Not a fan!

I am reading Not a Fan and let me tell you it is an amazing book so far. It got me thinking. One part of the book the author Kyle talks about a guy who is leaving the church because he feels like Kyles sermons interfer with his life. And Kyles says " do you hear what he is saying? - I believe in Jesus, I'm a big fan, don't ask me to follow. I don't mind going to church on the weekends. I'll pray before meals. I'll even slap a Jesus sticker on the back of my car but i don't want Jesus to interfere with my life."

I started thinking. About adoption as usual. Hey its where my treasure is so my heart is there too :-) I was talking to someone, a Christian, about our adoption and the look this person gave me was of disgust and disappointment. I was angry, hurt and disappointed. My eyes were open to the plight of the orphan years ago and since then we have left our family in God's hands. I didn't wake up one morning and say "we should totally have 10 kids most of which special needs! That will not only get me attention but also notority."
No! What happened was a few years ago Paul and I simply said "yes Lord. I will go."

We decided we were not content anymore simply being fans of Jesus we wanted to follow Him wholly and completely. Everyday I pray that I would not just be a fan. I pray that my life would be a living testimony to the love, forgiveness and grace our Jesus Christ. I pray that everyday I live so that people will forget me and only remember Jesus. I fail daily. But I keep praying and I keep trying.

I was thinking about what God is doing in this stage of our life. Far more than I am allowed to blog about right now. More and more people think I am crazy. Somedays I believe it. Somedays doubt creeps in and I think they are right, how can I handle, afford, love, take care of all these children. Those days are usually come after talking with well meaning people who disagree with my lifestyle and want to make that known. Bless their hearts.

When that happens my friends voice comes in and reminds me that Jesus did not come so I can have starbucks and have it more abundantly. This not a fan book ask a very good question, do I carry my cross daily? Have I suffered in the name of Jesus? Am I a fan or a follower? My honest answer is I feel like I have not suffered or carry my cross. Today I pray I will.

So when people come in and call me crazy and put me down or tell me my children are suffering because of my lifestyle I will chose to remember I am not of this world. I did not come to be a fan and cheer when life is good and find a new team when I'm on a losing streak. I did not come to have starbucks and have it more abundantly. Jesus died for me to live and I need to make that mean something.

Matthew 18:5 says And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

Also

Matthew 25

I tell you the truth my brothers whatever you did not do to the least of these you did not do to me.

I am not a fan of Jesus....are you?

Be blessed

Yard Sale Picture

Half of the yard sale

Other half of the yard sale

The garage was full too.

We raised over 900.00 that will go towards USCIS. Still need a little more to cover all USCIS so if you feel so inclined please donate on our blog. I think we are at 1275 and we need 1500.

Be blessed

Whatever it takes

This week we are in Pa spending some time with friends and family. Yesterday we went to our old church. It was very nice. They had a guest speaker who is a missionary in Africa. His wife has a foundation that helps people with HIV/AIDS.  The speaker talked about being a neighbor.

He told the story of the good  Samaritan .  You know the one, there was a priest, a Levite and a  Samaritan ....no this isnt the opening of a joke. So the priest who obviously loves God cause hes a priest walks down the road and sees a beaten up guy on the side of the road. So he does what any good priest would do he crosses the road and avoids eye contact probably walking faster and faster to get past that asap. Then there was a Levite. Apparently they were known for loving God too. So what did he do? He walked by pretending not to see. Then there was this heathen, I mean Samaritan. Nobody thought they loved God. What did the Samaritan do? Walk past? Nope. They stopped. They helped. They walked back to the trunk of their donkey and looked for things that could help this person. Wine, oil and I forget what else. So the Samaritan picked up the dude and puts him on the donkey and walks beside the donkey into town. He finds an inn, this time there was vacancy not like when Jesus was born. So the Samaritan has to go about his business but still wants to make sure this beat up guy gets helped. He doesnt pass the buck. He pays the innkeeper to watch him for a few days and then he will return and take care of him. So why did the story have a Levite, a priest and a Samaritan? The guest speaker said it was because people would automatically think that the first two would help and the 3rd would not. So we learn not to judge a book by its cover and to be a neighbor.

So back to the speaker.....

He said the way to show God love is to do things for others. God has everything He could ever need or want. We need to be a neighbor, we need to fill a need, we need to be His hands and feet. Yes and Amens were coming from around the church. I wonder though how many really meant them? If the church called you and said we have this 5 year old here with HIV that needs a mom and dad what would you do? Would you advocate? Would you take on that responsibility yourself? Would you financially support someone who would take on the role of helping this child?

Some of you may say "well maybe if the child didnt have HIV because we have to protect our 'real' kids" I would strongly urge you to get educated on the real facts about HIV and how it is transmitted.

So let me change it up a bit....

Church calls...we have this 10 year old girl that needs a family. She has no real health issues and we know you have a spare room and the money to raise another child. What would you do?

When we refuse to care for the least of these we refuse to entertain angels. We refuse to care for Jesus. I thank God that He didnt send His one and only son to die for me so I can have starbucks and have it more abundantly (a friend told me that once and I will never forget it.) This life isnt meant to be all peaches and cream. Where are our crosses we are suppose to pick up daily and carry? The cross shouldnt be all the credit card bills we have that we used to pay for all that stuff to keep up with the Jones'.

So today is memorial day. We honor people who have fought the good fight and have died so we may live. Let's not waste that on starbucks. I urge you to get out there and Be a neighbor. Visit a widow, feed a homeless person, bring a shut in a plate of food, donate to someones adoption, smile at someone, sponsor a child, give a single mom a break, buy someones groceries, pay for someones coffee. Just go do something for someone else. It will make you feel fantastic. Live simply so others may simply live.

How much do you love God? Do you love Him enough to step out and do something for someone who can't repay you?

Be blessed

Missing my boys

How is it possible to miss someone you have never met?

How can you love someone with all your heart that you have only seen a photo of?

Today I am missing my boys. My life is good, my heart is full. I have 5 other beautiful healthy wonderful children, yet I yearn to go half a world away to be with 2. There is an ache in my heart. A very real ache. I want to hold my boys. I want to blow bubbles with them and read them stories. I want to show them their photo albums that we made for them. I want to kiss their heads and tell them they are wanted, they are chosen, they are loved. I want them never to feel scared or alone. I want to wipe Misha's brow and tell him not to worry so much everything will be ok...soon.

Oh how I miss my boys. It is like my body knows that something is missing. My body knows they are my sons and they are not here.

Yesterday I found out that 4-5 weeks after our dossier is submitted we travel. I could see my boys in July or August! Are you kidding me?! That just amazes me. I still have the sting of what happened to us with the horrible american agency Kids to Adopt during our Russian process. Losing that child and being fed lie after lie and having our money stolen by KTA and then the way they acted. It was all so horrible. Part of me is waiting for the other shoe to drop here, but then the bigger part of me knows this is God and He's got this. I have such peace about this adoption. Such joy and excitement.

We are praying so hard to have our boys home by the end of the year. It would be a God thing for sure if we could make that time frame. The kids want their brothers home with them now. They would be so thrilled to get brothers for Christmas. Please agree in prayer that God bring our boys home by the end of the year. Also that the money would come.

I was talking with a friend last night and said we havent gotten donations in over a month. I told her I wasnt really worried about that though because I knew God would bring the money when we needed it. If its God's will it's God's bill.  I feel so honored and blessed that God has chosen us to be on this journey. People tell us all the time, "Oh God bless you for what you are doing. You are so great, so amazing." The truth is I am selfish. When God called us to adopt a special needs infant that we were told would be a vegetable at best and at worse die very early we said Yes God we will go. That turned out to be such a huge blessing in our lives and on our family we want that again. Our children are the amazing ones and I am selfish because I want that blessing in my life again.

If you are thinking about adoption or have any questions about domestic or international special needs adoption feel free to ask. I am an open book. If we can do it y'all can too! It isnt some nice thing we are doing, it is a command from God to care for the widows, orphans and fatherless. That doesnt always come in the way of adoption, but you certainly can support a child or widow. There are many ways to help. You can pray. You should pray :) You can financially help those adopting. You can sponsor a child through World Vision http://www.worldvision.org/ or Compassion International. http://www.compassion.com/ or Ten for Orphans http://www.tenfororphans.org/ . I will tell you that the difference you can make in the life of a child is amazing. We have 4 sponsored children through Compassion and some of them too little to write so their mums do. I got a letter from a mother who was so grateful for us she prayed daily for the Lord to bless us. Just a little goes such a long way. Just that monthly gift of 38.00 goes so far in their countries. It amazes and humbles me.

Check out this really awesome book http://www.amazon.com/Fields-Fatherless-Discover-Compassionate-Living/dp/0781448476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337949929&sr=8-1 Fields of the fatherless. Or NOt a Fan http://www.amazon.com/Not-Fan-Becoming-Completely-Committed/dp/0310331935/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337949957&sr=1-1 or The blessed Life http://www.amazon.com/The-Blessed-Life-Achieving-Guaranteed/dp/0830736352/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337949976&sr=1-1

Church we need to rise up. If we are shouting PRO LIFE from the roof tops we better be willing to take help the mothers and children after they are born. If you see a need fill it, if you have an empty chair fill it. God will bless you for it. People tell me all the time reasons why they can't give or tithe. We need to be giving reasons why we can't NOT give or tithe. Jesus came to give us life. He came for the least of these. He ask us to go into all the world...ALL the world. How proud would our Papa be of us?  Remember Matthew 6:26-34
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

      34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

Also remember we still have our Buy Your Birthday Giveaway going on. When the calendar is full we will have a drawing for some pretty cool prizes!! http://continuingourjourney.blogspot.com/2012/04/buy-your-birthday.html


Be blessed...I know I sure am!

Meeting Mercy Me

Tonight we had the pleasure of meeting the guys from the band Mercy Me. I love this band. The other day they were on KLTY (a totally awesome radio station here in Texas) and they sang their song The Hurt and the Healer. It was the best I have ever heard it sung. Take a listen



One of the guys said "You are out numbered!" I told him we had a few more coming by the end of the year.  Then Mike Scheuchzer of Mercy Me told us that he adopted from Kazakhstan. His little girl was 8 months old and 13 pounds which he said wasnt that bad, but still she was under fed and under loved. Then he said something that just shocked both Paul and I. He took a pic of the card we pass out for the boys and said "I'm gonna tweet this and try and get y'all support."  WOW! God is so good!

Then we went over to see John Hudson from KLTY and started talking about our adoption and gave him a card. He was awesome too! He ask us if he could take a pic with us because we were so amazing. Amazing? Ha! We are just sinners saved by grace like everyone else.  We took a pic with him and he said he wanted to put it on facebook. We talked about the place our boys are and the severe need there. I told John that we were waiting on our FBI prints to come back and then we would be ready to send our dossier. Surprise again, he tells us he may be able to help because he somehow worked with the FBI or something. So Yay God moment!!

We left there feeling so amazing! So up-lifted! Proverbs 15:4 Kind words are good medicine but deceitful words can really hurt. CEV

So where are we at in the process? For those of you just tuning in. We are completely our dossier now. We are adopting 2 boys from Bu*garia. Judah is 10 and weighs 25 pounds and Misha is 4 and weighs 18 pounds. Things in their baby house are not good at all. We are praying to bring them home by the end of the year at the latest.

How can you help?

First and foremost pray. Pray for our boys. Pray for health and safety. Pray that someone over there loves them and shows them love.

Pray that we can bring home our boys by the end of the year. Pray that the FBI prints come back ASAP.

Funding. If you look over ---------> there(ish) on the side bar of the blog there are several ways to donate. You can make a tax deductible donation to the Reece's Rainbow organization for our boys.
You can also donate directly to us so that we can pay for adoption related expenses.

We need 225.00 more to completely pay for the USCIS process. We need to do that this week.

We estimate 25,000 to complete this adoption from start to finish. We still need 13,304 to be fully funded. What is awesome is that on the side bar you can see the expenses as they come up and that really cool 4 letter word beside it PAID when it gets paid. God has brought in over 11,000. He's got this!

If you want to support us plus raise awareness for orphans we have some really cool shirts you can buy and a portion of the money made goes to us. http://www.cafepress.com/beckfamily143  Check out that link.

In the near future we will putting together a spaghetti dinner.

Thank you all so much for all of your support. I pray that God richly blesses every single one of you that support us in prayer and financially.

Please help us bring them home.

Be blessed

URGENT PRAYER NEEDED

Please pray for my friend and her family this is what she writes : 




all onco families know what I am talking about when you know in your gut the day after MRI when you hear your oncologists voice on the other end of the phone. We got the call today from Doc Taylor. Aunnah's MRI grew slightly again and they reported that her brain was larger than her skull..not sure what that means but he assured me that he is not worried right now too much about Aunnah's report but then the but came in. He said Michaela's MRI showed quite a bit of growth and more enhancement of the brain stem tumor. He is very concerned with the findings on this MRI. He and all the others are going to make calls and regroup. They think it's time to bring in radiation and/or chemo..they are also calling in the neuro surgeons on this too but he feels they will not want to even touch it cause where this tumor is...it's so deep within the brain. He said to give them a few days and then we will know more of what the treatments are going to be. So again our lives are in the air. It was a rough time when I got off of the phone. Lots of tears...I feel like I just got a blow in the gut. Michaela said on the way home yesterday that she did not feel good about this MRI..she knows her body and how she has been feeing lately. I feel like our family is in such chaos but again we will put our trust and faith in God to see us through yet another type of treatment. She's already had 11 different chemos. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support...we sure will need them even more within the future. - Andrea Lynn Nagel ♥ 


Be blessed

Just keep praying!

Just keep swimming praying Just keep praying Just keep praying!

Prayers seem to be working for the FBI prints! Yesterday I called the FBI and a woman answered and was very short with me and uncaring. Today I called back. A man answered. I explained our country would be closing for a summer break for several months and if there was anyway to get the prints back sooner I sure would appreciate it.  He said he couldnt make any guarantees but he would go to his supervisor and try and get the ball rolling. HE took down all our info. How wonderful! He was a delight to talk with to. God is doing great things here.

In other news we found out first draft of the homestudy was approved so all we need now is to do the i800a and then we can do the rest of the dossier. Things are moving.

Prayer requests

1- Health and safety of Misha and Judah

2- FBI prints ASAP

3- Our CW daughter is having brain surgery pray for her and her family.

4-That our boys would be home by the end of the year.

Be blessed