7 months

Its hard to believe its been 7 months since I last hugged and kissed these beautiful kids of mine. 

It really doesn't get any easier... The waiting... The wondering.... Most days I try to push the pain to the back of my mind and not think about how long this journey has taken. I try not to think about the fact that Derline was 7 months old when we started and now she is 4. I try not to think about the fact that I thought Juvens would be starting kindergarten with Wesley and now we are almost halfway into 1st grade! I try not to think about the time Sophia screamed and cried when I gave her back to the orphanage director and we drove off in a car to catch our plane back to america! 

I try not to think.. But its all still there its real its raw and my heart hurts it literally hurts when I think about it. 

I never ever could of wrote this story myself. Only God! I would of skipped out long before now! But there is this faith we have in God believing in something we can not see. Believing that they will come home and believing that HIS plan is perfect! If this was my plan the story would of went oh so different. But that's the beauty in all this heartache its GODS plan and that's what makes it beautiful! I know he will make 

beauty from these ashes! 

I know I haven't updated everyone in a while so here it is. We exited IBESR on July 23rd after being stuck in that step for 14 months. Since exiting IBESR we have been in Parquet (which is court) we are being told our file is almost done (but almost does not have the same meaning in Haiti as it does here) So we need prayers for us to exit Parquet right now!! We are asking you to join in prayer with us for this specific prayer! 

Thank you sweet friends for standing by us and praying this prayer with us! It takes a Village! And we are thankful for all of you!! 

Love Karena & Zach 

Team Price Update

I know a lot of you are probably wondering how things are going. I don't have much of an update to give anyone but we have been very busy the past few months!! I will update you to the best of my ability on where things stand with the adoption and funds needed to for us to be fully funded! 

Team Price Shirts are still available and all the funds goes towards our adoption fund
3 Less Orphans = 3 More Prices
Derline ~ Juvens ~ Sophia
Loved ~ Chosen ~ Wanted
Shirts are $12 Each and are available in youth - adult sizes 

As many of you may know we were blessed by family and friends with an adoption benefit family fun night! What an amazing event this was! It was held on September 7th at the Wolcott School. We had a pulled pork meal, lots of yummy desserts, bounce house and face painting for the kids and a cruise in car show. We had some awesome things donated to our silent auction and we sold Haitian Coffee, Haitian Jewelry and Christmas Items along with some handmade scarves and bags! All and all the night was a huge success and we were very blessed by the event! To be able to talk about adoption with people from our community was a wonderful thing! We currently find ourselves being very close to fully funded!! What an amazing feeling that is! We have about $8,000 left to go of the $55,000 that was needed to fully fund the adoption! 

Woo Hoo!! We want to say thank you to each and everyone of you who have supported us along this journey who have prayed for us and helped us make this all possible! We will continue to sale scarves and t-shirts and the Haitian jewlery and chirstmas items to help raise some of the needed funds. We will also be keeping the account open at the bank so if you would still like to donate towards our adoption fund you can do so by sending checks to the Bank Of Wolcott P.O. Box 339 Wolcott, IN 47995 Please makes checks payable to Price Family Adoption Fund

Where does our paperwork stand and how are things moving along with that you ask.... Well I wish I could tell you they are moving along quickly but I just can't right now. The last update we received was our file is still in IBESR. They are working on it but still not done with it. We have been very encouraged with the movement we are seeing in IBESR lately so we are hopeful that our file will be out of IBESR before the end of this year if not sooner!! 

We will be making a trip to Haiti in November to file our I600 and give our orphan all of our final process papers so they have them when they are ready for them. We are currently awaiting our appointment with USCIS and then we will be booking our flight!! On this trip we will get to spend several days with the kids! Its been over 8 months since we have seen them. WE are very excited to get to love on them for a few days. It is our hope that this will be our last trip to Haiti for a visit. We plan for our next trip to be bringing them home with us!! Oh what a wonderful day that will be! 

How can you pray?? We need your prayers for our file and that it would move out of IBESR by the end of this year if not sooner!!  WE need your prayers that the new law for adoptions would be signed by the president of Haiti and we could skip our file going to his desk. We need your prayers that we will be fully funded soon and have one less stress off our list when it comes to the adoption. And lastly pray for our children the 3 that are in Haiti pray that they would feel that they are loved and pray that they will yet again understand that mamma and papa are here to visit but they aren't coming home with us. Pray for Juvens especially as he has seen many of his friends going home and I know he has to be confused. Pray for our boys here at home that they would just be patient with this wait and know that someday there brother and sisters will be home. 

Thank you friends your love support and prayers mean the world to us! It takes a village!! We are sure happy to have you along with us on this ride! 

Price Family Adoption Fund T-Shirt Fundraiser

Price Family Adoption Fund 

T-Shirt Fundraiser

To buy please email me with your order at krp1021@gmail.com  

Team Price T-Shirts 
Available in all sizes 
$12.00
Gildan 50/50 Blend 
Derline ~ Juvens ~ Sophia 

Loved ~ Chosen ~ Wanted 
3 Less Orphans = 3 More Prices

By Grace T-Shirt inspired by Ephesians 2:8 ~ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - 
Available in all sizes 
Shirt color is Chocolate 
$15.00 
Gildan 50/50 Blend

Love Wins T-Shirt inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:7 
~ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Available in all sizes 
Shirt Color is Orchid (light purple)
$15.00
Gildan 50/50 Blend

Life Is T-Shirt inspired by Life Is quote from Mother Teresa. 

Available in all sizes 

Shirt color is called Kiwi 

$18.00

Gildan 50/50 Blend

Comment Sold if you would like to Buy! 

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.”

― Mother Teresa

Here's my "Broken Hallelujah"

Zach and I found out on July 7th that we were expecting...... Already being 2 years deep into the process of bringing 3 children home from Haiti we were shocked, scared, worried, excited, worried... did I say worried? We started praying over this surprise pregnancy Jeremiah 29:11  ~For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  

Little did we know that 7 weeks later on August 23rd we would lose this baby.... Little did we know how painful this experience would be...How traumatic this experience would be. We were 10 weeks along when we lost the baby and we had gotten pretty used to the idea of having another baby even in the middle of an international adoption! We were excited about it! Our boys were excited about it. So to lose the baby it was heartbreaking and devastating.  

Sometimes I wonder if God allowed us to experience this heartbreak this devastation so we could get a glimpse of what our children in Haiti's birth parents must be feeling. This thought crosses my mind daily when I look at there pictures hanging on my wall and realize what loss there parents must feel for there child who is still alive. 

This is the only picture I have of our baby. This was my 9 week ultrasound picture. The past few weeks have been hard. This baby was held in our heart and not in our hands but we often think about you sweet sweet angel. But we are taking comfort in the fact that we will see this baby again some day in Heaven. For now we take comfort and peace in knowing god is holding our little one in heaven. 

I am so so thankful for all of the kind and thoughtful words, text messages, cards and even meals. The outpouring of love we received from family and friends was very comforting. In your darkest hours God always puts the right people in your life. 


                                                       "Broken Hallelujah"

I can barely stand right now.
Everything is crashing down,
And I wonder where You are.

I try to find the words to pray.
I don't always know what to say,
But You're the one that can hear my heart.

Even though I don't know what your plan is,
I know You're making beauty from these ashes.

I've seen joy and I've seen pain.
On my knees, I call Your name.
Here's my broken hallelujah.

With nothing left to hold onto,
I raise these empty hands to You.
Here's my broken hallelujah.

You know the things that have brought me here.
You know the story of every tear.
‘Cause You've been here from the very start.

Even though I don't know what your plan is,
I know You're making beauty from these ashes.

I've seen joy and I've seen pain.
On my knees, I call Your name.
Here's my broken hallelujah.

With nothing left to hold onto,
I raise these empty hands to You.
Here's my broken hallelujah.

When all is taken away, don't let my heart be changed.
Let me always sing Hallelujah
When I feel afraid, don't let my hope be erased
Let me always sing Hallelujah.
Let me always sing Hallelujah.

I will always sing
I will always sing
Here's my broken hallelujah.

We had decided to go ahead and tell the boys and our close family members and just a few friends right after we found out we were pregnant. Yes the news was shocking to most but also looked at as a blessing and we continued on. 

Not for sure how far along I was I went in for a blood pregnancy test and then again 2 days later for another. After that test they scheduled me in for a dating ultrasound is what they called it to determine a due date. I went in for the dating ultrasound on August 8th just 2 days before we were to go to Haiti. At this ultrasound I was not impressed with the ultrasound tech at all. She was very cold and quiet. She had a hard time finding the baby because I was only 8 weeks along. At this ultrasound they found no heartbeat. After leaving me in the ultrasound room on the table for 20 minutes to go and talk to my doctor the tech came back in and then took me up to talk with my doctor who had no compassion what so ever and told me that I was probably getting ready to have a miscarriage come back in one week to see if the baby is growing. She then told me it was not a good idea to travel to Haiti in case of miscarriage  I left this appointment feeling sad, confused, mistreated. Not only was I just told that they found no heartbeat and we could be getting ready to lose the baby but I was also told I couldn't go to Haiti to file important paperwork and see my kids! 


The next week was kind of a blur... We canceled our trip and I was worried. I was also unhappy with how I was treated and decided to make another appointment with a different provider. 

One week later I saw a different doctor. They did a full prenatal workup on me and then did another ultrasound. I learned that my uterus was tilted and it was very hard to see anything or get a heartbeat. Then all of a sudden a baby appeared they were able to get measurements and sure enough the baby was growing!! It was now measuring 9 weeks so this was a good sign! The doctor wanted me to come back in 2 more weeks to do another ultrasound. He felt like everything was ok and that relieved some of my stress. 

At that appointment I was also told how stress can affect the baby. I have struggled with high blood pressure and added stress can increase the blood pressure and cause miscarriage. When I came home I decided to remove added stress for the time being. We were in the middle of planning the adoption benefit and this had been a stressful situation. Something that should have been easy had turned into an everyday stress. I told my mom who was in charge that I was backing out and wanted her to just take care of everything. I felt like this would be better for me and the baby. 

The next week I started having some cramping. I thought it was just from a UTI that my doctor had started me on medicine for. I wasn't feeling good sleeping a lot and just in pain. The pain was different then the pain I thought I would have with a miscarriage so I tried not to worry about it. By Friday afternoon my pain had got really bad. I called my doctor and they wanted to to head to the hospital for an ultra sound to check to see if the baby is ok. 

As Zach drove me to the hospital on August 23rd just 9 weeks after we found out we were having a baby.... my body started going through the miscarriage  I was having contractions about every 2 minute and I was in a lot of pain.  By the time I got to the Radiology at the hospital for my ultra sound I had started hemorrhaging. A very traumatic scary painful and sad  experience.  The ultra sound tech did the ultra sound and then the doctor came in. He told us my body was going through a miscarriage and we had 2 options first was surgery to basically finish the miscarriage and stop the bleeding or he could send me home and it would take a few days to complete.... We opted for surgery as I knew I had already lost a lot of blood and my blood type is very rare I wasn't going to chance coming home and I was in a great deal of pain. They got me into a room and an iv started for some pain medicine and then into surgery a few hours later. By 10 that night I was no longer pregnant no longer hemorrhaging and no longer in physical pain.  My hemoglobin levels had dropped down to 8 they should be above 12 so I was very dizzy and light headed I ended up staying in the hospital overnight and was finally able to go home the next day. 

The next week was very hard. My hemoglobin level continued to drop down to 7 and I was to a point where I could receive a blood transfusion  I was very tired, weak, dizzy and lightheaded having trouble breathing at home. After talking with my doctor we opted to wait it out so I didn't have to receive a blood transfusion. I already have a very rare blood type from blood transfusion I got when I had Kaden so I am already a high risk case. After about a week I started feeling a little better. 

I am not sure what the future hold for us and having another baby. It wasn't in the plans but I will be the first to say we are considering it... After talking with my doctor and learning that my antibody did not cause the miscarriage. We are really thinking about it. Just trusting God's plan and knowing that it is perfect. Trusting that we will see our baby that we miscarried again someday in Heaven what a glorious day that will be!  We know our baby is currently in good company with some of the best grandma's and grandpa's a baby could ask for! 

In Memory of our baby we have decided to plant a beautiful bush at our home next spring. We feel that this will be a way we can honor the precious baby we lost and see the beauty in this tragedy. 

It's been a month!

Its been a month since we entered IBESR and got numbers for the kids!! Wow I never imagined it would feel that good to finally get in and have numbers for the kids! I mean its just a silly number right.... Wrong... This was the biggest step for us this far the highest mountain we have had to climb! It was like a giant weight had been lifted. Worry was gone I had done what I needed to do to get us to the point of getting in. We had trusted God and listened to his every instruction even if that did mean loosing thousands of dollars because someone said they could help and then they ended up not able to help and took our money.... I told a friend just the other day loosing that money was probably the best thing that could of happened because it lead us to the right person and we were finally able to get in! At the time losing the money I felt like a stupid idiot but I am finally now able to see the good in losing thousands of dollars! 

Any-who its been a month a month full of baseball and less scattered thoughts about our adoption its been  a month of crazy summer practice, game practice, game ,game! Both boys in baseball and Kaden finally got his cast off so now he is playing!! It looks like we have a good 3 more weeks of baseball for various tourneys! Its been a good month. We were blessed with tickets to the Indy 500 from one of our vendors so we took the boys to do that. Kaden and a friend were blessed with Notre Dame football camp being provided for them! We are very much enjoying this crazy summer at home!! 

Adoption news.... I don't have any we are waiting again... But its a good waiting a waiting where we know something is happening and our file isn't just sitting! Everyone keeps saying Christmas?? I keep saying who knows! Waiting for IBESR to go through our file and make sure we are fit parents and approve the file so it can go to the next step which is court after court there is several other steps including passport and visa.. How long will this all take I have no idea.. My best answer is how ever long GOD wants it to take!! Lets all pray it moves quickly and we don't have any major problems so we can get these kids home! Trusting in HIS timing knowing it is perfect and beautiful in every way!! 

Adoption Fundraiser News!!! We have been blessed by our family and friends taking on the task of planning an Adoption Benefit Dinner to be held on September 7th here in Wolcott at the Tri-County Intermediate School.  A Pulled Pork dinner and silent auction are being planned!! We are very excited to share our story with the community at this event! Silent Auction Items are needed and Help is needed to put on the event! We are in need of people to help the day of the event and help leading up to this big event! If you would be willing to help in anyway please contact me and I will get you to the right person!!! More benefit event news will be coming in the next few weeks!! 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers along this crazy hard long journey! We never thought it would take this long and be this hard! We are truly thankful for all of our family and friends! 

These 3 kids just got IBESR #'s

 

 

Surrender  all your thoughts and troubles to the lord for if it is his will he will make a way… God’s timing is perfect it’s something we can’t explain but his timing and plans are right and good! ~ KRP

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth.”

So we found out last night that our 3 precious kid’s files were finally accepted into IBESR and they all received a number!!! This is a huge step! We still have plenty of other steps but this is a big one this has been the hold up and we are finally moving!! 747 days after our first referral of Derline we are officially submitted and moving on the Haitian side of things!!!  

 

So let’s run through the past few days leading up to this point... First we have a new attorney and he has been working on our file for a few weeks making sure it was ready when IBESR opened their doors to these old dossiers that were stuck in crèches, orphanages and lawyers hands that still needed in. IBESR had been saying for a month or better they were going to have this special time to submit. So we have kind of been on the edge of our seat just waiting… Then it happened IBESR officially posted that they were going to be open Friday, Monday and Tuesday… So the stage is set we are ready for Friday… Friday comes and our Dossier doesn’t get accepted… But our attorney has a plan ….. But still it took everything I had to get through Friday and the weekend it was just another really low time a enough is enough please please lord begging for him to just let us in. Begging for him to soften hearts and remove these mountains. A lot of crying like on the verge of I’m having a mental breakdown crying! Then we get to Monday and we have a few snags and we are told Tuesday is the day…

So as Tuesday starts we hear from our attorney that morning and then again around noon things are still being done still have hope… But as Tuesday afternoon starts to fade away so does my hope I start to get more nervous more anxious… I had plans to go to Lafayette with a good friend for dinner we were going to get pedicures and then dinner… It was almost 5’oclock and I knew IBESR had to be closed and I hadn’t heard anything from the attorney… So I made the decision to just surrender completely give it all to God. I logged out of facebook and my email and I turned my phone off. Yes you heard me! I came home stuck my turned off phone on the charger and left it home! I got ready and then left with my friend!! I was completely unplugged!!! Surrendered it all to him realizing there was nothing I could do anymore I had done my part I had helped it get to where it is and all I could do was pray… Checking that silly phone all night was going to do no good! Plus I wanted to be with Zach when we got whatever news we were going to get!  

I had an amazing night good conversation we laughed caught up I won’t say good food because what I got was too spicy and I could barely eat it!! Ha! That will teach me to order Cajun pasta again!! Honestly I didn’t think much about my phone or what was going to be waiting for me until we were driving home… I joked with my friend saying I wonder how many messages I am going to have and figured my phone would be blowing up when I turned it on! Got home around 10 did a few things and then Zach and I turned on my phone…. What happened next was amazing!!! I had lots of messages but I knew exactly which ones to look at…. And there it was a picture of the receipt from IBESR with all 3 kids’ names on it and their numbers!!  Shock, Tears, Excitement, Shaking, Smiling, Crying, all things that started happening!! Words just can’t express how we were feeling!! Amazing!! I wanted to simply hug my kids who are 2,000 miles away and tell them that we are committed to them and failure is not an option that we love them so so much and we are one step closer to bringing them home!

Just thinking about all of what happened the past few days I am reminded of the sermon we heard on mother’s day… It was about Surrender about walking through the valley… there are struggles in the valley and the enemy is in the valley battles are fought in the valley!  We are on through this valley and on top of a mountain right now but we know there is another valley coming, another battle that will probably need fought to get them home!

This all reminds me of the 23^rd Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or through the darkest valley),

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

So we have IBESR numbers we are moving again…. Whats next well we now have to be approved to adopt the children that is what IBESR will do I am not sure how long this will actually take and I am not even going to guess!!! After that we will then have court making the adoption legal and giving the kids our last name! Once we are thru court we will then start the passport and then visa/USCIS side of things. So we still have a long road ahead of us. But right now we are one step closer!! And that is something to smile about!!

Thank you everyone that has been praying for us!! Please continue to hold our family in your prayers so we can get these kiddos home!! Your prayers mean the world to us!! Thank you Thank you!!

 

Adoption Benefit Garage Sale Take 1

We held our first garage sale of the summer in an attempt to raise some of the needed funds for the adoption! We had been saving and collecting stuff for over a year in our storage building! We held this event on the day our town has there town wide sale and we had great success!!! We are currently in need of raising the remaining money for the adoption so with that being said we need to raise around $27,000 more dollars!  We decided to open the sale on Friday night for a few hours and we were very busy I think we brought in around $500 on Friday night being open from 4-8 we were very surprised!! The next day we were open from 7-3 and we sold lots! We had people coming and going the whole time!! It was a blessing to see that many people coming and taking a look at our junk! Kaden and a friend sold hot dogs  popcorn, pop and water and that was also a hit!! At the end of the sale we raised just over $1,600 to put towards the adoption! We were very pleased!! We are very lucky to have a garage to keep the stuff in and set up and we are planning our next garage sale for Memorial Day weekend Friday and Saturday! We are in need of more donations of stuff so if you have anything you would like to donate to our next sale we would gladly take it!! It can be anything from kitchen items, decorative items, clothing, toys, accessories, books, crafts, larger items we will take pretty much anything! So if you have some stuff you would like to get rid of please keep us in mind! We will come and pick it up!! 

A Glimpse

Glimpse / glimps/ 

Noun : A momentary or partial view: 

This is what we currently have of our kids life right now. A glimpse a momentary partial view. Watching them grow up in pictures. Wishing we could be there to watch them grow, love them and care for them. Getting new pictures of the kids from friends that traveled for a court date or a missionary team that traveled to work at the orphanage and love on the kids is priceless. It makes you happy and sad all at the same time. Seeing other people love on your kids brings a smile to your face and tears to your eyes all at the same time. Adoption is hard there is nothing easy about it. Its not for everyone and I completely understand that.  I will be honest with you some days I wonder if its really for me... But then I remember that god called us to adopt he called us to take care of his children and when I remember those things I know that if god called us to do this he will see us through it.  Through the good the bad the ugly and all of the hard time but he will also see us through the beautiful times. 

Friends we have 14 days left for our file to be submitted into IBESR. We missed the last cut off back in September but god graciously allowed for another deadline. This deadline is November 3rd. Our file needs to be accepted into IBESR before this date. We had a paper that we had to update here in the states and then send to Haiti . That paper is now in Haiti and we are ready to be submitted.  So we are asking you to please pray for our adoption. Pray that they will accept us even though we don't meet the current Haitian age adoption law and we can move forward with the adoption process. Pray that this happens so we can hopefully very soon stop living our lives with a glimpse of these 3 precious children

Amazingly enough I have remained pretty calm these past few weeks since we didn't make the Sept 15th cut off. I have been at peace with all of this even when we weren't sure if the extension would be granted. I keep thinking of one of my favorite verses.... Psalm 46:10 be still and know that I am god

I always find comfort in this verse. We know this is his plan and we continue to trust him. 

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

God love us and he loves our kids.... Please keep believing and agreeing with us! 

We want so much more than just a glimpse of these 3 precious kiddos life's!  

Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support. It really means the world to us! 

This is the week.....

Its really going to be a long week my friends....

This is the week….. Our file must enter IBESR by the 

15th we are asking that everyone please pray with us. 

If our file does not enter we are not sure what will 

happen.. IBESR is closing and we aren't sure when 

they will reopen and when they do it will be with all 

new regulations as they are switching to Hague.Pray 

that the last documents will be received for the 

children’s part of the dossier pray that the file will be 

turned over to the attorney and she can then prepare 

it for IBESR and pray that we get accepted into 

IBESR this week. We do not meet the current age 

law for Haitian Adoptions however we do have a 

letter from our doctor saying it is not safe to have 

more children. God is so much bigger than this my 

friends and we ask that you 

please join us in prayer. 

We have already seen him move so many mountains 

during this adoption. We know this mountain is 

nothing to God! Believing Mark11: 23 Truly I tell you, 

whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and 

thrown into the sea! And does not doubt at all in his 

heart but believes that what he says will take place, it 

will be done for him.

We know what god has spoke to our hearts.... We 

know that these 3 children came into our lives at 3 

different times and only god could do that... You see 

if you would have said in the beginning how about 

you adopt these 3 kids I would have said no.. I am 

not adopting 3 kids... But God knew... We believe 

that these children our meant to be in our family and 

we believe that god will bring them home! 

Please pray with us this week!! 

Checkmate....Not So Fast... The King Has Another Move!

The King Has Another Move!

What a wonderful church service we had today.... We needed to hear this exact thing! I love when god does that!! Gives us just what we need..... Go God!! So I came home and searched forr the story and this is what I have found... I wanted to share it because I really thought it was powerful!

So I have found this story has been told by Christian speakers for a long time..... and here I find myself sharing it with all of you tonight...

Two men are standing in front of a painting called Checkmate in an art gallery. In the painting, a man is playing chess with the devil. The devil is grinning ear-to-ear because he has the man cornered. The title of the painting, Checkmate, indicates that the game is over. The devilhas won. His opponent has no more moves.

The first man looking at the painting wants to move on to other paintings in the gallery. But the second man, an international chesschampion, wants to look at the painting longer, so he waves his friend on and tells him he will catch up later. The chess champion stares and stares at the chess board, then suddenly he steps back, flabbergasted."It's wrong!" he exclaims. "There's one more move." He runs to his friend and together they look at the painting. "We have to contact the painter," the chess champion says. "It's not checkmate. The king has one more move."

When you look at Scripture, you will see that all through history, the devil has had God's people in what seemed like "checkmate." But God had another move.

In Exodus 14, with the Egyptians relentlessly chasing them, the Israelites, finally released to journey to the Promised Land, came to the shores of the Red Sea. They could see the dust from approaching Egyptian chariots on the horizon and hear the war cries of their pursuers. They had nowhere to turn. Their families would be killed;their possessions would be taken. Checkmate, right?

The King had another move. God says to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground" (Exodus 14:15-16). We know the rest of the story. The Israelites get to the other side; the Egyptians drown when God closes the water alley.

In 1 Samuel 17, the Israelites and their leader, Saul, were terrified.The nine-foot-tall Philistine giant, Goliath, was taunting them and making fun of their God. The Israelites were in checkmate.

But the King had one more move. An insignificant little boy too small to fit into Saul's armor knocked off Goliath and delivered the Israelites. David, who knew a thing or two about being in checkmate,shows his deep faith when he says, "The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear with will rescue me from this Philistine!" (1 Samuel 17:37).

In Daniel 6:1-28, King Darius threw Daniel into a lions' den because Daniel ignored t he new law to pray to King Darius and instead prayed toGod. In imagery reminiscent of the tomb of Jesus, a stone was rolled over the mouth of the lions' den and Daniel was left to be torn apart.You can't get much more "checkmate" than that situation!

But the King had another move. He sends an angel to close the lions'mouths. When King Darius finds Daniel safe, he says: "I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end" (Daniel7:26).

Perhaps you feel like you are in checkmate in your life. You are indebt. You've lost your job. Your marriage is in trouble. Someone you love is dying. You have an addiction that is eating you with shame.

Whatever your situation, you have to remember that God always has another move in your life. He can get you out of whatever you're in. He raised his own Son from death! Pray to Him. His love for you is unconditional, and he never turns his back on you. You have another move.

Even if your pain keeps you from finding the words to pray, the Holy Spirit will pray for you. Paul says in Romans 8:26: "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words."

When it seems as if you can't move and your mountain you are facing is just to big and everything hurts and  you feel like giving up.....REMEMBER
 The King always has another move!

Please Pray with US

My heart is heavy today oh so very heavy. So many things that can't be said but yet I know god knows exactly what I am thinking. And he knows exactly what we need. As I sat on my bed this morning and cried (Psalm 126 verse 5 "those who sow with tears will reap songs of joy") out to the lord to please intervene and move these mountains slam dunk them into the deepest ocean there is power in his name break these chains in the name of Jesus.. Oh it felt so god. I know our lord was listening and I know he heard my cries. Friends September 15th is the day the deadline we need to meet. Our Files along with our Children's Files need to enter IBESR before September 15. We need you to pray with us. Pray that mountains will be moved and we will make this deadline. Haiti is getting ready to change a bunch of adoption laws and implement Hague (all which should be good things for Haiti and adoptions) and we aren't really sure what that all means. For our dossier to be grandfathered in under current laws we must meet this deadline. Our dossier is in Haiti and it has already been through Pre-Ibesr we are now waiting on the kids papers so we can enter. This deadline is a must! We fully believe that god can make this happen in the name of Jesus. We are taking all of this trouble that is going on and laying it at the feet of our father. Remembering that John 16:33 tells us " I have told you these things , so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! 

I have Overcome the WORLD! 

As I got done praying and crying this morning I picked up my bible and I just ask god to allow me to open it to something that would give me strength and encouragement. I opened it up to this my friends... This picture is my bible that verse is Jeremiah 17:7 and those marks are mine! On the side it says My hope is in Him/ Always... My words with his words... That was powerful that was encouraging I have my strength Always! 

 Thank you Jesus for showing me today who is really in charge of all of this! 

Everyone please please pray for us.. Ask everyone you know to pray for us. We have just found out that if we don't make this September 15th Deadline whatever relationship we have with our children as of October 1st will be terminated and will not be recognized by Haitian Social Services.. They will all go back into the system and start the new Haitian Adoption Process and be matched with a new family or families. We are begging you to please please pray! Only god can move these mountains and break these chains.