I survived our 14 day Christmas road trip with my 18, 15, and 3 year old kids (that’s another post) and took advantage of the 20 hour drive home to write down a few things that are coming up in my life. My hubby and I got so excited about the new year, we both agreed that it most definitely will be a crazy adventure. It’s really only been the past 3 years that I’ve had the courage to pray for God-Adventures. Do you pray for adventure? He has shown my little family His faithfulness in 2011 and continues to grow us through pain, mistakes, and miracles.
We are still waiting for our home to sell. It’s been over 5 years since we put it on the market without a single nibble. We continue to have faith that it will sell, but reminded everyday how grateful we are to live in a beautiful home, when so many people I love throughout the world struggle just to live.
We have started the process to bring Mercy here for medical treatment. I want to ask you to commit to praying for Mercy and her mother, Mulu, who is a widow, that God will expedite the paperwork needed to process her passport and medical visa quickly. I will keep you updated here on my blog and together let’s help Mercy have a second chance on living a healthy life. We will start our new project, OPERATION: MERCY this month. Our goal is to raise $5,000 for all Mercy’s needs in Addis Ababa and in the US.
I have 2 upcoming mission trips scheduled for 2012. It was YOU that filled up the “Simply Love” trips to Haiti (Jan) and Ethiopia/Uganda (June) in record time. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you, the mission-hearted who has committed to live dead. I’ve started the 30 day Live Dead Challenge and hope you will buy the journal and join me learning how to live dead and love the lost, unreached and unengaged people groups around the world.
I want to personally thank (you) readers of this blog, who stuck with me during our adoption to Zoie and all the new readers who have jumped in with both feet to radically live James 1:27. For those of you who are adopting, fostering, caring for orphans, going on a mission trip … we are all in this together. My crazy bloggers, we made our point clear- we are not focused on individual successes, but diligent on working together making a difference in the life of a child desperate for love. Your generosity and kindness have made it possible to crown over 7,000 princesses in Ethiopia and Uganda, as well as mission-minded projects throughout 2011! I can’t wait to see what adventures God has planned for us in 2012!
Adoption Fundraising Families: check out here- Simply Love Kit for all your fundraising needs. What makes fundraising with Simply Love products so unique and different: you pick your designs and products to fit all your fundraising needs. I truly want to eliminate your stress and offer you exceptional services to help you raise funds to adopt.
Mission-Hearted Fundraising: you can use Simply Love Kit for all your mission trip/orphan care fundraising needs, too!!
Guest Bloggers: I want to continue to share your adoption stories. Email me if you are adopting or fostering and want to encourage, challenge, inspire, support or make us laugh at any stage of the adoption process. I also want to encourage you, the reader, to leave a comment when you read their stories. It means so much for the families to read your words of support.
Mommyhood: I have major changes coming soon- my son will graduate in May, my daughter turns sweet 16, and my 4 year old keeps me striving to stay young & healthy. I want to have a family that is free to be different, free to make mistakes, free to be vulnerable, and free to be candid. I’m reading the best parenting book, Grace Based Parenting and want to share at a deeper level what I’m learning as a mom, with my own family. I want to learn from you, too. I’ll keep up posting yummy recipes and family craft ideas. Come follow me on Facebook and Twitter.
Is there anything NEW you want me to write about or share here on the blog this year? Let me know in the comments.
