And Again

God just keeps on showing off! I love watching the kids watch Him at work.
The food angels showed up today....twice. Once this afternoon, then again tonight with another bag of bread from a local bakery.

A lot of this food was cooked and went with our friends Laurie and Hector Pineda to their weekly outreach in Five Points for the poor and homeless. You can find out more about PurelightMinistry here.
Thank you Jesus for your provision!

THE FOOD ANGELS SHOWED UP AGAIN

Ever seen a food angel?
We have. Over and over and over.

About 8 months ago we started praying asking God for manna. At the time we had 12 people living here, along with friends, family and neighbors that always show up right at meal time. It makes for an overwhelming food budget, but we love people and we love feeding them.

So we would pray and the Lord would send food. One day friends filled our freezer and pantry while we were at church. Several times an elderly couple down the street have stopped by saying they were having a buy one get one free sale at the store, the free one is for you. When an 88 year old man hands you a 5 pound bag of potatoes it's humbling. When you cook 5 lbs of potatoes for lunch and the boys eat them all in one sitting....you thank God for His provision. It got to be so consistent that we started a manna log - a journal of God's provision! There's the venison in the freezer, pasta in the pantry, bread in the freezer and just last week we came home to 200 bagels on the dining room table.



This is what 200 bagels look like on our kitchen counter!

DO NOT WORRY
Matthew 6:25-26 NIV

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

There was one night in Odessa last year that we wept as never before. We knew without a miracle from God's hand we would not leave Odessa with our 4 children- but He provided a way. There were other nights this past year we wept too---times when you don't know how to convince a child that you are not going to abandon them, but He provided a way, or nights that they dream nightmares of memories – but he comforts, or the day my mother died, and He comforts still, or the day a friendship was betrayed, but He is all we need.

We have sown in tears for the last 18 months, but there are songs of joy greater still. Five children came to a saving knowledge of Jesus in our home this past year, my brothers and sisters drew closer as we said goodbye to our mother, our family tree was enlarged as four siblings were truly grafted into their perfect places and they have grown leaves of new growth because their souls are being nourished. Our marriage has only grown closer as we've weathered these trials, one being strong when the other was weak and ready to give up. Jesus has been our faithful constant Friend. The Holy Spirit our true Comforter; day after day keeping us close to Father God.

We're looking toward a new year of stretching and continued growth, of reaching out to others as they enlarge their families through Open Arms Adoption Ministry, of learning to love one another more and of becoming a little more like Jesus each day. Praying we will all follow Jesus closely and trusting that He alone is our true Provider, Comforter and Friend. (Psalm 126 Look what He did.....Lord do it again!)

Blessings on you all!
Happy New Year!

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Reminder to ourselves....He who promised is faithful ----remember---- “I will give you the blessings you ask for if you will not go any further without them.”

Psalm 126: 1-3 Look what He did!
Psalm 126:4-6 Lord do it again!
Luke 8:11-15 Don't forget to plant our seeds in good soil and persevere! A harvest takes time.
Galatians 6:9 Do not become weary....you will reap in due time...
Hebrews 6:12 Continue to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised!


SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS WITH REBEKAH, TIM AND THE BOYS



JANUARY 2010












DECEMBER 2010



WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!

God Keeps His Promises


Psalm 126
A Pilgrim Song
1-3 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God returned Zion's exiles.
We laughed, we sang,
we couldn't believe our good fortune.
We were the talk of the nations—
"God was wonderful to them!"
God was wonderful to us;
we are one happy people.

4-6 And now, God, do it again—
bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

One Year Home

Praise Jesus.

Today, tonight is the night. Last year about this time we landed in Columbia and were welcomed home by family and friends. We've made it through our first year and have so many stories to tell.

Today we were thinking about how different all our lives are now. Usually we are up early an busy with school or co-op classes by 9am, but today was different. We were all pretty exhausted last night so the kids slept in for a bit.

Lyonya was up early though and racing thru his school work. He was motivated. He managed to finish his Algebra, Physical Science and English by 10am. Highly motivated. He had the opportunity today to help a friend with a house painting job....and that meant there was money to be made, so he was all over that. By 10:30 he was out the door for a full days work. Pasha also had the chance to work today but he wanted to make sure he was ready for marching band this afternoon so he opted to stay home today. So we (Pasha, Galya, Andrew and I) enjoyed a leisurely morning of current events, the reading of the historical account of John Wycliff's bones being dug up and burned at the stake, math and grammar. A quick lunch of meatloaf sandwiches (which the kids actually like now) was enjoyed while we visited with Jenn (our extra daughter/border right now) and our next door daughter, Sarah. Sarah had to come visit due to plumbing problems at home.

Pasha reminded me that we needed to go to Steve's office to hit his co-workers up for a fund raiser from band. He is trying to raise funds for a band trip to Chicago in January. So we raced to ECS (which gave him a number of sales) and returned home just in time for band. Pasha headed to band and Galya, Andrew and I headed to the CPA's office to pick up our taxes. Gotta file those before Friday. A fast stop there and we race home to take Jenn to work. Her car fell apart over the weekend and she needs a ride.

Probably way too many details for most of you...but all this to say...Thank you Lord for turning this crazy mix into a family. We love You so much.

All my devotion

It is absolutely amazing how much can happen in one year! September 8, 2010...one year since the adoption was final. September 21, 2010....one year since we picked up 4 children from the orphanages they called home... and brought them to live in a strange country, with a new language and a new family. Many others have done the same, but it has been a miracle none the less. A miracle of God's goodness, His grace and His love. We serve such an wonderful Father God.

We've struggled with molding everyone into a family at times, but we truly are family, Our most difficult days however were saying goodbye to Grandma Polly on April 13th. After a short illness with colon cancer she quietly and peacefully slipped into heaven with her King. She promised she would say hello to my Daddy for me and that she would dance with Jesus. We miss her very much.



Homeschooling is going well this year. We have many neighbors that also homeschool so we trade off some classes and have a never ending list of friends in and out.

Open Arms Adoption Ministry is growing. In addition to monthly support group meetings for adoptive families and supporters, we have been able to facilitate distribution of funds from supporters to adoptive families. God has an amazing way of connecting all the right people to make things come together.

We owe it all to Him....all we have and all we are. Our family enjous listening to the Newsboys sing, All My Devotion. His desire is to rescue us all.

Devotion Lyrics
Newsboys

All my world
All I've lost
The wrecks I've made here
The lives it cost
Your hand restores
Your works make whole
With all my soul
I thank You
I owe You
All my...Devotion
All that I have to give
Here's my devotion
You're all that it means to live

All my past My tainted main
You stole its legacy Of pride and shame
You're all I love, You're all I fear
I'm drawing near To face You
To know You, To show You...

Devotion, All that I have to give
Here's my devotion
You're all that it means to live

You found me, In a shallow grave
You tracked me out from beneath it all
You healed me, Saved me
In the nick of time
Your perfect time
You found me (found me)
In a shallow grave (in a shallow grave)
You called me out from beneath it all
You touched me (touched me)
Saved me (saved me)
In the nick of time
In Your perfect time

I devote all I have to You
I devote all that You've made new
All You restored that day You bled
All that You brought back from the dead
All...

Happy Birthday USA!

The Family plus a few...but they are family too!


We go to court on July 16th here in SC to obtain US birth certificates for the kids and have the paperwork we need to obtain their citizenship. It should all be formality, but we take nothing for granted and request your prayers as we offer up ours.

The Father has continued to provide for us abundantly above all we could think or ask. Thank you so much for continuing to walk thru this journey with us.

Steve and Carol

Fun on a slip and slide
Andrew
Galya, Pasha and Lyonya



Sharing our story at Bethel Methodist Church in Winnsboro, SC