From Loss to Joy

In 2007, we saw the most beautiful, shining face on a waiting list through an adoption agency. Immediately, we knew this darling boy named Israel was to be our son. We adopted him and named him Joshua Israel and brought him and Julianna home in 2008. He was a tiny 4 year old gift from God. At the time of Joshua's court date, we were told his birth mother could not be found. A Kebele letter was required and obtained and we passed court. Josh became a Coleman although still living in Ethiopia. At this time, it was not required of families to travel for court. Joshua came home and blessed our family with his booming laugh, his quick wit, and his compassionate heart. For the last seven years, he has grown into a talented athlete, smooth dancer, lover of God, and precious son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend. Everyone loves Josh. He is social and fun to be around, yet has carried a heaviness since he came home. As a little boy, Josh would act out and struggle every April. Other adoptive families are familiar with trigger anniversaries and March and April seemed to be Josh's tough months. He often talked about "The lady" that he misses, referring to his birth mother, always sad about her for reasons he couldn't express. We prayed him through many Aprils and many moments of grief in losing his birth mother. Months ago, we discovered that files from the now shut down agency were seized in Soddo, Josh's birthplace. Other families were searching for roots for their kiddos and locating family members, all of which was impossible before. We were told on many, many occasions there were no pictures and no information at all on Josh's birth mother. We assumed she was in heaven as we knew she was sick at the time she took Josh to the orphanage. Last week, we got a message from the precious brother/sister team, one living in the States and the other in Soddo, ET, that had been searching relentlessly for any connections for our son in Ethiopia. The news we heard was beyond what we would ever dream was reality. Joshua's birth mother was, in fact, alive. She was living 8 hours from Soddo in the city of Addis Ababa...a city we had been to four times over the years. Even more unbelievable was what this young woman had in her possession... all the pictures and descriptions of Josh written in my hand that I had sent over the years in our post adoption reports we prepared annually up until our agency closed several years ago. Suddenly, our son's story looked very different. He thought all these years she was probably in heaven. We didn't know for sure, but we certainly never imagined we would find her alive and well and working as a cleaner in a healthcare center. We began to pray and ask our family and closest friends to pray with us. We had to share this news with Josh and wanted it to be a discovery that brought healing, not confusion or pain. Two nights ago, Kurt and I sat Joshua down on our bed. We began to ask our 11 year old son questions about his birth mother..what he thought may have happened to her, what he would want to ask her if he could talk to her, how he felt about her. His eyes welled up...He said he missed her even though he didn't remember her. We proceeded to share with him the truth because we believe truth always sets us free. No matter what the results of this truth, Josh deserved to know his story. Upon telling him his birth mother was alive and well and wanting to talk to him by Skype, that beautiful, brilliant smile that marks the bubbly personality of our Joshua Israel, spread wide across his face. His spirit seemed to exhale in relief and he was overjoyed at this news. Our hearts were warmed with his mature response. Today, we received some beautiful gifts. Joshua's mother traveled back to Soddo, overjoyed at the news of her only child and with the help of the heroic brother/sister team, she sent us something we never thought we would see...a baby picture of Joshua. I jumped up and down in elation at the chubby-cheeked, smiling picture, clearly my son. Within moments, another email came through and with bated breath, I downloaded the attachment. A gorgeous, young woman stared back at me through my computer screen. She had my son's eyes, the round shape of his face, and his nose. Her beautiful Ethiopian poise was familiar to me...I had marveled at the stunning Ethiopian women on my many trips, but this was no ordinary woman. This was my son's mother...she and I had the same heart...we loved the same boy of destiny. I have gazed into her face all day today, trying to imagine her pain...her husband dead since Josh was 3 months old, her only child half a globe away and no news of his whereabouts or well being. The thought of that kind of pain took my breath away. The conflicting emotions have run rampant through my heart this week. I've been Joshua's mommy since he was four years old. I watched him learn English, start preschool, lose his first tooth, experience Christmas and birthdays, learn to read, cry over his first crush, give his heart to Jesus, get baptized...on and on our experiences of growing up have bonded us. The beautiful, olive-shaped eyes that seemed to look into my soul, however, had carried him in her womb, given birth to him, nursed him, changed his diapers, fed him his first solid food, saw him take his first steps and heard him speak his first words. That's a bond that is incomparable. This beautiful, now 29 year old woman so selflessly handed her Israel to an American adoption agency and walked away from her baby at 3 years old...no doubt she has cried over him daily, prayed for him, dreamed about him. Her pain became our joy. How do you figure all that out emotionally and spiritually? I am beyond grateful he is my son, but that gift came at a deep, painful price for her. It's difficult to resolve that within me. I wouldn't change it in a million years and she wishes beyond hope it would've never happened this way. Heavy, heavy stuff for our hearts to sift through... Just as Moses' mother agonized and laid him in a basket in the river, praying he would be saved and cared for, this stunning Ethiopian woman, very sick at the time, left her son, hoping and praying someone would save him and care for him. Just as God restored Jochebed with a relationship with Moses, God seems to be bringing restoration for our son and his birth mother. So today, I took a deep breath and set up a Skype meeting with her and a translator Wednesday morning at 7am. My son will be face to face with the mother who brought him into this world in two days...and she will look into the face so similar to hers and connect again with the son she probably thought was gone forever. It's beautiful and tragic all at once. Only God in His sovereignty has it all figured out. I will hold on for dear life and love deeply and give grace and space for my child to open his heart to his mother. Restoration and jubilee...God is all about returning to His children all they have lost. This is my son's story. I asked him if he wants it shared and with energetic joy, he responded, "Yes! Share my story!" It's a testimony to God's faithfulness, restoration, and healing. Its a story only beginning, but one I want to share with you, in hopes you allow it to touch a place in your life where you've experienced loss or grief, disappointment or tragedy. God restores all. His plans for you are to prosper you, to give you a hope and a future. He will return to you what the enemy has stolen. You can trust Him to bring wholeness where there is brokenness, restoration where there is loss. It may not look like you want it to, but His plans for you are good. Stay tuned to see God continue this story on Wednesday.

Coming Home

18 months of paperwork, praying, crying, fund raising, praying some more....and THE BOYS ARE COMING HOME! We have cleared embassy and will travel the third week of October. Cherinet has been waiting for three years and Shasho two. The waiting is almost over. So hard to believe!! God is good. We have one final push to raise the funds for our final trip. Caleb will be traveling with me as Kurt can't be gone again and I'm not comfortable traveling alone. Round trip tickets on Qutar Airline are $1450 each for Caleb and I and one way tickets for Shasho and Cherinet are $1090 each. Hotel for a week is about $500 as well as paying for a driver and guide ($500). We have had some recent donations that will cover food and extra expenses. That is $6080. A great friend had a great idea. If 99 people would give $60, that would raise $5940. We are selling some things on ebay and can probably provide the rest ourselves. If you would like to help this last time to get the boys home, we know God will bless you in return! You've all been so faithful already, but if God impresses on you to give, you can donate to our PayPal button or send it by mail to 728 Chatta St. Haysville, KS 67060. Your investment will change two entire generations!!! We will be going back for Cherinet's sister, but will, more than likely, get grants for her. Her process should be much easier. The boys are coming home!! I can hardly believe that statement is finally coming from my mouth! What a long journey...but what a faithful God! Thank you to the hundreds who have prayed and supported and given. The harvest will soon be evident as you see Cherinet and Shasho in a FAMILY...with a church, a community, a school, and a future. It's the most powerful gift you can ever give. COMING HOME!!!

SIxteen

The number 16 has been a number we have almost obsessed over these last three years.  We knew our son would lose his opportunity to join our family at sixteen.  As the court closings approached, we knew he would age out if we didn't get our date.  Even when we first became his parents in 2009, 16 was an age we thought he would be home by.

Cherinet turns 16 on Sunday.  September 22, 2013, he will enter his 16th year and he is still sitting at Kolfe waiting for his family.  I am heart broken and grateful all at once.  I so wanted him to be home by his birthday.  It was a date I prayed over for months.  However, I am so grateful that on this birthday, his hopes are not dashed, his window of opportunity didn't close.  Cherinet is spending his 16th birthday in an orphanage, but he is spending it as Cherinet Samuel Stephen Coleman.  For that, we are overjoyed.  God came through with a last minute court date in the nick of time.

I have been so weary of fund raising.  It is such a monumental task, such a huge mountain to climb, and so many have given sacrificially to help get us to this point.  I am weary of asking and I'm sure most are
weary of hearing me ask.  However, if your 16 year old was spending his birthday in the conditions our son is, I know you would also shout it from the rooftops, "Who can help us? Please help us get our sons home!"

So, we humbly inquire of the Lord and of you for one last time with this adoption.  Is there someone you could share our story with?  Perhaps you've followed our story but not yet given. Could this be the time you help us get them home?

In honor of Cherinet's important 16th birthday, could you help with a $16 gift?  We are praying over a goal of about $7000.  Our goal was $8500 and $1700 came in!  God is good!  So around $7000 should complete this journey, mainly paying for round trip airline tickets for Caleb and I and one way tickets HOME for Cherinet and Shasho!

$16 for Cherinet's 16th birthday!  Let's get this thing done!
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Thank you for your prayers and support!  They are changing generations for eternity.

The Coming of Age-Fighting For His King

There are so many difficult aspects of being a pastor's kid. Expectations that are unrealistic, constant watchful eyes, and the sometimes painful things pastor's kids see their parents endure at the hands of "church people"... it can wound a child and chase them away from God.  My children have been through their share of grief and pain in their roles as children of a pastor.  Our oldest three at home especially have had to fight to keep their eyes on Jesus as they are not just pastor's kids, but leaders in the church as worship team members. With all the struggles that come with the territory, there are moments when God makes up for it all.  My children are beyond blessed.  We saw a glimpse of that blessing this weekend.

In the 13th year of each of our children's lives, we take them on an overnight trip with Dad and Mom. It isn't a long trip and it isn't to a far place, but what is accomplished in that 24 hours is amazing.  Two of our older girls have gone and this weekend it was Caleb's turn. In the weeks and months before the time away, we ask for letters from people that have impacted our children's lives throughout their first 13 years.  Once in the hotel room, we present them with a purity ring to be worn until their wedding along with these letters. We each take turns reading one after another. The surprise and emotion of seeing the people who sent letters is priceless to see.

As our son, sat quietly listening to the letters, I began to see something transpire.  Our son is unique to say the least.  He is a skilled drummer and called into ministry, but spends most of his time being a miniature Jim Carey!  We love that about him!  He will make a great speaker with that humor. This child who spends his life making people laugh, always a weird face, always a funny monologue to offer, began to transform in this moment, into a young man.  People have always been Caleb's favorite part of life.  In every church we've ministered in, there have always been men Caleb loved. In our first pastorate, Ardell Talkington, a quiet, mild mannered trombone player, was all that Caleb talked about.  He helped Ardell put his trombone away after church every Sunday. Ardell would take him on rides in his truck.  Ardell would talk to Caleb about Jesus.  When I opened the letter from Ardell and read it, an emotion hit Caleb like I've not seen before.  It was a strengthening of his heart, a validating medal of honor placed deep within his soul.  Letter after letter was read, one from an amazing missionary we love who told stories of his African adventures as our children literally sat at his feet. A strong, anointed letter from our district superintendent who is more like our own pastor than some far off official.  Pastors, godly family members, strong men of God from our various times of life...and all of them said the same thing.  "You are a strong leader, compassionate, a worshiper, a defender of the weak, wholehearted, devoted, kind, and aware of those around you."  With each letter more strength came.

If you would know what our son has had to overcome, you would understand how powerful this moment was.  Caleb is dyslexic and dysgraphic.  His intellect is brilliant, but it's hindered by the words he reads being jumbled on the page.  He was bullied for several years in elementary school, a boy actually breaking his hand by pulling back his fingers back until his hand broke in the recess line at school. He was cast aside often, dismissed as less than, treated with contempt even when he reached out in kindness. But, those messages no longer defined him because a group of men and his father spoke life defining words through those letters. Over and again young men he looked up to who are now adults urged him on.  "Don't let the past define you."  "Don't be afraid to lead your generation"  " I see greatness in you"...With each word read on that hotel bed, I could see Caleb's spirit change.  Strength was coming in the supernatural, an impartation of the Spirit was deposited. He was a man.

With the emotion lingering from the letters, my husband grabbed the gift he was giving to his son. Kurt preaches a sermon that everyone talks about.  He has preached it in every church, at men's events, and often on Father's Day.  The sermon is called "Fight For the Heart of Your King".  It is a clarion call to men.  It is a message that brings freedom to men...to be men, to allow their God given traits of toughness, a conquering spirit, and valiance to come out of hiding.  Caleb knows this message well.  He has heard it over and over again.  In the message, Kurt tells the story of King Richard, the Lion Heart and his loyal knight, Robert the Bruce.  It's a powerful, riveting story that brings the men to their feet at the end of the message shouting, "I will fight for the heart of my king!"  In his sermon, he carries a replica of the sword of Richard, the Lion Heart. When Caleb was eight years old, he stood on the platform at a men's retreat and held the large sword while his Dad preached.

Kurt pulled out that sword and began to talk to Caleb.  He named Caleb courageous and true, strong and victorious. He urged him to fight for his king, for his family, for himself...to live a life of honor and excellence.  As Kurt talked, Caleb's eyes welled up in emotion with the slightest smile of anticipation.  Kurt gave Caleb the sword as a symbol of him becoming a man.  Caleb held it on his knees in admiration.  I was moved beyond words.

What an privilege my children have in being children of ministry.  The level of godly men that wrote him letters and spoke words of valor over his life was staggering.  My girls had the same experience....letters from powerful women, worship leaders, family and friends.  My son is a man now and it didn't take a village to get him there, but it certainly took this group of men and his father. What amazing forerunners Caleb has to look to, to model after, to find strength and courage in.  We are blessed....to overflowing, we are blessed.

Becoming Coleman

">The natural so often reflects the supernatural.  Jesus used parables so often to help His disciples get a revelation of the amazing Kingdom that He belonged to.

We have 'parented' Cherinet and Shasho for years.  From afar, they have called us Mom and Dad, they changed their names on Facebook to Coleman, we sent them things they needed, and money consistently to help meet their needs.  Even more so, after we began the adoption process, they began to feel more like ours.

However, something shifted the moment the beautiful, young, Ethiopian judge signed our paperwork, declaring Cherinet and Shasho legally ours...the became Colemans.  In Scripture, God often changed the names of those who followed Him.  The name change wasn't simply to give another name, but to bestow upon that person a new identity, a new destiny, a new position. Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah.  Jacob became Israel and Saul became Paul.  Their new names gave them a new inheritance...one of descendants and children, one of leadership and anointing and victory.

As human beings, we so often approach weakness and frailty by addressing it, labeling it, magnifying it.  Our child or our spouse struggle in an area and we talk about it, we argue about it, we label them with it. What we magnify, always grows.  Abram was a liar, Sarah a doubter, Jacob was a deceiver, and Saul, a murderer.  God didn't focus on those things, however.  Instead, He declared who these men truly were.  Abraham, a father of many nations; Sarah, a mother in old age; Israel, an overcomer; and Paul, a man who evangelized the world and wrote much of the New Testament. When the new name and new identity was declared, the weakness fell to the background and the strength of their new character became prominent.

The past and rough start our two sons have had will not define who they are anymore.  They have become Colemans.  They have a new identity.  They are a child of two parents, in a large family. They are now pastor's kids. They will be Americans.  They have a new mantle, a new inheritance, a new identity. Something shifted in the heavens when that name was declared.  It will take time and love and the Spirit of God to heal the wounds they carry, but we will continue to remind them, 'you belong to our family forever', 'nothing you will do can ever change that',' you have a new name, a new family, a new future'.

If only we could grab hold of that revelation as believers.  When we surrender our lives to Christ, we become new creatures, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and God gives us a new name.  We have a new inheritance in the Kingdom of God, we carry a new mantle, a new anointing, a new authority.  We spin our wheels when we focus on what we're not....not pretty enough, not talented enough, not strong enough, not popular enough.  Magnify who you are.  You have become a believer.  God has given you a new name...and that name is "Righteous".  Wear your new identity like a garment.  Walk in it.  Your weaknesses will then fall away into the background and your strengths will magnify.  Whats your new name?

We now can share our adoption video freely.  Here it is.  To God be all glory!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=11c0dc57893db7b390c08f7&skin_id=1602&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

Sick and alone

Remember those miserable moments of childhood when you were covered in chicken pox, your body racked with body aches that left you tossing and turning searching for relief, your thoughts confused and hazy with a high fever? Do you look back and see where comfort and relief came from?  Your mom or dad or grandparent sat with you, cold rag on your head, oatmeal baths, Tylenol and pain medication, the soothing voice of your covering reassuring you it would be ok. Do you remember taking your blanket and pillow onto the couch, distracting yourself from the pain and itchy skin by watching your favorite cartoon or movie, an endless supply of Popsicles or ice cream and  new art supplies to keep you busy as you laid in your warm house with your mom just a holler away?

I hated being sick as a child. It was overwhelming, scary, and miserable, but comfort was always there. In the past month, 17 boys at the orphanage my sons reside, have been sick with chicken pox or some other kind of sickness. Over 250 boys ages 6-20 live there.  When they are sick, they suffer not only from very little medical help, but have no one they can call out to to bring comfort. It's the rainy season, so their dorms are damp and cold at night, there's nowhere to find quiet as hundreds of boys run in and out of the dorms. They have no one to put a cold cloth on their head, no one to give them a Popsicle, no one to cover them up and make sure they are warm. No soothing voice of a mama, telling them they are going to be ok.

Lately, I have watched many of the boys who have been sick post on Facebook, "please pray for me! I am very sick!" They reach through technology to the group moms who love them from afar. Kolfe Moms are a breed all their own. Stubbornly loving and advocating for a group of boys labeled "the forgotten boys" of Ethiopia. We all shower them with comments of prayers and hope, but its not the same. Laying down on their bunkbed, body aching and fever raging, they need more. They need what only comes from Gods beautiful creation called "family". They need a mom and dad.

Sitting here in my recliner, my feet up, watching tv and blogging my thoughts, I feel a righteous anger building up within me. This should not be!  No child should be sick and alone, no child should long for comfort and find none. I recently talked to my sons about them being sick and told them how sorry I was that I could not be there for them. As usual, they politely responded, "Its ok, Mom. All is fine now. Don't worry." And in the very next breath, they say, "When are you coming to get us?"   My sons can verbalize their need for us to come for them, but many of them cannot. They don't see any hope in their future for a family. The majority of the boys of Kolfe will never realize the feeling of belonging to a family. They will live through many of life's hardships alone.

Adoption, especially internationally, is expensive,  It's costly in many ways, but there's nothing else I I'd rather spend my life doing them giving children the comfort and security and love of a family. They deserve that. God wants that for every single one of them. I am consumed for their plight.  Adoption isn't the only answer, but one of many, but for me, it's what God has called me to do. What has God called you to do for those children who suffer silently, longing for comfort and family and protection.  Everyone should do something. Help fund adoptions, sponsor a child, give to a missionary who is helping children on the streets (All-Out Ministries, Bring Love In), adopt a child and see your life changed forever!

My sons will soon be home, never to be alone again. We need prayer and support to get to that final place and we know God will provide. But there are hundreds we will walk away from at Kolfe who will lay their head down another night alone. This should not be the case. We have more than enough resources and room in our lives to help every single one of them. What can you do?

Letting God Be God

Helpless...a common, overwhelming rush in this journey of waiting for children to come home from a distant land.  As a mom, I am used to stepping in and making everything better.  When my children at home are sick, I offer them comfort, medicine, a trip to the doctor, and prayer. When stress or hurt feelings follow them home from school, I embrace them and speak value and encouragement into them. When one of my sons in Ethiopia is sick as "C" was this week, I feel helpless.  I pray with him and for him, but I must let God be God.  I cannot run to their aid, I cannot comfort them or even offer them medicine.  When bad things happen to them at school in Ethiopia, I am not there to embrace them and offer them encouragement. I have to let God be God.  Trusting God becomes a deeper revelation in the adoption process.  I cannot force paperwork or judges or court systems.  As much as I want to, I cannot fly over and be with my sons.  In this difficult, heartbreaking, exciting journey of bringing children home from afar, I must let God be God.

I sure pray this discipline becomes an ingrained part of who I am as a child of God.  As other circumstances come my way, I pray I learned the value of letting God be God.  He knows how to fill that role and I don't.  He can be trusted.  He never fails us and always fulfills every promise to His children.  He is molding the character our sons as they wait and long for a family.  He knows the perfect timing for us to bring them home. He is all-knowing, ever-present, perfect in love, always working things for our good. 

No matter what you are facing today.  Let God be God.  He is trustworthy.  You don't ever need to question His heart.  It's always for you.  His ways are higher than ours.  He is steady and sure.  Let God be God in your life.

We are waiting for a court date for our sons first and then one for us in Ethiopia.  Please be praying for paperwork to move swiftly through the red tape of Ethiopia.  Please pray for favor with schedules and court systems.  We need a court date before court closes in August.

If you would like to partner with us to get the boys home, you can buy a "Not Forgotten" Tshirt for $20/adult sizes and $15/children sizes or you can sponsor a piece of the puzzle of our sons for different prices.  This will help us with travel expenses for our trips for court and embassy.

Puzzle Fund Raiser

What a journey this has been! We signed initial paperwork the last week of April of 2012 to bring our beautiful sons home from the most neglected orphanage in Ethiopia. Now over a year later, so many people have given to bring them home. That has been no easy request.  Bringing two boys home with two required trips is expensive. We have seen unbelievable miracles and know Gods heart for these boys is evident. Thank you to all who have given.

We are in the final fund raising moments before travel. We will travel for court and then for embassy to bring them home. What a day that will be!!

We have tshirts to purchase and are also doing this puzzle fund raiser. You can purchase a numbered puzzle piece for the numbered price.  There are 252 pieces to our puzzle. If you want to purchase piece #1, you pay $1. If you want to purchase piece #252, you give $252 toward bringing the boys home. We will write your name on the back of the puzzle piece and display the puzzle for the boys to see in a double pane frame. The boys will always see how loved they are.

We will keep track of what pieces are purchased here. You can give on our donate button on the top right of our blog! The investment so many of you have made is no empty investment. The return on it is two lives, two generations forever changed. Thank you seems so empty, but our sons lives' will forever shout thank you.

Be blessed!!  Can't wait for you all to meet our precious sons!

PUZZLE PIECES PURCHASED:

1- Steve Rademacher
2- April Burnett
3-Cindy Blevins
4-Barry Brecheisen
5-Sarita Brecheisen
6-Kylie Brecheisen
7-Kylee Hackett
8-Tina Wood
9-Mia Singer
10-Jordan Singer
11-Brianna Long
12-CaitlynLong
13-Susan Long
14-Mikayla Hackett
15-Kristin Sharp
16-Peter and Amy Ayo
17-Hadarah Ayo
18-The Bennett Family
19-Lynette Courtney
20-Susan Herron
21-Michelle Garza
22- Carol Mason
23-Dan Courtney
24-Tim Singer
25-Evan Singer
26-Kristi Singer
27-Maranda Courtney
28-Archie Mason
29-Cameron Courtney
30-Mason Singer
31-The Lewis Family
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40-Laura Miller
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44-Kolt Boese
45-Ruth Macomber
46-Justin Howard
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51-Sharry Holdren
52-Kelly Rae Howard
53- Preston Stewart
54- Bruce Howard
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61- Kadynce Boese
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247- The Parker Family
248- The McAninch Family
249-Anonymous
250-The Finney Family
251-Sue Delacruz
252-Nick and Erin Kellerstrass

Preparing for Battle

My husband preached a powerful message for Mother's Day.  So often, Mother's Day messages are full of fluff and shallow pats on the back.  The season of history we live in doesn't call for fluff or shallow, but for deep challenge, fresh words from heaven, and power.  We got that on Mother's Day.

Kurt preached on one of my favorite stories from scripture.  Rizpah was a mother who fought for her sons even after death.  She guarded their exposed remains from the beasts and birds for months.  She fought off every vulture and wild animal that would come to devour and rip at her children's bodies.  She braved the elements, faced loneliness and possible criticism to keep her son's honor and remains intact. She remained there until King David came and had mercy on her sons and gave them a proper burial.

The challenge to us as mothers is a clarion call.  There are unseen vultures and beasts who circle our children and their aim is to devour their spirits, their hope, and their futures.  The enemy does not think our children are cute and precious.  He does not care that they are young and have some innocence.  He sees them as powerful threats, present and future world changers, and easy targets.  His goal is to destroy and deceive them from the moment they are born.

As mothers, we have spiritual authority over our children.  This is not a concept or abstract truth.  This a revelation that must be experienced and explored.  It requires action on our part as mothers (and fathers).

How do we battle for our children?  The clear and obvious answer is to hit our knees in prayer.  Beckoning heaven on behalf of our children on a regular basis is the core of the battle. We must declare the Word over our children, speaking out loud the promises and the inheritance our children possess as co-heirs with Jesus.  We must walk as examples for them to follow.  If we are preaching them to go one way, but we are walking in another, they will automatically follow us.  I certainly don't want to participate in the devil's plan to destroy them.  Our words over them, our declarations over them must be based in truth, never in anger, never in irritation.  The labels we place on them will be used to the fullest by the enemy if they are negative. When we speak death over our children whether in a label, name calling, criticism, or anger, we open a gate that gives the devil permission to come in and speak all sorts of lies and deception into their minds.  Use your authority to close those gates and keep the enemy out of your home and out of the spirits of your children.

Your children are called by name.  They hold great value in the Kingdom of God. Regardless of their weakness or mistakes, they are to be raised up with words of life, led by mothers and fathers of integrity and holiness.  The vultures are circling.  They are looking for a crack in the foundation of our homes, a crack in the armor our children wear, the slightest opening of a gate to give them permission to enter.  We must be diligent to fight them off, to slam those gates shut, to lead by example, to pray for them faithfully, to speak life and value and belief over their lives.  This is the generation who may see the greatest revival in the history of the world.  We need healthy, strong, young people of conviction to carry the Spirit of God into this world of chaos.

I've never been so aware of the battle as I have entering the world of adoption.  The battle for the children of the world is fierce.  The devil doesn't give up easily, but our authority is settled if we take hold of it.  We  battle for our children and right now we are fully engaged in battle for our sons in Ethiopia.  They are vulnerable and exposed to the enemy as they are fatherless and without the covering of a family.   We have fought a long battle to get them home and are coming to the end of this journey of getting them home. We need your prayers.  We are raising the last bit of money for travel.  God has done amazing miracles so far.  We know He is not finished yet.

Prepare for battle mothers and fathers!  Our calling is sure.
                                                                 
                                                            The wall at Kolfe Orphanage

Preparing to Travel to Ethiopia-Adoption Shirts for Sale!

The time for us to travel to Ethiopia for court for our sons is fast approaching.  After two and a half years of parenting them from afar, a year of that in the adoption process, we are finally approaching travel.

God provided for our remaining adoption expenses through a precious couple who selflessly gave us what we needed to complete paperwork.  What a miracle that was!  It raced our process to where we are now, waiting for a court date from Ethiopia. Now, we are praying and preparing for the expenses that come with two trips to Ethiopia, the first to attend court and the second, about six weeks later, to attend embassy and bring our sons home. 

One of the ways we are preparing for that time is by selling these amazing shirts.  Our great friend, Charity Dozier, created the graphic for free, making them exactly as we envisioned. The Kolfe boys were once named "the forgotten boys of Ethiopia".  Our sons are not forgotten.  God has not forgotten them and we have not forgotten them.  Our oldest is named after Delilah's son with his first middle name being Samuel, meaning, "God Heard". God has heard the cries of these precious boys!  Our shirts share that message, "Not Forgotten"!  We would love to see these shirts and this message spread all around the country.  Each shirt raises money for us to travel for court and embassy.

We have men's and women's style shirts. Many women prefer the style of the men's tshirt, so feel free to order either style.  All the shirts are brown with this logo on them.  They won't look exactly like these pictured as these aren't the exact shirts, only an example, but the graphic and the shirt color are what you will receive. As you wear the shirt, share our story with others and direct them to our blog.  

If you don't live close to us, you can use our Paypal button on this blog that you can use to pay for your shirts or you may mail a check or money order to us at home.  Adult shirts are $20 and children sizes are $15.  Please message us at thunderpraise@hotmail.com with your sizes.  If the shirts need to be shipped, please add $4.00 to your payment.

Thank you for supporting our two trips to get our sons home and for wearing the story God has so beautifully created with our two sons in Ethiopia.  

Kurt and JoLynn Coleman

728 Chatta Street

Haysville, KS 67060

Longing...

I've looked into the faces of my kids at home as they long for something.  My son, Caleb, looks through pages and pages of Craigslist and Ebay ads, dreaming and longing to have a new drum set or a motorbike.  He talks about it with urgency, convincing me he not only wants those things, but he really, really needs them. He plans for the time he will have them. I join in conversation with him about it.  They are valid desires based on gifts and characteristics God placed in him.  Someday, I believe he will have those things.  I look into the faces of my daughters as they watch gifted musicians at concerts and on tv.  Music is deep in them and they long to use those gifts, to feel that soaring feeling of belting out beautiful notes.  They talk excitedly and quickly about musicians that amaze them.  They sing their songs, they mimic their sound, they dream about the possibilities for them.  I understand that longing.  I have the same ache within me for music.

There is a longing that surpasses what I see in my children here at home.  In Ethiopia, there is a longing that is so deep and so out of reach, it's silent.  It's a silence that screamed into my soul the entire week I spent in Ethiopia this last November. The eyes of the children of Kolfe Orphanage peered at me with an ache I've never seen before.  They didn't articulate it, they didn't try to convince me how much they wanted it or needed it.  I am certain they didn't plan for it and perhaps maybe they've even stopped dreaming about it.  Regardless of their lack of active expression, their longing was starkly clear.  Boy after boy approached me, watching my every move, some reaching for a hug, some standing at a distance, but all of them boring a hole into my existence with their longing eyes. They longed to be fed, they longed to be clothed, neglect and lack made for clear longing.  The deepest, most painful longing of all twisted at my gut and sent tears flooding down my face.  Dark, almond shaped eyes so unique to Ethiopia and so famous in beauty looked to me, aching to belong. They just wanted to belong to someone.

There are over 250 boys living at Kolfe Orphanage and they just want to belong to someone.  They may have given up on hope, they may never speak of it, or even dream of it, but the longing remains deep within their gaze.  It's heart wrenching to witness.

Kolfe boys have been known as "lost boys" for many years.  Rarely do they find a family willing to adopt them and rarely is an agency willing to facilitate that adoption. Right now, there are a handful of them, all friends, in process of coming home. This includes our two, amazing, beautiful sons.  They too, have that silent longing in their stare, but unlike most of the other boys, they have a cautious glimmer of hope in those milky brown eyes.

When my son talks of a new drum set or motorcycle, I want to fill that longing within him.  I want to bless him with those things that make him Caleb.  When my girls chatter about musicians that move them and how much they long to improve their musicianship, I want to find every opportunity I can to help them blossom. But when my two gorgeous, amazing sons in Ethiopia look to me, longing to belong, longing for a family, a mommy, a daddy, grandparents and community...things they can't even imagine, yet were created to have...I am driven to make that happen. Those eyes keep me awake at night, tie my stomach in knots, move me with compassion.  That's the kind of compassion Jesus had...the kind He felt in His gut.  It drove Him to action.

Kurt and I cannot take hold of these children and meet their deepest longing alone.  We just can't.  There are the rare few that have the wealth that can fund an adoption fully, but most families I know who are called to adopt hurting, needy children are of modest means.  I think that's of no coincidence, because it enables the family of God to come together...those who are willing and those who are able...to partner to bring these miracle to pass.  It pleases God to see that kind of shoulder to shoulder commitment to affect the least of these.

I don't know about you...but I long to see our sons go from the hopeless longing for the basic needs every child deserves...food, clothing, and family...to excited chatter about their hopes and dreams for their future.  There is hope in those longings, there is life in those longings.  We can't do it without help.  

We are moving forward quickly with this adoption.  Our oldest will age out in this year and both of them are in desperate need to come home. We are believing, in faith, that they will be home by May.  We have roughly $14,000 to raise plus travel expenses. We've made a huge dent in the total cost because of so many of you and your generous hearts.  We cannot thank you enough.  $14,000 seems like an insurmountable  mountain to climb, but we just witnessed the miracle of one family as they raised $12,000 for an emergency special needs adoption in 48 hours.  God, along with His amazing children can do anything.  We are asking for your help, we are asking for your voice.  On this blog, you can donate to PayPal, you can mail us a check, or you can directly mail a check to our adoption agency in our name.  You can also share this need with those around you, posting on your Facebook or sharing with your church.  And you can certainly pray.  We need God to move paperwork and government officials quickly to get our children home to a family.

No child should have to long so deeply to belong to a family.  Every child deserves a family.  There are 250 boys at Kolfe Orphanage who need a voice.  I plan to continue to be that voice even after our sons come home.  I am driven to act on their behalf.  Not all of them will be adopted, but they need food and clothing and, most importantly, need to know that they belong to Jesus.

We know we are asking a great thing, but giving into the lives of orphans, the place where God's heart beats, is always a sure investment.  The return will be far beyond what you can ever imagine. Thank you for praying about how you can help.  

International Adoption Net Attn 

Kurt and JoLynn Coleman Adoption

7500 E. Arapahoe Road Ste #250

Centennial, CO 80112

800-982-3778 

All donations through IAN are tax deductible

From Two And A Half to Twenty

Blinking, pinching, shaking my head in realization that two and a half years of waiting have come down to twenty days. In twenty short days, I will be on a plane returning to a place so beautiful, so sad, so close to our hearts. I will be returning, but going for the first time. Our first trip in December of 2008, we traveled to pick up our two precious children, Joshua and Julianna. I got horribly sick the second day our feet were on African soil. I spent my entire visit in bed or looking for a doctor. It was miserable and frightening and I felt robbed of all the years I longed for Africa. I didn't see a single thing but the inside of my room and the vehicle. I will be going for the first time...seeing the beauty of the land, mingling with the precious people of Addis Ababa, and most life altering of all, putting my arms around the two boys we have parented for two and a half years from so far away. We have heard their voices on the phone and talked live on Skype, we have read countless emails and sent letters and gifts and pictures. However, in 20 days, I will drink them in, I will touch their faces, and smell their presence. We will spend seven days together, laughing, praying, building relationships, and then saying goodbye until court. What a bittersweet gift. Me and two other moms adopting from Kolfe will be staying together in Levi Benkert's guesthouse with our sons. It will be crowded, but so fun! Three moms and five sons... We will love on the many boys at Kolfe who long for families and some who already have families in the US. I am so excited to love on the boys of my many friends, being their love extended, taking pictures and video, making memories. We will be bringing donations for the almost 300 boys and will buy them fruit, which is a huge treat for these kids. I cannot wait to experience Ethiopia for the first time. I absolutely covet your prayers for health the entire trip. Please pray for strengthened immunity and pray every parasite dare not come near my body. Pray for no respiratory issues with the raw exhaust that gave me trouble last time. I long to enjoy every moment in the land I've dreamed of since the age 3. So many of you have helped me get to this place of being able to see our sons. Since the heartbreak of losing our pastorate, financially we could never have done this without you. Thank you! Please pray we are able to raise the remaining $600 or so I need to take with me for the guest house, driver, etc. When I return home, we will resume the adoption process and will begin to apply for numerous grants to complete it. That, along with two more trips for court and then embassy will be needed. God is the God of more than enough. His heart is for the orphan and we know He will provide just in time. Thank you for your part in this journey to taking two boys from a life of being a fatherless, without family, support, hope, and sustenance to a life of abundant love and belonging, opportunity and a future.

When Momentum Runs into a Mountain

Momentum...Forward movement, the wind in our hair, seeing results, the goal just ahead. We have been in that place of momentum in several areas of our life for a short six months. Finally, it seemed things were moving, God was bringing results, and we were seeing the promised goal just ahead. Suddenly, the path reveals a unseen obstacle and with a shocking, violent slam, we hit headlong into a looming mountain. Disbelief, heartbreak, disillusionment...we didn't even see this mountain coming. For long moments, we stand on the path before this jagged, ominous barrier, the wind knocked from our lungs, tears streaming down our faces. We are left with no tools to climb it, no weapons to fight it, no map to find our way around it. For two weeks, we have stood here, looking around at the injustice of the mountain, asking God what we are to do with this blockade, trying to comfort one another and regroup. One of the areas this mountain has blocked us from is our adoption. Until we find our way around it, we are delayed. Our sons are growing and changing. Our oldest is now 15 and running short on time. We were just about to file for emergency clearance on our USCIS clearance because of his age when this mountain landed before us. My mother's heart is tempted to panic. Momentum has been disrupted. This was not supposed to happen right now. This mountain couldn't come at a worse time, in fact. Standing before these jagged cliffs, I am reminded of one of my favorite stories from Scripture. I could camp out reading the books of Joshua and Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings every day. Nestled in these books are amazing stories of victory despite horrible odds, courageous, yet simple people choosing to believe the impossible. One of those stories I love is of Johnathan and his armor bearer. They found themselves along with Saul and 600 men hiding in caves, afraid of the enemy outside. They had no weapons except for one sword. 1 Samuel 14 contains this amazing story and as Jonathan and his armor bearer decide to regain momentum, the story continues... On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba. Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” The story unfolds in an amazing picture of what Jesus, as Jonathan, does with us as wearers of armor, but for this thought, the cliffs and the enemy are what catch my attention. Jonathan had a huge obstacle in front of him, with one weapon and one other friend to help him overcome the enemy, but he confidently declares, "Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many for by few." He and his armor bearer scale the cliffs, confident of the Lord's ability to save. Scaling the mountain before Kurt and I and our family may delay our adoption for just a season, but we are confident God will act on our behalf as Jonathan declared. Our sons expect me to arrive in Ethiopia the first week of November. The mountain we came crashing into two weeks ago appears to threaten that possibility financially. We are without income in the moment. We are seeking God's plan and looking for open doors. Nevertheless, my children need their mother. They need promises to remain, hope to remain, plans to stay intact. With that before us, we again look to the Kingdom of God for those who might help. I need $2000 to get to my children in November. With the delay in the adoption, they especially need me to come in November. They have waited for two years for me to come. Currently, in our adoption PayPal account, we have $66.00. We have used what others have so generously given to get us to this place in our adoption...right at the tip of being able to apply for grants. That will have to wait now until we are employed and have housing, but we had arrived at a good place with your help so that we will be able to pick right back up when God brings us employment. The two women, also adopting from Kolfe that are going to Kolfe the first week of November are buying their tickets this week. The airline is running around $1400 and the rest I will need for the guest house and expenses. God is big. God's people are givers. I need to get to my sons, but I cannot without help. Our goal: $1934.00 There is a PayPayl button at the top of this blog. God always brings a harvest to our seed and as you sow seed to get me to my children and to the other children at Kolfe, God will return your investment 100 fold. Thank you for investing into the orphans of Kolfe. Momentum will return, for now it's a climb as we pull and hang on to this cliff before us. God will save, by many or by few....

The Little Things

Your son comes bouncing home from school with a good grade, his face beaming with pride and you share in the joy, hugging and high fiving. Your daughter gets asked to her first homecoming dance and she flits around the living room in excitement and nerves and you put on a serious face, demanding the boy come to the door and warn her about no close dancing. Your son lies in bed, burning up with a fever and body aches and you sit and hold a cold rag on his head and feed him chicken noodle soup. The little things...they feel so very important to us as parents and they become glaringly important when we miss them. My younger son messaged me about his first day at private school in ET. He received the highest marks in his grade last year which allowed him to attend a private school this year. He was so excited! His teacher gave him homework and he told me with great excitement that he was going to study hard and wanted to get the highest marks again. I told him how proud I was, but how I wished I could scoop him up with hugs and high fives. He is half a world away. He is growing up without me. The little things... My oldest son messaged me in the middle of the night in Ethiopia. He was burning up with a fever and was very sick. The language barrier made it very difficult for him to tell me exactly what his symptoms were...only that he was sick, couldn't sleep, and very,very hot. I prayed for him, I talked to him, but I couldn't bring him medicine, take him to the doctor, offer him comfort. The little things.... However, God is so good to give us favor in these moments of waiting. The most precious young missionary in Ethiopia, Carmen Post, let me know today, she sent her oldest son over to Kolfe to bring Cherinet medicine. My heart exhaled...comfort for my son on the way. The little things that people do for one another...they make all the difference. What little thing can you offer someone today? What little thing can become such a big thing in another life? It's the little things....

Two Little Girls

Two little girls...birthdays five weeks apart, lives half a globe apart. Two little girls as different as they are same. One born into blessing and love, a mommy and a daddy, abundant nurture and belonging. One born into poverty and neglect, orphaned and fatherless, hunger and abandon. Two little girls...September 13, in their first year of life, two little girls' worlds invisibly collided. The first little girl crossed into eternity to be with Jesus, breaking all of our hearts, changing life forever. Only seven months old, Jesus cradled her in the crook of His arm as He carried her home. Meanwhile, the little girl across the continents struggled to live, sickness and disease, hunger and loneliness. Two little girls... the parents of the first grieving in deep sorrow. The new parents of the other hearing the call to rescue. A mountain of grief and a mountain of impossibility. One life gone far too soon, bringing loss, yet the promise of heaven. One life drowning is hopelessness, stricken with malaria, yet the hope of adoption. Two little girls...months pass and God wakes the first mommy in the deep, late hours. God speaks and she acts. The second mommy restless into the deep, late hours awaiting a miracle to bring her baby home. God speaks and she believes. Two little girls...from the southern end of Texas to the central plains of Kansas, provision is sent...from one set of parents to the other. Provision from the loss to provide provision for the found. Exact amount required... Two little girls...the first adored by Jesus in heaven now for five years...the second home with her new family now for four years. One loved and cared for by God and all His angels, spending her days in perfection, waiting to see her family again. One loved and cared for by her new family, spending her days at kindergarten, her wait is over. Two little girls... Forever connected, hands holding through life. One missed by her parents and the other found by her parents....but only because of the first. The first with a deep legacy, her life giving life to one lost. Her life rescuing a child abandoned at a post office. Her life forever valued, forever meaningful, forever remembered. September 13....we remember two little girls, our precious friends' little girl, a miracle in heaven, a life with great wonder and legacy and our little girl, a miracle in our lives, our precious Ethiopian Princess. Kyandee and Julianna Kynadee. Oh, beautiful little girls....we remember.

15 on 22

Sounds like a football play...15 on 22. However, it's a much more important phrase than a route a wide receiver might take on my son's football team. 15 on 22....our oldest son turns 15 on the 22nd of this month, September. 15 is a pivotal year in the adoption world. It's the last year a child can be adopted and brought home to a family. Our paperwork and funds need to be raised within this year. Our first goal was to have it all done before his 15th birthday. Our paperwork will be finished by then, but we are still praying about our funds. We've been so blessed by so many of you stepping out and giving towards our boys. Several of you have sent donations multiple times and it completely sends us to our faces. We are overwhelmed by your hearts and generosity. The task is great, friends. As soon as our final paperwork is submitted, we will begin to apply for grants. It is our hope that God shows us favor in these and your prayers are so appreciated. When God gives vision, He always gives provision. We know the vision, now we wait with expectancy for provision to complete the task before us in bringing home our children from Ethiopia. Our hope is that I can travel in early November for a couple of days to see our sons. We are waiting on God to open that door as well. 15 on 22....it's numbers on a page, but oh such important numbers to a precious young man on the other side of the globe. Our 9 year old, too, needs to be home sooner than later to begin the adjustment period with his new life and family. If God nudges your heart to give today toward our adoption process, we would be so grateful. You may use our donation button on the right or mail donations directly to us or our agency. Thank you for your prayers most of all. Prayer moves heaven and that is what we are counting on.

Mommy's Coming!

When my children were little, learning how to ride a bike, I would sit on the porch steps and watch them teeter and balance, pushing their bikes down the sidewalk. They would inevitably tip and fall, get up and try over and over again. I would just sit and watch. Occasionally, arms and legs would go flying, balance would give way, and they would crash hard on the cement sidewalk. Loud wails would ensue as my child cried out for me. Instinctively, I would jump to my feet and yell, "Mommy's coming!" as I raced toward my hurting child. The adoption process can be long in any typical case. In many situations, the child knows they are being adopted, but doesn't know their new parents until they arrive for court. In our case, we have parented our children for two years from afar. We have loved them through email and Facebook, and heard their hearts on phone and Skype. We have walked them through ups and downs, trails and tests, joys and moments of pride. We have watched from afar as they have navigated life, falling and getting back up, teetering on the unpredictable vehicle of orphanage life. We have now come to the point, where one of our children has fallen hard. The wait has worn him down to the place he is crying for his parents. Hope is fading in his heart and he needs a glimpse of what is to come to carry his strength this last leg of the process. So, I am jumping to my feet and running toward Ethiopia. The first week of November, I will be traveling with two or three other moms to Kolfe Orphanage in Addis Ababa where I will wrap my arms around both my sons for the first time. The other moms and I will be investing a week loving on our children as well as the other boys waiting for their mom and dads to bring them home. The hundreds of other orphans at Kolfe will be part of our trip as well as we bring donations, shoes, and fruit to them. I plan to bring some Amharic Fire Bibles with me for the boys as well. Please pray for me as I prepare travel plans to go to Kolfe. If you would like to help me raise the money to travel, about $2500, I would be forever grateful. Thank you for partnering with us as I yell, "Mommy's coming!" and race to my hurting sons in Ethiopia. This blog has a donate button on the top right where you can donate through PayPal.

$40 For Food!

Late night Saturday nights are the times I hear from God most clearly...My heart is always preparing for Sunday morning as a pastor's wife and a worship leader. I sit here now at 12:30 am reading Judges 7 and the story of Gideon and listening to the sweet voice of Kari Jobe come through my computer, singing "You Are For Me". My heart is overwhelmed. The adoption process is so long and difficult and the wait so heavy as a mother. Last week, our oldest son and I talked on the phone. I am always amazed as I talk to either of my sons on the phone or computer. Eight hours ahead in a culture vastly different from mine, the soft spoken voices of my children come across the miles. It's always evening there when we speak and the boys make their way outside to escape the noise of hundreds of boys in the dorms. As we talk, I can hear a rooster protesting and dogs barking. It takes me right back to being there four years ago. Our oldest son is nearing 14 and has been in an orphanage for four years. He loves God and he dreams doctor. He shares with me how he walks along the road and dreams of a new life with us. His living conditions are difficult, his needs never fully met, yet he never asks us for a thing. He only says, "I only want you." He is a beautiful child full of destiny. However, his hope is fading. It's the rainy season in Ethiopia. He is on summer break, stuck inside the compound with hundreds of other orphan boys, waiting. We chatted as we normally do, with me passing the phone around to the family to talk. Knowing my minutes on my card were fading, I began to wrap up the conversation. I asked if he needed anything and he responded with the usual "No, Mom." I asked if he had enough to eat and he was silent. I said, "Are you hungry or full?" He responded, "Hungry." I heard a sniffle and I said, "Are you sad?" and he broke into deep sobs. He could not even speak. Eight hours ahead in time, across a massive ocean, and far away from my grasp, my child wept with such deep sorrow that I was overwhelmed. I cried with him. I reminded him that Jesus was with him, that we were coming soon, and that he is never, ever alone. He kept responding with ok, but continued to sob. It's hard to tell a child that Jesus is with him when his belly is empty. That is why Jesus always fed the multitudes or healed the sick or delivered the demoniac before He revealed His Presence to them. With the ache of natural pain and hunger gone, the ears can hear more effectively. I prayed for him over the phone and I know, as it was ten in the evening, that as we hung up, he went to lay on his tiny bunk bed, surrounded by hundreds of orphan boys, with an empty stomach and cried himself to sleep. I spent the day sobbing and praying. I went about my day, but tears continued to fall. I have been heavy hearted since that day. Why children have to suffer and starve and live fatherless lives I do not understand. These will be our third and fourth children we've adopted from Ethiopia. It's so life changing and generation changing for these four, yet it barely scratches the surface of the orphan and hunger problem. My heart is broken. As I listened to Kari sing this intimate song to the Lord... "I know that you are for me, I know that You are for me... I know that You will never forsake in my weaknesses...."I wrapped my heart around the lyrics and the promise behind them for my boys. As I sat there just after midnight, they were awaking to chilly rain and another day of desperation. It is this hope...the hope of the ever presence of Jesus that keeps me from breaking. My arms ache to hold them. Until that moment, I cling to the goodness of God. I know that God is for my sons and for the millions of orphans around the world. But, He clearly commissioned us to be FOR them too. We must be there for them. It's pure religion...to care for the widow and orphan. They struggle in a hopeless world of no hope. How can we live in such luxury in comparison and do nothing? We must be the heart of Jesus extended to our world. How will they ever know that God is for them if we remain still and quiet? The average family of four spends around $40 to go to an average sit down restaurant to consume a meal. Our two sons have thin arms, eyes glassy with malnutrition, yet they smile and embrace anyone who comes to visit. The boys at Kolfe are precious. They deserve more than life has offered them. We are desperate to move this adoption quickly. We have raised all the money for homestudy minus mileage and post adoption fees. We have thousands to raise for our agency fees yet. Our agency hopes to have our paperwork submitted to Ethipian court by the time it reopens in October. That is a big hope. We have much to accomplish to see that happen. Would you be willing to set aside one meal out with your family to help our sons come home to their family, to enough food, to no more lonely nights, to medical care, and opportunity, and community? $40 For Food! I don't want my sons to stay trapped in the cycle of fatherlessness and poverty and hunger and hopelessness. We need your help. Will you help us? Will you help them? Our blog has a donate button at the top which enables us to receive donations via PayPal. You can also send donations to International Adoption Net, 7500 E. Arapahoe Road, Ste 250, Centennial, CO 80112 and specify it to be given towards our adoption. Thank you for praying! This community of people that love the orphan and care about the hurting of the world have done amazing things to change lives! Thank you for praying for our sons and for the hundreds of boys at Kolfe Orphanage. Below is a picture of the kitchen at Kolfe and a picture of Easter Sunday this year when a group of women came and served the boys bread.

In the Gap

Our great friend, Joel Fouse, was traveling through Ethiopia this last week. I knew he was spending most of his time outside of Addis Ababa, but as I sat propped up in a rocking chair with bronchitis in the middle of the night, I realized joel would be back in Addis to fly home. As a long shot, I sent him a Facebook message to ask him about his time in Addis. Eight hours ahead, Joel just happened to be at an Internet cafe to get online. He replied almost immediately that he would have a day and a half in Addis and happily agreed to go meet with our boys. In the late of the day, Joel had his driver transport him to Kolfe Orphanage. The manager was gone for the day so Joel couldn't get into the compound. Our nine year old came out to meet with him and wait for Our oldest, who soon joined them. It is the rainy season in Ethiopia, so it was pouring. Joel put the boys in his drivers car to talk with them. Joel told them of our love for them and that we were working hard to get them home, prayed with our boys, hugged them, and took three pictures. It was a short visit, but Joel drove out of his way to spend a few moments with two boys who wait and wait for their family to come for them. Those few moments of connection with someone we know and love to two boys we love brought the life sustaining power of hope. Hope sustains, hope preserves, hope strengthens. Joel's words of reassurance that he knew our boys parents and that we were coming for them, Joel's words of prayer on their behalf, Joel's arms wrapped around them on our behalf brought hope. Without hope, the heart grows sick. Hope is powerful. Joel stood in the gap halfway around the world, being our hands and voice and heart. God reached through such a gesture and sustained our boys. Our oldest, especially, needs hope. He has said to us, "my heart misses you. When will you come for me? What day and month will you come?" and with such words our hearts break. How we wish we could tell him we are on our way now. Time and process are hard concepts for children. They need tangible gestures of hope. Only God can bridge the gap and offer others to stand in the gap for us until the day we run toward our sons and throw our arms around them. Will you stand in the gap in prayer? With you stand in the gap in giving? Will you stand in the gap by sharing out story with others? Our oldest son turns 15 in September. Times slipping away. We need believers to stand in the gap in prayer. Our sons need hope. How grateful we are to Joel for standing in the gap for us to our boys. The beautiful part is that we did the same for their oldest child. When we picked up Josh and Julianna, we knew Joel and Andi's daughters were in the orphanage waiting. In the baby room where Julianna had lived, we found their teenage daughter sitting on a bottom bunk, holding a baby, helping the nannies. I sat beside her, telling her I was a friend of her mom and dad. Tears flowed immediately down her face and she said "please tell them that I love them and miss them." I grabbed her hand, seeing her deep sadness and said, "They are coming for you. They will be here soon." I hugged her. I told her to keep praying to Jesus and holding onto Him and we left with our two children. It was short but it imparted hope and gave her sustaining strength for the wait. Let us all stand in the gap for God to a dying world. The world is desperate for hope, strength, and sustaining faith. It need not be a lengthy message... A sack of groceries for a single mom, paying for a young family's meal at a restaurant you see across the room, spending a few moments listening to a widow share about what she loved about her husband, a hug for a child at church that may rarely feel love, giving money toward an Children coming home to a family. Standing in the gap for Jesus while a hurting people wait His return is so powerful. It brings hope. It sustains. It brings life giving strength. How will you stand in the gap today?

The Power of a Name

There is a strong power to a name. As believers, we know that just speaking Name of JESUS can change everything. At the Name of Jesus, demons flee. Names were very significant in the Bible. God would often give a new name to his people when their lives altered or took on a new destiny. I believe names are still very significant today. The entrance of radio show host, Delilah, into our adoption story altered everything. After our encounters with her, we knew clearly, our oldest son was to bear the middle name of her son, Sammy, who died this year of sickle cell anemia. Sammy was also adopted as a teenager and was so very special to so many. Not only did the connection between Delilah and our adoption cause us to want carry on her son's name, but the message and power of the name Samuel. Our oldest son loves God. He is full of faith despite his circumstances and he declares on a regular basis, "Nothing is impossible for God." Our oldest son walks to church weekly and prays. He doesn't have parents driving him to church. He doesn't have a bus stopping by his house to get him. He rises and walks with his friend to church on his own faithfully. The name Samuel means "God has heard". Hannah prayed and prayed for a child and God heard her cries and gave her Samuel. God has heard our son's prayers and is moving mountains to see his answer come. Our son wants a family. He wants a good education to become a doctor. Our son wants a home. Our son wants to belong. Samuel, God has heard...what a fitting name. I believe that name will mark his life from this point on as seal. I believe he will pray and God will hear and answer. The power in a name... Our youngest son is nine. We don't get to talk with him as much as our oldest because he is still learning English. The pastor that used to visit them once a week told us how our younger son is outgoing, likes to joke, and have fun. We prayed about a name for him and Gabriel became the name. His middle name will be Gabriel. It will be both our son's choice whether to be called by their first names or their new middle names. They are marked by their names either way. Gabriel means "strong man of God". We sure need some strong men of God in these days! I believe that our beautiful boy will carry this name with valor and integrity and character. His coming into our family will enable him to focus on more than survival. He will be able to develop his gifts and let God develop him into a world changer. Gabriel is one of the arch angels of heaven...a strong angel. Our son will carry strength as a seal. He will be marked by meekness...strength under control. What's in your name? I find the meaning of my name very interesting and sometimes comical. My parents named me JoLynn. JoLynn means two things. It means "Increase" and it means "Bearer of Many Children". Certainly, this name has marked my life! Having children and adopting children have been my passion since I was three years old. We are about to adopt two children, making seven in our home and eight total. I believe its time to find a 12-passenger van! The most important name is the Name Above All Names...Jesus. Have you called out His Name lately? Have you asked Him to take control of your life? Have you used His Name to forgive your sins, to heal your body, to restore a relationship? The name of Jesus is powerful. He is Savior of the world. Call out to Him. The Bible says, "Whoever calls on my name will be saved"...call on the Name of Jesus wherever you are today. He will hear you, He will answer you, He will make you strong. Me with our five children...soon to be seven!