OPERATION: MERCY (update 7/3) You have helped raise $2,012 in the past few days for Mercy’s flights & expenses. We are boldly praying for a total of $5,000 in the next 10 days to be able to purchase her ticket to the USA!! Click on the special donation button (right side column) and help support Mercy!! Please help spread her story to your family and friends.

The alarm went off at 5:30am. I could feel in my heart that today would be different. Long before we woke up this morning, the Spirit of God was circling us with songs of deliverance. We desired to grow spiritually this year praying for Mercy’s medical visa, but was our dream too big for Him? It was the kind of God-sized dreams I read about every time I opened up The Circle Maker! Our dream was overwhelming for so many people involved with the visa. Our plans seemed perplexingly impossible, every day we expanded the radiuses of our prayer circles!! He stretched all of us … everyone who prayed and supported and cheered for OPERATION: MERCY!!!!

I love this quote… “Until you come to the conviction that God’s grace and power know no limits, you will draw small prayer circles. Once you embrace the omnipotence of God, you’ll draw every-enlarging circles around your God-given, God-sized dreams!” (The Circle Maker) Meeting Mercy was God-given. He was the one who told Mulu to find us that day in Korah with our Visiting Orphans team. We missed the encounter the first day, but she showed up the second day. Isn’t that just God. We can so easily miss out, but His mercy gives us a second chance. There is no limit to God’s power.

The morning was cold and rainy. Our dear friend, Sammy Liben picked us up and drove us to the US Embassy. The fog lifted and I could see in the distance the big American flag waving, welcoming us. Why does that sight always make me feel safe? As he pulled up to the front, we couldn’t believe we were first again in line. There was a heavy drizzle, but we were so excited. Then guard came up to us and said directly, “Go to the end of the line?” The end of the line, but we were first, I thought. He pointed to the other side of the street and there were about 100 people standing in a long line. Ohhhh we were so embarrassed. We obviously had cut in line terribly the day before. We crossed the street and headed to the back of the line. This was going to take a lot longer then we planned.

We waited about an hour out in the cold and rain, so Roger dared me to go ask the guard if Mercy could go inside due to being here for a medical visa. Well, she did look really cold, so I decided to try and charm the guard. It worked and we were able to “cut’ in line with our beautiful Mercy. The process went quickly. The same officer who we met up on top of Entoto Mt. Asked us again to approach window #10. I was a little nervous because I knew this particular one had denied two of my Ethiopian friends their visas. We took a deep breath and headed back up with Mercy. She smiled and told us all the documents were in proper order and approved Mercy’s visa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I smiled through tears as we thanked her for her approval. After waiting for a year …. endless amounts of paperwork and many visits to the Black Lion Hospital we had Mercy’s visa!!!!! I felt so honored to be a small part of this BIG miracle!

Is there a limit to my power?

Nothing honors God more than a big dream that is way beyond our ability to accomplish. (The Cirlce Maker) Here’s what’s so awesome, I had an arrow pointing from that quote in the book with Mercy’s name written next to it. Why does God want us to dream so big? Because our biggest dreams knock us to our knees and we have to pray bold and big and without ceasing.

We drove away from the US Embassy with the flag waving in the distance. I was so proud to be an American that day, but more proud that Mercy would now benefit from our medical care in the states that would help make a difference in her life. Our prayer is for her to return to Korah healthy, happy, and healed!!

We raised $1700 in 24 hours before Mercy even heard the words … medical visa approved!! You did this!!!!!! Now, we need your help spreading Mercy’s story and giving big and supporting big! Our goal is to raise $5,000 in the next few weeks to purchase her flight. I will keep you updated here and on my facebook. If you can commit to tweet, blog, and share the links on your facebook … we can all be a part of helping bring Mercy to the United States for medical treatment. We have a blog “button” OPERATION: MERCY on the top right side column – you can click and donate. Every penny we raise for Mercy will be used for Mercy’s needs. Thank you for praying for our family and Mercy!!

If you want God to do something NEW in your life, you can’t do the same old thing. It will involve more sacrifice, but if your are willing to go there, you’ll realize that you didn’t sacrifice anything at all. It will involve more risk, but if you are willing to go there, you’ll realize that you didn’t risk anything at all. Make the sacrifice. Take the risk. Draw the circle. Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers!!!! -The Circle Maker

Amesegenallehu (Thank you in Amharic)