Ready for the Yard Sale

Last Sunday was Mother's Day.  After church, the girls and I made dinner for Alicia and then did all of the clean up which allowed Alicia to enjoy a restful afternoon.  She found herself making a dress for Ariana for school and then she was able to enjoy a gift that Marcos and Maria Luisa brought for us.

As we look forward to the yard sale this Saturday, I do not think we are going to have much opportunity to use the hammock.  We have received many donations from friends and family towards the yard sale - clothing, books, bikes, collectables, children's toys and games, furniture, etc.  Everything that has come so far has collected in our basement, and has moved into the dining room and living room.

It looks like the Lord is going to give us great weather on Saturday, so we are hoping that all of the items that have been donated find a new home.  I am looking forward to a good day on Saturday and gaining back our living space. 

Thank you to all who have donated items - Please pray for a great day on Saturday and many opportunities to share about our adoption and how God brought us to this decision.

Approved for Both Hands Project

Once our Home Study was completed, we completed the application process for two adoption grants.  One was with Show Hope (Shaohannah's Hope) and the other was with Lifesong for Orphans.  We received an email from Show Hope yesterday letting us know that they received our application and will review it by the end of June.  We should hear back from them the first week of July.  We also heard from Lifesong yesterday...they called to let us know that we have been approved to be part of the Both Hands project.  There is a great video on their site which explains the Both Hands project.  In James 1:27 we read, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."  In the full context of Scripture, we can understand this passage.  The Bible tells us, and from our own experience we know, that we are sinners.  In other words, we have turned away from God and rebelled against God.  In His holiness, God is unable to have a relationship with sinners, and in His justice He must deal appropriately with our sin.  Therefore, in our sin, we face an eternity separated from God under His judgment.  In His love and mercy, God sent His Son Jesus Christ who lived a pure life, and died in our place on the cross.  God chose to place our sin upon Jesus Christ, so that the penalty of our sin was taken care of in Christ.  Jesus died and was buried, but on the third day, he was raised from the dead.  Through His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death.  Everyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ alone receive the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.  Through Christ we are free to know God, love God and love forever in God's awesome presence.  Faith in Christ is the only way to have a right relationship with God.  The outflow of a right relationship with God is a desire to do that which brings Him glory and live according to His word.  James rights that we bring glory by caring for orphans and widows.  This is where the Both Hands project comes into play.

We are seeking to care for orphans through adoption and working with Living Hope Adoption Agency, which works to care for orphans in the countries of China and Honduras.  This is "one hand", with the "other hand" we are planning to care for a widow.  We will select a widow that needs work on her home, and we will set up a day that a number of us will work on her home.  We will gather a number of our friends to work on her home as well.  All of the participants working on the widows home will send out sponsor letters to their friends and family.  Those who want to sponsor the team members, will send their financial support to Lifesong for Orphans.  This will fund our adoption account and be a big help for us through this process.

We will share more details as they come together.  Please pray for us, for the widow that we will serve, and for our daughter in Honduras.

Cochinitas and Cheesesteaks

Last year, when we traveled with a team from our church to visit the Bible Fellowship Church (La Roca) in Merida, Mexico, we were introduced to cochinitas.  These were sandwiches of a shredded pork flavored with a Mayan seasoning, served on a roll with onions.  Quickly, this became a favorite for me.  We left Merida, traveled to Cancun and had a meal at the Cancun airport before flying home...I found Cochinitas on the menu at one of the fast food restaurants.  I was sorely disappointed...sort of like getting a cheesesteak anywhere but Phila.  This weekend, we had the privilege of hosting Pastor Marcos (the pastor of La Roca de Merida) and his family.  Marcos and I are about the same age (some say forty...I am going with thirty-ten), and our daughters are the same ages.  Ariana and Sofia are 13, Alexa and Frida are 11.  We had a great time together, eating, visiting with others from our church, Marcos preached at our church on Sunday, and of course with teenage daughters, we went shopping.  We introduced them to Rita's water ice, Shoo-fly pie, and the cheesesteak.  Marcos had eaten a cheesesteak on a previous visit, and as he tried to explain the cheesesteak to his wife and daughters, he likened it to the cochinita.  Though one is beef and the other is pork, there is a lot of similarity between the two.  We had a great weekend, and said 'adios' today.  I look forward to seeing how our families will continue to grow closer through the years to come.  Here is a picture we took of the two families with two of our cats...the dog wasn't as agreeable to get his picture taken.

As we drove back to Reading, Marcos asked about the process for adoption and what the next step would be.  I shared that we are simply waiting for the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration to give us preliminary approval to adopt a child from Honduras.  We are waiting for our appointment to get our "biometrics" identification done.  As I was traveling home from Reading, Alicia called me to let me know that we received our appointments, so before the end of May, we will have to travel to Phila. to get this taken care of.  The process keeps moving along, and we continue to trust in the Lord as He directs our steps.  Thank you for your prayers, and for the many who have donated items for the yard sale on May 14.

Yard Sale - May 14

We have mentioned in earlier blog posts that we are planning to have a yard sale on Saturday, May 14th.  We will hold the yard sale at our home in Harleysville, and all the money that is raised will go towards the adoption.  A friend of ours told us that she does a yard sale every year to raise money for a specific cause.  She does not price anything, but allows the buyer to set the price.  She said that most people give a fair price.  How can you help?

• If you items in your home that you are willing to donate for the yard sale, that would be great.  You can bring them on the 14th or let us know and we'll figure out the details to pick them up.  Also, let us know what you want us to do with those items if they do not sell.  We have already had a number of people share that they are bringing some items for the sale - Thank You!
• If you are available of May 14 to come and help with the sale or just hang out, we would love your company.
• Let your friends know about the yard sale.
• Pray that this will be a great way for us to raise funds for the adoption and to share about how the Lord led us to adopt.

In the Mail

We got our home study paperwork today in the mail and off I ran to the bank to get the check for Immigration approval.  They should be receiving the paperwork tomorrow around noon and then the next phase of waiting begins.  Living Hope says to be prepared to wait 2 months for the approval.


Ariana was working on a persuasive essay and brochure for Language Arts this past week.  Of course it was on adoption.  It is so amazing to see how God has placed this on her heart.  We became part of the brochure and one of her questions she asked me  was "What is the most difficult thing so far about the adoption?"  Hands down without any hesitation, THE WAITING!  Everything else has just seemed so easy.  It continues to amaze me how we can have such love for this little girl who we know nothing about.  We don't know what she will look like..though I have imagined, what her personality will be like, how old she will be and yet this burning need to go get her.  Such a simplified version of God's love for us!  Wow, it just blows me away that God could love me that much and so much more.

Please continue to be praying for us in this process, that we would continue to be at peace through this time of waiting.  God is in control!