30 saved at VBS!

We had two wonderful days at VBS! 30 precious children asked Jesus to be their Savior! Precious, precious children! 

We are praising God!

I have much more to share and many more pictures, but the Internet is not cooperating. Hope to post more tomorrow! This has been an amazing two days, for many reasons, that I will not forget.

We are in Africa!

We arrived safely last night. Our flights were good. We made it to bed at 1:30am, exhausted! When the alarm went off this morning it was so hard to get up!

We are back at the guest house and will soon head to dinner. The weather here is beautiful! Warm, but not too hot, humidity...not bad, and a wonderful breeze blowing!

Today was our first day at the Gem Foundation, a special need orphanage so named because all children are gems to God. We held, fed and played with the children. We then had the opportunity to participate in their staff meeting. There are 34 staff members. The meeting consisted of a devotion and worship time. Wow! What an amazing experience!! A few ladies sang and then led us in singing, clapping, dancing and prayer time.  I've never experienced anything like that and it is not something I will forget!

I didn't do well taking pictures of our team and time with gems, well because my hands were busy. I'll do better on that part. But I have included a picture of the church behind our guest house, this is the view from my balcony. When we got back this evening a group was playing drums and singing in the church yard, so fun to listen to while sitting here posting on the blog. There is also a picture of downtown on our way back to the guest house today.

Tomorrow we will be up early and head off to an area a couple hours away to start a pastors conference and VBS. Looking forward to seeing how God is going to work! Pray for us as we reach these sweet children for Christ! And our team leader preaches to the pastors.

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

GO Time!!

Africa, here we come! May God break our hearts for what breaks His, use us Lord!

Thankful

We are so thankful! One of the best parts of this mission trip so far(I know we haven't left yet :)) has been to see God working! He has provided through our sweet family and friends so much needed funding for this trip....overwhelmed by love.  We also shared an orphanage need list with our church family, we now have 4 loaded up suitcases ready to take to the orphanage with needed supplies, (plus the 2 Carrie Anne and I are taking with our clothes).  

Wow, 200 pounds worth of goodies for these sweet children.....overwhelmed by your love.  Carrie Anne and I may be the ones going to Africa but you, our family and friends, are definitely the hands and feet of Jesus also.  So....:) in just a few short days, those bibs and bottles, craft supplies and medical supplies will be on those sweet children on the other side of the world.  Thank you!

Another neat story of God's provision....last week I stopped at Chick-fil-a, picked up lunch and headed to the park.  While eating lunch I noticed the kids meals came in a bag that had a cow puppet on the side of the bag.  The kids could color the cow and the bag became a hand puppet.  I mentioned to Carrie Anne wouldn't it be fun if we could get some of those to take to Uganda for VBS.  After lunch I called Chick-fil-a and told the lady my daughter and I were going on a mission trip to Uganda is there any way I could get 200 of there cow puppet bags.  She told me to hold on and came back to the phone a moment later and said ma'am we can give you 600, no charge.  I smiled to myself, said thank you, I only need 200.  When I picked them up sure enough the manager said here are 600.  So in the picture above you may notice a cardboard box in one of the suitcases, it has 600 cow puppet bags in it that will be used at our VBS program and at the orphanages!  God gave us another craft!  

I am so excited!

Again, we are so thankful!

Motherhood....

....is a joy!
....is hard!
....has taught me I need to be absolutely, totally dependent on God!

I have missed many months of blogging as I am busy being a mommy! Our family has gone through many moments of joy but also some very difficult times.  Adoption is a beautiful thing, but there would not be a need for adoption if there was not abandonment.  Abandonment, neglect and abuse are ugly things for a small child to deal with and survive. We have dealt with RAD~Reactive Attachment Disorder~ with one of our little guys since he joined our family. We have had many H-A-R-D days in the past several years.  Progress is SLOW, but we have progress.  He is learning to trust and be loved, to be responsible and not steal or hurt others. He is growing a conscience, ever so slowly! Yippee Jesus!

This process has kept me on my knees and truly brought to light my total need for Christ.  It has shown me my brokenness.  It reminds me Christ loves me even when I am so unlovable.  No matter what, Christ loves ME! ...and Christ loves you!  He wants to help us out of our darkness and help us to grow closer to Him each day. 

Parenting a RAD kid is hard, and I truly don't know how someone does it without Christ carrying you through! I am so thankful for my salvation and having a loving, heavenly Father!  When I feel I can't face another rage, Christ says oh yes you can! A verse that has been a source of encouragement has been Galatians 6:9, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Years ago someone gave me that verse framed.  It sits on a shelf in my living room, never at the time I received it did I know how precious those words would become to me.  Each morning as I drink my coffee and read my Bible I see those words framed.  God knew years ago I would need that verse and He laid it on a sweet lady's heart to give them to me.  It is as if as I read that verse in the morning, in the quiet of the day, God is saying, You can do this, attack the day, Shauna!  And, I am here to carry you when you need it! Oh, how HE loves you and me!

As I said, we have had many joyful times as well. Also, as most of you know my heart is still so soft toward the orphan.  I still encourage others to adopt, but I also tell them to be educated and ready for the hard stuff and rejoice if it doesn't happen!  It is NOT these kids fault that they haven't learned love.  They think love hurts...that was what they had experienced......hard stuff!  Now, it's our job to show them that love is beautiful.  Not so that they can love us, but so they can truly experience God's love!

I have so many beautiful memories from the past 10 months since I last posted but I will leave you with just a few pics, if you're still with me at this point ;)!

Life is good!

I love the life that God has called me to and I love the ones in my life I get to share it with.

Stayed tuned.....a big trip is quickly approaching for me and Carrie Anne!  A mission trip to Africa, to love on orphans and share Christ's love with the Ugandan people!!!!

Highlights

Hi!

I haven't posted in f-o-r-e-v-e-r, but I am going to try and post just a few highlights from our family during the past few months!  Then, I hope to do a better job keeping up! ;)  Life has been busy, hard and good all mixed together.  Enjoy the mega picture overload!

Andrew LOVED his basketball season!

H.O. has made many AWANA grand prix cars during the past 16 years!  This year he (along with the kids help ;))made four and all four received trophies.  The theme for our families cars this year was from the Cars movie.

Hanging out with friends watching the AWANA grand prix.

Carrie Anne and I enjoyed a mother daughter lunch date out.

Seth celebrated his 8th birthday!

Andrew and I enjoyed a weekend together going to visit Taylor at college.  Love my big boys!!

A cup of coffee as we travel to see Taylor, we are so excited!!

Carrie Anne is such a sweet big sister!  She helped her little brothers dig for worms.  

Why? Well, just because that's what kids do!

Next up we celebrated Caleb's 9th birthday!

Carrie Anne and Seth love swinging together!

We enjoyed a great field trip to a military transportation museum.

The little guys especially loved it!

Each spring our home school group has a field day.  This activity is one of my kids favorite events of the year.....especially Andrew who is just a tad competitive!

Cooling off with popsicles after working hard at field day!

As the grass started to grow this spring Seth was eager to help daddy cut the grass.  I love seeing this it reminds me so much of when Taylor, Andrew and Carrie Anne helped daddy.  

Sweet, simple moments make the sweetest memories!

I'll catch up more soon!

Remembering...."Our journey with Abby", Feb. 2012

Below is a blogpost I wrote from Feb. 2012.  Three years ago today God sent us a journey with Abby that we did not anticipate, but God knew.  Through blogging I can journal events, this is one such event I do not want to ever forget.  Through Abby's hospitalization, surgery, inpatient rehabilitation and slow recovery God showed himself mighty and I never want to forget His love for us.

****

God brought us to Abby and Abby to us, now we get to journey through life with Abby.  

The journey this past week is a journey I could of never imagined.  God has been so incredibly good.  He has blessed beyond measure.  Each morning when we wake, we can plan our day but only God truly knows what it holds.

Last Thursday our family was travelling for a day of skiing, we were about 2 1/2 hours from home when Carrie Anne noticed Abby looked as if she was going to get sick.  We stopped the car on the side of the road, Abby proceeded to get sick and then pass out, she was coming in and out of consciousness, her lips were white.  We called 911, they arrived quickly, assessed that her vitals were weak and suggested they should take her to the hospital.  God had gone before us and planned our day, this had taken place only 30 minutes from the exact hospital Abby needed.

When we arrived at the hospital Abby had perked up somewhat, they began running tests.  They thought possibly because of her cerebral palsy she could of had a seizure.  They sent her for a CAT scan of her brain.  The scan only showed a small portion of her top vertebrae but God allowed the radiologist to see some compression in the part of the vertebrae he could see.  They immediately put a neck collar on her and ordered another CAT scan this time of her neck.  This scan showed her C1 and C2 vertebrae were severely compressed, squeezing her brain stem and spinal cord.  She then went for an MRI, which precisely showed her compression.  The compression was not squeezing from top to bottom but the bones squeezing inward on her brain stem and cord.  This part of the brain stem controls breathing, eating, swallowing, motion and so much more.  When our family awoke on February 23rd we thought we were going to enjoy a day on the mountain however, our day ended with us checking into the hospital with our dear Abby as we awaited the doctors plan on how best to help Abby, which they prepared us would include surgery.

The week that followed was overwhelming to us at times as parents and very painful for Abby however, through it all we as parents had a complete peace knowing our daughter was in the hands of the Great Physician.  God had placed us at a hospital that had a team of surgeons that specialized in the surgery Abby needed, one of the surgeons is one of the best in our country.  The plan that the surgeons came up with wasn't easy for Abby, they put her in spinal traction for six days, this was extremely painful, the surgeons were very pleased with how the traction had stretched her spine.  If the traction had not been successful she would of been facing a much more risky surgery through her mouth.  Since it had been successful they could operate through the back of her neck.  The surgeons prepared us for many possibilities.  The risks of death or paralysis, which were lower percentages.  And also higher chances that she would still need the surgery through her mouth if this first surgery did not accomplish all that they needed.  Also, a risk that she would come out of surgery with a halo on, a helmet screwed into her skull that connected to a vest with rods to keep her head immobile.  Also, a chance she would need a bone graft of bone from her hip to help fuse her spine.

As I sit typing this in the hospital watching Abby sleep I am overwhelmed by God's love for us.  Abby came through the surgery beautifully, she did not need a halo, or a bone graft and we found out today after a CAT scan she will not need a second surgery.

Abby had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy in China, we found out she does NOT have cerebral palsy all of her symptoms were coming from the compressed brain stem and cord!  The doctor's are amazed she survived 10 years without becoming paralysed or dying from not being able to breathe.  God sustained Abby until in His perfect timing He could give her the perfect help she needed.

I can not imagine how this will possibly change her life, she has the chance at a complete healing.  I also can not imagine what would of happened to Abby had this of happened in China while she was in the orphanage.

Not only did God bless us with the big things of bringing Abby through her surgery as perfectly as He did, He blessed us in so many little ways.  We have felt the love of so many people, people have prayed on Abby's behalf all across our country.  I have received cards, emails, and phone calls assuring us of prayers.

We also received two other gifts from our Saviour.  The night of Abby's surgery she was so confused and in pain.  She was in the PICU and a doctor came around making his rounds and he had medical students with him, this is a University Hospital.  As he was looking at Abby, one of his students spoke up and said I know fluent Mandarin!  What?  Wow!  Right when we needed a translator the most to help explain to Abby why she was feeling this way, God provided!

The next morning we were still in the PICU and a lady came in and introduced herself.  She said I know you do not know me but I have been praying for your daughter.  She explained a neighbor friend of mine that I grew up with from the time I was small until I married had found out about Abby through a prayer chain my sister started.  This lady was a good friend of my friend, when my friend found out about Abby and which hospital we were at she called her friend, the lady that was now standing in the room with me because this sweet lady works at the hospital we were at.  God had placed a sweet christian in our midst praying for us and reaching out to us.  She told us to please call on her if we needed anything.  She offered to pick up anything I needed and bring it to me at the hospital.  She also offered us the use of her guest bedrooms if any of our family wanted to stay the night instead of making the two hour trip home.  A sweet fellow christian reaching out in love.  A stranger on earth, but a sister in heaven.  God is good!

When you sit in a quiet hospital room watching your daughter sleep or experience pain you have much time to meditate on God's goodness.  I get so busy in the busyness of life I often take little things for granted.  God has given me this time to remember His goodness.  He has protected our Abby and given her a chance for a full healing.  We hope to leave the hospital in a few days.

Once again I stand amazed at God's love for me!   Again we thank everyone for their prayers for our family, we have certainly felt God's love in amazing ways.