Tanya's Adoption Journey

I Want to Give Them Jesus!!

2012-01-23T07:50:00.002-06:00

Olwazzi Ministries

2012-01-16T09:28:00.005-06:00

I know in my earlier post I said I sucked as a blogger. I also said that I was busy. I was busy organizing and starting a project that means so much to me. When God called me to adopt, I thought it was just 2 children. Little did I know that He would give me a heart for a country and a longing to do whatever I could to help the people there. Please take a minute and go to the Olwazzi Ministries blog. Take a look at what we are hoping to do in Kamengo-ffunvu, Uganda. Think and pray about helping us. If you get a chance go and like our facebook page.

God called us to be doers of the word, not just hearers.

Let's Face It...

2011-12-29T13:02:00.002-06:00

I suck as a blogger. I have all of these wonderful ideas of things that I want to write about and never get it down on 'electronic paper'. This is another thing that I hope to get better at in 2012, if there are any of you out there that still care.

I am going to be posting about Uganda and all that happened while I was there soon. Trying not to tease, but this mama is BUSY!!!

Thankful Diary--Day 9

2011-11-09T08:47:00.003-06:00

I am thankful for my students. Each class is unique! Every student is special! They usually teach me more than I teach them;).

Thankful Diary--Day 8

2011-11-09T08:47:00.001-06:00

I am thankful for my Aunt Martha. She travelled to Uganda with me and never slowed down in her work at the orphanage or with the children. I would not have been able to travel back with 2 children without her. She is a great example of what a Christian woman should be!! She cares for everyone she comes into contact with!

Thankful Diary--Day 7

2011-11-09T08:43:00.001-06:00

I am thankful for my job as a teacher and for my co-workers. I may not like every new 'education reform' that comes down the pike, but I love my job. The faculty and staff at CES is just a bonus. They are a great bunch of people that support and love one another!

Thankful Diary--Day 8

2011-11-09T08:34:00.004-06:00

Orphan Sunday

2011-11-06T20:24:00.002-06:00

Please take a moment and watch this video. We are commanded to help! What can you do to help?

True Religion from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Thankful Diary--Day 6

2011-11-06T20:15:00.001-06:00

I am thankful for my wonderful church family. It has been a pleasure to grow, learn and worship with them. I am so glad that God brought us all together.

Thankful Diary--Day 5

2011-11-06T20:13:00.001-06:00

I am so very thankful for my wonderful parents. Words cannot express how much I love you and appreciate all that you do for me and my children. I hope I can be as good of parents as you!

Thankful Diary--Day 4

2011-11-04T09:01:00.002-05:00

I am thankful for my children. Andrew, my sweet, big ol' mama's boy and Willa Rae, my sassy mama!! I can't imagine my life without you!!

Thankful Diary--Day 3

2011-11-03T08:02:00.002-05:00

I am thankful for the Holy Spirit and his guidance. I don't always follow, but I am trying to get better at that, LOL. Forgotten God by Francis Chan is helping. If you haven't read it you might want to add it to your list!

Thankful Diary-Day 2

2011-11-02T08:08:00.001-05:00

Today, and really everyday, I am thankful for Jesus, and His blood that saved me.

Thankful Diary-Day 1

2011-11-01T18:31:00.004-05:00

I usually do this on facebook, but thanks to another blogging friend, I have decided to do it here too!! Everyday this month I will post something that I am thankful for. I encourage you to do the same thing. It will change the way you look at things. Please join me!

Day 1

Today, I am thankful for God, my Father, from whom all blessings flow!

Help a Sister Out!!

2011-09-14T19:01:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy summer and I haven't been able to blog, but I have to help a sister out!!There is a special family in California that needs help. They are special because they are adopting a very special girl!!! A girl that I know that needs to come home to her forever family...along with her brother. Things have been progressing for this family and they need to raise money for their adoption QUICK!!! AND you get to help! AND you could win an IPad2!! Just go and visit their blog for more information and to follow their adoption journey.Click here now!

Visas Have Been Granted!!!!

2011-06-21T13:07:00.001-05:00

We want to start by singing praises to the Lord for the answered prayers!!!
We then want to thank everyone who has sent prayers up for the medical visas to be granted!!!
Now we need to ask for help again. Thanks to everyone's generous donations the Lwanga Family's expenses to travel to the US for medical care have been met. We have medical care set up free of charge. We are asking that you consider donating to cover in-country expenses. If you like you can make a donation or you can purchase a paper bead necklace. We are currently running a special sale of $10 per necklace with $1 for shipping. The necklaces are multi-colored in bright or pastel colors. There are also a few solid colors in yellow, blue, red, purple, green and short brown. Please just specify what color you want in the comment section. Please go to the Awaka website and go to the projects page to find the donate button. You can also go to the Awaka crafts blog to see our other crafts that support the village of Kamengo and PCA. There is a donate button located on the blog as well.
Thank you for your support. We hope that the Lwanga family will be able to visit with lots of American friends while they are here. Maybe we will stop by and see you.

Praise! Pray! Pennies!

2011-05-18T19:03:00.002-05:00

First of all lets PRAISE!!!!! We have raised enough to pay for Godfrey and his families airfare!!! We still need a little more to cover the expense of visas and passports. God has provided through the amazing people that love Godfrey!

Next PRAY!!!!!! We have a few people that are very close to getting doctors and hospitals to commit to treating Elizabeth Tanya for free! We need to hear something in the next few days!! Please pray that we get answers soon. And that they be favorable! Also pray for the visa applications! Pray that the embassy will see them quickly and that they will grant them visas quickly.

And now for the PENNIES!! We want to thank you all for the contributions you have made and we want to ask you to save up your pennies for the next few days and weeks. We have some exciting things coming from Uganda and all over the US that you are sure to want. We will post pictures and give you details very soon.

Thanks again from everyone in the Awaka family!

Godfrey needs our help

2011-05-15T14:15:00.002-05:00

Meet Godfrey and his family. Those of us that have been blessed with having Godfrey come into our lives during our adoptions journey's can honestly say that we have a brother, son, friend for life. Godfrey is one of those amazing men that loves children, loves his family and he cares so deeply about the people that he come into touch with, sometimes to his own detriment. Godfrey will literally give the shirt off his back ( and he has done that!) and now he is in need of our help and support. His 5 month old daughter baby Elizabeth has been diagnosed with a heart condition. It is not a matter of life and death(for now!), but it is a condition that cannot be treated in Uganda and which will need some type of intervention. To be quite honest, two cardiologists that looked at Elizabeth's records here in the US suspect that there might be secondary defects that did not show up on the more rudimentary heart echo done in Uganda.

We need to raise almost 5000$ for plane tickets in the next 10 days. We need to find a hospital and cardiologist willing to see baby Elizabeth for free. We need favor for the visas to be issued by the embassy and we need everyone's support and prayers desperately.

All the crafts on our blog www.awakacrafts.blogspot.com if bought will benefit Godfrey's tickets. Awaka has ZERO overhead. Every penny goes towards what we fundraise for and so all money from crafts being sold will go towards Godfrey's ticket fund from now on out. Also, we will be launching t-shirt next week to benefit Godfrey too so please check in for that and new crafts being uploaded. Info@awaka.org is our paypal account should you simply feel led to donate.

Blessings to you all as you consider helping baby Elizabeth.

Do you want to make a difference?

2011-04-23T14:56:00.004-05:00

Do you want to make a difference in the world?
in Africa?
in Uganda?
in a little village?
in a child's life?
in a mother's life?
in a grandfather's life?

If you do please consider helping Awaka complete it's multi-purpose building. God has blessed us so much in the last few months. We have completed the well and are providing the village with clean water. We have completed latrines. We have started a community garden that will help feed the village. We have started an income generating project for the women of the village that is providing them with a means to provide for their families. God has blessed!!! We are asking Him to bless again. We are asking you if you will allow Him to bless through you by giving. We need $4500 to complete the multi-purpose building. The building will be used as a clinic, a school, and a church.
We could have plumbing and electrical fixtures put in. A rainwater collection tank. Plaster the walls inside and out and paint them. Seal the cement floor. The most important thing is putting locking doors and windows on the building. If we can do this, we will be able to keep medications and supplies to help the entire village. Things that they would normally have to go all the way to Kampala to get, will be right there. Think of all the lives that could be saved. Think of all the mother's giving birth in a clean environment. Think of all of the people who can get live saving treatment for HIV and malaria. Think of the education that hundreds of children could be receiving. Think of the gospel being preached to thousands of people waiting to hear it.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

Please visit www.awaka.org and make a donation, or buy some of the craft items from the women of Kamengo at awakacrafts.blogspot.com, or you can mail a check to Awaka Children's Foundation, 368 Evans Lane, Jasper, AL 35504.
You can also keep up with us on facebook. Go to the Awaka Children's Foundation page and 'like' us. or visit theAwaka blog

Working together, we can all make a difference!

Thank you!!

Waiting in the Lord

2011-03-28T06:21:00.004-05:00

When I first felt called to adopt, almost 5 years ago, I thought I might be loosing it. Just to make sure I scheduled a meeting with my pastor. I asked him, 'How do you know if God is calling you to do something? or if your just loosing your mind?' He gave me some of the best advice!!! Pray, move forward, if doors close it is your will not God's. God will make a way for it to happen if it is his will. I moved forward and doors opened. But if have to admit, when I strayed from His path, to do what I wanted to do, the door SLAMMED shut. Instead of listening to God I pursued foster care--it is much cheaper. Didn't trust God to show up big with the money=Door slammed shut. Pursued a child available through domestic adoption. Didn't trust God to give me the courage to travel to Africa alone to do something no one I knew had done before=Door slammed shut.
So I learned to trust God. I learned to wait. I learned to listen. God might call you to do something, but it will happen in His timing, not yours. If you try to rush it, it might take longer. DON'T RUSH IT!!! Enjoy it. Savor this time with God! He wants to teach you! He wants to grow you! He wants you to lean on him! I don't know why people think an adoption should only take 3 months. Does a pregnancy only take 3 months? God has a reason for making us wait. Were not ready for what He is about to do! Listen to him! Listen to people who have gone before you! Learn as much as you can about your child's country! culture! and how your family is going to change when you bring home this little(or big) bundle of joy!
Wait in the Lord!! That doesn't mean sit back and do nothing! That means pray! Pray for everything and everyone you can think of ! Pray for your adoption process! Pray for the children you don't know yet! Pray for their birth family! PRAY!!!! And educate yourself! Listen when people who have adopted before give you advice! Seek wise counsel, but ultimately seek the wisest counsel!

By the way, waiting in the Lord doesn't just apply to adoption!!!

PS. Just because God called you to something, doesn't mean it will be easy. There will be heartbreak and heartache. But the rewards are worth it all!!!

Foundations…

2011-03-15T17:37:00.012-05:00

Are important. Ask anyone. It doesn’t matter what you are building. A house, a church, a family, an education, a relationship, or a charity. When we were developing Awaka we batted around a lot of names. Awaka means family home, which we hope to help provide for the people in one little corner of Uganda(we are really hoping God helps us go big!!). WE picked the word ‘Foundation’ to be part of our name because it projects stability and we wanted to show our commitment to Uganda. You don’t put down a foundation unless you plan to build on it. Our foundation is God and His word and His calling on our lives. We feel that God brought us together in Uganda at the same time for a reason. Not just to build friendships, but to help Uganda and its beautiful people.

We recently laid another foundation. Thanks to generous donations we have been able to purchase land in Kamengo. We have also been able to put a building on that land, thanks to the support of Craft Aid UK. The foundation footings were dug by hand. The next step was very important. The fate of our building that will be a school, a clinic, a church, a community gathering place depended on the foundation. What makes everything stronger? The Word of God. I sent Godfrey Bible verses to put in the footings. We want our building and everything we build to always have the strongest foundation possible.

The foundation has been built.

The floors have been poured and the walls have gone up.

The roof will be put in soon.
The bore hole has been drilled and has hit clean water!!

The hand pump will be installed this week and the village will have clean water.
A community garden has been started to help feed the village.

The women of the village have begun making paper bead jewelry and basket to make money for themselves. God has blessed more than we would have ever dreamed!

The foundation is there; we will continue to build. Would you like to help us? Go to Awaka.org or our facebook page and see our progress and to see how you can help us build.

Does your family need a little girl?

2010-12-20T08:31:00.003-06:00

We are looking for paperwork ready families for 2 little girls in Uganda. They are both 3 years old, almost 4. We have an attorney that has reduced fees for both of them. One of the girls has a problem with her elbow that should be easily treatable in the US and have no lasting effect on her arm. If you think one of these girls could become a part of your family, please leave me a comment or contact me at the email address on the right. We would like for these girls to be able to come home to the US at the beginning of the year. This would be a very fast process, if you are paperwork ready!!

Little Goody Two Shoes

2010-12-09T08:04:00.002-06:00

Please go and check out this 11 year old girls blog!!! It is called Little Goody Two Shoes. She is trying to raise money to buy shoes for children in Ethiopia. Children that have never gotten a new pair of shoes, or a Christmas present.
Buy one of her cute bottle cap necklaces and help her help others!
Little Goody 2-shoes

Stealing Joy

2010-11-01T12:43:00.001-05:00

Someone is trying to steal my joy! It’s Satan. He may use others to do his work, but ultimately it is Satan.
But guess what? I AM NOT GOING TO LET HIM!!!!!!!

“The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing”—Proverbs 10:28

“There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.” Proverbs 12:20

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds”—James 1:2

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”—Romans 12:12

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”—Romans 15:13

So times may be hard, but I am turning to God!!! The source of all joy!!!

I am finding joy in a beautiful fall day!
I am finding joy in the smiles and laughter of my children!
I am finding joy in helping others!
I am finding joy in praying for those who are trying to steal my joy!
I am finding joy in the upcoming birth of a dear friend’s child!
I am finding joy in making new friends!
I am finding joy in mending relationships!
I am finding joy in spending time with my Holy Father!

I hope you find joy today and everyday!!

I Love My Hair. . . Well it's actually WRs hair!!

2010-10-18T19:12:00.000-05:00

Can I just say I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!!!! We will be singing it at our house a lot!!!

Shoe Celebration!!!!

2010-10-13T13:39:00.007-05:00

This past weekend Awaka was able to help some of the children we are sponsoring. We were able to give them a hot meal and a new pair of crocs!!! I hope you enjoy the video. It blesses my heart each time I watch it. We are working on a website and hope to have it all up and running soon. You can visit it here. Keep checking back with us for updates, family sponsorships, Ugandan crafts for sale, and other ways to donate.

Awaka Update

2010-10-02T14:53:00.002-05:00

I have written before about Awaka Children's Foundation. It is the baby/brainchild of 4 Ugandan adoptive moms, including me. We are moving forward, YEAHHHHHH!!! We have profiles of some of the children and elderly of Kamengo-ffunvu up on our blog. Please go and visit our blog here. There are so many people that need help and you can help with as little as $5 and of course with your prayers!

Help Needed--Praying for Orphans

2010-09-24T14:35:00.002-05:00

Orphan Sunday is coming up on November 7th. Churches around the US are preparing for this Sunday. One of the ways we are preparing is in prayer. Please join us in 40 days of prayer. Even if your chuch is not planning anything for Orphan Sunday please join us in praying for all of the churches that are. I am posting the prayer suggestions for the next 40 days, be prepared it is long. You can also find many resources at the Orphan Sunday website. orphansunday.org

40 Day Prayer Guide for Orphan Care
Begin praying September 28th. Thank you for being a part of this!!!

Day 1—Pray that the Lord would give you a personal sense of responsibility for the next 40 days(and beyond) for praying for orphans, your pastor, your church, and your community. Ask Him to break your heart for the orphans. Ask that He would help you see orphans with His eyes and His heart. Ask Him to use this 40 days of prayer to change you and your church.
Day 2—Pray for your Pastor to have guidance and provision as he seeks to follow the Lord’s commands to care for the orphans.
Day 3—Ask God that of the 2 billion Christians in the world, 7% would show hope to a single orphan, looking after the child in their distress. Ask the Lord to convict the church and the world that if we did this, there would effectively be no more orphans. Ask the Lord to show each of His followers that we can each do something.
Day 4—Ask the Lord to help your church congregation to feel His heart for the orphans as seen in Psalm 68:5: “A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. . . “
Day 5—Pray for the fatherless in your community. Ask the Lord to protect them and to care for them and to defend them and keep them safe,
Day 6—Ask the Lord to help your church family to live out Proverbs 31:8: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”
Day 7—Thank the Lord in advance for all that He is going to do to bring glory to His name in your church and community. Thank Him for the care He is going to provide for orphans through your church.
Day 8—Pray for the Lord to raise up workers for the harvest from your church and community. Ask Him to call Christians to go to the ‘fields of the fatherless’ to experience the joy of caring for orphans as we are commanded in Isaiah 1:16-17 “Give up your wicked ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Day 9—Pray that God would break the heart of your city’s pastors with the plight of orphans. Ask that he would convict them to lead their churches to pray, go, and love in Jesus’ name.
Day 10—Ask the Father to set the lonely in families. Pray specifically for families in your community who may be in the process of adopting an orphan. Ask for God’s provision for all of their needs: physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Day 11—Pray specifically for any orphans you may know by name. Pray for their health and safety. Pray for their shelter. Pray that they will be brought into loving families who will provide for their education.
Day 12—Pray that God, the Defender of the orphan, will rise up and secure justice for the oppressed.
Day 13—Ask the Lord to lead the lawmakers in every nation to protect and provide for orphans.
Day 14—Pray that your whole congregation will believe and be convicted by Proverbs 22:9: “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Ask for the Lord’s blessings on those who share their food with orphans.
Day 15—Pray for yourself as a church member. Ask the Lord to lead you on, that you might walk in obedience. Ask God to show you how to encourage your church family or youth to care for the needs of orphans.
Day 16—Pray that because of God’s mercy, He will provide caregivers and counselors for children who have been abused.
Day 17—Ask for forgiveness for Christians around the world who forget the orphans and forget to heed 1 John 3:17: “ If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
Day 18—Ask the Lord to raise up respite care providers to support and give relief to the caregivers caring for orphans who are waiting to have families adopt them.
Day 19—Pray for your Pastor. Ask God to provide him with resources, encouragement, courage, and a strong prayer team to support him as he seeks to live out James 1:27: “Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.
Day 20—Pray that the Christians in your village, town, city, and country would believe and live out the truth of Proverbs 14:31: “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Day 21—Pray for government leaders in your country. Ask the Lord to burden their hearts for the orphans. Ask that they would feel compelled to protect and provide for orphans.
Day 22—Pray for families who have members living with HIV and AIDS. Pray for the children orphaned by this disease. Ask God to provide treatment, care, and support through the church.
Day 23—Ask the Lord to strengthen the faith and resolve of Christians working in orphan ministries.
Day 24—Pray for any church staff members and leaders. Ask for the Lord’s hand of blessing on their lives. Lift up the health and safety of them and their families. Ask also that the Lord would break their hearts for the orphans in you community.
Day 25—Pray for God’s provision for your church’s orphan care ministry. Ask Him to provide people and prayers and money and food and supplies to give the orphans all the care they need.
Day 26—Pray for children who are not yet orphans but may only have one parent who may be sick or dying. Pray for the health and safety of their parent. Pray for God’s provision. Pray for protection for the children in these households.
Day 27—Ask God to care for child-headed households. Pray that the Lord will provide for their needs. Pray that an adult would come alongside them and adopt them. Ask the Lord to protect them from abuse.
Day 28—Pray for families who are taking care of their grandchildren or nieces or nephews in addition to their own children. Ask the Lord to bless them for their sacrifice and to provide enough food, clothes, education, and shelter for all of their children.
Day 29—Pray for mothers or fathers who might be having trouble caring for their children and feel they need to give them up or abandon them. Ask God to help them find support. Ask the Lord to meet their needs and give them the resources to be able to take care of their children.
Day 30—Ask God to protect children affected by war and violent conflicts. Pray that the Lord will protect their vulnerable hearts and keep them safe. Pray that a church will reach out to them.
Day 31—Pray for families in countries all over the world who have room in their homes and hearts for a fatherless child. Ask that the Lord would speak to them even now, leading them to consider adoption or foster care.
Day 32—Pray that every member of your church would remember and acknowledge and praise the Lord that before the world was made, He loved us and chose us, and that His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ and that this gave Him great pleasure.(Ephesians 1:3-5)
Day 33—Ask the Lord to help your church be an example of the Lord’s love for orphans as written in Psalm 10:17-18: “The helpless put their trust in You. You are the defender of orphans Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will listen to their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them.”
Day 34—Pray for youself and the other prayer team members. Ask the Lord for strength. Ask Him to help you no grow weary in battling for the orphans on you knees.
Day 35—Ask the Lord to encourage and strengthen your church. Caring for orphans and changing attitudes and beliefs and actions is togh work and the enemy is bound to attack. Ask for protection for your pastor, his family, their health, and their ministry. Ask for God’s hand of blessing on their lives.
Day 36—Ask the Lord to release and speed any care supplies to refugee camps where many orphans live and need even the most basic necessities. Ask Him to cut through any governmental regulations or corrupt leaders to miraculously get the supplies delivered to where they are needed most.
Day 37—Pray for families who are in the adoption process. Pray that God will provide the funds and help them with all the necessary details.
Day 38—Pray for street children. These children live under bushes and in dumps and sewage pipes. They may eat meals out of trash cans. Many people walk by them without seeing them or view them as pests. Ask God to open the churches’ eyes to help them see the orphans all around them. Ask the Lord to provide food and shelter for the street children.
Day 39—Pray for the health of orphans around the world. Ask the Lord to provide medications and treatment for the simple things that are unnecessarily killing children like unclean drinking water, malaria, dysentery, AIDS, and malnutrition.
Day 40—Thank the Lord for the past 40 days of prayer for orphans. Ask Him to bring more prayer warriors into the battle. Ask Him to help you to continue praying diligently. Ask Him to continue to give you His love for the orphans. Ask Him to continue to challenge the hearts of your congregation that “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has

Make a Dream a Reality!!

2010-09-20T17:17:00.001-05:00

Awaka

2010-08-27T13:31:00.004-05:00

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that Uganda has made a big impact on my life. Not just by giving me my children. But by making me fall in love with the country and its people. I have been working with 3 other wonderful ladies that I met while in Uganda, they feel the same way as I do and they are adoptive moms too. We decided to start Awaka Children's Foundation. We have travelled a winding road, trying to find what it is specifically that God wants us to do for Uganda. We have helped some people already, but we are beginning to focus in on a couple of projects that are near and dear to our hearts. We have also picked up a partner along the way. Lara Gordon a wonderfully organized Brit, has already started her non profit, Craft Aid UK. Lara was a volunteer at the orphanage that we all adopted from and has a heart for Uganda as we do. She is already helping an organization, Peace for Children Africa. They work with 'street' children. Children that have no home to go to, no one to look after them. Children as young as 4. We want to help too.
Our dear friend Godfrey, who is our eyes, arms and legs in Uganda has also found a project for us. It is the village of Kamengo Ffunvu. Godfrey has spent a lot of time there and has sent us a report of his findings.

Kamengo Ffunvu Village Report

Kamengo is located in the south of Uganda, 45 Kilometers from Kampala. Depending on traffic it takes 1 ½ hours to drive, ther road is 70% tarmac and 30% terrible(dirt) as you turn off the main Masaka Road. Kamengo is a big county having over 80 villages, these villages are headed by village local council chairmen, who head a committee of 8 people, women being part of the committee. I basically did not move and check out the 80 villages, I did concentrate on one call Ffunvu village. I met the local leaders on my several visits and these are my findings.
The population of Kamengo-Ffunvu village is about 1000 people, children below the age of 7 years taking the greatest percentage, followed by women and men last. Kamengo has a good number of elderly, poverty stricken people with special needs. I was delighted to meet kids with special needs. I met a couple of deaf children who were deaf since they were born, they have never attended school, because they count of Kamengo has no schools for deaf. I believe there are more deaf people in the other villages that make up Kamengo.
I also met kids with eye problems, when I asked, people told me its because of bugs, dirty water that is a major cause. Parents neglect taking their kids to hospitals because they have no money and believe the local herbs will heal their children.
I also saw people who were crippled with no wheel chairs, children with big heads full of water that need attention.

Education
Ffunvu village has only two primary schools and one secondary school where all children between age of 4 years and 16 years go for school. One of the schools is called Andelo Primary Infant School and they chare 35,000shs-40,000shs as school fees from primary 1 to primary 7. The other primary school is called Kamengo Grammar School. This is a little further from Ffunvu village. It means kids walk long distances to the school, but is has good teachers and better buildings. As regards to secondary school, I went and viited St. Mark Secondary School. They cahre 80,000shs for school fees, but and additional 50,000 as registration fees for candidate clases like s.4 and s.6. Most children don’t have school uniforms, those who have one have torn shirts and shorts. Untiformsa for primary kids costs 10,000shs for girls and 9,000shs for boys, but parents cannot afford, no school fees. Books are very hard to get, especially children in candidate classes, need lots of books and parents cannot afford. Kids walk long distance and this affects the kindergarten kids especially who spend lots of time on the way and some times they never make it to school. 90 percent of children did not have shoes on their feet, no pencils, no toys to play with like balls, ropes for girls. Teachers are demotivated.

Health
Kamengo Ffunvu village has got a inadequate health clinic run by and old lady call SSebuyingo Florence. She’s a qualified mid-wife and she has helped lots of pregnant ladies. 90% of ladies have given birth from this house clinic. She charges a small amount of 10,000shs from every woman that comes to give birth. She has 2 extra rooms behind that house where she admits sick people, especially those ladies that come to give birth and need medical attention afterwards. She really needs help as regards to birthing kits. These village ladies come with nothing and she told me that one challenge she has is that sometimes she fails to protect new borns from getting HIV from their sick mothers.
HIV is quite high in Ffunvu village, many men and women are drunkards, besides they cannot afford buying condoms as at times they fail to get money for food, so they don’t have any for condoms. The lady told me she needs help as in mattresses, sheets, gloves, basins, soap, and besides the inadequate facility needs to be buil well with at least ten beds. She actually asked for any volunteers. As I was talking to her bugs did bite me till today my skin is itchy. She needs to fumigate her clinic. She always pays a boda boda guy to take people with complicated cases. She receives a little fund from the county council at the end of the month to carry out that good work.
Ffunvu village has a lot of Malaria cases, many die fo malaria, ania, ring worms, syphilis, skin problems due to bad dirty bedding, jiggers as a result of walking bear footed. I saw maggots in one of the mattresses which come as a result of too much urine in the bedding. Children have dental problems, like decays.

Elderly
Like I said Ffunvu village has a good number of old. Many don’t have good shelter. Most of their children are married to drunkards and many run to the city for greener pasture and never return home to help the elderly. Many need wheel chairs, need eye glasses as they have poor sight. Many don’t have mattresses. Many go to bed at 6pm as they don’t have kerosene lights to keep them going in the night. Many have back problems and need ointments.

Girls
Many girls are in their teenage age, and they have a problem of monthly menstruations. They don’t have sanitary towels, they use dirty clothes and end up with infections. They lack knickers, bras, clothes and many smell bad. They need deodorants.

Religion
Many are Catholics and Protestants, but by my survey, they are willing to give up anything for Jesus Christ if we do something. We need to evangelize and let them know Jesus cares.

Activities
Many rear an animal at least at home. Mainly pigs, goats and cows. Many depend on agriculture for sustainability. They gorw mainly cassava, maize, matooke. They love growing corn for sale and ginger. If at all possible we need to help them with seeds.

Ffunvu village have many single orphans, a few cases of double orphans, many youth have HIV and any help as regards to ARVs is welcome. We need also to come up with a feeding program for kids, as Katie Davis does it. Many women also do craft for survival though they lack market for their products. They manily do baskets and mats.

Many homes in Kamengo do not have toilets. I saw people using the bushes.
The water source is a problem. Like the picture I sent before, they share wter source with animals. I still have itchy skin from that water. Many cannot afford things like soap, sugar mattresses, mosquito nets. Awaka needs to com in and help as in sponsoring kids to school, helping the medical clinic, school uniforms, books, shoes, eyeglasses for elderly, wheel chairs, immunizations, and ARVs. I thank you.

I hope this report moved you as it moved us. We are trying to get money together for a well for the village and to help with some of the medical issues quickly. We would then like to start a feeding program and school sponsorships for the children. This is a chance for those with an abundance to give to those in need.

Would you be Jesus for someone today? someone a world away? someone you will never meet here on this earth, but maybe, just maybe in heaven one day?

Since we are just beginning Awaka, we do not have our non-profit status with the IRS yet. If you would like to make a donation anyway, it would be most appreciated. Please leave me a comment. We will have an Awaka website soon, with an easier way to donate and craft items you can buy. I just felt the need in Kamnego Ffunvu was great enough to start asking for help immediately.
Thank you for your help.

Another Year Ago Today

2010-08-01T14:47:00.004-05:00

A year ago today, we left Uganda. At the time I was so ready to get my children, my aunt and my self home. I am still holding a grudge against the Belgium airport and Newark airport. They didn't make it easy, but we made it home finally.
It has been quite a year. We hit the ground running, as I went back to work 2 days after we got home. The kids have grown and changed and so have I. They have both grown over 6 inches taller. Andrew has put on 14 pounds and Willa Rae has put on 8. They learned to walk 2 weeks after we got home on the same day!!!! and haven't slowed down yet. They are talking, singing, laughing, giggling, drumming, and playing tornadoes. I can't think of what my life would be without them. It makes me cry to think of their birth mothers that no longer have them.
I am looking forward to what the next year will bring. More growth and changes for us all. And as much as I was ready to leave Uganda, I want to return just as bad!!!!! I hope that will happen in the next year also.

Warrior Girls Unite!!!!

2010-06-05T10:10:00.002-05:00

The following was taken from Brandi's blog. She is a friend that I met through a Yahoo group. She led me to the Penners, who led me to Uganda and my children and my passion. The only way I can think to repay her is to join her group, a group of women who are answering the call of Jesus to be warriors and change the world. Join us too.

Ok, the WarriorGirl thing is taking it to a new level. We have a new YahooGroup. Feel free to join. Just go to yahoogroups.com and search "IamaWarriorGirl" and join! Here's more info about the concept if you've missed me talking about it here.

WarriorGirl is a silly name of a blog I wrote last year when I was studying Beth Moore. You see, like many of you, I had struggled for years over the kind of woman I was. I'm not mild and meek. I'm not a soccer mom who spends most of her days baking cookies for her kid's class (not that these are bad things!) but I'm the kind of soccer mom who hangs at the park with other moms and brings up sex-trafficking! I have a big personality and a loud mouth. I felt for a long time like I wasn't the proper Christian woman/wife/mom. Then, one night Beth Moore is teaching on Esther and she begins talking about how Esther is a warrior. In fact, she then takes us to Proverbs 31 and says that the same word used for the Proverbs 31 woman is also used for Gideon - the great warrior. That night, I felt like I understood for the first time - I am a WarriorGirl. I'm still a girl who loves her toenails painted and a great romantic comedy, but I've got some fight in me :-)

This silly blog post of mine took on a life of its own as other girls read it and responded. It turned into a phrase we use quite commonly and everywhere I go, I meet women who would characterize themselves as WarriorGirls.

What is a WarriorGirl - WarriorGirls are godly women who have a burning desire in them to fight against injustice. We aren't going to sit by while children die and suffer in abject poverty or oppression. We are standing up as moms, wives, sisters, women to make a difference in our world. This will look different for each one of us - the issues may be different - the areas of passion - and the ways we fight against injustice. All that matters is that we are passionately pursuing the God of justice and seeing His kingdom come in this world. We aren't apologizing anymore. Yep, we are girls - but we are also warriors :-)

That brings us to today - we wanted to start to form a place for community. Many WarriorGirls feel out of place in this world. As we fight injustice we can find that many people find us uncomfortable. This leaves many warriorgirls either abdicating the swords to be more palatable to the people around them or feeling extremely lonely. We wanted to form this group as a place we can encourage and challenge each other. Tell us about your passions, your causes....let's brainstorm together, let's support one another, let's cheer each other on and most of all - let's hit our knees together.

Most of us are involved in what we call iFast58, fasting and praying each Wednesday for the world's poor, hungry and oppressed as well as those that serve them. (email me privately for more info!) We also frequently set up prayer conference calls just for the warriorgirls to lift one another before the throne.

Thanks for joining us. Thanks for your passion for the poor. Thanks for not giving up your sword even though it may make you feel crazy at times :-) You are world changers and I'm thrilled and honored to be your friend and fellow WarriorGirl.

Now, go join the group and introduce yourself!!! Oh yeah, and feel free to spread the word to other warriorgirls out there. You can use any of this post you want in a blog or FB or write your own thoughts about being a WarriorGirl!

Radical

2010-05-22T23:54:00.001-05:00

RADICAL from David Platt on Vimeo.

A Year Ago Today. . .

2010-05-19T05:12:00.004-05:00

A year ago today, my Aunt and I left for Uganda. I left on the physical part of a journey that had already begun emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I would not have changed a minute of it. Not the roller coaster of emotions, hours stuck in Kampala traffic, or cold showers.
I have finally managed to get our adoption story finished. It's long. I hope you enjoy it. To those of you who shared part of the journey, THANK YOU!!! My children and I are better people for knowing you. You are now family for life. If there is anyone out there who is considering adopting, Pray!! I hope this story helps your decision.

My adoption story began over 3 years ago. I felt God calling me to adopt. Not just to adopt, but to adopt from Africa. I met with my pastor and asked him 'How do you know the difference between God calling you to do something and loosing your mind?' His answer was to pray and to move forward, if doors opened it was Gods will and not mine and to continue to pray. That was the best advice I could have gotten.
I started doing research and praying and was led to the country of Liberia. I found an agency that I wanted to work with and contacted them. They were doing a lot of humanitarian work that I thought was great. I made preliminary plans to help them with donations for the area school. There was also a chat group of people that had or were adopting through the agency that I joined. It was through this group that I later learned that the agency had some questionable practices and were being investigated. It became clear to me that this was not the agency or the country for me. It was through one of the women in the group however, that I was introduced to Jena and Keith Penner.
When I contacted Jena, she told me about their experience. She also said they were going to do more work on the process. In the meantime I started raising money and praying, praying mostly.
In February 2009 Keith returned to Uganda to do more work with orphanages and attorneys to see who would be willing to work with people on guardianships. When he came back with good news about Sanyu Babies Home, I kicked things into high gear.
I started my home study in February and was told it would take 3 months. That did not fit in to my summer traveling time line. God stepped in and my home study was completed by the end of March. My I-600a approval also moved along quickly. I actually got my letter of approval on my birthday, May 12.
During this time I was emailing Peter Nyombi and Barbara at Sanyu to make sure I had all of my documents and that traveling in May was a good idea. They both gave me the green light, so I started looking at flights. I was planning on leaving the first week in June after school was out. For some reason the price of airfare jumped about $500 from the end of May to the beginning of June. I prayed again and God told me to leave earlier. ( I know this airfare stuff doesn't seem important, but it is all about God's timing).
My aunt Martha and I left Birmingham on a sunny Alabama morning and by lunch time we were in Houston(yes I know Houston was in the wrong direction, but it was the best flight we could get). We spent the evening flying to Amsterdam and arrived there in the early morning. We arrived in Entebbe late at night. I think we must have been the last ones off the plane, through the health check and visa lines. Thankfully our luggage all made it and best of all Godfrey was waiting on us. We finally got to the guest house at midnight.
I took the coldest shower in my life and was so very grateful to have it. (First lesson of the guest house, you have to turn on the water heater.) We crashed into our beds and awoke a couple of hours later, we even beat the mosque singer up. We were greeted outside by some of the older kids in the orphanage and then I met with Barbara, the administrator of the orphanage, before we went to meet Peter. She told me there were only 3 girls in the age range I was hoping to adopt. She also said they had only been there a short time, I didn't know what that meant, but she said to let Peter know. We then went to meet Peter.
The meeting with Peter went so quickly. I had been told that things would go so slowly in Africa. I gave him my paper work and he told me to go back to the orphanage and pick a child that day. WHAT!?!?!? Today?!?!? He explained, that because the girls had not been at the orphanage long, there was extra work that would take extra time, so we had to get started quickly. I had to get back to his office with all of the information on the child that afternoon. I think my mouth must have been hanging open at this point. So back to the orphanage we went.
I met with Barbara again and explained that Peter wanted me to pick a child today. She had us taken to the classroom where I was shown the children that were available. I prayed that God would show me the child that was to be mine. I had been praying this for the last 4 months and now the time was here. Only two of the girls were in the room to begin with and I spent some time in prayer with both of them. Then they brought in Irene. She was so adorable. She ad on a rubbled dress with the lace trim coming off in places over sweat pants and nappy. She was completely bald and had the chubbiest cheeks you have ever seen. She had NO expression on her face at all. I continued to pray and god said "She is your daughter."
So it was back to Barbara's office to tell her my decision. She then sent for Irene to be dressed. Off we went with Godfrey, and a social worker from the orphanage. The whole time we were out Irene's expression never changed. It was during this time we discovered that Irene had only arrived at the orphanage on Sunday. Here is where God's timing comes into play. Before I left the US there had been information going around that there were NO GIRLS AVAILABLE at Sanyu. Some people had suggested I wait and go later, but God's timing was perfect!!!
After that whirlwind of activity it was a waiting game. We waited for all of the documents we needed and we waited for a court date. While we waited we worked at the orphanage. We helped in class and at meal times. Martha even helped organize the clothes closet at Sanyu. Everyday I grew closer to Irene. She was coming out of her shell more and more.
We were in class one day when the brought in the saddest looking little boy. He was so weak all he could do was sit in the same spot while all of the other kids played around him. His name was Andrew. He had just gotten back from the hospital. Everyone said he had Sickle Cell Anemia. We began praying for his healing and for a family to come to take him to the US, where he could get the medical care he needed. No one came and we grew closer every day.
About a year before I left, God had told me I would adopt 2 children, a girl and a boy. Because I didn't have the money and because it was against the law in Uganda I didn't think this would be possible. We continued to pray for a family for Andrew and God told me I was supposed to be his mother. I went and talked to Peter to see if he thought it was possible to get guardianship of Andrew because of his medical condition and he said he thought we had a case. I then asked Barbara's permission to seek guardianship for Andrew also. She said yes!!! so now to come up with the money. I can never thank my parents or friends enough for raising the money for Andrew's case. Peter filed the paper work and told us to get started on his blood tests. We went to the clinic for the tests and waited for the results. A few days later the results were in. Andrew was NOT Sickle Cell Anemic, not even a carrier for the condition!!!!!! I have never been so happy and so scared at the same time. He was healthy, but would I still be able to proceed with his case? I met with Peter again and he said we would proceed.
In the mean time we went to court for Irene. We went into the judges chambers and sat while the lawyers and the judge did all of the talking. he told us to come back in a week for our ruling. A week later we returned. The judge granted me guardianship, but added that in the future, he wanted the children to have been in the orphanage for 6 months before they were adopted out. Once again it was the combination of joy and fear. Andrew had only been in the orphanage for 1 month. thankfully Peter said we would continue on with his case. So we prayed and worked and waited until Andrew's court date. This court appearance was a little more stressful, because the judge started saying he was going to deny the petition. Peter and he traded arguments, which included leaving Andrew in Uganda for 6 months(not a good plan from my point of view). At last the judge gave my aunt and I a opportunity to speak. We basically became the emotional wrecks we were and tearfully asked/begged for the honor to become Andrew's family. Thankfully the prayers and tears worked and he asked us to come back in 2 weeks for our ruling. Praise God, when we went back he granted me guardianship.
Adding Andrew's case and waiting for visas delayed our travel plans. After a couple of flight changes and more time in airports than I ever want to spend again, we came home on August 3.

I would not trade on minute of the time I spent in Uganda. It allowed me to bond with my children, learn more about their beautiful country and to see the great needs that exist there. The people I met have not just become friends, but I consider them family. I can never thank them enough for the support they gave us during our time there.

Words cannot express how faithful God has been through out this process!!!! Seek God, listen to God, follow God and the blessings are so much better than you could ever imagine. His ways are higher than our ways!

Happy Birthday Aunt Lara!!!!

2010-05-05T06:18:00.001-05:00

The Rights and Responsibilities of Blogging

2010-04-27T10:24:00.003-05:00

When I approach something, I usually approach it with a 'what would Jesus do' or 'Christian' attitude. I try anyway. I can say that it doesn't always happen. I have a temper. Things rile me up(those moneychangers riled Jesus up too). But I do try to make the attempt. Now that doesn't mean I still don't make mistakes. I hope I am not sounding self-righteous, that is not my intent. I try to do the same when I am writing, reading, and commenting on blogs.
As a 'blogger', I have come to realize, a lot more people read my blog than I ever thought would. It makes me very happy to know that family and friends around the world could keep up with my adoption journey and are still following my family's life. It makes me even more happy to know that I have picked up fans that are more interested in adopting now that they have read my blog. I hope that what I write encourages and informs, not just about adoption, but about living life.
It is my responsibility as a Christian to 'share the good news'. The internet has given me a new forum to do that. I have posted blogs about my spiritual journey as well as my adoption journey(they are very closely tied). These blogs I hope help more people than my adoption blogs. I ask for comments. I need to know from people who have more experience and different experiences what they have learned. I guess it is the teacher in me also. Thanks to anyone who has left me a comment!! I can honestly say that I have not gotten any that I didn't post just because they didn't agree with me. I know I need correction sometimes. God uses it on His children, just as we should use it on ours. It should always be done in love, even if it is hard to think of it that way when it is happening.
Now that being said, I hope nothing I have ever posted has hurt anyone, be it comment or blog. But I do have a responsibility as a Christian to let someone know if they might be travelling a dangerous path. We are to look out for one another, whether or not it is a fellow Christian or not. I am going to make up a PURELY HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO. I have a friend who blogs. Her husband is in the military. They have lived all over the world, away from family and friends. I know this can be a very difficult life. She starts writing blogs about how her husband has been deployed and she really misses him. I try to support her and leave a comment on her blog that I am praying for her. She says thanks, and everyone is happy. Then I continue to read her blog posts and read that she develops a friendship with a man who's wife is deployed and he is feeling the same loneliness. Their children play sports together and they have started spending time together and she is so grateful for his company. I am happy that she has found someone to spend time with, but I might tell her that I am concerned about this 'friendship' and caution her to please be careful. I am not saying she is no longer a Christian, good mother or good wife. I am not attacking her character, just offering some Bible-based guidance. I would like to do this privately, but I don't have any other way of contacting her, so I leave a comment on her blog. I would do the same for a friend that lives in the same town as I do, why wouldn't I show concern for what a friend has put out for the entire world to see. I know that sometimes when you are in a situation you can't see what might be coming down the road. You are too busy dealing with what you have going on right now. I would hope that she would take the advice and consider what is going on, how it might affect her family and other military families. Now here is the question, Does my friend have the right to call into question my 'Christianity' because I have had the audacity to offer advice on something she has posted very publicly? Do others that read her blog have the right to attack me also? The answer is, that they can. But what is my reaction going to be? As a Christian, I shouldn't lash out. Fighting between Christians makes the devil happy. If he can get us fighting one another, he doesn't have to work so hard. We can do more damage to our witness than he ever could.
Blogging is like speaking. Words, once they are out there, can not be taken back. You have a far larger audience also, unless of course you have your own talk show.
So here is a little more advice from someone who has been there. Be careful what you say. Remember when you read something that you might not be reading it in the tone that it was written. Not everyone is going to agree with you, and if they don't you might want to find out why. You might learn something. I know my opinions of things have changed over the years. If someone doesn't agree with you, it doesn't mean that they are evil, they might actually care about you alot.

PLEASE be careful about what you say and write as a Christian. It does have eternal consequences.

Might be TV worth watching

2010-04-20T14:06:00.002-05:00

There is a new cable TV network in the works. Check it out.

This is a tent...only a tent!

2010-04-19T17:03:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about earthly desires vs. spiritual desires. What are we desirous of here on earth? What should we be desiring eternally? I am afraid that I was disappointed in myself and Christians as a whole. Shouldn't we all be more concerned about things that are going to have eternal implications and not just during our time here on earth? I mean, our time here on earth is just a vapor, our bodies are just a tent. Spiritual things are going to have ETERNAL consequences!!!!
So I have been asking myself a lot of questions. Some I got from blogs and even facebook. Some I got from my pastor. And some I believe came from God.
-Why do we work so hard to have more things here on earth?
-Are we on a mission to be wealthier or holier?
-Do we need a bigger house? Are we going to use it to give foster kids or orphans or the homeless a place to stay? or are we going to use it to house more stuff we have to work more to buy?
-Do we really need a new car? boat? camper? vacation home? Are they going to teach our children to be better Christians? Are they going to bring us closer to God?
-How much money do we need? Do I need a years salary in savings?
-Can my money work for others better than it can work for me?
- If I am using what God gives me wisely do I need to worry about having $1 million before I retire?
-What is the way I am living my life teaching my children?
-Am I training them to be pro athletes or prayer warriors?
-Are we trying to lift up ourselves or lift up Jesus?
-Am I living a life that brings glory to God or glory to me?
-What am I using my God-given talents for?
-How much money are our churches spending on programs like Upward sports and VBS when there are hungry people in our neighborhoods?
-Why will we do anything to save someone's physical life, but we won't share the gospel with them(save their spiritual life)
-Wouldn't spending eternity with them be better than a few more years?
-Do $300 jeans really fit better than $30 jeans? Couldn't that $270 buy groceries for a family in need for a month?
-Do $500 shoes wear out any less than $50 shoes? Couldn't that $450 send a slum boy in Uganda to boarding school for a year? YES, food, shelter, clothing and education for a year.

Unfortunately we as Christians have largely succumbed to the world's marketing. Women should look like Paris Hilton and keep a schedule of perfectly planned 'Martha Stewart' events, not be a Proverbs 31 woman. Men are expected to work 80+ hours a week to provide all of the 'things' his family needs, not be the spiritual head of the home. We only worry about the immediate. What do I want right now? What can I have right now if I whip out the credit card? What can I have more of?

The big question is 'What can I do right now and for the rest of my life here on earth that will have eternal implications?'
I am trying to come up with the answer to this one too. Leave me a comment and let me know what your answers are.

Late Announcement

2010-04-13T16:27:00.002-05:00

On March 24th Andrew and Willa Rae are now officially Evanses, Alabamians, and Americans!!!!!!!!!

Andrew's 2nd Birthday!!!

2010-03-13T19:40:00.006-06:00

Today we celebrated what is going to be Andrew's new birthday!!!

10Things I learned in Uganda. . . there are more but these are the most important

2010-02-16T10:36:00.002-06:00

I have been writing down my adoption story in its entirety. I know it is posted in pieces, but I wanted to have it in one complete place. As I was writing(and continue to do so) I began to remember all of the things that I learned along the way. Some were personal lessons and some were learned just by observing others.

1. You can call yourself a Christian, but it is the way you treat others that proves it. You can not be a good example of a Christian and be selfish. You can't be stingy with those less fortunate than you and be a good example of a Christian. Remember the story of the widow's mite (Luke 21:1-4). If you are dealing with people who make about $20/day (or MONTH) and would do anything you ask them to do give them extra, not just money, but kind words, don't be demanding. Treat them as a friend not an employee.
2. Put yourself in the other guys shoes every once in a while. We are not entitled to ANYTHING. Think about the torture your heart would have gone through to give your child away, even if you knew it meant a better life for them. If you think you are having a hard time look around you; there are people that have it much harder. Don't get bent out of shape if you can't go shopping because your driver has to help someone take care of their sick child. You will live if you don't get one more pair of sandals or one more bead necklace. The child may not.
3. Follow the rules. There are times when all of us wish the rules were different. The truth is the rules are there for a purpose: To protect those who need protecting. If you break the rules someone will get hurt. It may not be you and it may not be now, but someone will get hurt.
4. Trusting in God can sometimes be hard. This is a very personal lesson. We want to know the plan and when every step is going to happen. God's plan is better than ours could ever be. De doesn't have to share it with us, we just have to trust. Don't worry, believe, and sit back and enjoy the ride.
5. Prayer works! Another very personal lesson. I have too many experiences with this to go into. I can't say it enough "COVER IT IN PRAYER!!!!!!" And by IT I mean everything. Things that you may thing are petty and minute still need to be covered in prayer.
6. Americans take so much for granted!!! We have it so good that it is sickening! Electricity, water, shelter, food. Instead of wasting money on things that don't matter, we should be doing more to help others. I am not talking about a free handout. I am talking about building wells so that a community can have clean drinking water, providing children with an education and adults with job training. We can do so much more than we are doing.
7. Waiting is not a bad thing. While you are waiting you can do all kinds of things. Pray, meditate on scripture, help at the orphanage, make friends with other adoptive parents, learn more about the country, learn more about the people taking care of your children. Look for ways to help others. it makes the waiting pass faster.
8. Sugar is better than vinegar. Being demanding and obnoxious might work if you are trying to return something without a receipt at Target, but it doesn't work with Ugandans. it makes you look petty and rude. It is also damaging to the adoption/guardianship process if you try to tell the Ugandan government they don't know how to take care of their country's children.
9. Children are a great gift and we should feel privileged to receive it. That's right, it is a privilege, not a right. Treat it that way. Countries don't have to let Americans come and adopt their children, it is a very special gift that should be cherished. Thank God every day for the opportunity to parent and ask for wisdom and guidance to do it.
10. Most important of all, let go and let God. We can not do anything by ourselves. It must be God's will or it will not happen. The adoption road is not easy, but it will be impossible if you are not in God's will. Don't proclaim your desires as begin God's desires unless you are sure they are. They will go unfulfilled.

I will post my adoption story later.

If anyone has any lessons that they learned, please leave me a comment.

ANNOUNCING...

2009-12-16T06:41:00.004-06:00

I have hinted that something has been in the works, and boy has it!!!

If you have ever been to Africa, you know that it gets into your system. You come back a changed person( I know I have said this a thousand times). You just feel like you have to do more. You feel restless until you do more. So the announcement is. . .

Awaka Children's Foundation has come to life!!!!! I have joined forces with 3 other adoptive moms to start a non-profit organization(NGO). Our goal is to work with orphanages in remote areas of Uganda. We want to provide these orphans with the same level, if not better, of care that our children received at Sanyu. We have made contact with an orphanage in the Kabarole area of Uganda, that is currently trying to take care of 200+ children. Notice I said trying.

We are in the beginning stages of our dream. We know we don't have all of the answers, but we are eager learners. Please visit our blog, http://awakachildrensfoundation-uganda.blogspot.com/, and join our facebook page to keep up with our progress.

Please let us know if you would like to sponsor a child.

More Like Jesus

2009-11-23T12:36:00.002-06:00

Our pastor preached on the life every Christian should be living. He said we can not rest in our salvation. We are to constantly grow. Grow? Yes grow more like Christ everyday. So I did a little research into what kind of life Jesus lived. What did he do? So here is the list that I came up with. Feel free to leave me comments to add to the list.
-He knew scripture=Read your Bible and memorize verses.
-He prayed=Spend time with God everyday.
-He fasted=May I suggest the Isaiah 58 fast in addition to the normal food fast?
-He taught=If your called to teach a class, teach it. If not, live your life so that it will teach others by example.
-He preached the WORD=Notice I said the WORD. The Word of God, not of Billy Graham, Max Lacado, or Joel Osteen.
-He healed the sick=Not everyone is called to be a doctor, but there are a lot of sicknesses that are not physical. Sometimes it only takes a listening ear to help heal a heart.
-He would go the second mile=Just enough is not always enough.
-He loved his enemies=Dadgum that one is hard!
-He did good to please God=Just do it!
-He did not worry=Yes it is a sin.
-He did not judge=That is another hard one. If you focus on your walk enough, you won't be looking to see others stumble.
-He made disciples=More mature Christians help the baby Christians.
-He forgives=Say it, Believe it, Do it.
-He fed the hungry-There are plenty of ways to do this. You don't have to use fishes and loaves of bread, but the out come can be the same.
-He calls us to get out of the boat=Sometimes others need to know that they have people that will call them out in faith and be there for them when there faith might not be as strong as it needs to be.
-He took care of women and children=Are there widows in your community that need help? What about sponsoring an orphan or even adopting?
-He called us to drop everything and follow Him=Drop everything and follow Him. Listen for that still small voice and follow it. You will never regret it.

NEED

2009-11-18T10:41:00.003-06:00

We NEED prayer!!!
As anyone who has gone to Uganda knows, you come back a changed person. I think this probably goes for any impoverished country. You can no longer sit at your nice, comfortable home and not think about the NEED.
I have a chance to work with some great people to help meet some of the NEED.
Things are beginning to fall into place.
We of course NEED to know we are doing God's will and not our own.
We of course NEED prayer warriors to help us fight this battle.
We of course NEED money and resources and we do not know where we will get them.
Thankfully, we have faith and desire to listen and wait on God's answers and timing.
Thankfully, we learned that through our adoptions.
Thankfully, we know that there are people out there in blog world who will lift us up in prayer.

I will post more information when we get the answers we NEED and we can start satisfying the NEED.

Thanks and God Bless!!!

New Tradition

2009-11-15T15:43:00.004-06:00

Everyone has been asking me if I am planning a BIG Christmas this year. My answer is no. I had made myself the promise that when I had children, I would not go crazy at Christmas. I am only going to buy each child 3 presents. It was good enough for Jesus(gold, frankincense and myrrh) so it is good enough for them.
I am also promoting the Advent Conspiracy. This is a movement to encourage people not spend so much at Christmas and spend time in worship and sharing what Christmas is all about. Make gifts instead of buying them. If you do buy, buy gifts from charities and foundations that support charities. Etsy.com is a good place to find these gifts. I am going to try to post a list of some good sites for purchasing gifts later. You can also go to rethinkingchistmas.com, it is a site linked with the Advent Conspiracy website. It is a listing of alternative gifts.
Consider joining the conspiracy. Get your whole family or church involved and pledge your money to a cause and see what big things you can do. Who needs to play 'Dirty Santa' again?
I am also going to try to add another part to the conspiracy. I saw this on another mom's blog last year. Each day in December, like an Advent Calendar, my family is going to do something for someone else. Like bake cookies for a neighbor, rake leaves for an elderly person, or adopt a soldier for Christmas. If you have any ideas of things that you do please leave me a comment.

Eventful Week

2009-11-10T22:09:00.007-06:00

Tuesday started with a trip to the doctor for immunizations.

Thursday we went to Christmas Village, our areas annual Christmas craft fair. The goal for the day was pictures with Santa. As you can see below, Andrew was OK with Santa, Willa Rae was not!

Sunday was the dedication of Andrew and Willa Rae at church as part of our Orphan Sunday celebration.

As part of Orphan Sunday, I announced plans to go back to Uganda on a missions trip in June/July 2010 if anyone is interested in joining us.

Your Invited x 2

2009-11-03T02:19:00.003-06:00

This Sunday you are invited to celebrate two events. The first is Orphan Sunday. This is a day to raise awareness of the needs of orphans around the world. They need families, families that will teach them and show them the love of Jesus. They need food, shelter, clothing, medical care, education. But most of all they need to know that someone cares and loves them. This is what we are called to do. There are an estimated 147 million orphans in the WORLD. There are an estimated 160 million adult Christians in the US. You do the math. WE CAN DO THIS!!!!

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

The second event you are invited to is my children's dedication in church. We do not have christenings or baptisms of babies, in our church. We have a dedication instead. It is more of a promise made by the parents and other family members to say that the child will be raised in a Christian loving home and that they will grow up in church. It is a promise to do our jobs as parents. Raise our children to know our love and the love of Jesus.

So if you want to be a part of these celebrations be at Glory Fellowship Baptist Church in Jasper, AL on Sunday, November 8th at 10am. Can't wait to see you there!!!

First trip to the barbershop

2009-10-25T06:46:00.006-05:00

Everything started out OK.

We got a little nervous.

A few minutes later he is loosing his patience.

Final Product=His sister finally has more hair than he does.

God gave you a story--TELL IT

2009-10-11T02:26:00.002-05:00

I have heard other families of transracial adoptions complain about the staring and the questions. I don't really get it. Did you not think that people were going to look at your beautiful new family and see you as different? It's kind of like Brittney Spears saying I don't want the attention leave me alone while I shave my head.
I think that most of us who have travelled this road feel that God called us to adopt our children. It is not something we ran out and did willy nilly, and we did a lot of praying and research about it. We have beautiful stories of how God brought our family together. Are there parts of the story that the world doesn't need to know? Yes. But we can still use our situation to tell people about adoption and the 147 million orphans out there that need homes. We can also use our stories to tell people how God adopted us into his family and how we are brothers and sisters with Jesus.
I do have rules for answering question however. I only answer the question asked. People always ask if my children are twins and the answer is no, there is 6 months difference in their age. Which always brings puzzled looks. I don't answer questions that get too personal. I had a friend tell me once, 'If someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, ask them 'Why do you ask?' That puts the ball back on their side of the court and they have to come up with a reason for being so nosy. I will also ask them if they are interested in adoption. If they are interested in the process I give them my blog address. I did this in Costco last week.
I understand that some of you have other children that might be uncomfortable with all of the attention the family is getting, but isn't it our responsibility as parents to explain to the kids why people see us as different. Different isn't always good, but it isn't always bad either. Everyone has to deal with being different at some point in life. Prepare everyone in the family for questions and comments.

Forever Changed--Part 2

2009-10-10T12:21:00.002-05:00

Americans are not always right. That is another thing that I learned while in Uganda. I had the privilege to meet and make friends with people from all over the world while I was in Uganda. I realized that the American way is not always the right way. It is usually different from anywhere else. But as we all know, different is not always better.

I also learned that as 'GREEN' as we like to think we are. We are so wasteful of resources and money. We are a disposable society. If it breaks we don't fix it. We throw it away and buy a bigger and better one. That is not the case in Uganda. I saw men fix things that I didn't even think had all of the pieces. But somehow they got it together and it worked.

I also saw that what Americans would consider a small amount of money could change many lives in Uganda. I saw children walking miles to a well that probably cost around $500 to put in. This is the only clean drinking water that they have. I know that we can spend that in a 30 minute shopping trip on jeans and a pair of boots. Something we would waste money on so casually and we could change the lives of hundreds of people. The money it would take to fill up an SUV on gas would pay the salary of a teacher for a month. The money we spend eating out at a nice restaurant would feed a family for a month.

I must say that I am guilty of unwise spending myself. But I have definitely become more aware of it. I am challenging myself and anyone else that wants to join me.

I am not going to waste money on clothes, shoes, or fast food. I am going to save that money to donate to an adoption fund or other orphan related charity. National Orphan/Adoption Day is November 8th. Let's all make a donation to the care of orphans around the world. By the way God said to do it too.

Can't say it better

2009-10-05T06:09:00.002-05:00

Today's blog post is plagiarized. It comes from Katie Davis, an amazing young woman that I had the honor to get to meet in Uganda. I had been reading her blog for over a year before going so it was like meeting a long lost friend. Katie lives in Uganda know with her 14 girls, she is only 20, and she is living a life that honors God. Please read what she wrote below and if you would like to read more about Katie and her family the link to her blog is on the right 'The Journey'

"My dear children, I am with you. I watch closely as you struggle for holiness. Often, you are uncertain of your spiritual condition. You strive to serve but feel conflicted by the times in which you are serving. There are some things that all humanity deals with regardless of where in history they are placed. First, there will always be a difference between the world’s path and heaven’s path. These two paths, while they can run along side each other for increments, will always separate. Ultimately, each man will have to choose. Every man, to a greater or lesser degree, will have to contend with choosing first good over evil and then he will have to make another choice and that is the choice of choosing My plan for his life over his own plan for his life. After that, the choices become even more studied in that the man must choose My plan in each day, in each task and even in each moment. You may say, dear apostle, that this is a difficult call for a man, to study his actions in each day. You may say, this is asking a lot. You are right. I, Jesus, am asking a lot of you. I ask for your full commitment and I do so without apology. Dearest apostles, if you give me your full commitment, there is no limit to what I can do. Look at your life. You have said yes to me on many days. Examine what I have done with your yes answers. Consider what I am building with the commitments of so many children of God who are willing to be directed by the Saviour, their King. I am building a structure of love. I am building a structure through which many are returning. Truly, your hearts, open and filled with My love, call out to others. You provide for Me a welcome to those who feel separated. If they can be taken into your heart for even a brief moment and experience Me, with My love, then they will have the courage to both approach Me directly and to accept Me directly. Please, do not count the sacrifices when you consider your service. Do not count the loss of worldly respect. Count only the souls who are comforted and consoled. Count the repentance and healing of so many who have been restored to unity with heaven. Count the humility that I have bestowed on you, dear apostle, since you began to learn about true holiness. I am your King. I can give you anything. I choose to give you peace and holiness. I choose to make of you a resolute servant. Accept My will in your life and you will then be able to accept all of the graces heaven has stored up for you. "

Message from Anne, lay apostle

Lord, may we seek you path, regardless of how alluring the world's path can look sometimes. May we choose good in an evil generation, may we choose Your plan even when it is harder, may we choose YOU every moment of every day. We want to be fully committed to You. We want the days we say "yes" to become every day. We repent from lukewarmness, from mediocrity, from normalcy. We want to shine so brightly for You that others can't help but see, can't help but feel your love. Let us look at EVERY encounter as an opportunity to show your love. Lord on the days where helping just one more person seems like too much, help me to choose You. On the days when satan whispers "you can't save everyone, why are you trying" let me choose You. On the days when it would be too easy to pop in a movie for my children instead of reading Scripture with them, let me choose You. When harsh words are easier to find than kind ones, let me choose You. Father, like Paul, I know what I want to do, what I should do, and yet I find myself failing, discouraged. Thank You for your grace. Thank You that You who sit so HIGH would look low upon people like me and use us as a vessel for you. How blessed we are to even be called servants, to be able to share in your Kingdom and share your love with others. Thank you for the cross, where you have given us peace and holiness. Father we long to say Yes to You.

He is teaching me to stop for ONE. And it is hard and it is ugly. Because every time I stop for that ONE sick child, that ONE hungry old man, that ONE new baby girl, my mind races with the statistics of how many more there are that I am not touching, not feeding, not saving. God whispers every time though that this ONE is enough. That this ONE is feeling His love and that is eternal. ETERNAL. I think of sweet baby Happy who died at 4 months after we did all that we could. I didn't understand how God had led me to feel so attached to that little girl if His plan was to take her all along. I think of Michael who is back at home with his step mom, healthy now, but more than likely still mistreated. God knows that as a single woman I cannot legally adopt a little boy, how could my heart be so knit to his. I think tonight of Gloria who's brain was so damaged from her high fever she may always be in a vegetable like state. God in His infinite wisdom KNEW that if I had been there a few days sooner, this could have been prevented. But then I think of 14 little girls who have a home and food and a Mommy and know Jesus. I think of 600 Karamajong children, modern day lepers in Uganda, singing about God's love for them and leaving with their bellies full. I think of 400 sponsored children who sometimes show up on Saturday in new clothes because now that Amazima is providing them with all their basic needs (food, education, medical care) their parents can afford to buy them a NEW DRESS. I see thousands of deep brown eyes and feel thousands of little brown hands and I know that even on the hardest day, stopping is worth it. A life changed is worth it, even if only ONE. God's love made known is worth it, even if only to ONE. I will not save them all. But I will keep trying. I will say Yes. I will stop for that ONE no matter how hopeless. Jesus, give us the stregth to say yes to whoever you put in our paths today.

Forever Changed

2009-10-01T21:11:00.002-05:00

When I started adopting, everyone said you life will never be the same. They were right. I found love. I found that I love my children more than I ever knew I could love. I found the love of Jesus, it was poured out everyday in amazing ways. I found the love of friends that I will have forever. I found the love of a country and its people.
My life has changed, because I have children. I can no longer be selfish and just do what I want. I think of them first. Then I think of all of the children out there like them. Kids that don't have a mom or a dad. Kids that don't have a bed to sleep in or a house. Kids that are sick and can't get the medical care they need. Kids that don't have clothes to keep them warm or shoes to protect their feet.
I have a restless spirit. I have seen this need with my own eyes. I can no longer pretend that it does not exist. I feel that I have to do more. God commands that we all take care of these children.
I am going to warn my readers, few that they are. My next few posts are going to be hard hitting. They may make you uncomfortable. It is a message I think our whole country needs to hear, but most are not going to want to.
God bless.

More of the Process

2009-09-27T20:50:00.003-05:00

I have not mentioned it on my blog, but I have started a Yahoo chat group for people who have adopted from Uganda or are interested in adopting here is the address: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sanyuuganda

Please leave me a message explaining who you are and where you are in the process. Membership is not open to everyone, so that our families' privacy can be protected.

OK, now more on the guardianship process. As for adoptions from Sanyu, after you identify the child you want to adopt you have to take pictures for Ugandan passports, medicals, and US visas, these pictures are 2 different sizes, get extras just in case. Godfrey knows where to take you and what size and how many. You will also have to go to the Surgery to get medicals done for US visas. You will see a Ugandan first, I think his name is Joseph, I'm sorry I can't remember. He will do measurements and initial blood tests. Dr. Pinto or Dr. Stockley will see you for the follow up visit and they have to sign the forms. Pictures should cost $10-15 and medicals, depending on followups and different blood tests $45-60.

After this you get to wait for a court date. When you show up for court, dress in your Sunday best and have the children dressed nicely with shoes and everything if possible. If Peter is your lawyer, he and his associates show up at the very last minute. It is very nerve wracking, but they will be there. You do not talk, unless the judge asks you a specific question. You address the judge as Your Lordship, if you do talk. Thank him or her at the end of the hearing. I did ask to speak in my hearing for A, because the judge was leaning toward denying the application. Crying does help in some cases, make sure you are truthful and genuine. The judge will tell you when to come back for the ruling, so you wait some more. People are having to wait different times for rulings with different judges. I had to wait 1 week for WR and 2 weeks for A. When you go back for the ruling take the child with you again and you just wait for those words "Application has been approved." Then you jump up and say 'Thank you' and burst into tears outside.
Now all you need is passports and visas and you can come home. Peter's office will work on birth certificates and passports. Make sure you keep on them about these. They should be ready the day of your ruling or a day or two after. Once you have your ruling, make an appointment with the embassy for your visa interview. It could take 2-5 days for this whole process.

You need paperwork for the US Embassy as well as for court and for the orphanage you are working with. There is a new consular and she does not seem to be as tough on paperwork as the former consular. But I am going to give you the entire list of things people were asked for in their interviews while I was there. Home study, Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificates for both parents, any divorce decrees, a letter from your attorney including all adopted children as rightful heirs, a personal financial statement proving you are able to provide for the child/children, letters of employment from employers, birth certificates for children in your household, letter from your pastor, guardianship plan for the child if you die, doctor's statement of your health, 3 references, last 3 years tax returns with w-2s(copies are fine), I-864, I-600a approval notice if you have it(they also mail this to the embassy if you put the address for the Kampala embassy on the form), I-600 petition to classify orphan as immediate relative, affidavit concerning exemption from immigration vaccination requirements for a foreign adopted child [these forms can be downloaded from the Dept. of State website, if only one parent is traveling the other parent needs to sign these forms and have them notarized before traveling]. Some of the other random things that people have been asked for in court or at the embassy, pictures of your family and your home, copies of diplomas or professional certificates, proof of post adoption home study visit, also if you adopt 2 unrelated children you will be asked to pay $670 more at the US Embassy for the second child.
Paper work that you need for visas that you will get after you are finished in court, guardianship order, relinquishment letter from the orphanage and any living relative if there is one.

I made 3 copies of all of these forms and had them in a binder that never left my sight. Do not pack these forms, carry them in your carry-on bags.

Take some time to go and see Uganda. Go to Jinja and see the Nile. If you have time go to some of the National Parks. We even went to the equator. Get to know more of the country than Kampala, it is a beautiful place. Kampala has beautiful parts and the people are doing a lot of work to make it better, but you need to be able to tell your children about the whole country.
Remember, this is your child's heritage. You want to be able to tell them as much as possible about where they come from. Please make sure that you give them a positive image of their heritage.

By the way, I suggest flying through Amsterdam. The airport and airline is much nicer than Belgium. Belgium does not want me to do a tourist recommendation for them. The chocolate is not worth the rudeness.

I hope this is helpful. It has been a brain dump. If you have specific questions let me know. Remember, the process changes, so this should not be taken as written in stone.

Starting to Process

2009-09-15T21:26:00.003-05:00

OK, I have finally had a chance to slow down some and start processing everything that has happened in the last 4 months. I did not post much about the guardianship process while we were in Uganda, but I did want to tell people about the process for me. I say 'the process for me' because the process is always changing. If you are not flexible and able to roll with the punches DO NOT try to adopt from Uganda. I would almost say that goes for any adoption.

First of all do not start the process unless you are absolutely sure that this is something God is telling you to do now. Please take time to bathe the process in prayer. My process was by no means smooth, but it went much better when I was sure that I was communicating with God. Keep in mind, God calls us all to take care of orphans, He does not call us all to adopt. Make sure the timing is right.

If you are planning to adopt from Uganda or any other country, please make sure you go to that country with a respectful attitude. Do not think that because you are American or any other Westerner, that you are doing that country a favor and are entitled to special treatment. If you can not respect the culture or are offended by what you may come into contact with, are you going to be able to raise a child from that culture? I am not talking about being appalled by the poverty or some of the conditions that you might see. I am talking about being respectful for their way of life. Don't openly mock or make derogatory comments about things you see. Remember you are a guest, be a good one. Ask if you can help out at the orphanage or at some of the NGOs. Do not assume you know how to do things better. Do it their way. After you earn trust and respect, make suggestions respectfully. Remember, African cultures have been around longer than America. I'm convinced they do most things better than us anyway.

Next, do all of you paperwork that you need to adopt before you leave the US. DO NOT go to a country without a homestudy or your USCIS paperwork at least being processed. Show the people you are working with that you are committed to an adoption not that you are at their orphanage 'shopping' for a baby.

Contact the orphanage that you want to work with. You may have to contact more than one. Make sure you meet their requirements for adoption and that they have available children.

Contact an attorney. I recommend Peter Nyombi. He knows more about the guardianship process than any other lawyer. He will also make sure things progress in a timely manner. I will add this disclaimer though, I had a problem with one of his employees asking for a bribe to process my children's birth certificates. I played dumb and asked Peter about and he reprimanded the employee. However, when it was time to process one of my children's visas the birth certificate was not there. You have to stay on top of all of the steps.

Contact Godfrey to drive for you. I can never say enough good things about Godfrey. He is more than a driver. He is a guardian angel. He took care of anything my aunt or I needed. He knows as much about the adoption process as most lawyers. He knows where to get anything you need and where everything is. Let me add this bit on a personal note. He is a driver and he will become a friend. DO NOT TREAT HIM LIKE HIRED HELP!!!!!!!!! He is a very caring man and he deserves to be treated with respect. I don't want to come after anyone that has treated him badly, BUT I WILL, because I already have, and it wasn't pretty.

I am going to say this again, because it is the most important thing. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! Make sure that this is in God's plan for your life and the life of any children you adopt. Do not do this because some friends from church did it and had a wonderful experience. I prayed about every step of the process. When I fell out of communication with God and did what I wanted was when I experienced problems. I know I was doing God's will in adopting both of my children. I may not have done everything the way He had wished me to.

I will post more of the process later. If you need further details about the process, leave me a comment. I will be happy to answer any questions.

Finally

2009-09-09T20:07:00.002-05:00

I know that it has been a month since I posted, but things are just now getting into a routine. You will notice I did not say that 'things are back to normal'. I don't think they will be normal ever again. But I love not being normal!!!!!
The kids are doing great. They both started walking all by themselves last Thursday. If we can determine if they have giardia and get the pooping under control we will be doing great. They are both putting on weight anyway.
Thanks again for all of the prayers and comments while we were in Uganda. They kept us going.
I will post pictures and more about the whole process soon.

Please Watch This Video

2009-08-15T21:57:00.004-05:00

I don't normally post videos on my blog, but this one is worthwhile. It is from the Church at Brookhills in Birmingham, AL. I actually became aware of it from friends in NC. It is an amazing message. One that I hope ALL CHRISTIANS listen to and act on. It is a call to help the needy.
Can I just say the needy are those who have less than you. That is not just a financial need. That is an emotional, spiritual, educational, medical, and physical need. It could be that the person sitting next to you has a need. I know that there are millions, no billions, of people worldwide that are in need. We need to become more sensitive to the needs of others.

http://www.brookhills.org/media/series/radical/v65

It is long, but worth every second.

Sanyu News

2009-08-11T17:59:00.002-05:00

I know that some of the people who are following my blog are interested in adopting from Sanyu. I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Sanyu has been getting a lot of media exposure and as a result, Ugandan families have been coming in to adopt. The bad news is there are no children available for international families at this time. This could change at any time, so keep in touch with Sanyu. We are also trying to get some information on other orphanages that would have children available and have the needed certification to place children for adoption.
As always with international adoption, things are changing. We will try to get as much information out as possible. I hope to start a Ugandan adoption Yahoo group soon. I have been a little busy and today was the first day of school, so it may be a while.

We're home!!!!

2009-08-07T07:13:00.003-05:00

We are finally home and this post is really late. Our travels home were not without incident. I may have to do serious bodily harm to my travel agent. I had heard that the airlines were so helpful to people traveling with small children. It must not have been the airlines we travelled on. When we finally arrived in Newark there was a storm coming through the east. It delayed or flight by over 2 hours which meant we were not going to make our connection in Atlanta. After 30 hours of traveling, I could not wait another 12 hours to get home when it only takes 3 hours to drive it. So I called my darling dad and he came and picked us up at midnight and drove us home while we all slept.
The kids have adjusted well and are taking to life in America. They will eat chicken in any form. My mom is still amazed at how much they eat. The 2 kids ate more last night than the 3 adults did for dinner.
I had to go back to work on Wednesday, so things are busy, busy, busy. I will get pictures posted soon. Thanks for all of the prayers while we were gone. Please don't stop praying now that we are home.
Love,
Tanya, Andrew and Willa Rae

Coming Home

2009-08-01T05:42:00.002-05:00

We leave in about 8 hours coming home. Please pray for our trip. We have 4 different flights, with over 10 hours of lay overs and the last leg is with a different airline. Please pray that our luggage can be checked all the way through and that we dont have to re-check at Newark and Atlanta. Please pray that the kids are comfortable and take to flying and new experiences. Pray that Martha and I have the stamina to make it the next 40 hours or so. Pray that the kids adjust well at home. Pray that I can get back into the groove in time for school to start.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and support. We would not have made it this far without it.
We will miss Uganda and the people we have met here. They have changed us for the better.

WE HAVE VISAS!!!!!!

2009-07-28T05:43:00.002-05:00

We finally have our visas. As we say a day late and about $2000 short. We are still packed up, but have dug up enough clothing to last us the next few days. We may be staying at another guest house in Kampala for the last few days. We are causing an overbooking problem at Sanyu.
If anyone is interested these are the things we hope to eat when we get home. Grilled cheeseburgers with dill pickles(you cant even find pickles here)
Real Fries
Sweet Tea with ice
bisquits with butter and blackberries
Mr. Cliff's deer steak
Real fried chicken--I cant begin to explain what they do to it here
cheese sticks from Cujo's
strawberries--the only fruit we can not find cheap
homemade chex mix
good bread, crackers, and cakes, if we come back Martha is opening a proper bakery here

Not Yet

2009-07-27T23:33:00.002-05:00

We did not get Andrew's visa in time to leave on Monday. I had to change our tickets and we will be leaving on Saturday and arriving in Bham on Sunday. There is a reason we should still be here. I just dont know what it is. I have at least 100 reasons that I should be in Alabama now. About 50 of them involve food=). Thanks for all of the prayers, emails and fb comments.
In other news there is a family here that has chosen to adopt and another that just came to support a friend that is adopting has made the decision to adopt as well. It is great to see God working, even if your eyes are clouded with tears.
I would also like to post a world wide prayer request for Cade and his family. He had a four wheeler wreck and is in critical condition. Please lift this family up as well.
Thanks and Love to All,
Tanya

God Still Can!!!

2009-07-24T10:51:00.001-05:00

I am tired, weary, and wornout. I got Andrew's passport and got it to the embassy in time. I was still waiting on the birth certificate. Ends up it was never applied for, so I didnt get it in time to get it to the embassy. Please pray that we get the visa on Monday. I really don't know what we will do if we don't. I'm stressed, but not worried.

Red Letter Day!!!!!!

2009-07-21T11:33:00.002-05:00

Today was awesome. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for the prayers. We would not have made it if not for all of you prayer warriors fighting the fight. We got approval for Andrew! Mercy's leg is almost completely healed! Irene's visa appointment went great and we should be able get Andrew's by Friday noon. So we should be home on Monday as scheduled. Keep praying til we reach Jasper.

Safari

2009-07-20T00:44:00.002-05:00

First things first, I did not bunjee jump. Gravity has already done enough to my body, I didn't think I should go and spit in its face.
We had a wonderful time this weekend. Murchison Falls National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Pictures and video do not do it justice. It was everything I thought it would be and more. The people here are so warm and friendly. As we drove along, it was about 300 kilometers, kids would wave at us from the roadside. I told Godfrey we were going to miss that, because we did not get that kind of reception at home. One bump it the road was actually about 200 bumps. They have put in speed bumps along a newly paved portion of road to keep people from speeding and tearing up the road. So we crawled, in the van, over every one. It was just the first in many funny and amusing things that happened along the way. Half of the road was a dirt road. It went from smooth to rub board to ruts and back, many, many times. It was our own bucking bronco ride through the park=). Then there were the flies, biting flies to be specific. The filled the van about 80 kilometers from our final destination, so the battle was on. We flailed and hit and sprayed with deet and nothing worked so we just had to laugh about it and go on. We stayed in a $5 a night hostel the first night. We had beds and mosquito nets. We went next door to the swanky lodge to use their bathrooms and eat. It was beautiful there. We had views overlooking the Nile and we could hear the hippos making their way to their feeding grounds. After we went back to our rooms it was lights out, literally. Because we are inside the park the only power they have is from generators. We only get power for a few hours, at 10 o'clock it was lights out!! We were ready for bed anyway. As we laid there during the night we could hear monkeys on the roof, and water bucks, water buffalo, and hippos walking around outside. We even hear a water buck walk down the sidewalk right outside our rooms. The sky was absolutely gorgeous. There were so many stars.
The next morning we were up early to start our game drive. We were out for about 4 hours and it was beautiful. We saw baboons, wart hogs, giraffes, water bucks, water buffaloes, Jackson's heartbeast, oribis(sp?), kobs, elephants, and some of the most beautiful birds in the world. We did not get to see any lions, but they can be hard to find. We went back to the lodge to relax for a few hours and then we set off on our Nile River cruise. We saw hundreds of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and all of the other animals we had seen that morning. Our destination was the base of Murchison Falls. The falls are only 6 meters wide at one point so the power of the Nile rushing though them is awesome. It was the best boat ride I have ever been on. We spent the night at Sambiya River Lodge in a banda. We had to use outdoor showers and it was the second best cold shower I have had in Africa. We had a great meal at the lodge and a great nights sleep on the best matress we have had on this continent.
The next morning we left early for a trip to the top of the falls. To see the power and beauty of the Nile is to know that there is a God. Only a supreme being could make something so breathtaking. We managed to keep the biting flies out of the van on the way out of the park. It just meant keeping the windows up. Thank goodness it was a cloudy morning.
On the way home we stopped at the Ziwa Rhino Sactuary. They have 7 of the 9 rhinos in Uganda. They are trying to reintroduce them to the wild. Two of the rhinos were donated by Disney's Animal Kingdom. They have a new baby, we did not get to see, that was born in June. His name is Obama. We actually got out of the van and walked through the grass for about 15 minutes to reach where 3 of the rhinos were resting. We got to walk within 15 yards of them. It was sooooo cooool!! We went back to the lodge for lunch and then it was back across the 200 speed bumps home. All in all a wonderful trip!! I would not trade the experience for anything in the world.

Did I??!???!

2009-07-13T21:46:00.002-05:00

You'll have to check back to see. Leave me a comment and tell me if you think I bunjee jumped into the Nile.

Martha is not in de Nile

2009-07-13T21:41:00.001-05:00

She is just having a great time looking at it.

Sorry about the corny humor!!!

Trip to Jinja

2009-07-13T21:30:00.001-05:00

We went to Jinja today. This is the view from the table we ate lunch at. It was so quiet and relaxing compared to Kampala. We really enjoyed it. This is the Nile River. Can you believe it?!?!?

The Official Birthday Girl

2009-07-12T16:22:00.002-05:00

I had to post a picture of Mercy. It was her birthday and she is 1!!!! Mercy is awesome and so is her mom.

Birthday Party Part 2

2009-07-12T16:06:00.003-05:00

The internet was not cooperating last night so I did not get to post like I had wanted. We had a birthday party for Mercy yesterday. Willa Rae and I horned in on it. I had chosen June 28th for WRs birthday, but that happened to fall on the weekend that Andrew was sick and I got sick, so we never celebrated. Therefor we shared a party with Mercy. We got the kids dressed up, we opened presents and had chocolate cake, pringles and juice. A very fun day for everyone!!!!

Birthday Party

2009-07-11T15:52:00.001-05:00

Just a little juice to wash down the chocolate birthday cake. They both eat like Evanses.

Passport

2009-07-10T10:45:00.003-05:00

Finally got Irene's birth certificate and passport today!!!! Next week it will be off to the embassy to start the visa process. We actually had to go to the immigration office to get the passports. We got to sit outside under the tent with all of the people waiting to get passports. It must have been 50-75 people waiting, we were the only mzungus. I was hoping to get Andrew's also, but it didn't happen. But on a positive note the guy who signs the passports wants to marry a mzungu from the US and he likes his women like most Ugandans do, fat=). It should make things easy if I have to go back for Andrew's passport.
Thanks for all of the prayers. We are hoping to make it back home on July 28th. We are still working on our list of food we want to eat the first week. Last night we went to a pub that served ice in their cokes. I had 3!!!!!

Court

2009-07-07T05:06:00.003-05:00

On the way to court today I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that said 'If God says yes, Man cannot say no.' That gave me a good feeling about court. We went in and the judge started by saying that he knew that I had already received guardianship for one child and that he thought it would be difficult for me to raise 'twins' since the kids are so close together in age. He also brought up the fact that Andrew has only been in the orphanage for 2 months. Peter argued back that my application was turned in before the judge had made the statement about children staying in the babies home for 6 months. He asked the judge to consider going ahead and granting me the approval under the condition that I leave him here for 4 more months. Not exactly the argument that I wanted to hear. The judge said he would just deny the application instead. They went back and forth argueing and joking and I thought I would loose my mind. I kept waiting for him to ask me a question. Martha asked him if she could say something and the judge told her it was none of her concern, so things were going downhill fast. Peter argued some more and then I asked if I could speak and the judge let me. I told him that I did not come here with the intentions of adopting 2 children. I explained how sick Andrew had been and how everyone thought he had sickle cell anemia. I told him how we all prayed for a family for him and how God had said that that family was me. I told him that I would consider it a great honor if he would let me take Andrew home and be his mother. Martha then got up and explained that she lives close by and that my parents live next door, and that we have plenty of family to help take care of the kids. We were both crying while we were talking. So instead of getting a definite NO, we come back for the ruling on July 21st. I am happy to say that Peter does not think the judge would make us wait 2 weeks to tell us no, so we are very hopeful. Thanks for all of your prayers. We will definitely have time to go to Jinja and Murchison Falls for a few days.
Somebody better be waiting on us at the airport with bisquits and sweet tea!!!!

Andrew's Court Date

2009-07-03T11:24:00.002-05:00

I found out today that we go to court for Andrew on Tuesday. We have the same judge. I talked to someone at the lawyer's office today and I asked them what we were going to do about the 6 month thing. He said they would argue the case, because the 6 months was not law. So I hope they argue it well. If everything goes well, I hope we can all come home about 2 weeks after court. Please pray that all of this happens smoothly and quickly. We are ready to come home.

Trying on clothes

2009-07-03T11:19:00.001-05:00

As you can see Willa Rae had fun and Andrew didn't.

Ruling

2009-07-01T08:02:00.002-05:00

Went to court this morning and the judge granted me guardianship of Irene/Willa Rae!!!! I said 'Thank you, your Lordship' and then he said some other things to the lawyers. Everyone talks really low, so it is hard to hear what is being said.
When we got outside, I asked what had been said. The judge said that in the future he wants the children to be in the babies home or orphanage for 6 months before application for guardianship is made. Andrew has only been at Sanyu for 2 months. I thought I was going to trow up. I have talked to Peter and he said we should go ahead with Andrew's application, we might get another judge. I keep telling myself to trust in God, but I am sick, tired and ready to bring my children home. Please pray.

Fun in a Tent

2009-06-29T13:32:00.001-05:00

He's mine now

2009-06-28T07:50:00.002-05:00

I took Andrew to the doctor yesterday, and he has a viral respiratory infection and pink eye. It is highly contagious so he spent the night at the guesthouse with us. We were having a pretty good night until a little after midnight. He had an explosive poopy diaper. So I had to change him, the bed, and me. Therefore I think I should be able to claim him as definitely mine. We managed to sleep the rest of the night, but he did it to me again at naptime. I have been tagged twice.
So far, thankfully, Irene/Willa Rae has not caught it. I have a soar throat though.

List of things on the back of a boda boda

2009-06-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

Boda bodas are motorcycle 'taxis'. They dart through the traffic and take sidewalks or any other path that is needed to get where they are going. They are also used to transport just about anything you can imagine, so we have started a list.
1. Car windshields--we have now seen about 5
2. 8 foot step ladder
3. Man with a mattress
4. Woman riding sidesaddle while holding her baby.
5. ME!!!
Yes I finally got on a boda. Thanks to Tara, it was video taped. I will not try to upload it. It was sooooo much fun. We actually travelled at more than 35 mph. It is my new favorite way to travel. You get a boda tan, which we can't tell if it is an actual tan or just stained from the road dust, and it is cheap!!!
I will share the complete list of things on the back of a boda or bicycle when we get home. We see new things everyday, and everyone here is adding to the list.

The love of Pringles

2009-06-24T23:54:00.001-05:00

Willa Rae was afraid her brother was going to finish the can of Pringle's before her, so she was just shoving them in her mouth. I promise I do take pictures of them doing other things besides eating.

more pics

2009-06-24T23:47:00.001-05:00

Court

2009-06-24T23:37:00.002-05:00

As far as I can tell, court went well. The judges only question was about Irene's name. Nothing about my character or ability to provide for her. He just wanted to know how she got her name. Which I was interested in knowing too. The social worker from the orphanage explained to him that they just pick one. I found out later that she was named after a sister of one of the Mamas. So now we go back to court next Wednesday at 9am for the ruling. I hope to find out today when Andrew's court date is.

Thanks again for all of the prayers. Thanks for buying t-shirts. Keep praying for the rest of the process to go smoothly and quickly. Martha and I are ready to come home. We have started making a list of things we want to eat the first week we are back.

Court Date

2009-06-19T12:07:00.002-05:00

We have a court date for next week on Wednesday or Thursday for Irene. I hope that we can get Andrew in the next week. With waiting a week for the ruling and then having to get passports and visas, it's going to be tight getting back on our original ticket. Pray for speedy process and a favorable ruling. Thanks.

Ndere Center Dancers

2009-06-19T12:01:00.002-05:00

Great show!!! Yes, she is dancing with 9 clay pots one her head. We will have more pictures and video when we get home. If you are ever in Uganda it is a must see. Dinner and a 3 hour show for $10, can't beat it.

Willa Rae enjoying a lolly

2009-06-19T11:58:00.000-05:00

Laundry Room

2009-06-19T11:53:00.000-05:00

For Granddaddy

2009-06-19T11:47:00.001-05:00

It was hard to stretch it over her stomach, but I had to put it on her.

finally got him to smile for the camera

2009-06-19T11:41:00.001-05:00

Brother and Sister

2009-06-16T20:24:00.003-05:00

They may not have started out as brother and sister, but they are acting like it now. This morning, during music, I was holding Andrew and Willa Rae on my lap. WR reached over and started rubbing Andrew's head and I thought 'how sweet'. Then she reached down and grabbed his ear and gave it a good twist. I couldn't stop lauging!!!
I heard from my lawyer that he has filed for WR's court date and will file for Andrew's later today. He wanted more money. So here is the begging part. If there is anything you can do to help me with the cost of this adoption, it would be greatly appreciated. I promise to pass it along to others in need when I can. Thanks and keep praying. I love Uganda, but I am ready to come home with my babies.

Ugandan Highchair

2009-06-16T20:17:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of feeding 6 kids sitting in this last night. By the time I got back to the first child, he was screaming, waiting for the next bite.

GOD IS GREAT!!!!!!

2009-06-15T05:16:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update. I found out on Friday evening that Andrew is negative for sickle cell anemia. He is not even a carrier. PRAISE GOD!!!! The only problem was I was worried I would not be able to adopt him. I was confident in God's plan and when I talked to Peter, my attorney this morning, he assured me that he thought the case would go throug anyway. I am on cloud nine. I took Andrew to the doctor just to make sure nothing else was wrong and he said he is perfectly healthy. He just needed good food and lots of love. I still don't have a court date, but I will try to updated as soon as I know.
A great big thanks to all of you prayer warriors!

t-shirts for sale

2009-06-14T23:04:00.002-05:00

I just found out that the Fourt of July t-shirt is ready. I am sorry, I don't have a picture. If you are interested please call Mary at 205-221-0255. I only need to sell about 700 of these to pay for my legal fees for Andrew. Thanks for all of your support.

A Great Day

2009-06-14T14:26:00.001-05:00

We had a great day today. We went to Calvary Chapel Kampala and it was awesome. There was praise and worship music. The pastor was under 30 and preached from the Bible. It was like being at Glory. We got back in time for me to put Andrew and Willa Rae down for their nap and I got a short one too. We got up and played for a couple of hours. We went to the Ndere Center and saw the dance troupe there perform some of the tribal dances of Uganda. They were amazing. I think we may go back again. Dinner and a show for $10US. Can't beat that.
I am asking for prayer again. Tomorrow is a very important day. I have to take Andrew to the doctor and we should be getting our court dates. Please bathe these two things in prayer. I just ask that God's will be done in all of this. Thanks again for all of your prayers and encouragement. I can't wait to get home and tell you about all of the amazing things God is doing.

Andrew looking very smart

2009-06-14T01:09:00.000-05:00

Irene enjoying music

2009-06-14T01:05:00.000-05:00

Andrew in class

2009-06-14T00:58:00.000-05:00

God's Country

2009-06-13T12:34:00.002-05:00

When I lived in Tennesse, they liked to say that it was 'God's country'. They were wrong!! Uganda is God's country. I have seen Him working in more ways in more lives than I have ever before. He is bringing families together. He is healing. He is saving. I can't go into more details. It will probably take a book. I am going to try to get more pictures up. Please keep praying!!! We can feel it.

How do I Explain

2009-06-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

I know some of you are concerned about Andrew and the decision to adopt him. I completely understand. I was concerned about him too. I have prayed that he finds a family. I have prayed for it for the last 2 weeks. It just ends up that his family is supposed to be my family.
I have had the feeling for a long time that I should adopt 2 children. I even told a friend of mine about it last year. I knew it sounded crazy. Not a lot crazier than traveling around the world to adopt a child of a different race and culture. I was told that Sanyu would not let you adopt more than one child at a time. I got my home study approval for 2 children anyway. I had the feeling that it would be a boy and a girl. I had names picked out for 1 boy and 1 girl. I was told that I would only be able to adopt a girl. It is Ugandan law that single people can only adopt children of the same sex. Only in special circumstances can people adopt outside this law, such as with siblings. There are no siblings at Sanyu other than twin boys. No way that I could adopt a boy. But then there was Andrew. I prayed for a family for him. I didn’t think that I could be his mom. Every time I prayed the answer I got was ‘You are his mom’. I didn’t believe it. After a week, I worked up the nerve to ask my lawyer if he thought the High Court of Uganda would give me special consideration because of Andrew’s sickle cell. His immediate answer was yes.
Am I scared about the cost of adopting a second child? Yes. Am I scared about his medical condition? Terrified. Do I know if I will have enough money to pay his medical expenses? No. Am I short changing Willa Rae by adopting another child, one with a special medical need? I don’t know. I don’t know what the future will bring. Do any of us? If you gave birth to a child with special needs would you leave him at the hospital? I don’t think so. Andrew feels just as much my child. My heart leaps with joy when I walk in the room and he smiles and holds up his hands for me to pick him up. I cry when I put him to bed in the orphanage and he cries for me, just like Willa Rae. My heart aches when they have to draw blood out of his femoral artery for all of the blood tests he has to have. He is supposed to be my child just like Willa Rae is. I have no doubt about this.
Andrew’s birth mom was only 17 when she brought him in to get medical treatment. Everyone here knows how serious sickle cell is. Because they knew she had no money, they would not treat him. She told them she had to go get something and she would be back to get Andrew to leave. She never came back. That was a month ago. He has had to go to the hospital for a blood transfusion, since being at the orphanage. It is the only treatment they give children with sickle cell.
Because of the seriousness of his condition, I am being allowed to adopt a second child. Because of the seriousness of his condition, I am being allowed to adopt a boy. Because of the seriousness of his condition, my attorney has reduced his fee and has already started processing the case so that it can be presented with Willa Rae’s. (This is lightening speed for Africa). He has already started this process with only $100 given as a donation by a very special woman here at Sanyu. I don’t know too many lawyers that would go to work for that amount.
I have listened to God’s still small voice throughout this adoption process. I do not intend to stop now. I know the money will come from somewhere. I know God has a plan. I just don’t know what it is. I do know that I am supposed to bring 2 children home to America. I know that it will be hard, but being out of God’s will would be harder. My family and I need your prayer support. We would appreciate anything that you would like to donate to the legal fees. Thanks and God bless.

Could there be two?

2009-06-08T14:02:00.002-05:00

I have been asking some of my facebook friends to pray about Andrew. He is a little boy who came to the orphanage in May. He has sickle cell anemia. Kids here have a life expectancy of 16 when they have sickle cell. I was really torn by this beautiful boy. We have really bonded in the last few days and he has just blossomed. He is even talking and crawling and laughing now. I was praying that God would send this little guy a family soon. He needs to get to the US where he can get the medical care he needs. God told me to see if he could become my son. I talked to the lawyer today. I would not normally be allowed to adopt a boy, because I am single. He said that he thought the High Court would make and exception because of his health. Wonderful!!!! Know is where I need God to really move. I need to come up with $5000 quickly. If you would be willing to help, please leave a comment. I am not going to post any pictures of Andrew, he is not mine yet and he may not be. I have to respect his privacy. Thanks for all of your prayers and help.

The Blog World Collides with the Real World

2009-06-07T06:36:00.000-05:00

This week I had the pleasure of meeting in real life, 3 women that I only know trough blogs. First there is Susie. She is a soccer coach from Washington. She is here with a group of girls playing soccer and doing humanitarian work throughout Uganda. She has a beautiful heart and wants to help the people of Uganda in any way possible. I hope she gets to come back and take a child home with her. Keep me posted Susie.
One afternoon, I was at the pavillion holding Willa Rae, and I look over and there is Katie Davis. I know that my mouth dropped open like she was a famous rock star. Which she is. She is a rock star that has come over and built relationships with the people of Uganda and has done so much to help the people around Jinja. If you do not know her, go and check out her blog. Kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com
Next, there is Melissa Carter. Melissa only lives an hour and a half from me in Al, but I had never met her or even talked on the phone. We had to wait until we were on the other side of the world to get to meet face to face. Melissa is here to take home her 3 wonderful children. She started the process 2 years ago. I can’t imagine having to wait that long or go through all her family has gone through to complete this process. Her children are beautiful and we had a great lunch. It was great to hear another Southern accent. I was beginning to loose mine, with all of the Aussies and Brits around here ( I know everyone believes that). They also understood what Roll Tide means.
In between all of this, I played with Willa Rae and the other kids. We took kids to the Surgery to see Dr. Stockley. WR had been running a low grade fever for a couple of days. I thought is was just teethin, but in the afternoon she threw up more than she should have been able to hold. Of course in typical fashion, by the time we saw the doctor she was smiling and playing and having a good time. They ran a malaria test and tb test. I will get the results on Monday.
We have also been helping Daniel, as much as a bunch of girls can, tile the bottle prep area. Daniel came just to do some work at the orphanage, but God had different plans. He has joined the adopting group and hopes to take home his son in Sept. or Oct. I’ll let you know more about this story later.
I also want to take the time to say that I have met and become friends with an incredible group of people from all around the world and from all walks of life. They are here just because they want to volunteer and help. Not many people would give up months, yes I said months, of their lives to come here and do what they do. Thanks and God bless you all. Even if you don’t know what football really is.

2009-06-07T06:34:00.000-05:00