James 1:27

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

A Few Steps Closer

The past two weeks have been nothing short of amazing! We have had over $3000.00 donated, putting us several steps closer to bringing our babies home! This past Friday we recieved the OFFICIAL copy of our homestudy and had our dossier authenticated at the Secretary Of State's office. Our paperwork is now in DC where the Ethiopian Embassy will review it. Once they sign off on the dossier, it will be sent to Ethiopia for translation. Then we wait for a court date!!!! It is all happening so quickly we are in absolute amazement. God has blessed us abundantly through this whole process. Just yesterday, our kids made the 2 hour journey into the city. They are now at the transition home where they will await our arrival! We are so genuinely grateful to everyone who has either partnered in prayer or in giving! Without your help, our process would not have progressed this quickly. Our next pressing need is our $10,000 child referral fee. We need this ASAP. At this point, we have applied for a grant, but will not know whether or not we qualify for at least 3 months. We have been told that we may be on our way to Ethiopia as early as December for our court date. That is just around the corner. We will also have to have funds to travel. This will include 2 round trip airfare tickets, hotel, and accomodations. Again, we urge everyone to prayerfully consider a donation, big or small, to help us unite these 2 children with their (FOREVER FAMILY)!!!!!!!! Thank you for all the support.  

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Will you help bring them home?????

Please read this very accurate account about a day in the life of our babies!

The day started like any other day but by it's end, nothing would ever be the same. I could hear my baby sister breathing softly as she slept. Mama must have gone to find food for us so I rolled up the blanket we slept under and went to the door to look outside. Rain.....again. This is the rainy season so the streets will be muddy for a long time. The smell of someone baking injera makes my tummy rumble. I hope Mama gets home soon.
"Oh, good morning, baby! Mama has gone to get food so I will hold and play with you until she gets back."
But Mama didn't come back.....not that day, not the next, or the next. Where did she go? Did something happen to her? Will she come back? What should I do? How will I take care of the baby? Some of the churches help with food. I will go there.
The people were nice and didn't ask questions. I was glad because I was afraid they would take the baby and send me away. I cannot leave her. I am all she has now. Every day is spent walking the streets and looking for food....and hoping I will see Mama. Days have turned to weeks and now it has been two months since she went away. I hope she is safe. I miss her.
"Hello, young man. Where are you going?" asks a policeman.
"To the church, sir, to get food."
"Where is your mother?"
Suddenly, the sting of hot tears wet my face. My heart is pounding as I hold the baby close. "Please sir. My mother is gone. We are alone."

My sister and I are two of almost 1.3 million orphans in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The orphanage we are in will try to keep us together but because of the number of years between us, it may mean that neither of us will ever be adopted. I am nine years old. My sister, only eight months. Could there be a family somewhere for us? Is there hope for our future?

YES!!!! Across the ocean, on another continent, in the United States of America, in Franklin, Tennessee, WE are that family!!!!!! We believe these children have a HOPE AND A FUTURE! Will you help us help them?

We have completed our homestudy and our agency application has been approved. Our dossier documents are being reviewed and will soon be sent to Ethiopia for approval. We are thrilled to announce that the medical reports on our babies have come back favorable and they will soon be moved from the orphanage to the transition home to wait for us!!!!!

We need $30,000.00 to bring these children home! This is a very overwhelming number but we know with God "All things are possible!" We have already had over $2000.00 donated and we want to say thank you to everyone who has joined this lifechanging journey with us. Please prayerfully consider a donation to HELP US HELP THEM!!!!!