Back and Forth

My darling husband, Roland and I were talking today.  We were discussing countries.  This seems to be a common discussion for us lately.  Roland absolutely has not wanted to choose a country.  He feels that God has placed our children in another country and that we should not limit God by choosing, and what if we made the wrong choice.  Well, recently we were talking about this and included the children in the discussion.  There were two countries that just kept glaring at us.  The Democratic Republic of Congo and Samoa. 

As we were discussing the differences between the countries the kids got caught up in the beauty of Samoa.  So when we decided it was time to vote, and truly narrow down the country we feel led to, the kids all voted for Samoa.  This made me question if God was truly sending us out to Samoa and it was just my heart that was in the Congo.  I wanted time to pray about it, and allow God to close my heart to DR Congo.  He never did. 

Today, in discussing with Roland, we went back to the beginning.  We started discussing why we are adopting in the first place.  God tells us in Matthew 25:40 "And the King will say, I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me".  This is why we chose to follow God's leading!  To reach out to the least of these and offer to them a life they would never know without us, without Jesus.  We chose to adopt because it is God's heart to care for the orphans, the least of these. 

Now in light of this, we had to ask ourselves, Congo or Samoa.  Why did the kids vote for Samoa that day, why did we even consider it when we felt so strongly to go to Congo?  We even said on vote day that we will go to Congo, it just may be second.  Second... Why did Congo become second?  Well we had to look at everything we had discussed.  The weather in Samoa, the beauty, the safety of travel, seeing New Zealand, basically going to pick up our baby would be more like an exquisite vacation.  We have discussed whether we would even consider taking the children to Congo for gotcha day, but they don't feel safe going there.  Well one would go, the other 2 are a bit worried about it.  Just as a by the way, never let your child watch River Monsters when you are doing a foreign adoption ;)  So I think the children were voting selfishly.  I think we all got caught up in the beauty of where we would be going and forgot the original call.

The level of care that orphans receive in Samoa is far superior to what the orphans in Congo receive.  If we are going to follow God's lead, we need to remove our own selfish desires.  Even if our selfish desires are born out of fear, we need to remove them.  My heart has always been in the Congo and after much discussion, the rest of the family has remembered. 

Now I have to ask God to forgive us, forgive us for second guessing, for forgetting, for becoming selfish. 

For those of you who question

Home At Last from dan owens on Vimeo.

The founders of Sixty Feet and their adoption video.  How beautiful...

My Prayer

Oh Lord, I come before you today knowing you are sovereign and Holy. You have broken our hearts for the orphans Lord, just as Your heart is broken for them. I thank you so much for giving us this thorn to carry! I praise You for setting us apart for these children. What an awesome God you are! How the creator of the Earth, the universe, and everything in it, could love us as You do is incomprehensible to me, but I thank you so much in spite of my lack of understanding! I know that You have placed this desire of adoption in us because Your Holy Word tells us in John 15:5 that "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing". We ask first that through this long process that we will REMAIN in YOU Lord! That we would give YOU the glory and honor and praise! Secondly Lord, We ask that You would produce much fruit in and for us. Lord we want to serve you in ways we have never breached. You tell us in James 1:27 "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." We ask that You allow us to participate in what You tell us is pure and genuine religion! Lord I ask that You would MOVE in MIGHTY ways for our adoption! Sovereign Father, I ask that You would MOVE the hearts of our friends, BREAK their hearts for the orphans. Father God, I ask that each and every person who reads of this fund raiser would be moved to participate, even if they don't participate financially, I ask for their prayers to You. Lord, I ask that YOU, above ALL ELSE, would be glorified through this effort. We want to please YOU Father God, we want to honor Your word and glorify Your name. I pray this in the MIGHTY name of Your son Jesus, who loved us above himself while we were and are still so unworthy...

Overcoming the Obstacles

God is good.  He really is!  I have had some major discouragement in the last few days.  Tears were shed, questions raised and answered, and joy was forgotten, but just for a second.  I want to share with you all how good our God is!  I have had the distinct displeasure of people in my life who don't appreciate my passion.  These tend not to be quiet people who grumble from a distance, no these tend to be people who make it very known to me that they disagree with me. Well, when this happens, it is usually very hurtful to me.  When I become passionate about something, I tend to go all in.  So in the face of adversity, I go back and check what I am passionate about against what God calls us all to be passionate about.  If it doesn't line up, I must rethink, if it does line up with God's word, then I am good!  Well, this time, my passion not only lines up with God's Word, it is also called pure and genuine religion!  There are those in my life who disagree with my choice to adopt, and they have made it known.  I have so little faith sometimes, so much doubt and I need a neon sign. Even through my lack of faith and in answer to my prayers, God is giving me that neon sign!  Oh Lord I ask that you would forgive me of this lack of trust!

I have some good news to share! Even though Satan is attacking, even though he is trying to steal from me, lie to me, and defeat me, GOD IS GOOD! We have sold some of our coffee, and I have been contacted by more than one friend of how they are donating, either personally or through their business. God has chosen a child for us, He has set this child apart and called a family to come, He has created love in our hearts for a child whom we don't even know what looks like, Satan YOU CAN'T STEAL THIS! God is victorious! Even in the face of adversity, GOD IS MOVING FOR US! Praise His name with me! Hearts have been moved, money is coming in, and our child will be brought home in God's own perfect timing

Teri Lynn

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Just Love Coffee Roastmaster's Friday!

It's Roast Master Friday at our coffee shop! If you buy 3 (13 oz) bags of our specialty, artisan roast coffee, a 4th bag of the roster's choice will be thrown in your order for FREE! Remember that we make $5 per bag for our adoption fund!

Getting started Fundraising!

Fundraising.  Have you ever considered how to fund raise?  Well, it is daunting to say the least.  When I think of fundraisers, I think of schools and the children going from family member to friends to neighbors asking for someone to please buy their too expensive items to support their group.  The people approached usually buy from them out of guilt or obligation and often times they don't really even want what they bought!  Needless to say, this creates a negative emotion for me as I think of fund raising.

That being said, adoption fundrasing is really not like that.  First of all, we don't have a few hundred children going to everyone they know, unfortunately lol!  Second, most of the fundraisers adoptive families do are services or products that you actually use or will benefit you.  Third, we are on a mission to rescue children that God has chosen us to parent, and by asking you to participate with us by donating money or participating in one of our fundraisers, you will also be counted as *in* on our rescue mission.  In James 1:27 God tells us that "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."  By helping us bring our children home, you are participating in Pure and Genuine religion.  Not everyone can bring a child home, nor should they, BUT everyone should support orphans and widows.  God's word is so clear about the way He feels about this.

Our first fundraiser will be our "Just Love Coffee" store.  If you enjoy coffee, will you please consider purchasing a bag or two from us?  It is fair trade coffee, and what that means is the coffee farmer in Ethiopia gets his fair share of the profit.  For years coffee farmers have been ripped off by the big coffee companies, they were given just pennies for their product, while we were paying a whole lot more than that.  Also, we offer organic coffees.  So won't you come on by and grab a bag?  We will earn $5 from every bag we sell.  You can choose whole bean, ground, and french press.  There are sampler packs, and even clothing  in our store.

Most importantly, thank you.  Thank you for praying for us, thank you for purchasing from us, and thank you for supporting us.  We can't say enough how much it means to us.

Moved...in more ways than one!

So we have finally moved into our new place.  Whew!  Moving is such difficult work.  Praise God we are finished.  I haven't been on my blog because we were without the Internet for a bit during the transition, but I am back!  So thankful for peace and rest <3

ALSO...

God is moving in our hearts!  I have been feeling an incredible urgency to proceed with starting the adoption.  Now I have to share with you all that we still don't have the funds for even the home study, but God is saying jump!  So we are jumping.  Today we have requested information from different agencies so that we can begin the process.  God is settling my heart about the home study.  I have worried and fretted over this part of the process.  I am far less concerned about flying for 30+ hours into a country that most wouldn't visit to bring home children grown in our hearts, than I am about answering some questions for a home study!  I realized today that it is ok.  They are just looking at our family and writing a picture of us on paper.  That is it.  God is giving me peace about this part.  I am truly thankful and I pray this peace lasts for me. 

He is also leading us to look at another country or two.  So stay tuned, it may not be time for us to go to D.R. Congo after all.  I do believe that we will get there someday, if not this time. 

There is a scripture I have been thinking of recently...John 14 verse 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.  These are Jesus' words to us from the Father.  When He breaks your heart for the orphans keep in mind that His heart was broken for them first.  Lord, I ask that you would continue to break my heart for the things that break Yours.  Father, I thank You for the compassion You have for us, to remind us that You will come back for us, that we will not be left as orphans.  Lord I also thank You for giving me a heart for the Fatherless.  They aren't Fatherless, their Father is sending in His troops.  I praise You for Your faithfulness.  I praise You for Your sovereignty, I thank You for Your son, and it is in His name I pray...Amen