Our first fundraiser was a HUGE success and when I say HUGE I mean HUGE!
We sold 30 scarfs in less than 24 hours. God just like to show off sometimes, doesn't He!??
We raised the majority of the homestudy with this!!! BIG thank you to my friend Lindsay for all of her hard work by hand!! Thank you so much for your time and for investing in bringing our sweet Lily home! I love you Lindsay!
On Oct 27th, we received our Home Study Packet. For those of you who aren't familiar with this term it's basically a packet of requested documentation and tasks that need to be complete, gather the results and send them in. That's the first step, then next step is a few visits from our Social Worker.
You wouldn't believe some of the things we've had to do for this Home Study so I think I'll tell you :)
*septic tank inspection. yes I said septic tank!
* background check
* fingerprints sent to the FBI
*blood work
*definitions of terms. i.e love, family, discipline, a good sibling relationship, etc.
That's just a few.
We also had to give an Autobiography of our lives. Basically a physiological/getting to know you evaluation through a series of questions.
Here is a sample of those questions:
*Describe the family you grew up with.
*Describe your parents as a couple
*How did they handle things like money, discipline or children, sex education
*What was school like for you growing up.
*What attracted you to your husband/wife
*How did you decide to get married
*What changed after the honeymoon
*What do you expect from your child
*Looking back, what people, places or events had the most influence on your life
*Describe previous divorce if applicable.
*Describe any personal experience with adoption
This is how mine started: "My parents divorced when I was 4..." I'm telling you one thing, after typing all of that out and looking back on my life growing up and into adulthood, what I felt mostly was sadness. I have wonderful parents, don't hear me say my life has been horrible. You just tend to store things away and don't think ever think about them until you have to write then down.
BUT seeing all of this stuff on paper also made me so grateful!!
Honestly I think everyone should sit and answer some of those questions. Good or bad, it made me thankful and humble to see my life on paper and to see how the Lord has turned ashes, the not so good times & mistakes into beauty for Him and His glory!
We NEED to thank Him for His blood y'all. It was shed to cover our sins!
And even if you were the only one of the face of the Earth He still would have shed it, just for you. There is POWER and GRACE in His blood.
His love covers a MULTITUDE {a LARGE number} of sins! {1 Pet 4:8}
IN THE HOUSE:
The purpose of this blog is to share with you Lily's story and how the Lord is going to "do it" {1 Thess 5:24} but also for us. For me to be able to look back on these days and be reminded of specific things the Lord has done for us so when we feel like we are in the trenches, when we are waiting, my eyes will be turned back towards the heavens or back to the floor in prayer of thankfulness & be encouraged.
On Tuesday this week I knew that our paperwork was almost complete, almost done, ready to turn in LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!! One thing was holding us up, the one area of my life that has always been a challenge, the crack in my armor the enemy loves to pounce on... money.
Fear of not having it, not having enough, where will it come from, when will it come, LORD you called us to do this SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!
We lacked $800 before we could turn in this beloved Home Study.
We have a savings account that could cover this, but it's our SAVINGS ACCOUNT!
You know, the emergency fund, the "just in case" fund, the hospital fund, the catastrophe fund!
I can't just about empty our savings, Lord! What if something happens!!
Do you not trust me?
Do you not think I will replenish it?
Don't you know I have this? I'm on it?
...gently said the Lord.
Mind made up.
Friday was the goal, to send out this package with a check, from our fundraiser and the rest from our beloved savings account.
Then I got a call from someone who wanted to order a gift card from our photography business $175, I had 2 family shoots that we were able to put towards the Home Study $175 each, I had 1 more family shoot in which they wrote the check for $275 in stead of $175, and Friday received a check in the mail for $50 from some precious friends just because they wanted to invest in bringing Lily home......
Do you know how much that adds up to?
Let me tell you..... $850!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not only did He meet the need, HE EXCEEDED!!!!!!!!!!
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Eph 3:20
The $50 envelope topped it, I sobbed. I mean sobbed all the way to Leesburg to pick up the kids from school.
What do you say?
How do you say it?
"Thank you" seems so little. How do you begin to tell a Holy God thank you? Besides falling on your face and worshipping Him!?! Anything I could do or say seems worthless in light of his Holiness and favor. That He would even see me and my sinful heart! The Creator of the Universe called us to do something we have NO IDEA how it will be done, but HE'S DOING IT. He just does it! He's providing! He's making the path before us! And we can't do it, but He can!
All He is wants is your heart y'all. He longs for you to say WHATEVER Lord, I'll do it, WHATEVER It looks like, I'll do it, WHATEVER it cost's, I'll do it!!!
When we can't do something, it forces us to solely depend on the Lord for all of it!
And when it's complete, all you see is HIM! Because HE has done it! Not Kim and Roger, the LORD!!
When you see this little girl, my prayer is that you'll see Jesus. And while we are waiting on her to get here, my prayer is that you'll see Jesus, in all of this.
Our works are filthy rags, it's JESUS y'all!! {Isaiah 64:6}
IN MY HEART:
This Christmas is unlike any I have ever experienced.
It's a feeling that someone is missing. Like a piece is not here.
There should be 6 stockings instead of 5, there should be 6 people in our family pictures instead of 5.
The boys talk about her like she's already here. Like she's here and we just can't see her.
She's already in my heart and its the craziest thing I've ever felt. Oh y'all I just long for her. To hold her in my arms. We pray for her all the time but sometimes at night when I'm laying down with Elim I pretend it's her and I hold him close and pray for her. That the Lord would put people in her life that will pray over her and share Jesus with her, that will sing to her and love on her until we get there. That she would know in her heart we are coming for her. That she wouldn't be afraid. That she has 3 brother's that are waiting to smoother her with all kinds of love.
But you know, the Lord can take WAY better care of her than I ever could. Whether she's here or across the ocean. He knows her name. He knew her before she was ever born. So for now, I carry her around in my heart until His perfect timing. Because it's perfect you know.....
We have scaled back on the gifts for this year. We don't ever go extreme but this year the boys know they are getting one gift, a trampoline. And santa will do their stockings. The rest of our money is going towards Lily and we talk about this with the boys. It makes them feel like they are contributing to her. Binds their hearts more. It's caused us to focus more on Jesus honestly. Isn't funny how when the things of the world are stripped away it shifts your focus. We always celebrate His birth but this year we are even more intentional. It's daily conversation. I reminded Malachi how excited he was planning his birthday party and how he was counting down the days. So we are counting down the days until Jesus' birthday party!
We always take a family picture this time of year, because you know a picture is the best gift you could give someone. This year ours looks a little different. And I'm ok with that, for now at least :)
Praise our God, for He is good!!
I let the boys let these balloons go after our little shoot.
As they were going up in the sky this was the conversation:
Cameron: Maybe Lily will get one of these all the way in Africa.
Malachi: Yeah momma, Lily catch one of these!!!!!!
That night and every other night afterwards when Malachi prays it always starts off like this:
"God, I hope that Lily caught one of our balloons and that she has a great day today"
:')
NEXT:
So our next step is applying for grants, more fundraisers and getting our Dossier (Dos-c-a) together. Which is basically more paperwork required by Ethiopia. Once that is approved we can get our REFERRAL! Which is our MATCH, OUR DAUGHTER'S FILE!!!!
How long will this take?
ANSWER: we have no idea :) maybe 6-8 months? maybe a year. Who knows, His timing is prefect.
Maybe next Christmas there WILL be 6 stockings instead of 5 <3
We can't say thank you enough for all of the prayers and support. I mean it, I really do.
If you see me and think to yourself or even ask "Are you ok?" it's because this is hard.
Emotionally, spiritually, physically just plain ole' hard.
There isn't necessarily anything "wrong" with me, my heart is full and a piece is missing all at the same time.
It's a good hard.
A worth it hard.
A deep end hard.
"There's no makeup required in the deep end." -ESF
So keep praying for us! And for Lily! And for our boys!
The first hurdle has been cleared!!
NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May the things of Earth grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace,
Kim
ps- People often ask, "Who takes your family picture." My response is the self timer! (Emily took the ones prior than the one above)
Here is an insight to our family picture! Enjoy and MERRY CHRISTmas!!!!
