We Got It!!!!!

Ok...It has been one difficult week!  Eden (whom I will update you on in a later post) has had a rough time and has gone backwards over the last week with the hitting and sleep has been lacking.  On Monday, while spending time with a dear friend, my phone rings and it is America World.  I answer the phone practically giddy thinking we had received our approval. The voice was not the voice of Kelcey, our family coordinator, but the voice of Aleesa, our travel coordinator, so I immediately knew this was not the call I was hoping for.  Aleesa had discovered a mistake in our paperwork with USCIS (immigration).  She was "Johnny on the Spot" and worked with us, our social worker (amazing woman), and our immigration Officer (who by the way is fabulous!) to resolve the issue. We worked on it all week with back and forth phone calls and emails.  Yesterday I get a phone call from America World, and well, you can imagine I was not giddy as I was expecting it to be more instructions on fixing the problem.  I answer with a normal "hello," and I hear a voice say hesitantly as if confused, "Hi....Amanda?"  Me, "Yes."  The voice, "This is Kelcey"......That changed the tone of my voice as I about erupted in screaming!!!!  Oh...I was in our chuch office and 2 ladies came running and Eden was looking at me like I was crazy!  As you have figured out, that call was the call I thought I was getting on Monday....our final approval was in AWAA's office!  It is OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL....Tilly Lynn is going to be a Yarbrough!

 A group that recenly volunteered at her orphanage told me she likes to study and watch TV!  I was told she was kind, which always makes a momma proud! For now, that is really all I have to share about her.  Isn't it amazing how God can bind your heart to another individual that you have never even met!

I am blessed to be able to share our prayer requests with you for the remainder of the process.  What do I mean by "blessed to share?"  Well, Sunday at Chinese Church I saw something that opened my eyes to prayer.  There is always a lunch fellowship after the service on Sunday mornings at the Chinese Church we attend.  The food is blessed in the service, then we all pile in the fellowship room and enjoy lunch.  A gentleman sat down across from me with his plate.  He bowed his head and closed his eyes.  For at least 2 minutes he prayed over his food.  In that moment I realized how much I take my freedom for granted;  how much I take my God for granted.  My blessing takes about 10 seconds and it is what I have taught my children.  It is more of a checking the box rather than an acknowledgement of the One who provided my need. So yes....it is a blessing to share the following request.  I realize I could not do this if I lived in certain places.

1.  We need an army of prayer warriors lifting up our family, our coordinators Kelcey and Aleesa, our USCIS officer (you can call her Officer G), and the workers in China helping and working on our case.  See, Tilly ages out on January 3rd.  We have to have our Civil Affairs appointment for her on December 28th to finalize the adoption.  There are still many steps that have to take place between now and then.  I am not worried that we won't get her, my faith is in Jesus and I know what He has said and I know He has a heart for the orphan.  I also know that Satan hates God.  Satan is going to fight for Tilly Lynn.  His arrows are flaming and the bullseye on my family is getting bigger and bigger by the day.  I also know that I am fighting from a victory that was won at the cross.   I know God hears my prayers for protection and I want to ask you to join in those prayers with me.  Would you please pray for a hedge of protection around each of us......Brandon, Phoebe, Eden, Tilly Lynn, Lyric, and me?  Thank you!

2.  We are still in need of donations.  One adoption is completely funded, but we need about $14,500 more for the second.  Again, I am not worried.  I watched God do some amazing things during each of our adoptions.  Would you pray and ask God if He is calling you to help?  It could be through a donation or buying Stranded Angels for Christmas gifts or by donating $5 to have your name on a puzzle piece.  Please consider sharing about the Stranded Angels and the puzzle pieces. It could be that you know someone that may need to hear our story and you give them our blog and God speaks to them.  I believe the story of adoption is an easy intro to the love of Jesus, and He has a story we all need to hear!

3.  This one may sound silly to you but it is a need we are asking God for.  We need to sell our 4Runner so we can buy a van that a precious brother and sister in Christ are trying to sell to us!  Our AC went out in it and we need to get it fixed and put a big For Sale sign in it!

4.  This last request is not for me or my family.  It is for a fellow sister in Christ.  She has a desire to bring home her fifth daughter from China.  Satan is attacking her and trying to crush her dream.  Pray that her agency will say YES...go get that little girl!

I am convinced that God will provide all our needs.  I am trusting Him.  He is giving me plenty of opportunities to practice that trust.  I hope I can stay the course.  I am hoping I will trust His heart when I cannot see His hand.  Thank you for walking this road with us.  Thank you for your prayers and donations.

Why do bad things happen??? (for my sweet friend struggling tonight)

My Comforter, My God

My family is a little different from most.  We don’t just blend into a crowd.  We don’t go unnoticed.  We are a family that is not traditional.  We are bi-racial.  We are not bound by DNA.  Our bond is love.  My daughters are adopted from China and each one of them is a “special” child. 

It is very difficult raising and homeschooling children with “special” needs.  At times I stoop so low as to blame God for our situation. I blame Him for their pain and conditions.  I get angry at Him for not miraculously healing them or not giving me answers.  I treat God like he is supposed to be at my beckon call and do just as I ask.  I have placed my joy in Him on hold and traded it for bitterness.  I ask, “God, why don’t You heal Eden?” Or “why did You create her to beat and slam her head?”  “God, why did you leave Phoebe an orphan for 13 years and 11 months?”  “God, why did you give Lyric congenital glaucoma?” “God, why did Tilly Lynn get so sick when she was little and have lasting side effects.”

Here is His gentle answer… “I did not cause that, but I will take care of you and them.”  He is so right!  God is not the cause of my pain, but He is the Comfort in it.  God is good.  He is holy and righteous and just.  He created a perfect world where there was no pain, no death, only beauty.  When we as mankind sinned against this holy God, He had no choice but to punish our sin.  He placed a curse on man, woman, the serpent and the earth, but He loved us so much that in the same breath of a curse, He made a way of salvation.  In the pain of breaking God’s heart, and the pain of living with the consequences of her sin, Eve felt God’s comfort because the God she had experienced so intimately in the Garden of Eden had made her a promise that the serpent would be crushed!

So, living under the curse, bad things are going to happen.  There will be death, and cancer, orphans and mental illness.  There will be heartbreak and sadness.  There will be war and evil of all kind.  BUT, there will always be God.

God did not cause Eden to slam and beat her head.  He did not cause Phoebe to be an orphan for 13 years and 11 months.  He did not cause Lyric to be born with glaucoma.  God did not cause Tilly Lynn’s fever.  God did not cause my daughters’ biological parents to abandon them.  God did not cause me and Brandon to be barren.

Here is what God did…God knew what the circumstances of my girls’ lives would be like before they were born.  He knew the hardships they would face.  He knew they would be abandoned.  God knew my girls intimately before He formed them in their mothers’ wombs.  He had a plan for them and He created them for His glory.  God prepared mine and Brandon’s hearts for these girls.  He planted a seed of love for the orphan in our hearts and in His perfect timing; He brought us together as a family.  In the curse of this life, God provided His comfort to 4 beautiful orphan girls and to a barren couple.  He is my comfort at all hours of the nights as Eden screams and cries and hits for hours at a time.  He is my comfort when my 16 year old struggles with first through third grade work (because she was not taught much before she came to us) and I worry about her future.  He is my comfort with every passing day that we don’t have Lyric and Tilly Lynn and they continue to live in poverty while we live in plenty. 

At times it may feel like I am all alone, but that is impossible.  The Bible tells me that He will never leave me.  So when you are hurting and angry and are playing the blame game like me, remember that God is not the cause of your pain, He is your comfort in it.  Fall into His ever loving arms and rest in His undying love for you. 

For my sweet friend struggling tonight, fall into His arms.  He loves you.  He designed you.  He knows you intimately. You are His delight.  No matter life circumstances, He is there with you.  He is there to comfort you.  He is there to grow you in your faith in the midst of your struggle.  Hold tight to His promises.  You are His and nothing will change that!!!  Remember, He has prepared a home for you where there is no curse, no sickness, no mental illness, no orphans and no evil.  Trust His heart, He created yours!

Family Photo Fundraiser Day!!!

What an amazing day we had yesterday at our Family Photo Fundraiser Day with photographer and friend Melanie Robertson, and the Clark, Olson, Kerr, Boles, Long, and Cody Families!!!  Oh and a big shout out to Jessica for all your help and hospitality throughout the day!

I stand in awe of who God is and how He works to accomplish His will; how he uses our friends and perfect strangers to bring it about.  Yesterday was yet another day we saw His hand.  He brought us great joy through the people He designed to share in this special day.

Thank You Father for the love you have shown and for the hearts of Your people that love and care for our two precious daughters a half a world away.

Melanie Robertson of Melanie Robertson Photography Melanie Robertson Photography, Photography on Mission.....OH MY STARS....You are FABULOUS!!!!  This woman is fantastic.  Ok...there are photographers and then there are creative souls that have a natural gift of lighting and posing and imagination and vision and love for people and love of photography and most of all love Jesus.  That is Melanie!!!  She is an artist of photography!  She wanted each person to have an amazing experience while all the time (no matter how tired she was) honoring Jesus!  Her eye is unbelievable.  She did not settle for a single flaw.  If the most minute detail was off, she did not accept it.  She would re-position and make it perfect.  She did all this and it was all for our two little girls.  She gave her time and talent to Christ in order to honor Him and to be His hands and feet and heartbeat for the orphaned.  If you need someone to capture your family for lasting memories, I highly recommend Melanie Roberston Photography.  Melanie, I love you and I am forever grateful for the the love you have shown my family and for your heart for the orphan.  May God's hand and blessings be on you and your family.

Now behind the scenes of Family Photo Day!!! NO....this is not Melanie's work.  This is the work of my Mother!!!

                                          Look who showed up to help with smiles Duty!!!!

                                               When Barney failed, I had to take his place!
                                   It worked quite well.  The youngest Cody thought I was hilarious!

The joy of simply rolling down hills at the end of the day!!!! What a great way to end it...full of smiles and giggles!

Angels Have Appeared!!!

Ok..I have finally gotten my Stranded Angels ready.  They are $10 each plus $5 if you need me to mail them.  The mailing cost might be more on large orders. After you make your selection, message me with the letter and number to make sure it has not been sold. Once I confirm that it is available, you can use the PayPal button or you can simply mail us a check, then we can mail them out. If mailing a check, I will message you my address. For those of you local, I can come to you or you can come to me to make your selection.  My phone number is 256-457-1833 if you need to call me.  Please share this  with your friends.  They make great Christmas gifts and they are gifts with a meaning.  We send a tag card with each angel so anyone you give it to will know that their angel made a difference in the lives of 2 little girls!

God gave me wings so I could fly

with my family through the sky

to a land to me unknown

where I will be forever home.

In honor of our beautiful children, Phoebe, Tilly Lynn, Lyric, and Eden.

Love Mommy and Daddy

Say Cheese!

God is showing up and showing out in so many ways in our lives right now.  He has always been faithful, and during the dark days of this life I am so grateful we can look back and see where He has never failed and to know He is holding us in the palm of His loving hand.  He and only He can do what is happening in our lives.  He and only He has put our family together.  He has a heart for the orphan and nothing will stand in His way to see "the least of these" come to know Him.  Satan has his arrows pointing at the bullseye on our family's back, but "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!"

You would think I would not mention funding anymore, but I want you all to see what God and only God can do.  He put the impossible in our lives so that He could get the glory and so that others (you) could be blessed by helping.  Helping....PRAY for us!!!!  Give to the orphan.  Invest in our kids at church.  Show them the love of Jesus when we get home!  My children are going to be able to see how God used the "Body of Christ".  They will see that He moved Heaven and Earth to bring them to Him! How amazing it is as parents to be part of that!  How amazing as family and friends to be part of that!  But some of you don't know us well or even at all....how amazing that God brought you in on this journey of restoration and reconciliation of broken, precious lives!

Back to the fundraising........we now need a little over $16,000.  As I mentioned in the previous post, there are several opportunities for you to get involved.  When we announced in our Sunday School class that God had blessed us with Tilly Lynn, and that our financial need had increased greatly, Melanie Robertson immediately offered her talent and services as a local, professional photographer.  I HAD NO IDEA HOW TALENTED SHE IS!!!! She has worked so hard at setting up a Family Photo Fundraiser for us.  She has done all the work that goes into it.  For a minimum donation of $100, (all of which Melanie is giving to our family...thank you for your heart sweet friend!)
Melanie will take your family's photos and put them on a CD and give you the rights to them! This is quite an amazing deal.  She also came out and blessed our family with a photo shoot.  I can't wait to see her when we get home with my Lyric and Tilly Lynn!!!! So when can your family get in on this amazing deal and get to be a part of God's work????? October 18th!  We will start at 8:00 in the morning and our last slot will be at 5pm.  We only have 8 slots, so if you want one, let me know asap so we can get you down.  You can call or text me at (256) 457-1833.

Oh....did you think I was not going to let you see Melanie's work??????  Here are some of the pics she took of our family.

                         Like I said...She is amazing!!  Thank you Melanie for our family photos!

Thank you all for reading and praying and responding the way God leads.  Thank you for sharing our story.  Please continue to pray for our family.  God will have us all together soon, but the wait is hard...full of blessings, but hard!