Larry and Baby Will

A good family friend, Larry, was released after having heart surgery yesterday. As he was being released from the hospital, the family received word there was a liver available for 1-year-old Will. Will received the transplant last night. Please keep Will and Larry in your prayers.

Welcome back E

Some of you may remember I had a foster daughter, E, last Spring. She is changing foster homes again and needed a place to stay for a couple days. I told her current foster mom she could come to my home. She will be here next week for a couple days also.

It was fun seeing E again. Jacob does miss her and they did have fun playing together. I really hope she finds a permanent home soon. She is such a great kid and I hate that she can't just stay here. She will be moving on to a new foster home in about a week and we most likely will not see her again. I will miss her though and pray for her often

Difficult Decision

I am being faced with a difficult decision. There is a 5 year old autistic boy in Ethiopia who needs a home. I met this boy 1 1/2 years ago and know that he is a loving boy with mild autism. I know his problems and prognosis. The autism is not the problem. The problem is that I am $5000 short of his adoption fees. It drives me nuts to know that this boy may not ever have a family simply because of money. I could continue to save money but he is continuing to get older. I believe it is in his best interest to come home this Spring or Summer so that he can start kindergarten in the Fall as a 6 year old. I know the special education teacher at my local school and he is already speaking some English. I know he would be a wonderful addition to our family.

There are other obstacles besides the money. The biggest is M's placement. I would need to convince the adoption agency and social worker that allowing M's placement to continue would be alright. His future placement is uncertain but I definitelly don't want to have him moved or give up the opportunity to adopt him for another child. M is a wonderful member of the family. I do believe I could find someone to work with me on this obstacle since the child in Ethiopia is having a difficult time finding a home and I have already met him.

So that really does leave me to the money. I will pray that the money becomes available or that this little boy finds a family soon. Your prayers for this young man would also be greatly appreciated. If I am not the family for him, I pray that the right family finds him soon.

Prayers For Samuel

Samuel is a 3 year old boy who just arrived home to his forever family five weeks ago. He was involved in a horrible tracter accident at his home last weekend. Sam has lost one leg below the knee and his other foot. Doctors are working to save his arm. He is fighting also. His family is asking for prayers. His caringbridge site is http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/samuelphillipson .

Samuel is just a few months older than Jacob and really makes me appreciate how fast life can change. I have heard some people question how God can let this happen. I don't believe God "let" the accident happen but through free choice and reasons beyond our understanding, accidents do happen. I do know that God is with Samuel, his doctor and his family now. The do need our continued prayers though.

The family is also seeking donations to help with medical supplies, changes their home will need to accomodate Samuel and other items needed during this difficult time. If you would like to donate you can send checks to the Samuel Phillipson fund at

Premier Bank
PO Box 38
Sullivan, WI 53178

Week Review And A Prayer Request

I can't believe it has been almost a week since I last posted. The week went well. M is settling in nicely. M and Jacob both have colds this week so they are a little more cranky than normal. That also means they are both sleeping a little more than normal which gives me some extra quiet time to sit and think.

On Tuesday, I finally bought a double stroller. I have been looking at them for awhile. They are so convenient when I want to take both kids for long walks. Jacob was very excited and loves that he can sit or stand in the back of the stroller. He likes to stand and peak over the top to tell me if M has fallen asleep yet. M loves to go for rides also and often will fall asleep after just a few minutes. I have already used it twice and plan to use it to walk more places and drive the car less. So far we used it to walk to the drugstore and to the library.

Jacob had his second gymnastics class on Thursday. He did much better listening and staying with his group. M did better too and enjoyed playing with some of the other infants and young toddlers in the waiting area. Jacob cried when class was over stating he wasn't finished yet. I may have to move him to the 90 minute class next Spring.

I have mentioned before that Jacob and I have begun attending a new church. The pastor leaves this week to testify in his son's murder trial. His son is accused of murdering his daughter just over one year ago. I cannot imagine the pain he must have gone through and continues to go through. To lose a child is devastating enough. He has lost two children because of the horrible acts of one of them. Please keep him and his family (including his son) in your prayers. They all need support and strength right now. Please pray that his daughter receives justice, his son is treated fairly and the entire family finds strength and comfort.

Eye Problems

Jacob had an eye exam two days ago. I was told by the doctor that he probably has glaucoma. It is in the eye affected by his birth mark. I always knew that he could someday develop glaucoma in that eye but it still was painful to hear. His vision is still perfect in the eye so that was good.

We returned to the doctor yesterday and were told that it is most likely a kind of glaucoma that can be treated with eye drops. He probably will not need surgery and it is an easier kind to treat. Yeah! I was very relieved to hear that. We go in for an eye exam under anesthesia in a couple weeks to make sure it is glaucoma and that there aren't any other problems with his eye.

As much as I hate to hear a scary diagnosis like glaucoma, I am relieved that it can probably be treated. I am also very happy that the doctor caught it before Jacob's vision was affected. Who knows? Maybe he will be able to hit a 90 mph fast ball and be a major league baseball player after all.

Of course, prayers that the doctors are able to treat it quickly without surgery are greatly appreciated.

Home and Family Needed

I wish I had the resources and time to help this young lady. I know that she will make an excellent addition to the right family. If you are interested in adopting an older child, she may be the child for you. Here is a link to her information.

http://www.achildswaiting.com/adoptive_parents/adoption_disruption/disruption_children.php

For everyone who is not in a position to consider adopting this young girl, please pray for her. It must be very scary to be in a country with a culture so different than Ethiopia's and know that you will be going to another family.

No More Rain Please!!!

Enough rain! Jacob and I are joining millions of other people praying for an end to the rains. Our community hasn't been hit as hard as some of the others. Thankfully, there have only been a few homes evacuated and most of those people are back home now. There is some concern though as the area lakes are continuing to rise.

Jacob and I answered the call to help with sandbags tonight. We have some friends who own a home on a lake. I remember the floods of 1993 and agree that the water does appear to be higher this time. It is causing some people to be nervous as well as communities to help each other out. There are fears that a nearby dam will break and no one can even imagine the damage and destruction that will occur then.

Jacob was a good helper tonight. He held bags while the adults put shovels of sand in them. He also helped shovel some of the sand into the bags. While his shovel loads were considerably smaller than the adults, they did help. He also brought smiles to people's faces which at this point is probably just as valuable as the help he gave them.

We finished the evening off with some roasted marshmallows around a fire pit just off the shore of the swollen lake. Jacob is now sound asleep in his bed. He is getting some much needed and deserved sleep.

Please pray for no more rain and that the waters are able to reside soon. Pray for all of those people who have lost their homes and businesses, for those who can't get to work due to closed roads and for all of those people concerned that the water will continue to rise and force them from their homes.

Prayers Needed

Jacob was born in the Southern part of Ethiopia. He still has birth family living there. I was fortunate enough to travel to this part of the country and met some very beautiful, happy and loving people there. I also met members of his birth family while there. This was by far the most difficult and emotional part of my trip to Ethiopia. I will never forget the faces of the people, especially children, I met there.

This situation is very bad there right now. People are starving and dying. I do not know how Jacob's birth family is doing and can only pray that they are alright. I don't want to think about what they or the other people there are going through. It is difficult to sit in my living room on the other side of the world and not be able to help. All I can do is pray and ask others to pray too. The following is a link to an article about the current draught and possible famine in Southern Ethiopia right now. As you read the article, remember that Jacob could have been one of these children.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24731042/