Friday tomorrow DTC

So many acronyms... its crazy but this one is a biggie.. it is the day our dossier - Notarized, Certified, and Authenticated goes to China!!!!!!! So very exciting.  Our part is nearly done.  At this stage - the dossier gets translated then goes to committee.. I am praying for favor.  Will you join us??? We have been miraculously gifted with all the funds so far. Isn't God gracious?!!! Thank you to each of you that have gifted us with your resources and prayers.
My agency received their last payment today and now we wait for Travel.  It will be a long wait.. maybe 6 months or so.  Please join us in prayer for patience and God's continue provision. 
My sweet friends and I have been making bracelets to help fund this journey and we have recently added domino necklaces!!! I have put pictures here...

Aren't these fun???
This Saturday my sweet friend is hosting a Make some Earrings Party. We are ever so grateful for all those that have journeyed with us so far...
So we have just the travel section left to pay for and this is the breakdown:
Orphange fee - $6000
Travel Expenses - $10,000

That is where we sit - resting in God's rich provision and gloryifying His Holy Name!!!!

Please continue to pray for us and our little guy waiting for his family that he doesnt know yet.....

August - 2012

It has been a crazy summer and I have not been on here in a while.  The papertrail is FINISHED!!!! All of our documents are out and about getting Authenticated by the Consulate and once finished there..... they are off to China.  We are inching closer and closer.  Once the paperwork gets to China the waiting game begins.  A prayer that I have is that I become more and more dependant on God and know Him better through this next phase.
Before school started I sat down with Maddux and asked him of the fruit of the spirit which one does he think he needs to work on during this school year.  After some discussion of what some of them meant he answered - "Self Control" ---- AAAAHHHHHHHHH.....  wow is that a tough one or not.  And since school started just a week ago, we have had ample opportunities to explore that fruit.  As for me I have been searching a for a verse... I have narrowed it down to two and am still praying over which one it will be... so what will little guys be??? I sat and prayed and sat and prayed - i will have loads more time to do that.... and I really couldn't come up with anything concrete but what I did find is a song.  So a song it will be until God moves us in another direction for him.  Here are the lyrics to it and I am guessing it fits him perfectly....


The days will come when you don't have the strength
When all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart they'd see too much
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured,
You are sacred,
You are His
You're beautiful
I'm praying that you have the heart to find
Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured,
You are sacred,
You are His
You're beautiful
Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to die
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
In His eyes
You're beautiful
You were meant for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You are treasured,
You are sacred,
You are His
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You're meant for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful You're beautiful You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

Read more: MERCY ME - BEAUTIFUL LYRICS http://www.metrolyrics.com/beautiful-lyrics-mercy-me.html#ixzz25EFK4IOn
Copied from MetroLyrics.com

I pray that the message of this song touches you the way it has touched me. 
We are still fundraising!!!!!
please pray for our family and our little guy waiting... may we all wait well....

Waiting and Hoping

My heart is overjoyed at the wonderful news of families before us adopting!!! God is gracious in His timing and mercies, for I can be overcome with tears at the Gotcha Day for my friend.  How wonderful to walk with others on their special journey.  I have not waited well at times, especially when our little guy's birthday came and went.  I didnt know that I would be so sad not to spend it with him: it kind of shocked me.  And to think that we celebrated here with cake and candles and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday and he doesnt even know about us or that he will be part of our family. So what have I done with my waiting time???? I have prayed for friends that are going through very very tough times - death, cancer and all kinds of uncertainty.  I have read more about just who I am in Christ and the assurances I have through His work!!! I have greatly enjoyed being able to visit with new and old friends. And I have spent a lot of time at the pool with my wonderful boy.
Please pray for us as we continue to wait and fundraise.  We have quite a bit to go - $15,000.

being different - aren't we supposed to be?

recently God has been doing some surgery on my heart for little ones everywhere that for whatever reason don't have a home or a mom or a dad.  i had no idea i would be on this journey or that He would soften me in this direction.  i have had wonderful conversations recently with friends about their struggles with loving their 'different' children -  what wonderful encouragement my mother friends are to me.   Wow !!! i use the word different in that they may not look and act the way we think they should ****BUNNYTRAIL (i think if i were to pick three of my least favorite words in the English language they would be:  should could would) and what a truly wonderful thing.... to be different.. isn't that what we, as Christians, are called to be --- set apart for His use..... Holy????? so, i look forward to having a little guy in our forever family that is 'different'... i pray that God will use us and him to show the love that we freely receive from Jesus to those in such a desperate need for it.   i will determine to be different, set apart, holy.
Thank you so very much - my godly sisters - for praying for us, encouraging me and being a light and an example of what it means to be different, set apart , Holy!!!!!!

Final Garage Sale

I have to say that I am very relieved that that is over!!!! With both garage sales we made about $2000. I am amazed.  Some lovely friends helped out for the day and helped take the remaining items to Goodwill.  God Bless these friends!  So we are waiting.  I pray we wait well.  Pray for us that we can wait well.  We are currently waiting for our Home Study to be finished and notorized.  Then documents certified and authenticated - yes, they are different.  We will have a birthday party on June 1st for our new little guy - cake and lots of pictures to send to him!!!!
I am excited to pray for my friends going to Africa to love on orphans - i look forward to hearing about their trip!!!!
Our summer will be spent doing summer kind of things - summer camp and swim lessons for Maddux and pool and pool and really anything with a pool.  I will be organizing and taking pictures to send to little guy in a care package each month.... so he knows who is waiting for him to come home!!!!

THE garage sale - one

the enormity of what was donated for our garage sale was overwhelming.  I went to bed the night before and we could not get one more thing in the garage to store.  When we got up that morning - there were more items waiting for us at our garage door.  Wow!!!! Amazing people helped us - by donating items, organizing, setting up, supplying sustenance, hanging out, putting stuff back in the garage.  My heart was filled to the brim watching and being a part of friends giving of their time, talents and gifts.  Pretty amazing.  We made a quite a hefty sum - considering it was a garage sale.  When we packed the garage back up, I stood back and knew we would jump into this exhausting pond again.  And soon...... So we are going to have another garage sale in May before it gets too hot down here.  What I loved the most was taking the boxes and boxes of clothes and shoes over to a friend who is going down to Mexico to donate all the items there... pretty amazing...if you missed this first garage sale.... come to next one!!!!!


hopefully we are close to the end of our homestudy!!! We just, I think, have one more document to submit and then its the last meeting!!!!

I got my bracelet!!!! Thanks Dawn!!! I love it!!! you can have one too... check out:

http://www.funkyfishdesigns.com/apps/webstore/products/show/3062303

And i do believe we have decided on a great name for our new little guy.......

humbled by another's journey

do you know just how neat it is to watch and be a very small part of someone's excitement? to be a part of something good..... to be a part of a large body of caring fallen people? do you know what it feels like to watch someone's joy ooze out of them with an intoxicating aroma? do you know what it is like to sit and watch these fallen saints come to the party and give.... just give what they have.  have you seen a smile like that? on someone that has received a gift?  have you seen the tears of joy as a little person gives their own birthday money to someone else?  have you heard the cries of joy as someone receives the news of a court date? or they made their special amount that God could only fill?


I HAVE!!!!!! and it's awesome!!!!! God's immense - ness is too big and His mercy is brand new everyday!!!!!

I appreciate the one that has let me be a small part of her journey...... can't wait to hug on this little guy when he finally gets home... ohhhhh how the tears will flow.......

Tomorrow is the first of our Home Study visits

We have been in a race to get our paperwork together and one of the things we had to fill out was an exhaustive autobiography.  What was fun about filling this out was that Ken and I were almost the same on all of our answers!!!! I am looking forward to meeting our Home Study Social Worker.  Im wondering just how clean the floors need to be.. Hehehehe.
we are preparing for our next fundraiser - a garage sale.  It will be on April 28th.  If you have anything you want to donate, please let me know. Also, if you happen to have time that day and want to help, that would be great!!!!!  People are starting to bring their stuff over.  This weekend will be spent in getting the garage in order for the sale. our final egg fundraiser was a couple of weeks ago and it went great.  I think my favorite eggs that Jamie has painted are the My Little Pony eggs.  I was kind of surprised that I liked those so much.  But I guess since I have the house o boys - i don't get to look at many pink things!!!! I have my favorite egg of Kelsey's and i might not give that one up.....
Dawn has our China jewelry up on her website... please check it out... the button is on here!!!!! woo hooo

Very Special Birthday Wish for my friend Dawn

We are having our last The Egg Project Fundraiser tomorrow -

Please check out my sweet friend, Dawn Patterson (who by the way is also adopting a special little boy).  She made a very special birthday wish!!!!
God Bless her!!!!

http://wishes.causes.com/wishes/453840?bws=fb_stream_wish


Our fundraiser was super great!!!! Just love all the special women that did so much to make this a special day!!!!!!

Our first fundraiser

What a fun day today.  I got to spend it with dear friends that have donated all their time and energies to helping us in adopting this precious one from China.  Each of these special women have extra special husbands that support them in a beautiful way for them to serve our family! I will pray for these men!  Each friend has a wonder in talents - some artistic, some financial, some time, and some a great hug.  I value each special talent but more importantly God values their talents and when it's given in the spirit that they give in..... Wow!!! You really can move mountains.  It is why I have chosen our verse for this journey as the following:

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" John 13:35

I thank my friends for their donation to The Egg Project and the many talents that God has to bless the body of Christ!!!! Our family is truly loved!
We have our next Adoption Open House on March 24th, if you missed the one today!!! Come on out, have some snacks and enjoy the beauty of eggs!!!!

First Docs and Payment --- Sent

We have signed our LOI agreement and sent it in with our payment!!! We are so very excited to be moving forward on our journey. This weekend we are having our first open house from 11 to 4pm.  Jamie, Kelsey, Jenny, Carol and Jen will be showing off their wares and I can't wait!!!!
Our son's prayers for little guy have changed from his Chinese given name to "brother" and it warms my heart.  Please continue to pray for him!!!

Fundraiser

Hello friends and family!!!!!

We have the Fundraiser up and running now!!!!!! Yeah for sweet friends!!! Please check out this website!!

http://theggproject.webs.com/

It will be changing often!!!! Comments please email me!!!!!

The beginning

12 February 2012
Dear Family and Friends!!!!
Ken and I wanted to pass along some very exciting news!!!!! We are in the process of adopting a little boy from China. Two weeks ago, we received a referral!!!! He is 3 ½ years old and has been in the orphanage for a year and half. For those who have not walked this journey with us, we have been exploring adoption for over 3 years now and in November 2011 we finally got a green light to proceed forward. Our level of shock to the ‘yes’ is still palpable. God, in His infinite mercy, has had us walk slowly and with open hands and for 3 years the doors were closed, now they are opening at a rapid rate. We are committed to following where God leads us and we are very excited and frankly scared to see what He does.
First, we ask for prayers:
For wisdom for Ken leading our family and unity for us
Protection over our marriage and our son Maddux
Courage to follow God where He leads
Soften our hearts to the road of healing ahead
Hedge of protection around this little one in China – heart, mind and body
Second, we are asking for help:
Financially, this will be daunting. We ask that you prayerfully consider donating to our adoption fund to help bring this little one home to us. I have listed below the immediate need and the total amount needed.
FIRST AMOUNT NEEDED BY FEBRUARY 20TH: $4500
TOTAL AMOUNT NEEDED: $29,500

We thank you so much for supporting us by prayer and if led financially!!!! We are ever so grateful for our friends and family and the words of encouragement you have provided so far.
Thank you so very much!

The Anderson Clan – Ken, Meghan and Maddux …. and soon to be “little guy”

Kenneth and Meghan Anderson
2208 Old Sterling Road
Cedar Park, TX 78613

the road slowly taken

I have a tendency to plan way ahead and come up with many plans.  This road is different.  I have a peace in walking calmly and slowly with God as my guide.  He will guide my steps in this unknown world of adoption.  One of our hurdle days is tomorrow and according to the world we have failed to raise the money in time to secure our little guy but God is Sovereign and has NEVER left His Throne.  If we don't raise the money tomorrow - God is Sovereign.  And if we do - He is Sovereign.  I trust His way and not my own because if it was my way, I would liquidate all my IRA's and jump on this myself but where would God's Hand be?  He is raising and awakening people to take this journey with us - we are not alone.
I sincerely THANK those that have taken this leap with us and I am so excited to see where God moves!
Learning patience by God's Mercy!!!!!!!

the roles He fills

As I think about this process of adoption, God places various people in your life to fill certain rolls.  In the short time that we have been journeying - we have had many wonderful folks fill those different rolls:

Cheerleader - this important roll of tears and excitement - usually filled by friends and family that know the journey of infertility and the past - very important to have so that you remember where you have been and they encourage the road forward

Investigator - the friend or family member that loooooves to research and find out information - extremely valuable and God has richly blessed us with them

Advisor - the friend or family member that gives words of caution and encouragement - desperately needed - currently have several of these wonderful people that have asked the good questions and kept us on our toes!

Warriors - these valuable folks are in the trenches with God praying for each step.  How do things get done without Him? To know these people are on our team brings tears to my eyes!  Ever so grateful for these important ones.

I am still coming up with other areas but this has been super fun!!!!

Waiting on the LORD!!!!!!! His mercy is sufficient!