The Aftermath

Witness with your very own eyes the ill effects of a garage-sale ravaged home!

Randy and I, with the Lord's help, have managed to survive two humongous fundraising sales.  Now comes the clean-up and return to some semblance of order, God willing!  Even our carpets need cleaned!  Ugh! 


Okay....can we have a drumroll, please?  This weekend we made $1,200.00 profit towards our little one's ransom!  Praise the Lord!  Folks, without Him, we wouldn't be doing this!  Without Him, we wouldn't have the COURAGE it takes to do this!


Just yesterday as Randy and I were on the final leg of the day, we were convinced that we were all garage-saled out, until today that is when we realized we have a couple more families stepping forward with a willingness to donate toward our next one....  So... maybe...another one in August?  Lord, help us!!!  But, we will do another one again if the Lord calls us to.


Btw, some of the money raised this weekend came from a couple private donors dropping by the sale specifically to make a monetary donation toward our adoption expenses.   And I am confident in both circumstances that these families were responding to the call placed on them by the Lord Himself.  "Thank you, families, for obeying the Lord!"


Between our church family , homeschool families, friends and neighbors we have been blessed with countless prayers, emotional support and donations of various kinds.  I really cannot imagine doing all of this without being able to lean on brothers and sisters in Christ at such a time as this.  "Thank you, Father, for bringing to the forefront of our lives so many people who have been Jesus to us with skin on."  


On a different note, I would like to mention that Sonya now knows how to whistle.  She started practicing yesterday evening, and whistled the entire time we were breaking down the garage sale (which took roughly two hours)!  No kidding, two hours non-stop.  Once in  a while, she might stop to ask, "How am I doing?  Do you think I'm getting any better?"  Then, as soon as we'd reinforce that we could hear an improvement, she'd go right on back to whistling.


Then today, the only break she took from practicing was at Sunday school and children's church.  But as soon as she was released...she went back to whistling!  Non-stop.
You gotta love that kid!


One more thing worth mentioning.  Late yesterday, as Randy and I worked together on breaking down the sale, with Sonya's help that is, we could hear the distant thunder and dark clouds looming overhead.  Just as we were finishing the clean-up, Randy made the comment that it would probably start raining now that we were through as he held out his hand and a drop of rain landed on it.  That is soooo God to do that! 


"Thank you, God, for caring about us so much that You would hold off the rain long enough to keep it a picture-perfect memory for us!  Thank you for helping us through all of this!  Even though we grow weary and discouraged when plans don't always go as we anticipate, we are still soooo grateful  for the opportunity to get to know Your ways through this journey You have taken us on!  Father, it hasn't been easy, but it has been worth it!  We want to continue to be faithful to You, and to give You all the credit for all of the good that is coming from this and all of the lives that are being touched and forever changed because of what You are doing in our lives!  Amen!"


And for all of you who are following our journey to Mei Mei, thank you for caring, and thank you for not making us walk alone!