An unexpected gift...

Its so amazing to see how God unfolds His plan. My family and I thought we would be in Ecuador right now with our new sister...but its not Gods time yet and we are still waiting..... Its been a very hard wait, especially as our hearts breaks for the little girl who continues to wait in an orphanage.

But...

God has a plan and I'm not sure what it is but for some reason He has given us this time and we have to see the blessings in it or we will find anger and bitterness an easy alternative at everyone and everything that stands in our way.

There have been many blessing and we have seen God working and moving in this extra time He has given us but the truth is if I dwell on it too long, my heart gives way to hurt and I just can't understand why this would be Gods will....I want to go now! I want to be done with the waiting, hurting and longing....but we are not, not yet and that means we as a family have to face a Christmas without our added blessing and she has to face another Christmas with all of her closest friends adopted, without knowing that she has a family....

But we know that all things work together for good to them that love God...

They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint....

So Thank you God, that your ways are not my ways, I know You have this in the palm of your hand.

In the mean time,

I want to share with you an extra special gift that was bestowed on us just recently...

Dear friends gave my parents and I tickets for Steven Curtis Chapman's, Glorious Unfolding Tour!! It was truly an honor as we have been greatly blessed by Show Hope and knew it would be a blessing to hear about about the Chapman's adoptions and more about the organization that has helped us!

I know the pictures and videos are typical concert ones....the lighting is horrible and sound quality is bad, but I wanted to remember this night as another blessing from God.

Laura Story and Jason Grey

Steven Curtis Chapman and Jason Grey

My favorite!!! :) Laura Story!!!

I never imagined I would actually get to see Laura Story, and then she sang "Blessings" which I have to say has been a huge blessing in my life!

I loved hearing about the stories and struggles behind the songs, they are real people that God is working in and through and we get to experience just a little bit of it!

The adoption part was the highlight of the night for us as so many of our hearts cry's and struggles were expressed, and once again the beauty of the Gospel in Adoption was shown forth. I am beginning to see a pattern here...it seems that God starts many adoption stories by planting seeds in the heart of the daughters. So beware, if your daughter ever mentions adoption..... it might just be the voice of God.

This is the adoption song, "When Love Takes You In" and the video that I watched with tears streaming down my face... Adoption is a great need but we serve a great God and He has used this family mightily! Through Show Hope they have been able to help so many families with the financial burden of adoption.

It was so neat to hear some familiar songs LIVE!! Like "Cinderella" and "I will be Here" and the stories behind them.

Our lives truly are a Glorious Unfolding in the hands of God as He crafts each and every story, our story has taken many twists and turns in the past year, but I know that we will never be the same because our lives have been touched by Adoption.

Fellowship of the Unashamed

So I'm a college student...
I spend all of my "extra" time studying, I type up papers, and I do research....but the blessing of a Christian Education is my classes are from a Christian perspective and I am challenged Spiritually. It is such a blessing to have everything I learn applied to a Christian Worldview and to have teachers and classmates who encourage me in the Word of God. I have the blessing of researching scripture for papers! But part of being challenged is being humbled....and the message in this short video is quite humbling when I realize how much my life is lacking....

So God,
Thank you for the blessing of a Christian education...
Thank you for the challenges you give me....
But God keep changing me....
Keep working on me....

Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts. 

Psalm 139:23

I know I'm a sinner, I'm only a sinner....but I have been saved by grace, and this is my Hope. God will continue to work in me and change me. I want my life to be broken and spilled out for the one who saved my soul, it is a daily task that doesn't seem to get any easier. There is still a whole lot of me that I need to get rid of...

Unanswered Prayer.....

This is a recent blog post I posted in my family's adoption blog. I thought you might enjoy reading it if you have not seen it on there. It is kind of an update on our adoption and the needs we still have.

Unanswered Prayer.........

Delays are not denials.....

How do we face unanswered prayer?
We deal with it daily...we struggle with it hourly....
no matter the cause....
no matter where we are....
 if we pray....
we will have unanswered prayer.....

One Year ago...

One year ago....I was planning and praying for the biggest adventure of my life!
I never imagined that just one short year later my family would be preparing and praying for the biggest blessing of our lives!

         I say blessing, because a child is not an adventure, we are not just trying this out....this is for real and this is for keeps!

As I was preparing for all the expenses and things that needed to be set in place...
I never imagined that my family would spend the year fundraising and doing paperwork!

As I was praying that God would let me impact just one person while I was there....
I never imagined that I would be able to be part of changing a very special girls life in a very real way!

As I found myself being spun around by one of the most amazing little girls I had ever seen....
I never imagined that I would see my family laugh and cry over the little girl that has changed their lives without even meeting her!

I never imagined how one simple prayer saying..."I will go" would have such a profound impact on my life and my family.

A year later I hear my family saying "here we are" and friends and family surrounding us saying, "we will".

Somewhere over the ocean a little girl celebrated her 9th birthday....still never knowing what its like to have a family.....here I'm crying for this little girl....and all the while God is preparing a way for this little girl.

Everything can change in a year....last year we were a complete family and this year we are missing a vital part of our family, grieving the loss of not having her with us, knowing her sorrow of still being familyless.

It makes me wonder where I will be a year from now! Probably somewhere I could never imagine! But thankful I just have to say, "Here am I, send me".

The race is still being run...

You may remember the race up the mountain that Natasha and I did in Ecuador. I have continued to receive updates and pray for this ministry to girls that have been trafficked. Here is an article that has been written about them and the climb. 

Fighting human trafficking in Ecuador

15 OCT, 2013 | ECUADOR

OM International

“Do you see that volcano up there?” Boris Salinas points to a snowy mountain top overseeing Ecuador’s capital Quito. “It might be the target for a second Freedom Climb in Ecuador.”

Boris, a young Colombian married to Ecuadorian Fernanda, doesn’t stop talking about his plans and dreams to awaken the people of Ecuador for a revolution against human trafficking. Boris himself experienced what the intervention of God through people in someone’s life can do. After having lived on the streets for three years as a teenager, his life changed radically when an American Christian couple in Quito adopted him.

Click on the title to read the whole article. Its so amazing to see Gods love for them poured out through these people.

To read my original blog post on the climb click here. 

Here is their recent newsletter if you would like to learn more about this ministry.

Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Be part of Dunamis: As you know, we are in our search for churches, organizations, universities or schools where we can show our ministry, and explain more about sex trafficking, domestic abuse, labor trafficking and rape. We want people to start worrying about these issues and show what this ministry has done over the last 4 years. We also want to show them some of the work the girls have done in our workshops and invite them to visit our ministry and our country. WE NEED YOUR HELP!! We want to let you know that we're saving money so we can buy a car for our ministry. Up to now we've saved an amount of 3000 $. We thank everyone who has helped us raise that amount of money so we can accomplish our goal. Now we need your help one more time! We need 4000 $so we can complete the amount required to buy our car. This car will help us as a tool for our ministry.  ZOE'S FIRST DAY  Great blessing! We want to thank you all for your support. Our daughter Zoe has started her first year, kindergarten; it's name is PLAY HOUSE and Zoe its thrill and excited! She wakes up everyday and ask us when is she going back to her school. She is very playful, has a lot of friends and has showed us some of the work she's done over the week. We are very happy to share these news with you guys, since you've been here since day one. OCTOBER!!! Here are some new of this month. Dear friend, We send you lots of love from Ecuador, and we want to thank you all for your everyday support. For us it's a great blessing being able to let everyone know what God has done with us and what He keeps up doing with our ministry. Love, Boris, Fernanda and Zoe.   NEWS, NEWS, NEWS!!!  Be a part of!! We get our sewing on! New Girls We need your help!  Zoe's first day! The sewing workshop We are starting a new project of home made articles exclusively for this New Years Eve. The girls are enjoying so much this workshop, they put to test their skills and creativity. We are looking for people who are interested in helping our ministry so we are able to buy a sewing machine. The total amount we need to raise is 600 $ or if you own a sewing machine and you're not using it anymore, you could get in touch with us, we'll give it a good use to that machine! If you want to participate in this project by praying, donating money or just being part of this idea, send us an e-mail, write us a letter or search for our address to send any donation. The girls and our ministry will be thankful. PRAY FOR: - So we can continue our project, finding a new sewing machine and help the girls develop new skills. - Our economic support, we have 35% of it complete, we search for new and interested people to help us as a family. - Pray for the new girls that are coming, so that God would allow us to show His love to them and that they get to know Him. - Pray for the finances of the foundation to be covered completely, so we can reach and help more girls. NEW GIRLS!!! This month we'll be expecting 8 new girls who have been victims of traffic labor by being sent to other countries to do forced labor, also we're receiving girls who have been victims of sex traffic on our frontiers. Their board of directors are very interested in them, so they are able to find new tools that will help them in their lives. For us this is a great opportunity to share God's Gospel with them because they've never heard of the love of God. PRAY FOR US! PRAY FOR: - More volunteers, committed and enlightened to help the girls. - Pray so more groups, churches and universities open their doors so we can introduce our ministry and, at the same time, sell some jewelry the girls have done. This is their only support while they're on the ministry. - Pray for our family, so we can stand still and firm. Believing in all the promises God has made to us.

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this faith thing....

I can be one of those easy going, spontaneous and go with it kinda people but some things really bring it out in me...and I usually don't even realize when its happening!

I have this problem.....

I don't like to put my foot in the water unless I know whats underneath....

I don't like to start something unless I know exactly how it will get finished....

I don't like to go somewhere unless I know how long I will be gone....

I don't like to get into the vehicle unless I know where it is going...

I need to know who, what, when, where, and why....

I guess I can describe it in a lot of different ways, but quite honestly its a lack of trust in God.

I find myself struggling with this a lot lately and you would think that after all the mountains I have seen God move, the miracles I have seen happen, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is completely and totally dependable, He has got this thing, He has got me, and I know He is going to take care of it!

Sure there is still some pretty big mountains to climb...but look at the ones behind me.....

So why do I try so hard to make sure things are going smoothly and worry when I don't have control? Why do I doubt? Why do I have to get my feathers ruffled? Honestly, why do I waste my time?

I have to say God has given me more faith in the past year than I have ever had before, but my life in the past year has required more faith than ever and that road is not over yet! Quite honestly I hope it is never over, I never want to stop needing and trusting God more and more. When I start to think I'm in over my head and start praying, God I just can't do this anymore! Its as if He asks me, Do you want the easy way out? NO! Honestly I don't! I want to do this! I want to be stretched and grown and changed! Hallelujah, from Glory to Glory, He's changing me, His likeness and image to perfect in me! I'm the love of God shown to the world.

No, God, don't stop, don't give me the easy way out! I want the hard way, the way that requires more faith, the scary way, the way where I don't know how it ends, the way where I don't know how its going to happen, and the way that I have to choose daily to trust You! The way that requires more tears, more love and more surrender! The way that when I look back, all I can see is what you have done! The way where I have to continually stop and say, All Glory to God! Look what He has done! He is my God! My Saviour! and my Loving Heavenly Father!

God right now, I trust you, I chose to trust you, because I know who You are! I know what you have done! And I know I have no reason to doubt or fear.

Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7

God is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellowship of His son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9

The will of God will not take me where the grace of God cannot keep me.

But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice, let them ever shout for joy because Thou defendest them, let them also that love thy name be joyful in Thee. For Thou Lord wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt Thou comfort them as with a shield. Psalms 5:11 & 12

Everything that I think may go over my head, is already under His feet! :)

For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall be removed; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20

Someday when I see Jesus face to face I don't want Him to show me my life as it could have been as a faithful, trusting, surrendered servant, I want to bow at His feet and hear, "Well done". So I will keep going, because I'm so thankful He chose me to walk this path, and I know He has a lot more in store!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Ephesians 3:5 & 6

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2

Colorado

A couple weeks ago I was able to go and visit my sister, brother in law and nephew in Colorado! I have not seen them for a year, and this time we were celebrating my adorable and sweet little nephews 1st birthday!

I thoroughly enjoyed my week of vacation (from everything but school) but I also enjoyed being able to spend so much time with a little one again....I really miss spending everyday with children!

My sissy!

We were able to go into the mountains for a day, I had such a great time spending time with dear friends that I rarely get to see and spend time with!

I really enjoyed being surrounded by mountains again...Lukey and I enjoyed the fresh air!

He even helped out a little with painting his new room!

Yes, he is completely adorable!

It was such a wonderful week! I spent lots of time with my sister and nephew, friends I have made through them and rekindle friendships with very dear friends!

Unfortunately because I did not get any sleep the night before either of my flights I slept the whole time on the plane....bummer since I really enjoy it! But an excited moment to realize the next time I'm on a plane, Lord willing it will be to go back to Ecuador for my little sister!!