What's New?!

I'll tell you what's new!  But first, I would like to share that last Thursday I was having another one of those days!  You know, the kind of day I "seem" to "like" sharing about, you know the kind when I find my face pressed up against the carpet crying out to the Father for some kind of holy and supernatural news, something tangible that I can wrap my mind and heart around.  And just so you know, I don't find myself on the floor crying out to the Lord every day, but when I do, and God always seems to know my breaking point, He provides an answer and always in a MIGHTY WAY.  Before I share further, something i am learning and relearning through this adoption process is that God makes me wait on Him so that I can be totally dependent on Him for everything. 

And He loves me!  And he knows what a train wreck my life would be without Him in it.  I can do nothing good outside of Him, friends - guiding, shielding and encouraging and even sometimes withholding from me what I think I want when i want it because He knows His ways and His time are best.  The Bible reminds me that His ways and His thoughts are not like ours, and i am soooo glad about that because to be perfectly transparent, my thoughts can get pretty dark and desperate at times. :(

So...last Thursday, following my fervent prayer, I received this email from the JSC Foundation:

Dear Randy and Cheryl,


Congratulations! You have received a grant in the amount of $13,530 for your upcoming adoption. The check has been sent to Hand in Hand and should arrive shortly. If there are fees that you have paid so that your balance with your agency is less than $13,530, you can use the excess to use for travel by having your agency reimburse you for travel fees. It has been a pleasure to learn about your heart for adoption. We would love to have a picture of your family after you bring your daughter home. God Bless!



Diane

JSC Foundation
 
I could not get to the phone quick enough to call Randy, and you do know what I said to him, right?  I said, "Are you sitting down?"   It used to be that Randy's four favorite words out of my mouth were, "You are right, honey."  Now it's been replaced with the former.  I can't say that I blame him since every time I say those four special words to him the news is excellent, and I do so like saying his new favorite words so much more than the previous ones if you get my drift.  Like Sonya always likes to say, Ahem...
 
Once I hung up and before calling other friends to share the good news, starting with our church because they really have been so supportive of our adoption, Sonya and I did the Happy Dance together and praised the Lord from Whom All Blessings Flow!
 
Thank you, Lord Jesus!  I am not ashamed to tell the world that You are my Lord and Savior, and that my family belongs to You!  Jesus, before You, I would never have had the courage or fortitude to walk this path of becoming the hands and feet to a real life orphan who has known only institutional living, enduring through this long and arduous process such depths of heart ache and at times PURE JOY!  Thank you for picking me! 
 
Miraculously, had we traveled in September as we initially anticipated, again our plans and not God's (and let me just say this momma knows God will show her His reasons for the delay before eternity), it would have covered all expenses related to paying for her ransom including the two weeks in-country mandatory travel.  But, God has a plan to bring about the rest of the money for as we near the end of 2011, air line and hotel prices will increase and by December even double. 
 
With a concerned look, Sonya said to me tonight as I was tucking her into bed, "But mom, what if the prices for Mei Mei just keep going up and up and up?  What will we do then?"  I said to her with all certainty, "God has it covered, Sonya.  He will provide all that we need, so not to worry.  And the people that are supposed to be at your FUNdraiser this Saturday will be there, and the amount of money He wants you to make you will make.  He has a Plan, Sonya."  And with that, her sweet little face grew soft again.  Thank you, Jesus, that Sonya "gets it".  What a blessed child she is! 
 
So here we are preparing, with the help of a few friends, to help Sonya raise money to cover her sister's airline ticket.  At one time, Cassie's ticket would have cost roughly $1,000.00-$1,200.00.  Now I am anticipating paying $1,800.00 for a one way ticket from China to America.  It is at times like this, when everything about adoption boils down to money, I need to remind myself why we are doing all of this in the first place. It is for this little girl, whom God has placed on our hearts to LOVE, that we are doing ALL OF THIS.  We have a daughter in a foreign country, in other words, who we need to get to, and we have learned to humbly and gratefully ask, "Will you help us to free her?  Please walk along beside us.  More specifically, walk along beside Sonya so she can get to her little sister." 
 
As you all know, we have been waiting a long time to receive LOA, longer than many but not as long as some, and i have been assured this letter is en route to our adoption agency in Albion.  As you may recall, we were asked to wait for LOA before we posted our baby girl's pictures on any public forum due to CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) rules, and we have readily complied, and I am feeling that it's okay now to post Sonya's FUNdraiser Extravaganza flier which also includes a picture of Cassandra Mei.  Actually, I can't get the flier to fit, so i am typing out for you the content of the flier with the essentials- date, times and location.  And then i will include the two pictures I used but scaled down for the flier.  I sure hope to see all of you there!  Even you folks out in Ohio and Michigan! :)  So without further ado:
 

Please Come Out and Support Sonya

In bringing her little sister home from China!

 

At Sonya's FUNdraiser Extravaganza

On Saturday, September 17, 2011

From 2-5 pm

At Calvary Chapel: 4900 Old Maysville Road

(corner of Caribe Blvd. and Old Maysville Rd.)

 

Adult and Kids' Carnival Games

w/Guaranteed Prizes for Kids;

Lemonade Stand; Chinese Auction

and Art Work by Sonya!

(Get an autographed copy while supplies last!)

 

 

My two beautiful girls who don't belong to me but who are on loan to Randy and me from the Lord!  Thank you, everyone, for caring so much!  It means so much to us.  And be sure to check back in a few days when i will share about the events leading up to Cassie being made available for adoption and what God was doing in this momma's and big sister's hearts to prepare the way for her to join our family forever!  I believe this Almighty Powerful God-story could make even an atheist believe, and Glory Halleluiah for that!   











 

 



 

 













Gearing Up for Sonya's Big FUNdraiser Extravaganza!

Hello everyone!

Two weeks from now (Saturday, September 17th  from 2-5 pm at the Calvary Chapel church parking lot next to our addition) Sonya will be hosting a FUNdraiser to raise money to bring her baby sister home from China!  Perhaps you will recall when Sonya's new dentist friend handed her a one hundred dollar bill to cover her remaining China costs, he asked Sonya to still do her lemonade stand (because that was her last great idea for raising money for her airline ticket) and then give the money she made to her church. 

Now at the time, neither the dentist or I knew that as soon as Sonya left his office she would already be planning how to make money to pay for her little sister's trip home from China. 

Initially, when Sonya only needed one hundred dollars more to reach her goal, a lemonade stand seemed like a feasible means to that end.  But once Sonya decided to tackle raising her sister's airline costs too (roughly $1,000.00) I knew we would need to expand Sonya's FUNdraising efforts.

So here is what we came up with: a carnival, a chinese auction, Sonya's art work, and yes, let's not forget her lemonade stand.  In order for Sonya to fulfill her promise she made to her dentist to give her lemonade stand proceeds to her church, (which i just know Sonya will want to give to missions because remember Sonya has a heart for missions) we've concluded that the best way to go about this is to donate the first $100.00 made at the lemonade stand to the church and everything over that amount, including proceeds from everything else going on that day, will go towards Cassie's airline ticket. 

We will have a sign posted at the lemonade stand explaining the what and the why so that we can keep our dealings with our neighbors, friends and the public above-board and completely transparent.

If LOA comes this week (which it should come because I was told it would) I will post Sonya's FUNdraiser flier on the blog which happens to have the cutest picture ever of little Cassie Mei.  Sonya is on the flier too, and i think we all already know how cute Sonya is!  For those of you who have never laid eyes on Cassie yet, trust me when i tell you that she is BEAUTIFUL inside and out!  As one mommy put it who recently saw Cassie in person, she is "so cute and has a precious dolly face".

And, will you please pray for us to receive our long-awaited LOA (letter of approval) this week?  As Cassie's mother, i need LOA so that i can feel one-step closer to holding my daughter in my arms.  Friends, this precious girl does not know what a mommy should feel like or look like because she has never had one of her own ever.  I know she wants a mother, though, because orphans do know it is normal to have one, and i am desperately wanting to start the count down until i can begin to fulfill that wish for her in person...  But without LOA this mommy is stuck in a holding pattern, or so it seems in the natural world. 

Also, we are waiting right now to hear from two different adoption grant agencies, and we are praying fervently that we will be helped in a BIG WAY.  With the Lord's help, to date $17,500.00 has been raised to free Cassie from a life with no family to call her own, and we are anticipating needing  $14,000.00-$15,000.00 more to cover all adoption costs (this amount includes two weeks mandatory in-country travel). 

So... please pray for favor on our family that we receive these grants and in a timely fashion.   Thank you again for your continued prayers over our family, and as a mother of two, thank you so much for loving my girls! 

Letter from Sharon Kuhn to Her Friends and Family

Our dear friend Sharon Kuhn wrote a letter to her friends and family on our behalf asking for them to support us in getting our second China-born daughter home to the States safe and sound.  With a few minor edits, here it is:


Dear Friends and Family,
The Hoiums are disappointed in the amount of money raised but holding the pricelessness of the fellowship of community involvement in their hearts. God is using all to create belonging, ministry and joy! Upon taking over 200 unsold chickens to the Rescue Mission, Sonya commented, "We need to come back again and bring them more food!"


Please help them if you feel led. Please pray for God to meet their needs and allow them to not only bring  Mei home but also allow them to take her back with Sonya to the Rescue Mission someday as Sonya mentioned in order to feed those poor men! Sonya also speaks of being a Missionary to China so “out of the mouths of babes” may we all be inspired!  I pray that Sonya will not be dumbed down in American culture before she grows old enough to do so! I am certain Randy and Cheryl are doing all they can to prevent that!


So, lessons are learned that are bigger than life! God is good! Please visit their website, and thank you so much for the donations you will send!!!!!


Blessings to you and yours!
Sharon