Welcome to America!

Wow! It's been a busy week. Since last Wednesday morning when we picked Heaven up in Washington DC, we flew back to Nashville that afternoon. We found ourselves rushing her to the doctor for chest pains on Thursday. However those was just from dehydration and fatigue from 22 hours of flight. After she sleep for 15 hours she got to go to Justice, we got her new clothes and shoes. She has learned how to drive our golf cart, on the wrong side of the road. We have played many games, basketball in the pool, basketball outside, went to some friends house who had her a welcoming party, we went to church and got to meet lots of new people, went out to eat, went grocery shopping, loves to take a bubble bath, and managed to get Travis, Joanna, Samantha, Tabby, and Kolton to play polly pocket. She has also endured 5 hours at Vanderbilt having test done, she has got to talk to Worldu and Maste they both are from Ethiopia. She got her first shot of penicillin, she will need this shot every 28 days for the next 40 years! Overall she has been amazing and such a huge blessing for all of us. I am somewhat overwhelmed that God trusted us so much to bring Heaven into our home. She is a huge blessing from God to our family. So far we know that she will need open heart surgery, we just don't have a date yet. Physical therapy will start soon for the Spina Bifida and then we will be making the next step with this also, whatever that may be. Please keep praying for Heaven for her health issues, and for us to know just the right thing to do for her. God has been truly amazing through all of this, He deserves all the Glory! Heaven is truly a miracle from Heaven!

Heaven's almost Home

I am truly amazed at all God has did in the last 3 weeks and also what He did 42 years ago. I love how He has a plan for everything. This Wednesday we will pick Heaven up at the airport, to begin all sorts of new things with her. Good doctors, medicine to help her feel better. A hospital where she will be the only child in the room, not 1 of 10 where she was last time and had to witness 3 of them die in 1 week. Clean water, food not out of a garbage dump but out of a pantry where she can go anytime and get something to eat. A bed to sleep in and not the floor of a shack. A roof over her head that doesn't leak when it rains. A family that will never leave her, like her parents did when she was a baby. Brothers and Sisters to love and play games with. Clothes from the store where they are clean and not from a trash dump where they are soiled and have been thrown away. Yes, this will all come at a price, she will miss her Grandmother and friends. However by stepping on that plane she has Hope and a Future. She will have went from dying in Ethiopia to America in less than a month. God is so good! So now I want to tell you about 42 years ago, my husband was born to a women that didn't know who his father was. She gave him up, yet keep his older brother since he could feed himself. She chose a life of partying rather than raising her boys. Tim was born premature and almost died. Until his aunt and uncle stepped up to raise him as their own. They were both older, they both had a previous marriage and together in all had 10 children. But with out any planning they jumped right in and decided he deserved a chance. When Tim was a young adult he realized that God had saved his life and He felt he owed God something. He told me when we first started dating that He felt he owed God a life. He has felt that way for more than 20 years and this year on his 42nd birthday, we bring Heaven home. This is truly a gift that only God can give. God has big plans for this sweet little girl, I love that fact that we get to be apart of her amazing story. So this Wednesday June 15th we will celebrate with Tim and Heaven, as they bond together and we all start a journey on a path lead by God.

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers for safe travels and for a doctor for Heaven.

Hope for Heaven

It's been a long week with very little sleep. I have been on Africa time and Tennessee time. However I can now just go back to Tennessee time, no more late nights calling Sumer and the embassy, plus sending emails. Last Wednesday at 10:30 am I received Heaven's passport and at 2pm I hit the send button on my computer it was the application for Heaven's visa. Now it was night time in Africa so I couldn't do to much. I contacted some politicians and got them on board, they sent the Embassy some emails and pushed a little. I must say I'm not a big fan of politics (Sorry Jon) however I'm really starting to like them. So Thursday morning we found out that the guardianship paper didn't get an official stamp on it from the Ethiopian government and that the offices was closed so we would have to wait until morning to get a stamp. Which meant that no matter how hard we pushed Heaven's chance of making it on that plane was slim to none. On Friday they didn't get the stamp until after the embassy was closed. But we was able to get an appointment for an interview first thing this morning. God has had his hand on this the whole time! A week ago as I was nerves about putting a little girl that was was in cardiac arrest a few weeks ago on a airplane that fear totally left me. It was a week ago Sunday and I had ask a sweet friend to travel with me, which will also be Heaven's pediatrician, she told me we could work something out. As I set through that church service I realized we didn't need to work anything out, God would do that. As I set there through service (Sorry Pastor Tom I have no idea what your message was, however God was showing me one sitting there)all I could see was a plane traveling west in the air with giant hands around it, the fear of putting her on the plane was gone, because God would have the plane in His hands that she will be boarding soon. Back to today... Heaven got her visa! She will be here soon. Now off to make some very important travel plans!

Hope for Heaven

Well a week has gone by and it took us a little longer than planed to get the referral from all the doctors in Ethiopia. We waited on one doctor to sign the paper for a week, Berhanu has been awesome going everyday to wait on a signature. Yesterday we got the good news that it was signed...YEAH! Now they are going to get her passport and immigrations office tomorrow. We are praying everything goes as planned and very quickly so she can be here in a week. Keep praying that she keeps getting stronger and God provides all the paperwork to get done quickly with out any problems. I keep walking around saying..."we need a miracle" well that is the business HE is in. I did make progress this week we finished Heavens perfect room. I say perfect because 3 years ago right after we moved in I put lettering on the wall. "With God, all things are possible." that happens to be my favorite verse so it seemed at the time that would be cool on the office wall. Well that room was never used for a office, just storage so I forgot that I had even put it there. I never thought 3 years later I would be turning it into a bedroom and totally leaning on God to bring a sweet little girl into our family and that would be her room. How perfect, so I left it on the wall and put her bed right underneath it. The kids are getting excited and I can honestly say that God has gave me total peace about bringing her into our home and caring for her medical needs. She is going to be ok and we are all going to grow in Faith through all of this. Heaven is going to have a story to tell about how God worked in her life and saved her. Keep praying we still need a miracle.

Hope for Heaven

As most of you who know us, know that last March we signed up to sponsor 10 kids in Ethiopia. Tim and I have never seemed to do things in a little way, that just hasn't been God's plan. So last March God laid it upon our hearts to sponsor 10, Yes I said 10. Wow that seemed like such a big number and especially since we didn't know how much that was going to cost. We didn't pick the children someone picked them for us. Anyways we got 10 girls, ages 9 to 14 they were all living within the trash dump, our sponsorship got them out of the dump and into boarding school. To learn more about that program go to www.p61.org God also laid it upon our hearts the very same night we needed to help build orphanages. We are still in the works on this plan He has for us, and He will make that happen all in His timing. So last November we got an e-mail telling us one of our girls was sick and sent home from school. After going to the doctor it was determined that she would go back to school. Then on March 23rd this year we got another e-mail, this time she was back from school and could not go back until she was over her health issues. I e-mailed my kids pediatrician, she had just got back from there and I was wondering if she had seen her. Ms. Kristen told me yes, she was the first person she seen, she treated her, gave her some medicine and told me she needed surgery. It was never a question would we help, we were already praying and started talking to people to get a visa for her so she could have surgery. Surgery there didn't seem like a good choice. However, we had time this was not life threatening, I ask questions, I sent e-mails, I was doing the work just getting nowhere for 2 months. I didn't give up, God keep telling me to push it, I got nowhere. I really started to question all of this, I had medical things come up that needed to be taken care and Samantha needed her adenoids out. So, I just keep praying God keep saying she's coming get ready. I can be very hard headed sometimes just ask Tim or my parents. I didn't listen, sure I keep sending e-mails but, I wasn't getting READY! We have a room in our home that could be used for a bedroom but it's been storage since we moved in. God said get the room ready, I said maybe I'll clean it out use it for an office again. God said No, make it her room. I said when I find out she coming and if we get a referral form the hospital there so we can get a visa. God said...Get Ready! Well that brings us to the last 2 days.... Yesterday morning on my was to the surgery center with Samantha to have her adenoids removed I got a phone call. The voice on the end was crying, I knew this wasn't good. Carrie had just got back from Ethiopia, and she had spent the week with Heaven, she told me Heaven was very sick and in the hospital. Heaven had ask to go home and die because she felt there was no hope for her, she needs heart surgery and they don't do this in Ethiopia. They told her Mama Serena was working on getting her out of there so she could have surgery. The Big thing here is the original health issue was put on hold which was no easy task it was reconstructive surgery, she has no control of her urine or bowels. She has to wear a diaper, she's 12 years old. Heart Surgery WHAT? I was not prepared for that, so I thought. I soon realized it didn't matter if I was ready or not. God was ready and he started moving mountains and at the same time gave us a total peace about it all. I love how the Big Man upstairs can push you off a huge cliff and at the same time open your parachute. Yesterday was full of God things, Samantha's surgery went really good, we were told we would get the referral for Heaven, she was feeling much better, we got her official diagnosis so we could start talking to doctors, Heaven has chronic rheumatic heart disease. Her Grandma who has custody of her, said she would sign all the papers and give us the letter we need, the guys at Great Hope church in Ethiopia said they would start working on all her paperwork there, we talked to a pediatric cardiologist who is looking at her records. He's not a surgeon but we are trying to get her story out there so we can find one. It was alot to process in one day. Today I woke up to the e-mail from Sumer that Maste had her birth certificate in which I need to file with all the papers, Heaven was still doing better and got to go home today, we got her echo cardiogram that we needed, WOW! We could have never got any of this done in 2 days without God, this is all Him. When He moves mountains you better be ready. Wait I forgot, we got the phone number from a friend who gave us the doctors cell phone number, and he is working on our side (thank you Duane and Hollis). I got the number for a agent in the embassy (thank you Jennifer)
Thank you Carrie for everything, Sumer we love you, Maste thanks so much for fighting for Heaven making sure the doctors seen her and she got the treatment she needed. Thank you Kim R. for not letting me give up. Most important Thank you JESUS, you are my rock and none of this would have happened without you. Everyone I talk to keeps telling me the same message... He's got this one.

We are asking all of you to pray for Heaven we still have a battle ahead but nothing God can't handle. If anyone has some fundraiser ideas please share, because this morning I sent in the paper saying we would take responsibility for her and right now that may mean raising the money for her surgery if we don't find a doctor quick who can do this.


I know this has been one long post but I have one more blessing to share...

Meet Heaven...




This girl already has our hearts. God gave them to her and we are so blessed and thankful He did, and for allowing us to be a part of His plan for her. This will all be to Glorify Him. Some say she's a lucky little girl, I'm thinking we are the lucky ones.

No quote right now, just venting...

Today I had to come to Nashville to pay a Heavy Highway Tax in order to get the renewal for our tags on the company dump truck, its a 2 step process. You first pay 550 dollars to get a stamp then drive to downtown Franklin to pay ?????? To get a sticker. So I drive to Nashville with all the highway mess then there is parking right next to the federal courthouse where I need to go, however I parked and seen the officer giving out parking tickets. I didn't want one so I asked him where to I put my money at for parking? He replies it don't work that way. When you are downtown if there is no meter, you can't park there. Hello sir there is a parking spot several actually that are not marked no parking and there is no meter. I ask the officer can I not park here? He said nope, unless you want a ticket. So I moved my car a to another area, go into the office to go through 3 security checks.. I only carried my drivers license, phone, car keys, and of course the envelope with my papers to pay this highway tax. After 2 hours of waiting, I finally get called back to discover the one that filled out all the papers (not me) did it all wrong, so I had to redo all the papers...then the nice lady found a mistake. Yes I had to do it again. Finally I get to leave I walk to my car and leave, it cost me another $9.00 to get out of the parking lot... GOVERMENT! I hadn't ate lunch yet I finally got to run through and grab me something at 1:50 and made it just in time to get at the end of the car line. It's been another long day... So tonight is going to be an easy dinner and to bed early for I have to be up at 5am to just drive downtown again (for another reason) By the way I never made it to downtown Franklin to get that sticker, maybe next week.... I don't know the fine for driving on expired tags but, I'm thinking it might be easier.

I'm back on here again...I was thinking maybe I should use this blog to vent but I won't. All I am going to say is Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
I am in one ugly mood today courtesy of someone within my family. But enough of that, this blog is for quotes not bashing.

With that said, here is today's quote...

If you keep on doing what you have always done, you will keep on getting what you always got. (I do not know who wrote this, I got it off a friends facebook post this morning)

Ok so I haven't blogged in some time... it seems like life has been so busy that I have put this to the bottom of my to do list and it never made it that far down the list. You think I could have found some time in all those snow days. However I just discovered I can do this from my phone so maybe you'll be seeing more of me. This whole blog thing started out with a quote for every day. I am going to give it another try. Since I have decided I either need a job or a hobby, I know that makes no since considering I just told you how busy I have been. But I need to do something for me no matter how busy I am. Any ideas?

My quote for the day is... was originally found scratched into a wall in Germany by someone hiding from Nazi conceration camps

I believe in the sun even when it's not shining...
in love even when I am alone...
and in God even when He is silent.

79 days until Christmas!

Summer 2010

It has been awhile since I blogged. So much has happened since then. In June Samantha turned 14, she is growing up so fast, and turning into a beautiful young lady. In July we went on our summer vacation. We skipped the beach like most did due to the oil spill, after a week in Knoxville and Chattanooga visiting friends and going to some really awesome attractions we returned home just in time for VBS. VBS was awesome as always, and we really enjoyed the week spending it with all the sweet kids. After VBS was over it was my 3 week countdown to Africa. 2 weeks to go and I started having horrible stomach pains, I first thought it was my nerves, or something. I went to the doctor twice only to find my self in the ER for 2 days. They told me I was anemic, I needed 2 pints of blood (for those of you who are asking the question how many pints do we have... well it's only 5) They also found a blood clot on my liver going into my porta vein. No that wasn't enough, they also found 3 large mass in my uterus. So now I am waiting for my red blood cells to be large enough for surgery. I need a hysterectomy soon. The doctors have found NO CANCER, I am thanking GOD for this great news. So if everything goes as planned I will have surgery in 3 weeks. Please pray for me a quick recovery for I am not a person that handles down time very well and also that everything goes good. So after all of that I was told by my doctors I was not allowed to go on my trip. Travis did get to go and meet all the sweet people in Korah. I will get there in January, so my plans have just been postponed awhile. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me then. God takes things away for a reason, and I know he has a bigger plan for me now. Tabby turned 11 last week and she is growing up so fast too. I am very excited to get to meet our sponsored girls, 2 of the girls have e-mailed me from Sumers computer and I just cry. However the e-mails are sweet and they want me to know they are praying for me to get better fast. Bethlem (aka Betty) told me she would come to me but it was to far, that just broke my heart that she would be willing. I can feel the love so strong from Betty and Fikirta that it totally amazes me. I love the other 8 girls too very much two, however I think Betty may be chasing my heart. Nothing has never felt so right in my whole life as to the feeling I get when I think about getting to meet the girls. I can't wait! For all of you that know me really well, you will know that Christmas would be the perfect time. God knows what He is doing, we never need to second guess the great ONE. So I can't stand it anymore I would like to introduce to my family and friends... My sweet sweet girls that live in Korah...






This is Bethlem aka Betty
Betty is 14 years old, and she can make me cry, laugh, and smile all at the same time, and we haven't even got to meet yet. She can do all this just through her letters. Betty once spent her days at the trash dump but, no more. She now lives in the shelter and will be attending boarding school this fall. She wants to be a good student, her favorite sport is soccer in which she also likes to play the game. Her favorite thing to eat is meat. Going to school gets her out of the dump and an education, no more empty stomachs, clothes and a bed to sleep in.
Betty reminds me all the time to have no fear for God is in control and He will take care of everything. Betty has shared a Bible Verse with me and that is..."If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." Mark 9:35



This is Fikirta, she is also 14 years old. Fikirta and Betty are best friends and now they get to be sisters. Fikirta is laid back and easy going. She also was in the dump until she was able to go to the shelter. Fikirta will also be attending the boarding school this fall, she is in the 7th grade. She likes soccer and loves to dance. Her favorite food id ingra.




This is Jeruselem, she is 13 years old. Jeruselem lives with relatives and still goes to the dump for food everyday until she goes to the boarding school this fall. Jeruselem's relatives have taken her out of the program a few times. So we are praying that they leave her in the program so she will for sure get to go to school soon.




This is Heaven she is the baby of the girls at only 9 years old. Heaven is just one sweet and loving little girl. Heaven lives in Korah with her grandmother until this fall when she gets to go to the school also. She is an only child who has lost both of her parents. Heaven loves to dress up and wear finger nail polish. She also likes to draw and play basketball. She is our Girly Girl! Heaven's favorite Bible verse is John 1:17 "For the Law was given to Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ."



This is Tsehay D., she is also 10 years old and lives with relatives. Tsehay will also be attending boarding school this fall. Tsehay is the smallest of the girls, by the pictures I have seen I am guessing she is not much bigger than Kolton.
Tsehay also loves to have fer finger nails painted, Travis promised her I would bring her some. I can't brake a promise. I think this sounds like a good job for big sister Samantha.





This is Mesret who is also 10 years old and lives with her mother, brother, and sister in Korah. Mesret also enjoys dressing up. Mesret will also be going to school this fall also.




This is Marihawit she is 10 years old. Marihawit is our shy one however loves the camera. We have lots of pictures to show off, of this adorable little girl. She makes her Daddy Tim proud, for he has yet to admit it, but she has a special place in his heart. Marihawit gets to go to school this fall too. Yea! Marihawit will be going into the 4th grade, and plans on someday being a doctor. She also likes soccer, taking pictures, her favorite color is blue and white (this was also Tim's school colors) and her favorite thing to eat is bananas. Her favorite quote is.."Be Good, Do Good, Leave the rest to God."




This is Tsehay T. she is 14 years old. Tsehay lives with her mother who has leprosy. She enjoys running,singing, soccer, and she loves school and studies hard to be a clever student. Her favorite subjects are Physics and Chemistry. Tsehay also goes to the dump for food, clothes, and treasures that the family can sell on the street. Tsehay also gets to leave the dump for school. God is awesome! Tsehay has several verses that she sent me and they are...

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my Supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6

For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:17-18



This is Zemenay who is also 14 years old. Zemenay's mother is living with the daily battle of leprosy and trying to raise 6 girls a 1 boy. Zemenay goes to the dump daily to help her family. We are just thankful that her mother is allowing her to go to school this fall and get an education with the rest of the girls.


Last but not least is Habtame, however I don't know how old she is, and I haven't got a picture yet.. a picture will be coming soon thanks to Cherrie C.



Here is some pictures of Travis's trip Africa...

VACATION!

Well the time left on our vacation is quickly coming to an end, not without many memories though. Our journey began on the way to Knoxville. We ate at "Ye Old Steakhouse" I love to eat there. Its on my top 10 list of places to eat. We went on into Pigeon Forge, got to the villa, it was beautiful. The kids played pool, darts, and relaxed in the hot tub. On Monday, I drove Samantha back into Knoxville to meet Lee and Brittany (aka: Bean) for some much needed Girl Time. We had lunch and did some shopping at Turkey Creek. Lee went back to spend some alone time with her hubby and I took the girls back with me. The next day we went to The Track were Sam, Bean, Tabby and Kolton all rode the Skyrider then my crazy daughter and Brittany bungee jumped. They also enjoyed the go-carts and bumper cars. More than anything in the 24 hours that Sam and Bean were together I just loved hearing the two of them laugh, it's been 7 months since I heard that laughter from the two of them. It just totally totally amazes me how these two beautiful little girls are turning into beautiful young ladies. It seems like just yesterday the girls were playing with their toys before either one of them could hardly talk and now all they talk about is clothes and Boys! Stay tuned for the next destination, and pictues.

This is some of our sponsored girls
Betlhem, Marihawit, & Fikirta

I can't wait to meet them all, and to show them God's love.
Thanks Erin for taking pictures and posting them.

Today, I'm going to be maltitasking a lot, wait that's normal for me. I'm trying to figure out some idea's for a fundraiser to raise the mission money to go to Korah. Since Travis is going also we decided to raise the money together and decided we would have a softball game. Now I need players and the rest of the details. Like team names, a cool name for my fundraiser, any ideas?

If you are not as close to God as you used to be, Who moved? ~Unknown

Prayer is when you talk to God; meditation is when you listen to God. ~Diana Robinson

Some think its holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it's the letting go.
~ Sylvia Robinson

Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor. ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.

When like knocks you to your knees, your in the perfect position to pray! ~ Unknown

I would rather walk with God in the dark than go alone in the light. ~ Mary Gardiner Brainard

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid." ~ John 14:27