Tuesday, August 12, 2008

AN ANSWERED PRAYER

We must become less and He must become more.  We are learning that everyday along the journey.  After my trip downtown to DHR, which was a bit frustrating, we got a call two days later from the homestudy agency.  Our approval letter from DHR was sent the the US Immigration office!!!!  Now we wait for that office to assign us a time to go get fingerprinted, and then we can send our last document to El Salvador.
Ever since we began this process we have truly felt like God was going to provide.  How, we didn't really know, but we know He KNOWS.  We have not really talked about finances or asked anyone for help or applied for any grants etc.  God has been so faithful to provide funds through Dexter's job and creative budgeting at home.  Up to this point we have invested about $16,000.  We have $11,000 due to the agency by the end of October, and then we must begin to save for travel which could be $6-7,000 because we have to stay in country for 3 weeks.  All of this we are fully aware of; however, we are not worried or anxious about it because we see all that God has done for us, and He will not bail out on us.  For the past week I have felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to pray more fervently about finances.  My prayer has been something like this, "God how do you want this to be done, what do you want me to do?"  Also during this week my friend Jenni Bass encouraged me to look into the Shaohannah's Hope ministry for financial grants, having heard about it through an interview with the Steven Curtis Chapman family.  This Sunday at church my friend Tammy Griffin felt the Lord leading her to pray for me and the adoption, and she really didn't know why.  The things she prayed for specifically were to guide us through the process, hear some news to help us through the waiting, and for finances.  There it is again.  At this point I really don't know what God is up to, and He hasn't really told me to do anything, so I am just sitting and waiting on Him.  We have  payment due to the agency at the end of August for $5,500. 
Where God has us as a family and in our church is learning to respond to HIM, just say "Yes, Lord".  Yesterday when I got home from work, I received an email from one of the attorneys that oversee our adoption agency.  I have been waiting to hear from him for over 2 months about traveling to El Salvador to see the orphanages and meet the liaIson in country.  The timing of his response was a true answer to prayer.  He emailed us to extend a $5,000 scholarship and possibly some additional help with the remaining $6,000.  WOW!!!  Tammy's prayer on Sunday was miraculously answered within 24 hours.  Thank You Jesus!!!  I cannot express in words the depth of intimacy I have been feeling with the Lord lately.  When things like this occur, it drives me to seek Him more!  He hears our prayers. He knows our needs. He is faithful to complete the work He began in us. Our family is praising Jesus for this miracle, and our prayer is that as you seek HIM, you will acknowledge Him in everything from the smallest miracle to the greatest because ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!!! 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I read something this morning and it seems to confirm what the Lord is doing in your heart about trusting him for this adoption.

The small book is called "God Calling" and the title of today's msg was "I must Provide."

this is what it said...I am your Lord. Enough. Then I can command your obedient service, your loyalty. But I am bound by My Lordship to give you protection. I am bound to fight for you, to plan for you, to secure you a sufficiency of all within My Power to provide. Think how vast that provision can be. Never doubt. Such marvels are unfolding. Wonders beyond your dreams. They only need the watering of a grateful spirit and a loving heart to yield abundantly.

Love you Patricia and Dexter!