The People of God

We had our garage sale fundraiser this weekend...we made $7,000....$7,000...on a garage sale! We had a goal of making $5,000 to reach our matching grant. Someone asked me yesterday if I believed before the sale that God could do it. I could honestly answer "yes I did". But it wasn't because I was without faith. I knew God could and would do it if He so desired. I knew He could move a few hearts to give "big" or make if fall from the sky for that matter, but I knew He could do it. How He chose to do it was what was so convicting to me and so very humbling. He chose to use His people....one truck load of donations, one check, one helping hand at a time to pull off something truly remarkable. What I failed to believe was the love and support from my brothers and sisters in Christ (and for that matter from perfect strangers, some of who surely did not know the Lord). God spoke loudly revealing the places my heart was calloused and cynical. The body of Christ came together for two little orphans in a way that I will never forget. From the little girl who came to me to say she asked for nothing for her birthday but money to give for my babies in Russia, to the couple facing their own very difficult times who gave their tax return, God used His people...not just to support us and help redeem these little lives, but to change my heart. Thank you everyone....and thank you Father for your great, great love.

Little Lives

(By Amber) They are never off my mind now....to know that two little people who God created to be my children before time began are living and breathing somewhere on planet earth...its a sober, beautiful, thrilling thing all at the same time. Asher and Faith...two little people who now have names to us and soon will have faces. Asher means "happy" and Faith...I can't think of a better name to encapsulate what God is asking of us through this journey. Happiness and Faith...work them in our hearts Lord and bring them home.

The Anointing

(By Paul) Hello all.  I wanted the first blog to be a summation and message of what the Lord has been teaching us these last several weeks.  The next morning after Amber and I had discussed the potential of going to Russia to adopt, my daily reading was Isaiah. 61.  The first four verses were a clear word of validation and inspiration to me. Some key thoughts to pass on.  The Lord anointed Isaiah.  This anointing means to be set apart, called, conscecrated.  It was a religous term used for men and objects set aside for the glory of God. Not only was Isaiah burdened and set apart, this conscecration was from the Lord, no small task.  His annointing was to bring something new, something fresh to a captive people who at the time were not captives at all.  This was a prophecy to people who were safe and seemingly secure not knowing they even needed freedom.  His anointing is to bring good news and to proclaim it.  Literally to assert a specific message that will elicit a specific response.  Three times in four verses Isaiah proclaims.  He proclaims liberty, freedom, redemption, and a new name.  He asserts a message that is not random but rather powerfully intentional.  Here is the message to us.  Over the years there has been a hidden but constant undertow of the Lord setting us apart to adopt children.  Sometimes vague and unclear in the begining, but as the years have gone by the Lord has graciously brought more clarity.  In this latest adventure we know the message to us is specific and our actions will be no less intentional.  There are at this moment two orphans half a world away who don't know they need redemption.  In the sovereingty of God they are ours and have been before the world was even created.  We are going to rescue them.  We believe in the faithfullness of God and the everlasting nature of His covenant promises.  These orphans will have new names and it is our belief that they will be planted as it were by the very hand of God himself to be paragons of virtue, standing in the gap rebuilding the "desolations of many generations."  We cherish you girding us up.

Welcome!

Russia....to be continued...