Remember Davids? His family has him now!

Friends...thank you for praying for him a couple months ago...remember? He had only a week to find a family or it was the street for him? 16 year olds age out of the orphanages in Latvia.
God had other plans for this young man and this happy family!
I thank God that HE allowed us to see HIM move in Davids life!
What a WONDERFUL God we serve!
See Davids family's story below...



Our Son

Our God is an awesome God! These words have been ringing in my ears from Atlanta to Frankfurt to Riga, Latvia. My small mind is incapable of comprehending the magnitude of God's ability, mercy, grace and love. How He could ever find me worthy of such an awesome responsibility to serve him in this mission. Mike and I both are overwhelmed by His love and the call to serve as parents to these two young men. Tears rolled down my cheeks numerous times as we were in flight to Germany. I would look over at Mike and we would both smile knowing where we were headed. The joy of this journey has only increased as we move closer to having our boys here with us in the apartment.
When we arrived and grabbed our luggage....I didn't pack lightly.....we were greeted by our driver. Mike describes him as a bald headed Russian bear...he...he!! Mike leaned over to me and whispered I think we are in a cheap spy movie. It is only those who love my sweet husband who can appreciate this humor! Mike had me sit in the front seat next to "the bear". Well, it turns out that our driver was a wonderful man and devoted father. He could not speak English and would call his daughter (while driving very fast down the road) to translate for him.
When we arrived at the apartment, we were greeted by a precious young lady who helped us settle into our apartment and then go to the bank. She explained the process of exchanging our money. This was such a blessing. I gave her a small gift for her kindness and she was overwhelmed with joy. Latvian people are so warm and loving. It is a beautiful city with so much history. I will take some pictures today to post. As many of my friends know....my traveling companion is the walking history channel. He of course has mapped out every musuem here and every historic site to see. It is such a blessing to walk down these streets and feel the presence of freedom for these people. The architecture is beautiful and I want to take pictures for the boys to have for memories. Mike is going to draw one of his pen and ink drawings of their favorite building for their room.
Now....the best part.....yesterday!!!! We woke up and grabbed some breakfast and then Daina, our attorney picked us up to go to meet Davids. We were both nervous and couldn't wait to see him. It felt like it took hours to drive across town. When we arrived at the orphanage, we were greeted by the director and social worker who were delightful people. As I mentioned before Latvian people are precious and I am so honored to be able to meet them and become friends. We spoke for a few minutes and then were taken to a nice family room to meet with Davids. When he came into the room, he grabbed me and gave me a big hug. He did the same for Mike. Tears on every face. He is amazing.....!!! I cannot desccribe how great this kid is!! I know that GOD protected him just for us and to do great and mighty things in his life!!!!!! God's power is amazing!!! We sat and talked for about thirty minutes and then we went to his room. He showed us all of his creations....very talented! He made me this special box....Mike was impressed by his handy work. He even dove tailed the corner pieces. This meant alot to Mike....the builder, contractor, carpenter and as I call him the oragama artist of scrap wood! We gave him a small gift of Star Wars Legos and he put it together in about five minutes. He and T-Kirby are going to be great brothers. He had already packed his bag, so we brought it back to the apartment. After court today, we should be able to bring him back to stay with us.
Today...Friday, March 19th, 2011....is our first court appearance. I am nervous, but so excited and cannot wait to have Davids here with us in the apartment. We are waiting on Daina and her son to pick us up for court. Daina is a precious lady and everyone who is waiting to to come to Latvia will LOVE her!!!
Anyway....I will post more later with pictures.

Love,
Penny

Posted by To God Be the Glory

Worthless, NOT!

Lent 2011: Worthless Story
SHARE: By Mandie Sodoma, Seattle Pacific University

This first week of Lent, we will be taking a deeper look at the issues of poverty and lack of economic opportunity by following the story of Sylvie Ngandwe and her three children. For the Ngandwe family, life is harsh. Their days drag on around menial tasks that they are forced to complete to survive until life almost seems “worthless.”

Here is their story.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: By Alain Masela Mwaku

The quarry of Kipushi is dusty and noisy. Families dig four to five meters deep in order to find gravel layers, then go through the sieve process to get good quality rocks to sell. Aaron Ngandwe, 11, is working in a quarry of gravel with her young sister Marguerite Ngandwe, 9 years old. The dream of these fatherless children is to be happy with life, like other children.

But their sickly mother Sylvie Ngandwe, 38, cannot afford to provide for them as she has no livelihood other than sifting for rocks. "I’m doing this hard job of little worth with my children, seeking to get our daily bread because of lack of available food," bemoans Sylvie. “After my husband's death two years ago, I was sick in my bed three days, home drinking water without food. My children had to work in the quarry for others to get food and I joined them after my recovery."

“Nobody assisted me. First needs, especially food were a big issue. My children did not go to school because of the high fees,” she says.

“Here under the shiny sun, we are digging gravel, which will be sold if a truck comes to buy it. I have to help my mother, putting our common effort together so that we can have a quantity for us to buy food and soap,” states Aaron.

“The job is really hard for me to handpick gravel in the sand as my duty. I would love to stay home and play with my friends. I feel pity to see my mother working herself,” declares Marguerite.

After sifting through a little heap of gravel, Sylvie can earn about two thousand Congo Franc (US$2.20) per day if a buyer comes. She has to fight hard for daily food and to cover a monthly cost of 8000 CF (US$9.00) to rent a house and US$15.00 to pay school fees for Aaron and Marguerite.

“I encourage my children to go to school. But when they sack them for [not paying] school fees, we spend time together here in the quarry,” says Sylvie.

“We start the job earlier in the morning if I do not go to school and we stop at 4pm,” says Aaron. “We suffer coughs and rheumatism regularly because of dust here. We use to take traditional medicines against the illness and dull night pains after the job. We do not have choice.”

The risk for children and their parents in the quarry includes mudslides. “I have scars on my body due to mudslide accidents," Aaron says. The crowd of women and children who meet in the quarry admit that the mudslides killed women and children a couple of years ago. “Working here is for us to get food and avoid our children wandering the town,” they declare.

Sylvie also has to work in the quarry with her last daughter Songa Songa, 3, who has a cold. “I bring her with me here because nobody can keep her at home.”

Sylvie is seeking business capital to sustain her family livelihood instead of the quarry. “As a widow, I dream to buy fish and resell in the market so that I can generate a profit. I’m seeking capital to start this and completely abandon my current job. Indeed, my children will stay home and I would be able to feed them and pay school fees for them. However, I lack money to start,” reiterates Sylvie. “I can also farm crops and potatoes if I get seeds and fertilizers," she adds.

Sylvie’s children are registered to Mwanga primary school but cannot afford school fees, though their mother has provided uniforms and school supplies.

Sylvie would also like to buy blankets for her children as it is cold at night, but her income doesn't allow for it.

The children live a hard life yet have high hopes. “My dream is to become a doctor,” says Aaron. "I will be a dressmaker," says Marguerite. The family eats once a day after the quarry jobs. Marguerite’s wish, however, is to eat twice a day.

REFLECTION:
Sylvie and her two oldest children work all day sifting through rocks in a quarry. They barely earn enough money for one simple meal each day and to cover the monthly rent. Along with that, the two older children are unable to attend school and gain an education. Their lives are not worthless; but being trapped in such circumstances can make a person question the point of existence. To step into Sylvie’s life and experience a lack of “worth” this week, we will be going without something physical.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:
• Eat only $14 worth of food this week. Some simple meals would include rice, vegetables, and beans.
• Live simply. Don’t use things or luxuries that are unnecessary for your daily activities such as shampoo, pillows or socks. Don’t buy new things or spend money eating out this week.
• Pick a day to fast (or a specific meal each day). During your normal meal times, reflect upon this issue of poverty and hunger. Pray for families like Sylvie’s around the world.

These are merely suggestions. If you have ideas of what might work better for you or would like to approach the experience in a different way, go for it! Feel free to get creative. (Share your ideas on our Facebook page) And join us this week as we seek God and give up some physical worth to better understand this story.

- Mandie Sodoma is a junior at Seattle Pacific University in the Global Development Studies program. She is involved with World Vision ACT:S National Leadership Council and has an interest in the use of photography and written media as a form of creative activism.

A message from a Mommy in Ethiopia...

A message from a fellow adoptive Momma during her visit today at an orphanage in Ethiopia...

Greetings from Ethiopia!! I'm not feeling very good from dinner tonight and am wide awake, so I figured I'd take the time to get online while the internet was working so I could share about our visit to an orphanage yesterday. We went there with the A's and were so humbled and overwhelmed by what we saw. We walked into the tiny dark classroom where all of kids were squished inside and began introducing ourselves and asking the kids their names. They are all so gentle and sweet. We basically froze when we noticed "D and F" there from the Waiting Child List. For some reason I did not expect them to be in an orphanage -- I thought they were in the Transition Home with AWAA. For the last few months that they've been on the WCL we've had a special place in our hearts for them, and so seeing them there really caught me off guard and stirred up emotions that I wasn't expecting. Throughout the time there, we kept getting drawn to them because they have such beautiful spirits and are SO incredibly sweet. At one point the older boy came up to me and quietly told me "that's my brother." I don't know why, but that just broke my heart to see how proud and protective he was of his little brother, and it made me sad to think how quickly these kids have to grow up. When we got our picture with them, my tears started to flow, and the older one looked at me and touched my face and said "No problem." I pretty much lost it after that and gave him a hug, and he said it again. I had to walk away from the group because I was about to do a full out sob, and when I came back another little one came up to me and gave me a hug and said "Don't worry." He had just asked the boy how to say that to me in English. I was so taken aback. Orphans in Ethiopia are comforting ME???? How can that be? That moment - that whole visit - was something that left me forever changed. The A's and J and I cried all the way back to the guest house, and I sobbed for about an hour in the shower that night. I am sooo hoping and praying that these amazing boys find a family soon. From someone who's here adopting a 9-month old (and on CLOUD 9) I must say that something about the older boys have captivated me. I would just like to encourage those of you who are considering adopting older children (something we plan to do in the future) that D&F are such special and beautiful kids. Can't wait to see who God has for them...I know that family will be incredibly blessed.

Please join Tim and I as we pray these boys have a family soon... In a country like Ethiopia where there are over 4.6 million orphans many children are in this same situation. Pray with us for them also, God's children. Our God is Father to the fatherless.

Love you,
Angi & Tim

"My friends, adoption is redemption. It's costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed him." -Derek Loux

Waiting...

Wait

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, He replied.
I pleaded, and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."
"Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why.
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.
"My future, and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me 'wait'?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no', to which I can resign.
And Lord, you have promised that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry;
I'm weary of asking: I need a reply!"
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "you must wait."
So I slumped in my chair; defeated and taut
And grumbled to God; "So I'm waiting, for what?"
He seemed then to kneel and His eyes met with mine
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, darken the sun,
Raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.
All you see I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust, just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence was all you could see.
You would never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late in the night;
The faith that I give when you walk without sight;
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
And you never would know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for that loved one (those children) o'er night could come true,
But the loss! if you lost what I'm doing in you.
"So be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know ME.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all...is still...wait"
by Russell Kelfer

God cares and he delights in using us

for HIS glory... Praise HIS name!

A new friend Megan is traveling to meet her 2 new sons.
Megan contacted her friend about a diaper need in Uganda. Her friend Michelle McKinnney (www.lifeabitsweeter.blogspot.com) then contacted our AWAA Adoption Yahoo Group.
Brandy Wade saw the post, contacted me...we packed the diapers, and now they are on the way to Uganda with Megan to help the sweet Ugandan babies in Sonrise Orphanage!

God knows what he needs for HIS children and oh how sweet when HE uses us in HIS big plan!


See Megan's post here:

Posted on March 9, 2011 - by Megan
God Cares About the Little Things
Adoption Featured

Last week, I asked my Facebook friends if anyone would be willing to donate some cloth diapers for us to take to our boys’ baby home when we pick them up in Uganda later this spring. One of the other mothers adopting with us asked us if we would commit to bring 30 inserts to help the babies home build up their supply.

This babies’ home, like most in Africa, relies on cloth diapers for the babies in their care. Unfortunately, they do not have enough to keep up with the—um, demand—shall we say.

Imagine trying to launder diapers for 20-30 babies with no access to washing machines or dryers. As in, they wash diapers by hand. Can you imagine? And, it’s the rainy season, so line drying takes longer than normal. All this translates into an urgent need for more diapers.

After posting my request on Facebook, I was floored when my friend Michelle McKinney, also a soon-to-be adoptive mom, said her friends Angi and Brandy, wanted to donate ONE HUNDRED diapers and inserts. My mother-in-law offered to donate some inserts too. God was showing off, big time.

Today, I came home to find a huge box waiting on my porch containing these:

Just like our experience watching God provide for the financial needs of our adoption through our fundraising efforts, he has shown himself to be the Great Provider once again.

I realized anew that God cares about the small things, even the most basic, like diapers for babies in Uganda. Nothing escapes his notice, especially the needs of these precious little ones.

And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. —Matthew 6:28-29


I continue to be amazed at God’s faithful provision in our adoption process. It makes me wonder why I ever doubt his ability or his heart. I am humbled. www.meghmiller.com


Love you all,
Angi & Tim

Sometimes I feel quiet...

For those of you who know me "Quiet" would not be how you would ever describe me :) But lately I feel quiet, like I need to listen very closely... so I don't miss something very important that God has to say... I am thankful for this quiet feeling... no longer feeling anxious or hurried to complete some important task for our adoption paperwork. I feel a nice stillness inside, and I am SO thankful for that.
Breathing in God's peace and knowing HIS wind is about to blow and bring the good things only HE can give.
Trusting in HIM and enjoying resting in HIM.

Psalm 32: 12-22
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth--
he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who
fear him,
on those who hope in his unfailing
love,
to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us,
Oh Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.

Amen.

#5 for a baby girl

Our paperwork has been in Ethiopia for
6 months and 2 weeks!

We are now #5 for a baby girl on the "unoffical" waiting list.
(This list is compiled by our adoption agencies Yahoo Group)

Please keep little Aerie Paige and us in your prayers. We can't help but wonder where she is and how she is doing. While we wait we trust God is holding her when we can't. Please pray also for her biological Mommy and Daddy and what they must endure that causes them to place her for adoption. Pray with us that they feel God's presence and love during their struggles and beyond.

Waiting for our miracle,
Angi & Tim