New York round two!

So yesterday we landed in new york after 11 hours of flight time.  Seriously that flight seemed longer this time than the first..almost two weeks ago.  I think next time I'd request two night time flights rather than any day time long flights.

We got into new york, and after 11 hours you'd think the airport would be ready for us...the flight staff would be ready for us to "get out".  However we got to our gate and we all stood grabbed our carry ons and then stood there in a line for 20 minutes before they opened the cabin door to release us to the "real world" again.LOL...

Rushed down to get our luggage...after passing through immigration...and we waited for almost a good hour for our luggage.  Then walked around the carousel to look for our missing luggage...and someone was kind enough to take it off the belt and set it on the ground.  boy I wish we would have taken that walk around the carousel sooner...cause for some reason when we get down past immigration and to get the luggage my stomach starts to hurt.
We get into our reserved ride to head to our hotel in new york.  So interesting how many people were striking up conversation with us...asking if we lived in new york....why we had so much luggage.  It was neat to be able to share with them what we did and where we went.  We get to our hotel and we order pizza to be delivered...because while we had the energy on the trip going to explore new york, on the trip coming we lacked that energy with a passion...or maybe we lacked that too!LOL.
While waiting for our pizza to be delivered...we looked over because the kids were super quiet... sure enough they were asleep!  poor things had been up for over 24 hours by this point...i however took a few naps on the flight...trust me no one would want to be around me without a little sleep!  and that ain't no joke!  Pizza came, we ate..and we were all asleep by 7:40!
Tony and i paid dearly for that fall asleep so early....1:30 i looked at the clock... 2:00 looked again..2:30 looked again...3 was like oh my gosh I have to get up!  During those hours of laying there awake...i got  the opportunity to pray for the kids at the orphanage and for our friends running it...and the song ran through my heart "the cost."

[one of the boys i was praying for last night while I should have been sleeping!]

[me and my boy on one of our flights home...after our nice long hot shower in new york.]

WE got up at 5 am and took showers...oh how wonderful they felt.  we are spoiled americans I tell you!    to shower without worrying about lizards being hidden in the shower...and not having to worry about the walk to the shower and the baboon that graced us with his presence more than I cared for..... don't get me wrong...i'm not complaining... i wouldn't have changed our experience for the world...but it was a little culture shock.  There were other "hotels" in awassa we could have stayed at...but I really felt convicted by even thinking of going to a "nicer" hotel while we are going to this land to see the people and the community and the way they live and then for us to go to a 4-5 star hotel each night....i don't know just seemed wrong to me.

And while i hate camping more than anything...I think I did pretty good...all things considered.
So this morning..we headed on two planes to get back to Michigan.  Had to run to the grocery store for bread and milk to get us through til tomorrow...and i had thoughts of just a few days ago the "market" we were shopping at...and the hunt to just find cream to make butter.  These memories will be with us for a life time....To GOD I am thankful for that and HIM be the glory.

and a beautiful pic just to show you how amazing the lord is!

[my boys on the top of the mountain that they climbed early in the am while the princess' slept.]

XOXO!
Gina

Friday in awassa, Ethiopia

Mans heart  plans his ways but god directs his paths.~proverbs 16:9 This is the case for yesterday.   We had planned to just go explore the community...to see the needs around and in awassa....however on our walk to Rachel and argaws home we ran into Ellen...and she told us that the orphanage was short handed today due to sickness with 2 of the mamas. We held babies...played ball with the older girls....had swing time with the younger boy...the other younger boy was sick.  We took lots of pictures that we will update when we get home...but all the kids loved trying on my sunglasses and wearing my necklace.   I'm so thankful that the lord directs us...because I would have hated to miss out on this day. We went and had lunch at my all time fav [time cafe]...I had two[!] coffees and pizza for lunch..our friends who have been here for 6 years said ok there are these little salt balls on the pizza...you can just pick them off...when the pizza arrived I said hmmm that's funny cause it looks like peas...sure enough...that's what they were...I had a really good laugh over that...Some of the peas looked extra janky...but they were non the less peas.  After lunch we headed back to the orphanage....while our kids stayed back at our friends home...to prevent them from getting sick...Isaac did choose to come with us...but we warned him sickness isn't the same here.  I felt he was old enough to make the decision on this own. I'm proud of him for his decision. Emma is being fought over by our friends boys. She has mentioned several times that she doesnt like to be fought over... Her exact words were " because I mean im not the last cookie on the plate mom!" oh this child!  Gotta love her personality. The boys have done a really good job just playing with the kids and keeping them occupied... So far em was sick last night with some breathing issues and ezra was sick the first day[stomach ache]...but we've been on top of things with some home remedies and lots of vitamins. Ezra has already said he wants to come back here again next year...em has said she wants to move here.  I've just really enjoyed our new friends,this new community and all gods beauty in everyday. By his grace which I am so overwhelmed by! Gina

Thursday in awassa, Ethiopia

So I've written this blog post several times and it just isn't coming together right.  Our time here in awassa has been awesome.  The lord is good. So far we've seen the children's home and helped organize there clothing closets while tony painted with what we "jokingly" said was lead paint :/ Today we are going to kind of explore the community a bit more.  We are praying to the lord continually for his will while we are on this trip. Several kids have come to us begging... It breaks my heart. I hate to say no... But if you give to one you must give to all. And this walk we take everyday...is the kids asking us for money and water and chocolate[i love their accent!] This morning the lord has burdened my heart to do some form of outreach for this community.  We will continue to pray on this and see if this is in fact the lords will or just my human heart to want to help... One of the days we were here, several kids came up to us and held our hands and asking for things...stained clothes/ dirty clothing....dirty faces...but offering to sing and dance for us as we walk...an image I won't forget.   Love you guys! Gina

Wednesday in awassa, Ethiopia

Hello family... Day two and our days are flying by! this morning we woke early... But had such a good night sleep!  We felt rested and ready to go.   We headed to Rachel and argaws house....we went to the bank...exchanged the feed [1] orphan Monies into burr...wow did we look like kings! Lol... Well really jesus looked like the king that he is...cause this is his money to do what he wants with it. Then we exchanged our money to pay for our room and food and such... We then headed home for lunch.. Oh wait I forgot to mention I had a double of that amazing coffee I spoke about on my last blog post...seriously so so good! I'm so hooked! During lunch we had a friend join us....it was so neat to see our friend...we had been waiting. Then somehow we lost track of time...and oh snap...we were suppose to be back at their house to go to the children's home at 4:00pm...we left our housing at 4:40! Oops our bad...guess we've adjusted to Ethiopian time already...cause per our friend Rachel everyone is late....i was just keepin it real. Jet lag doesn't seem to be an issue at all for us. Praise him!  Tomorrow we will be getting to work...I'm excited to be helping in anyway possible..I will update again as I can. Love, Gina

Tuesday in awassa, Ethiopia

Hello family! Well our first full day in awassa was nice... We were very tired! Well that's actually an understatement... We left new York on Sunday evening...headed straight for Cairo Egypt...that was a 10 hour flight time...we however sat on the runway for 2[!] hours...please feel free to insert your saddest face here for me....the flight to Cairo wasn't too bad...a little long... But we all slept for a few hours..praise god! We had a day tour lined up in Cairo that was interesting...we will have several pictures to post as well as much to say later on that trip...like me on a camel!!! Shut up right?!?! That's what I was thinking as I was doing my best not to fall off that thing!  In case you were wondering...camels are very deceiving!  There hugely tall! [notice all my exclamation points! Yep it's how I felt...fo sho!] We left Cairo at 10:45 and headed to addis...this is where the fun just begins.  We head out of the terminal and more visa's need to be filled out...which normally wouldn't be a problem except that it's now 3:30 am and I didn't get much sleep on the plane.  I filled out all 5 visas [cuz Tonys handwriting is atrocious] and as we are waiting in line I start to feel very sick and weak and as if kinda that cold sweats feeling...while we stood  inline for our visas I decide to try and sit and see if that helps... Sadly it didn't.  We continue through customs which there was a lot of people on that flight and because we had so many visas to fill out we had to be the last people in the customs line...but we thought... Okay smooth sailing from here...except I'm still feeling sick...like passout sick...and our thought is get out from customs and find me something to drink...to my very sadness there were no place to get drinks...just a place to grab our luggage and wait in the next line to have it rescanned through security.  Praise the lord only one of our 10 bags got flagged...headed out of the airport and I thank god for Rachel and her assistant Ellen!  They had been waiting for us...ready for our 4-5 hour journey to awassa. The driver was nice...I felt extremely sick still so on our journey to awassa I tried to sleep in Tony's lap...only waking up every time we got stopped by the police.  I felt so bad for our driver and us too... He planned a shorter trip and so did we... But do to all the stops by police and get coffee our journey took 6 hours... But praise god we stopped for coffee cause it gave me the "opportunity" to feel better.  After puking this sweet guy came up and offered me this piece of fruit...known for making them feel better..rachel said kindly no thank you and ordered me a delicious coffee!! Um I'll take 12 please!! Seriously I can't wait for more! We finally made it to awassa... To rachel and argaws home.  We got to unpack all there goodies from their parents and friends. Then we got to show them a small glimpse of all the amazing things you guys have supplied for them.  We let them know how awesome our church family is!  And our online family who is also supporting them.  Providing for their children's home[they prefer that word over orphanage.] We love you guys!! Thank you so much for every donation. We took a short trip to the children's home..that was so cool!  The workers are also such sweet friends...one man who works there also offered to borrow his friends car to let us borrow it...he picked us up in his bejudge [my spell is prob off] but it's like a mini cab...you cram as many people as you can in one..our friends can put 3 adults and 4 kids in one!.. Such a sweet guy... They have 3 new babies in the children's home. How cool is that.  One set of twins that are 9 months old and weights less than 10lbs!  Sweet Jesus i don't even understand that.  One infant that there not sure the age...prob around 2-3 months? Then we headed for our home.  To unpack,nap since we hadn't slept at all the night before, shower since that had been a few days too, and then off to dinner with our new friends...who I know it's only day 1 but really love them and their hearts!!  Til next wifi signal. Love you guys! Gina 

an bigger update is coming on our travels...

Hi family...a bigger update of our travels is coming...I'm sorry i haven't had much of a chance with a wireless connection...i'm boot-legging rachels internet.  She and her family are super sweet!  They have been so gracious to our family....most people would be like ok...how about we skip a few days of seeing each other...but nope not this family...although they could tell us that and we'd be totally ok with that! ;)
We spent the day at the orphanage....those kids have all stolen my heart. more on those beautiful kids later.
Please pray for 2 of the mamas at the orphanage and the kids...as well as our family and Rachel and Argaw's family...that we don't get any of this typhus(?) sickness going around...and for healing for the two mamas...as they are sick.
Ok.  I gotta run...hopefully i will update later tonight but forsure tomorrow.

Love you all!
Gina
p.s God is amazing! :)

preperation....

I seriously can't believe that we are only...

11 1/2 days away!

WOW. Something I thought that seemed like an eternity..

Its here. 

This morning on the way to school we prayed. [like always.]

but this time we asked the Lord to speak to us. 

I told him, were listening. Please speak.

Then as I was on my way home from taking the kids to school...

i was praying.  Asking the Lord to prepare our hearts.

To see things we are so unfamiliar with...

the breaking of our hearts for others...

to Love unconditionally.

To be lead by him.

The Lord gave me an image in my head.

And it brought me to tears.

tears.

after I saw that image in my mind...I prayed that i would be able to able to do that.

to set myself aside.

to be used by him for his glory only and always.

 I don't want to share the details of the image he gave me.

but I want to see Him bring it to be.

I want to hear Him so clearly.

Sometimes i'm hard of hearing.

So I say scream Lord...and I'm listening intently.

Your will be done...not mine.

We covet your prayers.

I will soon be posting an update of the supplies the Lord supplied through

HIS willing body...

the hands and feet of jesus that you all have been...and are.

Love you all!

Gina

You can help us help the people of Ethiopia!

My family and I have our plane tickets! EEEKKK!! So nerve racking!  God is doing amazing things already.

We have a layover in Egypt which we have booked a tour for the kids to see the pyramids.  It will be so neat to read to them the scriptures while looking at them to understand that they were built in biblical times.  I'm also thankful we found something to do while we wait for our 11 hour connecting flight.  Hopefully this little outing will give them enough energy to get back on the plane for the next jont.  Ethiopia! 

So we asked the beautiful family that runs the orphanage if they are in need of anything for the kids there, or the families that are being sponsored by people just like you.  And she did give us a list...Would you pray about helping us stuff our suitcases to the max for these beautiful people?

Needs for the orphanage:

Shoes for girls sizes 10-11 all the way up to 3-4's.

Boys and girls clothing mainly for older kids...preteen, teenagers to young adults and pretty much anything in between....but if you feel God laying a specific size that is not listed here on your on heart...listen to Him, He will have a plan for it!

The orphanage gets a lot of infant clothing donated...so that's why that's not being requested.

Samaritans purse shoe box items...small toys, tooth brushes, small books, coloring stuff....all that you would put in one of those shoe boxes...


Our Needs:
We still could use monetary [$$] donations for our trip....this is costing every bit of the initial we felt God calling us to save.. $10,000.00 plus more...So if God is laying it on your heart...There is a donate button on this blog, or contact me for our mailing address.  We still have many expenses to pay for...Lodging at multiple locations for just over two weeks, transportation,  food for 5 people for two weeks, Tony taking two weeks completely unpaid, immunizations $1,000.00!  We had not idea!  and others...

oh and i still am selling headbands to raise money for this trip...like this... completely customizable [you pick your colors]...just email me if you want to buy one...$25.00 per headband for woman or a lot smaller for you daughter for $15.00.  :)

FEED [1] Orphan Money... Also still accepting donations....items still available for purchase.  contact us if you need more information.

Prayer!  please pray for us.   pray for our time there.  pray for our hearts to be opened.  pray for safety.  pray for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to anyone and everyone we come in contact with.

Pray for health for our family.  Specifically Emma has to get a lot of shots, and her little body doesn't hand shots well.  But as a friend said today...God's got this!  Amen, he does...but we covet your prayers.

Pray for wisdom and discernment and filling of the holy spirit with our entire family.

Okay, I gotta go run sweet Emme to the doctor now, cause she is sick, again....

XOXO!  
WE really do love you guys!
Gina
P.S our travel dates are June 3rd-June 15th.  :)
  

Fundraising a bit for our trip....

I listed some headbands on Etsy...
[notyourmamasstyle]  <----click that!  :)
headbands that I made...that I love!
50% of the $$ is cost, 50% is profit to go straight to our trip...

Could you help us get there?  Are you called to be a part of this plan?  Every little part makes up the whole plan God has.

Plan is to leave June 3rd and return June 16th....

Initial plane trip to New york $1500.00 (praying that will cover it with extra baggage)

Plane tickets are between $6,000.00 with an 11 hour layover or $8,600.00 with no layover...

and then we just realized we have immunizations costs because we don't have health insurance so its another $700.00- $1,000.00

Food for 2 weeks

transportation for 2 weeks

lodging $200.00 in Ethiopia

So with all that said....there is a donation button on this blog...and our headbands are for sale with one piece of art left...And most importantly please pray for us....For God to use us like never before...for our hearts to be changed to be just like his...

Our trust is in the Lord...

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶ Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
⁷ Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

⁸ The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
⁹ The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

¹⁰ The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 146:5-12

XOXO!
Gina

P.S.  Soon i will have a list of items we will be collecting to bring to Ethiopia that if you, your friends and family or your church family would be willing to donate...you can please start praying for that now.

oh baby...

This past Sunday we had baby boy dedicated to the Lord.  This is something the Lord layed strong on our hearts.  Especially if he is to leave our family to go with his family.  I wanted his life to be dedicated to Him...
I wasn't prepared to be so emotional.  But as the pastor spoke before hand that we wanted to dedicate him before he went to his grandma...i started to feel emotional.  I was like...whoa.  slow your role...as my man prayed over this baby boy and then the pastor...the tears were fierce.  i did my best to hold them in.  This little man is so special in so many ways...not only is he sweet even if he does like to throw some crying fests my way...and my love for him is strong...like my own babies...but he has helped answered many questions in my heart.  Could we ever adopt?  Could we love another child as our own?  Could we fulfill the calling God has placed on our family and still go to Africa this summer[another calling on our lives].  All with the answer of yes. 
So as we gave his life over to the Lord asking God's hand on him always...we still continue to pray YOUR will be done Lord in this situation. 
I'm sure many are wondering what if it doesn't work out with grandma?  They will call us first.  And yes we will take him back.  Is it a guarantee that he is going to be with Grandma?  Not yet...we can not get a hold of our DHS worker...to find out if the home study was approved or not. 
I asked my husband...honey what was the point of having this sweet little guy only a month?  His answer "

⁴² And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42


Not that we do this for a reward..but it blesses the Lord.  That is why.  
So thankful for his Biblical answer!


Today as I took baby boy to see his mom...I was early and praying for the visit...the Lord lead me to this scripture.. 
 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:18-20 NKJV)



I was so thankful for this.  The Lord new exactly what I needed today.  Took him to see His mom...got there a little early.  As she walked in she was already irritated.  I was not surprised..but said good morning and showed her her baby boy.  She asked for our case worker and then walked away with him.


As I headed out to the car, i passed by the room...and the mom with her newly done hair and nails was picking at her nails instead of paying attention to her baby boy.  I couldn't believe it.  I left in tears.  I called my husband and in tears said I don't understand.  He asked me what is wrong.  I told him, i don't understand how someone who hasn't seen her baby in 4 days could not be bothered with him.  I don't understand how he has to leave our car and go into some other situation that is unknown when we love him so much.  I don't understand why she is his mother?  My husband comforted me...with gracious words...I hate calling him in tears.  I hate crying.  i cried out to the lord and said once again...Lord your will be done.  
Please family.  pray with me.  pray that something changes with this situation if its God's will.  pray that this moms heart is softened.  pray that she learns how to love.  pray for me.  
I'm thankful for where the lord has taken me and softened me towards this mother...but still so difficult sometimes to understand.


The Lord after the visit opened up opportunity to share with a case worker why we do this.  Why we love these babies even if we have to give them back. to love them something fierce even when mom hates.  That its only by the grace of god none of us have traveled down the same path this mom has...by His grace we are saved.  [so thankful for that!]

So here's to another week with baby boy and my awesome kids and amazing husband...thank you Lord! 
Have  a blessed day friends!
xoxo
Gina

not your mamas style shopping with purpose....

I just added some new designs that I had been working on a month ago...but sadly got so behind that just now go the opportunity to get them listed.

all the proceeds of this will go to help our family get to Africa.  Our trip is coming up in 2012. While we know everyone can not physically go there themselves...the Lord has layed it on our hearts that we are to go....for two weeks. So here is an opportunity for the body of Christ to come together and lift each other up weather its in prayer or monetarily or just reblogging and spreading the word....

the cost will be around $10,000.00 for all 5 of us to go for two weeks.  Its a big number.  thankfully God is much bigger.

Check out my [not your mamas Style] on etsy if you wanna shop with a purpose.

theres also a donate button at the top if you don't want anything but wanna help us get there.

XOXO!
Gina

FEED [1] Products! a perfect Christmas present.

FEED [1] Orphan has new products!  FEED [1] Orphan <----click that to see them!  Spread the word! Wear a product!   I love them.  You totally will too!  They come from partnering with 

sweetTEAshoppes <---click that to see her etsy shop!  All FEED [1] Orphan products range from $18.00-$37.00 and all proceeds feed the orphans.

and without the heart.....

XOXO!

Gina

FEED [1] Orphan Ministries....

I started a FEED [1] Orphan blog yesterday.  This is the ministry that the Lord has been leading my husband and our family into and to start.  Feel free to like us on Facebook.  Follow us on our blog.  I'm hoping that friends and family will pass the word along.  We will have our T-shirts up for sale by October 22!  And hopefully jewelry soon too.

xoxo!
Gina

Honestly!

I don't know why I ever question what the Lord is doing or going to do or how He will provide.  Today is no exception.  For the past couple of days I've been asking the Lord to make clear a few things...from fundraising to midweek study to when we are to leave to go to Africa...with many things in between.  Today He has answered some of my questions. 

Amazing to me that the God of this universe would answer me.  A question of how. 

I'm no one special.  Except His daughter. 

And He takes time to answer me.  Simply amazing.

Today I was posed the question...

would you sell everything to care for the poor? 

 Live even more of a simple life than you might already think you live to provide for the needy?  

Dare I say not have a savings account because you provided for someone else's needs.

  Do you hear these words?  

Give up your savings account for a brother or sisters needs?  

That spoke deep to me.  

Many people are willing to give up some clothing or their heart or even more... sex's! but to give up your savings account...that is just out of the question.  

 Dave Ramsey would have a fit!  I'm sure that thought has ran through some of your minds. 

 But Guess what? We don't answer to Dave.

 Sure He has some good practical ideas.  

But God has a plan. 

 A plan for you and and a plan for me.  

What if His plan was for us to fogo a savings account so one of His children are having heat in there house or food to put on there table...

 What we all need to remember is that it is God's money first and for most. 

 but I think we forget about that.  

We feel we've earned it.  

But who gave you the ability to earn it? Who provided the j.o.b? 

 This message really spoke to me.  

because I've been struggling with some thoughts lately.  

Do we dare purchase the tshirts for our fundraising?  

What if we don't get all the money back? 

 How do I give to others when I'm trying to get my family funded for Africa?  

You know, He will provide. 

 I've seen it time and time again. 

 There has been instances where God has placed a certain amount of money on our hearts to give to someone and we've said okay Lord...but you know this means we can't put any money into savings this month...and guess what!  The amount He placed on our hearts was exactly what a brother and sister in the Lord needed to be able to have heat and food that month.  

Being obedient to God's will is so much more important than my savings account.  

I don't expect this will change many...but I just want you to know where the Lord is speaking to me. 

 IF you've not read crazy Love by Francis Chan. 

 You really should. 

 He speaks about this.  

 I want to live more this way.   

So here I go...I will be ordering our Fundraising shirts.

Listening to the Spirit lead. 

Prayerfully asking God for His will in our money.

xoxo!

Gina

Our prayer requests in case you want to pray with me.

1)Africa  2)adoption  3)homestudy before we leave?  4)Fundraising for the fatherless  5)Midweek study  6)a friends need  7)a decision on my husbands pension 8)when to go to Africa  9) Do we go to california for wedding/thanksgiving/family reunion?  10)Funding for Africa, adoption, homestudy  11)Thankful to the Lord for His goodness!

Ever been fearful?

While we were praying and asking God to confirm in four hearts what he was doing I told you I was listening to a couple fearless messages by Francis. Well he played a song that his daughter had just written. Totally spoke to my heart.

{Big time}

I pray that it ministers to you.



and because I thought this was too sweet not to post...My husband being diligent and emailing a missionary in Africa. I love how intent he is on this. When God speaks....he {my husband} listens.



xoxo.
Gina