Simple words, yet this is a call to action for all of us. I pray that it will stir your heart, your hands, and your feet to serve with love and compassion, as Jesus served us.
Matthew 25:37-40 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King replied, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Lydia's Doll
I found the cutest baby doll for Lydia today. I have restrained myself from buying her anything in the past. I gave in today. I wanted my little girl growing up in Liberia to have her own baby doll to hold and play with. Here is a picture. Musu has agreed to carry it back with her and deliver it.
Musu will be leaving in a week. My heart is breaking. I have to come to love her so much! She is part of our family now and forever.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Update on adoptions in Liberia
We haven't had much to say in the way of updates lately. We are still firmly committed to caring for Lydia and Leo. If that involves bringing them home to America that would be wonderful. If it does not then, hey God knows best! We are still going to support them as best we can.
There has been movement on the adoption issue in Liberia. In the last two days there was a symposium on the rights of the child hosted at the Executive Mansion in Liberia. A lot of work went into this event. We are hoping and praying that good will come of this and that the children of Liberia will gain the right to be cared for by adoptive parents.
Here is an article about the symposium.
I will post more soon I promise.
http://theinquirer.com.lr/story.php?record_id=1937&sub=14
The government of Liberia has also said that they will begin processing adoptions that had court decrees before the moratorium began. They have not begun action on this yet. Please pray that this will take place soon. This is a battle. It will be won with much prayer. God's purposes ALWAYS prevail!
There has been movement on the adoption issue in Liberia. In the last two days there was a symposium on the rights of the child hosted at the Executive Mansion in Liberia. A lot of work went into this event. We are hoping and praying that good will come of this and that the children of Liberia will gain the right to be cared for by adoptive parents.
Here is an article about the symposium.
I will post more soon I promise.
http://theinquirer.com.lr/story.php?record_id=1937&sub=14
The government of Liberia has also said that they will begin processing adoptions that had court decrees before the moratorium began. They have not begun action on this yet. Please pray that this will take place soon. This is a battle. It will be won with much prayer. God's purposes ALWAYS prevail!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
adoption/orphan care symposium
Want to find out more about caring for orphans? Interested in adopting? Foster care anyone?
Go here to find out about an upcoming event at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville.
http://cckadoption.blogspot.com/
Go here to find out about an upcoming event at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville.
http://cckadoption.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 15, 2009
If
If you are one of those people that happens along our blog from time to time I have so much to post and yet I am weary. This whole adoption thing is HARD! Plain and simple it's the hardest thing I have ever done. So while I wait for the jumble of emotions in my brain to make some sense so I can let you know what's going on will you pray for us? Pray for the children of Liberia. Pray for all the orphaned children. And while you're praying ask God what you can do. There are approximately 147 MILLION orphans in the world. There are 115 thousand children in Foster Care in the United States alone waiting for a forever family. What are you going to do? What would God have you do?
Sunday, October 4, 2009
T4A
We just got back from "Together for Adoption" in Nashville TN. Wow! It was beyond words! There are just simply too many things to blog about at one time so I will start with how the Holy Spirit moved the first night for me personally. As you know from my previous post I was almost dreading this conference. Waiting for my children is at best Hard! I was trying to steel myself against having sad emotions. Well, that lasted all of 2 seconds! Ha ha!
Friday night a group of women sat behind us. They were quite talkative both during worship and the session. I started to get annoyed but then began to pray for them. I was jealous for them to hear what the speaker was saying so I tried not to be annoyed with them and just asked the Lord to bless them. Adrian told me later he was doing the same thing.
Fast forward to Saturday. I was at a booth that was selling hand made beaded necklaces made by women in Uganda and various tee shirts about adoption. Then I saw Katie's picture! She is a young girl serving in Uganda. I follow her blog and pray for her everyday! One of the ladies at the table came over to talk with me and she said they were raising money for Katie's work. Then another lady came up to me (working the same table) and said "Don't leave until I have a chance to talk with you." I said ok wondering what she could possibly have to say to me.
Okay this is where it gets so COOL. After some time this lady came over to me and said something like "we were sitting behind you last night and I wanted to let you know I was praying for you. I don't know why you are here, if your'e adopting, waiting on children to come home, etc. But I could tell you were having a hard time." She just wanted to let me know that we were in this together.
Then I realize who I was surrounded by! These are the ladies I was sitting in front of praying for the previous night. They are also Katie's friends. Working tirelessly on behalf of the poor in Uganda! How very cool is that? God allowed me to meet the people I read about online,to interact with them, to pray for them, and to be prayed for by them!!!!!
We got home last night at mid-night. As I laid down in my bed physically and mentally exhausted the Lord prompted me to open up to Psalm 82 (amplified version)
1GOD STANDS in the assembly of the representatives of God; in the midst of the judges He gives judgment as among the gods.
2How long will you judges judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Calmly think of that!
3Do justice to the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the afflicted and needy.
4Deliver the poor and needy; rescue them out of the hand of the wicked.
5The judges know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in the darkness of complacent satisfaction; all the foundations of the earth the fundamental principles upon which rests the administration of justice are shaking.
6I said, You are gods since you judge on My behalf, as My representatives; indeed, all of you are children of the Most High.
7But you shall die as men and fall as one of the princes.
8Arise, O God, judge the earth! For to You belong all the nations.
I felt the Lord saying to me personally that he is in control, that He will make things right. He will fight for the orphans of Liberia. He is their father.
Until the moratorium is lifted this Psalm will be my battle cry!
Please join me in this fight. Will you pray right now for children that were matched with families before the moratorium to be freed so that they may come home? Will you pray for the poor and defenseless in Liberia and elsewhere? Pray that God will work on the hearts of the judges and officials in Liberia.
Thank you
Ami
ps Click on the link to the right for Amazima to read all about Katie and her work. You will be challenged and encouraged. I promise!
Friday night a group of women sat behind us. They were quite talkative both during worship and the session. I started to get annoyed but then began to pray for them. I was jealous for them to hear what the speaker was saying so I tried not to be annoyed with them and just asked the Lord to bless them. Adrian told me later he was doing the same thing.
Fast forward to Saturday. I was at a booth that was selling hand made beaded necklaces made by women in Uganda and various tee shirts about adoption. Then I saw Katie's picture! She is a young girl serving in Uganda. I follow her blog and pray for her everyday! One of the ladies at the table came over to talk with me and she said they were raising money for Katie's work. Then another lady came up to me (working the same table) and said "Don't leave until I have a chance to talk with you." I said ok wondering what she could possibly have to say to me.
Okay this is where it gets so COOL. After some time this lady came over to me and said something like "we were sitting behind you last night and I wanted to let you know I was praying for you. I don't know why you are here, if your'e adopting, waiting on children to come home, etc. But I could tell you were having a hard time." She just wanted to let me know that we were in this together.
Then I realize who I was surrounded by! These are the ladies I was sitting in front of praying for the previous night. They are also Katie's friends. Working tirelessly on behalf of the poor in Uganda! How very cool is that? God allowed me to meet the people I read about online,to interact with them, to pray for them, and to be prayed for by them!!!!!
We got home last night at mid-night. As I laid down in my bed physically and mentally exhausted the Lord prompted me to open up to Psalm 82 (amplified version)
1GOD STANDS in the assembly of the representatives of God; in the midst of the judges He gives judgment as among the gods.
2How long will you judges judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Calmly think of that!
3Do justice to the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the afflicted and needy.
4Deliver the poor and needy; rescue them out of the hand of the wicked.
5The judges know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in the darkness of complacent satisfaction; all the foundations of the earth the fundamental principles upon which rests the administration of justice are shaking.
6I said, You are gods since you judge on My behalf, as My representatives; indeed, all of you are children of the Most High.
7But you shall die as men and fall as one of the princes.
8Arise, O God, judge the earth! For to You belong all the nations.
I felt the Lord saying to me personally that he is in control, that He will make things right. He will fight for the orphans of Liberia. He is their father.
Until the moratorium is lifted this Psalm will be my battle cry!
Please join me in this fight. Will you pray right now for children that were matched with families before the moratorium to be freed so that they may come home? Will you pray for the poor and defenseless in Liberia and elsewhere? Pray that God will work on the hearts of the judges and officials in Liberia.
Thank you
Ami
ps Click on the link to the right for Amazima to read all about Katie and her work. You will be challenged and encouraged. I promise!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Adoption Conference and Oprah
We received some updated pictures of our children yesterday. While I am glad for the pictures they always bring a myriad of emotions for me. I am happy to see them well and smiling. I am also struggling with sadness that they cannot be here with us.
This time we got pictures of them in their school uniforms. I have to say they are nothing at all like the uniforms we wear here in America. They were quite beautiful.
Today has been a little hard for me. We are preparing to go to the "Together for Adoption" conference in Nashville tomorrow. We are going so that we may learn more about how to get the word out about adoption. I know I will be interacting with lots of different people who have a heart for adoption. We will be taking lots of different classes and hearing adoption testimonies etc. We are hoping by going to this conference we will be able to help others to adopt.
Emotionally however, I don't know if I can handle this right now. It's just been a hard day. It'll be a year next week that we first laid eyes on our children. It has flown by. I am trusting the Lord with His timing. I just want to hold them, hug them, hear them laugh. Is that so bad?
So if you happen to be reading please pray for my heart this weekend while I am surrounded by people who have a passion for this ministry and pray that I will not grow weary in my calling to care for orphans.
In other related news we have a scholar coming from Liberia to live with us on Monday for a couple of months. She will be working with UT and the World Cocoa foundation. Please pray for her as she adjusts to a whole new way of life. It's her first time out of Africa. She also "happens" to live in the same town as our children. Hmmm, this is no coincidence. I am excited to see what God is up to.
Tomorrow (Friday, October 2) Oprah is airing a segment on the Liberian children that were adopted in Charlotte, NC. So tune in and learn all about what is going on in the lives of these families. It really is amazing to see!
ps I can't post pictures of Lydia and Leo on here but if you would like to see them I am apt to have one or two of them on me at any given time, being the proud mama I am! :)
PSS PLEASE KEEP PRAYING THEM HOME!
This time we got pictures of them in their school uniforms. I have to say they are nothing at all like the uniforms we wear here in America. They were quite beautiful.
Today has been a little hard for me. We are preparing to go to the "Together for Adoption" conference in Nashville tomorrow. We are going so that we may learn more about how to get the word out about adoption. I know I will be interacting with lots of different people who have a heart for adoption. We will be taking lots of different classes and hearing adoption testimonies etc. We are hoping by going to this conference we will be able to help others to adopt.
Emotionally however, I don't know if I can handle this right now. It's just been a hard day. It'll be a year next week that we first laid eyes on our children. It has flown by. I am trusting the Lord with His timing. I just want to hold them, hug them, hear them laugh. Is that so bad?
So if you happen to be reading please pray for my heart this weekend while I am surrounded by people who have a passion for this ministry and pray that I will not grow weary in my calling to care for orphans.
In other related news we have a scholar coming from Liberia to live with us on Monday for a couple of months. She will be working with UT and the World Cocoa foundation. Please pray for her as she adjusts to a whole new way of life. It's her first time out of Africa. She also "happens" to live in the same town as our children. Hmmm, this is no coincidence. I am excited to see what God is up to.
Tomorrow (Friday, October 2) Oprah is airing a segment on the Liberian children that were adopted in Charlotte, NC. So tune in and learn all about what is going on in the lives of these families. It really is amazing to see!
ps I can't post pictures of Lydia and Leo on here but if you would like to see them I am apt to have one or two of them on me at any given time, being the proud mama I am! :)
PSS PLEASE KEEP PRAYING THEM HOME!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Prayer, article and general comments
I am amazed at the people our Lord surrounds us with. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this blog, pray for our children, and just ask how we are doing.
Today I am going to point you to two different blogs. The first one is
http://wacsnspiritoftruth.blogspot.com. This blog had a post today that is actually a copy of a great article posted here: http://www.theperspective.org/2009/0814200902.html
It mentions some fellow Knoxvillians.
Also please read the blog from Angel Rutledge, our case worker from Christian Adoption Services. She works tirelessly on behalf of the children in Liberia. She is going through a tough time time right now. Please pray for her daughter Angelyn. You can read more about her at her blog.
Today I am going to point you to two different blogs. The first one is
http://wacsnspiritoftruth.blogspot.com. This blog had a post today that is actually a copy of a great article posted here: http://www.theperspective.org/2009/0814200902.html
It mentions some fellow Knoxvillians.
Also please read the blog from Angel Rutledge, our case worker from Christian Adoption Services. She works tirelessly on behalf of the children in Liberia. She is going through a tough time time right now. Please pray for her daughter Angelyn. You can read more about her at her blog.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Dentist
A while back we received a note from Leo and a medical form stating that he had a rotting molar. Since I had read that the need for dentists in Liberia was so great and that there were only 4 dentists in Liberia I didn't even think to ask if he could be seen by one.
A couple of weeks ago I woke up from a sound sleep to remember that we had been given the opportunity to provide support for Leo and Lydia. This support included medical and dental needs. I decided to ask if he could be seen by a dentist.
Today I got an email. He is going to the dentist today or tomorrow! Thank you God for your care and provision.
Please continue to pray for the moratorium to be lifted so that we can bring our children home and that many other children will be able to experience a loving family environment as well.
Ami
A couple of weeks ago I woke up from a sound sleep to remember that we had been given the opportunity to provide support for Leo and Lydia. This support included medical and dental needs. I decided to ask if he could be seen by a dentist.
Today I got an email. He is going to the dentist today or tomorrow! Thank you God for your care and provision.
Please continue to pray for the moratorium to be lifted so that we can bring our children home and that many other children will be able to experience a loving family environment as well.
Ami
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
visits since Dec 26, 2008