Albania, here we come!!!!!

Picking up where we left off last time, our bake sale for our town's Harvest Festival was a huge success.  Our kids baked, decorated, set up, hustled right along side us.  We were very encouraged when volunteers at the festival heard what we were raising money for and took time to pray over our family at the start of the day!

Our youngest met up with one of his friends. They grabbed a tray of cookies and began to walk the crowded street selling to all who fell sway to their charm (even other vendors selling food!) They sold all the cookies and then began to tackle the brownies.

When we held the bake sale for our adoption in 2008 we were able to bring in about $500. I was hoping maybe to do about $750. Jen prayed asking God for $1,000. He answered and we left the festival having made over $1,000.

We have continued to sell items off the facebook page throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas and we have received a few donations bringing our total to $3,430.  We now have travel dates of April 21 - May 4 and are trusting God for the remainder of the funds.

In the meantime we are busy preparing to travel.  While in Albania we will be helping to build a perimeter wall around a future building site for the ministry.  Our kids will be helping to lead a craft for the children that visit the center. Jen and I will have different opportunities to speak and teach at the men's and women's bible studies.

Please continue to pray us as we prepare to travel and make all the necessary arrangements for our  time in Albania. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to share His light and love of Jesus with everyone we meet in this journey. Please pray also that the remainder of money that we need would come in.

We're Back!

There has been massive upheaval in our personal lives the last three months forcing us to press pause on the trip to Albania, and move back the dates that we were planning on traveling.  We are just now being able to move forward.

Since we last posted we have received passports for all the kids. The remaining costs will primarily be plane tickets.

We received a tremendous amount of support as we first launched, and continue to do so.  Family members in other parts of the country have taken up our cause to help raise funds for our travel. Some have even bought our luggage. This is encouraging beyond words, in that while we have been unable to do anything here temporarily, God has been providing through others!

Our next big event will be at our town's harvest festival this month.  We will be selling baked goods along with some of the other items we've listed online.  Out of all the fundraisers we did during the adoption, this was our favorite (we're still recouping from the yard sales!).

Please be praying for our family as we wait to see God's provision in every aspect of this adventure!

A New Adventure

As new parents, we were clueless. Our highest goal could be summed up simply as "Try not to screw the kid up, . . .too badly".

We were saved when we were challenged to parent with vision, to see our calling as parents as more than just trying to raise functional citizens in society.  We were to know our children's hearts, their giftings and their callings.  We were to train them in the way they should go.

Our charge was not only to teach our children the values and lifestyle of the Kingdom of God, but to demonstrate and walk alongside them as they grew in understanding.  Not just good citizens in society, but citizens of His kingdom, walking in power, freedom, and the fullness of His love.

Four years ago we adopted our youngest son from Bulgaria.  When our journey was finished we realized that one of our strengths during that time was that my wife and I never saw the adoption as "our thing", but rather a family journey.  Our children prayed, labored, and contended for faith right alongside us.  Ever since then, we've chosen to see everything we do as a "family thing".

Originally we had plans to adopt from Albania.  We researched the country and fell in love with it.  During that time we met the wonderful Waggoner family (Waggoner News and World Report)that was in the process of adopting their second child from Albania.

Unfortunately the adoption agency we were with closed its Albania program. Our hearts were broken, but we were led to Bulgaria where we met our youngest son.  Throughout the process we continued to stay in contact with the Waggoner family and have continued to carry a burden for the people of Albania ever since. 

Since that time the Waggoners have moved to Albania as full time missionaries, and we have continued to dream of doing a short term mission trip to Albania as a family.  Family was God's idea.  He has chosen to reveal Himself to us as Father. It is only fitting that He would be made known in and through family.

Early this year, the Waggoners invited us as a family to come for a two week period this fall to serve along side them in the village of Vlashaj, Albania.  We've spent the year debating whether it was the right time or not, but it seems that God has lined things up for us.  Its a shorter prep time than what we would have chosen, but God does His best work in impossible circumstances.

While our exact itinerary has yet to be determined, our children will not just be tagging along. They're part of the team and there will be plenty of work for them to do.  The Waggoners tell us that the ministry yard in Vlashaj is visited by Albanian children every morning, many of whom speak English.  Our children will have the opportunity to interact with them daily.

We've wrapped up our last blog as we feel we've transitioned into a new stage of life with our son. This blog will go on indefinitely and primarily be a source of family updates and such, but for the time being, we will kick it off with updates and prayer requests concerning our Albanian adventure.

We'd love for you to join us here for the journey.  We will desperately need your prayers.  In the coming days we'll be providing links to fund raiser sites.  If you would consider supporting us on this adventure it would mean so much to us!