HUGE NEWS/HUGE GOD

God is so amazing and so generous and so ACTIVE AND ALIVE! I LOVE IT when He shows Himself with such power... such... "Here I AM!"

I sent out a very long and detailed email to our friends and prayer warriors. This will be a bit shorter version.

After last week's disappointing news... I "gave it to God". I prayed boldly that God would change hearts in Latvia and that Brenda would be able to see the psychologist sooner and that we'd know something sooner than March. I believed God could do that... and anything... and begged Him to give me the strength to trust him with it and not rely on my own efforts!

I also struggled because last week's news came 5 MINUTES after I broke my fast. I have been fasting every Thursday since Brenda left on her Thursday. Last Thursday I was just emotionally whipped and drained and so I stood in my kitchen and said to my Lord, "I can't do this today. My heart is not in this. My mind is not in this. I don't know if this is sinful or not, but I can't fast today. I am so sorry." And then I put several grapes in my mouth. The phone rang 5 minutes later with bad news! That was partly why I was so speechless... I was like... great... this is my punishment!

Well, as I thought about that later, and prayed, I realized that God's ability to move on behalf of Brenda has nothing to do with a "work" I am doing... how selfish to think that "I" can fast and therefore Brenda might come sooner... that makes it about me when it is ALL about HIM! And I feel he validated that for me today. So I will continue to fast... not as a work... but as a gift... as a sacrifice... and as a way to draw closer to Him. And He will remain in control!

So anyway, ( I did say this would be shorter!) we found out today that Brenda has met with the psychologist and that the court has decided to let her come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT, they did say that Brenda seemed "fickle" in her decision to come. So they want to know if she can come back and stay with us again (SOON) to feel better about her decision!!!!!!! YES... we said YES!!!!!

I think that part of Brenda's "fickle" appearance may be from our not being able to really convey our feelings for her while she was here! We were not allowed to tell her we wanted to adopt her and days before leaving... she started questioning our love for her and wondering why she had to go back. Now that we can be open with her... I think she will feel more secure. She also has a half sister there whom she sees and many friends... and it's her home... she's 10. If she were 3 or 4 it would be totally different.

So prayer requests are as follows:
1.) God's guidance in her decision and peace
2.) That she can come back soon and totally know how much we love her
3.) That she will get here safely
4.) That she will look for and see God in all of this
5.) That I can sleep!
6.) God's provision of airfare

THANK YOU and I promise to update you soon!
Love and Hugs...
Dawn