Celebrate Hope TONIGHT!

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?

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

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

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

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!

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!