Cattle Sales

Another sweet cousin is trying to plan an adoption fundraiser for us and asked for information and a breakdown of the cost of the adoption to present to her church and local businesses. 

The total funds needed is an overwhelming amount. 

But we determined at the beginning, with God's help, to eat this big elephant one little bite at a time. And thus far, God has been faithful to supply. He is always faithful.

The first week of December we needed to send the agency $1300, we were a little short, so we sent what we could. And we were pretty spent, totally out of ideas for quickly raising more. Then the phone rang. By the weekend we had two more small fundraisers to do. The difference was made up. The $1300 was covered, with change left for the ongoing fundraisers (headbands, wreaths, and such).

Cow painting by Mary Beadles - given to Jorja last week at a fundraiser

I've said for a long time (at least 14 years), and through many financial hard spots (ours and others), "God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Surely He can keep the lights on." (As a single mom HE kept the lights on - miracle money in the mail box - that's another story).***

Earlier this year, driving to some adoption/trauma training, I passed some peaceful rolling farmland. Hills full cows to my right, a multitude of sheep to my left. And I was reminded of how God could keep the lights on. It reassured me to keep moving forward and pursuing these kids. 

This week, I passed a pasture with just a few cows and immediately thought, "Oh look, He sold some cows." 

I woke up Friday, to the official diagnosis for Andrii, "stage four malignant brain tumor with metastasis in the spinal cord." (Talk about adding wood to the fire!)

We had about $200 in the Abba Fund and $136 in the bag (my fancy way of keeping adoption funds separate is a big ziplock bag - don't be jealous of my organizational skills). And I shared publically about Andrii. 

Within hours we were overwhelmed with love and support and the way people who don't know him or us are being God's hands and feet. 

Enabling our desire to bring them home. 

Helping the orphans.

Being used to set the lonely in family.

Gathering those cow auction profits. 

Oh how He loves us! All of us. All 12. 

(And Stephen too - which makes 13, but I'm not changing the name of the blog). 

I'll stop typing now. 

*curtsy*

*** This is NOT a plug for the prosperity gospel. It is our little finite minds and hearts attempt to remember to trust a totally trustworthy, infinite, eternal, creative, doer of the impossible, God and Kimg of the entire universe to care for us. We are but sinful dust. We are totally undeserving of any good. Yet He cares for us. He carries us. He loves lavishly. 
All glory and praise and honor belong to Him.