Fistula Hospital

Check out this film of how these Ethiopian women find hope and healing.

A Walk to Beautiful Trailer from United Nations Foundation on Vimeo.

Adoption Fundraiser

Please consider supporting this family's adoption buy purchasing one of these cute pendants. They are inexpensive and $5 of each purchase goes toward the adoption costs!

www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox

(Mention Grieshaber Adoption during the checkout so they get credit!)

Quote of the Day

"It is poverty to decide a child must die so that you might live as you wish."

Mother Theresa

The Fight

So, sadly, our adoption did not get approved in court yesterday. Why? I really don't know. It seems the judge removed the three adoption related cases off his docket and we just don't know why.

This makes me incredibly sad for my little girl who remains an orphan and must go on with her heart un-repaired, at least until the next court date- November 2nd.

One of my first thoughts after I heard this news was how to tell my girls. My girls who sat in our family room listening to our friends and family pouring out their requests to God on behalf of the orphan and, specifically, our case. Would this make them doubt the power of prayer and God's goodness?

Yesterday morning, before we knew we didn't pass, both girls remarked independently to me about how much they loved that prayer time. I admit it came as a surprise to me. It was long and full of words and concepts they didn't understand. Sitota asked when we could do it again. Evelea said she just loved the feeling.

After I told Sitota the bad news, she quickly said "well, can we do the prayer thing again, because I loved that". Wow.

Evelea said, "Let's think of three reasons why this is good". Wow.

In an effort to fight the darkness back, one of my best friends issued a challenge on her blog to sponsor all the waiting girls in Burkina Faso through Compassion International. Wow.

God challenged me this morning to combat my discouragement by writing letters of encouragement to friends who are facing difficult things.

My girls don't give up and neither do I.

Court Date- part Trois

Once again, tomorrow we have our court date in Burkina Faso. An attorney there will represent our case, and hopefully, tomorrow we will be announcing the name of our new daughter and posting her sweet picture.

Tonight, friends are gathering at our house to pray this little girl home. We are going to claim the promises of God over her life and our family and ask God to mercifully grant us a positive outcome to our court hearing. I can't tell you how it thrills me to think of our home full of people on their knees caring about what the Father cares about. If you drive past the house and it is shaking, I wouldn't be surprised! By the way, if you are local and want to come- please do!

We will also be praying for the other children in the orphanage to find families.

Psalm 68:6a

God sets the lonely in families.

Psalm 140:12

I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

Psalm 10:17-18

You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Do our hearts reflect the Father's? Is there something more we could be doing to defend the fatherless? We are His hands and feet. Let's move them as He would have us move them.

Death Culture

I'm fired up, people. Let's talk about Halloween and what it has become.

Something is wrong. Something is wrong with a culture that glorifies death. That is what we do in America for the 6+ weeks leading up to Halloween.

Something is wrong when I take my son to Walgreens and have to leave with him crying because of the seriously creepy ghoul thing flying over the candy aisle. The thing that costs $20. People are paying $20 for a dead corpse like ghoul thing to fly from their tree. Do you know what you could do with just $14? You could buy a starter brood of baby chicks for a family in Africa. Baby chicks that will eventually produce hundreds of eggs a year for a family to eat and sell. Let's see, how should I spend my money- dead ghoul thing, or feed a starving family?

This year, we've got the Fox Valley Park District sponsoring a Haunted House decorating contest. This is a fabulous idea. Let's see who has the scariest house! You know what my friend from Rwanda told me a few Halloweens ago? He told me he suffers from flashbacks and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at Halloween. You know why? Because he has seen REAL skeletons hanging from trees during the genocide. I loved explaining to him that in America, we do this for fun!

Now, I'm all for pumpkins and candy at Halloween. Yes, my kids wear costumes and trick or treat. But I am steadfastly against glorifying death. Don't we have enough death in our world? Let's fight back against our death culture. Let's overcome evil with good.

Deuteronomy 30:19

I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

Why?

When people hear that we already have two biological kids, have adopted one and are in the processing of adoption another, a common phrase we hear is "you must really love kids". While this is true, that is not our primary motivation to adopt. The truth is, we really love Jesus. And we really want to obey Him. And His love for us, and His adoption of us, is our motivation to adopt.

Jesus loves children, so we love children. Jesus adopted us, and we want to model that in our family.

"We love because He first loved us."

I John 4:19

Radical Love

Nothing inspires me more than hearing a story from a family that is willing to be used by God.

Isaiah's Story from 31Films on Vimeo.

Our new court date is October 19th. Long day today!

Thanks for all your prayers- I know where our help comes from and I know it will arrive at the perfect time.

Big Fat Bummer

Well, the judge did not show up again today. This is seriously frustrating! No word yet on when our next court date might be rescheduled.

Adoption is not for the faint of heart!

Court Date- Part Deux

Hopefully tonight, while I am sleeping, I will become a mother to my fourth child. Hoping to hear GOOD NEWS in the morning!