God etched your name on our hearts...

Bear Each Others Burdens

2012-02-10T13:14:00.001-06:00

I don't know about you, but I'm all for becoming a more humble church and Spirit-receptive church... who is with me on this?!?!?!?

Russell Moore from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Also, while you're here... take a look at THIS blog posting and give me your thoughts. Do you think it's ok to ask that question? If so, how would you ask it appropriately? And if not, why?

Blessings!
Christi

KINDLE FIRE WINNER!!! and part 1

2012-02-06T08:29:00.000-06:00

We were going to keep you in suspense by putting the winner at the end of this posting, then we realized you'd just scroll down and skip the rest of the post anyway, right?!?!? That's what we'd do! :)

ALL of these items were donated making this giveaway so special to us! Not only were we able to launch our support raising efforts and share about Dan's new music ministry, but God used this giveaway to reach out to believers and non-believers and let us share our story, giving HIM all the glory!

AND THE WINNER IS...

MARIE STORK

I just about cried when I saw Marie's name come up on the random.org site that we used to draw for the winner. You see, we DON'T EVEN KNOW MARIE! That's the beautiful thing about God - HE calls the Body of Christ to work together for HIS GLORY! Marie has a heart for orphan care and missions and came to our blog through a mutual friend... as we prayed before we drew the name, we were overwhelmed at the list of people that supported us during this giveaway! THANK YOU STORK FAMILY for sharing our story, for your amazing generosity, and for being the hands and feet of Jesus!

We want to thank all of you for the outpouring of love and generosity that you have showered on us! It is amazing to see God at work carrying out HIS plan for our lives!

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing more of our story and how God has burdened our hearts for the orphan, the oppressed, and forgotten.

Part One:
Christi goes to the Dominican Republic!

In 2003, while dating, Dan & Christi's eyes were opened to the plight of the orphan. God used the trip that Christi took to the Dominican Republic to change our hearts forever!

About six months prior, I, Christi had been introduced to Jesus Christ for the first time in my life. As I started a relationship with HIM and dug into HIS Word, I began to see that He had different plans for my life. I had been studying at the University of Illinois and was feeling this conflict in my heart. God made it clear that my time at the U of I would soon be coming to a close and that He had plans far better than anything I had imagined.

I was soon introduced to an opportunity to serve overseas for about 4 weeks that coming summer. While I had no idea how this would happen financially, God pulled together the pieces and I left on a plane for the Dominican Republic that June. Keep in mind that I had NEVER flown before, I had NEVER left my family for that long, I was SCARED to leave Dan, and I was going to be serving with 30 other teens that I had never met!

What happened over the next 4 weeks completely rocked my world!

I knew there were orphans in the world...
I knew there were widows...
I knew there were poor...
I knew there were many injustices....
BUT I had NEVER been face to face with what I was about to experience.

I spent the next 4 weeks reaching out to a village that was filled with witchcraft...
A village where the 'workers' that came in to harvest the surrounding sugar cane fields raped all of the young girls...
a village where children were raising children...
a village where most of the people were walking around naked from lack of clothing...
a village where the children had bloated bellies from lack of food...
a surrounding garbage dump full of HOMES...
families searching for food each day...
children NOT in school...
children NOT being cared for...
the look of despair was on the faces of all...
and people that had NEVER heard the TRUTH of Jesus Christ...

Many faces and stories stand out in my mind, but God used this ONE child to grip my heart forever!

Little Desli was always naked... running around the village by himself most of the time... looking for someone to love him.

As the end of our time approached, I felt myself trying to put up walls and detach from the people we'd been serving. The last day of leaving the village on the back of a rickety old truck, down an old dirt road, Desli was RIPPED from my arms, and we both cried as that little blue truck pulled away. I cried out to the Lord and made a promise to never forget that sweet boy!

For days and weeks and months I would cry myself to sleep wondering if anyone was taking care of him, if anyone was feeding him, and what would happen to all those precious lives!

I returned to the US, a 19-year old girl, not completely understanding HOW in the world to process all that I had just experienced. As I poured out my heart to those I loved, I soon realized that it was mostly MY WORLD that had been changed during that month!

Through much prayer and seeking the wisdom of my pastor, I shared my deep desire to serve overseas as a full-time missionary and maybe adopt one day with my amazing boyfriend, Dan. We both knew that God was calling us to a life together and that we would soon be married, but Dan did not share this desire. I remember the words being something along the lines of, "that's great babe, but I'm a sender, NOT a go-er"... and he meant NEVER! However, my wise (future) hubby made a commitment that he would pray for these children by name, that he would listen to my stories, help me process all that I had been through, and be supportive of whatever God called me us to... just as long as it wasn't full time mission work!

Stay tuned for part two!

THANK YOU! Winner announced soon!

2012-02-02T10:07:00.000-06:00

Friends and Family,
We just wanted to say THANK YOU! We are truly blown away at the response to our recent announcement... God has called us to GO and the emotions we've experienced since saying yes can be described as quite the roller coaster to say the least! One day can be described by anxious anticipation of what the Lord will do in and through us in Guatemala while the next day can be described with utter fear of the transitions, new language, and new culture we'll be experiencing! A friend on the mission field in Zambia recently shared her raw, honest, beautiful thoughts here in a blog posting titled 'Messy Missions'... and oh, how I needed to hear them!

It's not always easy, this journey of following Jesus. However, let us encourage each of you that it is SO worth it! You WILL be faced with opposition, you WILL be under attack, people in your life WILL turn the other way... but giving up our lives for the sake of the ONE who gave it all is our purpose here... and we must stay focused on that!

Not to mention, amazing people like all of YOU encouraging us, sharing our story, praying for us, and giving to support us has been OVERWHELMINGLY BEAUTIFUL! The Body of Christ is such a beautiful, powerful thing and we appreciate your response in being a sender as we prepare to go!

We will share more of the details as we have them and will announce a WINNER on the 6th. Due to how donations are processed through our sending organization, it takes a few days for us to see them after they've been entered, so we want to wait to make sure we have everyone in the giveaway that has sacrificed on our behalf.

SO, STAY TUNED!!!

Love in Christ,
Dan, Christi, Malakai, and Baby U (coming soon!! oh, so soon!)

GREAT GIVEAWAY! Send Me!

2012-01-22T15:12:00.000-06:00

**Update: For the last 48 hours, anyone that commits to an on-going gift of $10 or more PER MONTH to support our ministry in Guatemala will get TWENTY-FIVE entries into our giveaway! Don't forget to keep sharing on facebook and twitter as well! To commit, click here.
Remember this ends at midnight on 2/1.

**Update on 1/24: Adding a new little twist to make this giveaway a little more exciting! For every friend YOU get to LIKE Songs of Sololá (Dan's music ministry) on facebook, you get an additional entry. Here's how it works - you tell your friends, they LIKE the page, THEN they comment saying you sent them (ex: Christi Ucherek sent me!)... for each comment you have, you'll get an additional entry! Questions? Let us know at ucherek1 AT hotmail DOT com.

When we spouted out those words from Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"... we knew we were in for the ride of our lives!

While we've been preparing, we've continued to pray that God would show us HOW He would provide for this journey! As you know, missionaries rely on the help of their partners to pray for them, encourage them, walk the journey with them, and support them financially. Our sending organization (CTEN) recently sent us an email with this quote that really hit home -

"Each person called to missions has been given certain skills and talents and God will equip them to do what is necessary, when it is necessary. We have to remember that Paul wrote often to ask for help and he identified the need for people to come alongside him. God was always faithful to meet his needs and we trust that He will meet ours as well!"

What an encouragement this email was to us as we were preparing for this FUN giveaway. Ok, I'll stop talking now cause I know you just wanna see the LOOT! :)

We've been blessed by the generosity of several individuals and organizations who have all DONATED these items. There's over $500 worth of goodies in this giveaway... AND we'll ship just in time for Valentine's Day!

Kindle Fire

*This was donated by an amazing family that we traveled with on BOTH of our trips to Ethiopia. They hold a special place in our hearts!

Features include:

Movies, apps, games, music, reading and more, plus Amazon's revolutionary, cloud-accelerated web browser

19 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books
Thousands of popular apps and games, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and more
Ultra-fast web browsing - Amazon Silk

Free cloud storage for all your Amazon content
Vibrant color touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle - same as an iPad
Fast, powerful dual-core processor
Favorite children's books, graphic novels, and magazines in rich color
For more info on the kindle fire, click here.

147 Million Orphans Mayvall Bag

front

back

*The sweet ladies at 147 Million Orphans donated this GREAT bag! Wish I could win!

TWO Beautiful 'Homeward Bound' Cookbooks (1 for you, 1 to give away)

*This was donated by a sweet AGCI (the agency we used) family that is currently VERY close to receiving a referral from Ethiopia! They are still in the process of fundraising... just in case you want one of these great cookbooks and don't win. Check it out here.

I *heart* Africa T-shirt

*This was also donated by another AGCI family that JUST brought home TWIN boys from Ethiopia... I could EAT THEM UP... they are so cute! MacKenzie has all sizes available except small in this t-shirt. Check out her blog here - you've seriously got to see the cuteness going on!

Adoption Rocks T-shirt

front

small image on back (love it)

*This t-shirt is a women's XL, but runs small. This was donated by another gracious AGCI family that is currently waiting for a referral. Check out Shannon's blog here.

Africa Painting (12" x 12")

*This beauty has been sitting on my dining room table and just might have my drool on it... it's GORGEOUS! The shades of blue and green are just beautiful! It was donated by the talented Emma who is also waiting for a referral from Ethiopia. Check out her work here.

Set of Coasters (4)

*These coasters (as well as the following SIX items) were donated by some dear friends that we traveled with to Ethiopia. They brought home a (now) 5-year old little guy that is just precious! In addition to being a fabulous crafter, Leigh is also a culinary master... follow her cooking blog here. You will definitely find some recipes you'll love... we have!

Kids Headbands (3)

Adult Headbands (2)

Handmade Cards

Tukula Bag AND Clutch

(the clutch is a bit hard to see in this photo, but is right in the center of the photo hanging on the bag)

*This is such an incredible ministry is helping Ugandan entrepreneurs rise above the cycle of poverty. Through working with Tukula, these women are gaining confidence, joy, and the opportunity to empower others. You can view their site here, their handbags here, and their cluthes here.

Small Wreath

Baby Legs

*You can find more info on baby legs here.

Bring Hope Home T-shirt

front

back
*Winner can pick size (all adult sizes up to XL and a few kids sizes available). This t-shirt was donated by another family in IL that is adopting from Ethiopia... made such a special connection with Andrea! Check out their blog here and if you like this tee help them out!

5 Million Minus 1 T-shirt (*winner picks TWO)

*Winner can pick TWO of these t-shirts, available in sizes S to XXL, colors are gray, blue, or white. I had the privilege of meeting this sweet family almost 2 years ago at an orphan care conference while they were waiting to bring their son home. He's home now and they're fundraising for adoption #2! Check out their blog here.

Where You Live T-shirt

*This was donated by a fellow adoptive momma, Erica. Dan and I both have this shirt and it's SO comfy! Only available in size small. Check out Erica's blog here - she's currently raising money for a mission trip to Ethiopia.

How To Enter -
Giveaway will be open from now through February 1st at midnight. Winner will be drawn and announced on February 6th. Items will be shipped just in time for Valentine's Day... wouldn't this make a GREAT gift for your sweetie?!?!

There are SEVERAL ways to enter this giveaway, so please read carefully!

1. Make a $10 donation to help cover our ministry expenses - 1 entry
2. Make a $25 donation to help cover our ministry expenses - 5 entries
3. Make a $50 donation to help cover our ministry expenses - 15 entries
(you don't have to leave a comment for donating, we will be notified)
4. Share this posting on facebook or twitter - 1 entry **be sure to leave a separate comment on THIS post for each time you share (1 entry per share)
5. Like Songs of Sololá (Dan's music ministry) on facebook - 1 entry **be sure to leave a separate comment on THIS post for this entry.
6. Follow @songsofsolola on twitter - 1 entry **be sure to leave a separate comment on THIS post for this entry.
7. Follow our blog (right hand side) - 1 entry **be sure to leave a separate comment on THIS post for this entry.
8. Re-post this giveaway on YOUR blog - 3 entries **be sure to leave a separate comment on THIS post WITH A LINK TO YOUR BLOG for this entry.

ex: If you post on facebook once, on twitter once, and on your blog once, you should leave THREE comments on THIS POST- one for each time.

Click here to donate.

*Commission to Every Nation (CTEN) is an inter-denominational missionary sending organization that is dedicated to helping ordinary people partner with God to accomplish the extraordinary. CTEN makes it possible for your contribution to be tax-deductible.

**If you donate via EFT through the CTEN website or donate at the last minute, please email us at ucherek1 AT hotmail DOT com to let us know how many entries you should receive.

feels more and more real...

2012-01-20T14:00:00.000-06:00

Seeing THIS PAGE sure makes moving overseas feel all that more real! Please pray that God would give us peace and direct our steps as we put our home on the market, sell our belongings, and work to raise support for the journey God has called us to!

We are SO thrilled that Commission to Every Nation (CTEN) agreed to walk this journey with us, provide us with encouragement, training, and pastoral care for our time in Guatemala. We received this email from them this morning... what an amazing organization!

"As we do daily, the staff stopped, gathered and offered prayers for those selected today who are our awesome servants worldwide. TODAY, you were included. Cool, huh?

May your life be one of reverence for the Father that you will walk TODAY in the healthy fear of the Lord standing in AWE of His nature. May you be effective in leading others into His goodness and into a real relationship that matters. We pray that as you encounter pre-Christians, that your words and actions sow or water or reap a harvest for the King and His Kingdom.

We ask that Jehovah Rophe be your healer and that Jehovah Jireh (Gen 22:14) be your provider. We believe that THIS day will bring divine appointments so look for them and thank God for them!

Welcome aboard!

Be blessed to BE a blessing"

For those of you that want to update your records, our CTEN email address is danucherek AT cten.org. We will also still be maintaining our hotmail account.

a message from malakai!

2012-01-17T20:39:00.000-06:00

Malakai Aweke really wanted to tell about his new adventure... he's going to 'wawa' as he calls it. Just one word that he can't quite get down... kind of like his first name! hahah

We're also thrilled to announce that we'll be a part of Commission to Every Nation an inter-denominational missionary agency serving 228 missionaries in 46 nations!

Be sure to check back for an exciting opportunity to win a Kindle Fire, to learn more about our ministry, and how you can partner with us on this journey!

leavin' on a jet plane!

2012-01-16T14:56:00.001-06:00

don't know when I'll be back again...... :)

are you intrigued? you should be! :)

We've been a little quiet on here lately, but you probably didn't even notice! Our blogging the last 6 months has left a lot to be desired... but this time, there was good reason for being quiet. You see, God has been doing some radical things in our lives and we wanted to wait until we had complete confirmation from HIM ALONE before we shared!

So... over the next several weeks we'll be sharing more of the details with you... but we wanted to give you a glimpse into HOW this story unfolds briefly here too!

pt. 1 - Christi goes on mission trip to Dominican Republic in 2003... FOREVER changed!
pt. 2 - God calls Christi to serve in Honduras... re-routed to Guatemala (through the wisdom of her dear hubby) in Sept 2009... FOREVER changed!
pt. 3 - God uses the Guatemala trip to call us to adopt... FOREVER changed!
pt. 4 - Travel to Ethiopia TWICE to bring home our sweet boy... FOREVER changed!
pt. 5 - God calls us back to Guatemala (all 3.5 of us)...

Do you see a theme here?

We'll let the video speak for itself!

God has called us to serve as full-time missionaries in Guatemala, and we couldn't be more humbled!

We'll be serving with Eagle's Nest Orphanage in Sololá, Guatemala.

Follow us on facebook and follow Dan's exciting music ministry in Guatemala on facebook and twitter! Yep, he's in the cool kid club now... twitter and all! :)

More to follow in the coming days! Be sure to check back for an exciting opportunity to win a Kindle Fire, to learn more about our ministry, and how you can partner with us on this journey!

all I know is i'm not home yet..

2012-01-14T14:34:00.000-06:00

Heard this on the radio this morning... and it couldn't possibly have spoken our hearts more clearly! Seriously, take the time to listen to this one... it's amazing!

COMPLETELY in AWE!

2011-12-29T08:00:00.004-06:00

Do you remember that Hope Ethiopia:100 challenge we gave you? The one where YOU all completely exceeded our goals?

And that one phone call where an AMAZING donor committed to match ALL donations (up to $130,000) to Lifesong Ethiopia through the end of 2011?

Well, we found out about that donor on November 17th! That's 45 days to raise $130,000... which made this goal seem next to impossible... in OUR eyes! However, as you all know... GOD had different plans for THESE kids -

and these kids -

Plans that we could never had imagined... plans to give them hope and a future!

Thanks to an AMAZING TEAM of individuals and their fundraising efforts, coupled with the provision of our Lord, THE MATCH HAS BEEN MET! Did you hear me? All ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS has been donated for the children at the Adami Tulu and Ziway, Ethiopia schools!

We stand in complete awe of our MIGHTY Jehovah Jireh!

Thank you fundraising team for your efforts, for the way you never stop advocating for these children, and for our faith in our Lord God Almighty to provide for ALL of their needs!

Thank you donors who stepped up to the challenge and did not let the dollar amount get in the way... but trusted that EVERY one of your dollars mattered!

Thank you to all of you who advocated for these children, pray for them, and have invested in their lives... it will surely be an invest with an eternal reward!

Check the Adami Tulu site often to learn more about The Project, the fundraising priorities, and what's in store for 2012!

Officially Official!

2011-12-27T18:09:00.000-06:00

Even though he's been our son for months now and in our care for months now, we had a readoption hearing today in order for the little man to have his name officially changed to Malakai Aweke Ucherek and get a US birth certificate. As we were loading the photos on the computer tonight, we looked back and saw THIS video from June 21st (2 days after he was home)... wow he's small!

And here's a photo from today with the sweet judge we had... he was thrilled to be doing an adoption hearing as opposed to the negative cases he sees all day!

Sweet boy - this was such a special day for us! Although you've been in our family for over 6 months now, it was a sweet reminder of the joy you bring us and the gift you are in our lives. We are SO blessed by you and thank God every day that you are in our family!

Merry Christmas from the Ucherek's!

2011-12-23T23:05:00.000-06:00

The Marvel...

2011-12-18T16:47:00.000-06:00

What a sweet reminder we got this morning at our church service of the marvel of Christmas... to stop and enjoy the season... to be sure we are filled with joy in our hearts... regardless of our circumstances, to-do lists, and everything else that seems to be flying on around us at every waking moment!

"Are you a marveler this Christmas? Or, are you too caught up in the busyness and stress of the season? Have you been running around because of the Holidays, or are you taking the time to make Christmas a “holy” day? Has Christmas become too predictable, too familiar? Have you heard the Christmas story so much that it no longer astonishes you? Actually, this can be a dangerous time of the year for us. Our annual celebration of Christmas can immunize us to its reality. We hear just enough of the story each year to inoculate us against the real thing, so that we never really catch true Christmas fever. There’s something exciting about meeting Jesus for the first time. Some of us need to come back to that."

Check out what John MacArthur writes: “Here's a side to the Christmas story that isn't often told: Those soft little hands, fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb, were made so that nails might be driven through them. Those baby feet, pink and unable to walk, would one day walk up a dusty hill to be nailed to a cross. That sweet infant's head with sparkling eyes and eager mouth was formed so that someday men might force a crown of thorns onto it. That tender body, warm and soft, wrapped in swaddling clothes, would one day be ripped open by a spear. Jesus was born to die.”

Having a 2 year old in the house this Christmas has sure been a GREAT reminder of the joy of Christ's birth, but also the importance of not getting caught up in the busyness of it all.

What are you doing this week to be sure you haven't left CHRIST out of Christmas?

We are: taking an intentional approach to giving gifts with purpose, making homemade gifts in order to free up funds to GIVE where God calls us to give, spending time together each day doing the Jesse Tree with Malakai Aweke, and NOT going ANYWHERE on Christmas day! Have I mentioned how excited I am to be HOME on Christmas for the ENTIRE DAY for the first time??? :) eek!

And a few recent photos to share with you... cause I just love this boy so much!

what you get when you put a VERY tired 2 year old in a photo booth at nap time! :)

Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier in Chicago. Do you see how TALL my boy is?!?!?

is that not a creepy snowman?

thought I was going to have to make them stop the ferris wheel... note to self: don't go on a ferris wheel 6+ mo preggers right after lunch! :) haha

he loved these little bouncy houses SO much... almost as much as the train he got to ride on! Seeing things through Malakai Aweke's eyes over the last 6 months has been so incredible!

and last, but not least... his favorite thing to do before he hops in the bathtub! hehe

Merry Christmas everyone! May we never forget that Christ was born to die... for you... and for me!

Thanksgiving 2011 & YUMMY new recipes!

2011-11-24T19:02:00.000-06:00

We have a LOT to be thankful for this year... where do I even begin?

The family fun night fundraiser last weekend was a blast! Did I not mention this yet? I'm so behind on this here blog... it was a night of games, food, and music FREE for all ages... we took a free will offering that was split between 2 dear friends who are adopting internationally (one from India and one from Congo) - you can read their blogs here and here.

Here are a few photos (yes, I'm a horrible picture taker, but the night was a blast and we got to celebrate all that God is doing in these lives!) -

yep, that's my boy in a donut eating contest! :)

It was a beautiful time of worship...

led by my man! :) I heart him!

Now for today... ah, it's been amazing! The little man is asleep already at 6:30pm and Dan-o had to go into work, that's why I'm sitting here blogging on Thanksgiving! I should be cleaning, but I'm in a turkey comma!

We were SO excited about our first holiday at home. I mean, ALL DAY LONG, JUST THE THREE OF US, AT HOME! THRILLED! It's been such a special day and we are SO thankful for our little man and the blessing that he is in our lives. In the 7.5 years that Dan and I have been married, we've never been at home for a holiday... for more than a few hours, so this was a real treat!

A little glimpse into our time of worship together (you may have already seen this on facebook - it's not from today because my camera was charging at that time!)

Malakai helped me to paint a tree on a canvas we already had (equals FREE) and we've been writing on 1 leaf each day something that we are thankful for. It's been so fun to see him catch on to this and go through the leaves each day and thank Jesus for all the blessings in our lives! I'm really not this creative, I got the idea here and here.

This is how Malakai smiles when you tell him to smile... so, any good photos you've seen are only because he was being tickled prior to snapping the pic!

We decided to put up our Christmas tree since Dan-o will be working all day tomorrow and we have family gatherings on Saturday and Sunday... then we head to Guatemala to serve for a few days. So, if it didn't get done today, it would be a while!

Yes, right now he wants to be in jammies all the time... and it was a perfect day for it! It was such a thrill to watch him decorate the tree and put the ornaments JUST where he wanted them... and I'm leaving them right where he put them! Why not, right??!?!

Another reason to be thankful - We currently have a dance party in the womb each day.... as of 2 days ago! SO incredible to experience!

Now onto the recipes from today!
Somehow I came across THIS BLOG one night when I couldn't sleep... yes, that's been happening far too often lately!

Anyway, she had some healthy, quick, and easy recipes... which I'm always looking for! Our dinners are interesting lately since the little man is ready to eat his arm by 5pm and Dan doesn't get home until 6:30 and sometimes is ready to eat, sometimes not. So... you see the dilemma!

Back to the recipe -

For breakfast this morning, I made this Overnight Baked French Toast and some scrambled eggs to go with it... it was delicious! I'm not a big breakfast person and I could eat this daily!

It was sooo easy -
1/2 loaf French bread, cut in 2 inch cubes
1 c egg sub
1 1/2 c milk
4 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1/2 T vanilla
Fat free butter spray (any butter will do)
Cinnamon/sugar

Place bread cubes tightly in a sprayed square dish. Beat egg sub, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour over bread. Cover & refrigerate 6-36 hrs. Bake uncovered @350, 45 min. Remove, spray top w/ spray butter (or put small heaps of reg butter). Sprinkle generously with cinnamon/sugar. Return to oven for 5-10 min. Serve with syrup!

**I didn't get any photos of this, but check out the blog link above, she posted photos. I found some other great recipes on her blog as well that I'm hoping to try soon!

THEN, onto the big meal! So, last year was the first time we had ever hosted Thanksgiving, which meant my first go-round at making a turkey. It went well, but was a little dry. This year, it was just going to be the three of us... so, I wanted to do something special, have leftovers for a few days, but not cook enough to feed an army. My other goal was to not be in the kitchen all day so I could spend quality time with my boys... success!

about 1/2 done

serve it up!

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe I used. I LOVE rosemary and thyme together so this recipe was perfect for us! Even without cooking the turkey in a bag, it was very juicy! A few modifications I made (mainly because I didn't want to buy more ingredients): used a squirt of spicy mustard instead of dry mustard, didn't use any sage leaves, used red wine vinegar instead of dry red wine.... DELICIOUS!

Please share what you like to do with all the turkey leftovers! I bought the smallest breast I could find, but we still have a lot leftover!

Classic Cheesy Potatoes Recipe - these were delicious and made a huge pan!

What are YOU thankful for on this day?

Make a Difference in ONE Life!

2011-11-18T16:58:00.001-06:00

Make a Difference in ONE Life!

What is your holy discontent? What is your God-given passion on this earth? You know, that one thing that MOVES you to action, that brings you to tears, and causes you to lose sleep? We have a passion, a yearning to see justice for the fatherless!

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:17

2011 Gifts of Purpose from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

It's that time of year again. Holiday music rings through your speaker systems. Decorations light up your street corners. Families gather together.It's the season of love, joy and family.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this season of giving, we often forget to give to those who NEED it most! This year give differently. Give FAMILY to the 147 million orphans worldwide who dream of belonging. Give HOPE to children living on the streets whose only Christmas wish is survival.

What if, this year, your family gave a gift to those who need it most? A gift that won't fit under the tree?

Would you consider making a difference in ONE LIFE...

Help a child break free from gripping poverty.

Give the love of Jesus through Christian mentors.

Give a future to an orphan's caregiver.

This year join Lifesong for Orphans in giving a gift with purpose. A gift that will speak Jesus to a child. Introducing Lifesong's 2011 Gifts of Purpose Catalog.

NOW, for even more exciting news....

In Ethiopia, children need an education to break free from gripping poverty. Public schools are lacking, so kids are left behind without the HOPE of an education or future. Our current Lifesong school is not only giving by teaching these children about Jesus, but also feeding 350 hungry children 2 meals each day. We currently have a need to build a 12-room expansion to our existing school... please join us to make a difference in a child's life.

As of last night, we have a generous donor that has stepped up to MATCH all donations to the Ziway and Adami Tulu Schools in Ethiopia between now and December 31st... up to $130,000!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited? What a GENEROUS way to make the most of your giving and bless the children and families in these communities! Let me tell you first hand, these schools NEED to be expanded... these children NEED an education... they NEED to be fed each day... they NEED to hear about Jesus! Lets give HOPE to these precious children in Ethiopia!

Would you join us in prayer as we seek to make the need known?

MAKE A MATCHED DONATION NOW!
***You can use the link above to make a matched donation OR select any of the Hope Ethiopia options below.

Gift of $30 cares for 2 children for 1 month.

Gift of $525 cares for 35 children for 1 month.

Gift of $1,500 furnishes one classroom.

Also, don't forget that you can give a gift in honor of a loved one this holiday season!

The PERFECT gift for teachers! DOUBLED!!!

2011-11-18T08:00:00.003-06:00

I am SO excited to tell you about this SPECIAL opportunity to give to a teacher in your life. Aren't they hard to buy for? BE SURE TO KEEP READING... YOUR GIFT WILL BE DOUBLED!!!!

Are you searching for the perfect gift for the teachers in your life? How about skipping the routine coffee mug or picture frame and make a donation to the Lifesong Schools in Ethiopia instead? Teachers are guaranteed to love that you made such a thoughtful donation in their honor.

If you donate at least $10 in honor of your teacher, the Adami Tulu Team send you the card pictured to the left and below for you to give to your teacher. Isn't is gorgeous? I would LOVE to receive this as a gift during this season of GIVING!

"Several former teachers have told me that they would have loved to receive a gift like this. And, as a former teacher myself, I agree with them. Teachers get bombarded with coffee mugs, candy, and teacher do-dads at Christmastime. This year, give your teacher something truly meaningful instead; spread his or her love for education around the world." - Mary Beth Picker, Orphan Advocate

OK, now for the AMAZING part! As of last night, we have a generous donor that has stepped up to MATCH all donations to the Ziway and Adami Tulu Schools between now and December 31st... up to $130,000!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited? What a GENEROUS way to make the most of your giving and bless the children and families in these communities! Let me tell you first hand, these schools NEED to be expanded... these children NEED an education... they NEED to be fed each day... they NEED to hear about Jesus! Lets give HOPE to these precious children in Ethiopia!

Would you join us in prayer as we seek to make the need known?

MAKE A MATCHED DONATION NOW!
***If you are giving a gift for a teacher and would like one of the cards mentioned above, As you donate, leave a note in the “Special Instructions” box telling us how many cards you would like.

"I’m so incredibly thankful to these generous folks for their commitment to these kids in Ethiopia. For their belief in our shared vision of ending the global orphan crisis by keeping families together, breaking the cycle of poverty, and building self-sufficiency.
So I don’t know about you, but I’m incredibly enthused, excited and energized about this movement to change the world. I hope you’ll join us in acting today to maximize the impact of this generosity." - Aaron Klein, Orphan Advocate

T, L, and Z

2011-11-15T19:32:00.000-06:00

One of the reasons we started this blog was to advocate for the fatherless around the world! Well, today we've been given an amazing opportunity to advocate for 3 boys in Ethiopia - T, L, and Z. They have been waiting in a care center for over a YEAR for a family! Why? Because they are what most would consider 'older' - they are 8, 9, and 10 years old. A year... I just can't imagine!

Well, several families that have visited the care center came back to the states burdened for these sweet boys after meeting them. They've decided to do 2 things - First, advocate! They want to share their story with as many families as possible and are praying for a family for each of these sweeties! Second, they are raising funds through an online auction to provide grants to the family/families that God raises up to love and care for these boys! Oh, I just can't wait to see what the Lord does.

Check out this blog posting to hear more about these sweet boys - CLICK HERE.

Check out all the GREAT items they are auctioning.... there are literally PAGES and PAGES of items! There are definitely several people you could cross off your Christmas list by bidding.... CLICK HERE to check out the items!

If you have questions regarding these boys, please follow the instructions on the right hand side of THIS BLOG.

5 months ago...

2011-11-14T23:22:00.000-06:00

5 months ago today this sweet child blessed us more than words and describe! We saw the pain and fear in him, but committed to walking the road of healing with him!

We love you Malakai Aweke and are SO blessed to call you our son!

Gotcha Day (6/15/11)

5 months later!

amazing opportunity!

2011-11-10T22:57:00.000-06:00

Friends,
Check it out... this amazing family is bringing home their 2 boys from the Ukraine and are fundraising as fast as they possibly can.

Read about it on their blog here... and check out the amazing gear they are selling.... like this:

I had the privilege of spending some time with Lorraine at a conference almost a year ago and she's one amazing woman who loves Jesus with all that she is!

Let's help them out!!!

Sewing for a Cause!

2011-11-10T16:02:00.000-06:00

Need a fun bag or key fob for a Christmas gift? Or that new baby you're expecting (you'll be carrying around LOTS of stuff)? :)

Check this out... Cassie from Twinkle Stitch is giving 100% of her profits to the Adami Tulu preschool in Ethiopia!

To read more, check out the Lifesong blog here.

And as a teaser... aren't these so CUTE?!?!?!

Gaute bound!

2011-11-02T19:25:00.002-05:00

God has led us... and we've decided to go to Guatemala for a few days in December to serve as a family! Would you join us in prayer? If you feel led to do so, we are still in need of some funding for this trip. Check out where we'll be serving -

Eagle's Nest Orphanage

mo, mo kisses!

2011-11-01T20:49:00.000-05:00

The Hard Questions!

2011-10-17T15:42:00.000-05:00

All adoptive and foster parents and those considering adopting or fostering... check out these hard questions!

Ten Questions for Parents Preparing to Foster or Adopt

Banana & Gummi Bear

2011-10-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

We used this little video to make an announcement to our family members that live out of town that we weren't going to be able to tell in person! PLUS, it's pretty funny to watch this sweet boy eat a banana.. or gross, whichever you'd like to call it! HA! HE LOVES BANANAS!!!

PS - this little sweetie has grown TWO INCHES since exactly 3 months ago... can you believe it?!?! He AMAZES us every day with how much he has learned and how he continues to grow. He melts my heart! :) Love you buddy!

Brush to Berries-Zambia & GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-09-28T13:06:00.001-05:00

Brush to Berries from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

"Simply giving this person money is treating the symptoms rather than the underlying disease and will enable him to continue with his lack of self-discipline... a better solution would be to develop a relationship that says, we are here to walk with you and to help you use your gifts and abilities to avoid being in this situation in the future'" (An excerpt from the book, When Helping Hurts)

Lifesong is serving the people of Zambia... the orphaned, the at-risk, and the poor... by utilizing the land that is, like the people, so full of potential. Lifesong farms-Zambia reaped its first strawberry harvest in June, and local grocers have been purchasing the berries. With additional acres to farm, we are hoping to process some of the berries and begin marketing Lifesong Farms Strawberry Jam.

By harvesting fruit, we are able to serve more orphans by providing the gift of a job at Lifesong's gardens and self worth to an orphan's caregiver. We are also able to provide future employment for our kids as they transition into adult living, develop a system to raise funds to help cover operational costs, and develop expertise that can be replicated in multiple countries where Lifesong serves. Most of all, we are seeking to glorify Jesus as we teach others how He walked.

**GIVEAWAY:

1st PRIZE: Lifesong is giving away a 1-night hotel stay for the LIVE ORPHAN SUNDAY event in Kansas City!!! Let me just tell you, this event will be FABULOUS!!!

2nd PRIZE: Lifesong is giving away FREE Gobena Coffee for 1 year - 2 lbs per month shipped straight to your home.

HOW do you enter? Well, I'm glad you asked! There are several ways to enter. PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT ON THIS LIFESONG POSTING FOR EACH ENTRY, including your email address so Lifesong is able to contact you!!!

1. Share how the Lord is working in and through your adoption/orphan care ministry (1 entry)

2. Re-post this Zambia blog posting on YOUR blog to share what the Lord has been doing at Lifesong Zambia (1 entry)

3. Tell about an Orphan Sunday event you had or attended in the past (1 entry)

4. Tell your plans for THIS YEAR's Orphan Sunday on Nov. 6th (1 entry)

5. Re-post this on your facebook wall (1 entry)

6. Re-post this on your twitter page (1 entry)

7. Post on YOUR blogs, facebook, or twitter and tell Lifesong that I sent you (1 entry)

8. Tell what you think about the 'Brush to Berries' video - what moved you, what stood out to you, what are you excited about? (1 entry)

9. Become a fan of Lifesong on facebook here (1 entry)

10. Send an email to info AT lifesongfororphans DOT org asking to receive our monthly updates (1 entry)

PLEASE leave a separate comment on Lifesong's post for EACH entry, including your email address so they are able to contact you!

***Giveaway starts immediately and ends at midnight on Monday, October 3rd.

Our Birthday Boy!

2011-09-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

We had the amazing opportunity of celebrating our little Malakai Aweke's 2nd birthday yesterday! His first birthday at home, with his forever family!

Buddy,
We love you so much and can't imagine our lives without you! As we pray for you each day, we ask the Lord to bind our hearts together and heal every scar you may have... and trust that Jesus can do so!

Your sweet daddy put together this video to celebrate your amazing life... and show you how much you've changed since the day we met you back in May!

Referral photo from February 2011:

The day we met you:

In our arms forever:

Your 2nd Birthday (9/14/11):

We celebrated the little man's birthday by taking him to Chuck e Cheese's... which we said we'd never do! haha!

Some of you already saw this on facebook, but here's Malakai saying thank you for all the sweet birthday wishes!

On a more serious note... we feel that it's important to be honest about our emotions from this beautiful day. Not only were we excited to celebrate Malakai Aweke's life with him and be with him for the first time on his birthday.... we also experienced some very different emotions this day, which we totally expected. I can't help but think about a man on the other side of the world that remembers September 14th of 2009 when this sweet boy entered the world. This same man has since lost everything he once knew... including Aweke. Our hearts were in two places as we were blessed with the joy of our sweet boy on his birthday, but also ached for his birth family who we consider a part of us who I'm sure had a very rough day. As we pray for the children in our homes and celebrate their lives with us, may we not forget to pray for and remember their past.

2 Months?? REALLY?!?!?!

2011-09-06T20:06:00.000-05:00

Yep, remember that WORST blogger of the year award.... I'm still holding tightly to it! hehe!

Well folks, I could honestly write a book about all that has happened in our lives in the short 12 weeks that this sweet little boy has been in our arms...

but, who has time to write a book... OR read one for that matter?!?!?

I really hope to write more in depth about our transition in the near future... but, for now, here's a few things:
-Dan started a new job when we got back from Ethiopia.... on night shift, then day shift, now back to night shift.
-I was totally guilt free from work for 10+ weeks... which was a HUGE blessing! (thank you Lifesong)
-Started back part time last week at work, in the office 1 day per week.
-Had too many firsts to list... but have been writing them out on a calendar for Malakai to have some day.
-He LOVES his little cousins!
-He loves looking at photos of all the kids in our travel group and seeing how they have grown and changed!
-Malakai Aweke's speech is improving rapidly, especially the last week or so.
-We've conquered the diaper changing torture and overcome some serious tantrums.
-We haven't had any biting for a long time... praise God!
-Still working on some food issues... and a BIG camera issue (which is making it hard to get decent photos)
-After a 4-6 week stint of rawness and very rough times, we started to hit our stride so to speak... but something still wasn't right. The last 3-4 weeks have been AMAZING and we are really starting to see who this sweet little boy is! We feel BEYOND blessed and are blown away by him daily. He is actually seeking our love and affection the last few weeks which melts my heart! As we were driving to a family members house over the weekend, we were telling him who was going to be there - grandma, papa, cousins, aunts, uncle, etc.... and I said 'Mommy and Daddy are your parents.. can you say parents?'... then I proceeded to say, 'grandma, papa, so on... so forth... we are all your FAMILY and we are SO blessed to have you in our family!'

INSERT CRYING SESSION IN THE CAR followed by an (almost) 2 year old looking at me like I've lost it! WOW... what a reminder of how God sets the lonely in families.

I was reminded over and over today as I was at work for the 2nd time and struggling thinking about our sweet boy of what a blessing he is... and the JOY he brings to our life!

Here's a glimpse into our weekend in Michigan celebrating our little man's birthday (it was a little early, but the only time we could get away for a few days).... he LOVES the water and sand!

Dan had just worked a 12 hour shift when we left, so I did my best to drive 6 hours and keep the little man entertained.... he only woke up a few times as I was reaching for a toy, snack, or drive and swerved the car :) oops! Finally both asleep!

First time in the sand...

Could seriously hug him all day!

yep, not looking at the camera (don't ask why we are both wearing green shirts... wasn't planned)

my boys and my favorite lighthouse

getin' geared up! (he likes to dive in head first, so we invested in this little turtle suit - thanks wal.mart)

run!

A little sticker time at the cabin while I cleaned (thank you Chuck and Sandy for letting us use the cabin... what a blessing!)

TIRED from a day at the beach!

The exact spot that we wrote 'next year you'll be with us' in the sand and prayed for our little man in 2010! Such a special moment to think about him being with us this year!

Hoping for more posts soon... but I'm transitioning back in to working part time, so I won't make any promises! :)

Thank you for your continued love and support

It's been too long!

2011-07-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

Sorry y'all... but I have a feeling that blog postings will be few and far between for a while! :) That's a good thing though!!

A couple praises - 2 days in a row, while rocking him to sleep for nap time, we had no kicking, screaming or biting... praise the Lord! I could also feel him starting to relax into my chest as I was rocking him... SO SWEET!

A couple prayer requests - we are heading into round 2 of giardia treatment and this little boys belly HURTS! It's still pretty bloated and every day when he has a bowel movement (sorry TMI!) he cries! Diaper changes are VERY traumatic for him so we are trying everything creative we can possibly think of (thank you Cris Peters for the ideas... used ALL of them the last 2 days!). Please continue to pray for bonding! Please pray for nighttime - Aweke has night terrors for AT LEAST 5 hours per night.. he seems to wake up well rested, but I am NOT! :) haha! My hubby went back to work yesterday so he's been moving to the couch each night around 2am or so... which is sad for me! I love me some snuggle time with the hubby and DON'T like him on the couch! And last, but not least, please pray that he would start to truly understand what mommy and daddy mean to him... he's really only been in a family the first 4 months of his life and has been in orphanages since that time, so the idea of a family unit is completely foreign, he's not afraid of any strangers, and tries to go to others for comfort... so, you guessed it, we are trying to do some serious coccooning! :)

Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure! :)

look at this sweet robe that was a gift... looks like he just stepped out of the spa!

Gotta run... naptime is almost over! :)

HOME!!!

2011-06-26T12:09:00.000-05:00

I truly can't say enough how much we've witnessed that God truly designed children to be in families!!!

Wow... we've been home for 1 week already! To say this week has been hard would be a complete understatement, especially when you throw in some jetlag. However, the Lord has been SO good and as always, has shown Himself faithful! As we work through the tantrums, biting, kicking, etc, we are truly starting to see a glimpse of who this sweet boy is and the pain he's endured!

Have been so blessed to witness so many 'firsts' this week like going down a slide, brushing teeth, and I could go on for pages!

Had a wonderful morning, including going to a park where it was just the three of us. It's amazing how spending time on swings and slides can help you to visibly see a toddler who has a hard time communicating with you putting their trust in you! Came home for naptime and after some screaming, Aweke looked into my eyes for the first time while I sang to him. It was such a sweet moment that only the Lord could orchestrate. Feeling so refreshed by this and excited to see God's plans for Aweke's life!

Meeting A (part 3)... and GOING BACK!

2011-06-11T23:17:00.000-05:00

Well, as you can see, we didn't get the rest of the trip outline for y'all to read. I really stink at this blogging stuff lately and have had a MILLION other things to do.

For those of you who don't know, WE ARE LEAVING MONDAY to bring A home.... we are SO stinkin' excited that God called us to be his family! We LOVE this little boy more than words can describe.

My last day of work until September, when I'll be going back 1 day per week was Thursday... which was very bittersweet. Love Lifesong so much, but am THRILLED that my last day in the office for a while means that A is coming home!!!

Dan is also changing jobs, which happened very quickly.... all that to say, life has been crazy here! So much so that I woke up yesterday morning and realized we had no baby food for when A gets home.. only enough to travel. SO, we spent last night cleaning, packing, and... you guessed it, making homemade baby food! It was very easy, I might add... tutorial on that later! In case you're interested, I used this site, which I would HIGHLY recommend.

So, since I only have a few minutes here... I'm going to post the rest of the pics from the first trip and hope to write more later (HA!)

This boy melts me... check out that little bald spot! :)

Had SO much fun at the traditional Ethiopian restaurant we went to!

one of the drivers, Wass and director, Tsiege... seriously amazing dancers. It was really great to see the dancing and traditional Ethiopian outfits from A's region. The staff was really informed on each of the regions and taught us a lot about his background!

this looked seriously painful!

on our way to court.... about to puke our stomachs hurt so bad!

several photos of the drive to court -

Yes, this is a 4-way intersection in Addis Ababa! we were all squealing and the driver was laughing at us! haha

After court.. what a FLOOD of emotions to experience after such a long road and spending the week loving on your little one. For those of you who don't know, not passing court on this trip can delay the process, sometimes significantly... so, as you can imagine this was a VERY emotional experience. Plus, there were many birth families also at the court house waiting in the same room we were.... and all we could think of was what they were experiencing! What a reminder that adoption is birthed out of loss and pain. We stood there and prayed for each of their hearts, that they would come to faith in Jesus... because only HE can heal these wounds!

holding our boy for the first time after court... he's officially a Ucherek at this point!

couldn't stop staring into those BEAUTIFUL eyes! (no, your daughter may NOT marry him! hehe :))

What an emotional day this was... as you can see on my face! All the emotions of court, praying for A, and doing our best to comfort him as he was confused and overwhelmed... in this photo he had finally laid his head down and fallen asleep and I couldn't help but cry for all that he was going through!

And our last day...

We actually don't have any photos of this day without his face showing in them... surprisingly enough!
This day was also a flood of emotions. As we prayed for this day, we felt it was VERY important to keep our cool and do our best to be as 'normal' as possible, so that we did not scare little A. He had already been so emotional the whole week, so we just did our best to spend time with him, get to know him, play with him, and show our love for him!

Before we left to go home, we had an opportunity to tell his caregivers how much we appreciate their love for him and all they've done to help him get stronger, healthier, teach him to walk, and love him unconditionally. They are all so amazing! We also had the opportunity to take photos of each of them holding A to use for the gifts we've made for them... a small token of our gratitude... words really can't say how we appreciate them!

As we were leaving, we handed him to one of the caregivers and she got him to call us mommy and daddy and blow us kisses.... it was truly the BEST way for us to leave... if there's a good way to leave. This was a moment I will never forget... ever. As we walked out that room and down the stairs and out those gates, we crumbled. There's no other way to describe it.... the guilt of leaving your boy after all that he's been through, the pain of handing him over to stay at an orphanage longer than he already has, the pain of not knowing how quickly you will return... and the OVERWHELMING pain of having your son on the other side of the world. As we flew home, I'm pretty sure we both cried the entire first leg (8 hours or so)... and we clung to the Source of strength... which is all we knew how to do/could do! I'm SO grateful for the way the Lord provide through so many of YOU to allow us both to travel on both trips to be with A. I can't imagine going this alone... I just don't think I would've made it! It truly grew Dan and I closer to each other and again the Lord showed us His sovereignty and His sufficiency... as He continues to do!

God truly created children to be in families... institutionalization is NOT the answer. We knew this before, but that last day, walking out those gates showed us that in an entirely new light!

Let me wipe off my face and shirt now that I'm crying my eyes out re-living that moment...

So, no fast forward... we got home on the 20th, did fairly well with jetlag. It was actually more of a culture shock coming home than it was getting to Ethiopia. Dan had seen an orphanage and poverty with his own eyes for the first time... I mean, he's seen it through stories, through photographs, and through my tears... but he saw it with his own two eyes.... and it's heart-wrenching to say the least.

On the 31st we got a call that our paperwork was at the Embassy! This means that everything was submitted and you wait to hear 1 of 2 things - either you're cleared to travel or the US Embassy requests additional documentation which can cause delays. We expected to hear one of these within 2 weeks. On Monday, the 6th (5 days later) we got word that we were cleared to travel. On Tuesday, the 7th we were told that our embassy date is the 16th and we need to be in Addis on the 14th. So, you guessed it... we are leaving on Monday!!!

That's all for now friends. Let me just take this moment to thank you again and to give ALL GLORY to God for how He has brought His work to completion and called us to be little A's family!

We will be able to post photos of A once we are home! :) Get ready for some cuteness!

We are Grafted In!

2011-06-07T00:54:00.000-05:00

LOVE this blog for adoptive families... the title says it all -

'Connecting, Encouraging, and Learning together as adoptive families'... truly amazing! We know first hand the importance of walking with Jesus in community and the adoption process has brought this understanding to a whole new depth.

So, when the folks over at We Are Grafted In asked us to share about our journey, we were thrilled to do so. Check out our post that we wrote 2 days before we met our little A here.

AND another great resource for adoptive families is this newly renovated page on the Lifesong site... check it out here. If you have ideas for additions to this site, please let me know.

Good news comin' very soon!

GREAT resource!

2011-06-01T18:00:00.008-05:00

I just found this GREAT dicussion over at my friend Jenn's blog and just finished listening to it. What a GREAT resource to share with others. The speakers articulate our adoption in Christ so well! Here's what she writes:

"I just finished listening to this session by Dr. Russell Moore and Pastor Voddie Baucham and I hope that if you read my blog you'll listen to it. I can't begin to tell you how helpful I think it is in the way we understand adoption. It's important, fantastic stuff.
And if you have adopted or are in the process or are considering it, you and your children will be so helped by it, I guarantee!"

Check out Jenn's PRECIOUS kiddos while you're over at her blog... they are an amazing family!

The Case for Christ

2011-05-25T21:57:00.000-05:00

Our small group is starting this new book next week... which we are pretty pumped about!

Have you read this book? What did you like? Dislike? Give us your thoughts and opinion!

Meeting Little A/Ethiopia (Part 2)

2011-05-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

We've been trying so hard to come up with the words to express our thoughts, emotions, and what the Lord did through our trip... and our words don't do it justice!

We can sum up the trip in this way: God is at work! He truly sets the lonely in families. It's not easy.... it's typically messy.... but His ways are so much higher than ours. We are truly so in love with this sweet boy and we can't wait to get him home. WE LOVE ETHIOPIA!!! TRULY! The people of Ethiopia are beautiful... so loving, so courteous, and so warm. The caregivers at Hannah's Hope at AMAZING. It truly gives us a lot of peace knowing that little A is being taken care of!

Please continue to pray for this sweet boy, for a quick return trip, and for our health and safety during these upcoming weeks. We'll keep you posted as we hear about embassy dates!

Here's some more photos for you to enjoy!

PS - My hubby just might be working up a new song in the living room right now! :) Can't wait to share it with you!

can't wait to hold this sweet boy and for all of you to meet him!

DAY TWO -

sorry that some of these are blurry... forgot that we had little fingers on the lens the prior day and didn't clean it! :) this momma loves me some little sticky fingers! :)

how do you like that scaffolding (Troyer - thought you'd like that)!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the clothing, diaper, formula, and beads donations!!!

Little A being fed!!! Love that little pink seat.

Beautiful artwork by local artists!

DAY THREE -

What did you do on your commute this morning?

look at those sweet little legs!!!!

LOVE seeing that crib empty!

So humbling to see how hard these people worked ALL DAY LONG. They were working right across the way from Hannah's Hope.... working so hard when we got there in the morning and still working that hard when we left for the day.

This sweet boy playing with his daddy... oh, melt my heart!

That's all for now!

As we are in our comfortable home tonight, a sweet friend reminded us of the importance of praying for Ethiopia! I just can't wrap my head around the lives of some of the people we came in contact with... what they worry about each day, the burden they carry with them.... we must continue to pray!

Up next: traditional Ethiopian dinner... be prepared for some crazy dancing! Fellow first trip AGCIers - we have so much footage of your crazy dancing! haha!

Something Better!

2011-05-24T13:23:00.000-05:00

I interrupt our regularly scheduled blog postings to share this!

Imagine living in a house made entirely out of concrete, that heats up like an oven in the hot sun. Imagine a bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling as your only light. Imagine having no toilet facilities or running water, but instead getting all your water from a community hand pump. Imagine having parents who worked in the field, barely able to provide from day to day. Imagine no hope, growing up in a hope of idolatry and severe poverty.

To Sindhu Babu this kind of life was normal. It wasn't until he (at age 10) came to Lifesong India that he knew there was something better. Something far better.

Today, at age 18, Sindhu Babu not only has a hope for a future as he studies to become an electrical engineer... not only does he live in a clean home with clean running water... and not only has he heard the word of God, but in 2003, his parents, who for years worshipped idols, gave their lives to Christ!
Praise God that He continues to replace hope for despair in the nearly six hundred children we work with and their families!

Thank you for your continued prayer and support as we serve children in India!

Meeting little A! (part 1)

2011-05-22T00:51:00.002-05:00

Wow, this past week was amazing! We left on Thursday, May 13th to go meet our little boy for the first time and returned home last night, the 20th! We could not be more thrilled to call this little man our son and begin our life with him. He is OH.SO.PRECIOUS and you all are going to eat him up! His facial expressions are just TOO funny!

We have so many emotions going through us and are asking the Lord for peace as we leave a part of us in Africa to return home.... although home doesn't feel quite right as of now. The internet connection we had was good at times and sketchy at other times... and we never quite had the words or time to update this blog. So, we'll try to find time this coming week as we get back into the swing of work and our everyday schedules to fill you in on how the week went.

Until then, we'll post the pictures that we can (we aren't allowed to post his face or his name until after we have our Embassy appt) and ask you to pray for:

-peace in our hearts during the last phase of waiting
-for little A... he's been through a lot and is clearly overwhelmed and scared
-for the caregivers to be able to explain to him what is occurring and for him to be able to understand (as much as you can at 20 months of age)
-for the embassy to process our paperwork and issue his visa quickly
-for us to be able to learn more Amharic so he is able to understand us more when we return
-wisdom during our time back in Ethiopia for the 2nd trip... specifically in regards to A's transition
-for us to be effective in sharing Christ with anyone we come in contact with as we return to Ethiopia soon.

As you can see, little A was struggling while we were in Ethiopia, as to be expected. He is very attached to his caregivers, which is a great thing and shows that he is able to bond/attach. We know and trust that the Lord can heal all wounds and continue to grow our hearts together!

Thanks friends... you've all been such an encouragement.

Now, for what you're ACTUALLY here for! :)

All the donations and luggage! So fun to bless them with the great items all of you donated!

Getting to O'Hare!

1st leg: US to Amsterdam

Last leg: Khartoum to Addis Ababa

Arriving in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!

Just got out of the van-seeing A any minute!

First look at little A.... SO sweet!

emotions FLOODING over us!

thought maybe peek-a-boo would do the trick! :)

sweet boy sleeping in my arms!

LOTS. O. SMOOCHES!

fell asleep in my arms for the first time!

holding daddy's hand! melt.my.heart.

Gotta get to bed... more to come soon!

oh, sweet boy...

2011-05-14T00:47:00.000-05:00

*this was supposed to post Thursday evening, but blogger didn't cooperate! :)

Sweet boy,
We leave in 23 hours to come meet you for the first time. To say we are excited is SUCH an understatement. We love you so much already and we haven't even met. It's really incredible how God can bond our hearts together in this way... you'll learn that as you grow older. He's done the same thing along this journey with so many believers across the globe. We've been encouraged so much as we pursued you and worked to bring you home... and you've been prayed for by so many! It's really incredible!

Our hearts are literally pounding out of our chests in anticipation for seeing your sweet face for the first time. We pray that you aren't scared and that you feel the love we have for you sweet boy. Oh, I just can't wait to hold your little hands and kiss your sweet lips. When we look at pictures of you that so many sweet friends have sent us, we just melt. Your daddy and I lay in bed at night talking about how amazing you are and staring at your pictures!

I just have to tell you how much your daddy loves you! We went for a walk late last night cause momma had cleaned every nook and cranny of our home and straightened your clothes 3 times and was still energized :) and he just kept telling me how amazing it was that God brought you to our family. We reminisced about our conversations of children when we dated at 18 & 19 years of age. You see, as we prayed for when the Lord would bring children into our home, daddy felt very clearly that it would be several years... for some reason, he always said it would be 7 years. Momma kinda cringed sometimes as he would say that, because I so longed to hold you in my arms. But your sweet daddy reminded me last night that had we not waited on the Lord's timing, we wouldn't be leaving tomorrow to meet you!

As we inched towards 5 years of marriage your mommas heart was BROKEN for children in need. I flew home from Guatemala and told your daddy that I KNEW the Lord wanted us to adopt. Daddy was a little scared at first, but God soon changed his heart too.... so that day, Christmas of 2009, we looked over a packet of information we had received as we drove to Grandma's to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and we both cried. It was that same cry I will cry each time you are hurting! God spoke so clearly to our hearts that day, He told us that YOU were in Ethiopia waiting for us!

Just a few days later we started the paperwork process to bring you home! We worked so diligently and stayed up many nights filling out paperwork as we felt this sense of urgency that you needed us. As we continued on this journey of faith, there were many times that we weren't quite sure why it was taking so long. However, on February 17th, 2011, God reminded us of His sovereignty as our agency called to tell us that they had you, our son! And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Waiting for you has been difficult at times, but as I write to you today sweet boy, I can finally say that we are coming! And... you remember how I mentioned that daddy said 7 years... well, our 7th year anniversary is just 13 days after we will meet you for the first time.

You, sweet child, are SUCH a blessing from the Lord! We love you so much and will do our best to raise you up in the ways of the Lord. You are loved by SO many and they are all anticipating your arrival. We anticipate no lack of love in your life!

As I walk by your room each night on the way to ours, I can't help but peek in your crib, close my eyes, and dream of the day that you are in that crib. I think you're going to get sick of mommy staring at you all the time while you sleep! I promise I'll be really quiet when I sneak out of bed and over to your crib each night and I'm sure that daddy will find me sleeping on the floor next to your crib more than once! :) Feel free to wake up during the night... just so I can stare in those beautiful eyes and hold your sweet hands.

I wish I could put into words the miracle you are! You see, God knew your name before the creation of the world. Only He knows the plans for your life... and we are SO humbled that God would call us to be your mommy and daddy and for the way that He has shown us His love in this journey. You've changed so many hearts all ready and I can't wait to see you shine for Jesus!

I'll see you in 48 hours buddy!

Love,
Momma

Winner!

2011-05-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

If you read THIS POST and pledged a $25 p/mo commitment to the Block family... you were entered into a drawing for this cute piece of art -

drum roll please.........
the

winner

is

Whitney B!!!!!

*I'll contact you Whitney.

I want your best!!

2011-05-10T06:00:00.027-05:00

Thank you sweet friend (you know who you are) for telling me to listen to these songs yesterday -

As I sat in bed last night, I had to really ask myself how I would react if God's best was for us to NOT pass court on the 18th? How would I react to the extra waiting to bring A home? Would I be angry at God? Would I praise Him anyway?

I was honestly at a point where I was going about life considering court a 'done deal' if you know what I mean. Planning the date A could possibly be home... planning the date I start maternity leave at work... you know, the stuff us Type-A planners are SO good at doing! And I thought to myself that I know we'll 'get through it' if we don't pass court right away.

But what if? What if there's a letter missing? What if we aren't approved right away?

My sweet friend at work reminded me to stand on God's promises and that it's OK to proclaim those promises as we're in prayer! Stand on what we know is true - God you ARE faithful, You WILL bring Your work to completion, YOU are a father to the fatherless, YOU made the ultimate sacrifice for my sins...

I don't want to just 'get through it'! I want to praise God and serve HIM no matter what He calls us to do! No matter how hard it may be! The wait seems so small compared to the price Jesus paid for my adoption (Eph 1:4-5)!

114 to go!

2011-05-09T08:43:00.002-05:00

*UPDATE: only 105 left!

Friends, the Block's have 33 new commitments of $25 per month so far! BUT, they are still in need of 114 more commitments before they can move to Guatemala!

Check out this post for more details.

Making Progress...

2011-05-05T22:09:00.000-05:00

Almost done!!

EIGHT DAYS... and counting!

PS - did you miss your opportunity to help out the Block family? Click here!

They need YOU!

2011-05-03T06:00:00.008-05:00

**UPDATE: 14 commitments, 133 to go!!

I know you've heard about the Block family on our blog before... because we just love this family so much and support and believe in what they are doing!

Well, RIGHT NOW, it's time to rally around them as senders! The Block family is ready to move to Guatemala to serve orphaned and vulnerable children through Eagle's Nest in Solana, Guatemala, but are waiting on the Lord to provide the necessary funds to do so. God already sold their house (very quickly might I add), so this family of 11 has moved into a temporary FREE rental (that the Lord provided) until they can go. They have sold their possessions and are diligently preparing to leave - learning a new language and fundraising, while raising 9 kiddos and homeschooling! YES. THEY. ARE. AMAZING!

Would you please join me in spreading the word about The Block Family?!? The Blocks need 147 families to pledge $25/month in support so their family will be able to serve Him as missionaries to orphans in Guatemala.

Ironic that there are 147 million orphans in the world and they need 147 sponsors??? :) Please prayerfully consider supporting this beautiful family and leave a comment here if you are able to support them with $25 a month. I mean, really... we can all make a sacrifice of $25 a month!

For each $25 supporter, you'll be entered into a drawing for a beautiful piece of art... I won't share a photo just yet... just to keep you squirming! :)

*And, of course I have to mention, that your tax-deductible pledge will have an eternal investment in the Kingdom, as you already know.

baby showers, packing, and more!

2011-04-23T00:44:00.000-05:00

I must tell you about this past Monday night! Our church (PBC) hosted such a sweet shower for us!

Some sweet friends -

you can tell by their faces how seriously cute our little man is! :)

Melissa sharing while I try not to cry!

isn't he sweet!?!?!

Melissa, another adoptive mother wrote a devotional, sharing stories of her childhood, stories of her trip to Korea, and stories of bringing their little girl home. She was so sweet to share the verses Isaiah 43 that sustained them through the waiting too...

"But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush[a] and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

It was such a GREAT night and we are so excited to be able to bless all the kiddos in Ethiopia and in Illinois with the donations we received at the shower! Check out our kitchen... LOVED walking by this and being reminded of the generosity of so many the last couple days!

And check out this AMAZING blanket our friend Tiffany HANDMADE for little A! I LOVE IT and it matches his room perfectly! She contacted me asking about the colors in his room and I thought it was so sweet of her to ask... not having any idea what she was up to!

And Tiffany wanted to use her talents to serve the Lord so she decided to have a little get together next Saturday where ladies can come and make blankets for children in need! We'll be taking what we can fit in our luggage to Ethiopia with us, sending some to Ukraine with the Lifesong team, and taking the others to caring pregnancy centers and agencies! We are praying that these blankies will be comforting to some special children!

yes, that's a humongo stuffed animal in A's crib!

What else have we been up to around here?

If you missed our post on dignity bags for kids who are removed from their homes and taken into foster care, check it out here. We're so blessed to be a part of such a generous small group and church, so we've all been collecting supplies, with the help of our couponing friends, to create bags for these children. Amazing for them to have something to call their own.

Currently the back seat of our car looks a little something like this -

As you can see, we've also been gathering donations to take to Little A's orphanage... we've been blessed with LOTS of formula, cloth diapers, and other necessities... can you imagine how many diapers, wipes, and bottles of formula you go through at an orphanage??!?!

packing... making lists, making new lists, and more lists!

and starting to pack for trip 2... since we don't know how long we'll be home between these trips.

What do you take with you to entertain a toddler for 20 hours on a plane? That's right... a hand-me-down musical guitar and a sale rack etch-a-sketch! :)

Check out these Africa silly bands we got for the kiddos at Hannah's Hope -

So thankful for the baby carrier another AGCI friend, Kim sent us... I'm sure it will make our time in airports much easier -

We've been finishing up some projects at home, like painting touch ups, cleaning out anything and everything I can get my hands on, and FINALLY hanging things on our walls! Oh, I wish I could show you the collage in our room of our little man! It's SO sweet and I can see it each time I lie down! W.algreens had a SUPER deal on 8x10 collages during a promo period and we got it for $1.08!

Check out this painting from one of the kids at the Lifesong Zambia school, equipped with a profile of a child that we can pray for -

and the children we serve in Ethiopia inside my 50 cent garage sale frame {that I need to repaint}... i heart ephrem! -

We finally found a spot for this neat little frame we received for Christmas TWO years ago! I'm including three photos of this below... to show you the space I decided to hang it in.... cause now I need your help figuring out WHAT to put in those tiny little 2"x2" squares? Hopefully that won't take another 2 years! {this is where you leave me your brilliant ideas... comment below}

We also started planting our first vegetable garden to be able to make food for our little man... and as you can see we planted way more than the 3 of us will be able to eat, so we're planning to freeze lots of veggies for this coming winter -

No comments about the grass issues on this side of our house... just can't seem to get it right, which is why we thought it was PERFECT for a garden!

I've been spending some of my late nights of not sleeping making fun things for our upcoming baby shower that our family is throwing for us.... sometimes it seriously calms me to paint and do crafty things. Please note, the name on the 2nd part of this banner is 'retouched' since we can't share online -

And a little sign for his dresser (minus his Ethiopian name which has been blurred for your viewing pleasure) -

yep, we finally landed on a name!

insert a great closing paragraph that I'm too tired to think of right now! But I will say this... THANK YOU! for your generosity. for your prayers. for allowing us to cry with you. and laugh with you. and for standing by our sides while we walked this sometimes crazy road of adoption. we love you all and are so excited for you to meet the sweet little boy we've all been praying for.

Some updates...

2011-04-21T00:39:00.000-05:00

Some updates for you!!

We got new photos........ THIS.BOY.MELTS.MY.HEART!!!! Can't post them on here, but if you see me, you better believe I'm going to show you! And you're crazy if you don't want to kiss those sweet little lips... oh my!

Last night, while we you slept, a very important meeting took place. This meeting went well so we are one step closer. Thank you for your prayers and support, this meeting brought A LOT of emotions that we weren't necessarily expecting.

When the phone rang today with the news of meeting, I literally had so much anxiety I thought I would vomit!

Now onto our court hearing!

FOUR WEEKS FROM TODAY!!!!!!!! Four weeks from today we will stand in front of a judge and ask him for the privilege to be little A's parents. This means that we leave in TWENTY THREE days!

Please pray that all the necessary documents are at the court hearing when we appear in front of the judge on May 18th (while you sleep on the 17th)!

Thanks again for walking this journey with us!

OH Gear for an Adoptive Family!

2011-04-16T11:45:00.000-05:00

Interested in some Ordinary Hero gear? Their designs are so fabulous!

Our friends, the Rossi's will be traveling to Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia, where little A is just a few days after us to meet their little girl... and they are still in need of travel expenses.

Check out their blog here and please support them!

Transformation

2011-04-14T22:19:00.000-05:00

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" 2 Corin. 3:18

As you keep your focus on Me, I form you into the one I desire you to be. Your part is to yield to My creative work in you, neither resisting it nor trying to speed it up! - Sarah Young

Transformation - what a BEAUTIFUL thing! Hard? Sometimes... beautiful? Always!

How is the Creator of the universe transforming YOU?

Jesus Calling

2011-04-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

My friend Mitzi recommended this GREAT 40 day devotional by missionary, Sarah Young! I've been so anxious to get my hands on it and it came TODAY!! EEK!

We planned on doing this together for the 40 days leading up to our trip... but my good friend A.mazon was a little slow this time!

So, since we leave in THIRTY ONE DAYS (can you tell we're excited), we decided to go through it 1 day at a time, writing a note to our little A and a prayer for his life each day... and we'll do the last section of the book in Ethiopia (and a couple days when we return)! It seriously is such an honor to be this little boys mommy... so humbling. And I can't wait for Dan and I to be able to give him this precious book one day!

For a little glimpse into this great devotional, here's Day 1:

Join us in this 40 day journey!

PS - speaking of Mitzi, if you want to read something HILARIOUS, check out her blog posting about 15 things she thought she'd never do until motherhood! laughing out loud!

Foster Care Drive... take 2!!

2011-04-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Last year, I had the privilege of helping my friend Jami remodel some rooms at our local DCFS offices. It was a glorious day and the faces of the workers were priceless!

This is what happened, in Jami's words:

"With kids in tow, I walked into DCFS and asked a simple question. 'Can I see the rooms where the kids come while they wait for a foster family to be found?' What I saw in there was just not right. Hard furniture, old, dirty toys, books that were ripped and torn. Nothing in that room said, 'you are special', 'you are worth more'. And so that became our mission... to create a space that says, 'You are special!"

Don't you just LOVE Jami's heart... you can actually READ her passion through the words she writes. She put together a great video of the project too:

To learn more about what Jami's been up to and to get involved in the Forgotten Initiative, check out Jami's blog here and become a fan on f.acebook here.

While collecting donations to fix up the rooms, Jami realized that so many of the children that are removed from their homes are removed during the night, often times with only the clothes on their backs. They will spend the night in an office with a social worker who is trying to place them with a foster care family, and when they are placed, they go with nothing. The workers at the local offices expressed a need for items to help these kids adjust, make them feel loved, and allow them to have something special that they could call their own!

So, once we found out about the need, we quickly approached our women's ministry team at our home church (Pontiac Bible) and got to work putting together a project we called WISH (Women Involved In Spreading Hope). Dignity Bags were packed and distributed by the state to children entering into the Foster Care Program. These are small, age- and gender-appropriate bags containing a few simple items such as a toothbrush, a change of clothes, underwear, and a small toy. These bags help children in a scary and disorienting situation.

As we made the announcement and stood outside the auditorium praying that people would come by and sign up to bring items, we were immediately blown away by the response from the Body of Christ! Our small church was able to purchase supplies and bags to pack SIXTY BAGS for children in our three surrounding counties! God was at work in so many hearts and we were so humbled to be a part of it!

We quickly started praying and asking the Lord to show us what He would have us do to bring hope to these children and thought maybe this could be an annual event.... fast forward less than 12 months later.... WE ARE CREATING THESE BAGS AGAIN!

The small groups at PBC have all been challenged to pack 5 bags each. Each bag costs less than $20 and we are focusing on the ages with the greatest need (2-6 yrs). As a team we will come up with the following items:

comb or brush, small barrette (for girls), diapers (4, 5, or 6), 1-2 sippy cups, kids toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, travel size body wash, socks, tshirt, sweatshirt, pants, small toy, coloring/activity book, and crayons.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? I'm so glad you asked! :)

For those of you that would like to participate in this project, please let us know (ucherek1 AT hotmail DOT com) and we can give you some instructions. If you are local, Dan and I would be glad to pick up the items from you and deliver them to dcfs. If you are not able to get the items to pack a bag or live out of town, please consider donating diapers, wipes, or formula for these children and families. Amazon has a great way to order these items online and have them shipped directly to us.

What else can you do? PRAY! We are asking God to provide for 60 bags again this year! May these children feel LOVED and see JESUS through His people in action!

Because Missions Are a Group Effort!

2011-04-04T19:00:00.000-05:00

There are people you meet once in a while that you connect with instantly! For me, Amy Block is one of those people... she's an amazing, wise, godly woman with a heart to serve! The first time I talked with Amy she said 'I'm just a mom... with nine children!' I learned very quickly, that while being a mommy is something she cares deeply about, she's not JUST a mom. (I don't think we should ever say that anyone is JUST a mom, but that's another topic for another day!:))

Amy loves Jesus with all her heart... and lives out her faith in more ways than I could put into words on this here blog! Her, and her hubby Todd live in Texas with their BEAUTIFUL family and we had the privilege of hosting them at our home church recently... as they stood in front of the group of people and shared their heart for the fatherless... I couldn't help but be moved to tears! It's evident in their faces, in their eyes, in their voices, and in their passion that they seek to glorify God in ALL that they do.... and we are SO EXCITED to support them as they prepare to move to Guatemala to serve at Eagle's Nest! Y'all know our hearts for Guatemala... yah, now we have another place to serve when we visit... CAN'T WAIT!

Check out this PRECIOUS video featuring each of their kiddos...so sweet!

what i want you to know: from rage against the minivan

2011-04-01T22:58:00.000-05:00

I just saw this over on Megan's f.acebook page and thought I'd share. PLEASE, PLEASE give your thoughts and reactions on this post.... I think for so many of us, we have no idea how adoptive families feel... until we are in their shoes. And, I must admit, I've been on both sides of what the writer is referring to... and am glad that someone shared with me how they felt, so I could support them and understand what they were experiencing.

Please, take a few minutes and read this post!

Meet Victor! And please join us in prayer!

2011-03-30T10:35:00.001-05:00

Well, it's day 10 of our blitz and we have a long way to go to make our goal. We have 40.5 commitments... can we get 59 commitments today? It seems impossible... but we know that God can do great things.

We've seen Him do it this week!

We've seen it in people giving their best gifts.

We've seen it in the stories we've received of families eating tortillas in honor of our kids in Honduras. (by the way, we'd love to hear more! Tell us about your Tortilla Tuesday experience HERE)

We know that God is at work, and pray that He will continue to move today!

Yesterday we talked about the difference Lifesong Honduras is making. Today we get to hear a personal testimony of this difference made in one Escalon graduate, Victor Rodas:

The reality is that without your support stories like Victor's... stories like Edgar's and Tania's and Edmund's would cease to exist.

We have till the end of today. Can we reach our goal?

Contact us at info@lifesongfororphans.org to make your commitmentn AND tell them we sent you from our blog!
Your donation will be doubled thanks to a gracious giver!

Tortilla Tuesday at our house!

2011-03-29T19:12:00.000-05:00

Just finished up having our rice, beans, and tortillas here at the Ucherek House!

and... as I finish and clean up my kitchen after dinner for 2, I can't help but think about the caregivers at Lifesong Honduras that get up every morning at 3am to make 1,500 tortillas before breakfast! You see, there are FIVE HUNDRED kids living at Plan Escalon and they go through 4,500 tortillas EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

So, as I clean up my warm house, using my sink, and stove, in my comfortable house... I think about the children and families all over the world with nothing to eat tonight, no home to keep them warm, and no one to tell them about Jesus!

Please join us in prayer for the children and staff at Plan Escalon in Honduras... may these children rise up and change their nation for Christ!

perspective on Lifesong Honduras - Brian from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

What Difference?

2011-03-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

It's Tortilla Tuesday!!! Don't forget to send in your photos and stories to info@lifesongfororphans.org!

What difference does Lifesong Honduras really make in the lives of the 550 students we work with?

Nutritionally: Every day students at Lifesong Honduras receive 3 balanced meals. (Join us today for Tortilla Tuesday! Confused? Click HERE)

Educationally: The national average of students in public schools who go on to college in Honduras is around 1%. At Lifesong Honduras, about 40% of students go on to college!

Economically: In a country with a national unemployment rate of 70%, over 70% of Plan Escalon graduates have full-time jobs!

Spiritually: 2011 Vision Team member, Brian Kerz, speaks from what he saw first hand:

Isn't teaching the gospel message really what it's all about? And after leaving Lifesong Honduras to live on their own, 90% of Escalon graduates still consider themselves Christians and 85% continue to attend church on a regular basis!

Lives are being changed. Lives can continue to change because of the difference being made by people like you!

Our goal is:

We have two days left.
We need 63 commitments!

Will you help us continue to serve children in Honduras?

Can't commit to $30 p/mo? Give your best gift today... we can all make one sacrifice and come together as the body of Christ to make a big difference!

Contact us at info@lifesongfororphans.org to make your commitment AND be sure to tell them that we sent you from our blog! Your donation will be doubled thanks to a gracious giver!

Your support makes these stories possible!
All administrative costs are covered, so 100% of your donation will go directly to helping orphans.

Federal Adoption Tax Credit Updates

2011-03-28T13:09:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of Abba Fund Blog, check out the new info on the federal adoption tax credit (and be sure to review the resource sites listed):

Everything You Want to Know and More about the Adoption Tax Credit

Another great resource from the NCFA, found here.

Escalon

2011-03-28T12:25:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Well, we are on day 7 of our blitz, with only 3 more days to go!
Today we're going to let Guy Henry, director of Lifesong Honduras, tell a little about Plan Escalon in his own words.

Plan Escalon from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

God is working in Honduras! He is bringing up young men and women through hardship to a place of purpose and hope... and He is using the staff at Lifesong Honduras to do it!

But they can't do it alone. Will you join us?
Our goal is:

So far we have 31 commitments.

We need 69 more.

That's about 23 commitments a day!

Please join us! If you can't commit $30 a month, give what you can. Let's come together to serve these kids in Honduras. Let's change their lives. Let's change their nation.

Don't forget to participate in tomorrow's Tortilla Tuesday! (Don't know what this is? Click HERE)

Contact us at info@lifesongfororphans.org to make your commitment AND be sure to tell them that you came from our blog! Your donation will be DOUBLED thanks to a gracious giver!

Hear personal stories & follow the progress on our blog!
Your support makes these stories possible!
All administrative costs are covered, so 100% of your donation will go directly to helping orphans.

Only Jesus! (Dan here!)

2011-03-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

Alright everyone!! This is Dan and it's my turn now!

So...we are so excited to see our little man and bring him home. I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a good parent lately. We all mess up and get things wrong, but we love our children with all our hearts and want what is best for them, right? At this stage of the game for us, I think the best (and only) thing we can really do right now is pray. Pray for him, his health, his heart, and his safety. And then it dawned on me...that is the best thing for any parent to do! Our child is far away, and we really can't do much to keep him safe... but when it all comes down to it, that's all any parent can do. As we go through this hard time of waiting to bring our little dude home, I have realized that he is in God's hands...but even when he is home, He is still in God's hands, not ours! GOD HAS GIVEN US THE AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO PARENT THIS CHILD!

So I digress... We have to make the most of the time that the Lord gives us with our little guy before he grows up. And I'm sure it will go much quicker than we want! We must be the Godly example in his life and point him to Christ, for this is our joy as parents.

I wrote this song to my little man, to sing to him every night before bed, to point him to the one and only Jesus. Sleep in peace my sweet little boy, until we meet face to face! WE LOVE YOU!

flash MP3 player for website

Meet Edgar!

2011-03-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

Edgar is 15 years old and in the 10th grade at Lifesong Honduras.

On June 5th, 2009 his father was shot and killed because he didn't want to sell his property, leaving his mother alone to raise Edgar and his brothers.

Recently Edgar's family decided to move to another state and wanted him to join them. However, even though it was hard to watch them leave, he was determined to continue his education at Escalon. After being there for 3 years, Edgar understands his need for education as a step towards a better life.

When asked about these major trials he has had to face in his young life, he simply says,

"It's just like "Pastor Guy" (Lifesong Honduras director) always says, "we should never give up."

After graduating Edgar wants to study in the medical field. He desires to use these skills to help people in need and give back as he has been given.

With your support we can continue to serve more kids like Edgar.

Our goal is:

We have 16.5 commitments.

We need 83.5 more.

Please prayerfully consider joining us as we strive to bring joy and purpose to orphans in Honduras! YOUR DONATION WILL BE DOUBLED by a gracious giver!

Contact us at at info@lifesongfororphans.org to make your commitment AND be sure to tell them tha we sent you from our blog!

Hear personal stories and check back for progress through the end of the month!
*All administrative costs are covered, so 100% of your donation will go directly toward helping orphans!

Counting Shoes... and a challenge!

2011-03-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

Edmund Gives Back from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

Edmund is just one example of many who have been helped by Lifesong Honduras, and are now giving back. I love how he obviously cares for these kids and even gives what little he has away so they can have shoes! What a great example.

Here’s a question for you… How many pairs of shoes do you have?.

10? 20? 30? (eek!)

The kids at Lifesong Honduras have one pair each… sometimes two (a pair of boots to serve in). Wow.

This Saturday join us for Shoe Saturday. Simply count your shoes… and get your kids in on it too. Have them count theirs. And then tell them about the children in Honduras. Tell them about Edmund who sacrifices his own money so children in the village can have something on their feet. Then as a family pray. Thank God for His faithfulness and His blessings on your family. Thank Him for raising up men and women and children in Honduras to care for the poor, the orphaned, the vulnerable. Ask Him to continue to provide and watch over them. Ask Him raise up supporters so Lifesong can continue to serve in Honduras.

We are reaching for a goal:

Please pray that we can reach this goal? Maybe God wants to use you? Will you prayerfully consider joining us?

Maybe you can't give $30 a month... Maybe you can give more. Today we want to encourage you to give your best!

One commitment we've received was a one time gift... Another commitment was matched by the donor's employer... meaning his gift has now quadrupled! We are so excited to see people rise up and give what they can!

Thank you to those who have committed so far.

We have 15.5 commitments.

Can we make 100?

We have 7 days... 84.5 commitments to go.

With your help we can do it!

Tortillas and then some!

2011-03-23T06:00:00.023-05:00

Did you miss the post about what is going on at Lifesong Honduras? Click here.
Did you read about Tortilla Tuesday on Tuesday, March 29th? Click here.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

Maybe some coffee? Yes?

Maybe some rice and beans, with white cheese and tortillas? No?

At Lifesong Honduras this is what a normal breakfast for the 550 kids we serve looks like.

For lunch they will get tortillas with either vegetable soup, pasta, or chicken with rice and vegetables.
For dinner they will eat rice, beans, cream (similar to sour cream) white cheese, eggs (2 times a week) and (you guessed it) tortillas.

Next Tuesday, March 29th join us for Tortilla Tuesday as we eat rice, beans, and tortillas for the day and provide tools for you to use in sharing with your family… in order to further teach out children about the lives of others.

Enjoy a meal at work or with your family or friends of tortillas, rice, and beans. This is a great way to not just talk about life for kids in Honduras, but to actually experience it, if only in one small way.

We want to encourage you to use this opportunity to share the need in Honduras with your kids, friends, and co-workers.

Here are a few facts and conversation starters:
1. Honduras is one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere

2. Last year approximately 75% of new students coming into Lifesong Honduras were malnurished, their weight and height way below average, and needed extra vitamins and supplements. Pictured below are three 7th graders from this group:

"The reward comes in many forms... to watch them grow and their appearance change, knowing that you played a part in that. It is hard explain, but when you take one of our graduates and compare them to someone of the same age, from their own villages, even though the differences may range from ever so slight to obvious, it is visible."
-Lifesong Honduras staff member

3. There are innumerous un-reached mountain villages that still do not have electricity or running water, children without clothing or shoes, and families without food to feed their children.

- Homes are barely constructed of mud, sticks, cardboard and whatever material they can use to cover themselves.

-Many villages have no organized church, nor a pastor, nor a church building in which to meet.

-Students at Plan Escalon spend part of their education giving back… visiting mountain villages, where many of them came from, to bring food (rice and beans) and minister to the people.

- Imagine what it would it be like to live in a mountain village in Honduras… What would it be like? Would you feel hopeful of your future? How would you survive?

4. At Lifesong Honduras they have to make 3,500 tortillas made every day… on only 3 stoves!

- Can you imagine making that many tortillas every day? Think about how you would interact with others in the kitchen. How easy would it be trying to accomplish this with only 3 stoves?

*Be sure to have your camera ready for Tortilla Tuesday! Please send Lifesong a photo of you and your family or co-workers (or whoever you invite) participating in Tortilla Tuesday, your location, and a short story about the impact it made and the conversations you had to info@lifesongfororphans.org! If you have a blog or facebook, consider sharing it!

Our goal is:

Will you join us? Every dollar will make a difference! Every dollar will be doubled for the sake of orphans!

So far we have 4 commitments. Thank you! We still need more. Together we can do more for the children and the future of Honduras!

Contact Lifesong at info@lifesongfororphans.org to make your commitment AND be sure to tell them that we sent you from our blog!

Hear personal stories & follow the progress on our blog all this week!

MORE!

2011-03-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

Honduras Blitz from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

What if every time you gave a dollar to orphans it became one more?

One more dollar towards food, education, shelter?

One more dollar towards sharing the Gospel and providing Biblical mentorship?

One more dollar towards changing the life of a child?

I love to use this platform to advocate for those in need... and thanks to a generous donor every dollar given to Lifesong Honduras will be matched… up to $120,000! We praise the Lord for this amazing gift and invite you to be a part of it.

Over the next 10 days we are teaming with Lifesong and are hoping for 100 1-year commitments of $30 a month. Just think, for about $1 a day a life in Honduras can be forever changed.

Partnering with Tree of Life Missions in Honduras, Lifesong for Orphans is able to work toward providing hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless and healing to the hurting. TOLM reaches kids through a program called Plan Escalon. (Escalon is translated "escalator" and is used to describe the children's escalator out of poverty/brokenness.)
Through this program we strive toward:

Providing an education to the poorest of youth
Providing food to the poorest of youth
Providing vocational training & micro-business opportunities
Providing free medical and dental clinics to those in need
Training young people to give back to their communities
Reaching people in the jungles of the Mosquito Coast

Stay tuned for stories, personal testimonies, and fun ways to spread awareness and instill a heart of giving in your kids!

Our goal is:

Will you help us? 100 commitments in ten days is no small feat, but with God it is possible. We have seen Him move mightily in His people to serve orphans and we pray that this ten weeks will be a testimony of that! Together we can make a difference in the lives of these kids! Together we can do more to bring joy and purpose to orphans!

Contact Lifesong at info@lifesongfororphans.org to make your commitment AND be sure to tell them that we sent you from our blog!

Hear personal stories & follow the progress on our blog all this week!

Check back often to hear personal stories and get updates on the progress. Please join us in prayer as we ask the Lord to raise up 100 commitments!

The Hours, Days, and Weeks following the call...

2011-03-21T06:00:00.009-05:00

If you missed our Referral Call post, click here to read that first.

After the Call

Once we got off the phone at 8:38pm, we grabbed the photos and drove to our parents. My parents are the closest, so we stopped at their house first.... here's the first glimpse of their grandson -

mouth wide open! :)

all smiles!

We talk as fast as we possibly can, give them the photos, and hit the road.

We then drive to Dan's parents which is about another 20 minutes... and the whole time we try to devise a plan to tell them about their new grandson.... at this point, we know that Dan's mom will be in bed and we don't want to freak her out when we pull in the driveway.... but Dan kinda likes freaking his mom out.... in a funny sort of way! So, we drive to their house, she gets out of bed and comes downstairs to join Dan's dad and see her their grandson -

grins here too!

nice pjs! :)

Thank you for supporting us parents!

The Following Few Days

By the time we get home from Dan's parents, it's somewhere after midnight and we get to work on paperwork immediately. We stay up for several hours writing up a transition plan for our agency, sending emails to an international pediatrician, social worker, and family members. We are so excited to tell the rest of our family, but know that they are all in bed by now!

So, first thing Friday morning we hop on the phone, call the siblings and let me know the news... I wish we could've recorded Dan's niece, Addie and nephew, Ethan - they were hysterical! Ethan was yelling, 'I have a new buddy... I have a new buddy'... and Addie (she's 2) was confused and thought the photos were HER brother, instead of cousin, cause her momma happens to be pregnant... poor girl is so confused! :)

Here are those two proud cousins -

We got the green light from the intl ped, the home study agency, etc and got to work on the rest of the paperwork.... had several conference calls.... had to go to work, had a conference Saturday morning where I showed EVERYONE I saw his photos - even if I didn't know them! sorry! :)

We received this sweet package in the mail from AGCI the following Monday, including the sweet stuffed monkey - this agency is amazing and the personal care they put into each child is just incredible!

As you can see, it's gone really fast and been so fun to share with everyone!

Where We Are Today!

The next step in the process is to travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to spend 5 days with little A and appear for our court hearing. We got news on the 3/9 that our court date is May 18th in Ethiopia and our flights are booked to leave on May 13th and return on the 20th! Can't wait to hold our little man!

So, around here... we're busy moving bedrooms, putting shelves up and organizing A's closet, creating photo albums for him and the special people in his life, painting, staining dressers, doing some spring cleaning and going through all the clothing, items, and toys that so many friends and family members have given us... we love hand-me-downs! .... did I mention NESTING? whew! this momma is NOT sleeping! :) haha!

AND - we've spent many hours staring into the beautiful eyes and talking about life with a little man who is now 18 months old! We've had some precious families that are also adopting through AGCI send us photos AND we have THREE videos of our son... can you believe it? I never thought I'd have videos of him before we meet him... so precious!

THIS photo was just precious to see A's first name next to our last name... for the first time!

We just got one last night where little A is starting to walk, with the help of his little buddy T of course! Again, if we're really honest on here... it was SO good to see him getting stronger and healthier, but was also a little hard to see him walking... you know, the envious kind of joy, where we wish we were there to help him take those first steps!

AND, the Foster family is in Addis Ababa right now to bring Matthias home and love on our little man! SO excited for you Mike and Meg! They emailed us yesterday with some new photos, which are so sweet! They were celebrating Matthias' first birthday and included our little A on the party.. lets just say, he doesn't like icing on his face! haha! JUST like his daddy!

Here's what the Foster's sent us this morning,

I couldn't wait to see him again!!! Have to tell you that he is HUGE compared to 5 weeks ago (which you can see in the pictures but in person it is astounding!) He almost looks like a different kid he's so much bigger. Looks really healthy now! And his hair is really growing in too. So cute! He is so incredibly ticklish that when he even THINKS you are going to tickle him he starts to squeal and squirm... so much fun to play with him. We look forward to seeing him again this afternoon... he, Matthias and their buddy T love playing together!

Oh, this melts my momma heart! I can't wait to tickle those little chubby legs! :)

And... here's some photos of the sweet gifts we've received for our little guy!

Our sweet friend Amy and her daughter Addie made this onesie for us!

Thank you amazing friends and family.... we just can't say that enough!

Reflecting on "The Call" & the journey... and a VIDEO!

2011-03-18T15:34:00.000-05:00

So, we've written this post and added to it... and added to it.... and deleted items... but, finally decided to click publish! We struggled with writing this because there are details of little A's life that are a part of his story, good and bad, that we want him to be able to share when he's ready and IF he's comfortable doing so. For those of you that we have shared some personal information with, we do so in confidence, trusting that you are praying for his needs and development.

As we thought about not posting about the call, we decided that ultimately, we want our journey to bring glory to God... and that by sharing how He has worked could impact hearts and lives... so, here we are posting the pieces we feel comfortable posting.

Warning: this is a long one, but worth the read!

The Weeks Leading up to "The Call"
If we're really honest, we've struggled during this journey! We've trusted God with our entire lives, but that doesn't mean that the waiting will always be easy. However, we KNEW that the Lord told us that our child was in Ethiopia... we knew we'd fall on hard times during the journey, face opposition, even hear doubt from other believers... however, God called us to this and we will not let stumbling blocks get in the way of bringing home the child God called us to care for.

For the 4-6 weeks before we found out about little A, God granted us a peace that was indescribable. This mommas heart knew the call was soon, but did my best to not jump out of my skin each time the phone rang. I jokingly told some friends not to be upset if I sounded disappointed when I heard their voice on the other end of the phone line :)

The Week of "The Call"
On Tuesday, the 15th, another AGCI family emailed us to say that there was a little boy in the same room at Hannah's Hope (our agency's orphanage) that they spent time with while on their first trip and were totally in love with him. She typed the words, "Once we realized that we couldn't bring this little guy home, the Lord laid you and Dan on our hearts, and we're praying that he's your son". I remember exactly where we were sitting when I read that email, turned toward Dan with tears in my eyes, and just cried!

That same night, another AGCI family had messaged me on f.acebook to ask how we were doing... do you see a pattern here? This ENTIRE journey, the Lord has continued to bring people into our lives to encourage us along the way... new friends and not-so-new friends... at EXACTLY the right time!
My response to that message and another the following day (Wednesday) almost wasn't sent... you see, I sat in my comfy home, in my comfy neighborhood, in a town where I don't have to worry much, and for the first time in over a year, I KNEW that my baby was being cared for. I felt the Lord speak to my heart that day... that He was caring for our baby and that we did not need to worry any longer!

Thursday... "The Call" (2/17/11)
As I hurriedly drove into the nearby town to meet my hubby for our volleyball game (go DQ team!) I pulled into the parking lot 1 minute before the game was supposed to start. My phone rings at 5:59pm... and the caller ID says, 'B @ AGCI' - that would be our caseworker... you know, the one who can make the world stop when she calls! :) The thought of referral crossed my mind for a split second, then I quickly distracted myself into thinking that she was most likely calling to tell us that something in our paperwork was about to expire and that we needed to get it updated... such is life in the adoption journey.

That wasn't the case!

B went on to explain a situation in Ethiopia and expressed that they were calling families to see if we were comfortable moving forward without this info. As I walked into the rec center where my hubby had already started the volleyball game I was supposed to be playing in, I listened intently and asked B lots of questions. You see, at this point, she couldn't share that IF we were ok with moving forward, that she had a little boy to tell us about... but my heart knew!

So, I walk (run) over to the court where Dan is already playing.... and with as much calmness as I can muster up (absolutely NONE he tells me later) I motion him over... he looks at me with a look of, 'babe, can't you see I'm playing here!'.... to which I motion ever so NOT nonchalantly for him to come over... I believe I may have mouthed the words, 'I need you NOW!' haha!

At this point, I must pause to remind of you the compartmentalization that comes along with being male. :)
I'm not saying this negatively at all, in fact, I know exactly what is going on in his mind as I do my best to breathe and explain to Dan everything that B just told me. He quickly responds...

"Cool! Well, we're losing now so I'm going to get back in the game! You call B and tell her we'll chat tonight and call her in the morning."

I take a deep breath and explain to my amazing husband that B would like an answer right away... still nothing clicking yet as I see him gazing over at the score of the game :).... and that, while I can't say 100%, I KNOW that she has a child to tell us about and that I think we need to leave so we can pray together, focus, and call her back. We do our best to pray and focus while there are hundreds of people in this gym yelling, playing basketball, you know... the usual things you do during a referral call! At 6:25 I call B back, tell her that we're confident that we're supposed to move forward and that we're trusting in the Lord's timing, whatever that may be. She quickly responds, "Great! I have a child I'd like to tell you about"... she notices that it's VERY loud and I tell her we need 20 minutes to drive home and get to our computer.

We wave goodbye to our team.... they look at us like we have 3 heads.... the guys look at Dan like, 'dude! we're losing!'... and we RUN to our car. We decide that I should drive because I can't contain myself and I'll make Dan insane if he drives.... for those of you that know us, Dan tends to drive like a 'granny'... and I really do say that with as much affection as possible, but it's the truth! And he adds that I drive like a crazy woman... :)

Please tell me about your CRAZY situations you were in the midst of when you got THE CALL!

As we drive, we laugh, we cry, we sweat (yes, we BOTH sweat when we are nervous), we look at the clock, we cry some more, and we keep repeating things like...

"this is not how we imagined the referral call"

"i wonder if it's a boy or girl"

"she said, A child, right... or did she say childREN"

"are we ready for this"

"I can't believe this is happening"

"wow, now we're all sweaty, this is going to make for a GREAT video" :)

We quickly make a checklist of what we need to do when we get in the house before we call B back. Get the computer, get the camera, will the video camera work? is it charged? who knows!

We call B back at 6:53... no answer... what a cruel joke! :) haha (we love you B!)
We call back at 7:01... quite possibly the longest 8 minutes of our lives....
We jump onto our blog to waste some time and notice that our lilypie on the right hand side says that it's been 1 year, 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day since we started the adoption process... WOW! We had no idea!

We call back again at 7:12... still going crazy! :) Pacing, pacing... realized I need to use the restroom, but don't want to be in the bathroom when B calls...
B calls back at 7:22 - she says we're SO patient.. yep, in the bathroom... HA! She didn't realize how many times we called her back.... nor had she seen this:

Now, here's the proof... for all to see.. how impatient we really were! :) Subject line in all caps, really? yikes!

B immediately sends us an email. The camera is set up and ready to go, we are both shaking like crazy, and we open the first document - B proceeds to tell us about a little boy, who is 17 months old, weighs 17 lbs, and who they believe to be a perfect fit for our family!

Over the next 76 minutes... things seem to be a bit of a blur. We looked through somewhere between 30 and 40 pages of information.
A's background info.
A's birth family history.
A's life thus far.
A's medical information.
A's legal documents.
So on, so forth.

B was so patient with us as we went through each page, line by line, word by word - she explained all the details to us.... the good, the bad, the exciting, and the heartbreaking. There were times when we were smiling from ear to ear and rejoicing that God has CHOSEN us to parent this sweet boy... and yet, times when there were tears streaming down our faces as we read A's story and thought about the pain he's experienced. B gave us time to think, to be silent, to laugh, to scream, to cry, and to pray... one of the amazing things about working with an agency that understands how God sets the fatherless in families. Jesus quickly confirmed that THIS was our son, the one He'd chosen for our family.

Let me just pause here... You see, for those of you that know the adoption process, you understand that this is a COMPLETE MIRACLE! Yes, little A has experienced a lot of loss and pain in his life, we're not down playing that at all, we understand that, we grieve for him, and plan to walk the road of healing with him. We also must, in the midst of processing this all, praise God for miracle after miracle that only HE could orchestrate for A to be in our family. Ever single piece of paper we mailed out, we prayed over... asking the Lord for His will in this process, not ours... we knew that HE called us to this and that HE would bring it to completion... as we processed paperwork, went through training, educated ourselves, and prayed daily for our child... only God could have every small piece of paper, date, and timing fall in line the same as the process that A was going through.... when you start to comprehend all that had to occur for him to get to Hannah's Hope on the exact date that he did, all the months of preparation on both ends for the date to line up so that A was ready to be adopted and our family was the next family in line for his needs - well, it's just not comprehendible... it's something that ONLY the CREATOR of the universe could orchestrate!

He often reminded us of these verse throughout the waiting:
"He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress." - Psalm 46:10-11

What a peace those verses brought us as we'd wonder why we were waiting so long and where our child was.... and if he was being cared for.

Earlier in the process, we painted these words on A's wall in his room, so that he, too, could be reminded each day that he is a miracle.... formed by God alone.... that God knew his name before the creation of the world... and has a unique, special, amazing plan for little A's life!

and we are SO humbled that God would allow us the chance to parent this sweet, joyful child!

Back to the call :)

Although we can't share all the details on here, we must encourage those of you waiting at any stage of the process... press into Jesus during this time, He will give you the strength to move forward. Also, we'd encourage you to keep track of what is going on in your hearts during this journey. I can tell you that I'm so thankful that we did this! There are several pieces of A's story that line up with exactly what we were feeling... when my heart was being changed while serving in Guatemala, A was born.... when we were grieving, A was hurting.... when the process didn't make sense, A wasn't ready to be adopted yet.... I could go on forever, but we hope that this part of our story brings you a huge sense of peace as you wait! I can tell you, the waiting isn't over for us, but I'd do it a thousand times over... because we KNOW that this is the child God called us to!

At this point in the call, I'm frantically looking through the email again wondering... WHERE IS MY BABY'S PHOTO???

B asks again, as she has so graciously every few minutes, if we had any questions..... I squeak out in the most high pitched voice possible..... CAN WE SEE A PHOTO OF OUR BABY? She smiles and giggles so sweetly.... we all gasp for air as she clicks send on a second email to us...... we wait, click refresh, wait more, AT LAST we see an email with 6 attachments..... we grip each others hands tighter (as if they could get any tighter).... and we see his sweet face! We both burst into tears and shreak out how precious he is!
He's so sweet!
Look at those eyes!
He looks ornery... like his daddy!
Oh, I said 'daddy'... you're a daddy!
Look at those feet... those little toes... and those little fingers!
Look how tiny he is.... oh, I need to hold him! And smooch him! (I'm totally gonna smother the kid in kisses!)

When Dan loses it, I seriously lose it! The. BIG. UGLY. CRY.... you know, the one where you're uncontrollable... but this is a joyful cry, and we're laughing.
Here it is folks - the first look at his face - yes, we're sweaty, yes-we're in Dairy Queen volleyball tshirts, yes-I have no makeup left at this point, what other details should I share with you? :)

well, if you didn't know how scary we could look before... you do now! :) haha... just keepin' it real!

After we gaze into those eyes, B proceeds to tell us all that needs to happen in the next 24 hours and next few days for us to move forward. You honestly could've told us to fill out a mountain of paperwork, climb Mt. Everest, and sell everything we have at this point... and we wouldn't have questioned a thing. All of a sudden all the waiting, the paperwork, the questions, the opposition, and the fundraising faded away... JUST. LIKE. THAT.

Jesus we praise You and thank You for allowing us this opportunity... thank you for breaking our hearts for the fatherless... and for allowing us the opportunity to say that as of February 17th, 2011, there's ONE LESS orphan in this world!

Stay tuned for the moments, days and weeks following the call....

Please Pray!

You have all been so faithful in praying with us throughout this journey! Could we ask you to pray for the following:

-That we would pass our court hearing on May 18th

-That the Lord would be at work in A's heart and life - he's gone through so much and his world is about to be turned upside down again.

-That as we create these precious gifts for the special people in A's life, we could clearly communicate, in their language the gratitude we have and that we could clearly communicate the Gospel to them while we are in Ethiopia!

Tortilla Tuesday! Pass It On!

2011-03-16T15:20:00.002-05:00

Tortilla Tuesday!!

Next Monday we will be kicking off an exciting 10 day blog-a-thon to spread the word about what's going on at Lifesong Honduras. We will be sharing personal testimonies from changed lives, peeking into everyday Honduran life, and giving some tools to spread awareness in your families.
One of these tools is a little something we like to call (da-daDAAA!):

Tuesday, March 29th we will be dedicating 1 meal to eat what the children in Honduras eat on a daily basis... and we want you to be a part of it! We will also provide some great topical questions and discussion guides for you to share with your kids on what life is like for children in another culture.

Would YOU join us?

We'll share more as we get closer to the 29th, so mark your calendars, get your camera ready and head to the store to get tortillas, rice, and beans for the whole family!

As we pray...

2011-03-09T22:36:00.000-06:00

As we pray for our sweet little A, the Lord continues to remind us of EVERY. PIECE. OF. HURT. that he's experienced. Today, I've been asking the Lord to not only heal A's heart, and prepare him for our home, but for the Lord to BREAK our hearts and give us HIS perspective... so that we have HIS strength to deposit into A, day after day, night after night, no matter what healing needs to occur.

Jesus - please mobilize YOUR army to put together these pieces!

PS - We find out yesterday that our court date is May 18th in Ethiopia... working on flight plans now!

Emergency Campaign for Ethiopian Children

2011-03-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

The Joint Council on International Children's Services put out an Emergency Campaign for Ethiopian children -- we only have a few days to sign and hopefully it'll make a difference! They plan to present it to the Prime Minister in Ethiopia. Here's where you can go to sign it (please do and pass along to everyone you know!!):
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html

*we talked with our agency and since this is so new and has note yet gone into affect yet, no one really knows how this will affect families in the process. It's great to see JCICS taking action and we feel that it's a step in the right direction... so, we wait and trust in the Lord and His timing to bring our little man home!

1 week ago... and a request

2011-02-24T06:00:00.001-06:00

One week ago today, we saw your sweet face...
One week ago today, we knew God chose you for our family...
One week ago today, our hearts were more in love than we could've ever imagined...

Throughout this past week the Lord has continued to remind us of all the blessings He's poured out on our lives... and we are so thankful for how HE works in our lives. We are so thankful that He called us to be A's parents!

Sweet Boy A,
We can't wait to bring you home, to love you, to care for you, to nurture you, but most importantly... we can't wait to point you to Jesus! We know it won't always be easy and we know that you're scared, but we promise to love you through it all... to walk the road of healing with you... and pray for your salvation every day!

Thank you Lord for allowing us the privilege of saying that there's one less orphan in Ethiopia!

Friends & Family - THANK YOU! We have felt so loved throughout this journey... and it's just really the beginning! We hope to share more details with you as we can, but we also wanted to encourage you with this - each day we were hurting, each day we were grieving, and each day we were questioning - the Lord has used to strengthen us. Throughout this wait we've written down specific dates when certain things were going on in our hearts... and now that we know A's name and his story, those dates line up exactly with what was going on in his life during that time. When we were grieving, he was hurting...

To those of you waiting - we wait with you and pray with and for you! We are confident in the Lord's timing and He continues to show us why it was so important for us to wait for our little man...

Now for the request - we are starting to put together a book for little A from the day we felt called to adopt until the day A is in our home. We have been saving all of your comments, emails, and notes of encouragement.... if you have a specific prayer you've been praying for our little man, a verse you'd like prayed over him, a note of encouragement, etc - please post them on this blog or email them to us at ucherek1 AT hotmail DOT com. Feel free to send a photo of your family if you'd like... we can't wait for him to see all the names and faces of those that have walked this road with us!

Connected to Serve

2011-02-22T12:30:00.000-06:00

I love when I get the opportunity to use this platform to advocate for Lifesong and the amazing orphan care ministries we get to serve!

They sat in the studio with an expectant glow as they spoke about their children they had yet to meet, but who they claimed as their very own...

Josh: "As unbelievers, we are aliens. We are strangers. We are separated from God. But God has come in and adopted us, through Christ, to be in His family."
Jenn: "And we're just so thrilled that our family can be a picture of that to the world! And just like we would never question our true son-ship to God the Father, it's been an encouragement to us to think about, we really don't have to question whether these kids are our true children... cause they are!"

When Josh and Jenn Philpot felt God's nudging toward adoption they weren't sure where they would get the money. They received a matching grant through the Orphan Care Alliance (OCA), turning the $6,000 they had raised into $10,000, and making it possible for them to bring home not just one child but two!

OCA is a multi-church alliance in the Louisville/Southern Indiana area. Adoption funding is just one part of their ministry. Their many outreaches include recruiting and training foster parents, mentoring local foster children, assistance for local churches in launching orphan ministries, international orphan care, and more! They are also a part of Lifesong's Outside the Walls Network, which connects churches to serve orphans more powerfully together than they could on their own.

OCA Mission Moments from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

THE CALL!!!!!

2011-02-19T20:44:00.000-06:00

WE GOT THE CALL THURSDAY NIGHT!!!! February 17th, 2011 our lives forever changed... and we are so thankful that the Lord is bringing His work to completion!

We finally got to see the face of the little man that God choose for our family... he's 17 months old and the most precious little guy ever!

We have had a crazy busy weekend so we'll post more details about the call later, but wanted you all to know and wanted to ask for your prayers. We feel so blessed to have walked this journey thus far with such amazing support and we want to request that you keep pray for little boy 'A'... please pray for his adjustment, his health, and pray that all paperwork is processed smoothly and quickly!

Feel free to post comments here... we'll be printing them all out and putting them in the book we are creating for him - so feel free to write as much as you'd like, leave a prayer you're praying for him, or whatever you'd like!

**PS - due to confidentiality issues, we are not allowed to put his name or photos anywhere on the Internet.

Getting off her to hang with my hubby on his bday! :) (Yes, we got the most amazing present this week!)

Names...

2011-02-02T18:43:00.000-06:00

So, we just realized that we never told y'all, 'the bloggy world', what names we had chosen for our kiddos!

We drew them in the sand back in September - I know, totally dorky... but hey, we were excited that we picked them so quickly - when were were in Michigan {view photos & post here}.... thinking that we'd share them at some point.

So, without further ado.... here are the boys names we like:

and the girls names we like:

So tell us friends... what girl name would you vote for (Selah or Finley) and what boy name would you vote for (Silas, Judah, or Micah)?

Can't wait to tally your votes! :)

Guesses...

2011-02-01T16:39:00.000-06:00

Anyone getting tired of this guessing game? :) Just wonderin'!

Anyway... we've been totally sporadic on this here blog.. and well, I'm ok with that... our hearts have been heavy and our lives have been busy, so we're just going to roll with it! :)

I just checked out the guesses from THIS POST and we have passed all the dates y'all guessed... yikes!
We still want to do this fun giveaway, so please re-post your guesses...

and a reminder - we're approved for 1-2 children, either gender, up to 24 months in age

Guess away!

*if you missed our pastor's sermon on sanctity of life sunday, check it out here.

One Day-One Lunch

2011-01-28T10:38:00.001-06:00

Hi friends- would be willing to take a minute to help my friend Amy and her daughter Addisyn spread the word about the One Day-One Lunch project. I appreciate each and every one of you and I am so thankful we are in this together.

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor Proverbs 22:9

From Addisyn, a 15 year old, amazing girl:

"Ever since traveling to Africa last March I haven't been able to get the children left behind out of my head. I wanted to do something- anything- I could to help them. But when you are 15 years old what you can do it limited- or is it? I decided to start with what I knew I could do- give the little I had. So, I began to donate my lunch money. Instead of eating a school lunch, I brought a small bowl of the soup like what was given to the children at the feeding program we visited. I knew it wasn't much- but it made me feel close to them and it made me feel like I was making a difference- if only a small one. After awhile a friend of mine decided to join me in my efforts and she gave her lunch money too- which got me to thinking. What if others joined in too- even just one day? What if the body of Christ came together one day for one lunch and gave what we would have spent that day on our lunch away? It only cost $3.00 to feed a child at the Adami Tulu preschool for ONE MONTH. Can you imagine what a big difference we could make by just giving away one days lunch?

On February 3rd in celebration of 100 days in a row of eating soup for lunch and donating my lunch money- I am writing to ask you if you would be willing to help? I know all of you already do so much by adopting, giving, serving and praying for the least of these and I am so thankful for your example.

Let's get the word out and remind people that these children exist. Surely each of us can experience the hunger pains these kids experience daily for just one day- one lunch."

Walking in faith~ Addisyn

Every 5 seconds a child dies of starvation.
And the truth is this, most days; this never even crosses our minds.

Perhaps that is because with a number like this- we don’t even know where to begin.

But what if you knew where to begin? What if you knew what to do to make a difference?

And what if that difference simply started with your lunch?

What if all it took was One Day and One Lunch- to make a huge difference in the life of a child?

What if all you had to do was simply give what you would have spent in one day for one lunch?

If you are reading this today- yes YOU… I’d like to ask you to be a part of something big. God usually preferred to work through people- people like you and people like me. You have two choice right now- you can click off this page and pretend you didn’t read this and go on with your everyday life- or you can choose to see that God brought YOU here- to read this- for a purpose- to be a part of something big.

Don’t worry, I am not going to ask you to do something you can’t- I am asking you to do something you can. The Average American spends between $2.00 and $8.00 a day on lunch. If everyone who reads this blog post would simple choose- on February 3nd to give up their ‘lunch money’ and then donate what they would have spent on lunch that day to Lifesong For Orphans for the Adami Tulu preschool in Ziway, Ethiopia. Can you image what Jesus could do? A mere $3.00 feeds a child for ONE MONTH. Can you imagine the impact we could make- simply by giving being willing to make a small sacrifice for someone else?

So mark your calendar for Feb. 3nd and spread the word about the One Day- One Lunch Project. Put it on FB, add it to your blog- ask your friends, coworkers and church family to join in. Let’s make a small sacrifice- to make one big difference.

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." ~ Mother Teresa

Donations can be given online at: http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/donation.html- please indicate it’s to go to the Adami Tulu Preschool.