If Home Is Where Your Heart Is. . . .

http://www.showhope.org/Resources/VideoLibrary.aspx Okay, go to this link and then scroll down to the last video, "Picture This." Now we really have to bring Lionel home!!!!!

Yesterday was a great day of fellowship! All of the women directors at Kanakuk threw me a going away party and we laughed for hours. They told sweet stories about memories of me and they told funny stories about memories we have shared together. I have known some of them since I was just a toddler and it was fun to laugh about life and it was nice to be honored for the day. I typically don't like to be the center of attention, but it was kind of nice yesterday. I laughed so hard and it was so refreshing! I am thankful for the friends I have here, in my work place. Thanks, ladies! ********** Every once in a while it is so nice to get off of my regularly worn path and spend time with good friends from out of town. That is what I got to do last night and it was so refreshing. Andy and I got to spend the evening with our good friends Steven Curtis Chapman and his son, Caleb, Geoff Moore and Michael W. Smith. We got to talk about life and family and we got to talk about adopti...

Dear Andy, It was a real blessing to fellowship with you last week. I hope God blessed your journey home and your family union. Andy I can't agree with you more on the fact that your reach out to adopt our babies in Rwanda is a clear a symbol of the Divine adoption of our humanity. Pray for me as I continue to approach the minister for the adoption from Chantal's houses. I am handling it delicately because there are more people behind you. We want to solve it for others as well. Please pray for us. Love to Jamie Jo God bless

Well, we all went to see Monsters vs. Aliens! The best part was hearing the kids laugh (and hearing Melissa laugh harder than all the kids combined). Next best was hearing Rae shout "Wall-E" (Gabby) the entire movie and scream every time some character in the movie screamed! What a fun night! What a great group of friends I have and my kids have. We are blessed and they will be missed terribly when we move!! It is so good to have Andy home, too! And Nimrods (Becca, Elliott and Chas), we miss you! Andy said that you could come back and live with us even though he is home!!! And for all of my faithful adoption readers. . .no news. . .maybe tomorrow once the work week gets started again. Andy said that Bishop John said to give him a week. . .that would be Wednesday or Thursday! This will be a nice time for praying without being stressed to hear news from Andy each day about progress (or lack thereof)!!!

Andy called and he is at the airport--headed home. They had a super time and I am so thankful that Andy and so many KCO kids got to see the country where Gabby came from! No news on Lionel. . .my heart is heavy because I never imagined that Andy would leave Rwanda still not knowing. . .originally I thought we'd get Lionel by Christmas and that Lionel would be on the trip to Rwanda with his dad. Andy did talk to Bishop John this morning and he said that he has talked to a few people and that it is in progress. That is good news--I am just going to have to sit back, relax, get comfortable and wait. African time is not our time. God's time is not my time. I will just have to remember that Lionel is happy--very happy--and is in good hands. I'm the anxious one and as a mother, I need to remember that my child is fine. I think the hardest part of this will be the not knowing. If it is a yes, then I am willing to wait. But if it is a no, then I just want to move on with p...

Today, in Rwanda, no news about adoption, but Andy got to go to Gabby's orphanage. Here is what he wrote in his blog prior to his visit: Today we're going to an orphanage where my Gabby came from. I'm prepping myself for an emotional experience, but I know it's going to fill my in the holes in my heart for the unknowing that she brought to me being an orphan dropped off at the gate. He had a good time and he is glad that he got to see where she spent the first part of her life. I cannot wait to get the full run down once he returns home. He has some great stuff on his blog and some fun pictures. . .go to my list of "non adoption blogs" and click on THE JOURNEY. There is also some amazing information about the trip and about Kids Across Africa on Luke's blog. . .same list to the right, click on LUKE PARROTT. ********** Proverbs 25:25 "Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country." That is my prayer today! Thanks for th...

"I called and had a meeting with Bishop at the church. I told him about the letter, and showed it to him. He gave it to one of his staff to have photocopied, and looked at me 'this is contestable!' YEA!! So, He's going to call a senator friend he has, and try to work it from his end. . . .the fact the letter demands we adopt from a Catholic orphanage is an outrage to the Bishop. I told him that your heart was heavy and you weren't doing well, and he put his arm around me and said, 'The Lord will redeem this letter.' So I don't know what that means, but I have his card, and he said to give him a couple of days to work something out. " So, there we have it. I'm not going to get my hopes up. . .Bishop is a very passionate man. . .and the Minister will not look highly on us going "above" her or "around" her. God is good and I know it will work out! I don't know if Andy got to meet Lionel or not. . .he left out that VERY imp...