Family Reunion & Passport updates

We just got back from a Borchert Pinochle Reunion in Flagstaff, AZ. We hiked (see above-we're standing on a rock bridge), played cards, hiked some more, and had a blast at a natural water rock slide! It was tons of fun...even though playing pinochle stresses me out!! I did not grow up playing cards. In fact, the only card game we ever played as a family was UNO!! The crazy thing is my sister in law and I actually won a couple rounds thanks to our partners who bid high and laid down some sweet hands! (thanks Steve and Renee).

We came home to a nice surprise on our One Dollar Adoption Site... We are at $3,898.00!! Wow... this awesome!! We are SOOOO close!! It's been unreal to see so many people we do not know donate to help a family miles and miles away. Then of course there are all our crazy, sweet, huge-hearted friends & family who continue to support us and love us in ways that are totally beyond us. THANK YOU!! everyone-friends, family, strangers, acquaintances! We love you and pray God will bless your lives richly!!!!

Well, so the news is we're still waiting. That's it. Twelve passports were signed in the last week and none were ours. I was so anxious all day until I got the email that it we did not get passports. We celebrate with the families that did get passports!! What a sweet moment for mothers and fathers to finally be able to bring home their Liberian babies. One day we'll be there, screaming, crying, and flippin' out!!!
Another minor update: There was a price increase for the lodging in Liberia. AOH had recently purchased a guest home to house the adoptive families that come through every week. Before this, a missionary family was housing the families, which I'm sure was wonderful but very difficult. It's makes a lot of sense for AOH to have their own home for the families and the kids when they travel, so we're okay about paying a little extra for our lodging and meals. Just thought I'd throw this in to help explain some of the reasons for why our expenses are so high, and why we're trying to raise $7,000.

What I read today that has helped me in the long wait.
'let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith'.... Hebrews

God knows ALL our needs!! and He sure is cool

Okay, so our last post was partially about our dog being healed. Well, I just thought I'd post this funny Ka-win-kee-dink (however you spell it). Our dog was very ill and we spent several days with her in the Vet and emergency overnight care. All of this was simply to figure out what to do and what was wrong with her. Our vet bill just to keep her alive those few days came to $ 1351.52!!
As you all know, we are STILL raising funds to bring our kids home! So, we have nothing left for things like this. Well, the week of Kenya's illness we received our first tax return and then just today we received our state tax return. We received exactly what we needed to pay off this bill with $17 dollars left!!
This whole adoption journey has been such a stretch of our faith and has called Jeff and I to surrender ALL to God and His ways. Every time some crisis (usually money related) comes our way (which seems to happen ALL the time as soon as you decide to adopt and raise the funds)...GOD always has a way where there is no way. The very week we need $1000 extra dollars...we receive it. It's as if every time we think we have it all planned, figured out....God comes along as says "Are you going to trust me?" It's hard, don't get me wrong. I freak out every time, it never fails, but little by little I'm beginning to get it. It is HIM. It is HIS provision for Osobie and Fatu. They are His children, born from his very heart and given to us as a gift.

Even as I write this, we get a call that our car is going to cost $800 to fix! The check engine light came on weeks ago...and here we are again! Help God!! Help us trust you with what seems to be the impossible!!! And even now, God is doing the impossible. We are so excited to say that the
One Dollar Adoption Fundraiser is now at $3,284!!!!!

THANK YOU Everyone!! Thanks for passing it on to your friends and family!! We are getting closer and closer to our goal of $7,000.
www.jeffandkatie.onedollaradoption.com

The love keeps on comin'

The love you are all sending is blowing us away! day by day we're still receiving amazing financial gifts!! Thank you!! We are getting closer and closer to our $7,000 goal!!! We are now at $2,852... THANK YOU again and again!!

Now that our adoption has been finalized, we wait for the kids passports to come through. I have no idea when it will happen. One family got passports in 2 and 1/2 weeks, while others have had to wait months. We're praying for as soon as possible and would love your prayers for this too!! We would love to have the kids home by July because we have a huge family reunion the end of August. That would give us a good month of chill-family bonding time.

The wait has been so much harder since our good friends came home with their little boy they adopted from Acres of Hope, Kojo. Just seeing him and hearing his Liberian accent makes my heart ache for Osobie and Fatu to be home. Plus they met our kids!!! They shared cute stories of our little feisty kids that brought Jeff and I to tears. Just this in itself is such a 'God-thing'. To think 5 years ago we met our friends and on the first night we hung out, we were dreaming and scheming about adopting African kids! Never in a million years would I have imagined that we would be adopting from the same orphanage, AND that they would be the first ones to meet our kids!! It was a total gift from God.

Oh, wow...need to brag on God a little more. Last week we almost lost our dog, Kenya. She got into some pj's, chewed them up and ate a piece. Well, this is the 2nd time she has done this. The first time cost us about $3,000!! We were faced with a decision to put her to sleep or pay for another expensive surgery. There is no way we could afford this, no way. We called friends and family and started them praying. It was a up and down roller coaster, but eventually the vet called Kenya a 'medical oddity". They couldn't find the pj's in her and she seemed to be getting better by the day!! GOD TOTALLY HEALED OUR DOG!!! She is back to normal, still crazy, (maybe it's the Labrador/golden retriever combo) but healthy. We're so happy Sobie and Fatu get to come home to their doggy!. Thank you gang for praying for Kenya. As you can see, she's back to normal. Our happy healed dog...saying goodbye to Summit County on our way back home Memorial Day.

Fundraiser update!

So far we have raised $2,340 from our one dollar adoption fundraiser!!! Thanks to so many of you for giving us such generous gifts!
Keep passing it on!!!!!!!!!!!!
www.jeffandkatie.onedollaradoption.com

We are so grateful for you guys!!! Thank you for walking this journey with us.

We are counting down the days until we get ''the call" that the kids passports are in. In the meantime, Jeff and I have been getting the house ready for the kids to come home. We have a ton of odds and ends to finish up and then we have the garden to plant. We are trying to bust out all our chores so once the kids are home, we will have absolutely nothing to do but cuddle, play, and enjoy each other. We cannot wait to have them home!!! I can't resist ...another pic of our cuties!!

I've been tagged!!

Okay…so Laura and Becky have tagged me and so here goes.

7 things about me?…that most people don’t know mmmmmm

1. “When I grow up, I want to be…” I’m sure like most people, I changed my dream career a million times. Here’s my list: fashion designer, marine biologist, movie star, brain surgeon, artist, detective, monkey trainer (Jane Goodall was my hero), wildlife biologist, nurse, and a missionary. Whew!!!

2. This may seem incredibly weird, but I LOVE being dirty! (Earthy dirty that is!)…Jeff (my husband) and I went on several missions’ trips to the Rainbow Gatherings in various states. The Rainbow Gatherings are basically big (20,000) hippie fests of love, drugs, and craziness in a national forest. We hung out with a Christian group called Bread of Life and cooked and served food for the hippies. We had “the dirtiest feet contest” to see who came home the darkest shade of brown! Jeff came in first place and I came in second. I just love the “I’ve been camping in the woods” smell. Yeah, this is weird.

3. I drink my coffee with a spoon in it. I’m a cream and sugar coffee drinker so I stir it up and leave the spoon in my cup for the remainder of my drinking time.

4. I was born in Vienna, Austria. My parents were missionaries with Operation Mobilization and they lived on their first mercy ship called the Logos. They were stationed in Austria for 2 years where my sister and I were born.

5. I’m a SAUCE fanatic!! Our fridge is primarily made up of sauces and condiments. On a daily basis we have 15 to 20 different kinds of salad dressings in our fridge.

6. I know all the words to “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and D.J. Easy Rock. Thanks to my childhood friend Laura, this is permanently branded on my brain. Not only can I sing the whole song, word for word, but I can also do the dance that goes with it without missing a beat.
   
7. Okay, so we might want to start a club here because I am a cereal addict TOO!!!! Wow, here I thought I was alone in this area. I seriously could eat cereal for every meal. (or sushi…I just might have a tie for the dinner category) Just last night I had a bowl of pumpkin granola cereal for dinner.

WOW...you people are amazing!!

We are going on 2-3 weeks of running the One Dollar Adoption fundraiser and we are already at $1,600!!! Thanks to all of you, many of whom we do not even know, who are helping us make our final step towards bringing our kids home!! Thank you!! and please keep Passing It On!!
http://jeffandkatie.onedollaradoption.com

We also have a update to share...OUR ADOPTION HAS BEEN FINALIZED!! Just last week we got word that we have completed this next step. Now we are ready to be submitted for passports, and once they come through, we will be able to travel. So, we're hoping and praying to travel July or August??? We're getting closer everyday and we cannot wait.

Here's a couple recent pics!!
Osobie is in the blue on the right and Fatu in the yellow shirt right next to him!!

Fatu and her braided hair!

Here we go!

Welcome to the borch porch...we love the "idea" of porches, sitting on a deck, sipping lemonade or fine Fort Collins ales, sharing life with friends, "i almost peed my pants" laughter, and good conversation. Porches I guess in our time have become Backyard Decks. Either way, we hope that this will be a place where we sit, discuss life, share our dreams and heartaches, and live life together!