Just Enjoy

There is no way I can sit here and tell you the names of every single child at this reunion.

 

Believe me -  I am trying hard to put together child with parent with RR name with country....

 

 

 

THERE ARE TOO MANY!!

 

60 + families with many of these families adopting 2, 3, 4 + kids...  It's a terrible problem!! 

 

 

 

My solution...

 

 

Share the pictures and let you figure it out!

 

 

 

(insert evil laugh)

 

 

 

Just enjoy people.... just enjoy....

 

 

The entire pool... 100% RR families... 100%!!!

And that is just one of the pools.. there are two others and they too were filled with RR babes!!

 

It's Chocolate Week at the campgrounds!!

 

Day two done....

 

Low-Key Reunion

I'm here.

In Kentucky.

With about 60 + other families.

We are spread out in cabins and campsites and RV's across the Yogi Bear Campground. 

 

The meeting places are the swimming pools, hay rides or last night an impromptu marshmallow roast at the Rowe's cabin.  The kids ran around catching lightning bugs.  I spent 30 minutes with this precious precious in my arms until Nancy Thornell rudely stole him.

 

 (RR Lane)

 

 

I am in heaven.

 

Getting to see children in families.

 

Vika - orange shirt - Susan RR

 

 

Leo - Edmund RR

 

Seeing the three precious babes I crossed the ocean in December to help bring home.

 

Yana - Lucy RR

 

 

Check out the shirts - 2013 and 2014... Lucille - You do good work!

 

 

 

A reunion with no agenda.

 

Bobby (Nathaniel RR)

 

No organized meetings.

 

Sara (Charlotte RR)

 

No speeches.

 

Jo Jo (Jocelyn RR)

 

Love you Renee!!

 

 

Just lots of hugs.

 

Lots of joy.

 

Krystina - Kameron  RR

 

 

Lily (red shirt)

 

Lots and lots of joy!

 

 My kind of reunion!!

 

 



Almost. Almost.

SATURDAY. SATURDAY. SATURDAY!!

 

We are almost almost done with an 850 page beast.

 

 

ALMOST. ALMOST. ALMOST.

 

I have no words.

 

We are so tired we don't even feel like celebrating.  We are not completely done.  Each of the years of our four year program comes with 14 products.  Today we finish the HARDEST one.  THE BOOK.  The 850 page book filled from front to back with American History.  World History.  Church History. Missionary History.  Presidents.  States.  Oh My!  All within the time period of 1600-1850. 

 

We still have to finish some of the other 14 products.  The question pages. The discussion guide.  The craft/activity book.  The Teacher's Guide for co-ops and schools.  We have only a few weeks left to get them done before the school years starts.  Some are close to being finished.  Some are not started yet. 

 

But the writing of the BIG BOOK is done as of tonight. 

 

Done.

 

Tonight I pack for Kentucky and Tennessee. 

 

I'm leaving for a week and have packed NOTHING.  I'm going camping and have packed NOTHING. I have a convention next weekend and have packed NOTHING. 

 

I have spent every minute for the last month writing and writing and writing.

 

I am so not ready.  I still have writing to finish!

 

AWWWWW!!!!!!!

 

Tomorrow morning Aaron and I get up early early early in the morning to drive 9 hours to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky where we get to spend 5 days hanging out with a whole bunch of babes who share similar stories with him. 

 

 

I fear I will get there and just completely collapse in exhaustion.

 

 

On Thursday, Aaron and I will drive 3+ hours to Chattanooga, TN to attend a Homeschool Conference where BiblioPlan will have a booth.  Aaron gets to sit in my booth for two days playing games on the ipad.  Oh well.  He will consider that the icing on the cake!!

 

On Saturday night we will drive home.

 

A crazy trip and I can't wait.

 

I just need to finish my part of this book.

 

And maybe throw some clothes and whatnots for us in a bag.

 

And carefully pack all the books for the convention....

 

That's it....

 

Easy!

 

 

 

------------------------------------

 

Ben made it across the ocean! 

 

Praise God!! Praise God!

 

I was a bit of a wreck yesterday waiting for news that he had made it.

 

I cannot wait to see the pictures from the camp this next week.  MY BOY IS GOING TO BE IN SOME OF THEM!! WOO HOO!!

 

.......................................

 

Enough chatting... now back to work.  I have a book to finish!

 

 

 

Good, Wholesome, Godly Food!

My sweet boy is on his way.

 

 

Yes I might have shed some tears when I hugged him goodbye. 

 

He's taking my heart with him.

 

Carrying marshmallows and balloons in his bags.  A football.  Some glow in the dark bracelets.  8 lbs of Twizzlers.  His Bible.

 

Ministering to children who have so little. 

 

Children who are going because you gave.  You gave.

 

These are the boys who are there now. 

 

 

They have enjoyed a week to just be boys.  To leave for a few hours the life of an orphan.  To get dirty.  Run. Play. Eat. Eat some more. Build forts. Learn about Jesus.  Hear about His love.

 

 

Thank you for helping to make it happen for them.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you.

 

 

Pray for them.

 

 

Each boy.

 

 

Though you don't know their names - whisper prayers for them.  They have hard roads to travel. The life of an orphan is a dreary one.  Lonely.  Pray for them.  Pray that the relationships forged this week will continue. Pray that the lessons learned and the love offered will not be forgotten. 

 

 

 

 

Please pray too for the camps. 

 

There are four more.

 

Next week the 13-18 year olds will come.

 

Pray for Ben as he works among them. 

 

Pray that God will do a mighty work in the hearts of each of the children who come!!

 

600 orphans are going to camp this summer because of so many of you.

 

 

600 orphans are being fed good wholesome, Godly food!

 

 

600 orphans.

 

Are you in awe??

 

 

Me too.

 

 

----------------------------------

 

P.S.

 

Remember Barton?

 

He aged out and lost all hope for a family.

 

But God intervened!

 

 

Sweet sweet boy has a family who loves him enough to have crossed the ocean twice now to bring him home.  His Papa crossed once to adopt Barton and three others.  He successfully passed court for the other boys and they are safely on U.S. soil learning what it means to be in a family.  Praise God. Praise God.

 

 

But Barton's in a different place where adoptions are hard and his judge must be related to Aaron's.  They couldn't get a court date while they were there so they had to leave him behind. Then.... in another horrific twist, instead of passing court on Wednesday this week the judge is requiring Barton's Papa to come back in two weeks.  Oh I know the agony of those words.  We had the same nightmare happen to us. So he has to come home.  Again. Wait.  Go back.  Then he will have to come home again to work during the 10 day waiting period (he has run out of leave) and then go back and bring Barton home.  It is a nightmare they didn't anticipate.  They are in desperate need.  They are at least 3,000 short of what they need. Please - on this Fatherless Friday - help get Barton home!!  Please!  We prayed for a family.  We begged God.  We rejoiced when they stepped forward.  Now let's help them bring Barton home!

 

 

 

CLICK HERE TO GET BARTON HOME!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Worthy Trip

I miss this blog.

 

These last few weeks have been HARD.

 

We are almost done.

 

Bear with me, dear friends!

 

Saturday.  Saturday. Saturday. 

 

The Early Modern Companion will be FINISHED.....

 

 

 

Okay.  Not quite finished but MY PART will be finished!

 

 

And on Sunday, early in the wee morning hours, Aaron and I will head for Kentucky for the sweetest reunion at the Yogi Bear Campgrounds....  A whole host of Reece's Rainbow babes and families and advocates will be there.  Aaron and I are so excited! 

 

I just need to get through this week....

 

TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY. FRIDAY. SATURDAY.

 

ALSO...

 

Please pray for Ben.

 

He is boarding a plane by himself on Thursday night and heading across the ocean to spend a week helping with the camps you so graciously donated towards!

 

 

 

He is going to be my eyes and ears and hands!  I wish with all of my heart that I was boarding the plane with him.  To spend a week helping provide an amazing camp experience for orphans is my kind of vacation!!

 

Last year he spent two weeks helping renovate a home for boys who were aging out of the system.  This year - camp.  Rob and I consider that a worthy way to spend part of his summer.

 

Pray for him.

 

Pray for the camp.

 

The all-boys camp is happening as I type.

 

The teen camp will be going on next week while Ben is there.

 

Three more camps will take place after that... including the camp for the special needs orphans.

 

Pray that NOTHING will keep the children from being able to come. 

 

Not directors.  Or government officials.  Or weather.  Or war.

 

Pray your hearts out dear friends....

 

Mountains keep rising up on the ministry team. 

 

But God is bigger and prayer works!

 

If you want to follow the happenings of the camp... the link is HERE

 

 

Sweet Brett

This is Brett.

 

 

He's an orphan in need of a family.

 

He currently has $9029.00 in his grant account.

 

That is a HUGE amount.

 

But here's the deal..

 

There is a family who is in process right now... they are waiting on travel dates and will be crossing the ocean soon. 

 

They want him.

 

They are adopting another child/ren and can ONLY add him on if he is fully funded.

 

He's not in the same region as their other child/ren which means the cost to add him on is around $14,000

 

 

 The family is working to fund their current adoption which means that unless Brett is fully funded - they just can't add him on. 

 

Money can't be the reason this little boy misses out on a family.

 

PLEASE.

 

If you have anything to spare... would you help Brett?

 

It is a win, win, win.

 

If they end up not adding him on.. Brett's grant account will have grown so that another family just may add him on...  If they do add him on then BRETT HAS A FAMILY!!

 

He deserves a family.  Sweet boy has waited for so very long.

 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO BRETT