The Value of Living in Community

Taking a family of 4 to a foreign land for 2 weeks is kind of a big deal. It's more than just the cost, which, that alone is big, considering 8 days of mission and 4 flights will come at a minimum of $6,500.  Our team working with Project Hope desires to help in bigger ways...like coming up with items for blessing bags, to arts and crafts for the VBS, to helping them with items for their new hotel for missionaries and adoptive families to stay, to helping adoptive famlies pay for their adoptions...and even more important than all of that is ADVOCATING for these kids...making people AWARE...bringing the HOPE of the GOSPEL to those who do not know...

Taking a family whose kiddos were born in this land also has many heart issues to deal with...our kids are going to see some very hard, and parts of some of  their roots are going to be revealed in an eye opening way, so, we need to be prepared to walk them through this...we don't take this lightly...we covet your prayers!

This past weekend, along with the last few months, it's like God is saying, "I've got this."  And HE so does...

Before our yard sale, our kids sent out letters to very specific people that they new would want to partner with them through donations and prayer, it's a humbling process to see how family and friends jumped on that...we are grateful!

We, along with our friends traveling still needed to do more for this trip.  We went back and forth, do we do a fundraising dinner (I don't like those-but was willing: ) or a Yard Sale.  The door kept closing/never felt right for the dinner, so we put it out there and the items of donations kept rolling in...so much that friends donated $1,450 worth of items!  Praise the Lord!

Here's a little glimpse into what we experienced through our yard sale...  

  

I have known my friend Becky to be a servant, but, WOW, did God show me more about this gem and fellow adoptive mom that I get to spend 8 days with in Bogota! She SHINES for the kingdom of God, she is a worker, persistant, she is humble, she is gracious...she is passionate about adoption and sharing the good news of Christ not just with words, but, with actions! Her heart is so pure and full of Christ.  God has blessed us with INCREDIBLE families to serve with on this trip!!!   

And her son, Dante, a positive, happy, super contentable, willing kid!  He has leadership skills, and a contagious personality!  Our kids will really benefit from serving alongside him! 

Did I say that so many people donated from this community!?!  Oh my word...below, Silas' friend Skylar gave a bunch of water bottles and gatorades with his own money to help the kids of Project Hope!  Teachers, neighbors, friends, classmates were coming out and filled their lemonade    container with $210 in 3 days!

Love our kid's friends!

And it wasn't always in the giving and the donating of stuff...this little picture of Marta and her friend is such a picture of the gift of time.  Taking Marta out of this chaotic sale day was so helpful to myself and Marta, on a holiday weekend!  

I've learned that when we have these ideas and dreams, and open our hearts to being obedient to God's calling, God just comes through, He is in all the details and He makes things happen. It doesn't mean we don't have to work hard to get there, and some times it will cost us (adoption, traveling, loving on broken bundles - it's costly)... The value of living in community, loving others, being invested in people's lives...it's God's way!  He loves people!  He wants us to love people! We are going with families passionate about adopiton, love their kids so big it hurts...and more importantly, we are going to love the poor, love the orphaned, love the broken hearted, love each other...and my friends, when we Go in the name of Christ, whether it's in our front yard or across the ocean God just does crazy things! THANK YOU ZEELAND COMMUNITY and FAMILY for showing us your love..the prayers, donations, time...it brought me to tears this weekend, and this BIG LOVE you all shared is going to travel over the ocean to another land...and it's going to keep on giving and spreading...and that my friends, is the value of living in community!  It does take a village!  I hope this encourages you to do life with families that share your passions...there is no telling what God will do next...