Sorry for the lapse

It seems I've failed in promising to blog more.  Things have been so hectic in our lives during the past few weeks. 

Our good news is, we've been chosen as sponsored families for Ten For Orphans for the month of September and also for the Hidden Treasures auction for October.  I'm praying that these fundraisers will help our efforts. We really need the help at this point.  We're sadly underfunded.  Anyone who would like to help with the Hidden Treasures auction, please read this post to find out how!!

Another bit of good news is that our dossier is in country!  A wonderful mom named Aimee took it with her on her own adoption trip and hand delivered it to our lawyer.  Christiana's country had a national holiday in July/August, so the ministry is just getting back to work.  Hopefully they'll get to our dossier soon and give us a travel date in October.  Although we don't have the funds right now... we're really hoping for a travel date soon.  We hope God will keep speeding us along in our adoption the way that he has since the beginning and provide good travel dates and the funds to buy our tickets and pay our fees.

Did any of you see that another orphan from Christiana's orphanage has found a home?  "Tommy" has been chosen by Katie's family!  I am so happy for them.  I can only imagine how he will grow and thrive in such a loving and wonderful family.  If you haven't checked out their blog, or don't know who Katie is... you should take a look. 

The Musser family has been such an inspiration for me and Susanna has been such a kind, and wonderful friend. 

Now for the sad news.  Many of you know that my mother has been with hospice for the last 9 months.  After healing from NPH (hydrocephalus), she was diagnosed with cancer again.  After 7 years, her breast cancer had returned.  Unfortunately, it had returned in her spine, chest, brain, and other areas.  Due to her age, health, and the placement of the cancer... treatment wasn't an option.  For 9 months she enjoyed good spirits and a wonderful life. 

But a month ago, she began a sudden decline.  She is now very near the end of her journey.  It has been so hard to watch her deny her condition and make plans for the future.  It has been harder to see the cancer in her brain cause dementia, pain and anger.  My mother is one of the sweetest, kindest ladies on earth and seeing her suffer is heartbreaking. 

It has been even harder for my father.  He's 89 years old and has been married to my mother for 65 years.  His greatest fear has always been losing my mother. 

So please pray for our family.  For my mother, father, and sisters.  They all need it so much. 

Little Ones Finding Homes

I realized today that there are only two children left on Reece's Rainbow (from Christiana's orphanage) who haven't found families. They're both newly listed, so it's very possible that they will have families soo, too.
 http://reecesrainbow.org/39937/penny-2

http://reecesrainbow.org/39926/payton

Would you like to know how this was achieved and who made it possible? I'll tell you. It was made possible through the tireless work of a large group of people who have advocated for these sweet children and spread word of their need all over the internet! Here are a few of them....

Shelley Bedford. http://www.only1mom.com/
 She's a wonderful woman who has found families for so many children. She is the one who raised the funds to get medical care for the children who desperately needed it in the orphanage and who has been coordinating donations of special formula for them.

Amanda Unroe. http://lifeofthemomofmany.blogspot.com/
 Amanda just returned from Christiana's home country where she adopted 5 little sweeties.

Susanna Musser. http://theblessingofverity.com/
 Many of you know her as "Katie's Mom". She's worked tirelessly to spread awareness about the  terrible conditions that these children suffered in.

And last, but not least... all of the amazing women in the Reece's Rainbow group on Facebook. There are way too many to list here. Wonderful, generous, loving, kind... these words don't begin to describe them.

One last thing... I was asked recently if I thought it was possible to save "all of them" (orphans).  (It was asked with sarcasm, by the way.)
My answer is... probably not.  But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.  If only one out of the 143 million orphans in the world (yes... there are really that many) finds a home, it's worth it.  It's worth all of the blogging, fundraising, travelling, and effort. 

This girl... SHE is worth it all.

She is my 1 in 143 million.  She is my daughter.  Christiana Renee Matthews.