Pray for breakthrough

Today is a hard day. We contacted CCAI to see how we are progressing in the wait. 

We have been waiting one month since our Login date (date our paperwork was offically logged in as received in China). 

There is NOTHING guaranteed on the timing of Child match, but we know of people in the past year that applied for a girl with cleft lip and palate (CL/CP: the most common disorder we picked--common means more likely to have a child with that need that needs a home sooner--greater chance of match with a child with CL/CP than other disorders) that have been matched in 3 weeks or a month. However, CCAI says it could be as much as another 7 months until we are matched or any day now. Ugh!!! That is a BIG range of time. 

So, we pray. So we poll the audience of others that have adopted similar children, recently, with our agency. It is very hard not to get angry and down. . .I felt both today. We felt both today.

As much as I want to control it. To DO something. I really can't DO much. We know God picked Michal for us before time began! I have said so many times and will say again, none of this is random. 

We do however know there is a spiritual battle raging. We know the evil one doesn't want Michal home and if he can't stop it, he would love to slow the process (Daniel 10:13) or make us thinking it has slowed to steal our joy.

So, please pray with us. Pray God will send more warrior angels to fight against the powers of darkness that seek to slow down our match. Pray for more angels to draw close to us and fight the evil one that would like to oppress us and the Holy Spirit to fill us more completely! Pray we will draw closer and closer to Christ!  Pray for us to be matched ASAP and for the restoration of peace and GREAT joy!

Thank you for standing with us!

This is what adoption does

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. (Psalm 113:7, 8 ESV)

This is what God does through adoption!

2014 Calendars Available!

Do you need a 2014 calendar??

Here you go!

 

Lexi Rockwell is a teenager at our church that realized God had gifted her with the ability to take beautiful pictures. She won an amazing camera because of one of her photos! She took the family pictures we have used to promote our adoption!

We just want to say a huge thank you to Lexi Rockwell!!

She continues to use her wonderful talent of photography to be obedient to what God tells her to do!

She used her exquisite photography to compile a beautiful calendar which she has been selling and she is donating the proceeds to the Michal adoption fund!

She has already donated $362 oF calendar proceeds! What a selfless, kind, act of love!

We are incredibly grateful to her, and we give God the glory for putting this idea on her heart. 

Thank you for considering purchasing a calendar! Us the donate button beside the blog to give!

Happy New Year!

To God be the glory!

LAR-15 Rifle winner!!!

Congratulations, Glover Manning won the LAR-15 rifle!! He is Matthew's dad. The drawing was held at Thunderbolt Guns at 5 PM on the evening of December 20th, with an audience, ticket drawn by the store owner. It is all on video & will be uploaded later today. Thank you so much for entering and supporting us! 

Tax deductible way to donate!

Any donation made via our official Both Hands project page will be TAX DEDUCTIBLE!!!

We are so glad to finally be able to offer a tax deductible way to give! We have been trying to figure that out from the beginning. It is harder/takes longer than you may think to start a 501 3C (non-profit organization).

Please follow this link

http://bothhandsfoundation.org/matt-and-bethany-manning

Angels with skin on

A Big Thank You to my Daddy God and some of His angels with skin on.

This week has been a difficult one for me. I think mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion all came at once.

Adopting a child is hard. 

Adopting a child via fundraising is harder. 

It is humbling and exhausting.

Why do it, you may ask? 

Because God told us to. So, we will be obedient. He told me in the beginning days of this journey He wanted as many people to know about this as possible, because He wants to give the most people possible the opportunity to join Him in what He is doing in the world. 

He wants to BLESS US!! 

He wants to BLESS YOU!! 

He wants to BLESS MICHAL!!

He is a God of great love and comfort and provision. 

He is compassionate.

Psalm 116:5

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ The Lord is gracious and righteous;our God is full of compassion.

Psalm 145:9

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ The Lord is good to all;he has compassion on all he has made.

He saw my tears this week. 

He knew the days I was so weak, I didn't feel I could keep going. 

He knew when I was hiding under my covers. 

He could see me there when no one else could. 

He met me there. He wiped my tears and held me tight! 

He reminded me how important it is to open His word and DIG DEEP. 

He sent Angels to me. Angels with skin on. He sent Terri & Jason Rockwell and Becky Foxworth to pray over me and to take the burden out of my hands and lift it all the way to the very throne room of my Heavenly father. They lifted me up when my prayers alone were not enough. They joined me in the spiritual battle that is raging. I walked out onto the lawn at our church's Live Nativity with the weight of the world on my shoulders, and left there light and refreshed. Becky spoke the words of peace from the Lord that, "After you run a race, you are tired". I needed to hear that, because I was exhausted after all the preparation, planning, and all that went into the auction last Tuesday night. I was beating myself up, because I have always been told that if you serve the Lord in His strength you won't be tired, weak, and weary. Her words rang in my spirit as truth!! God's healing truth.

Then for a bonus, He sent Lisa Toub. The sweetest woman. She is walking a similar path beside me. She has become a foster mom, and so she knows  the joys and struggles of waiting for a child God allows you to parent that is not born from your womb. 

As much as I would like to say after Wednesday night, I continued to skip on sunshine. . .I can't. I ended up hiding under the covers again Friday afternoon, and then I needed another dose of encouragement sent via Ame Lane Sunday morning. 
Click the link to hear this BEAUTIFUL, OLDER SONG BUT OH SO GOOD!
 Angels Among Us by Alabama

I am so thankful for my friends that are FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT. I am so thankful they SEEK God. They open themselves up to hear from Him and they are willing to share truths from His word and truths He speaks to their heart in the moment they pray!! 

It is awesome to walk with God. 

His love is AMAZING. 

There are no words! 

It is amazing how you can form a friendship with someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit in an INSTANT! 

I am a person that generally makes friends slowly. It generally takes years, but then there are times I meet someone who loves Christ with ALL their heart, and I feel closer to them than I feel to people I have known for years. 

That is how the family of God works! 

Thank you for my Sycamore Church Family!

Dear God,

Please bless my friends! Thank you for these angels you sent! Thank you for sending them just in time!

I praise you Father!

Amen

Donate Button

Somethings should not SEEM so hard. 

I wrestled with trying to add a Pay Pal donation tab months ago for hours and I finally gave up.

I got the motivation to try again today. 

Matthew Googled the directions for me, I followed them, and BOOM! SUCCESS! It is sweet!