I cried out in desperation to God for HELP HELP HELP…and He delivered.  The last 24-hours have been filled with God loving me and encouraging me through beautiful words from friends and family.  And then, as I told a friend that I’ve surrendered my plans, my timing, the baby clothes, the family vacation, to God and acknowledge HIS sovereign timing…I received two emails.  My RTM, Red Tape Miracle.  There is still so much unknown, but we are one.  step.  closer.  Two details that were holding us up have been resolved, and I am grateful, oh so grateful, so grateful to the one and only Almighty God, who knows what I can bear, who holds my daughter in His loving arms.  She and I are in those arms together.

Wow, God continues to blow my mind, asking me to be faithful in the little things and then showing up in ways I never expected.  Last night’s fundraiser was really wonderful.  The team came together and pulled off a great event.  If we can work together this well over here, I can’t wait to see how God will use us in Uganda.  The biggest frustration was the weather.  The tornado sirens were going off as we were getting set up, and unfortunately, “Screen for Some Green” sounds like an outdoor event.  I told God that I’m starting to take this personally.  Both times I’ve held fundraisers for Adacar, we’ve had glorious weather all week leading up to the event that takes a drastic turn for the worse the day of.  Boo.  However, as Jeff Henderson preached about farming, we work hard, we do all we can do, then we stand at the edge of the crop line and look up.  And God came through.  We had half the people we’d prepared for, and yet God moved them to generosity and we ended up raising just what I’d prayed for – $5,000.  Wow.  Astounded and grateful.  We’ll continue to have merch for sale in the church lobby, so if you missed out, please bring your checkbooks next week!

Tonight’s the big Screen for Some Green fundraiser and I’m brimming over with anticipation at what God’s going to do through His church on behalf of Adacar!  I’m so encouraged by my awesome Uganda team coming together to pull off this event and cannot WAIT to get on African soil with these men and women.  What a difference it makes having a whole TEAM working on something.  I’m so grateful to God for raising up others who are passionate and motivated.

If you live near Peachtree City, don’t miss tonight at Southside Church!  You can watch a movie, eat, and shop…and all guilt-free for a VERY worthy cause!!!

The unknown looms ahead of me and I’m starting the long process of updating all our paperwork.  Could feel rather gloomy about all of this, but I’m going to force myself into praise and hope.  I’m reminded of how much God loves me, loves my daughter, and I’m oh so grateful for the son riding his bike with his daddy outside.  God is a giver of good gifts…and I want to wait well.  I don’t want to miss this opportunity to dig into Him by anesthetizing myself with TV and books…well, most of me doesn’t want to do that.

So, tonight, in an effort to rise above the gloom that threatens to encamp in my heart, I’m going to focus on hope.  Glimmers of hope that I’ve seen with my own eyes.  200 middle and high school students worshipping the God of hope at our retreat this past weekend.  A team of workers laying the foundation for the kitchen at Adacar.  My email inbox filled with offers of help for this weekend’s fundraiser at Southside (do. not. miss. this.).  A house filled with ladies sewing dresses for little Ugandan girls.  A kitchen table surrounded by adopted children from three different countries.  Baby Biruk finding a smile for me as I held him at the orphanage.  Clean water pouring out of a new borehole.  Blue and green plastic bowls filled with steaming hot rice and meat for bellies at Adacar CarePoint.  Ugandan disciplers who know the names of all the kids in their care.  Letters from my sponsored boys proclaiming the goodness of God.  Sisay’s mother making injera on a hot griddle.  People giving up flat screen TVs, summer camps, Christmas and birthday presents, vacations, and eating out in order to sponsor kids, visit them, and build a CarePoint.

Hope is alive.  God be praised.

Emotional rollercoaster being home.  Trying to be an engaged, loving, intentional mommy to my son while managing desperate thoughts about my daughter.  I feel ripped in half.  Each day is different.  The first couple days back were good, then today I’ve been gripped with pain and longing and fear.  Trying to grow comfortable with the words “I don’t know.”  I appreciate all the prayers lifted and the verses shared.  Now is one of those times when there’s only one set of footprints in the sand.