IT IS TIME TO SHOUT!

Remember this verse that I posted on 8/22/2011?  "Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout (emphasis mine). Then shout!" (Jos 6:10 NLT)

It is time to SHOUT!!!!!!!

God is so faithful!   When this all began in 2010 we didn’t have ANY money set aside for an adoption because we were not planning on adopting.  We didn’t even have the money to get the home study started, but God provided and provided and provided and provided (get the idea yet)?  God was never early and never late – just on time.  You have watched Julie and I struggle for a year now with simply trusting God.  We didn’t know why, but God told us to be silent about what our specific needs were and we did, though often struggling with it.  Faith (whether faith in action or saving faith) is not not having any doubts – it is taking the steps God tells you to take even in the face of the doubts.  Faith wouldn’t be so hard if we didn’t have doubts,  but we do and therefore in many ways it takes even more faith to take the step anyway when the doubts are present.  Many times the money we needed came in the form of extra money that was “ours” (it wasn’t given for the adoption – it was ours to choose what to do with).  We could have taken a nice vacation, but God told us he was providing it for the adoption.  Sometimes people would slip us a $20 or a $100 or more for the adoption and it was always just what we needed for that moment to either pay a bill that was due with the adoption or to re-assure us that he was in control and he was providing.  These little pick-me-ups always came just when God knew we needed it most.  A check that completes the financial needs arrived today.  Although this seems “early”, it is once again right on time because it has to clear the bank before we have access to the money.

We have made sacrifices, but our kids too have made sacrifices, mostly out of their own choosing.  We are so proud of our kids and who they are becoming.  I am thankful that we have a Youth Pastor that doesn’t just entertain, but teaches our youth about sacrifice, giving, and obeying God.  I am thankful that we have a Pastor who faithfully teaches the word of God in its entirety and not just the easy scriptures and expects the church to obey God.  I am thankful for the many people in our lives who have prayed and heard God and have made their own sacrifices to make these adoptions possible.  I am thankful for the people in our lives that have stepped up to be here with our older two children while we are gone.  One day we will share more about exactly how God has done this, but for now just take it that we are thankful for all of it!

Our God is Faithful!!!!!  We had many mountains with these adoptions – just one of which was the money.  Sara turns 14 on November 19^th and her adoption has to be completed by then, but Austin turns 18 on November 6^th and for us to meet the November 19^th deadline we have to have the adoptions completed by November 6^th.  God has opened doors, expedited paperwork, and broke down barriers to make it possible to meet these deadlines.  Most agencies don't allow their families to travel in October because of holidays and trade fares that make travel difficult in China, but we are traveling right in the middle of it.  We will depart for China on October 13^th, but the adoptions won’t be complete until November 1^st – just in time for Austin to turn 18 with two new sisters.

The mountains are gone, but there are still some small hills.  Although the way is completely paved for Hannah and Sara’s adoptions, there are things that have to take place to be 100% ready to travel.  Please join us as we shout from the rooftop and praise God for who he is and continue to pray with us for his mighty work to continue until it is completed.

Once we complete these adoptions on November 1^st it will close one chapter in this journey but open a new one.  We will then have two more girls that God has given us stewardship over to teach right from wrong, to provide for, and to lead them to have a personal relationship with the God we serve.  These girls have had many years without instruction from God.  As far as we know neither of these girls speak any English and we certainly do not speak much Chinese. (Hello and thank you really don't count ) We don't even know if they both speak the same dialect of Chinese.  Please continue to pray with us and follow our blog after the adoptions are complete because God’s mighty work will have just begun in the lives of these girls.  We are thankful for a Chinese couple that God has put in our lives to help us with this transition!

God is great not because of what he has done,
but he has done this because he is great! 

What a mighty God we serve!!!

Ben