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.