A New Journey on a Road Less Traveled

Well, it has certainly been a while since I took my “thoughts to pen”.  Most of you follow me on Facebook so the blog seemed like double duty to this worn out mom.  But it is now time for a new journey and yes…it is on a Road Less Traveled.  Before anyone freaks out, especially our families…no, we are not adopting again….well not at this moment J. But hey…if the Father says so….

Many of you know that I have a heart for leading worship.  I actually thought that by this point in my life, I would be leading worship in full time ministry somewhere. I’m not doing that, but God is allowing me to lead with an amazing choir at my home church every Sunday, then run..... well sprint actually with heels in hand and lead the most amazing group of 1^st-4^thgraders in worship. I also get to spend Sunday afternoons investing in and leading our student choir, whose hearts for the Lord, ministry, service, and worship are truly something I stand in amazement of.   Lastly, I get to lead our women in worship at different worship events/conferences.  Not long ago, I realized that my identity has always been in music…..CRINGE!!!!  My identity now is in Christ.  You can do all the right things for all the right reasons, and get it all wrong. That is what I have done my entire life. Now I’m not saying I didn’t love Jesus every step of the way.  I am saying that I let the talent and the joy it brought me be my defining factor; so much so that I focused on the joy of the gifts more than the joy of the Giver of those gifts.  

God has been working on my heart for a long time now.  He reveals Himself to me daily.  Recently, He lead me to an old Bible Study I did years ago with my first mentor Jill Willet, and He has not stopped speaking, revealing, and cleaning house in my heart since.  A few weeks ago, He brought me to a place of complete surrender.  Holy Spirit literally put His hand on me.  The weight of His presence fell so heavy that I was on the floor face down in full surrender of my life.  I am a Slave To Christ. Please know that I don’t share this with you light-heartedly, but out of obedience and so I am held accountable to what I now know. 

Loving God is now the greatest gift in my life.  I have learned to keep my eyes on Jesus, which has enabled me to see things more clearly.  I have new boldness and confidence in Christ instead of myself.  I see God differently.  I see people differently.  I see sin differently.  I am now living life with a purpose.  For the first time in my life, I am living in the abundant life Jesus came to give.  I had been waiting to experience that “abundant life”…..like there was more to salvation.  I had decided that eternal life was the abundant life because my life here on earth wasn’t too abundant unless we were talking about pain and heartache. But that was living with my eyes on my circumstances and comparing my life to what the world said was abundant.   Jesus said the following, “I come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  That has made no sense to me and has felt like a promise not meant for me (I know my feelings were a lie). But then God called me into that Bible study I mentioned and I read another verse that I had read 1000 times.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE.“ (John 14:6).  Did you catch that?  I finally did.  It’s JESUS! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!!  He is the LIFE.  It’s HIM.  The abundance is found in a relationship with Him.  I am no longer searching.  I’m no longer waiting for an extra dose of happiness.  I am living in the joy of my salvation. Jesus is my abundant life!  God created me, gave His life for me and called me to Himself.  That makes my life abundant.   He is my everything.  He is my reason for living, for breathing, for singing…. for loving.  He is also the reason I am stepping out in faith into a ministry that terrifies me to my core but still brings me joy.  

Over the past few years, we have traveled as a family to churches and shared our story of how God formed our family through international adoption.  I have also spoken at women’s events, sharing on topics about our identity in Christ and how God is in the details of our lives.  Recently I spoke at the Dale County Baptist Women’s Association’s annual luncheon.  After preparing for this event, it became clear that God was leading me in this direction.  I think going the rest of my life without chocolate would be easier than the prospect of speaking in public more and moreJ. 

The vision for this ministry is two-fold.  First, going to churches and sharing our adoption story with fellow believers – sharing how the God who created us, died for us, and loves us is in the very details of our life.  And hey…if the Father chooses it to bring awareness to the orphan crisis and bring children into families, then that’s a bonus! Secondly, to share/teach at small women’s events/conferences.  

I am no Beth or Priscilla or my dear friend LeAnn, nor do I want to be. I am however, who God wants me to be and I want to be faithful.  I want to serve the Lord in any way He tells me and for now, this is what He has said. 

If you are interested in having our family’s story shared with your church, or if you have a women’s event in your fellowship, I would be honored to speak with you.

You can contact me at twoyarbs@yahoo.com

You can also leave a message below in the comments or private message me on Facebook.

In closing, please know that I covet your prayers for my family and for this ministry.  I will never know all the blessings that God has brought us because of the faithfulness of the prayer warriors that surround us. 

In Christ, 

Amanda

Driving Little Eden Just Got A Lot Easier!!!!!

I am so excited to write this entry tonight!  I can't wait to tell you what God has done.  I want to share how God has shown His love to us through the body of Christ.

Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This the first and great commandment.  And the second is this, Love your neighbor as yourself."  LOVE.  Love is what we have been shown over and over and over since we took our first step on our journey and began our little family.  

Dear friends intervened in our life this past Fall and their act of faith has led to a life changing event in our lives.  These friends spoke truth to and over us.  They helped remind us that God uses His people to bring about His will.  That He can show us love through others.  They have guided and simply walked us through a very dark and scary time.  They reminded us that The Body of Christ is supposed to take care of each other.  When one is in need, we as the Body of Christ are to use our resources and meet the need.  That is "loving your neighbor as yourself."  They went to appointments with us.  Helped us research not only info about wheelchair vans, but safety equipment for Eden.  They bought equipment we could not afford.  They helped me keep up with appointments when I was so tired I couldn't think.  They started us on the path to raise money for our van. They fervently prayed for us.  They cried with us.  Mostly, they did what their King asked them to do, which is to simply LOVE.  They have loved our family very well.  I don't tell you this to brag on them (believe me, they want all the glory to go to God).  I tell you this to praise the Lord that in His sovereignty, He put them in our life.  He let them see what goes on in our home.  He showed them our need.  God brought them to us.  He asked them to help us and because they deeply love Him, they did.  

God also brought each of you in our life.  He has given you a glimpse into our life through Facebook, Go Fund Me and our blog or from church.  He placed each of you that has prayed and shared our story and given to our "Driving Little Eden Fund" in our life.  We are blessed by His goodness.  We are blessed by you all.  During these last couple of months of not being able to get out with Eden, many of you have sat with my kiddos while I took a nap, or had to run one here or there.  Some of you have taken my kiddos to classes or therapy and waited until they were done and brought them home.  One dear friend made beautiful crosses that my children sold so they could be part of the blessing too!  You have offered to wash my clothes when we had some leaking issues recently or offered to get groceries.  The list of love goes on and on.  We are truly blessed to serve a God who sends such amazing people to be part of our lives.  

We sat down last week with the friends that started this journey with us and they asked when we needed the van.  I told them I really wanted it by February because that's when a ton of our appointments begin.  At that point we had been blessed with $33,000 in donations.  They donated the rest of the money needed to purchase our van.

It is through your faithfulness and love that we have been blessed with a new van!  We purchased it yesterday!  It is a silver 2017 Toyota Sienna Northstar.  It is a brand new VMI infloor manual conversion.  It is exactly what we prayed for.   We named her Grace.  It was a beautiful opportunity for me to talk to the girls about God's grace.  How we can't earn it and do nothing to deserve it, He just gives it because He wants to.  I told them it was the same with all the people that gave.  We did nothing to deserve your gifts, your sacrifices.  You gave us GRACE.  Every time I tell them to go get in GRACE, it will be a reminder of your love and God's love for our family.  Thank you for giving us GRACE!

Oh...since we were naming the van, Lyric decided that Eden's wheelchair needed a name.  She thought of Joy but said that would be silly because joy would mean "happy."  I to told her "Joy" was a perfect name because the chair has made mommy's back very happy!!!

So here is a picture of Eden, Grace, and Joy!

God Bless you all!
Thank you so much!!!

Love,
The Yarbroughs

MERRY CHRISTMAS + AN UPDATE

Merry Christmas!  I hope you all had a peaceful and wonderful day.  Ours was pretty fantastic!  Started off with peace and quiet while I drank my coffee.  (I told the girls they could not come out until I called them).  Then I made a big breakfast while B got Eden up and ready (chore!).  Then we got the girls up and ate breakfast.  Next we read Luke 2.  After that, the girls were more than ready to tear into their gifts!  Oh...When they saw their stockings, one of them said, "Look!  We have gifts in our SOCKS!  I get a kick out of their lack of English sometimes!  After the girls opened their gifts from us, we sent them on a scavenger hunt to find gifts sent from B's family.  Oh my....that was funny watching them trying to figure that out. It was hilarious.  Then it was time for mom and dad to open our gifts from the girls.....

THE GREATEST GIFTS THIS CHRISTMAS.....
My girls' hearts!  I cannot understand for the life of me how children raised for 14 years in the conditions my kiddos were raised in have the hearts they have.  I know it is Jesus, but my heart was nowhere near as big as theirs when I was their age.  This Christmas season, my girls worked in the yard and made pendants to sale for missions and for a dear family that has a dad that has been diagnosed with cancer who has had a really hard time.  They have been pretty secretive lately but told us not to ask them about it, so we honored their wishes.  When it came time for us to open our gifts from the girls, they were giddy.  Waaaayy more excited for us to open our gifts than they were to open theirs.  They presented us with a letter and envelope of money they had raised to go towards our family van!  They have been selling beautiful crosses donated  by a friend to help with the van.  People at church have been buying them to help us.  My heart about exploded by the pure joy on their faces in giving.  What a blessing they are.  Oh....Lyric had been working hard on a poem to read to us and she did beautifully.  Tilly made ceramic Christmas trees for us.  Phoebe wrote a beautiful letter.  Then they all sang several Christmas songs (made up most the words, but we knew the tune!)

GREAT ENDING TO OUR CHRISTMAS DAY....
We did not get to go to visit our families for Christmas this year (we will see them in a few days).  So we met up with an amazing family that God has blessed us with and had Christmas dinner at Ding How II!  Go figure....Chinese food for Christmas!  It was a lovely dinner.  Complete with a picture of all 9 kiddos!  When we got home, Eden, (who had a great day til this afternoon, then she started yelling again....but we have had 2 1/2 days of no yelling!!!!!!!) pointed to the kitchen.  I told her I needed her to show me what she wanted.  She stood up...I held her glove...and we walked hand in glove to the pantry...I opened the door...she pointed to what she wanted and walked back to her bed!!!!!!  I was about in tears!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE.....
As we end our day, I am grateful.  This has been a tough season, but it has been a blessed season.  In a time I have felt alone, God has sent His people to be His hands, feet, and heart.  These people have come in all shapes and sizes....all different walks of life.  One little boy heard our story.  He does not know our family.  He was having a birthday party and told his mom he did not want gifts this year.  He wanted people to bring money to give to our family for our van.  WOW. What a heart that young man has.  
I stand in awe.  We have a God that chooses to use us, no matter how young or old.  He uses our gifts, no matter how small or big.  Since we started asking for your help in November, you all have given $26,000!  We are almost halfway there!  I never dreamed in a million years we would have been blessed in such a way.  It is most humbling, but it is also overwhelming.  I have spent so many moments over the last few years feeling utterly alone.  Invisible.  Lost.  Bitter. Angry.  Helpless. (hopefully I hid that all well)  I have never been hopeless.  I know my God can heal. My hope is in Him and Him alone.  God in His absolute sovereignty sees me, my family. He knows our needs.   Every tear that has fallen over my family was caught in His tender hand.  Every prayer yelled in fear and anger was heard.  I know He may never choose to heal my Eden this side of eternity, but He gave her to us to love and take care of and be blessed by.  He could have left her in an orphanage, but He saw a little baby that would have a great need and put her in a family that would love her.  He surrounded her family with amazing people that would be touched by her and help her.  I know He will continue to provide.  He will continue to love.  He will continue to listen and provide strength and comfort and peace in the chaos.  It won't always come when I want it, but when I need it and can see it as His blessing, it will come.

Driving Little Eden Update # 2

New Wheels Came In
Eden has some new snazzy wheels!!!

We got the call on Thursday that her wheelchair, new carseat (for Dad's truck), and her bath chair came in.  We went Friday morning to pick them up.  The staff at CRS here in Huntsville as well as Mr. S from NuMotion were amazing at getting Eden in her chair and figuring out how to keep Houdini in her chair!!!  She is the master at getting out of anything we have ever tried to restrain her in.  They even started calling her Little Houdini too!  We started working with her, trying to get her in her chair at 8:45 and finally got everything attached and added at about 11:00.  She gave them a run for their money, but they were amazing and kept working to make her safe and comfortable.  She even smiled at them a couple of times!  She knows when she has been defeated!!

Eden was sooooo not on her best behavior that day.  I was kind of glad.  They got to see what we deal with on a daily basis and they were so gracious and patient with her.   Dr. B came to see her and wrote a prescription for some kind of sensory body suit.  We have to go get measured for it next week.  It is supposed to help in calming her down.  We shall see!

Ms. Barbara G. met us yesterday morning for our appointment and I was so grateful that she did.   She was keeping up with appointments that we were being given and also observing how to get Eden in and out of all the buckles and straps and velcro we are having to use to keep Eden safe.   We also had to load the wheelchair in her car because it doesn't quite fit in our van.

When we got home, Ms. Barbara brought Eden's chair over and helped us put her in.  It was a challenge, but once she got in and situated, Eden was quite happy.  We even did the Electric Slide in her new chair.  (sorry.....no video....I look like a crazy person when I dance.)

Fundraising Update

As of today, we have received $9,742 to go towards a new wheelchair van.  Please continue to pray that God will provide every dime we need to purchase it.  I am so hoping to have one before we leave for Christmas with our families.  We have a ways to go, but I have seen God's faithfulness in the past with our adoptions.  I know how He works and I am so grateful He uses our family, friends, and even strangers to accomplish His plan.  It is humbling to be on the receiving end of His love isn't it?  We so don't deserve it.

How you can donate

      1.  You can donate at Go Fund Me and then search Driving Little Eden (GFM just waved their
            5% fee.  There is a credit card fee though)

2.  You can mail a check, payable to Brandon or Amanda Yarbrough, to Shaw Gookin, PO Box 4124  Huntsville AL, 35815.  This is a dear friend of ours that is allowing us to use his PO box for this purpose.

3.  You can contact me directly for our address and I will privately give it to you.

4.  You can send money through our PayPal account by using the following link: paypal.me/YARBROUGHS

PayPal will charge 2.9% plus $0.30 of your donation.

5.  You can donate with an online check via our email.

You can reach us by email: twoyarbs@yahoo.com, 

                          or phone: 256-457-1833,

                        or message on Facebook

Thank you in advance for your help and your prayers!

The Yarbrough Family

Driving Little Eden: Update # 1

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  Ours was ok.  We did not get to go visit family due to Eden having a procedure the day before and not knowing if she would have her usual reaction to anesthesia. Which she did not!!!  Thanksgiving was a hard day, but ended with dinner with our Chinese Church friends!  The big girls LOVED that!!!

This past week Eden broke her carseat.  So she is using a different one to sit in.  It fits her better, but....it is much bigger.  That means, I can't pick her up in it to put her in the van like the video shows in the previous post, so we are homebound until we get her wheelchair and  van!  God has graciously sent people to help me out.  Different people from church are coming to take my big girls to their classes and therapies.  So thankful for that.  I was planning on canceling everything, but two different families came up to me this morning offering their time to take the girls and even wait with them at their therapies and bring them home.

I want to keep you all updated on the progress of our fundraiser.  As of today, God has blessed us with a little over $1,000!  Our goal is still $60,000.  We have a ways to go, but our God is faithful.  I know he will provide for our need.

It is still hard to believe we need to purchase a wheelchair van.  It breaks my heart that we need one.  I wish she was walking.  I wish she was talking and singing again.  I wish she was not hitting herself or slamming herself.  I wish she was smiling again.  I know one day she will be healed.  I tell her that one day we are going to run and play and she will be pain free.  Her little body will perform perfectly. I long for that day, but until then, her reality is not something anyone would choose.  

Please continue to pray for our family.  Please continue to share our story.  We know God will provide.  

You can make a donation in the following ways:

1.    You can mail a check, payable to Brandon or Amanda Yarbrough, to Shaw Gookin, PO Box 4124  Huntsville AL, 35815.  This is a dear friend of ours that is allowing us to use his PO box for this purpose.

2.    You can contact me directly for our address and I will privately give it to you.

3.     You can send money through our PayPal account by using the following link: paypal.me/YARBROUGHS

PayPal will charge 2.9% plus $0.30 of your donation.

4.    You can donate with an online check via our email.

You can reach us by email: twoyarbs@yahoo.com, 

                          or phone: 256-457-1833,

                        or message on Facebook

God Bless,
Amanda

Driving Little Eden

We are the Yarbrough family. 

Lyric, Amanda, Tilly, Brandon, Eden, and Phoebe

We need your help to purchase a wheelchair accessible van in order to safely “Drive Little Eden.”

About Little Eden

This is Eden on a good day.

 

This is Eden on a not-so-good day. 

Our not so good days outnumber our good days probably 10:1.

Eden is 9 years old and AMAZING.  That’s the word we use for her.  The medical professionals call her a conundrum.  Even though Eden has been diagnosed with Autism, a growth and developmental delay, and a minor brain abnormality, her behaviors and medical issues still baffle the medical professionals.

When Eden was 3, she started slamming and punching her head and would find ways to hurt herself.  That behavior has continued to this day.  It has left her unable to walk the majority of the last few years.  If she is not contained with her safety equipment, she will immediately start slamming her head on the floor, ground, wall, or any hard surface she can find.

A Little Bit About our Big Girls

We have 3 beautiful teenage girls: Phoebe, Tilly, and Lyric.

They were all adopted from China at the age of 13.  As you can imagine, 13 years in an orphanage takes a toll on a child.  All three girls have medical and developmental challenges, from brain injuries of unknown origin to blindness to trauma.  The list could continue but out of respect for their privacy I will stop here. 

My big girls did not get an education in China nor all the fun activities that many kiddos here in the US experience.  So…we try to make up for lost time.  We homeschool and were able to start each girl at a preschool level when they came home.  They work hard and love to learn. 

All my girls are involved in multiple activities as well as various doctor and therapy appointments.   On a weekly basis we have multiple appointments that require loading and unloading Eden in the van.  This has become physically challenging for me.

How We Currently Roll

We have been taking Eden places by literally picking her up while strapped in her car seat, loading her and her car seat in the van, unloading her in her car seat and putting it in her wagon to go anywhere.  This has worked fine until the last couple of years, when two things happened that made this system unsafe and physically strenuous:

1.   She hit a growth spurt!!  Currently the weight of Eden, her weighted blankets, and her car seat are about 60lbs. And I’m not 21 anymore!!!! One back injury and my whole family’s daily schedule is adversely affected.

2.   She became very combative.  The last few years Eden began hitting and kicking, head butting and biting us.  In August, I was loading her in the van and she kicked the doorframe so hard that it sent us falling backward into another parked car.  Had that car not been there, we would have been on the asphalt.

Here are a couple of videos loading Eden into and out of the van.

Eden’s New Wheels

Eden was recently fitted for a special needs wheelchair and should receive it the end of November.  This special wheelchair will be equipped with the necessary safety equipment to allow us to contain her and safely transport her.  It will be fitted with mechanical clamps to lock it in place and has been crash tested for safety.  So….we need this van to “Drive Little Eden!”

Brandon and I have been researching vans for a few weeks now.  We originally thought we would just convert ours, but it is too old and has too many miles.  In order to convert a van to be wheelchair accessible, it must be less than 2 years old and have less than 50,000 miles.  Our Honda Odyssey is almost 12 years old and has over 155,000 miles.  The reason a van has the age and mileage cap is because it costs $25,000- $28,000 to convert a van.

How We Need to Roll in the Very Near Future

We have looked at several vans and have chosen the Toyota Sienna, with a manual side entry ramp.  It is rated high in safety, reliability, and durability.  Manual side entry vans are not as common as power ramp vans, but they are less expensive and have a lower upkeep cost.

We will need to add a removable captain middle seat because someone has to sit beside Eden when traveling.   

We are looking at new and used (as long as they meet the age and mileage requirements) Siennas to convert or newer ones that are already converted.  If we do purchase and then convert, it will take about 6 weeks, so that is not the way we want to go.  If we find a deal, that is what we will do! This will be our family van and will be used long term.

Breakdown of Cost

Toyota Sienna:  approximately $27,000 plus tax, title, and tag

Conversion: $25,000-$28,000 plus tax

Tie Down System:  $450 plus tax

Total:  approximately $56,000 plus tax

Based on these numbers, we set our goal at $60,000 for the van and to cover all the associated taxes and fees.

If there is any extra money when we purchase the van, it will go to safety and therapy equipment for Eden and/or copays which are about $640 a month for our kiddos.

How You Can Help

We were going to start a fundraising page through an online provider, but realized that they charged the donor 5% plus PayPal will charge 2.9% plus $0.30 to pay out the money.  We want your donation to go where it is needed, so we decided an online fundraising site would not make us good stewards of the blessing God is using you for. 

You can make a donation in the following ways:

1.    You can mail a check, payable to Brandon or Amanda Yarbrough, to Shaw Gookin, PO Box 4124  Huntsville AL, 35815.  This is a dear friend of ours that is allowing us to use his PO box for this purpose.

2.    You can contact me directly for our address and I will privately give it to you.

3.     You can send money through our PayPal account by using the following link: paypal.me/YARBROUGHS

PayPal will charge 2.9% plus $0.30 of your donation.

4.    You can donate with an online check via our email.

You can reach us by email: twoyarbs@yahoo.com

                          or phone: 256-457-1833,

                        or message on Facebook

Thank you in advance for your help and your prayers!

The Yarbrough Family