28 April 2014

Never say never

It's become time to let you all know the news!  The blessings from the Lord have not ceased since we went last year and we are close to being able to take Liam for another stem cell treatment in the Dominican Republic!

It is just over one year from when we went before and I never thought we'd go again. It is sooo expensive. Like, we could adopt a child, expensive. I figured it was a one time shot and that would be that. But as I've seen time and time again, God lays a foundation in my life that he builds on and I stand in awe as his power is made gorgeous in my weakness.

After coming home last year Shawn and I received a very large donation for our stem cell trip. When we contacted the family that gave it to us and told them we had already gone on the stem cell trip, they told us to keep it and use it for Liam for his future. So that's what we did. The money was put into Liam's savings and it has sat there all this time. We then got several more random donations this past year and have watched Liam's account blossom into what looked like another payment on a stem cell procedure. Out of the total cost needed, we are almost 75% of the way there!! It's crazy to be so close when we haven't had to try!

I was thinking about how close we are and the timeline of when we'd like to take Liam again. If it all worked out it would be great to be able to go at the beginning of the school year when therapies start anew and the school year is beginning so we could see how his progress goes within that timeline. With that thought in mind I was wondering how to get to our goal before then. How can we get the rest of the money before the end of September?

We have done some fundraising in the past and the last time we went for stem cells I bought 50 tees with 
the new blue color but the same Limitless design as when we did for our HBOT treatments years ago. Because the money literally just flowed in last year, we didn't have to try to sell the tees. We were blessed beyond measure with exactly what we needed and so the box of tees has been sitting in my garage ever since I got them.

What to do with them? Maybe this time, with the end so near, we can try to sell them. If we sold all of them at $20 each we would be 80% of the way there! :) And that is so very close to the final goal needed!

 So, as a special needs mom and an advocate for a little man with no voice, I am once again, swallowing all pride, stepping out of my comfort zone, and sincerely, humbly asking you if you'd like to help out our sweet boy and get him stem cell treatment one more time. Friends, family of friends, friends of friends, strangers, and everyone in between, we'd be so grateful if you'd like to pitch in. It's no lie when we say every little bit helps.


Liam has his own paypal account where you can donate. The monies put there go directly to him. We have tees in small, medium, and large. The smalls usually go quickest. Aidan and Ian are wearing mediums in the photo above.



 

 


Thanks for following with us and watching how God continues to work in the life of our little boy.

Our hope is in the Lord where we can soar on wings of eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.
post signature

21 April 2014

Have I told you I'm going to Belarus?

I always tell my kids that if they ever have anyone question them about God's existence, they need only to speak with me for a time and I could surely show them how real He is in my life. Whether they choose to follow Him or not is their choice, but God is clearly alive and working in me.

Too many stories, too many coincidences, too many unspoken answered requests for me to ever deny that my savior lives and is actively involved in my life.

Here's a perfect example.

Last year when my two oldest kids were heading off to their mission trip in Costa Rica, I told Shawn that I wanted to go with them the next year because they work with kids in the orphanages when they go and my heart has always desired to come along side orphans and work/help in some way.  We were also sending out a team at the same time to Belarus to help run a VBS for special needs kids and their families. Both teams were there that day, being prayed over before they all headed out.  Shawn asked me why wouldn't I want to go do the Belarus thing instead since I am heavily involved in the special needs area with my church and with my own son. He thought it would be a better fit. I told him that it wasn't my thing. I am already actively involved in working with special needs kids through our church, my community, and in my own family. I didn't need to travel around the world to do more of it.

Three days later, I was driving Liam to therapy, praying over my kids and their team in Costa Rica, asking God to allow the kids to see him in a new, tangible way and praying for their safety when my prayers were interrupted and I heard, "You're going to Belarus next year."

Excuse me?

Whaaaaaaaaat??

You have to understand, I had NO desire to go to Belarus. None. It hadn't ever crossed my mind and only because Shawn asked me about it had I ever even discussed it. This was not for me. It wasn't my thing. I didn't want to go.

Yet here I am in prayer over my children when a word from the Lord comes through loud and clear, completely seperate from my prayer content, and what seemed to be for me, from way out in left field. It was bizarre.

At first I wasn't sure it just wasn't my crazy brain thinking it all on it's own, but when I realized that I wasn't even praying over Belarus and the team and that I didn't even desire to go there, I knew this was absolutely a word from God. I got the chills. I didn't say anything to anyone.

Then the team got back two weeks later.

One of the members got off the plane, went home, and immediately called me. He says to me, "You're going to Belarus next year."

UH, Whaaaat?

I was floored. If he could have seen my face right then, I was just shocked.  I threw up excuses....it's too expensive, I just don't know, it's too expensive, I'd have to think about it.  And then he said, "No, really, you are going next year. God already told me." And I'm thinking, yeah, he told me that too buddy.

I didn't tell him right then what I had heard God clearly say to me in prayer. I kept it quiet until I saw his wife, and still in a stage of unbelief, I shared with her what had happened. I told her the whole story. She said that it was confirmed to me three different times over three weeks. Pretty hard to dispute that I shouldn't go.

And God has had my back every step of the way. All of the money needed to get my team over to Belarus has been paid for. He has worked out all the plans and everything is going perfectly for our team to live courageously, answering God's call, and work with special needs families and their children.

I do appreciate your prayers for us as we go. We don't go until the end of July but things are a mess in Ukraine, which is right below Belarus, so we pray for continued peace in Belarus because the town we are in will be right on the Russian border. I don't like flying that much so prayer for me as I travel without Shawn who normally keeps me sane in the plane and of course prayer for safe travels and lives touched and changed.  <3 p="">
We will be flying into Minsk and then on to the city of Orsha.



How amazing is our God? I freely admit, I had no desire to go, but God has seen fit to send me and I couldn't be anymore excited. I know this trip is for his glory and is serving a huge purpose not only in my life but in the lives of all those who will hear the story. Because I am proof that our God is a living, active father who speaks and only asks us to listen and say yes.