Katie Day, Soccer, and Our Newest Musician

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Psalm 118:24

It is Friday morning in Mongolia as I type this, and Katie has a family!  She is an orphan no more!  The Mongolian officials finalized the paperwork Thursday afternoon, and in a few short hours Katie's new mama, daddy and big bothers will attend a going away party at Katie's orphanage, given on her behalf.  When they walk out the orphanage doors, they will have their long awaited daughter with them, and it will be forever.  Welcome Home Katie!  Please continue to pray for the Lord to work out all of the birth certificate/visa/passport/ details . . .  there are many (and it is complicated as Melissa and her family are stationed overseas) but nothing is too complicated for our really BIG God!  Thank you Father God for moving mountains on Katie's behalf. Thank you for her family.  Please comfort her heart Lord as she leaves all she knows behind, and begins a new day.  Thank you bloggy friends for praying. Update: Word from Melissa this morning says Katie is really struggling.  She's very, very sad and wants to go home (back to the orphange).  Lots of tears.  Please lift her up to the One who can comfort her. I can't even begin to imagine her heartache at being taken away from all she knows.  Please also continue to pray for Rebecca and David and their four babes waiting in Brazil . . . no new word yet.

In other news . . .

Brogan played his first soccer game last Saturday morning in the Under 5 league.  They play six players to a team, with just three players from each team on the field at a time.  This makes for a lot of playing time, and plenty of room for instruction.  The main focus of the first game was to kick the ball.  Hopefully towards the opposing team's goal.  Hopefully.  No score is kept, but that certainly doesn't dampen the excitement.  Brogie took the field grinning, in true Grinner style!  He loved it.  What happened to my baby?  He'll be five in a week and a half!

Kick it Grinner!

Go, baby, go!

Doing a "throw in" from the sideline, 

while daddy coaches from behind.  

(Thank you daddy for volunteering to be the assistant coach.)

Post game cheer.  GO HORNETS!

The head coach (in gray) is absolutely wonderful . . . not that the assistant coach (daddy) isn't.  I was just so impressed, and thankful.  He gathered the kids around him after the game, and on one knee, one child at a time, looked them in the eye, called them by name and said, "Do you know what I love about how you played?"  And then proceeded to tell each of them what they did well!  What a blessing to see character building come first.  Soccer second.  Thank you coach.

One more update from the homefront . . . 

There is a new musician in the house.  She strums.  And she flits.

Happiness is a pink guitar, so you can jam with your brothers.

She played for an hour straight the first time, without putting it down.

(I am using the word played very loosely.)

We love you, our strumming little hummingbird!

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

Happy Birthday Thayne! (and a prayer request update)

Wishing a  . . .

Happy Sweet Sixteen

to another one of my faithful blog followers, my nephew Thayne Christian!

Happy Birthday Thayner, may the Lord bless your birthday and all of your days to come.

I am so proud of you and the way you shine your light!

Love you!  Aunt T~T (and all)

Blessings from my nest~

Tina

Prayer request update:

~ Melissa's latest blog post says still no word that the Mongolian committee has met.  Please continue to pray for a speedy finalization.  They were able to spend much of the day with Katie yesterday.  Thank you Lord!

~ No new word on David and Rebecca's situation, please continue to pray for favor with the Brazilian courts, so that they can bring their four babies HOME!

Thanks for praying!  T~

Update from Mongolia

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.  Proverbs 25:25

A wonderful update to yesterday's prayer request . . . 

My friend Melissa has finally met and held her daughter Katie!  They had a successful interview (during our night) with the Mongolian officials and shortly thereafter Melissa and her husband and their two boys were allowed to go and meet their five year old daughter, Katie, for the very first time!  Katie is in a Christian run orphanage in Mongolia.  Melissa and her family were welcomed in and were able to spend two hours with Katie.  They have been told that they may visit anytime. Thank you Jesus!  Their blog is private but trust me when I say the sight of Katie with her mama on one side and her daddy on the other, is priceless.  As well as the pictures of Katie wrapped in the arms of her big brothers. To give you an idea of her cuteness, Katie has the sweetest cheeks that might as well have "kiss me" printed right on them!

The orphanage was celebrating one of the children's birthdays, so Melissa and her family planned to leave before the party started.  Katie went and found an empty chair, pulled it up next to her own and promptly told her new brother (age 8) to "sit down" in English!  So he did!  I'd say she is off to a great start.  What are little sisters for if not to boss around big brothers?  

So the request for today from Melissa is this,  "We still need LOTS of prayer because we don't know when the committee will meet and issue their final approval.  If it's not tomorrow, (Wednesday Mongolia time, Tuesday night U.S. time) there's probably no way that we will come home together.  Please keep praying.  We KNOW that God can work a miracle here!"  

Melissa also left a comment on the post below (this is part of it), "We are humbled and honored that you are praying and fasting for our situation--bringing us before the Throne of Grace. It brings us to tears to think of people all over the world who don't even know us joining with us in our journey to our daughter. Your continued prayers mean so much!" 

So over the next 24 hours or so we pray hard that Mongolia will finalize things NOW!  So that this family can all leave Mongolia together.  Thank you Lord that Katie has met her family, and that they have met her.  Lord, please continue to move this mountain on their behalf.  We praise you knowing that you are bringing Katie home!  

Please also continue to lift up Dave and Rebecca's situation (see below).  Pray that God would move on the hearts of the Brazilian officials to give this family a little more time, even as we pray for God to work out the details!  He is ABLE!

Thank you friends for praying, I am touched by your kindness.  

Blessings from my prayin' nest ~

Tina

Will You Please Pray? (updated)

Hello friends,

I have a couple of big prayer requests to share with you.  As you read through these would you please lift these families (and their waiting babes) up in prayer?

My friend Melissa and her family have been in Mongolia for eight days now and still have not met their precious Katie (age five) who is waiting for them.  Melissa and her family are the first American adoption to take place under Mongolia's new (and yet to be figured out) adoption process.  As of today they were finally granted the interview that they were promised would take place last Wednesday.  The interview is set for tomorrow morning (Tuesday) at 11:00 in Mongolia.  After this interview they will finally be allowed to meet their precious girl.  The following  is a part of Melissa's request from this morning . . .

"After this interview, they will present the results to the whole committee and they will make the final approval. Only after that can we start the finalization paperwork. It takes 3 days for a birth certificate and 2 days for a passport, another 2 days after that for the US visa and we can't even get the Japanese embassy to see us to find out about their visa.

It will take a miracle for us to all go home together! This process is getting more expensive everyday and now we are adding the increased costs of the new airline tickets . . .  Please pray that after our interview tomorrow, we will get a definite time for the final committee meeting that will give us final approval. This meeting needs to happen WEDNESDAY if there will be any way for us all to go home together."

Please pray for favor for Melissa's family.  Pray that the Lord would provide the paperwork miracle that they need so that they may return to Japan (where they are stationed) together- as a family of five. (As opposed to sending dad and the boys back on tickets already purchased, and paying a large sum to change M's and Katie's tickets.)  Pray that their union with Katie would be perfectly blessed despite the stress.  It has been well over two years since they began his adoption process which at the time they were told would take around 9 months . . . it has been a long haul.  Please pray Katie into the arms of her mama!

My second request is for a family in Michigan (friends of my dear sister).  . .

Dave and Rebecca are the parents of five children.  They visited Brazil on a mission trip, and shortly thereafter they felt the Lord calling them back to Brazil to adopt. They thought they would bring home a baby girl, but as His thoughts are higher than ours, the Lord led them to a sibling group of FOUR.  (Three older children approx. 9, 7 & 5, and a baby who is 18 months)  Obediently this family began the paperwork process to bring these four children home to be a part of their family forever.  

This is where the story gets tough . . . Dave (like so many other hard working Americans) has lost his job.  No job = no adoption.  Brazil has given them a deadline of March 12, THIS Thursday, for Dave to find employment (making at least $60,000  a year) or they will halt the adoption.  To make matters worse, the children will be sent from Brazil to Europe, and the baby will be separated from his siblings forever.  Those of you who have adopted understand that for all intents and purposes these babies are already Dave and Rebecca's.  They have their pictures . . . these precious faces are a part of this family of seven's hearts.  Please pray that the Lord would move this mountain on behalf of Dave and Rebecca and their five children, and on behalf of their other four children waiting in Brazil.  This seems huge to us (especially in Michigan's failing economy), but nothing is too big for our really big GOD!

Psalm 68:8 says, "God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those who are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land."

Thank you dear ones for praying.  May your day be blessed!

With love from my nest ~

Tina

Edited to add: My (our) dear friend Linn at A Place Called Simplicity

has suggested we fast all or part of tomorrow as we lift these families up to the Father.  I will be joining her.  If anyone else feels led to do so please join us!

Also, I just talked to my sister, and Dave had a job interview at the end of last week.  They have asked him to come for a second interview, but it is after the deadline set by the Brazilian court.  Dave and Rebecca's agency is asking the Brazilian officials for a little more time, knowing that the courts are very strict.  We know that God is bigger than any of these details.  Please pray that Dave and Rebecca would be granted a grace period, and that Dave would be hired for this job! Thank you bloggy friends, you are the best!  T~

My Houston Birthday Trip, and a B~day Wish . . .

For those of you taking a first glance, no I did not turn 17 on my birthday trip to Houston . . .

It has been brought to my attention that I have a very faithful blog follower named Hannah. Hannah lives in Michigan and she is the beautiful daughter of my precious blogger friend Bonnie (who just happens to be my sister's bestest friend).  Hannah is turning "17" today,  and I thought it would be fun to honor her here!  Happy Birthday sweet Hannah, may the Lord bless your birthday, and all your days to come!  Thank you for keeping up with us, it blesses my heart!

And now on to my birthday road trip, which actually took place in January.  (I have several good reasons why it has taken me so long to post this, but I won't bore you with them here.) :)  

About two miles down the road I turned to check on Flit and Grinner and this was the sight that met my eyes.

I'm telling you, they are a match made in Heaven.  Precious babies!  

We left San Antonio for Houston on Saturday morning for the long Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.  It's about a three hour road trip.  Much more convenient than the 28 hour road trip home to Michigan.  Sorry, I am easily side-tracked.  Does three hours even qualify for a road trip?  I think it does if you have to stop along the way to use public restrooms.  We did.  I digress.  Again.  Since Frankie the Fiance lives in Houston his apartment was our free (and very comfortable I might add) accommodations!

On Saturday evening we had the pleasure of eating dinner with two of Teddi's orphanage sisters, and their families.  Both families live in the Houston area and were gracious enough to drive to Frankie' side of town to meet us.  There were thirteen of all together (counting parents  and siblings) and we had a wonderful time of fellowship and catching up!

Zhuhai moms . . . myself, Carol, and Kristy

 . . . and our Zhuhai sweeties, Joy, Teddi, and Jen!

On Sunday afternoon (my actual birthday) Frankie took us to a great park in Houston known as Discovery Green. This gorgeous park was created where the convention center parking lot once stood.  They moved the parking lot underground--beneath the park.  How cool is that?  You can only see bits of it here, but there was an outdoor ice skating rink, a great playground for the kids, a small lake, grassy hills to play and roll on, and all kinds of cool stuff . . . like huge sculptures made completely from recycled materials.  It was an unseasonably warm day, and we had such a great time!  Thank you Frankie for taking us!

This water feature was a great hit!

Trying not to get "too" wet.

JOY!

Posing by one of the sculptures.

The littles . . .

and the bigs.

After the park we celebrated with dinner at Pei Wei!  Yum!  Later that evening we went back out for birthday ice cream and gift opening.  It was much fun.  

I forgot my camera, so these last two are courtesy of Taylor's cell phone . . .

I wish I was eating that sundae right about now! 

(Yes, it was as big as it looks . . . it was my birthday remember?)

Happy Birthday to me! 

Thank you Frankie for your hospitality, and to my family (including Frankie) for making it a wonderful time.  I was missing Bryce and Brady, but did receive birthday wishes from both of them that day, as well as a really pretty watch from my bigs!

I am officially 46 years old.  How did that happen?  I never dreamed way back when that I would celebrate my 46th birthday with two four year olds-- who both belonged to me!  Then again I never dreamed way back when that I would celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary with a six week old baby.  Brogie.  I did dream of being a mama, and I wanted it to last a very long time. It is.  I did dream of going to China some day to bring home a daughter.  I did.  I did dream that my older children would grow up to be kind and loving young adults.  They have.  I did dream that I would marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after.  I did.  

I am 46 years old, and I am living the dream!  Thank you Jesus.  My life is incredibly blessed!

Blessings from my incredibly blessed nest ~

Tina

 

A Word For Wednesday

Encouragement is awesome.

It has the capacity to lift a man's or woman's shoulders.

To spark the flicker of a smile on the face of a discouraged child.

To breathe fresh fire into the fading embers of a smoldering dream.

To actually change the course of another human being's day, week, or life.  

~ Charles  R. Swindoll

Thank you bloggy buddies for the sweet encouragement you are to me!

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

More Babies are Comin' Home!

Within a matter of hours in Nanning, China this sweet little man will be an orphan no more! 

Will you pray for little G's heart as he leaves behind all he has known to gain a family forever?  You can follow my friend Doreen's journey to this sweet boy here.  I have blogged about Doreen before.  We "met" while she was in the midst of a painfully long wait for her LOA (letter of acceptance) from China.  The wait hit 199 days!  Doreen will tell you herself that it wasn't always pretty, yet I know she never stopped trusting the Lord to bring His plan to fruition.  Now soon, very soon the wait will be over as G is placed in his mama's arms forever, an orphan no more.

Would you also pray for my friend (and former neighbor) Melissa?  Melissa waited faithfully with me for Teddi, even as she was in the midst of a much longer wait for her Mongolian treasure, Katie.  I am pleased to announce that Melissa and her family (who are now stationed in northern Japan) are headed for Mongolia, as I type!  Please, if you would, pray for a favorable interview process with the Mongolian officials, and that Melissa and Greg, and big brothers Kyle and Cole, won't have to wait long to be united with their little ladybug!  M's blog is private, but trust me when I say that five year old Katie is cuter than cuter, and I for one cannot wait to see her in her mama's arms!

Finally, a little Ren update . . .

Just look at the precious smile of a little boy who is an orphan no more!  Ren's new family is Canadian, so they have left Guangzhou for Beijing to finalize Ren's adoption.

Behold the cuteness . . . Ren and his new big sister Claire who came home two years ago from China.  Claire is eight months older than Ren, but as you can see Ren has stepped into a "big" little brother position!  

Thank you to my friends Melissa, Doreen and Monica for allowing me to share your joy.  Thank you to my bloggy buddies for following along.

Blessings from my thankful nest ~

Tina