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| If you return to the Main Page, we hope that you will sign our guestbook. We hope to share the encouragement and kind words with Maria someday. |
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| 6/4/2006 James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. I just want to say a sincere thank you of gratitude for my Bible Fellowship group today for their prayers for not only our trip/safety, but also for Maria's adoption to be finalized. Even now, I feel tears that they took the time to do that for us. I have to admit, the longer I had been sitting there rehearsing all of the many things I need to finalize before leaving, the more my stomach was in knots in anticipation and ANXIETY for the trip. Thank you again, class, for loving us and more importantly for loving our little girl And a BIG thank you to Mrs. Vickey for listening to the stirrings of God and following through. I realize how silly these requests could seem to outsiders, and that there are MUCH more serious issues out there. Yet, I am thankful that God knows how BIG it is to us...especially me. On a scale of 1-10 for anxiety, I was about to a 25 earlier today... Oh, Hunter lost his 2nd tooth! So he did get dollars from the Tooth Fairy rather than quetzales. I think the others will hold out until we get back. I realize that this could be my last post...I should be saying something SO wise and profound. (Okay, okay, a little doom/gloom, but really, aren't we supposed to live life like today could be our last?) The one thing I can say is that I have loved more and been loved more through the love of Christ. Without His love, I wouldn't be capable of loving my family, my friends, my children, my spouse in the ways I am able to at this moment. Thank you, dear God, for loving me. And for taking me into Your kingdom, in all of my unholiness, in YOUR timing. And if this is the last...obviously, it wouldn't be my ways. But that is why we live by Proverbs 3:5-6...we trust in His ways and lean not in OUR understanding. Gracias para todo...the Clouds |
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| 6/3/2006
Ephesians 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." We come to you, humbly, tonight, asking for prayer for us. (By the way, we would not be the saints in this verse :) We ask for prayer for a safe trip, that our airplane will safely arrive in Guatemala on Monday. We also pray that our luggage will arrive too. And we pray for comfort and peace during the travel. We pray that our journey from Guatemala City to Antigua will be safe and without danger, that God's angels will protect us each bit of the way. We pray for Maria's heart to be open to seeing us again, that the children will have a wonderful time of bonding. We pray for the Hogar to consider letting us keep her at the hotel so we can enjoy our time with her without distraction. And we pray for good news...that we might exit PGN, so our goodbye is NOT so bittersweet, knowing that we will go back for her very soon. Then we pray for safe travel back to the airport on Thursday and for safe flights so we arrive safely home late Thursday night. We ask that you, if you are led, will pray these things along with us. I hope to have a LOT to share in a few days! Adios! |
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| 6/9/2006
Psalm 116:6 "The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me." We are home! Other than broken hearts about leaving Maria and a little food poisoning/stomach virus for Reba (on the way home), we had a wonderful trip. I hope to update the site sometime in the next few days with lots of details and pictures for anybody who is interested. I am still recovering from the stomach thing and have a birthday party to prepare for (Lauren's 5th...tomorrow, though her birthday was really this past Monday). So it may take me a little time. But I will get there. I am going to change out the picture at the bottom though, just so you can get a "sneak preview". We do want to praise God first and foremost for the answers to prayers. Our flights went very smoothly on the way there, even with a thunderstorm threatening our first flight's departure. We had wonderful driver on the way to Antigua. Maria seemed much more willing to accept us this time (no hiding under cribs and MINIMAL crying involved), and we were allowed to take her with us for two days. We had a wonderful visit with her and enjoyed our time much more this time since it wasn't as rushed. Maria easily accepted Mark too this time and enjoyed going back and forth between us. I think she will warm up to the kids...they are a bit overwhelming at times especially for her reserved personality...We had a fun "birthday party" for her, though we had so wished she would be home by then. (June 19th is the actual day...and NO, it is not possible...) The highlight was saying "Beso" to her, which means "kiss" in Spanish and having her give us kisses. Leaving her was heartbreaking. Trip back uneventful, well, for everyone but me. No word on PGN. We are grateful though for the many answered prayers and God's continued protection over us. Thank you...thank you for praying, for the kind guestbook words, and for waiting with us... |
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| 6/10/2006 I promise to have information/pictures from the trip up soon. We had Lauren's birthday celebration today. I also apparently am NOT over the stomach bug that I thought I was over. So my time sitting up is limited. (And tomorrow is Hunter's baptism, so please pray I can make it through the morning...) Oh, I have mentioned him before, but please pray for Jacob...I don't personally know him but have followed his story for almost a year. His family has an incredible faith and he is an incredible little boy. In a very serious condition. Please pray for his family and for him during this time...he has been on my heart all day. I will try to write more tomorrow. I am just not feeling well tonight. |