Trip Video - 10 Kids

Get to know the kids of Kechene, 
and consider being a part of their story this Christmas via: 

DONATION:  http://bit.ly/UIf4Cm
 or 
SPONSORSHIP:  http://bit.ly/RWutHT

Many thanks to the sponsor families from my
10Kids and 10 for 10 projects
who made this miracle possible.



Ready to BE a child advocate?


You can join the ranks of my
10 for 10 bloggers today by emailing me directly at MRoepnack@gmail.com

Visit HopeChest today to learn
more about what they do. 



-Missy

Moses and Miriam

It's time to tell the story... 

Once, there was a girl.  She was broken, and she was a rebel. She was starving on so many levels.


Then, she met a lost boy.  The boy was strong and brave, but he was also a rebel.  When he met the girl, he clung to her and promised never to let go.  They were lost together. 


They were shuffled from place to place, but it was just more of the same. 

They always ended up back in the dirt. 

Then one day, a father came for them. 

The father offered them full biological hereditary rights to his family inheritence.

The boy and girl accepted this offer,

and together they joined a new Family. 

They were irreversibly claimed;

adopted into Grace.

And so it begins.

The girl became a mother; the boy, a father. 

Soon after, the girl's new Father reminded her of a promise she had carried within her heart since she was a little girl; that someday,

she would be a mother to the lost.

She prayed that God would share

this promise with the boy. 

He did.

They joined together to search the world

for the single child that was promised to them, 

offering up any questions and fears to God alone. 

Within days, God offered up not one,

but two of His children to be placed into their family...

One starving little girl...

And one lost boy.

The mother washed them off and clothed them.  The father claimed them into his family, and he offered them full biological hereditary rights to his family inheritence.

The mother and father prayed for

mercy and healing for their new children... 

And they were adopted into Grace.

God answers prayers,

and He hears a mother's heart.

There were great risks involved,

penalties to pay, and

great distances to travel. 

But in the end,

the price would be paid,

and the children would be

forever claimed. 

And so it would seem the story has come to an end.

But life lived as God's own children is the greatest adventure of all,

and our story has only just begun.

It is our honor and privilege to introduce to you the newest members of our growing family.

Meet our son...

Moses Obsa

²⁰ "At this time Moses was born;

and he was beautiful in God's sight..."

-Acts 7:20

And our daughter...

Miriam Saliya

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.

²¹ And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the LORD,

for he has triumphed gloriously...”

-Exodus 15:20

Yes, He has triumphed gloriously.

Please pray for our family as we wait to be reunited.  We ask for prayers for a quick embassy date, at which time we may return to Ethiopia and bring our children home forever.  The estimated wait is 2-6+ months.  We are asking simply for God's perfect timing.

Please pray for strength, courage, continued healing, and faith for all of the members of our family as we wait in faith for our babies...

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.  Your prayers have lifted and sustained our family.

The Suprise of a Lifetime

I was not supposed to know about this. 

But on my way out the door to Ethiopia, I found out that 2 women I have never met had secretly stayed up late into the night preparing the suprise of a lifetime for my family:

http://give1save1.com/2012/01/02/new-year-new-family/

A few weeks ago, Beth from give1save1.com invited us to be featured on her website that raises money for adoptive families.  Her website gives families one week on the blog, and every penny donated goes to the feature family. 

God pulled on my heart that there was another family that needed this opportunity more than we did, so I directed her to my dear friend Chrissy, the mother of 7 who is currently adopting a sibling set of 5.  

What did Chrissy do with that opportunity?  She gave it back to me. 
She did this.  She stayed up late painting this beautiful picture of our family by video, and submitting us to give1save1. 

I have never met Chrissy.

I will meet her next week, on the other side of the world, as we stand together in court to claim our children.

Let me tell you something.  If you are considering adoption, and feel like you might not have enough support, enough money, enough time, enough strength...God fills in those gaps. 

He forces you to rely on Him alone.  He uses people you have never met, friends old and new, and He showers His blessings upon those who follow the call.  Paul and I witness this every single day, even on the tough days when you think you won't make it. 

He healed these babies who were starving to death.

He is the strength of our life.

So for those of you who feel called to be a Father to the Fatherless...take the plunge.  

Look at what God is doing!  

I'm going over there to show you what can be done through Christ alone, without any help from us.

And to show you what God can do with a germaphobic, broken, fearful woman who hands it all over to Christ and finally gives in to the great big love of a God who never stops loving us.

To show you that 

 He heals broken hearts and crippled souls in an instant. 

There is no strength, no courage, no resources within our own human souls that make us capable of doing anything close to what we can do when we repent and turn to Him. 

I'll see you on the other side!

Thank you, Jensen Family.