy.

I am following David's journey home with joy also.

And mixed in that joy are prayers for two other boys who are not crossing the ocean.  

Sometimes paths that seem straight end up going in other directions.

Sometimes it is bittersweet.

Always - God is Faithful!

And Then There Were None

No child left behind.

 

And it DID take a village!!

 

EVERY SINGLE BABE MADE IT OVER THE 1,000 WALL!!

 

The last five over were Riley, Tyler, Holly, Erika and Weston.

 

     

 

PRAISE GOD PRAISE GOD!!

 

Thank you to every single person who dropped ANYTHING in their buckets. 

 

We had a HUGE mountain to climb this year.

 

I honestly did NOT think we would ever see them all make the goal.

 

But nickels and dimes added up and 215 children were given HOPE because of it.

 

I know the Rus*ian situation is still ugly.  I know that some of these kids are seriously out of hope right now unless the rulers of the world decide to show mercy.  But we made a HUGE statement of faith that we are not going to abandon them in their hour of deepest need.  The Rus*ian babes have not been forgotten. 

 

Please keep praying for the Rus*ian situation.

 

Please storm heaven that the amendment to the ban asking for the door to be opened so Americans can adopt the special needs children is passed.  Please pray that hearts will soften.  Please keep praying for the families.  Pray that the gates that have been raised to prevent them from passing will be torn down.  Pray especially for the 46 families who are so close to the finish line.  Pray hope and peace into their hearts. 

 

Our greatest weapon against the rulers of this world who oppress the weak and helpless is prayer.

 

Let's use it church. 

 

Get some mountains moved.

 

Ready, Set, Go!!!

Um...... Remember when I said that we WON when it came to the Angel Tree??

 

 

Remember how I said that it wasn't over until it was over???

 

 

Remember how I said that the checks for 2012 hadn't been recorded and that the Angel Tree Dollars hadn't been accounted for???

 

 

REMEMBER??

 

Well my dear faithful friends....

 

 

GO CHECK OUT THE ANGEL TREE!!

 

Yesterday morning 50+ babes still needed to cross the $1,000 wall.  But a whole pile of checks inside a whole pile of envelopes from 2012 had not been opened. 

 

After 5+ hours of opening envelopes.... and after all the checks were recorded into the accounts.....

 

GET THIS....

 

There was over $16,000 in those envelopes!!!

 

AND....

 

ONLY 13 BABES WERE LEFT.

 

 

Thirteen out of 215 babes who didn't cross the $1,000 wall.

 

We came a mere $4,573.00 short of getting all the babes over....

 

 

BUT... IT AIN'T OVER UNTIL IT IS OVER and because we are SO CLOSE - we are getting A LITTLE OVER ONE DAY to finish the job!!

 

WHY????

 

Because tomorrow is the day everyone in Eastern Europe is going to celebrate Christmas....

JANUARY 7TH

 

 

Yep!

 

SO SINCE EVERYONE IS CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS IN EASTERN EUROPE....

 

It was decided that starting now and lasting until midnight tomorrow.....

 

IT IS GOING TO BE  CHRISTMAS FOR THE LAST 13 BABES ON THE ANGEL TREE.

 

 

 

We have a little over a day to raise $4,573.00 for 13 of the least of the least.

 

WE CANNOT LEAVE THESE LITTLE ONES BEHIND.

 

 

So please... go empty some cookie jars, raid some piggy banks, look in the cushions of your sofas....

 

 

Drop in 5's, 10's, 20's and 100's....

 

 

AND GIVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO....

 

Callie, Erika, Dallas, Katrina, Weston, Benji, Cyril, Holly, Riley, Tyler, Serenity, Sadie and Rose

 

 

STARTING NOW!!!

 

READY, SET, GO!!

 

 

CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE ANGEL TREE

A Peek

I'm not doing New Year's Resolutions.

I never keep them anyway. 

God has shown me what is good and right for my life.

 To Love Mercy, To Seek Justice and to walk Humbly Before Him.

That's enough for me.

That's my life resolution.

So here is a peek into our personal lives....

January 1st was for our family a HUGE beginning. 

We are now the sole owners of BiblioPlan for Families.

Our wonderful partner for the last number of years decided back in the summer that she could no longer juggle her part of the business, her writing classes and her family and stay sane.  So she asked us to buy her out.  We did it with heavy hearts.  I will be honest.  I have been grieving for the last few months the end of a partnership that was precious to me.  After we signed the papers at the end of December to make everything legal and official, I got in the car and cried.  I'm still grieving the change.  I miss Rusty. She is a dear friend and I just plain didn't want her to go.

Rusty is the person everyone loves.  She is from Texas and calls everyone Honey and has an amazing ability to remember names and faces and stories.  She loves blessing people with gifts.   I learned so much working beside her.  I am horrible with names and tend to focus more on selling the product than relating to the person.  I loved watching how she drew people in with her warmness and joy.   Dang I'm going to miss her.  Raining tears as I write this.

Buying out the business meant that we had to make some changes in our living situation.  Our little house in the woods was NOT big enough to accommodate our family AND all the materials associated with BiblioPlan.  Up until the buy-out - Rusty had stored all the material at her home.  Up until the buy-out - Rob's office was in our bedroom.  Needless to say, we needed to make some changes.

So... for the last few months Rob has been writing AND renovating.  We had an unfinished, rather large room above our garage that we decided would be perfect for storing the curriculum and would provide a REAL office for Rob.  It is also big enough to store all my materials for teaching at our Co-op AND there is room left over for the boys.  It isn't finished yet and frankly the last few months have been stressful as we have tried to add in a renovation project on top of all our other responsibilities   But we are seeing a light at the end of tunnel.  I'm excited that my bedroom will be JUST my bedroom in the near future.  Aaron is excited that there is an area in the new room where he can put up his massive Tepee tent he got for Christmas and enough floor space to lay out his train tracks.

 Buying out a company is a huge leap of faith, but God has been good to our family and has provided what we needed to move forward.  We are excited about BiblioPlan and its future.  We are working on new products and upgrading old ones.  We have finished THREE of FOUR books.  We are hoping that the fourth book will be finished within the next year.  This past week I spent an hour talking to someone who is going to be using BiblioPlan for their homeschooling co-op in the fall.  I was so encouraged to hear them praise what we have done and express excitement over the curriculum. Those bits of praise in the midst of such a huge change provide healing balm to my quaking spirit.


So please bear with me if I am a bit quiet on this blog for a season.  We are trying to figure out our new normal and it is going to take some time.  For those who have noticed that I have seemed distracted and tired in the past few months, this peek into our personal lives should provide some understanding of what we have been working through.  Plus, in the midst of all of this change, my body has decided to make some changes that come with the joys agony of turning 50.  Nuff said.

So 2013... here we come....

No resolutions... just the same old same old....

He Never Gets a Break

THEY ARE FATHERLESS.

THEY ARE MOTHERLESS TOO.

Samuel and Sara

 

They are alone.  They do not even have the privilege of having each other.

Samuel is sitting in a mental institute on rotten benches.

I don't know where Sara currently resides.

All my intentions to take a break from advocating and raising funds fall by the wayside when I consider that Samuel never ever gets a break from the chaos around him.

Oh Please understand the world in which he lives.  It consists of NOTHING. 

Nothing.

If you want your heart broken into pieces click below.  If you want a glimpse into the definition of NOTHING click below.  If you want to see boys who have learned how to turn off their minds click below.  If you want to see the blank, faraway look that Aaron gave us so often in the first year he was home click below.

CLICK HERE.

This is the reality of all those babes in Rus*ia who are deemed mentally or physically disabled and have just lost the privilege of adoption.  This is the reality in Aaron's old world.  Go slowly through those pictures.  See the boys looking out between the slats of the shed?  See the walls?  See the benches?  See the chipped paint ?  See the boy sitting on the potty chair?  See the drab, empty rooms?  See the toyless, bookless world? 

SEE!

This is Samuel's reality.

Empty.  Nothing.

PLEASE HELP ME FIND A FAMILY FOR SAMUEL.

Please help me.

He never gets a break from the chaos and emptiness around him.

He never gets a break.

CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMUEL AND SARA'S RR PAGE

Click here to read more about Samuel and Sara

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

 

 

 

VICTORY!!!!

 

 

Angel Tree Winners

Okay - The Angel Tree is kind of officially over and it looks like we didn't get all the babes over the wall....

 

But...

 

Last night the Tree got a bit of a glitch in it and the donations stopped recording on the Angel Tree tally for each child in the last several hours.

 

So working blind... a bunch of Warriors worked hard to get these five over the wall!!

 

Jamison, Adele, Novella, Evelyn and Annalisa

 

    

 

 

I STAND UP AND APPLAUD THOSE RR WARRIORS WHO SPENT HOURS LAST NIGHT WORKING BLIND!! THEY WERE CREATIVE AND PASSIONATE AND BABES MADE IT OVER DESPITE EVERYTHING....

 

 I ALSO STAND UP AND APPLAUD ALL THOSE WHO WERE WORKING TIRELESSLY ALL DAY YESTERDAY TO MOVE THE BABES UP THAT WALL!!

 

PLUS...

 

Any checks that were mailed and dated before 12/31 count towards the tree and checks were NOT picked up yesterday.  So there are checks out there that I KNOW will get some more babes over the wall...

 

Plus....

 

Not all the Angel Tree Dollars have come in yet...

 

So...

 

It ain't over until it's over people!!

 

But regardless of the outcome....

 

I'M CALLING IT.... WE WON!!

 

In the last few days alone the Angel Tree raised over 30,000.00!!!

 

(My Giveaway recorded $15,804.00 in donations but half the people who donated did not enter into the Giveaway)

 

When I started our Giveaway a large number of babes on the tree were sitting with $500.00 in their grant account..

 

As of right now  the lowest number on the tree is 575.00 and only 21 babes are under 600.00.

 

AND LOOK AT HOW MANY BABES WERE SEEN....

 

Yesterday afternoon we were doing everything we could to get their faces out.  Everyone was picking a babe or two or three and putting them on their Facebook status.  Sharing with their friends the need.

 

One RR Mom put little Tessa on her wall...Tessa still needed around 450.00 to be fully funded.

 

She shared that Tessa came from the same place as one of her children.  She begged for someone to SEE her!

 

 

She then went to go feed her babes.

 

When she came back she checked on Tessa.

 

SOMEONE HAD DONATED $1,000.00 TO TESSA'S GRANT ACCOUNT!

 

Someone SAW Tessa.

 

That alone is why I say WE WON!  We won! 

 

IT WAS A GREAT ANGEL TREE SEASON. 

 

THANK YOU THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHO PARTICIPATED...

 

Melissa M. Rosemary M. Elaine L. Melissa M. Jennifer R. Kelly M. Cheryl S. Stacy A. Kerri H. Brooke K. Nicole N. Debra Mandy Virginia M. Julie R. Debbie M. Roberta F. Nakia B. Miranda L. Ann Christina S. Toby W. Nancy Frankie M. Debbie M. Chandres P. Jamie Lisa C Jesssica B. Justine F. Tara G. Sydney M. K.A. Carla A. Jane G. Emily H. Angelina V. Leah H. Brandee S. Liza M. David A. Traci D. Marissa I. Janet H. Kim Natalie C. Jennifer R. Emily H. Jessica H. Katrina Megan D. Jane K.  Erika R.  Jacquelyn M.  Matthew H.  Kathie S.      Andrea G.  Beth B.  Melanie H.  Gloria H  Stephanie L.  Olivia R.  Scarlett R.  Sydney  Deb W.  Jessica H.  Renee L.  David E.  Debbie M.  Kim D.  Candice P.  Jennifer  Rachel M.   Stori W. 

 

 

HERE'S THE FINAL DRAWING FOR ALL THE GIFT CARDS!!

 

 

$25 Anywhere Gift card - Debra (donated to Veronika)

50.00 Anywhere card - N.B.

25.00 Anywhere card - J.B.

25.00 Anywhere card - Justine Foster

20.00 Target card - Christina Schye

Two 10.00 Memoria Press gift cards - Jennifer Rush

50.00 Reward Yourself Gift card - Scarlett Romine

25.00 Barnes and Nobles Gift card - Jamie Vanchura

50.00 Kohl’s card - Kim (Where Mercy Met Grace blog)

10.00 Starbucks card - Olivia Romine

Two 5.00 Sonic cards - Stephanie Lynch

10.00 iTunes and 5.00 Best Buy cards - Jessica Hopkins

10.00 iTunes card - Elaine Lawrence

25.00 Michaels card - Jessica Borges

$50 Barnes and Noble card - Cheryl Schalk

$50 Target card - Roberta Fanile

$50 Gap card - David Ewer

$20 Starbucks card - Karla Hornstra Akwa

$25 Cheesecake Factory card - Emily Hollister

$25 Olive Garden card - Jane Koa

$50 Visa card - Brandee Spohr

$50 American Express card - Andrea Gableman

$25 Old Navy/GAP/Banana Republic gift card - Megan Dowdle

$50 Outback Steakhouse card - Erika Rogers

 

WINNERS... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH A NOTE SAYING WHAT YOU WON AND YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS!!!

 

 covenantb@yahoo.com

 

CLICK HERE TO GO SEE WHERE THE ANGEL TREE STANDS AS OF TODAY...