We are Family! :)

We received an email yesterday from our Adoption Agency with our Adoption Judgement documents attached - WooHoo!  We now wait for a 30-day non-appeal period and after that we start our immigration process and prepare to bring our little ones home!

The documents we received yesterday are all in French, but the part I did understand was this...

de l'enfant OMBA a' celui de Jayce Jeffrey Thomas, et l'enfant SHAKO a' celui d' Alli Kristine Thomas

My interpretation...Omba is now known as Jayce Jeffrey and Shako is now known as Alli Kristine.  Two orphans now belong to a family - our family - the Thomas family!  

What bubbles up from the deepest part of my heart is "Bless the LORD, oh my soul!"

As God continues to write the story of our family - there are now two more characters!  I can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter - this is a real page turner! :)

Surgery is Complete

Good News!  We got word today that little A and J had their surgeries and are now recovering in the home of this sister and brother.

Word from our Director is that they are doing well!  And it looks like they got some cool sunglasses out of the deal (although they don't look all that impressed)! :)

So thankful that God holds our little ones in His Almighty Hands! 

Continuing to pray that they will be home soon!

Quick Update on Project Feet

Thank you all so much for praying (and giving) over the past week about the situation at our children's Orphanage.  Our sweet Director is feeling encouraged - as are we - with the progress that is being made.  Here is a portion of her Sunday blog post:

The good news is this:  we have 3 or 4 people who will be in Congo by this weekend.  This includes an African Public Health nurse with experience in this issue, who will be a tremendous asset in dealing with the short and long term problem here. At this point, there is no need for more travelers! Thank you to all who have considered going to Congo.  God has provided the hands we need for now.

More good news:  the 2 children who were in the most severe situation had SURGERY on Saturday!  AND, they are staying in the home of a Congolese pastor and wife for recovery! 

More good news:  I was able to speak with a Congolese pastor yesterday.  He had been studying the project blog website and had already printed out all the pictures. Today, Sunday, he is presenting this need to 3 congregations.  The conversation with him was the most encouraging conversation I have had.  He said, “We MUST help these children. It is our job, it is our duty.  We must do so”.  Praise God.  We trust that today, God would speak to the hearts of local families to serve Jesus by serving these children!

I look forward to presenting ‘before and after’ pictures of the children, and to see their smiling faces!  God bless you for caring for children you have never met.  He sees! He judges the motivation of each heart!  He provides!  He rewards!  Praise Him!

Here is the link to our Director's blog if you'd like to read more www.projectfeet.wordpress.com

We would ask that you continue to pray for all of these precious children! Please pray specifically for our little J and A and for our family.  It's hard to be a world away from your children when they are hurting.  Pray that our lawyer would have an unexplainable sense of urgency, that he would act quickly and thoroughly, and that the time for bringing our children home would be soon!

I just don't understand...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5

There are so many things about these past few weeks that I just don't understand.

And when I seek to find understanding to all the struggles and hard to explain situations...

I fall miserably short.

And then I'm reminded {again} that God has instructed me to trust in Him, not my own understanding.  So instead of searching for answers and illusive understanding, I need to be searching for and seeking our Mighty God!

This verse just sums it up for me today ~

When You said, "Seek My face", my heart said to You, "Your face Lord, I will seek".  Psalm 27:8