Going to Liberia

Please Pray for Karin,Madea,Korpru and Little Mr. Brown.







In about two weeks several womena and I will be leaving for Liberia Africa. There are the many details to take care of, plane tickets, supplies, shots, visa's, but I find the hardest part of getting ready is mentally preparing
to see the precious children we are caring for.


Up till now, I have had a long distance relationship with them. I see their pictures, send support, try to get medical care for them, manage sponsorship, and read reports on their care. But I know that when I see the children , hold them, pray over them, everything will change. It is like having a pen pal, someone you fell in love with by e-mail and letters, but now the day has come to meet and see if we want to spend the rest of our life together.


I know my life is going to change.... forever.

Being involved in a ministry as large as taking in special need orphans makes me feel so small, so dependent on God. I have to totally, on a daily basis release all of this to God.

A child is in the hospital who is still malnourished even after being in care... feeding problems?

We desperately need care for a child with severe hydrocephalus and it is taking forever to get it.

So many more children need our help and care but we need to get more sponsors.

A child needs to be moved into our care but we can't get the paperwork moving.

And all of us involved in this ministry have large families, many obligations and have to touch DAILY the hem of his garment to keep going.




Luke 8:40-49

[40] Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. [41] Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house [42] because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. [43] And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. [44] She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

[45] "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."

[46] But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."

[47] Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. [48] Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."


Jesus promises that when I am weak he is strong. He promises.



So in HIS strength we will go to Liberia and fight for the lives of "our kids." Against all odds we will try to
convince the people of Liberia that special needs children are precious in the eyes of the Lord. That a disability is NOT a curse and they have so much to give, but need help. That there are people in the United States wanting to adopt these precious ones.... please open up adoptions.


And we will cry, hurt and press forward because JESUS has laid this on our hearts so strongly that we cannot give up.


5 but he said to me, 6 "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.

Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 7 2 Corinthians 12

In you Jesus... yes, only in you.

We can control what we think?

Kids treating our pot belly like a baby







Conner a warrior for Christ






New chickens and ducks





Richard







Anna gettin her hair done











Yeawee with a new hairdo

Mary getting her hair done





Nothing like trying to stuff all of your blog thoughts into one blog! It is
so easy to procrastinate on blogging but like all things, you pay the price
when you try to cram it all in.


Last week my three little girls had their hair done. It was really difficult
finding a place that would accept our family (multiracial) into their
shop. I am afraid that I live in a "love your neighbor as yourself" mindset
and have a severe blow to my senses when we are not accepted
in the African American world. But I reasoned if I got angry about it, what
difference am I am I making in a hurtful world? How will I help bridge the
the gap and instill the hope that is only through Jesus our Savior?

NONE.

So I just prayed. And a faithful Savior sent me a Godly woman to do the girls
hair. Because irregardless of race, we share a different hope, the loving power
of a living God!

I was just in awe of her ability to braid the girls hair almost without even
thinking or looking. I so wished I had that ability, but there is no way to
make up for years of cultural training. We can do everything in our ability
to make up for what our children loose by being adopted transracially, but we
do not make up for that. But I so want to shout to the cultural world "WHAT
ARE THE OPTIONS." Sure it is best that children be adopted into the same racial
culture, but there just isn't enough adoptive homes, and for whatever reason
even fewer African Amercian homes. So.... children linger in foster homes or
starve to death in foreign countries or become so damaged by orphanages they
cannot function in life.

So I will just love my way through it. Teach my children the realities of life,
but also teach them through Jesus we have to power to overcome the pain of sin.
And believe that Jesus will send me some of his children to help.....

John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.


Yesterday I went to the video store to try to find something we could watch.
It is becoming so difficult. I decided to rent a DVD by Joyce Meyers, "Battlefield
of the mind." I had seen the book on many occasions but didn't feel it had
anything to offer me. WAS I WRONG! I am going to memorize this DVD, buy the
book, download the audio to my ipod. Some things are just life changing.

Why is it that something so simple can mean so much. Like we can CHOOSE what we
think. We do not have to let Satan torture us with the things we don't do
but can continually rejoice in the things we do that are right. That ALL the
weapons to fight this warfare are contained in one book, the BIBLE, and it
is ours for the memorizing.


2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (New International Version)
3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

So when those thoughts come today that do not line up with the word of GOD
they gotta go! Every thought will be taken to the obedience of Christ.

Thank you Lord for the reminder!

A Hug from God

Varney with his mother in Africa.


A couple of months ago I was surfing the web and came
across a neurosurgeon who had perfected a new
treatment for (water on the brain) hydrocephalus.
I immediately wrote him about a little boy we
were trying to help in Liberia Africa. The doctor
in Liberia said he could not be helped, but I just
refused to believe that.
The neurosurgeon in the U.S. responded that he would
love to see Varney, but it might be a better option to see a
a doctor he had trained in Ghana Africa, only two
hours from Liberia.
He agreed to e-mail this doctor and get back to me.

I waited two weeks with no response. I tried to be patient because I knew that African countries usually moved a lot slower than America, but I felt this pressing
need in my spirit to keep pushing forward.

I e-mailed the U. S. doctor again and he said that he was sorry, maybe I needed to see another doctor he had trained in another African country.

It had been a really long week, doctor appointments, tons of paperwork, shopping…..
I tried to think in my mind how to proceed. My tired brain just couldn’t focus… I felt helpless…

So, I cried. Deep sobbing, pleading crys. Crying out to God
for help. How can I help this little boy Lord? Why are
the doors closing? I know that the God who created this whole entire universe can open any doors he chooses, please God open this one.

And I left it at that.

The next morning I checked my e-mail and the U.S. doctor had written back. He e-mailed the doctor in Ghana again and he said he had tried to e-mail me,
there must have been problem. He was willing to see
Varney!
I was so excited! It was like a big HUGE hug from God.

At that moment I knew God had heard my cries for help. He wrapped his arms around me and said “Tanya, I am here, I am blessings this ministry and these children, don’t give up.”

I so needed to hear his voice. To know that my efforts were backed by the power of a mighty living God.

So I move forward, writing the doctor in Ghana again
to see if his hospital will provide free care and we can
make a scheduled time to bring Varney to Ghana.
Now, with new confidence, that Jesus is doing the work and I am just his earthy instrument following his commands.



So if you are reading this blog please PRAY for Varney,
That we can get him medical help soon and all the doors
for his treatment will be opened.

Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world!!!

New children and more birthdays

Anthony and Omar Birthday
Melvin three
Korpu three
Korpu three
Korpu at her orphanage








These two angels have failure to thrive. It is amazing to me that EVERY child in an orphanage, foster home or abadoned doesn't have FTT. How does a child, especially a young child, find the will to keep
going when they feel unloved, many times go without food, and live in deplorable conditions. Some miracle
just keep some kids pushing on.... hoping that someday they will be cherished. For these two children (and
many others) we will just have to convince them they are loved, by us, their caregivers and most of all by God.

Also praying constantly that adoptions would open back up in Liberia. I would so love to see our Forget me not children find adoptive homes. The program provides so much for these little ones, but it still can't replace the care and opportunities in the US.

Omar and Anthony celebrated birthdays today. I asked them if they wanted to pick out their own presents and they said Yes, so off to Target we went. They were so excited. CeCe one of my older daughters made cupcakes and we all sang happy birthday. It wasn't much but they were happy and content.
Funny just a few years ago (before we had so many kids) we had chuck e cheese, skating and jump house birthdays. I felt really bad when we had to trim birthdays way down because of expenses but the bottom line is that is hasn't changed anything. They are as happy and content with cake, candles, presents and all the family make a huge celebration of another year of their
precious lives.


We all have the ability to be content with so little and yet it is so hard. I believe God is trying to teach me to REALLY trust him for all things. That each morsel that comes into my mouth, for each piece of clothing on my back and for each step I walk into the future.








Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:11-13 (New Living Translation)