Steve Updates

Some of you have been reading and praying for my sister-in-law and her husband so I wanted to give you an update. These are her words ... mine are: pray & keep singing! We Love You Guys!

Hi Friends,
Many of you know, and some of you might not, I got married in December. I married a wonderful man of God who is incredible. God blessed me with the man that I prayed for, and I would encourage any of you who grow weary of waiting on God, do not grow weary. God has big plans for you. Steve is my husband's name. We only met last May 5th, and the plan was that we were just going to be "friends"... it's really a funny story... but God had other plans for us. Since then, God has continued to bless us. We have a wonderful church family (Monica misses seeing her church family every Sunday, but she is so blessed by the wonderful place that God has placed both she and Steve), and just as our hearts both desired, we serve on the Worship Team together. Most of you who know me well, know that I love to sing (yes, Steph, I am still known to put a "cassette" in and sing to Chicago... in fact... Steve has the massive boom box set up in the garage with all of his cassette's from the 80's, and requires it when we are cleaning the garage....ha) ... don't worry Pastor Ed, we no longer desire mullets.... ha!! And, God blessed me with a man who plays killer guitar. We have an awesome prayer life, and love hanging out with friends and family. We are so blessed. We also know that God has huge plans for our life, which is the reason I'm sending this to you, my prayer warrior friends. Steve and I leave on May 17th for Spokane, where he will undergo some tests, and most likely be put on a heart transplant list. He was born with a heart defect, and in the past year, his health has declined rapidly. A year ago, he was running a 9 minute mile. Last summer, we were hiking, kayaking, mtn. biking, fishing, etc. In the past month, he has resigned from his coaching position at Vallivue, and he is down to 1/2 days (he teaches at Desert Springs elementary). But, God is faithful. God gave us a life verse when we got married: "For I know the plans that I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 In Jeremiah 30:17 he also says, "I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds". God reminds us to be "strong and courageous"... while I have my days of feeling strong and courageous, and some days that is the furthest thing from me, it isn't about how I "feel", it is about having faith in our Lord, that his promise is truth, and we stand on it.
We are so blessed, and sometimes don't even realize it, until these challenges are put in our path, and God puts people in our lives to encourage us, and come along side us. Steve was having a difficult time walking down the hall to make copies at school, so his friend Sara had an electric wheelchair at home, she brought it to him to use at school. He was doing crosswalk duty at 7:20 a.m. (at this point, he only has just so many steps that he can take in a day), and a sweet friend named Mary took that over for him. I mentioned to a friend at work that there are times when we go somewhere, he just can't make it if the walk is too far, so we don't go ( I want to be able to take him to the places he enjoys going, I don't want for him to "want" for anything), so my friend suggested a place that lets you "use" wheelchairs and then bring them back whenever you need to... so we went there this morning, and the gentleman was so kind, he has a shop "overflowing" with wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, etc. etc. etc. that they just let people use until they need to return them, no charge. Our friend, Ken Lewis stopped by to chat with Steve the other morning, "just to see how he is doing, and hang out". Our friend Laurie who drove Steve to the E.R.. Our friend's Ben and Amy, who drove Steve's truck home for us when Steve couldn't. Or our friends Shawn and Sherry, who encourage us, and offer to come and just "hang out" with Steve should we need him too. My co-workers, who pick up the slack if I need to leave. The nurse at Dr. Mark's office who prays for us. Nurse "Wendy" in the E.R. who came and talked with us about Jesus. The teenager who comes to help us carry Steve's guitar amp whenever we are on Worship Team. Or my sweet student, who calls a mutual friend and says "we need to pray for Monica and Steve" when she knows that I am absent from my class because of an emergency. The amount of people that are praying for us, it is just overwhelming... people we don't even know. We know that God can use this for good. And He is, already. Please be in prayer with us, for Holy Spirit wisdom in the path that we are taking. We have prayed all along that God would heal Steve, whether that be by "touching the hem of Jesus robe", or by provision of a new heart. We are already praying for the family who donates the heart, if that is how God chooses to heal Steve. I would encourage you, that if you wonder why it is that God doesn't allow for us to see angels like the angels that he brought to Mary in the old testament, you should ask God to unveil your eyes, like He did mine. They are there, are you ready to see them??? Be Blessed my dear friends, and if I don't see you much this summer, know that I am still thinking of you.... we will be in Spokane until Steve gets a heart!!!

Hello my fellow prayer warriors,
Just a little update so that you can be praying. We have moved our trip to Spokane. Steve has had a tough couple of days, and we really think that we need to get up there while he is still healthy enough for recovery. I don't know much at this point, just that we will leave this Saturday morning, he has an appointment with the heart surgeon on Monday, and then we will come back on Sunday, May 11th. All we know at this point is that, this is a week trip. They are running tests, and will probably put him on a transplant list. I'll know more after the visit I'm sure ( or it's possible that I might not.. ha!)
It's kind of amazing, Steve and I just barely met last May 5th. God has brought us through more in one year of our relationship than most people go through in a lifetime of marriage. One thing I will tell you, is that, it has brought me to my knees in prayer. I have read and re-read "Power of a Praying Wife"... I'm telling you... no matter where your faith, it is a powerful book. I have a wooden trivet in my kitchen that reads "when life gets too hard to stand .... kneel" I would encourage you not to wait until life gets to hard to stand. Kneel now. Pray hard. Sing praises with all of your heart. Be Blessed!!To God be the Glory!

Rachels Updates-A Little Insight

These are letters from Rachel who moved with her husband in January to Ethiopia to work at the transitional home.

Letter From Rachel
Wednesday April 30
Happy Easter!
April 27 was Ethiopian Easter…so of course we had to celebrate American style and Ethiopian style. American: the children had their first ever Easter egg hunt! A family brought us all the eggs and candy to be able to do this, and it was a blast. The children weren’t sure what was going on, but they knew that candy was involved. No egg was left undiscovered. Ethiopian: Ethiopians fast for 2 months before Easter…no dairy and meat, amongst other things. So, Easter Sunday is celebrated with a huge feast. Many Ethiopians buy a sheep to make their stews and sauces. The TH staff and children enjoyed a special lunch that day. Then we took the older children out for ice cream! Next, on to Fortuna’s (TH nurse & director) for dinner….and ate more sheep.

April 26th
Today is Easter (Fasika) in Ethiopia.
Fasica means Easter in Amharic, which is the official language of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Easter, or Fasica, which takes place in Orthodox Churches throughout the country, follows the eastern method of calculating Easter, and thus tends to fall after Easter in the Western calendar. Fasica is a much more important festival than Christmas, since the Death and Resurrection of Jesus is more significant in Orthodox theology than his birth.
Fasica is a climactic celebration. Fasting becomes more intense over the 56 day period of Lent, when no meat or animal products of any kind, including milk and butter, are eaten. The 56 days of fasting is a symbolic representation of sharing in His sacrifice for all human beings. Good Friday starts off by church going and is a day of preparation for the breaking of this long fasting period. The faithful prostrate themselves in church, bowing down and rising up 101 times. The main religious service takes place with the Paschal Vigil on Saturday night. It is a sombre, sacred occasion with music and dancing until the early hours of the morning. At 3:00 a.m. everyone returns home to break their fast.
Followers celebrate Fasika with intense joy, food, drinks and the exchanging of gifts.
Posted at 01:31 AM in Rachel's Letters Permalink Comments (0) TrackBack (0)

Referrals and Newsboys

What a wonderful day: Good Friday in Ethiopia was also a good day in America! There were 4 families that received "the call" on Friday. Congrats to the Gibsons: a 3 1/2 month old baby girl; the Ords: a 2 year old little boy; the Ducommuns: a 6 weeks old baby girl; and the Coxs for a baby boy! Please check out their blogs on the left and congratulate them for this long awaited wonderful news!!! We are so excited for them!!
I also wanted to put in a note that we attended a Newsboys concert this last Saturday night (a first for me). They opened with Rush of Fools and really was pretty goo concert. I just wanted to note that they were about 5,000 people there and we were led to sing "You are my King (Amazing Love) with just our voices: What an awesome experience!! I have always loved this song and recently found out who wrote the words and just wanted to give them a BIG thank you for putting to words some worship of our King! Something about 5,000 voices praising our King you just can't help but love!! Thank you Billy & Cindy!
We stayed over night and also met a woman who just returned from Ethiopia in January with her son; approximately 3 years old. She has other children but is really wanting to connect with families from Africa so who knows. We live about 6 hours apart right now so it will probably be over computer most of the time.
Which leads me to our adoption journey and really, well we are still waiting. There, you have an update! :) We are still praying about a sibling group when our time comes so we will just have to wait and see what God does. We are estimating it will probably be like September before we are really in that stage so keep us in your prayers and we will keep you updated. Of course, we are not opposed to it being anytime sooner either!! :P

Our Son or Daughter could very well come from here!

I had to share this article with you from the BBC for this is a orphanage that our agency works with ...

Ethiopia's adoption dilemma
Mohammed Adow BBC, Addis Ababa
At the Kids Care Orphanage in Addis Ababa, hundreds of newborn babies - some of them only days old - are cared for until people are ready to adopt them.

Ethiopia has some 5m orphans - half of them because of AidsMost of the parents are from abroad. The adoption of Ethiopian children by foreigners has increased sharply in the past few years, with thousands of parents from various parts of the Western world adopting children from this impoverished nation.
Kids Care Orphanage is just one of the numerous orphanages and child care centres in the Ethiopian capital.
Aster Fisseha, who runs the orphanage, says that the children in her care are mostly abandoned children who are found by police patrols in dark alleys, and at times even in toilets.
Aster believes that foster parents from the West prefer Ethiopian children because they are aware of the huge problems in Ethiopia.
She jokingly adds that the good looks of Ethiopians could be another reason why Ethiopian children are preferred.

Slideshow of Baby Blankets

http://www.slide.com/r/TOLAvcmo5j__5zl-tmhq2CUC1igkHun4?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

"SINGING" the Good Fight

My Sister in Law and her new husband...well this is their story! May we all go on singing!!

A very good friend of mine, Steve, is a football coach at Vallivue, another high school in the Treasure Valley (we were 1-1 against each other before they moved up into a higher division).
But there is a more important battle occurring in Steve’s life; he lives with a congenital heart condition. That hasn’t slowed him down, or impeded his love of football and coaching. He has had a number of surgeries to repair the defects in his heart, including the placement of a pacemaker; I often joke with him about standing too close to the microwave or the toaster.
Steve got married in December. His wife Monica loves prayer and loves worship. She was honored the other night to be put on the churches worship team. She is concerned, though, about Steve’s heart condition. They pray intently before each of Steve’s doctors’ appointments.
Before Steve's appointments Monica sings over her husband. She worships God in singing before going into the doctor's office. It's a battle, and God inhabits the praises of his people; Praise goes before God's presence.mkm It is for that reason that God told Joshua to march the priests - bearing trumpets - in front of the Ark of the Covenant at Jericho. It is for that reason that Joshua commanded the children to shout (Joshua 6). (The Bible does not say what they shouted). Paul and Silas sang songs of praise in a Roman jail cell before the Holy Spirit blew the doors open (actually shook them off of their foundation). Gideon had his army of 300 men shout when they faced the Midianites; the Midianites ended up fleeing and killing each other in the confusion.
God inhabits the praises of His people. If you’re going into battle - Sing. If you need a miracle - Sing. If you are going to the cardiologist for a congenital heart condition - Sing!
And watch the walls come tumbling down!

A Good Day

So today the Coens and the Harbaughs passed court and officially can plan travel to go get their kiddos! Very excited for them! Check out their blogs (posted on the side) for great photos and congratulate them!
We also had another conference call today that gave us more information to process. You would think we have to much already but there are always questions and well ... we are on the Lord's timing. Just got to remember He know our kids already and has a plan that we just need to follow ... Hmmm, you mean I can't figure out the when on my own? :P
I also just need to post "I love my mother-in-law" here! She has been so supportive and encouraging and helping me to make blankets to sell for fundraising. I am hoping to get these on my blog soon for you all to view (and buy!).

A Meal in Ethiopia

A meal in Ethiopia is an experience. Like any other part of their culture, it is community oriented and relational! And it all revolves around injera. What is injera? It is the sourdough pancake-like bread of Ethiopia. It uses a grain called Tef, which is not found in the United States. Injera serves many purposes….not only is it consumed as part of the meal, it is also a "tablecloth" or plate, and an eating utensil. The injera is spread out on a mesob, a handmade wicker table/tray with a dome cover. The entire mesob of injera is covered with an assortment of individual stews and sauces, which contain meats, vegetables, and lentils (see picture!). Ethiopians are known to prepare the hottest and most peppery food in all of Africa, using what is called Ber-beri spice. To eat, you tear off a piece of injera roll and use it to grab your choice of food (feel free to mix)…then, put it all into your mouth! Everyone eats from the same table. Don't be surprised if the person sitting beside you wants to feed you…this is very cultural. The word belonging to this act is "Enibla" which means "let's eat together." When all the food and injera have been consumed, the meal is over! Of course, then comes coffee…

OH Ya! Coffee ...

An Adoption Journey Home

I just sit and cry ... One Day, Lord, One Day Soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LMFqU1WaVE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqELtNLEtTA

Sara Groves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSdP6PqsbJY

This is absolutely a MUST watch for everyone, even if you are not adopting this is a call to action! I have been very blessed this week to be volunteering with World Vision in our community for the Experience: Aids. This is such an awesome event that takes you through the lives of up to 4 children in Africa who may or may not have AIDS. You get a headset to hear their story, walk thru their lives in a set-up tour (with pictures and items they would use), get tested for AIDS and you will then find out if you are negative or positive! It is only here for 5 days, with this being the only place in Idaho so if at all possible, you must go! It will enlighten you.
I am very excited to be doing this with my husband and family this time as he went through this in St. Louis in July of last year at the Nazarene Youth Conference there. He was also able to hear Princesses Zulu speak and this has been on his heart ever since. It was during that time that he was there that I was able to have 8 of the African Children's Choir girls stay with me (and my 2 younger kids) for 4 days. It is amazing to see how God worked on both of our hearts from thousands of miles apart to be feeling this great pulling from Him! We both believe we will one day be missionaries in Africa. It may be soon and it may be after our kids are more grown or even gone, but somehow, someway, someday ... we will be!