What must go through their mind?

Donna the Director of Acres Of Hope state side is in Africa and she put this on her blog...
I have to say that I can't even let my mind go where this story attempts to take me.


What is it like for a child to come into the orphange on their first day? This is what I as an adoptive mom wondered and knew it would probably be more than I would want to know or realize as a mom and then did see first hand. I was there one day when sisters were brought in and the birth mom said goodbye and walked away. I am sure her heart was very heavy at that moment. The girls were terrified. One of them started running all over the court yard and they couldn't catch her she was scared and screaming. It made my heart break just to see her afraid and b.mom having to walk away. What must she be thinking. She must hear her child crying on the other side but has chosen what was best for her even through the pain. This little girl was allowed to be left alone for a little while, while we all continued our business. After some time, Bobo the monkey got out. It scared her so much that she ran straight into the orphanage where I picked her up and rocked her as she cried. It was all I could do not to cry myself. The nannies go through this on a weekly basis. I calmly rubbed her back, rocked her, and talked to her. She eventually fell asleep. This little girl went on to become acclimated into orphan life and has since come home.
I went on to hold a baby who was relinquished. He cried and cried and cried for his mama. Once again you grief the loss of this little one but yet are excited for their opportunities of a new life. As I paced the court yard that day; I wondered what his new life would be like. I also prayed for the mama who gave him up.
Let us not forget the mamas and daddys and relatives who so lovingly give up their children so that they can have opportunity that they can't provide for them for one reason or another. It is God's unconditional love in action.

A Day In The Park...I wish Joesph was here..

Open Heart Surgery..!!

Well we found out yesterday after speaking to a surgeon who will be taking care of Joesph that
there is a 90% chance that Joesph will have to have open heart surgery.
Although, this is scary sounding we are committed to bringing him the best care possible.
Please pray that he will be able to come soon and we will be able to get him the help he needs.

believing in him always,
Rob

Mark your home.!!!

How often do we forget in our tone or our looks that the HEAD of our home is present.

“Christ is the head of this home, the silent listener to every conversation the unseen host at every meal.” We do say things that we regret but most of those come, “Where nobody knows and no one sees” except the One whose, “Eyes run to and fro---“and we tend to forget that “Nothing is hidden that will not become evident---

We need a door post that says "Christ is the head of this home"........as a reminder that

all we have is His. All we do, we do for Him and all we say should reflect His love.

My prayer for today!!

Father, I know that all my life
Is portioned out for me,
And the changes that are sure to come
I do not fear to see;
I ask Thee for a present mind,
Intent on pleasing Thee.

I would not have the restless will
That hurries to and fro,
Seeking for some great thing to do
Or secret thing to know;
I would be treated as a child
And guided where I go.

Wherever in the world I am,
In whatsoever estate,
I have a fellowship with hearts
To keep and cultivate .

God provided in a strange kinda way....

Ok so its been one of those weekends where your so glad you have friends...I was visiting with a friend and in the back ground I hear a scream...It's a I'm really really hurt scream and it bolts me out of my chair....On my way to the screaming child I run into my 2 year old who is crying and saying "bubba hurt" ..Ok now my heart is racing just a twinge...I get to Coop to see blood...........running down his arm and hand...He has gotten a fishing hook way deep into his finger and its past the barb....It's a huge fishing hook too ..It looked to me as though you could of caught a shark with it..Hanging out of my baby's hand...dangling there, blood dripping.Ok so its not that big.
Looking at it now it's pretty small but..
Anyway, I don't panic I just gather him up and load
everyone in the van to take him to our neighbors house.
He looks at it and says"Its deep you need to take him to the ER....Wow!! About this time Scott is driving down the road and stops. He takes one look and says "yeah we need to go on to the ER."
Cooper by this time is incredibly calm. He is being so brave..we drive to the ER where there appears to be along line......3 hour long line....So we call our friend the VET...Mr. John..he tells us to come on over...We get there to water being boiled and a fresh clean animal DR. ready to help.
He cleans Coop's hand really good and while all five of his children watch he precedes to give Coop some numbing stuff.....10 secs later its out....It was so neat watching our friends help us.
Coop never got up-set he held his daddies hand and did wonderfully.
He is no worse for the wear today..It's alittle blue but it does not even hurt..
This morning I was telling my mom what happened and she said"let me get this straight you passed up the ER for a vet for my grand-son.?" Yes mom we did.............
We even got animal antibiotics. He,He. We are very grateful to our friends and to God from whom
all blessings flow...........

The Kings Favorite Daughter!!!!!

Today was a huge day for our paper -work....God delivered in such a way that
it made people shake their head......In -stead of taking months on some paper work
we were waiting on, the lady at our capital talked to me today and she took care of it
all for us....She said I will mail this today...I was thankful, but she took it one step further
and faxed our stuff so our social worker got it within minutes......She was then able to
to release our homestudy.........:)okay you don't see my big ole smile but it has not left
my face all day......The kids and I had been fasting our daily scoop of ice-cream until
we heard from this lady and today after her call I took them and got them the largest
ice -cream I could.............I cannot thank the Lord enough...He opened doors that only
He had the key for and I'm still in shock at all He did...
I'm going tomorrow and picking up my 4 certified copies of my homestudy and shipping them to Rae
who happens to be on staff with Acres O f Hope and she and her husband are going to Africa
and she will hand deliver them to the needed places(thanks Rae)..So I am with a grateful heart
always but tonight I feel like the Kings favorite daughter>..:)ok ok I know I'm not I just feel
like it.....
Thank you Lord,
Rob

She told him she would Love him forever...

Scott and I live on 40 acres. It has been in the family since Aunt Sara and Uncle Steve Chandler were in their 20's...This is their picture..They never could have any children because of an accident that injured Uncle Steve ....(believe me you don't want to know).They always Loved kids..They worked this farm..They truly lived off this land. They farmed cotton and corn. She loved flowers and roses and every year when I see flowers poke their little head out around where their home was ,I have to stop and wonder if she planted them. She died on this property at 103 years old. To say this land was good for her was an understatement..She out lived uncle Steve by 25 years...They were said to have an incredible love for each other. She told him she would love him forever.What must it have been like to live all those years without your true love? I know she could feel him all around her. The trees they planted together the land that he so passionately loved.. I just have to imagine what she did all those years without him..We went this year and put flowers on their grave from a tree that was one they planted together. She never did stop loving him. She never re-married..
I never got to meet Aunt Sara she died before I came into the family......but sometimes when I'm sitting out side I wonder if she looked out over this land and loved it as much as I do? When our youngest daughter was born we decided to name her after this precious couple... as a reminder of their love and our privilege to live out our lives where they started......... So may our little Chandler help keep your memories
alive and well.....and may we experience some of the love you two shared together on this property......

No-one can tell me I'm doing wrong when-ever I see his smiling face...

Acres Of Hope Sewing day.

This was our sewing day that some friends put together for the kids In Liberia.
We ended up making 32 dresses and lots of laughter.It's so much fun getting
together....Alot of love went into making these dresses and I know the girls will feel beautiful in them....Thanks to all who helped.........:)

*a special thanks to Emma who is not pictured*
she was taking care of Channie and didn't know we were taking pictures.

love,
Rob