Welcome to the Saturday Morning Chat Group!

Good Morning Everyone!

We have a lot of families uniting with their children for the first time this week and it's been amazing to follow their journeys.

Also, if you haven't heard, there has been a big shake-up with Guatemala adoptions. A baby girl who was stolen from her mother was located in the Guatemala adoption system. She was about to be adopted by an American couple. There is an article on 'No Place Like Home' if you would like to know more.

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Also, there are several of our friends who are opening up their own on-line boutiques. Let's do what we can to support them. I have added all of them that I know of on my side-bar. If you would like to copy any of them and post them on your blogs, that would be great! Many of these ladies are raising money to bring their children home, or to help others.

This weekend should be mellow for us. Tim is working on an outside project, so Eli and I will be hanging out together with friends.

Ann is currently in Taiwan to bring home her darling Claire. Her blog is 'Taiwan Treasure' if you would like to drop by and leave a kind work or follow their journey.

Dawn is in China to bring home little Lucy! Their travel blog is 'We Love Lucy'. You can follow their journey, they have some gorgeous photos on the blog.

Paulette is also in China to bring home her sweet little Annalise. Their travel blog is 'Together Forever'. These two are bonding together wonderfully.

*THE CHAT ROOM IS NOW CLOSED, I AM GOING FISHING :)

WOO HOO...it's Friday!

For whatever reason, I love Wednesdays and Fridays. I really look forward to them. Work is usually light hearted and fun and our friends start showing up at the lake on Friday night.

We don't have any big plans, so our weekend should be relaxing. We have a lot of great things to celebrate on the Sat Chat, so join in if you can.

Have a great day!

Quote for the Week...

I am making a point right now to listen to the voices that are telling me that we are going to get through this and that our Sophia is coming. I am also making a point to be that voice to others. ABOUT THE HEADER. The header is very meaningful right now. I feel like I've been in a dark tunnel for a while, but I'm about to make it out. When I saw that image, I just had to put it on the blog so that I could see it whenever I needed to smile. There have been some changes for the much better at our agency and I think our girl is coming. I don't know when exactly, but I think she's on her way. So...I think we are going to finally start making our way out of this and I see some light at the end of our tunnel.

The Brillante Weblog Award...Thank You Cyndi

My dear friend Cyndi from 'Waiting for Lilly Rae' has awarded me with the Brillante Weblog Award. I tell you, I have been feeling so behind in blogland lately and have been trying to get out there and touch base with everyone. It really brought a big smile to my face to see this when Cyndi's blog popped up.

I am supposed to pass this award along to 7 others. I will tell you that it wasn't easy for me to choose. I have been going through a tough time on my journey and there have been some women who have been holding me up and inspiring me.

Amy from 'A Mother Singing'. Amazing woman, always has been. But I was reading one of her posts about how she now 'sees' the orphans of the world. They are not anonymous to her, she is aware of them and loves them, they are always on her mind and urging her heart. She is doing what she can to help and to cause change..even if it is one child at time.

Which brings me to Daleea from 'One Child At Time'. My friend who had a vision of something that could be amazing and she worked and worked and created a project that is saving the lives of children in China.

Holly from 'Purpose Driven Family' is someone I am just beginning to get to know, but I am very challenged by her faith and by her dedication to advocate for the adoption of children with HIV Aids. And I mean challenged in a very positive way. I am blown away by this woman.

Steffie B. you all know her, 'Never Too Many' She has been my life vest lately. If I didn't have her to talk to, I don't know if I'd be making it through all of this. Thank you my friend for always being there.

Kim from 'Isabella Bison'. Kim is always the first to read almost every post I write. I don't know how she does it, but I'm so glad to always be able to open my comments and see her words there.

Jane from 'Much Ado' is a constant source of inspiration for me. She is a wonderful spiritual compass, always showing me an example of what I should be focusing on and how I should be living my life.

Janet from 'Tuininga Treasures'. I have been completely inspired by her Africa adoption journey. If you haven't read her account of bringing home her children, you really need to go to her blog. It is absolutely amazing.

Prayer Warriors Alert!

THIS PRAYER REQUEST IS FROM MY FRIEND HOLLY. SHE IS AN ADOPTION ADVOCATE WITH 'NO PLACE LIKE HOME'. SHE IS ASKING FOR PRAYER FOR HER FRIEND NAMED CARE WHO IS A CHRISTIAN WOMAN WHOSE FAITH HAS GIVEN HER THE STRENGTH TO PERSUE THE ADOPTION OF A LITTLE GIRL WITH HIV AIDS. CARE IS IN ETHIOPIA NOW WITH HER DAUGHTER SELAH WHOSE HEALTH HAS TAKEN A DANGEROUS TURN. PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYING FOR STRENGTH AND HEALING.

IF YOU COULD VISIT HOLLY'S BLOG TO LET HER KNOW THAT YOU HAVE JOINED THE PRAYER GROUP, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL 'THE PURPOSE DRIVEN FAMILY'.

BELOW IS HOLLY'S POST ASKING FOR HELP THROUGH PRAYER.

My dear readers,

I come to you with a most urgent prayer request. I have a sweet friend who is in Ethiopia RIGHT NOW with her new daughter(pictured above), Selah Yordanos, also affectionately known as "Yordi", and she needs the intercession of the saints urgently!Care (my friend) is there alone while her awesome husband holds down the fort at home with the other kiddos.Selah's HIV has progressed into AIDS and her health has rapidly declined. She is totally devoid of strength and she only weighs a mere 32 pounds. This sweet girl is my daughter's age and weighs the same as my 2.5 year old. She is vomiting her meds, which are VITAL for an HIV patient. She has been admitted to a local hospital in Ethiopia. Below is an excerpt from Care's message from an internet cafe in Ethiopia:
I have quickly stopped at an internet cafe to ask for prayer......I took Yordi to the hospital this morning....she has been admitted.....she weighed a total (WITH CLOTHES AND SHOES) of 16kg (32.4lbs) I have watched her decline and could not risk the flight without intervention. She is vomiting and coughing, she cannot handle her meds, yet that is her earthly lifeline (I KNOW that her heaven lifeline is FAR bigger)....she is ridiculously weak and often listless....I didn't like the look in her eyes and knew in my heart to take her in to the hospital...I tried to see THE doctor yesterday and was advised to take her somewhere else to see if she "NEEDED" to see her. I was furious and Yordi couldn't take being moved again....she cried and was so sick during the immigration appt....she begged for "no more"..." Go Guest house, momma." SHe perked up last night and took a dive this morning. NO MORE! I am praying that the IV fluids will give her the energy to get her home, there is not much else they can do. I question WHY she has not been hospitalized before this...The dr. at Hayat hospital admitted her right away and ordered tests.....like I said...I believe just to hydrate her will be about all they can do...I cannot wait to get her to U of C....her breathing is rapid and heavy, loud...but I don't think she has Pneumonia or TB at this point. But, I know her body cannot handle one more complication......Even the vomiting expends all the energy she has....The pain involved in any blood work or injection because of her weight is almost unbearable for her...this is the worst part. PLEASE pray for her, that she not have pain....this kind of sufferring is unexplainable....she is SO afraid...she was afraid for me to leave her at the hospital......she associates the hospital with death, and probably still assumes that I wouldn't want her in the shape she is in....If I could only convey to her how I love her...although we have had some serius bonding moments through this...I thank God for the continued strength for me.His mercy and grace is overflowing.......When I look out the window of yordi's hosp room there is the beautiful mountain range. It shows me that above ALL of the suffering and brokenness that God's majesty REIGNS...He is ever bigger than any situation.....He is holding me, but most importantly Yordanos.......He has big plans for this little squirt."I lift mine eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from You, Maker of heaven Creator of the earth." (from Psalms somewhere...sung by Sonic Flood) " Oh how I need you Lord, You are my only hope, you are my only friend......"
Would you please spend a few minutes in prayer... lifting up these daughters of God to Him, our HEALER, our comfort, our shelter, our fortress and our DELIVERER. Please pray for supernatural intervention. Pray for healing, for pain relief, for nausea to cease, for Care to remain healthy and strong and for Yordi to regain strength. Pray for God to be glorified and for many to turn to Him as they see His hand at work in this young girl's life. Please pray for favor with the paper that they are waiting on, that it will be processed quickly, that they will find favor with flights home, with comfortable seating, empathetic flight attendants as well as immigration/customs officers. Please ask the Lord to literally go before them and pave their way HOME. Pray for the children at home missing Mommy and pray for Daddy to overflow with grace and energy to meet everyone's needs while Care is away. The prayers of the righteous are POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE.
Will you stand with me in prayer for this PRECIOUS girl and her family?
please leave a comment to let me know you are praying... I am going to copy all of the comments in an email and send them to Carolyn in Ethiopia... I know it will keep her going!!
Love,
Holly

Like Father...Like Son

My husband comes for an outdoors family. He loves to hunt and fish. I can tell you that Elijah is proof that those types of interests can be passed down through the generations through the genes. Eli just loves to fish. He is only 3 years old, but can sit for over 4 hours on a fishing boat with his father and love every minute of it. He can cast out over 20 feet and reel in his fish. It really is just amazing to me. This past Saturday I was participating in a blog babyshower, so Tim took Eli out fishing. I just had to sneak out my front door to take these photos of the two of them.

Sunday...