Sunday, October 24, 2010

Prayer Needs

Hi Friends and Family,

Brad and I wanted to give you an update and thank you for your continued prayers for our adoption.

Jana is adjusting well to our family and to school. She and her brothers joke, laugh, and fight together just as it should be. She has been such a wonderful blessing to our family and we thank God for each day that he brought her into our family. She is funny, outgoing and excited to try new things. She will starting Hip Hop dance lessons this week and is so excited. She did a few trial weeks and loved it. She is struggling in school but of course that is much to be expected until she can learn more English. Her daddy has had the pleasure of taking her to dance and this has been a new experience for him . She is a daddy’s girl and loves to be with him. He has even taken her mall shopping .

We have a prayer request. We received our I800 approval last Saturday and we are awaiting a court date. Typically one is issued right away but it has been a week and we have yet to receive one. Please pray for us that we would receive a court date quickly if it is God’s will. We know that we cannot travel to Latvia after December 5 until late into January because the lawyer will be busy with the hosting program children and of course celebrating Christmas and the New Year. We are praying that we could receive a court date next week. If we can get one in the next two weeks then we can complete the adoption before December 5 which is our prayer. We trust God will work out the perfect timing even if it not our timetable. Thank you for lifting this request before Him.

We have a huge praise. We were approved for a matching grant through Lifesong for Orphans and Promise 686. Promise 686 will provide dollar for dollar matching funds up to $4000.00 to help with financial costs of the adoption. We expect to pay another $15,000 for Jana and more if Izabella is cleared for adoption. We are sending out support letters and covet your prayers that God will make a way financially for this adoption as well.

We thank you for your prayers in the loss of Brad’s dad and ask that you continue to lift our entire family up in your prayer time as we learn to live without Papaw. My phone still has his name in the contacts and I can’t bear to take it off. We miss him greatly but we know that he is preparing a place for all of us and cancer free in heaven. He touched many lives for the Lord and we pray that the seeds he planted in Alaska and at home will be watered and will grow fruit and be a legacy to his commitment to the Lord.

If our story has moved your heart for adoption there are many waiting children who need parents. The hosting program deadline is the first of November. Please check out the site at http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/horizons/help.html . Let there be one less orphan in the world because you answered the call.

God bless you all,
Paula and Brad

Please also pray for our friend Tiffany who is having major surgery this week.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Answered Prayer -Matching Grant Approved

We are thanking God today for His provision. We were notified this afternoon that Lifesong for Orphans with the assistance of Promise 686 her in the Atlanta area have partnered with us to help fund our adoption. They have blessed us with a $4000.00 matching dollar for dollar grant.

The financial aspect was our biggest concern and God is providing. If you would like to help you can send gifts to Lifesong for Orphans Benton#1475 P.O. Box 40/ 202 N. Ford St. Gridley, IL 61744. It is a tax deductible donation.

We are expecting USCIS 1800 any day now :) Praying it arrives this week.

Thank you and God bless