Leaving Tomorrow

Bags packed, boarding passes printed, school ready for the substitute, house/pet sitter coming...yep, I think we are heading to China! Please pray for us as we head out tomorrow morning. We will be united with Molly on Sunday, Feb. 5.

Two Days

Two more sleeps or as Brooklyn said, "One more sleep and one bouncing off the walls!" LOL

Brooklyn Preparing to Leave

Brooklyn doing her part to be ready to leave for China-doing her schoolwork for the time we will be gone.

Covered in Prayer

Attention all high point attendees.... let's send off Ellen Roehl Hierl and Brooklyn on their journey to China covered in prayer. Meet in the prayer room between services today.

Lori Kietzke Oehlhof

God's Got This

As we get close to leaving for China, I've told a few people that there is a part of me that is panicking a bit and thinking, "What have I done?!" So today in my email, I see this devotional. (I don't even know how I got on this email list.)

God's Got This
from The Story Devotional

God doesn't do things halfway
The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The water covered the chariots and horsemen — the entire army of Pharaoh. Not one of them survived. — Exodus 14:26-28

What have I done? It seemed like such a good idea at the time.

Thoughts like that may have been going through Pharaoh’s mind as the dust settled, the dust from the horrifyingly apocalyptic night and Israel’s departure. Every family was grieving the heart-wrenching loss of their firstborn, but life must go on. But how could it now that Egypt’s workforce had left? The nation’s economy would collapse. Those Hebrew slaves must be brought back!

So Pharaoh and his army pursued them. Thanks to God’s intervention, the people of Israel had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. When the Egyptians followed, God “jammed the wheels of their chariots” (Exodus 14:25). Suddenly the Egyptians were keenly aware that the Sender of the plagues was continuing to act on behalf of His people, but their realization came too late.

“Not one of them survived.”

If you find yourself questioning a decision, look to the Lord for guidance and remember that He is in control.

God doesn’t do things halfway.

* * *
Forward to a Friend

Excerpted with permission The Story Devotional, copyright Zondervan.

Prayers

So blessed today to gather with some friends and chat and pray together over the adoption and our travels. Thank you to each one of you who have been praying for us and continue to pray as we travel to Molly this week.

I was also blessed to hear from an adoption grant provider that they are awarding me a $2500 grant for the adoption. God continues to provide for the needs of this adoption.

Prayer Requests
1. Safe travels and smooth connections with our flights.
2. Safety for Brooklyn in regards to her shellfish allergy.
3. Molly to be ready for a family and to adjust easily.
4. Autumn as she house sits and cares for our pets.

Like

Like

Love

Haha

Wow

Sad

Angry

Comment

New Picture

Snowman Family

One Week

My travel itinerary just arrived. We leave in one week! Wow!

Grant News

We are getting so close to traveling. I can't wait. Good thing I'm busy at school or I'd be going crazy.

I had applied for a few adoption grants. To this point I have not been approved by any of them but one called me today to tell me they were reviewing my file and should have a decision before I leave. Please pray I find favor with them to help with these final costs.

Nine Days

We will be leaving for China in nine days. Can't believe it is coming up so quickly and at the same time it seems like forever.

Please continue to pray about the following:
1. Brooklyn's safety while in China - she has a serious shellfish allergy and we will be in three coastal cities.
2. Molly - to be ready for a family
3. Health for all of us
4. Preparations - I think I'm doing OK here but there is a lot to do.
5. My substitute and students at school.

Flights Booked

God is so amazing and continues to provide for this adoption journey. I booked flights today for our trip. Keep in mind we are leaving in 13 days so this is a very short notice booking. Anyway, the folks at the Adoption Airfare travel agency, got me flights on my preferred airline for way less money than I had planned for. They saved me around $1500. It won't be long now before Molly is no longer an orphan.

Leaving Feb. 1

It's official, we leave for China on Feb. 1! Booking flights and the agency is booking in China details. We will head back home on Feb. 17.

Travel Approval is Here

Travel approval has arrived. Looks like we will be leaving in two weeks! Just waiting on confirmation of the consulate appointment.

A Guest Post

Lori Kietzke Oehlhof

As God was preparing Dennis to leave this world two years ago HE already knew what would transpire in this women I call a dear friend. She will leave almost two years to the day of his death to pick up her second adopted daughter. God has spoken!

It is through loss, adoption and our faith she has taught me what living a God honoring, Christ filled life looks like. She honored him as a wife and mother, caring for him with compassion and HOPE. And when the time came she stood with courage, around her husbands hospice bed, as he took some of his final labored breaths, and said its okay honey Brooklyn and I will be fine. Go and be with Jesus. Others whispered and reassured Dennis we will take care of your family. They are our family too. We were all a part of Gods adopted family. We then prayed, for Dennis to be healed, even if it were to be in heaven.....

Cookie

LOVE the fortune cookie I just opened!

Ready and Waiting

I am SO READY to head to China. Our travel approval should be issued next week. Please pray it comes through quickly and then I will finally know when we leave to bring Molly home. Most likely we will leave either Feb. 1 or Feb. 8. Of course, I am praying for Feb. 1.

Please continue to pray for all of us as we go through these last few weeks of waiting and then as we bond together as a family. I am already seeing God prepare Brooklyn's heart for this transition. Whenever has asked her if she was excited about getting a sister she was pretty non-committal about it. She has struggled with knowing she will have to share me with someone else but in the last few days she has told me on several occasions that she is getting excited about having Molly for a sister.

New Pictures

Another adoptive family visited Molly's orphanage and got a few pictures of her. She is the little one in blue in the pictures. The picture with the girl sitting on the bed, is Molly's friend who just got adopted. That is the bed they shared.

Pray for Molly

Please pray for Molly tonight and tomorrow. Her friend and bunk mate, Jade, leaves to join her new family tomorrow morning. My heart aches to be with her to comfort her as she goes through this loss. Sometimes being on the other side of the world from your child is so hard. It won't be long till she is in my arms but right now, knowing what she is facing, it is hard.

Also, please pray for Jade as she joins her new family. She is also going through so much in this transition.

Nesting

No, I'm not nesting or packing - this is just uh, ... OK, yes, I'm starting to gather and pack. Won't be long now until we head to China. Praying for Feb. 5 to be the day we meet her. I found out today that in her province, we will meet her on Sunday. Most provinces do Monday as the day families get their children.

Please pray for the waiting and the processing of the rest of the details. Our last piece of paperwork gets picked up on Jan. 12 and then we wait for China to issue a travel approval. That step usually takes 3-8 days. After that it is just about travel arrangements and we get to leave.

Please pray for Molly this week. Her buddy, Jade, will be leaving to meet her family on Sunday. I can only imagine how hard it will be for her to have her friend leave. My prayer has been that this will further prepare her to be part of our family.