Don't you love the feeling when you're doing what God calls you to do?

Here is Janika waiting in the airport for the long flight to Addis with her ukelele. She will be playing 4 songs that the Sweeneys will teach the children at each care point. We love watching her share her love of music with other kids.

The next picture, of Elli, shows how she feels about missions. Mike and I were talking this morning before they left for Addis and realized this young lady might be taking a trip to live in Africa instead of heading to college. She is ready to GO now! God has put a love of Africa and its people in her heart -it is so fun to watch. This will be her third trip to Ethiopia. I'm sure there will be many, many more.

I'll include pics of the boys the next time I post.

they're off!

Our team left early this morning to catch their first leg of a long journey to Ethiopia. I am hoping to post lots of pictures from their trip. We would love prayer support as Mike and the kids minister to those kids they meet!!

LOVE

Orphan Sunday 2011 from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

This Sunday is Orphan Sunday. Show LOVE- Pray about how YOU can impact an orphan's life.

Our team

This is our team heading to Ethiopia in 15 days! Actually, Leah isn't going, but this is such a great picture of her and we have such great news about her that I wanted to put this one in.

We went to church on Sunday, for a friend's baptism. The Pastor, a friend of our's then opened it up to anyone who hasn't been baptized and Leah walked up to the front of the church. Pastor Bob then asked Mike to come forward and he got to baptize his daughter- it was so beautiful-- Leah really loves Jesus! She has a heart for children and really struggles knowing that there are millions of children out there living the life she had just a year ago. I wouldn't be surprised if my girl became a missionary, working with and loving on kids and telling them about this wonderful Jesus who loves them.

Our ET mission team will have 10 days of loving on kids and meeting the needs of those around them. They are excited to go and we covet your prayers for them on this trip. Specifically, please pray for Micah, as he returns to Ethiopia. We expect the sights, sounds, smells to be a bit overwhelming to him but we know God can use him mightily in his native land. We would also appreciate prayers for health. They will be traveling outside of Addis, where malaria is present and will be taking antibiotics to ward off malaria. This is a reality, as our children's birth mother died from malaria.

I"m hoping to post regularly while they are gone.

Man UP and Go!!

Last week, we celebrated Mike's 40th birthday. I am so thankful and blessed to have him for my husband, the father of our kids. I am so thankful that he has chosen to Man UP and be the father to the fatherless. There is more work to do- we're hoping the mission trip next month will be a catalyst for this. We, as a family, are passionate about living God's commands to GO!!

Also last week, God allowed us to remember our children before they had a Daddy..then we saw them, strong, confident, glowing as they live their lives knowing that their Daddy loves them...Leah, especially has grown from a timid young girl, to one who can enter any environment with the biggest smile on and tackle it. We couldn't believe the change in her as she stood and accepted a ribbon for 20th in the Regional cross-country race..She is gorgeous inside and out and her light shines.

Wow is all I can say to this movie trailer...they get it..Lord, please help us to continue to get it. Nothing else really matters... watch this trailer and then get ready to watch the whole movie when it hits theaters in summer 2012...THEN MAN UP AND GO!!

T-shirts for a great cause!

Mike, Micah, Janika, Elli and Kael are headed to Ethiopia in November on a mission trip with Childrens Hopechest. While in ET, they will get to spend 3 days with Antenne, the little boy we sponsor. Karen Wistrom is the coordinator for the carepoints our crew will be visiting. She is also a fellow adoptive Mom.

Check out her blog, Family from Afar, to see some awesome t-shirts she is selling to raise money for this mission trip. You can either click on the button to the right that says, "I sponsor a child at Kind Hearts" or go to my blogroll and click on Family from afar. Either way, I hope you'll join us in buying these shirts, which will in turn, benefit several hundred children in Ethiopia.

I haven't written much about the famine and drought in Ethiopia. Our Gavin is from the very area where some of the worst conditions exist. As I look at him each day, I am amazed that he is here, playing soccer, learning in school, getting enough food and learning about how much our Savior loves him. It is also a constant reminder that there are thousands if not millions of Gavins out there, unable to get the food they need each day. Contributing to this mission trip is just one way to help beautiful kids like Gavin..Sponsoring a child through Childrens Hopechest means they are guaranteed at least one meal per day. It also means they will get to go to school and learn about Jesus' love for each of them. Many more kids will be needing sponsors at the two carepoints that our family will be visiting. Please keep following Karen's blog for information on these kids over the next few weeks.

an update

We spoke with our child who is at the Ranch for Kids on Monday night. For the first time, we heard genuine remorse in the child's voice and words. Our child is definitely missing home and family, which are very good. All the other kids got to say a quick "Hi," which was hard but good for everyone. Our child is learning so much at the Ranch and starting to heal. We are more hopeful and thankful than ever before. Some of the behaviors that precipitated our child going to the Ranch are beginning to diminish. This is still a long process, as our child learns what triggers those behaviors and learns other ways to deal with the triggers.

We know God is doing an amazing work in our child. We still really appreciate your prayers, for all of us as we navigate this road of healing for everyone. Please also continue to lift up the staff at the Ranch for the work they do.

Personally, I have had to deal with the sin of judgement through all of this. A year ago, we knew of another family needing to utilize the Ranch for healing for one of their children. I honestly couldn't imagine taking one of my own children there and yet here we are, needing the resources that the Ranch has to offer. Over the past few months, I have read and heard story after story of families living with really tough outcomes after adopting older children. These families need support, through prayer, through meals, through watching other children. Sometimes loving a child from hard places is like fighting a war...I've heard it's harder than actually going into a mission field in a foreign country and yet God calls..He calls us to love the children that He loves. He calls us to live "my life is not my own." He calls us not to judge. He has called us to love our child who is not at home right now and is allowing this love to grow in us until we are reunited. We serve an awesome God!