Plane Tickets!!

We have booked our plane tickets!!

We leave for our little ones country 

on 

February 8

(that's 33 days from now)

We have one stop in the US

one stop in Germany

and then we get to our little ones country 

the next day... 

6 time zones later

and since I have had zero success sleeping on planes in the past,

I'm sure I will be very tired...

we have a day to rest

before we have our appointment

to ask permission to adopt him.

Thank you to all of you who have helped us get to this point!

There is still time to help us out.  We can accept contributions until we return home, so if you haven't been able to help and are wanting to - you can contribute to bringing Hannes home at the link below:

http://reecesrainbow.org/47351/sponsorvanheerden

Today's Joy Dare: 

(counting 1000 blessings in 2013 just three a day via www.aholyexperience.com)

16.   In my Bag -
So thankful for The Valley of Vision,  prayers of wise ones who have lived before me.

17.   In the Fridge -
So thankful that God provides all that is in the fridge...including that amazing cinnamon butter!!

18.   In my Heart -
So thankful that God has shaped my heart to be more like His over these past few years  - my love for my children has grown, my heart breaks for the orphans who have nothing and noone, and He is giving my husband and I heart vision for tired, stressed, and hurting people. 

Joy in the Journey

Our Journey to Hannes...

in just 5 short weeks

we will board a plane

and fly

and fly

and fly

until we get to the capital city in his country...

and we will ask permission from his government to adopt him.

And he doesn't know.

He doesn't know we are coming

He doesn't know what a mommy and daddy are

He doesn't know how to play with his brothers and sisters

He doesn't know a life outside his small room...

And yet - that doesn't change what will happen for good in his life.

Because we love him.

It's like that with us, isn't it? 

Oftentimes we don't know the future.

We can't tell what will happen.

We don't know what is coming.

But that doesn't change what will happen for good in our lives.

God is there.

Working everything out according to His plan.

Which ultimately results in our good.

 Because He loves us.

 

Today's Joy Dare...

13.   Reading  -  
thankful for a book about how to Simplify by Joshua Becker
14.   Making -
Decisions, thankful for wise counsel on what to pack for our trip...
15.   Seeing - 
Thankful for seeing my children and my child's child feeding the ducks today...

God is so good...

 

So grateful for all who have supported and encouraged us 

in this adoption for Hannes...

our FSP (Family Sponsorship Program) Grant has grown in an amazing way!

We cherish the love that you have shown to us and more so to Hannes.  Helping us to bring him into a family so that he can thrive and grow and receive the medical care he so desperately needs.  What an amazing display of the love that you all have for him.  Thank you so much!!

http://reecesrainbow.org/47351/sponsorvanheerden

They are home...

One of the things I have enjoyed most these past few months is to follow along on several families journeys to their kids.  Every single one that I have followed is now back home with their new children.  The joy that I feel in my heart every time I look at the photos of those kids now laughing, playing, the wonder in their eyes as they take in all the new experiences, their new brothers and sisters delighting in them, their smiles!!!  Oh, to see the body of Christ, joining with God on His mission to redeem people.  We get to know just a bit of how God goes about taking the unloved and loving them with wholehearted, selfless, unconditional love!!  He really does set the lonely in families!

We are now preparing to do this again.  To travel across the world, on three REALLY long plane rides, to get to another country, to meet a child we don't know - and promise before God and a judge that we will LOVE this child AS IF he were born to us.  Forever.  No matter what.  A stepping out in faith.  Trust in our Father.  We have done this once.  God has asked us to do this again.  So we go.  We trust and we obey.  Because we love God and He loves us.  And the result of trusting and obeying?  We get to be blessed with another amazing child - watching him grow, flourish, and delighting in who God has made him to be.  Just like we are doing with Nate, Lydia, Jacob, Julia and Noah.  We are SO very blessed!!

Today's Joy Dare:

A gift old, new and blue...

10.  reclaimed fabric turned something old into a new thing

11.  a new leather journal waiting with blank pages for new prayers

12.  those blue eyes that sparkle with joy

 

 

Just over a month...

Still giddy from getting the travel date!!

Counting 3 graces overheard today...

7. listening to friends happy chatter in a language I don't speak

8.  a heart conversation about God's grace to us with a friend I met today

9.  prayer for our adoption and upcoming travel overheard tonight

We have just over a month until we travel,

the list making has begun,

the gathering to take,

and the preparing to leave,

God give me the grace 

to do this well

for Your Glory...

Travel Date!!

Yippee!!

We got our travel date!  

Our appointment at the government office 

to request permission to adopt Hannes is

February 11!!

We are really excited - we cannot wait to meet him!

We will spend approximately 2 to 3 weeks 

visiting him in the morning and the afternoon

until we get a court date to finalize the adoption. 

Hang on little man, Mommy and Daddy are coming soon!!

We are nearly there...
if you would like to help us during this last push to bring Hannes home, 
please contribute at:

http://reecesrainbow.org/47351/sponsorvanheerden

 

Counting Gifts for today, January 2: 

4.  a gift outside... the wind that blows hard

5.  a gift inside...  the Holy Spirit blowing truth in my soul

6.  a gift on a plate... the dinner my husband prepared and served

Counting 1000 Gifts...

I'm taking the dare... 

the Joy Dare... 

and counting 1000 gifts in 2013

dare to follow along?

January 1: 3 gifts heard

1. giggles of the little ones

2. chorus of His Word sung softly

3. the bells that signal connection from the grown up ones reaching for Mom

What are you thankful for today?

Source: aholyexperience.com

My One Word - 2013

Lot's of folks are tossing out the New Year's Resolutions 

and choosing one word for the year.

After some contemplation, I am too.

With prayer and thought, I have chosen

my word for 2013:

Join me and pick a word (and a bible verse to reinforce it)

for yourself...

Make 2013 all about your word

Then go ahead and write your word all over your life -

Deuteronomy 6:9
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Soak in your word this year

daily

weekly

monthly

at home

at work

in the car

at your desk

at the sink

while brushing your teeth

while brushing your hair

while cleaning

while reading

while resting

while running

And see if spending time in His Word with your word

changes your heart this year...

for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks... (Luke 6:45)

How will you change once your heart has changed?

Resource:  myoneword.org