F.R.O.G.

El Roi Mission Trip, September 2011, Heart for Africa

2011-10-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

El Roi Mission Trip, September 2011, Heart for Africa

Heart for Africa Missions Trip

2011-10-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

CLick on the Heart for Africa Mission trip above to see an incredible video that our friend Laurie put together of our amazing experience in Swaziland. Paeton and I were so blessed to be a part of this team last month to serve the people, getting the El Roi baby home painted, and sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ.

In Search of a Christian

2011-09-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

www.thesimpleway.org/shane/

The Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne

Recommend this book, would love to know who has already read it and your thoughts. Just took these notes from Chapter 3, In Search of a Christian.

One of the most sacred places I went was to a leper colony outside of Calcutta. Leprosy is a disease of numbness. The contagion numbs the skin, and the nerves can no longer feel as the body wastes away. In fact the was it was detected was by rubbing a feather across the skin and if the person could not feel it, they were diagnosed with the disease.

To treat it, we would dig out or dissect the scarred tissue until the person could feel again. It's a disease of the outcasts, the untouchables. One leper explained that often times lepers don't even know the words, thank you, because they have never needed to say them. They had rarely experienced occassions when they used language of gratitude.

John 14:12 "Very truly I tell you, all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."

'The greater things', not just the miracles-- but to see that the miracles were an expression not so much of Jesus' mighty power as of His love. What had lasting significance were not the miracles, but the love Jesus showed. Yes, He raised Lazarus from the dead, but he died a few years later. Jesus healed the sick but eventually they became sick again. He fed thousands but they became hungry again. What we remember is His love. It wasn't that Jesus healed a leper but that He touched a leper, because no one touched lepers. The incredible thing about this kind of love is that it now lives inside of us!

Jesus assures us that the Spirit now lives in us. Jesus says He is going to the Father but will also remain inside of us and we in Him. We are the body of Christ, the hands and feet of Jesus to the world. Christ is living inside of you and me walking the earth. We shall do even greater things because the love that lived in the radical Christ now lives within millions of ordinary radicals all over the planet.

As I left Calcutta, it occured to me that I was returning to a land of lepers, a land of people who had forgotten how to feel, to laugh, to cry and a land haunted by numbness. Could we learn to feel again?

Orphanology

2011-07-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

Christianity Today just reviewed this book, Orphanology, by Tony Merida and Rick Morton, it received 5 stars. I bought it and have started reading it. You will want to get your hands on a copy. Here is what they said, ""adoption and orphan care is not just another fad movement but a robust response to God's first love of us. Christians approach orphan care not as mere humanitarians but as people adopted by God through the work of Jesus Christ."

In his introduction, Tony writes," Adoption is a real-life illustration of the gospel.It shows us how God transfoms spiritual orphans into family members. He changes our names, identities, and families by His grace. Orphan care is acts of mercy that flow from the heart of one who has been changed by the gospel."

July 4, 2011 Home 2 years

2011-07-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Paeton and Phelix cooling off after a terrific 2 year anniversary of being home. So hard to believe 2 years ago we stepped off a plane we took from Africa with 6 month old twin sons. God is so good, we are so very blessed. . . so blessed
Phisher and his Daddy whoop! whoop! after Daddy tossed him up high in the air!!

A couple of proud Ethiopian/ Americans! Too cute outfits created by Heather at Momma Mia Chic! Thank you Ms Heather my lil' firecrackers looked so cute on our big day!
It just doesn't get any better than this . . . sweet Phelix smile. . . it just melts me, that smile and those gorgeous brown eyes at the same time. . . yep I'm mush
This kid is more fun than you have ever thought of. Phisher is constantly cracking us up, he is so charming, so smart he is the biggest party in a 30lb package. I love you boys!

Been a bad blogger hope to post more soon about our fun summer. The big P's are great, we are all doing great, we are blessed what more can I say HIS plans are so great!

Twins 2 year photos

2011-05-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Sweet, Sweet, Phelix. This little guy steals every heart he comes into contact with. Simply a beautiful little boy.

Phisher really enjoyed his photo shoot and was hamming it up for Carrie. The shots she got of him and his hat are a crack up! What a C U T I E ! !

The twins turned 2 January 25. February and March were not well months for us. In April I finally was able to get their photos taken after several rescheduled appointments and one attempt that was just plain miserable. . . for me. . . the boys. . . and especially our wonderful photographer! These are proofs and have her copy right letters through them but had to give you a peek into this handsome duo.

8th grade GRADUATION!?

2011-05-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here is my first born, my son, Parker. The school he will be graduating from in a couple of weeks he started as a second grader. This is what my sweet little guy looked like as he grew and learned academically and spiritually.

2nd grade

3 rd grade

4 th grade

5 th grade

6 th grade

7 th grade

8 th grade

It really does not seem possible that he will be attending High School this fall. But as I think back on all of these photos and the achievements and trials he went through each year I know that he is more than prepared. I am so thankful for the Christian education he has had. He has been blessed with Missionaries as teachers who poured into him. Now it is his turn to go out and be HIS in the world. High school will be a very different environment for our son. He will be a light in the darkness, clothed in the ARMOR OF GOD, Ephesians 6: 10-20.

For His glory alone!

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

CAUGHT! on hidden camera

2011-04-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

We have been wondering this last month how ELMO, with whom Phisher sleeps with ends up in Phelix's bed in the morning. Then a couple of weeks ago Phisher began opening his bedroom door and coming back downstairs after he had been tucked into his crib safely for the night. Parker couldn't stand the suspence any longer so he decided to do a little investigating on his own. Phisher has no idea he is being watched and caught on hidden camera until the last few seconds of the video when he looks up at Parker and grins through his foo-foo. (aka pacifier)

out of the mouths of babes. . . .

2011-04-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

Phelix and Phisher have been attending pre-school three mornings a week for a couple of months now. They are really enjoying their class and have been blessed with terrific teachers who have gone above the call to reach and teach the boys.

This morning one of their teachers told me what happened on her way to school this morning. . . she had her two children in her car and drove through Mc Donald's and bought them a breakfast burrito to eat. Her 4 year old daughter took one bite of her burrito and wouldn't eat any more. Mom said to her daughter, "please eat your breakfast, you know how sad it makes me when you waste food. There are children all over the world, children in Ethiopia who have no food at all and are starving, they would love to eat this burrito." To which her precious 4 year old daughter replied, "Mom, you have two children in your class from Ethiopia, why don't you just give it to them."

Missionary update from Ecuador

2011-03-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Time in Quito

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

After getting back at 1:00am to Quito on Saturday night, we spent Sunday and Monday recovering from our time in the jungle and got to play a little in Quito.

We spent Sunday morning at church with Tim Anderson (our missionary host) and his Teen Challenge ministry. Tim works with young men who have been involved with drug and alcohol addition throughout Quito. It was a really neat experience for our team to worship with these guys and see the power of redemption only found through Jesus. Two of our guy got to share their testimony as well.

After church, the guys played a little basketball....Ecuadorian style. Our team found out really quickly that there are no rules or fouls on this court.

After leaving Teen Challenge, we grabbed a quick burger and headed to the Indian Market for the guys to buy some souvenirs from the trip. Later that evening, we took two gondolas up to the top of the volcano Pichinchia. We couldn't see the lights of Quito because of the fog, but it was still a great memory for the guys.

On Monday, we headed to the equator. We just happened to be there on March 21st which is the spring equinox. So, at noon the sun was directly above us with no shadows. The guys got to watch water spin both ways, balance eggs, walk the equator, and enjoy other fun science tricks.

For lunch, we were able to finally enjoy the Ecuadorian delicacy of Qui...or guinea pig as we know it. The guys were a little skeptical at first, but soon devoured the entire thing.

We finished our final day with a great dinner at Tim Anderson's house with his family and other missionaries from Quito. We also spent some time talking about what the Lord did in our lives this week. It was really neat to see the impact that this trip had on each team member. The Lord's hand of blessing and protection was so evident the entire week!

2011-03-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

The Jungle

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011

After four incredible days in the jungle of Ecuador, we have finally made it back to Quito. I'm sorry there have not been more updates as the internet has been very hard to find where we are staying.

There are way too many stories from our time in the jungle, but here are a few highlights...

On Wednesday, we left Quito early for our 5 bus ride to Shell where we hoped on several bush planes that took us on a short 25 minute plane ride to the jungle village of Kutsuka. It was incredible to see the vast beauty of the jungle and hundreds of rivers from above.

Once we got unpacked and situated in our very basic guest hut, the guys found themselves playing soccer and throwing wild grapefruit with the village kids.

Of course, after a long day of travel and a few sweaty games of jungle soccer, it was time to clean up in the river. Who thought it would be so fun to bathe in the river!

On our first full day in the jungle, we made a 3 hour hike through the jungle to the village of Timias with our packs full of medicine and new boots for the kids there. To say that it was an average hike would be an understatement. We found out very quickly how challenging it is to travel through the jungle. With our packs on, we hiked our way through pouring rain, lots of mud, across several rivers and streams, up several steep climbs, and even over a cable car. Not to mention our 3 hour hike back.

It was a long hard day for all of us, but our time in Timias was very special. We had to chance to wash all of the village kids feet and put new boots on them. It will be a moment that we or they will never forget.

Our second day in the jungle was spent doing some service projects. Half of the group went to another village nearby to help build a platform and repair their church while the other half of the group stayed in Kutsuka to help with a landscaping project. It was a hot day full of hard work, but really fun to see our projects come to completion.

With this being our last full day in the jungle, we got some really fun playtime with the kids before we left.

The next morning (Saturday), we were up and packed at 5:00pm to start our 8 hour hike out of the jungle. Words will not be able to describe what a feat this was as we walked through tons of muddy swamps, flowing rivers, up cliffs, and over bridges to reach the nearest bus. All of this in rubber boots. Once we reached our bus...we were exhausted, dirty, and ready for a good meal. Fortunately, several of the native Shwar indians in the village carried our packs out of the jungle for us. It was such a blessing. I'm not sure what we would have done without them.

We are back in Quito now and recovering from our time in the jungle. There are so many memories and friendships that we will never forget. There was not alot of comfort in the jungle, but it was so fun to see the Gospel going forth even in the most remote parts of the world. We will never be the same after experiencing life with the Kutsuka people!

first update from Ecuador

2011-03-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all, we just received this email from Collin's wife. She was able to speak to him briefly last night. It is not much of an update but it is so good to hear all safely made it out of the jungle and back to the capital Quito. As soon as we get another update I will post it here. Thank you for continuing to pray for this team of missionaries until all arive safely home tomorrow. Parker has truly been missed this week. Jamie and I can not wait to wrap our arms around him tomorrow evening at the St Louis, MO airport. For HIS glory!

Hello from Branson,

I just wanted to send you guys a quick update with a little bit of information about our guys in Ecuador. I haven’t gotten to many details, but I do know that they made it out of the jungle safely. They actually spent all day Saturday hiking to get back to Quito. They started hiking at 5:30 am and finished up around 8:00pm at night. Then they had a bus ride back into the city. They got back to Quito around 1:00am and were quite exhausted, but from the small amount I have heard, they all did great on the hike. I only talked to Collin for a moment last night and then we got cut off. I think they must be having problems with the internet because I know Collin was working hard last night to get a post on www.Barn13.com but there isn’t anything new posted as of today.

Since there was not a new blog post, I thought you would appreciate knowing your boys were out of the jungle. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions, or if I can do anything for you!

I can’t wait to hear about all the adventures this trip has held!

Grace and Peace,

Rachel Sparks
(Collin’s Wife)

8 hour hike out of jungle

2011-03-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

We haven't heard from Parker or his team since the bush plane took them into the jungle. Today they should have conquered the 8 hour hike out of the jungle. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer over this team. We are very proud of Parker's desire to serve others and share the gospel all over the world. Prayerfully we will post an update and pictures tomorrow.

Little Dudes

2011-03-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

It's no fun being in trouble with the Auntie! These are for you Aunt Wendy, sorry it's been a while since I have posted pictures of the fellas.

It was a beautiful day here today, sunny and 70 degrees. Perfect day to play at the park. Phelix went down the slide.
Swinging is still a Phelix favorite! He has such a terrific smile but wouldn't show it for my camera today :>(
Phisher loves to be outside so today was his kind of day. He is so strong and can climb and play like a big kid!
First time climbing up this kind of climber. Did it like a professional!

Happy St Patrick's Day 2011, happy birthday to cousins Brook and Cassie!

Missionaries in Ecuador

2011-03-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

Parker is out of the country! He is in Ecuador again this spring to serve and share the gospel. Here is the update we received last night. Please partner with us in prayer for this team. Prayer for safety, health, strength, that they would have HIS eyes, be HIS hands and feet while sharing the love of Christ.

TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2011

One of my highlights each year is taking old K-Kountry kids on a mission trip somewhere in the world to help expand their vision for the Kingdom and love for God´s people. It is always so fun to watch the Lord impact and change these guys lives each year.

This week, there are 10 of us in Ecuador, South America serving the native Shuar Indians. After several plane trips, and a night in Miami...we have arrived in Quito and settled into our hotel for the night. At dinner tonight, we were able to connect with K-1 staff and Kanakuk legend, Caleb Freeman, who is studying here in Ecuador for the semester.

lunch at the Miami airport

waiting on the shuttle in Miami

The fellas

Tomorrow, we are up early and on the bus for a 5 hour drive over the Andes Mountains as we head into the jungle. We will get dropped of in Shell and then Missionary Avaiation Fellowship will fly us into the jungle village of Kutshka on a bush plane! I think all the guys are really excited for the adventure ahead.

In the jungle, we will be delievering medical supplies to these remote villages and helping build a platform for a school playground. I´m sure we will fit in a soccer game or two while we are there.

Obviously, there are no computers or internet in the jungle...so this will be our last update until Sunday. We are scheduled to hike out of the jungle (8 hour hike...yikes) and then another long bus ride back to Quito...so it will be a long day. We are scheduled to visit the Indian Market, the equator, and the volcano on Sunday and Monday. We will post video and updates once we get back to Quito.

Please pray for our time in the jungle as we litterally take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

"Children Of God" - Official Music Video

2011-03-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Love this group, love this song. Profound words in these lyrics. So blessed to be His child. So very thankful for the blessing of adoption. So very thankful to have been adopted by Him.

Fostering a new perspective

2011-02-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

Ever thought of all the children in your community that need foster families? In our neck of the woods we have no available foster homes for children in need. This means a child in our community may have to travel several hours north, west, or where ever there is a county in Missouri that does have an opening. Can you imagine being that child. Not only are they abruptly pulled from their house but then you are moved away from your friends, school, family, and everything you know and are placed into a completely foreign place.

Foster children really have a bad wrap. They're the one's who suffer most from the poor decisions and lack of responsibility of their parents. Let's face it, there is not a huge back log of paperwork at the children's division because they have an abundance of families applying to be foster parents. I know this is something that most of us feel is way out of our comfort zone. We are struggling just to keep our own families on track. There are MANY reasons or excuses we can come up with to not even entertain the idea of what it must be like for these children and for sure we don't even want to consider putting our selves/our family out there to provide a home for these kids. It's scary, way scary right? Guess what? Fear is not from God. There is one good reason to open ourselves and our families to helping others in need, God commands us to. And when we serve Him in this way, we meet HIM. He is right by our side and the Holy Spirit fills us up. We become more like Him when we serve the least of these. Read this first hand account from a mom/family who meets with Jesus daily through providing their home, their family to other children without.

What do you think?

nourishment for my soul

2011-02-18T05:24:00.000-08:00

KATIE speaks with His heart. A must read for His followers. Jesus, praying for you to have Your way in our hearts and lives. More of You Jesus, less of me. "I want to see Jesus!" I want my family to see Jesus! click on KATIE to read her words

Home, with His vision

2011-02-11T03:37:00.000-08:00

I share these photos of my recent trip to Ethiopia with hesitation. I do not wish to exploit these children or their poverty. I am choosing to share photographs of the faces and lives here to bring about His glory. I have looked into their eyes and have seen the very heartbeat of Jesus. If you choose to view these photos I have below I ask that you do so with eyes from the Lord. May He clearly reveal His vision to us all. . . .

This is a typical house for the people in this village. 8-12 family members may call this home. It also serves as a barn for a cow or donkey if you are so blessed. Yes, all together under the same roof.
Another beautiful family member whom lives in the above home. The ball he is holding has a map of the world on it. I used these to teach the older children continents and it gave a visual picture of where I was from in relation to where they live.
For some reason this photo made it here again, guess this little guy has a story to tell.
The three yr old I am holding was just precious. When I would put her down she would stick like glue to me holding on to my pants following me where ever I went. So I picked her up and we were attached this day. She imprinted on my heart like so many other sweet people I met on this journey. When I left this place to see where the other distribution points would be her mom told me she cried because she did not want to me go. She found me at the church and I gave her a photograph of me and my family so she could "keep" me and wouldn't be sad when I had to leave. If only it was that easy. . . but He did not call us to easy.
More friends with the joy of the Lord. Yes, it still amazes me to see true joy among such great need.
These children were getting water from this shallow hand dug well. It sometimes has clean water and sometimes not.
A round kindred spirit the difference between our roundness is mine is caused from excess and hers from malnutrition. I wish I had a picture of her smile and excitement when I showed her her photo on my digital camera. I guess that blessing was for me alone. Thank you Jesus.
This is another photo of my 3 yr old BFF and her BFF. Simply Beautiful!
Saw so very many scene just like the one above. Most were 3 or 4 times larger. Hundreds of plastic jugs waiting to be filled with clean water. Hundreds of children and women waiting to fill them and then make the walk, the journey back home with the heavy load.
This is our rig, at our deep bore hole. The people of this village gather here to watch the progress on this project. So much excitement! So many thankful, truly thankful hearts for the gift of clean water.

I promise to share more about this journey but for now I must close.

Cannot decide what to get your VALENTINE this year?? I have the perfect gift solution, why not donate to our Dig Deep project and give my friends the gift of clean water. We have only raised 25% of funds needed to complete phase 1 of our project. Yes, He has placed a second phase of this project in our hearts, but the most critical need is for clean water, phase 1. We can't do it without you. . . the true gift of LOVE. . . clean water. . . LIVING WATER!

Hi friends and family, I am back, safe and have so much to report. Trip was nothing short of amazing with His fingerprints all over it. The deep bore hole is dug and is providing more than 2xs the amount of water we needed per our population study. Miracle! A later phase of this project will allow for more people to be blessed with clean water. Still processing it all will post this weekend and share all He revealed. Saw need like never before so humbled to be part of His plan to meet these needs. Thank you so very much for your prayers for myself, my family and for this journey. I truly felt covered in praayer and backed in the strength of the Lord. So thankful.

2011-02-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

We hit water.. I received these pictures from Michelle. I am sure she will have a huge post with all the details when she returns. Thanks to all that helped, this is just the start.

Jamie

let the digging begin, I'm headed to Ethiopia

2011-01-30T09:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and friends,

it is hot off the press, but Glimmer of Hope called on Wednesday to tell Julie and I the deep bore hole for our WELL is starting to be dug today! We will be flying out of D.C. tomorrow morning at 11 am to arrive in Ethiopia Tuesday morning at 8 am. We hope to be there in time to see the clean livfe giving water come forth from the earth but even if we arrive late we will be there to love on the people of Chuko. Chuko is a rural southern village 5 hours south of the capital city Addis Ababa where I stayed when we adopted the twins. I am very excited to be on this journey, to be used by the King to share His good news and to show love in this tangable way to His people in Ethiopia.

Please pray for Julie and I during the trip that He would give us His eyes, His hands and feet, and His heart to see what He wants us to see, to provide for needs He wants addressed, to be a light in the darkness of a very muslim country. Please pray for favor in the areas of health, safety, travel details, and the provision of water for the people of Chuko. Prayers for all who are working to bring about the water project, both here in USA and in Ethiopia, for their wisdom, their safety, and stewardship. Please pray for my family whom I love and will miss tremendously, especially the twins as they are still not communicating and will not understand why I am not home with them. And please pray for those who are coming to fill my shoes: my mom Pam, and my dear friends, Karen and Nancy. Pray for them please, I truly appreciate all of your love and support of this water project and for me and my family. I wish I could bring you all along with me to see the joy, the love and the blessing you all have helped to bring about.

With love and for His glory alone! For trip updates follow our blog address is below.

<><,

Michelle, VIP Outman family 6

www.outmansfrog.blogspot.com

Jute totes 4 Clean Water

2011-01-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

Flowers in springtime, blue and off white jute tote.
Peacock, blue and lime green jute tote
Caramel paisley, red and orange jute tote.
These are really fun! Smaller jute tote, bucket style. These have a matching headband.

Pink flamingo, pink jute tote.
Pocket full of posies, orange jute tote.
My heart's in Africa, orange jute tote w/ matching headband.
Batik prints, pink jute tote w/ matching headband.

Totes are $35.00 each Spring is just around the corner, order yours today. Leave me a comment if you want to customize one of your own. 100% of $ raised goes to Glimmer of Hope for our Dig Deep project.

Which one do you like best?

2011-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some new items I have created to raise money for our Dig Deep project. The jute totes are really nice. They measure 13" across, 8.5" high and 5.5" deep. Nice and roomy! Leave me a comment and tell me what you think of them. Which is your favorite? They will sell for $35 each. Fabric on side shown, opposite side is plain; perfect for your monogram!

The least of these, Matthew 45:40 "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you whatever you did for on of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me.' Red and orange jute tote with african print fabric, shell and african bead.
Peace, Numbers 6:26 "the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Blue and green jute tote with peace sign fabric and black buttons.
Lilly/flamingo. Pink and green jute tote. Green and white fabric w/pink flamingos and buttons
Lilly/plaid. Green and pink jute tote. plaid fabric w/soft green buttons.

"Owl (I Will) keep my eyes on Him" jute tote blue and off white, owl fabric.

close up of owl fabric.

Merry Christmas 2010

2011-01-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2009, in St George Island, FL
Phelix on his Thomas the train, Christmas 2010.
This is us on Christmas Eve at our home 2010. Jamie was on call this year so we stayed in town. Our home was decorated and all done up for the Lutheran Family and Children's Service (LFCS) holiday home tour. We were able to host Jamie's family for Christmas eve at our house for the first time. It was a great evening, a good time had by all.

Having our home on the LFCS Holiday Home tour was a blessing. Yes, it was a lot of work and it was way out of our comfort zone but we feel that it will bear fruit for His kingdom in ways we may not even know this side of heaven. We were able to share about our adoption experience and journey to Phelix and Phisher, and about Room for One More/Hope for One More adoption and foster care ministry/not for profit organization. We shared about Heart for Africa an organization we know to be doing great work in being His hands and feet in Swaziland and Kenya, Africa. And we were able to share about Dig Deep, our clean water well project in rural, southern Ethiopia. It was estimated around 700 people came through our home that day. We were so thankful to meet so many new people and share our family story and passion for helping the least of these in Africa and all orphans and foster children. To God be the glory!

This is not a very good picture of the tree I did in honor of the 150 million orphans in the world. It was emotional to see all of the framed ornaments with photographs of beautiful children all over the world who are orphans. I feel blessed to have had the platform that LFCS provided through the home tour to bring awareness to these children. I did my best with the tree but somehow still felt my 150 photo/ornaments did not really do justice for the 150 million. I just pray He is able to bless and multiply my efforts.

Change of Plans

2011-01-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

A new made-for-TV movie slated for showing on January 8 explores adoption, sacrifice and life priorities in a way very few films today do. “Change of Plans” tells the story of a young, jet-set couple whose all-too-perfect lives may be irreparably altered by four orphaned children. I had the chance to preview the director’s cut this week and came away inspired and thoughtfully challenged.

When Sally Danville’s (Brooke White of American Idol) best friend from college dies in tragic accident in Africa, she leaves behind four children—three of them adopted from countries around the world. Sally and husband Jason must now grapple with choices that will shape the rest of their lives. Step by step, the couple realizes that for every inch they open their hearts and home to the children, the plans they’ve mapped out for themselves will likely be lost forever.

The film gets its strength from the underlying story and real-world decisions it represents for each of us. The acting, music and script are not Oscar quality, but still solid. Many adoptive families and others involved with kids in the foster system will likely see parallels with their own stories as well. The widows the story offers into the potential challenges of adoption and foster care are perhaps understated, but not absent: it’s clear that to welcome a child into our home is not a cost-free choice.

Refreshingly, this movie earns its “family friendly” identity not merely by cutting out sex and violence, but by delivering a thoughtful challenge to some of the great lies of our era. Most narratives today, from commercials to movies, implicitly argue that fulfillment is found in getting what we want. “Change of Plans” points in the opposite direction, helping us see that real life is only found by embracing the inspiring-but-costly invitations God puts before us.

If your evening January 8 is not already booked, I’d encourage you to spend it enjoying “Change of Plans” with your kids or a few friends. Doing so sends a message to TV producers and advertisers that there is, after all, a market for quality programs. More importantly, the story just may provoke a change in your plans as well.

this post taken from www.thatwemaybeadopted.blogspot.com

Crazy or PASSION

2011-01-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 1.1.11
you may want to read more from this incredible, Jesus lovin' momma. She is AWESOME, her blog is: itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com enjoy! Be inspired to find your P A S S I O N and be passionate about it!

2010-12-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Blessings

2010-12-10T04:59:00.001-08:00

so thankful for my sisters. . .
so thankful for my brother-in-law Aric who adopted my 2 nieces and is a wonderful husband to my sister Wendy.
Thankful for Parker and the fun, kind young man he is
Thankful for Aunties
Thankful for the big surprise Aunt Josie gave us all when she surprised us the day before Thanksgiving. We hadn't seen her in over a year.
So thankful for my mom. She cried tears and tears of joy when she saw her baby (Josie)
Thankful for the promise of Christmas to come. The best gift the world has ever been given, JESUS!
So very thankful for the most wonderful gifts I have ever been given. . . my husband and best friend and my 4 children.

Thankful for the memories we have from the last 14 years at the Kansas City Zoo! If you haven't been to meet this guy, the polar bear, he is a CUTIE!
Thankful for animals

Thankful for nature. So many reasons to be thankful this year. My family, my friends, my church family, CLEAN WATER to drink and bathe in and cook with and so much more. The twins are up and ready to eat so I will have to cut this short. God bless you and yours!

Let the Digging Deep begin!

2010-12-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that we have officially raised the funds to begin phase I of our water project!! What does this mean? The project is underway and out for the bidding process. This phase will entail all the labor and rigging necessary to drill the actual 500-meter shaft to where the water is! The shaft will be encased all the way down with steel. What an exciting moment it will be to experience clean water bursting forth out of ground that has been barren and dry for so long!!
So this Christmas season, we invite you to join with us as we "DIG DEEP" in order to change the lives of those who cannot enjoy something we take for granted every day. Clean Water...what a concept. It is amazing to know that we are able to play a part in reaching "the least of these."

For more information, see www.ourglimmerofhope.org/digdeep.

This is a copy of a post from Julie's blog! We are so excited to join them in their efforts to bring water our brothers and sisters in Chuko, Ethiopia. It is so exciting to know the project is in trusted and capable hands with our friends at A Glimmer of Hope. Can not wait to see this water. May the Lord multiply our efforts and to Him be all glory and honor!

Don't forget to purchase your Christmas gifts here! Dig Deep t-shirts, hats, to go cups, stainless steel water bottles and donation cards sent to your loved one is the gift that keeps on giving for eternity! Honor the person who has everything with a donation to our Dig Deep project, it is our favorite gift we will be giving this year! Haven't you heard it's one of OPRAHS "favorite things", . . . well I am sure if she knew about it, it would be ;.) If anyone has any connections please hook Dig Deep up!! EVERYONE DESERVES CLEAN WATER. Soli Deo Gloria!

Remembering them. . . .

2010-11-07T13:06:00.001-08:00

Estimate: 5 million orphans in Ethiopia. For the ones still waiting for their forever family,
147 Million Orphans in the world. . . . You are not forgotten. He is coming to bring you home
Never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst --- Revelation 7:16
We are Dig Deep. My soul thirsts for YOU . . . in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T21:11:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween from "Our Street" to yours!
ELMO aka Phisher
Ernie aka Parker and Big Bird aka Paeton
C is for Cookie, Cookie Monster aka Phelix

Dig Deep | Our Glimmer of Hope

2010-10-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Well, it is officially, official! I am so excited to announce the DIG DEEP well fundraising page with A Glimmer of Hope is up and running. Please click on the link below to read how God put this DIG DEEP project on Rob and Julie's hearts. As you know, the Lord reconnected Julie and I this summer after we graduated from college 18 years ago. I never could have dreamed that she and I would both have adopted 2 boys from rural, southern Ethiopia. As a new college grad with the world by the tail this was just not in my plan. But that is why this is so special to me, it is not about me and my plans, it is about HIM and HIS plans for my life. Oh, how He has changed me, and oh how I have been resistant and not at all a good student at times. But even when it must seem impossible to HIM that I will give up my control and yield to His ways he never gives up on me. I am so thankful that my family has fully embraced DIG DEEP. We are committed to serve right along side the Neal family to see clean life-giving water provided for our brothers and sisters in Chukko. When I am using the gifts He has provided to me and caring for 'the least of these', it is there that He meets me. Together with my King is where I want to be. Won't you join us? Come serve Him and meet Him. . . DIG DEEP! Dig Deep | Our Glimmer of Hope

and the winner is . . . . .

2010-10-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

DIG DEEP fundraiser, Friday October 8, 2010. La Croix Church, THE PORCH
Preparing for Build a Bear Adoption
Omni Peace, DIG DEEP and Africa table. Juicy Couture purse table behind.
Hair bows and head bands by Paeton
HOW? jewelry and Heart for Africa Missionary, Karen Ward
Lovely purse models: Brittany, Josie, Rachael, Paeton and Riley!

This is the live video footage of volunteer extraordinaire, Chrisy, drawing for the winners of the purse raffle. The first purse drawn for was donated by my fabulous friends who own "RESALE ROW", Nationally Recognized Designer Resale. They have 4 stores you MUST visit if you are not already a preferred customer, so you can become one! Women's Closet Exchange, Clique for teen and young adults, PURPLE COW a high end children's and maternity boutique and last but not least, The Exchange, St Louis' largest and finest consignment furniture store. They are located at 11575 Gravois.

The first purse we drew for was a new Marc Jacobs purse, pink leather, with the Nieman Marcus price tag still attached, retail price, $750! and the winner is. . . Jennifer Harris! Congratulations Jennifer!

As you already know, the next purse we drew for was for the white leather, Salvatore Ferragamo purse donated and signed by Angelina Jolie. and the winner is. . . Laura Sparkman!

Congratulations Laura!

Finally, the drawing you have all been waiting for. . . the black python/leather GUCCI purse donated and signed "with love Angelina Jolie". . . and the winner is. . . Pam Benn!!! Congratulations Pam! What happened next is truly amazing. Pam decided immediately that she wanted this gift to continue giving and bless others. She will donate her Gucci purse to Heart for Africa at the Celebrate Hope event February 2011.

God truly blessed and multiplied our efforts for the well project. Over $10,000 was raised and more hearts were touched by Him for His children in Africa. Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Thank you to all who came out to our event. Thank you to everyone who supported DIG DEEP with your gifts, talents, finances, and your time. Special thanks to Faune Riggin and KZIM River Radio, and to David and Mo at KHIS local Christian Radio for promoting DIG DEEP and helping us to bring about awareness to the 1.1 billion people living without access to clean water. Thank you to all who donated a purse, a build a bear, shared our passion with others and prayed for God to bless this event. He brought many hands together to accomplish His will. A very special thank you to our families, for your love and support and extra help this last week while we were preparing for the fundraiser. An extra special thank you to Ms Nancy, the best foster Grandma who stepped in and lovingly cared for the little p's so I could take off my MOM hat and put 110% into this event. And Chrisy, you truly are "Volunteer Extraordinaire"! Julie and I thank you for helping us research purses, price them and for your merchandizing skills. You kept us organized, took care of accounting details, customer service and handled the drawing details. Thank you everyone. To our Savior and King, thank you for allowing us to serve along side of you. We are blessed and humbled to be used to further Your kingdom.

<><>

Make a Difference and DIG DEEP!

2010-10-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Last night these fellas came to town and put on a rockin concert! I can tell you it was incredible! It was amazing to witness these three Christian groups collaborating together to "Make a Difference" in the lives of the poor and orphans around the world. Add in Max and his powerful testimony and prayers, it will be a night I never forget. There were several thousand people worshiping the Lord last night and on two occasions we prayed collectively as a group for HIS children around the world who were hungry, hurting, alone, sick and in need of clean water.

Max Lucado led us in this scripture, Matthew 25:31-40

" When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'

"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

I just love those words that Jesus spoke. They are so real and He just breaks it down so simply for us. We are saved by faith alone, not by our works. But because we are saved, because our goal is to be more like HIM everyday we start to act like Jesus and when we meet a need for the least of these, we meet His need.

Max Lucado said, "every 6 seconds a child in our world dies from lack of CLEAN WATER". You know I think the Lord was speaking through Max right to my ears. I believe He is pleased with all of us who have answered His call to help the least of these. I believe He is pleased with all of us He will bring together for the fundraiser this friday to bring clean water to the least of these in southern, rural Ethiopia. Please join us, let us all come together and make a difference! Only 50 raffle tickets are left for the fabulous purses donated and signed by the lovely, compassionate and generous Angelina Jolie.

Make a Difference . . . DIG DEEP!

DIG DEEP purse raffle

2010-09-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

ANGELINA JOLIE has a heart for orphans, global poverty, the 1.1 billion people in the world that do not have access to clean water and even more causes that she is passionate about. This mom has a huge heart for all injustice in our world. We are excited she has come along side us with DIG DEEP! As you already know the generous, Angelina, autographed and donated 2 designer purses to raise awareness and money to bring safe, clean, accessible water to rural, southern Ethiopia.

The DIG DEEP fundraising committee decided to sell 100 chances at $100 per chance to win one of her FABULOUS purses! It is getting exciting! As you can see below many have already purchased their chance. We bought 2 decks of cards, threw away the 4 Jokers and there you have your 100 chances. When you purchase a chance card (raffle ticket) we write your name on a card and it will be entered into the live drawing to be held at the fundraiser on October 8th.

To increase your chances of winning we will ONLY sell 100 chances. AND even better there are 2 purses, 2 FABULOUS purses to be given away! Winners need not be present to win. You will be notified by phone or email. The first card/name drawn will win white purse. The second card/name drawn will win black purse. Both purses signed and donated by Angelina Jolie. All donations will be sent to A Glimmer of HOPE. All donations are tax deductible.

Now, don't you think it is time you bought your chance to win a purse signed by Angelina Jolie? Less than 2 weeks to go and only 70 chances left! Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to DIG DEEP and bring safe, clean water to our brothers and sisters in rural, southern Ethiopia! Leave me a comment or email me at joutman@charter.net if you have any further questions.! You can donate through paypal on Julie's blog .

Don't forget to join us for our adopt a Build-a-Bear, hair bows and headbands, and over 100 purses for sale at the DIG DEEP fundraiser.

Friday night, October 8th

La Croix Church, in THE PORCH

5:00-9:00 pm Please Join US! It will be a family fun event where together we can make a lasting positive impact on the lives of our brothers and sisters in rural, southern, Ethiopia!

PURSE RAFFLE for WATER!

2010-09-13T15:21:00.001-07:00

FRIENDS, FAMILY, and HEARTS for AFRICA use our paypal button to purchase your raffle ticket now!

This lovely mom, Angelina Jolie (pictured above) donated 2 of her designer purses and signed both to help us raise money to build a well in Ethiopia. Julie, my partner in well building happens to be Brad Pitt's little sister. Is this totally FABULOUS or what?!
This is a photo of the Salvatore Ferragamo, white leather purse - retail value $1,500
Here is the autograph inside the black purse!
This photo is of the black leather/python Gucci purse - retail value $5,000.

Raffle tickets are $100 each. ONLY 100 tickets will be sold. Your chances of winning are greater because we have 2 purses as prizes. The first ticket drawn will win the WHITE purse. The second ticket drawn will win the BLACK purse.

Drawing to be held October 8, 2010, 9:00 pm at the Dig Deep Fundraiser being held at La Croix Church The Porch in Cape Girardeau from 5:00 - 9:00 pm. All money will be donated to A Glimmer Of Hope to build a well in southern Ethiopia. Winners will be notified by phone or e-mail. To purchase tickets, please e-mail either joutman@charter.net or jujuneal@gmail.com. They are going quick. 6 tickets have already been sold - hurry and get yours!

Drilling for Clean Water

2010-09-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Live Drill - No water for our birthday in Central African Republic from charity: water on Vimeo.

Live Drill Day 2 - We Hit Water! from charity: water on Vimeo.

This is the reality of drilling for water. Julie and I know in the southern region of Ethiopia drilling the well will be a huge project, not unlike this one. Unfortunately, the area we want to bring clean water does not have a clean, strong source we can tap into. The closest water source is 45 min walk and it is contaminated water. The well we will dig will look similar to this project in the video. The well we dig will be very expensive. It is true, sometimes it only cost $5,000 to build a well. Some wells have even been hand dug. That is not the reality we are facing. It is a huge project on many levels but that is why it is so necessary.

Did you ever think getting water, clean, drinking water could be so difficult. I didn't either. In America it is just not a reality we deal with. But to 1 billion people around the world it is reality!

You may be asking, "Michelle, clean water, is it really that big of a deal?" read on. . .

*1 Billion people around the world do not have access to clean water.

*Water related diseases claim 5 million lives per year.

In rural (southern) Ethiopia the statistics are even worse

*only 1 person in 10 has access to clean water.

*1 Ethiopian child in 10 dies before their fifth birthday, 1/2 of those die of diarrhea.

*a baby's chance of dying from diarrhea is 520 times greater that if they were born in Europe or the US

*women and children walk hours a day to collect water from polluted sources.

*their loads can weigh upwards of 60 lbs.

So I now ask you this question, is this okay with you? Do you think this is a big deal now? Please join us in our effort to make clean water a reality for southern Ethiopia. Spread the news and bring awareness, tell others about our fundraiser, donate to our well project, there are many ways to help. Let us be used by the Lord to bring the Good News to southern Ethiopia, let us bring them life = clean water.

Thank you Julie for encouraging me today. We will have tough days but you are right, we have been called by HIM and He does not call the equipped. He EQUIPS the CALLED!

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!

2010-09-05T16:40:00.001-07:00

Fall arrived in the Cape! When we woke up this morning it was 47*. We packed up the BIG and little p's and headed north for the St Louis Zoo! What a great day. We have a photograph of Parker and Paeton in this Hippo's mouth from about 10 years ago. I'll try to find it and scan it in so we can all see the big change!

Phisher, where otter you?
The Children's museum is featuring amphibians. The orange and blue frog outside were by far the most fun.

Hair Bows for CLEAN WATER

2010-08-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

The fall collection, closer up!

The flower collection!
Colors, patterns, stripes, polka spots oh my!
The fabulous head band with hand made bow and vintage coat button.
You love orphans, you love them not, you love them! www.147million.org
Pretty in pink floral with fab vintage button!
Boo! Halloween headband.

We are adding these handmade hair bows and headbands to our SECOND ANNUAL Fundraiser to benefit A Glimmer of Hope and Heart for Africa. 100% of proceeds donated!

Totally fabulous headbands with handmade bow. $15

These colorful handmade hair bows come in all colors. They are so fun, each a unique design! $ 6.00 each
These flower bows also come with an alligator clip attached so it easily attaches to head band, hat, bag or outfit! Only $ 6.00 each!
This is the fall collection! Pumpkins, scarecrows, candy corn, ghosts, and more on festive fabric! These must have accessories for fall are selling fast! Hair bow or head bands $ 6.00 ea

Paeton and I have been hard at work creating these FABULOUS, handmade bows. They have an alligator clip on the back so that you can easily attach them to your favorite head band. The stretchy head bands work best and also the smaller thin plastic head bands work great too. Another fun way to wear them is to safety pin them to your favorite outfit, purse, backpac, etc.

Rob Bell, RICH

2010-08-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

First day of school

2010-08-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

8/2008 Parker 6 th grade Paeton 4 th grade

8/2007 Parker 5 th grade Paeton 3 rd grade

8/2006 Parker 4 th grade Paeton 2 nd grade

8/2004 Parker 2 nd grade Paeton Kindergarden

8/2005 Parker 3 rd grade Paeton 1 st grade
8/2009 Parker 7 th grade Paeton 5 th grade

8/2010 Parker 8 th grade Paeton 6 th grade

Parker and Paeton started back to school August 18 th. Parker is top dog this year in the 8 th grade. Paeton joins him in the junior high entering 6 th grade. Every first day of school Jamie has managed to come home and take their picture. This was the first time he missed it so I had the responsibility.

Can you believe how much difference one year makes?

Julie in Ethiopia with clean water!

2010-08-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Celebrating in Dawro from A Glimmer of Hope on Vimeo.

In this video you'll see my friend, my rock star friend, Julie. She traveled back to Ethiopia this summer to research A Glimmer of Hope and the work they are doing providing clean water to people in Southern Ethiopia, near where her two sons, and my two sons are from. She's amazing and we are excited to partner with she and her family in raising the funds to build a deep well that will provide clean water for years to thousands!

Clean Water and Hope for Africa

2010-08-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

These photos were from last years fundraiser. The BIG P's raised over $1,000 at their adopt a Build-a-Bear fundraiser. I asked friends to donate 10% of the profit they made from selling their purse last year and $350 was collected. I added my amount raised to the kids fundraiser and we had over $1400 that we donated to Sele Enat orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This is the same orphanage where we adopted the twins. If you are a math wiz you have already figured out we sold $3500 worth of purses at the Designer purse sale last year. I decided to switch it up a bit this year and ask friends to completely donate a purse so that all of the money raised will benefit Africa. We have already started to collect fabulous purses for this years event. Brands include, Vera Bradley, The SAK, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Lucky, Dooney and Bourke, JUICY, Lilly Pulitzer, Kate Spade, Brighton, and many more! Please get in touch with me if you have donations or any questions. I can not wait to see what the Lord will accomplish through this event! Please pray for many $ to be raised as there is great need in Swaziland and Ethiopia.

SECOND ANNUAL

Adopt a Build-a-Bear and

DESIGNER PURSE Sale

{new/like new/gently used}

Friday night, October 8, 2010 5:00-9:00 pm

La Croix Church, The Porch

100% proceeds to benefit charity work in Africa.

First $1,000 raised will benefit missionary work in Swaziland, Africa through Heart for Africa.

The rest will be donated to Glimmer of Hope to build a deep water well that will provide clean drinking water to thousands of people in southern Ethiopia.

How can you help?

Donate a Build-a-Bear or designer purse in new, like new condition. Tell all of your friends, family and people you

meet.

See you at the sale. Best selection of Build-a-Bears and DESIGNER PURSES in Cape!

for more information go to: www.heartforafrica.org

www.aglimmerofhope.org

The greatest complaint with overseas aid is that so little of it reaches the people in need. At times, less than half of a donor's dollars reaches the target communities with the remainder being gobbled up by administrative fees and fundraising costs.

We believe that's unacceptable - 100% of donor money needs to get to the projects - and that's what we offer here at A Glimmer of Hope.

Because we pay all of our operating expenses through our endowment, we are able to offer you a unique opportunity to help some of the poorest people in the world, one that sees every dollar you donate get to where it is needed.

Your donation will go directly to our country office in Addis Ababa which is staffed by experienced Ethiopian professionals who monitor the progress of our projects. That office also sees to it that your dollar is stretched as far as it will go once it reaches Ethiopia because of the familiarity they have with doing business in the country.

Heart for Africa is a faith-based not-for-profit 501(c)3 public charity. Working with our partners in Africa, we support and encourage self-sustainable homes for orphans and vulnerable children through long term programs and short term service trips that deliver quality care, shelter, food, water, clothing, health care, social work, mentoring and education. We currently serve in two countries in Africa; Kenya and Swaziland.

2010-08-22T08:05:00.001-07:00

Slumdog Tourism, MUST READ!

I have copied this article from another Ethiopian adoptive moms blog. This was published in the New York Times last week. It is a powerful, real life account of what happens when many visit third world countries and see how MOST of HIS people live life. Praise God for stirring the hearts of christians who have responded to His call to do something about poverty, lack of education, famine, unclean, unsanitary, diseased and contaminated drinking water. My prayer is that HE raises up mighty warriors to support our clean water team. Will you be one to come along side our family and friends (the Neals, www.ethiopianjournies.blogspot.com ), is HE calling you?

August 9, 2010

Slumdog Tourism

By KENNEDY ODEDE

Nairobi, Kenya

SLUM tourism has a long history — during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy New Yorkers snaked along the Bowery and through the Lower East Side to see “how the other half lives.”

But with urban populations in the developing world expanding rapidly, the opportunity and demand to observe poverty firsthand have never been greater. The hot spots are Rio de Janeiro, Mumbai — thanks to “Slumdog Millionaire,” the film that started a thousand tours — and my home, Kibera, a Nairobi slum that is perhaps the largest in Africa.

Slum tourism has its advocates, who say it promotes social awareness. And it’s good money, which helps the local economy.

But it’s not worth it. Slum tourism turns poverty into entertainment, something that can be momentarily experienced and then escaped from. People think they’ve really “seen” something — and then go back to their lives and leave me, my family and my community right where we were before.

I was 16 when I first saw a slum tour. I was outside my 100-square-foot house washing dishes, looking at the utensils with longing because I hadn’t eaten in two days. Suddenly a white woman was taking my picture. I felt like a tiger in a cage. Before I could say anything, she had moved on.

When I was 18, I founded an organization that provides education, health and economic services for Kibera residents. A documentary filmmaker from Greece was interviewing me about my work. As we made our way through the streets, we passed an old man defecating in public. The woman took out her video camera and said to her assistant, “Oh, look at that.”

For a moment I saw my home through her eyes: feces, rats, starvation, houses so close together that no one can breathe. I realized I didn’t want her to see it, didn’t want to give her the opportunity to judge my community for its poverty — a condition that few tourists, no matter how well intentioned, could ever understand.

Other Kibera residents have taken a different path. A former schoolmate of mine started a tourism business. I once saw him take a group into the home of a young woman giving birth. They stood and watched as she screamed. Eventually the group continued on its tour, cameras loaded with images of a woman in pain. What did they learn? And did the woman gain anything from the experience?

To be fair, many foreigners come to the slums wanting to understand poverty, and they leave with what they believe is a better grasp of our desperately poor conditions. The expectation, among the visitors and the tour organizers, is that the experience may lead the tourists to action once they get home.

But it’s just as likely that a tour will come to nothing. After all, looking at conditions like those in Kibera is overwhelming, and I imagine many visitors think that merely bearing witness to such poverty is enough.

Nor do the visitors really interact with us. Aside from the occasional comment, there is no dialogue established, no conversation begun. Slum tourism is a one-way street: They get photos; we lose a piece of our dignity.

Slums will not go away because a few dozen Americans or Europeans spent a morning walking around them. There are solutions to our problems — but they won’t come about through tours.

Kennedy Odede, the executive director of Shining Hope for Communities, a social services organization, is a junior at Wesleyan University.

Ordinary Hero

2010-08-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

Ordinary Hero~ A day in the trash dump in Ethiopia from Kelly Putty on Vimeo.

This is a trash dump, a huge trash dump outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. People, young and old, live here, eat and drink here every day. In my previous post I mentioned we are in the process of raising $50K to donate to Glimmer of Hope to put several wells and provide clean water to thousands of people in southern, Ethiopia. We are researching fundraising opportunities now and will share soon!

Kanakuk Kamp fun!

2010-08-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

Parker was at K-West this year. Kamp for Parker just keeps getting better and better. Every year we come to pick him up, it has been the best kamp experience ever! Can't beat that. He bunked with his best buddy Cole (friends since 2yr old) and 2 guys from the Ecuador mission trip were at Kamp the same term. He was also able to hook up with Sparky and a few of his favorite past counselors, Wes, Matt, Mickey at K-Kountry and serve one evening as a junior counselor for the Around the World party. He was with Wes in Africa, dressed up and speaking Amharic! Wish I had a video of that!

Parker and Paeton were at kamp for the last 2 weeks of July. Paeton was at K-Kountry, it was her last year on the country side as it is for kampers 7-11 yrs old. She made it into "The Real Deal" aka Barn 12. This is special for the kampers who have attended kamp the longest. She was also honored and chosen as the Kickapoo mini-princess and she won the medal for best all around Kayaker, she chose to Kayak for her sport.

After we picked up the BIG P's from Kamp we headed to the laundry mat in Springfield, MO. After throwing away what was not salvageable (kamp laundry. . . YUCK!) I managed to fit the rest into 8 washers/dryers and we then drove south to Branson, MO once again. Now we arrived at Kanakuk's family Kamp, K- Kauai for the first week in August. Jamie has served 3 kamps for 3 years as their Kamp Dr. We stay at K-Kauai as a family while he serves. This was the twins 2nd year and the BIG P's 1st at family Kamp. We usually serve the 2nd week the BIG P's are at kamp but this year they stayed the full 2 weeks at kamp w/o seeing us and then we all got to experience family kamp together. We had a blast! The big's and Jamie did the Diamond Head ropes course, zip line, screamer (a swing you are harnessed into and drops) and this death drop free fall (again harness and you fall 4 stories straight down and just before the second you die, splattered all over the pavement, a small fan-like devise stops you on your feet). I chose not to participate in these exciting activities but joined in pool side and for the canoe trip down the Taneycommo River. Not the family bonding experience we were paddling after, but we made it safe and sound back to dry shore 3 miles later.

Kanakuk is an amazing place, the kamp staff just pour the love and promises of the Lord into your kids while at kamp, the amazing staff are so cool and on fire for the Lord your kids just want to follow hard after the example of these cool kids and they reinforce the values we have spent a lifetime teaching them. Family kamp is a blast, it is a terrific family vacation where you all grow closer together and to the Lord. If you have not been you have to try it out!

I met an AMAZING and driven mom there who is my new friend and partner in bringing clean water to villages in Ethiopia. Julie, has 2 adopted sons from Ethiopia, the southern Sidama region. We have both been researching maps and believe our boys were from areas less that 50 miles away from eachother. She has recently returned from Ethiopia where she and other AMAZING, driven aka makin' things happen mommas were researching clean water projects, medical missions, and visiting with family and friends in Ethiopia just waiting for the Lord to reveal His plan to them. Please visit www.teamalexander.blogspot.com to learn all about the amazing experiences God gave them.

So Julie and her family are at Kauai for the week and we get to talking and she reveals her heart for bringing clean water (safe drinking water, you know the kind we take for granted) to the village one of her sons Grandmother lives in. She committed to raising $50K for Glimmer of Hope who does the incredible job of hiring local village men/WOMEN (don't you love that part) to manage the water project after they have done the work to tap into the source. The reason I believe with all of my heart God ordained this meeting is because my prayer for the last 6 months has been, Lord where do you want me to serve? Lord, what do you want me to do? Use me, send me. I knew it was in Africa, there are so many worthy and desperate cause, my heart is in Ethiopia where 2 loves of my life were born and don't you know, my Jesus, my best friend introduced me to Julie, whom He'd made a plan with. He just opened the doors for me and made this path illuminate so I could not miss this opportunity to join Him and Julie in His work. At the top of this page you will find a video from Glimmer of Hope, please watch it, I will be posting more about His plan to provide clean water for Ethiopia.

Long post. . . so much good, or should I say God stuff to share. I will leave you with a few pictures from family kamp..

Parker was voted the best dressed "Techie" aka Geek. We were so proud!

Phisher loved the pool at K-Kauai!

Phelix had a blast playing in the small water fountains!

2010-08-07T18:48:00.001-07:00

Jimmy Needham - Yours To Take (Slideshow)

2010-07-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

My friend just came home from Africa. Soon Africa will be her home. He has called her to care and grow the least of these in Swaziland. I am so happy for her and for His children there. God cares so deeply for Africa, and my friend thinks she is not worthy of serving there. She is so humble, yet she clearly heard His voice telling her that Africa is her home now. I know as much as she will be His hands and feet there, that He will more than bless her and complete His work in her life. God lives in Africa and He has called my friend there to live and work with Him. I have been weeping all day, weeping for those she will serve, for the blessing she will be, for how she will be blessed, for her faithfulness, for her trust and total dedication to the Lord and His will in her life. I heard this song in a new way today, it spoke to me of my friends time in Africa.

Dear K friend,

I know God did not need me to play a part in you finding your new home but I am so thankful He used me and has allowed me to be a part of it. I love you and I am committed to praying for you as He reveals more details to you about His plan. You are inspiring, for to do His work we must first surrender to His will and you sing to Him, "I'm Yours to take. . . "

Outman family grows by 4 feet 1 yr ago

2010-07-05T17:57:00.001-07:00

These are the first photos we saw of the twins. March 30, 2009 our adoption coordinator called us with the referral for these sweeties!

This is Phelix.

This is Phisher. One week later we were blessed to receive these photos of the boys. Phelix is in the hospital for pneumonia.Phisher was at Sele Enat orphanage. Dr Kee Park, a physician from Cape just happened to be in the capitol of Ethiopia. Thank you Jesus!

May 5, dear friends, Eric and Chantelle traveled to pick up their daughter from the same orphanage where the twins were. They brought us back many photos of the boys and video of them. These are priceless treasures. Thank you Beckings, you are AWESOME!

We are on our way to Ethiopia, a little lay over in Dubai.

We have just arrived in Ethiopia and this woman who works for our agency in Ethiopia picked us up from the guest house where we had just checked in and brought us to the care center to meet the boys for the first time.

This is a photo of Phisher and I meeting for the first time. He was all smiles, such a happy boy! You gotta love his pink and white striped jammies, as they say, "tough guys wear PINK."

This sweetie is Phelix. Hard to believe he only weithed 6 or 7 lbs at six months. He was so tiny, but I instantly fell in love with him.

Here we are the day before we left Ethiopia to return home to Missouri. The beautiful woman with her arms around me is Hana. She runs the orphanage, her husband works to connect adoptive families to their Ethiopian children. All of the children at the orphanage call Hana and Abebe, Mom and Dad. Our family gave Hana the gold locket she is wearing. It has a picture of each of the twins in it for her.

We arrived home on July 4 th. This July 4th, we held a HUGE celebration in honor of the boys and our friends and family who prayed the twins home and have been such a huge support to our family. Thank you all, WE love you!!

Next update I will try and post photos from the wonderful celebration and a movie that a dear friend made for us of our journey to the twins. It is AMAZING!

BIG shoes to fill

2010-06-26T05:33:00.000-07:00

Phisher likes to put on my shoes. Feet, toes, big, small, clean, dirty . . . his foot fetish is alive and well. I watch in awe as he maneuvers and navigates my size 11 through the many obstacles in his path.

Summer Fun!

2010-06-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

I love this guy! He is a terrific husband and the greatest Dad! Our children are the luckiest kids in the world. He had a good Father's Day, we wanted him to feel extra special this year. So thankful for you, Jamie!
Phelix is just the sweetest little guy ever! He is still receiving physcial tx twice a week, Occupational tx once a week, Speech tx once a week and he sees his Developmental therapist once a week. All sessions are an hour and Phelix works so hard and has continued to amaze us all!
Phelix has started taking a few steps! He likes to hold onto my finger and he will walk everywhere. When we try to get him to take a few steps on his own he gets so excited and starts bouncing that he usually looses his balance : ) When he takes a few steps on his own he gets so proud of himself!
A couple of Parker's buddies brought over a spider they found in their garage. Yes I was totally freaked out, the thing was HUMONGOUS!
The two spider finders, and Parker. I say, with friends like that, who needs enemies!
Paeton loves to set up activities for the boys to enjoy. She took this sweet photo of Phelix today. Paeton got out the sleds, filled them up with water and gave the boys paint brushes to water paint with. The twins LOVE her!
Phisher taking a water break! What a fun boy! He loves to read Brown Bear by Eric Carle. Yesterday he said "Brown Bear", it was so cute! I think his vocabulary is going to explode soon!
So what do you do with a sled in the middle of June in hot, humid Cape Girardeau? Fill it up with water and you have your own personal pool!

I have posted photos of our friend, Yann before. He is an international student at SEMO University working on his master's degree in International business. His Parents were in town for a couple of weeks from the Ivory Coast, Africa and he brought them over to meet us. They speak french, but Yann is a good translator. Ms Irene is in the back, far right of this photo. Please continue to pray for her. God has recently opened up some new doors for her and her family. They still are prayerfully working on their permanent residency status.

Glimpse of Heaven

2010-05-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Parker, Paeton, Phelix and Phisher!
The twins are not easy to photograph, but isn't this a cute one!
Sweet Phelix!
Still trying for that perfect beach photo of the kiddos!
Pretty Peaton!
Handsome Parker!
Phisher the ham! He keeps us all on our toes, always a party with this guy around!
The PHISH!
Phisher loved just walking the beach, looking for shells, playing in the sand and just walking.
Sweet boy, Phelix ready for construction of his castle!
Big sister, little brother time.
Phisher waiting for the perfect wave, he's a natural surfer!
Daddy and Phelix.
Jamie and the big kids went deep sea fishing. What a catch!
Parker reeled in this 5 1/2 ft 150 lb Bull Shark. YIKES! Parker decided to catch and RELEASE!
Paeton and her monster Grouper!
Parker and his Red Snapper! YUM!

We cut school a few days early and headed to the beach, our fav St George Island! We stayed at a new home this time, it was beautiful! It was called, Glimpse of Heaven, we concur.

Swimming lessons 4 ELMO

2010-05-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

Phisher LOVES water! If we take our eyes off of him for 1 minute he is playing in the dogs water. Today he decided to let Elmo swim in the dogs water. Then, and I am only guessing here, he used Elmo to help clean up the evidence. As smart as he is, I guess he did not realize that he and Elmo only made the mess BIGGER! The whole laundry room was flooded. The entire bowl of water was either in Elmo, on Phisher, or all over the floor. The cat condo was even flooded! Life is an ADVENTURE, take time for water play and enjoy the ride :>) !

Parker's Confirmation

2010-05-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Outman 6 after Confirmation! We are so proud of you Parker!!
My sister Wendy, and my Mom drove down to support Parker in this eternal decision.
Jamie's parents were there and so proud of Parker too!

At the beginning of 2010, a class of 48 Confirmands committed to learning the books of the Bible, how to spell them with 80% accuracy, 4 mission projects, attendance and written summaries from church services, youth group attendance and to attend the opening and closing confirmation retreats. I am sure there were other requirements but these are the ones I could remember. This was the biggest confirmation class our church has ever had. We make a big deal out of Confirmation, well, because it is a big deal. Friday May 30 was a banquet held in honor of the confirmands. We had a delicious dinner, watched a slide show of infant, toddler and current photos submitted by the parents of the confirmands, watched as each confirmands 'mentor' read them a Bible verse specifically chosen for them and then each confirmand gave their testimony. Saturday May 1, during church each parent gave a blessing to their child in front of the church family. It was an incredible weekend full of memories that we will always treasure!

Parkers Testimony:

Testimony

My name is Parker Outman and I just want say I have had a great time in confirmation. I’ve meet some great people, made a lot of friends ,and I appreciate the leadership of the Confirmation staff and especially Tim and Jane. I have been raised in a Christian home and have always attended Christian schools. Both have taught me a lot about living a Christian life and how to be God’s servant here on Earth.

But for me, I feel I really came to know Christ as my Savior in the summer of 2007 at Kanakuk Kamps. So, I go have a great time at Kamp and on the last night before the parents come to pick us up a speaker talked to us about God and Jesus and stuff. What he was talking about seemed pretty important so I listened and he told us that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and he shared this verse with us, “For the wages of sin is death”........ouch! I knew what sin was and I knew I had lied and done all that stuff.............. but, the gift of God is eternal life! He then told us how we could have eternal life by accepting Jesus into our heart, and thats what I did. I have continued to go to Kanakuk every summer.

Since I gave my life to Christ my life has changed drastically. I started my own Bible study for my friends and classmates. I also committed to a 2 year Bible study through Kanakuk called, Ironman, based on the scripture verse, Proverbs 27:17 “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Because I completed 2 years of the Ironman Bible study I earned the opportunity to serve on a mission trip to Ecuador. Me and 7 other guys and 4 mentors from Kanakuk went to Ecuador for a week in March this year to serve the people there. We loved on kids who live in extreme poverty and played a lot of soccer with them and served the children meals and even led a church service in a rural, tiny church in the Andes mountains where we were able to bring 20 children to Christ.

I am also looking forward to serving on a mission trip this June with JT and our JR high youth group.

Probably the most dramatic change in my life was when I became a big brother again last summer. God called our family to bring into our home an orphan from Ethiopia and I guess HE has a sense of humor because He gave us twins. One year ago, July 4, my family grew by four new feet when we brought home Phisher and Phelix, my twin brothers. Sometimes it is hard but this is how I try to live my life, God first, others second, and me third.

Jamies Blessing to Parker

Parker,

I am proud of you, I believe in you, and I love you.

You have always had a strong and quiet faith that has helped you to be a mighty warrior for Christ, and accomplish great things in service to him.

I always hoped to be your mentor and brother in Christ, that piece of iron that sharpens you, but I want you to know that you have been that just as much for me.

I know that God has great plan for you Parker and I look forward to watching his light shine through you.

Just as God said to Jesus, “ This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 5:16

Proverbs 27:17

Coll. 1:10

1 Chron 28

My Blessing:

Parker, Son,

as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a Mom. It seemed like forever before God answered my prayers and blessed me with you.

Poets have written eloquently about the love of a mother for her son because it is such a great love. I am so proud to be your Mom, and I love you deeply.

As your parents, we have accepted the challenge of raising a young man who can change the world for God. We are delighted for you to take part in the powerful purpose and unique mission God designed just for you.

As a disciple of Jesus, always stay true to who He created you to be. God created your individual personality and gave you special gifts and abilities. So in every thing you do, do your best-----choose the most important thing------the thing that will last for eternity.

As the Bible says,”Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear my children are following the way of truth.” 3 John 1:14

The Backyardigans go for a swim!

2010-05-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Doesn't everyone play their Backyardigan guitar in the toilet?

My REAL brothers

2010-04-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to post this since it happened last week. The BIG P's were out of school last Monday,(after Easter) and I took all 4 p's to the park. I left the little p's in the BIG P's care and ran a errand 1/2 mile down the street. While I was gone the Big P's enjoyed swinging the little p's in the swings and taking them down the slide. What made this an interesting day at the park were the questions the Big P's were asked about their little brothers. While swinging the twins a couple of little black girls came up to Parker and Paeton and asked them why they were swinging those black babies? They told the little girls they were swinging their brothers on the swings because they think it is fun. Then the little girls asked them, "are those your REAL brothers?" They confirmed that "yes these are their REAL brothers." Then they asked Paeton if, pointing at Parker, "is he your real brother too?" Paeton told the little girls that yes Parker was her real brother also. She went on to explain to the little girls that our family adopted her brothers from Ethiopia last summer. I guess that satisfied their curiosity, there were no more questions after that.

They did however over hear a conversation a white boy and girl were having with their mother. They were asking their mom the same question, "why is that boy and girl pushing those little black babies on the swings?" The mother proceeded to inform her children that she did not know for sure but she thought the boy and girl were probably babysitting the babies.

I was taking Phelix into the medical center to visit his doctor today. As we were approaching the entrance an older black woman smiled at us and said, "ooh, that baby is so pretty! Is it a boy or a girl? Ooh, he's so pretty, looks Indian or something. Is this your baby?" I told her he was my baby and thanked her for the kind compliments and told her that he had a twin brother at home. I told her that we adopted them last summer from Ethiopia. She said, "You did, you did that? God bless you! You adopted him? Ooh, God bless you! Can I hold him? I want to say I have held an Ethiopian baby!" I let her hold him, I think he made her day. She told me she was going to put us on the prayer list at her church. She thanked me again and blessed us again and she was on her way.

I write about these experiences and questions to let you know how it makes me feel and how I have decided to handle these situations. I wish I did not have to tell people the "whole" story, but the fact is, our family looks different and that raises some questions. My children are my children. We have 4 of them and are so proud of each of them. We love them so much it is not possible to put it into words. I could just leave it at that but that would not satisfy the curiosity of most. Although part of me doesn't want to have to go into all of the details, another part of me has decided to go into all of the details. I want to spread HIS love through our adoption of Phelix and Phisher into our family. I want people to know we are not some super family. We are just a regular ole family who answered the Lord's call. I want people to know how incredibly blessed we are to have Phelix and Phisher in our family. I want to tell people how rich our family is now that the twins are in it. I want to share with others how much we have grown as a family in our faith and relationship with the Lord during the adoption process and after. I want to world to know how FULL our hearts are, how in serving others and caring for the orphans He asks us to care for we have truly received the greatest gift. The gift of meeting Him and walking along side Him in this Earthly life.

2010-04-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-04T16:16:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! To the KC family and friends, we missed being with you all today! It was a perfect day here in the Cape, mid 70's, sunny, little breeze. Jamie's parents hosted us for easter dinner and the twins first Easter egg hunt. Grandma is smart, she filled the little guys eggs with teddy grahams, YUM! Phisher really enjoyed himself and had fun gathering the colorful eggs.

Phelix wasn't too sure about gathering the eggs. I think next year when he is walking around everyone better watch out! It is a little hard to gather eggs when you can't walk yet. Thanks to his big brother, Parker, Phelix got his fair share this year :>)
Okay, I know I am their mom and all but, are they not the most handsome little fellas ever! These sweet smocked outfits were showcased by my boys! The company who made them is still calling to thank me for choosing their design for the twins to model. HA!

Last year at Easter we were a family with 4 children but 2 of them we had yet to meet. What a blessing to have us all together this Easter! The BIG P's are just crazy in love with the little p's ! The little p's are just a little crazy about the BIG P"S too!
The world's greatest big brother and big sister and the world's most loved twin brothers!!
We are lovin' every minute of being outside we can get. The weather has just been awesome! Paeton even filled up pails of water for the twins to play in because it was so warm! They loved the water activity their big sis put together for them! They are already buggin' their dad to get the pool open. . . yahoo! My favorite summer past time for sure!

What a wonderful day, wonderful memories, and how blessed are we to have the most wonderful Savior. Praise the Lord, Jesus has risen! God's blessing on you all.

What a difference a year makes

2010-03-31T18:12:00.001-07:00

The fellas on the slide at the park
Irene with the boys!
Phelix loves to swing, but he is about to fall asleep here, he was so relaxed!
Phisher, mr ton of FUN!!

Gotta love this weather! It was in the mid 70's here today. Looking to be in the 80's thursday and friday. Hope the weather holds for the twins first easter egg hunt :>)

REFERRAL DAY 1 year ago

2010-03-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is our little PhisherThis is little Phelix

I was exactly one year ago today we received THE call from Leah our adoption coordinator. She called our home around 4:15 pm. These are the first photos we saw of the TWINS!

This is the blog entry from one year ago:

I had been expecting a call from our coordinator for an update on things. Denver had been hit with a big snow storm so the agency had been without power/phones for 5 days. When she called me at 4:15 pm and said I do have some news for you, I immediately knew it was more than the update. She started to tell me she had our referral, that it was for twin boys, they appeared to be healthy and only 1 1/2 months old. Did I want her to send me their referral over the internet so we could take a look at their medical form and their pictures. I yelled at Parker, who was upstairs, to call his Dad and tell him to come home. I hung up the phone with Leah, knowing that as soon as Jamie made it home we would be seeing our double blessings from the LORD.

Jamie called and said that he was on his way home, and said, "Parker didn't say if it was for a boy or a girl?" I said, "Well that is the funny part. . . pause, it is for TWIN Boys!!!" Jamie is like are you kidding me? What do you think of twin boys? I said, "I think God has a great sense of humor and HE thinks we can do this." Parker and I are in shock, waiting for Jamie to get home. Paeton is outside soaking up the sun, doing her homework. Parker keeps asking me if he can go tell Paeton to come in. I said no, I did not want to tell her until Jamie got home. Even though we all had been praying that our desires would be HIS desires in this adoption, I just was not sure how she would react to twin boys, she really wanted a sister.

Jamie arrived, we called Paeton in and set up the video camera, to record us seeing the boys for the first time, and then Jamie pulled up the files. Paeton, sitting on my lap, thought at first it was a boy and a girl, we told her it was twin boys. We all knew immediately they were ours! It has taken a week to really sink in that we have twin sons waiting for us to bring them home.

We called my mom and dad who were both very excited. Jamie called his parents who had plans to go out to eat to celebrate his dad's 1 year of retirement, we asked if we could join them. So we met them out for dinner. Parker had one medical/picture in his pocket and the plan was that he would tell his grandparents we received our referral. So as they were ooohing and ahhing over Phisher's picture Paeton says, "We have another surprise for you!" She takes out the medical/picture of Phelix and presents them with the reality that we will be adopting TWINS!!! This was a super fun surprise!!

We got home and printed off pictures for the kids to take to school to show off their brothers. I do not think any of slept real well this night, too much excitement for one day!! We just feel so blessed! I will post soon about the CELEBRATION LUNCH dear friends treated me to the next day, and about the gifts Jamie bought the boys and brought to the luncheon!

GOD is GOOD!

This is the video of us opening the boys referral and seeing them for the very first time!

From this day one year ago until the day I had both boys in my arms in Ethiopia were some of the hardest days for me. I could not stop thinking that they needed me and I needed them! This time and the whole adoption experience taught me dependence on the LORD! As I look back I can now see that He was continuing to mold me and shape me in His image. His plans are the best and although I could not understand the waiting time for us to be together I now see the greater benefit and I am thankful. I can honestly say I thought I knew what a blessing He was bestowing on us but I just can not comprehend it still today. There are not words to describe how totally blessed beyond measure we are and how thankful we are each and every day for the twins. They have just added huge amounts of good, love and fun to our family! God is good!

14 months

2010-03-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Phisher aka Energizer Bunny! Almost has that second top tooth! What a fun guy!
Mr Phelix! He has 5 teeth now. Two on top, three on the bottom. What a sweetie!
He was not a fan of the eye patch the first time he had to wear it. He is a champ and is doing okay with it now. Let's pray the Lord corrects this little weakness and restores his vision completely!

Can not believe the twins are 14 months old already! Phisher is still living up to his nick name of the Energizer Bunny. He is walking every where, loves to crawl up the stairs and help me with the dishes and laundry :>) Phelix is doing AWESOME! He is receiving speech tx, physical tx, and occupational tx daily. He had an eye appointment last week and the good news is his vision looks great! He has a minor weakness in his right eye muscle and it causes his right eye to droop a little. He is a little shy about showing you his eye patch he wears on his left eye 30 min a day. Good news is this should strengthen that right muscle and hopefully when he goes back in September he can give all of his eye patches away. The BIG news in our house is that Phelix is now crawling!! We are so proud of him! He works so hard in tx and is making huge progress! Way to go PHELIX, you the man little buddy!!

Ecuador Mission Trip - Photo Journal

2010-03-25T09:05:00.001-07:00

These photographs tell the story of eight young men who came together to serve God's people in Ecuador. It is a story only HE could have written . . . about friendships and working together as a team for His glory alone. It is a story that embraces other cultures and circumstances very different from the norm for these young men. It is about how the first become last and the last become first. . . a story about the love for all of His people. Praise the Lord for the work that was done in and through these young men! They will never be the same. . . on a mission to teach and serve. . . coming home feeling that, we went to serve them, why do we feel so full? That is the "gift" the Lord gives to us when we come along side of Him and are the hands and feet of Jesus.

Ecuador Mission Trip - Final

2010-03-25T09:04:00.001-07:00

Here is the final video of the mission trip to Ecuador. Parker is home, we are happy but he could have stayed serving the people of Ecuador. He fell in love with the beauty of the country. He really liked how green and lush it is! He made lasting friendships with those he served with and tells us new stories daily of the fun memories! We are so thankful to his counselors from Kanakuk Kamp that have invested in our son and his relationship with the Lord. As a parent it just doesn't get any better than this. . . watching your child grow in relationship with Jesus and serve others passionately!

the last day of 2010 mission trip to Ecuador

2010-03-17T05:24:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010

Today was our last full day here in Ecuador and it's one we will never forget. We spent all morning at a school loving on kids and playing soccer. The school was located in a very poor part of town, so it was fun to see the smiles that our team brought to the kids faces. After playing for hours, we got to feed all 300 kids. Compassion International supports most of the kids at this school, so it was fun to see this incredible ministry in action.

Tonight, a local pastor and his wife prepared an authentic Ecuadorian dinner for our team. It was a great way to end our time here in Ecuador.

You know...our team came on this trip to be a blessing to the people of Ecuador but we find ourselves as the blessed ones as we leave this beautiful country. It has been a life-changing trip and really fun to watch the Lord open up the guys eyes and hearts to God's Kingdom. The Creator we serve and love transcends culture, language, and social class. It is one thing to see it on the TV, but it is another thing to see it, taste it, hear it, and feel it. We are so grateful for how the Lord used us and changed us at the same time. Praise God!

We are headed home tomorrow morning. Our bus leaves at 4:00am so we are going to bed! Thanks again for praying for our trip. God is good!

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 6

2010-03-17T05:22:00.001-07:00

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 5

2010-03-16T07:03:00.001-07:00

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 5

2010-03-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010

It was another great day in Ecuador. The Lord continues to do neat things here. The memories are plentiful. The friendships are rich. The Lord's provision is evident. We spent all morning at a Compassion school painting classrooms and serving. It is always an adventure to paint with middle school kids!

After a quick lunch, we went to go see the Equator north of Quito. It was really fascinating and the guys loved it. Who would of thought that we would get a science lesson out of our trip? Lots of memories at the Equator today!

We capped off the day by watching the movie "End of the Spear" which took place here in Ecuador and is such an incredible picture of the Gospel.

Tomorrow is our last full day here in Ecuador and we plan to pack a ton into it. We will spend most of the day at a local school playing with kids and sharing the hope of Jesus! We have arranged a truly Ecuadorian meal tomorrow night at a local ministers house to cap off the week. The boys are hoping to try Guinea Pig...but I think they are all talk at this point. We'll see....

Thanks for staying updated on our journey here in Ecuador!

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 4

2010-03-15T06:04:00.001-07:00

I am giving all the glory to God, "who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us" Ephesians 3:20b, NIV

Day 4 in Ecuador

2010-03-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2010

Wow! Today was a great day here in Ecuador. We left early in the morning for the Indian Market in Ortavalo and it was really fun. Lots of color, smells, sounds, and bartering going on. It will be a fun memory.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at a rural church up in the Andes. It was an incredible experience to interact with these people and see their true dependence on the Lord. There is something really neat about worshiping with other nationalities in different languages. It was a life changing experience for all of us. We even got to tell the I'm 3rd story! -We are back in Quito now and will be heading to a school tomorrow to doing some painting. In the afternoon, we will visit the equator and get a little science lesson. Should be awesome!

Keep praying for our trip. It has been so fun to see the Lord changing our lives during this trip!

Jesus lives in the hearts of Children in Ecuador!

2010-03-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Day 4 text from Ecuador!

Group,

8:20 pm here and another great day in Ecuador! Breakfast at the hotel in Lbarra. Lightly eaten due to "runny eggs" then off to shop at the Indian market. Boys all had fun shopping and looking. We ate lunch at KFC where we met the pastor of the church we were to visit. It was another hour + drive in the mountains to find the church. Small village and very poor. 30 min after we arrived, we learned that we were running the service. We rallied the boys and had a blessed time. All the boys shared in teams of two (via translator). We shared with the children and 15-20 came to Christ! VERY COOL! We layed hands on each and prayed. Then we laid hands on the sick. All of the boys did great! After a bunch of hugs, we struck out on the 3 1/2 hour bus ride back to our guest house. Pizza for dinner tonight. Still looking for a safe place to eat guinea pigs? Jennifer (missionary) is an RN and has given us a good food direction! Keep up the prayers. Dad Snapp

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 3

2010-03-14T17:42:00.001-07:00

Dinner after a day of being the hands and feet of Jesus in Ecuador.
The majestic waterfall!
Beautiful faces of the Quencha Indians, Ecuador.
Kanakuk IRONMAN missionaries loving on the children in Ecuador!
Do you see HIS face in these little ones?

SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2010

Tonight, we are in the middle of nowhere and we have wireless internet...go figure! We are currently on an overnight trip north of Quito visiting the Quencha Indians and having a great time. It took us awhile to get here, but once we arrived this morning, we have been off and running. Here is a little preview from our day:

Tomorrow is Sunday, so we are heading over the the native Indian Market to pick up some goods and then off to an Ecuadorian church in the afternoon. We will finish our day with a drive back to Quito.

Day 2 photos

2010-03-13T16:00:00.001-08:00

We received our first text from Parker tonight, this is what he had to say:

"Mom & Dad, Hey guys! How are you? This is so cool! I have taken lots of pictures! You can look at videos of us on the BARN 13 blog! Adios! Love parker

I love this boy so much! Can I just say we are so proud of him! When God trusted us to parent this boy, He gave us a true gift! We will, by His grace, return this gift in the form of a true servant and life long warrior for His kingdom! It is really awesome when you love spending time with your kid, he is one of the greatest people Jamie and I have ever met! We love you son!

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 2

2010-03-13T05:26:00.001-08:00

Well...we are having a blast here in Ecuador. Today was our first full day here and it was packed full of sun, kids, paint, Jesus, volcanos, and guacamole. We spent most of our day at the Carpungo school where we played with the kids. After lunch, we found ourselves doing a little painting around the school to help them out. The sun was out and shining so the sunscreen was in full effect today. After leaving the school, we headed to the mountains and took a gondola to the top of an active volcano. It was a really fun experience with incredible views...not to mention cool temperatures at 14,000 feet. We capped off the day with an authentic Ecuadorian meal. We were hungry and ready for bed. Here is a video recap of the day...

It has been really fun to watch the boys catching the vision for loving on the people of Ecuador. It was only day 2, but we have had some great discussions at night of how the Lord is working in our lives here.

Tomorrow, we are headed 2 hours north of Quito to Otavalo. We will be there for the next two days working with a rural school, visiting some waterfalls, shopping at an Indian Market, and going to an Ecuadorian church on Sunday. We will travel back to Quito on Sunday night. I'm not sure what our internet access will be like the next 48 hours, so it might be Sunday night before we get anything posted.

Until then, keep praying for us. We sure appreciate it.

Ecuador Mission Trip - Day 1

2010-03-12T09:58:00.001-08:00

MY Missionary in Ecuador

2010-03-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took Parker to St Louis, MO to fly out and meet the rest of his group in Miami, FL. He and 8 other boys are serving the Lord in Ecuador for the next week. These young men have completed a 2 year Bible study, IRONMAN, through Kanakuk Ministries. Each month they study a book in the Bible verse by verse, writing it out one verse at a time, write what it means, how they can apply it in their life and then write a prayer. At the end of the month they send it in to their counselor from KAMP who looks over it, writes them a note of encouragement and they send it back. It has been an asset for Parker and his walk with the Lord.

We met an incredible Christian family who live in St Louis, the Snapp's. The dad and son are 2 of the 12 missionaries. The Lord really provided the pathway for our relationship with this family. Jamie nor I were able to take off and accompany Parker on his trip to Miami, where he would connect with the group. (I offered and was willing to stay the entire week in Miami until they returned, but I had no takers on my twins for the week?) Dad Snapp secured Parker a ticket to mirror he and his sons travel plans and was the shepherd that delivered Parker safely to the group. Thanks, Dad Snapp. Mom and Dad Snapp hosted our family in their home last Saturday for a wonderful lunch. It was amazing how quickly we all got acquainted and friendships started to develop. The Body of Christ is the only place to live!

Dad Snapp has graciously texted us with updates all along the way. Their flight out of St Louis was delayed an hour due to the president, Obama flying out. They made it to Miami, were up EARLY to catch their flight to Panama, then into Quito, the capital of Ecuador. These are they 2 text we have received since they landed in Quito.

"We made it to Ecuador! Nice trip from Panama to Quito. Newer plane and only about 75% full. Yes all of our luggage did make it and we did not have to pay additional fees. The boys seem to be getting to know each other and having fun. Good group. Much of the focus is on food. Collin (leader) handed out a bible study and prayer focus spiral notebook to each of the boys. We are now off the plane and heading to baggage and customs. Please pray that this goes smooth and that all of our items arrive and we are not questioned about our gifts. We will meet Mickey(missionary) on the other side and travel to our lodging."

"We had a great first day. Spent time adjusting to the thin air. The guest house is very nice. 4 boys to a room upstairs and the 4 adults downstairs. 4-5 college age students are here to help from US and Canada. We ate lasagna (local style) for dinner. Everyone seems well, one boy was tired and slept 2-3 hours, another had a mild head-ache and needed a couple of Tylenol. Parker and son Snapp went full bore all afternoon! Mickey and Jenifer(a nurse) our missionary host are great. after dinner we had puppetry 101 and practiced songs in our new tongue. Breakfast at 7:30 then off to work with children at a local school and do some painting. Thank you for your prayers about customs! We went straight through and did not have one bag looked at! PTL!"

The missionary team has asked us to pray in agreement with them for

1. safety 2. life change for team and those they serve 3. that the Lords will be done

Please pray in agreement with us for these prayers to be answered in a mighty way!

Dad Snapp sent us this photo with this caption,"They tried to rest. Lasted about 10 min." :>)

Parker is in brown t-shirt getting ready to score the winning GOAL!, son Snapp is on the left on the ground, Collin/Sparky in gray t-shirt standing at the top right of photo.

Least of These Painting by Brian Keith Daniel

2010-03-05T14:37:00.001-08:00

This is the video of Brian Keith Daniel painting at our Celebrate Hope event February 27, 2010. The lady singing, Robyn Hosp, wrote this song for this painting at our event. We were blessed with so many talented worship artist who donated their time and talents to support Heart for Africa's first orphanage on Project Canaan. ENJOY!

God smiles on Celebrate HOPE!

2010-03-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

What a weekend. . . where do I even begin? God showed up. . . literally . . . He must have been pleased with our earthly efforts because the night was divine . . . something only He could do. Meeting Janine and Ian Maxwell and hearing first hand stories and plans for Project Canaan in Swaziland was exciting.

Brian Keith Daniel, an amazing worship artist from Atlanta, GA came and painted "the least of these" for the first time. If you have not witnessed Brian's ministry first hand you are missing something powerful. He donated the painting back to us to auction off that night. The dear friend of Teresa Birk that bought the painting for $8,000 donated it back to Teresa so it can be shipped to Africa to hang in the childrens home that will be built and dedicated in honor of Teresa's son, Jared who drowned 3 weeks after she returned home from Swaziland last summer. What a loving thing to do. . . I am just speechless. Brian Keith Daniel signed the painting, "for Jared" on the back.
We were set for 520 guests. We had to set up additional tables and chairs. Our community came out to support Celebrate HOPE big time! We do not have our final numbers yet but our goal was to raise $100,000 to build the first children's home on Project Canaan. The last unofficial count I heard was that after our expenses we raised $120,000. . . again I find myself without words. . . God is good!

After hearing Janine speak about the country of Swaziland: and how it's population has a negative growth rate; in 2005 the population was 1.1 million people and in 2008 it dropped to 950,000. This is directly related to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is estimated there are more than 200,000 AIDS orphans in Swaziland today and 8,000 more children orphaned every month. The average life expectancy in this tiny Kingdom in southern Africa (the size of the state of New Jersey) is only 29 years. A recent newspaper article in Swaziland claimed that without significant and immediate international intervention, there will be no adults living in Swaziland by the year 2020.

We issued this challenge to the 520 guest at the event, maybe they did not know the facts before they walked in the door this night, but now that they do know, now what?

. . . once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act. Proverbs 24:12
Jamie, Paeton and I with Janine and Ian Maxwell. True servants, the hands and feet of Jesus in Africa. Janine launched her new book, Is it okay with you?, earlier this day at our Barnes and Noble. If you have not read her first book, It's not okay with me, get it read it and then get the new book and read it.
Jamie, Yann, Rosalie, Melissa, me, and Daniel. These are our friends from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Yann, Melissa and Daniel are International students at the university here, SEMO. Rosalie is Daniel and Melissa's mother who is a Dentist in the Ivory Coast. The outfit Jamie is wearing was a gift from these friends. Yann brought it back with him from his Christmas visit with his family. Jamie makes a handsome African man . . . we teased him all night!

Celebrate Hope TONIGHT!

2010-02-27T05:15:00.000-08:00

Wow! How great is our God! Yesterday and into the night our team was fast at work setting up for Celebrate Hope. The VENUE, where the event takes place looks AMAZING! Our team of decorators really out did themselves. It smells so good in there. . . aahhhh. . . fresh cut flowers, lily's! Our community really came out to support HEart for Africa and our efforts to build the first children's home on Project Canaan. Our silent auction donations range from medical services, to 5 local photographers who donated packages, babysitters, gift baskets galore, spa services, tanning packages, make up, hair and body products, golf, restaurants, movie tickets, sports memorabilia, art from local artist, JEWELRY and a BIG BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND, household items, furniture, vacation homes, a guitar signed by Grammy artist Cheryl Crow, and a meal with Neal Boyd and much much MORE! Isn't it just amazing how God can touch hearts and bring people together to serve His children in Swaziland! I am just so humbled and honored to have been a small part and can not wait to see His plan revealed tonight!!

Is It Okay With You?

2010-02-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

I hope you have read the book, It's Not Okay With Me by Janine Maxwell. It tells how her life changed dramatically since she went to Africa to serve the least of these and found herself standing face to face with the AIDS pandemic and trying to understand what to do with 15 million orphans left in it's wake.

Janine has a new book, Is It Okay With You? I was given the privilege to read a copy before it has even been released. (it will be soon, be on the look out for it) In her latest book she challenges each of us to make a choice and then take action. While it is hard to read about children living in abject poverty and abuse, Janine challenges us to not wallow in our own sad

ness and apathy, but rather to be moved to action and DO SOMETHING!

In the last chapter of the book, Is It Okay With You? she makes this profound statement that I wholeheartedly agree with.

"He isn't asking us to go and serve so that we can clothe the children, build them a home or minister to them. He is simply giving us a gift. Why does the Lord want us to go and help the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the oppressed? Because that's where He is. He's inviting us to join Him in working where He is working. He is inviting us to come and work with Him, be with Him, listen to Him and be in relationship with Him. He is inviting us to go to Africa and see what He is doing with the orphans and widows in distress, and in so doing they would be blessed. We do not go out of guilt or remorse, but rather we go because it is a gift. Who wouldn't want to receive a gift our Creator has for us? Almost every person who travels and serves orphans and widows in Africa comes back changed. They believe they have been given a much greater gift than they could ever give. Why is that? How could that be? Only God can give a gift like that."

Are you prepared to accept HIS gift?

I recommend if you have not read these books, to get her first book and read it while you are waiting for the second to be released. When I find out the date I will post it on here.

Celebrate Hope, the event we are sponsoring to raise $$ for Project Canaan is this coming saturday. We have the pleasure of having Janine as our guest speaker for the event. If you have not purchased your tickets or if you can not afford your ticket but feel called to attend let me know so I can get you tickets. I am so excited to have been given front row seats to see how HE will use Celebrate Hope and multiply our efforts for His Kingdom.

BAPTIZED

2010-02-15T12:40:00.001-08:00

Phelix and Phisher were baptized on Saturday night at our church, La Croix UMC. They wore their traditional Ethiopian outfits we bought for them while we were in Ethiopia last summer. The boys looked so handsome and they were content through out the ceremony.

Here our Pastor, Ron is presenting them to the congregation. Holding the two of them at once is not easy. Good thing Pastor Ron works out, he is carrying around and extra 50 pounds :>)

It is Phishers turn to be baptized. Phisher has decided to help Pastor with his baptism. Instead of the sprinkling of Holy water Phelix received, Phisher wants immersion! :>)

In this photograph, Pastor Ron is telling the congregation that when we arrived home from Ethiopia with the boys and they went through all of their blood work here, Phelix tested positive for Hep C. When we found out these devastating test results, I took Phelix up to church to be prayed over by our prayer team. Three weeks later, after the confirmatory Hep C test, Phelix tested negative. We give all the praise and glory to our King Jesus!

It was an awesome ceremony. We were surrounded by friends, our church family and relatives. We are truly blessed and so very thankful to have been chosen to welcome the boys into our family.

Walking Phish

2010-02-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful day yesterday. It was in the 40's but with the sun out shinning so brightly it felt warmer. Phelix was sleeping soundly during his morning nap and Phisher was NOT sleeping. Lucky for him. . . he got to play outside! He is walking everywhere! No more crawling for him! His determination and work ethic are amazing. He may take 5 steps and fall, up he gets and is off again. He may take 15 or 20 steps then, boom down. Up he gets and starts it all over again. Always a smile, having the time of his life! Enjoy this little walking Phish!

13 and 1 the birthday boys

2010-02-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

This is the family. . . The Outman 6. . . not a famous as the Jackson 5. . .
This cutie is PHELIX! He has 3 bottom teeth, is simply the sweetest little fella ever! Phelix loves TV. He is addicted to Praise Baby and Sesame Street. Phelix loves GOLDFISH crackers, he has made them a new food group!
Here is PHISHER! He has one bottom tooth, has started to walk, and could give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money. He is always on the move, so fun, always a smile and his favorite book is Brown Bear Brown Bear.
This is a picture of the friends we had over for a little get together to celebrate the birthday boyz. Standing L to R Vicki and Jim Outman (Jamies parents), Yann, a SEMO international student from Ivory Coast, Africa. Irene, our very dear friend and her son Bill, then me. Seated L to R Jamie, Parker, Phisher, Ernest (Irene's son), Daniel, a SEMO international student also from Ivory Coast, Paeton, Phelix, the our dear friends the Beckings, Eric, Solie, Bianca, and Chantelle. What a fun group!
This is Parker aka Big Brother, who turned 13 the same day the twins turned 1. We thought it would be great to get a photo of him holding the twins on their birthday. As you know they grow up so fast, it won't be long and we will have a photo of the twins holding Parker on their birthday! Notice Parker's braces? He got those put on the day of his birthday. He likes to tell people he got braces for his birthday. Phelix and Phisher are so lucky to have this guy as their older brother. Parker is just an amazing son, he is an amazing person. He is currently going through Confirmation so he can join the church in the spring. He is going to Ecuador, South America next month on a week long mission trip with a group of guys that have completed 2 years of Ironman Bible study through Kanakuk Kamps. He has a heart for God and for Gods people. Parker, we are so proud of you son! You are an AMAZING kid and our family is so blessed having you in it! How you live your life, the 'I'm Third" way, 1. God 2. others 3. you is a testimony of your faith and character. We love you son!

GOD ROCKS!

2010-02-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

It has been an amazing 24 hours. I love to watch God work. Sometimes I feel embarrassed that I am so amazed at what He does. It is not that I do not think He can accomplish anything, I promise you I have a good understanding of just how AWESOME our God is. It is just that when I witness His work in my life and the lives of those around me, my jaw just drops and I get goose bumps and shivers up my spine. And I pray, fully expecting Him to show up but when He does, I am just so amazed.

With that being said I want to share with you how HE provided for a woman in my community. I will call her Rebekah. I met Rebekah in September of 2009. She came to our house to get our consent to have the twins evaluated for a state therapy program. Our first meeting was on professional terms but I believe she told me at this first meeting that she and her husband were full-time missionaries in El Salvador. She said that her husband drowned there after only serving in the mission field for three weeks. After she left my house, I could not stop thinking about this tragic story and what a strong and faithful Christian woman she was.

The next time I saw Rebekah was at a local eating establishment. Me and the 4 P's were grabbing a bite to eat and she asked if it was okay if she came over to say hello. I said sure and was already trying to figure out how to tell her how disappointed Jamie and I were that Phelix did not qualify for the program she works for. She was kind and commented on how much the boys had grown since she had seen them last. I am sure she never saw this coming but I just kind of said to her (as nice as a mother bear can be when she feel her cub has been unjustly treated) that I was not happy with the decision that was made and that I felt that my son should have qualified for the tx program. I told her about the therapy he was receiving through one of the hospitals and about some of the findings those therapist had. As kind as she could be, she told me she could understand my frustration and suggested that perhaps I would want to have him re-evaluated.

After the first of the year I called back and requested another evaluation for Phelix. Rebekah came to our home again to obtain consent for a therapist to come and evaluate him. It was during this meeting with Rebekah that I spoke to her of the Celebrate Hope event we were working with and invited her to come to the event. She asked me how much the tickets were and I told her $50 per couple or $30 for one. I sensed that this may not be in her budget and so I just asked her if she wanted to go I would be honored for her to be my guest. We talked more about her mission experience and she told me she believes God has a plan for her and that she hoped HE would use her again for His work. I told her a little more about the event and Heart for Africa, Janine Maxwell and her book, It's NOT Okay With Me. She then shared with me that other than South America and El Salvador the only other place she has felt called to go is Africa.

Since our third meeting, I have just felt that Rebekah was suppose to go on the Heart for Africa mission trip that is this July. The team that is going is a lot of the same team that is working to raise $100,000 to build the orphanage in Swaziland. I can just tell you that I have a sense that God wants Rebekah on this trip and that He may have plans to use her missionary heart through Heart for Africa.

Yesterday was our fourth meeting. I gave her the ticket for Celebrate Hope and invited her as my guest to a VIP event before the actual event to meet Janine Maxwell. I also gave her a copy of Janine's book to read. We talked about her going on the mission trip and she confided in me that she would, without a doubt go, but she did not have the $3,800 it cost to go.

The Holy Spirit whispered to my heart that I should contact the event team and share her story and ask them to pray that if the Lord wants her on this mission trip that He would provide financially and for how the Lord wants to use Rebekah for His glory in Africa possibly even through Heart for Africa ministries.

I emailed the team Rebekah's story and asked them for their prayer support. I received two emails back last night from team members who had attended the same church as Rebekah a while ago and both team members remembered her story and pledged their prayer and financial support for Rebekah's trip. This morning I heard from another team member that after she received my email about Rebekah yesterday, a friend of hers emailed her and said he had some money saved and wanted to know if he should give it to the Celebrate Hope event or if there was anyone that needed money to go on the July mission trip. My friend forwarded my original email to her friend and when she called me this morning she had just received another email from her same friend that said for Rebekah to clear her schedule he already had half of the money to pay for her mission trip and that he would make sure the rest was provided also.

See what I mean? Is your jaw not on the floor right now, are their goose bumps all over your body and is your spine tingling? I guess there was a lot of prayer going on through the night last night. He has made it known that Rebekah is suppose to be on this trip. He alone has provided the way. He is just so AMAZING. I wish you could have heard the phone call I got to make. Rebekah is so excited, so joyful, so thankful. We were both in tears. Both at a loss for words at what He accomplished over night.

I hope this story inspires you to do what He calls you to do, go where He calls you to go, step out in faith even when it is uncomfortable. Let HIM use you to accomplish His plans.

Be blessed! Soli Deo Gloria!

Let it snow. . .

2010-01-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

The 4 P's
Phelix playing in snow for the first time!
Phisher was pretty curious about the white fluffy stuff.

The little p's are not huge fans of the snow. The BIG P's sure gave it their best shot with sled rides and all. It snowed about 8" at our house last night, what a beautiful sight! Stay warm!

Heart for Africa Swaziland-our journey. their story

2010-01-27T14:22:00.001-08:00

Jamie and I are blessed to call Jeremy and Raelenna friends. This young couple have 4 children of their own and both work more than full-time jobs. Raelenna read the book, "It's not okay with me", by Janine Maxwell, last year and got "wrecked", they haven't been the same since. I read the book at the same time last year but the difference between Raelenna and I, is that she emailed the author after she read the book. She wanted Janine to know it was not okay with her either! Raelenna is now the orphan sponsor coordinator for Heart for Africa. Yes, she went to Atlanta, met with Janine for a weekend and now gives of herself, she volunteers, for this full-time position. She and Jeremy also led a group from our church last summer on a 2 week mission trip to Swaziland. The children they met in Swaziland stole their hearts and the LORD continues to ask them to, "feed HIS children." Raelenna just could not go back to life as normal once she returned home. She could not forget the faces of REAL children, children whom, when she recalled them, reminded her of her very own four children. She really felt that the LORD was asking her to step out boldly! She knew HE was asking her to commit to raise $100,000 to build the first children's home (orphanage) on Project Canaan. Yes, she double and triple checked with HIM to make sure she had indeed heard HIM correctly. She heard the evil one whisper doubts in her ear, " how can you raise $100,000 in just a short period of time?" "Everyone will think you are crazy, plus you'll never be able to do it." If you know Raelenna, then you know she loves kids, especially beautiful brown ones who are considered the least of these. And if you really know Raelenna then you know the one person she loves more than these is, the KING! So here we are, officially a month before CELEBRATE HOPE, the event that I wrote about earlier (go read my previous entry and visit, www.celebratehopecape.com) and we are right on track. Because of the trust and faith of my friend, God has ordained this project. You do not want to miss this awesome evening of fun. You want to be there, I tell you the truth, if you are looking for purpose and meaning in your life, if you are searching for evidence of God here on earth, you WILL find it here. I am so blessed to serve along side a team of dedicated Christians who have all personally accepted Raelenna's vision as their own. I love how God works, He is truly amazing and powerful. My own life has been stretched, and we as a family have stepped out boldly in faith when we adopted the twins. I tell you the truth, it is really crazy sometimes, but all of us feel so full, so focused and purposeful, happier then we have ever been, fully trusting in HIM and HIS plan for our family. I am so thankful we chose to step out in faith and allowed the Lord to lead us. . . we are so very blessed.

Help with the dishes

2010-01-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Phisher loves to help me in the kitchen. He is especially fond of the dishwasher! When Paeton was his age she had the same fascination with our dishwasher. I hope when Phisher is her age he still enjoys helping out with the dishes because Paeton is not interested anymore. A mom can wish can't she : D

Paeton and the rainbow cake

2010-01-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe on another moms blog who adopted from ET. I knew Paeton would want the challenge of making one of her own. I must say, she is quite the "CAKE BOSS!"

What no NAP will get you

2010-01-23T14:52:00.000-08:00

Phelix is a twice a day nap taker. He likes his sleep, he needs his sleep. On this day, he decided to try to keep up with Phisher who hardly naps at all. Phisher blesses this exhausted mother occasionally, and gives in to the nap. On this day, nobody napped until dinner time and Phelix fell asleep during his meal. We all laughed hysterically and scrambled for the camera for these fun photos. ENJOY

A Heart for Africa - Swaziland

2010-01-05T19:08:00.001-08:00

Jamie and I have the privilege to serve with an AMAZING group of Christians who are dedicated to bring H O P E to the orphans of Swaziland, Africa. We are helping with, Celebrate HOPE; an elegant evening of celebration, awareness and fundraising. Our dream is to raise $100,000 to build a children's home (orphanage) in Swaziland, Africa, immediately saving children from poverty. 100% of the proceeds from Celebrate HOPE will go to Heart for Africa to build an orphanage in Swaziland, Africa. To make this event a success we are seeking generous businesses and/or individuals willing to be an event sponsor and/or donate a service or item for our silent auction.

Please consider being a part of this AWESOME opportunity to educate our community and save these children from poverty. Visit our web site for more information on how to get involved, purchase tickets for the event, partner with us, and pray for our team and the orphans of Africa. We would be honored to have you join us in making this dream come true.