Weaving Families Magazine

Our friends at Weaving Families Adoption Ministry have created a free online magazine that features encouraging and inspiring stories of adoption and individuals/organizations that are serving vulnerable children and families around the world. Included in this issue is an article I wrote describing how Across All Borders came to be and an ad for AAB. In a world where there may seem to be little hope for orphans, a peak inside the magazine reminds us that there is hope and that the Lord is waiting for each of us to open up our lives so that He may use us to care for His children. Please visit their site and help them spread the word about it. Click here to view the Weaving Families magazine.

Wild Olive

I love supporting businesses that were created by families that have grown through adoption. And it's a big plus if the business gives back in some way to help children that have not yet been adopted and may never be. I recently came across Wild Olive while looking for unique tshirts because I'm a jeans and tshirt kind of girl and I wanted something new to bring to Guatemala since the AAB shirts will not be ready until closer to October. I was so excited to find their site because they have tshirts that can speak to many people without that cheesiness factor (and you know how some shirts are just cheesey...their's are not at all cheesey). So I was looking through site, wanting to order every shirt that I saw, but knowing that I could not order them all and then I found this one:

ROOTED...I had to order it immediately. How could I not wear this shirt in Guatemala? The last time I was there, I found myself on the floor searching through my Bible and praying for some kind of hope and for some reason Ephesians 3:14-19 is what I landed on (after Ephesians 2:1-10) and it is what gave me the tiniest glimmer of hope. I am sure that it is what helped to start my complete turn around in Guatemala....when I went from wanting desperately to leave to wanting to live out the rest of my life there. I got the shirt in the mail yesterday and I LOVE IT! And now I really want to order all of them, especially my other 2 favorites:

If you like their stuff as much as I do, stop by their site today and pick out your new favorite shirt.

Anna

In December, right after I contacted Carol with Servants 4 Him, but before we were even considering a possible partnership between our two organizations, I was told about a woman named Anna.

Anna lives in El Tizate. She is a single mother with 6 children. She adopted 3 of the children two years ago after they were abandoned by their mother. For a while, she was able to make money to care for her children by baking bread and selling it to restaurants, but her stove was repossessed by the ministry that had given it to her as a gift because they changed their minds (this was NOT Servants 4 Him). She has since been working in the fields and at any other job she can get. Through it all, she remains diligent and continues to speak and trust in God's kindness and provision.

Last week Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now, more than ever, she is in need of more than I can imagine. Servants 4 Him is working with her and they are currently making a much needed addition to her home, but more needs to be done.

This woman has been on my heart since I first heard of her. And her name was on my list of things to discuss with Carol today, but before I could even ask about her, Carol mentioned her. She does not live in Pueblo Nuevo, but her village is close. I was hoping to hear wonderful news about her today and have been praying that she would not need any assistance when I asked about her, but instead I heard that she has been diagnosed with cancer. Only God knows what her future will be and only He knows what the future holds for these 6 precious children. In June, we will be meeting with Anna and Across All Borders will be doing whatever we can do to help her and her family. There are so many families just like this in Guatemala, but having a name, having this constant pull at my heart about THIS woman...THIS family, sitting here and being able to so clearly see God's hand nudging us to them...lets me know that this is another answer.

I am not sure why I felt the need to write about her today, but I can't get her off my mind....not that I want to. There are so many families that we will be working to assist in Pueblo Nuevo, so Anna's family is just 7 people in a little village 15 minutes from Antigua. People like her live all over Guatemala and all over the world, but SHE is the one that is on my heart today and has been for months. I cannot wait to meet Anna. Please pray for her with us. She believes God can do great, miraculous things...and we are believing with her.

Is it OK if I do a drive for Across All Borders?

I LOVE emails like this!

ABSOLUTELY! We are in need of many different items right now and appreciate any help we can get in collecting these things. A couple of people have asked about this lately, so I want to let everyone know what we are currently requesting and what types of drives would be helpful.

We are still collecting OTC meds & hygiene products for the June trip. I have June 1st listed as our deadline for receiving donations for this trip, but because I have been sorting and organizing shipments as we get them, we are able to take items through June 15th and still get them to Guatemala on June 19th. We will be in need of these items every time we travel to Guatemala, so if anyone would like to do a drive to collect things like shampoo, tylenol, lice treatments, baby meds, etc., it would be a HUGE help.

For Christmas - Our Christmas trip to Guatemala is December 14-18, but we must have all items (except for meds & hygiene products) in by Sept. 25 because an advanced shipment will have to be made in early October. We are in need of shoes (boys, girls and adult) and toys for this trip and would sincerely appreciate anyone that wants to do some type of toy or shoe drive in your community, church, through your job or any other outlet you may be able to use. Shoes and toys can be new or used if in good condition.

If you are planning to do a supply drive or have questions about how to start/run a drive, please email me at terry@acrossallborders.org.

If you would like to donate items personally without starting a drive, you may mail your donations to:
Across All Borders
P.O. Box 14086
Baton Rouge, LA 70898

A Lot of Not Much of Anything

Has it really been a week since I posted?

And has it really been a week since the Orphan Care Summit? Man....that was INCREDIBLE! It's still making me crazy! I can't even post about it again because the words just aren't there for me. So, what can I post about tonight?

Oh. I know. Maybe I could write about the fact that SIX WEEKS FROM TOMORROW, I'll be in GUATEMALA!!! How on EARTH did six months go to six weeks so quickly? And I thought the time was going to drag by. Kori - You're traveling in October....that will be here before you know it. Rebecca - You're traveling in December...7 months from now....it's going to be here SO FAST. Bobbi and Amanda -WHAT? Is there a reason why I feel like only a month has passed since I first set the date? 6 weeks, girls. Wow! And what's this about Amanda? Yes, she and her family are traveling with us! I'm SO excited!! The more the merrier, right? So six adults and six kids will be FLIPPING OUT in a little over a month because we'll be on our way to Guatemala. I don't think I will be able to believe this until we get to Antigua and I walk up the stairs at the house we're staying at. Oh. My. Word! Do I sound insane? Yeah...that's probably because I am. I'm blaming it on my ever persistent lack of sleep.

So, I can't be excited without a little drama, right? I know some of you followed our adoption blog way back when and remember some of the stories about how we had paperwork problems at EVERY STAGE of our son's adoption. Well, we've got problems again. It seems that while processing his passport application, the Dept. of State has misplaced his original Certificate of Citizenship and his original adoption decree. Now, I will admit to being in a complete panic when I first found out that there was a problem and I've spent much of this week a nervous wreck while waiting for an officer to call me. I waited for nothing. Someone was supposed to call by today and no one ever did. So I'm taking a road trip to New Orleans tomorrow morning to try to meet with someone in the office. The thing is, you can't get an appointment unless you have proof that you're traveling within 2 weeks and they say they won't see you without an appointment. But I'm going anyway. And praying that someone will actually want to help me. And I'm not leaving until I see those 2 documents that we spent a long time waiting for. If I have to stand there and sing "Strong Tower" (that's what is playing in my head right now....it could very well be Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star tomorrow) at the top of my lungs just to get on their nerves, I'll do it. Let's just hope that they don't call security because they think I'm really loopy. Because I'm not. I'm just sayin'.

Seriously, though...this whole paperwork thing is actually a big deal and I'm not taking it lightly which is why I'm going to the Dept. of State tomorrow without an appointment. We can get another CoC (not easily,but it's still possible), but if his original adoption decree is actually lost, that's a BIG problem because it's not easy to get another one and it may be next to impossible these days....I don't know. As upsetting as this is, I am very calm about this (today) and am praying with every thing in me that it is worked out soon. This is just another one of those bumps in the road on our way to Guatemala.....and I'm sure we have more bumps to hit before we get there....but I know without a doubt....it's going to be OK and we will ALL be in Guatemala in 6 weeks.