What a week... What an awesome God!

This week has been full of wonderful things! So many wonderful things, that Paul & I are actually exhausted. I guess we should get ready for more exhausting weeks ahead of us in preparation for little Eli :) We have just recently found out that Eli weighs 14lbs and is 25in long. We love learning new things about him! He is also now on formula. Even though he didn't take to it at first, he's doing great now. 

Annie Agarwal posted our pictures from our photo shoot this week. We love her! We love the photos! And we can't wait for our family pictures to include Eli! Check out her blog and the photos by clicking here. 

Friday we had a shower at the Albritton's home. We were showered with love and many, many wonderful gifts! But our favorite part was getting to see all our friends and share photos of Eli with them.

On Saturday we had a shower at our church. Our church family is so important to us and we know will be a very important place of worship for Eli as well. 

The shirts are coming to an end. We will be placing our final order on Thursday, September 5th. So if you haven't ordered your's yet... do so soon by emailing us with your shirt size & quantity. Remember that every $ we raise will help bring Daniel home to his parents, Shawn & Melissa. 

Lastly, we have prayer magnets. If you didn't pick one up at either of the showers and would like to have one sent to you, please let us know by texting, fb, emailing, with your address and we will see that you get one. It's a great way to just remember to pray for Eli as he waits for us. 

Eli is growing - PRAISE THE LORD!

We received some updates today... Eli is growing and getting so big. So are the boys (Ben & Chase). Thank you all for your prayers. 

We are sending out a package in the next few days. This package will include our affidavits (which they need in order to schedule our court date) and it will also have a book that I've recorded and read to him. Along with a photo album of our family. And I just might try to stuff an outfit in there as well, so that we have an idea of his size. 

What we can tell right now is that he probably is no longer in size 1 diapers and could possibly be wearing 6-9 month outfits (just a guess). 

We have several more pictures and he smiles in so many of them. For this momma, that does my heart good. 

Thank you all for continuing to pray for him and the boys in the foster home. Remember the ladies in your prayers as well, as they are the ones looking after our little ones right now. They are such a blessing to have. 

We hope to have more updates soon (maybe even a court date). 

Namanya Shirts $15

Don't forget that we are still selling the Namanya Shirts for $15. The Trivette's (Ben's parents) received the profit from the first order and now the Goggin's (they have baby Daniel, who is in another orphanage in Uganda) will receive the profit from the 2nd shirt order. Email me the sizes you want by Sep 1st or if you are coming to any of our adoption showers you can order then as well. 

September 4th - Sharing about our Adoption Journey

I'd also like to personally invite you all to join us on September 4th at Oak Grove Baptist Church at 5:30pm. We'll have dinner at 5:30pm and then service at 6:30pm. Paul & I will be sharing about our adoption, why Uganda and also showing a short film from World Vision that gives a better understanding of why so many children are abandon and left as Orphans. Hope you can join us!

Namanya Shirts are everywhere!

The Namanya shirts were a huge hit! Thank you everyone for your orders. We will be announcing on Sunday the amount that was raised from our first order and introduce to you the Trivette's.

Here are some of the pictures that have come in of others wearing their shirts. Don't forget... if asked about your shirts... take the time to share about adoption with your friends & family.

If you have a shirt and want to send in your picture, please do so by Friday evening so we can include your picture with the Trivette's card.

If you didn't get a chance to order your shirt this past time, we are placing another order on September 1st. The cost is $15 per shirt (including toddler & onesies). Email your orders to: McJad_99@hotmail.com

Eli's Updates

It's been a few weeks now since we found out that we were matched with Eli. Just looking at the few pictures that we have of him has caused us to fall even more in love. 

Many of you have been asking when we will leave, have we received any updates, etc. So here's a few answers to your questions. 

1. When will we be leaving? We have been told that we will leave sometime in September or October. However, the way this process works... when we get "the call" we will need to leave within 7-10 days for Uganda. This is not much notice, so our "goal" is to be as ready as we can be by September 1st. 

2. Have we received any updates? We've been told not to expect any additional updates before we leave. If we do, it will be a complete surprise & blessing! 

(Pictures can only be seen through our Email Distribution list. If you did not receive an email today, you are probably not on our email distribution list. If you would like to be added for future updates & pictures, please email us at mcjad_99@hotmail.com and in the subject line put Eli's Updates. If we have accidentally left you off the list, we apologize and please just resend an email. Thanks) 

3. How old is Eli? Because Eli was found abandoned in the forest, his birth date and his current age is really unknown. The doctors and caregivers have guessed that he is around 5/6 months. 

4. Who are Baby Mace, Chase, & Ben? During the adoption process, many families meet other adopting families. We have been very blessed to have known some that have already gone before us like The Graham's who adopted Baby Mace (originally from Hardee County who now live in Parrish). We have also been blessed to meet (virtually) 2 other families that will be going around the same time as us to Uganda. The Trivette's are adopting Baby Ben (we will be meeting them on Saturday and all the t-shirt $ has been raised for their adoption) and the Deckard's are adopting Baby Chase. I introduce these 3 families to you by their names, because you will most likely be hearing more about them all throughout this journey. So other than getting to know them, what's so special about these "random" people you may say... Mace, Ben, Chase & Eli are all from the same orphanage. They will forever have a bond and our families will forever be connected because of this reason. I will be asking throughout this journey to keep these families in your prayers and I'd like for you to be praying for them by name. Deal?!  

I'd also like to personally invite you all to join us on September 4th at Oak Grove Baptist Church at 5:30pm. We'll have dinner at 5:30pm and then service at 6:30pm. Paul & I will be sharing about our adoption, why Uganda and also showing a short film from World Vision that gives a better understanding of why so many children are abandon and left as Orphans. Hope you can join us! 

We have 2 baby showers coming up in August. We are so blessed to have a church family (not just Oak Grove) but an extended church family as well, Brothers & Sisters in Christ, that are so gracious to help us out with preparing for Eli's arrival. I'm overwhelmed with love and joy for each and everyone of you that have either purchased an adoption shirt, given financially, prayed, shared our story with someone else, or planning to attend one of the showers.

Every time I look at Eli's picture I think to myself, "Thank you Jesus for all your many blessings in my life and for never leaving me or forsaking me and for looking out for Eli, even when he was all alone." I'm reminded so often that any one of us could have been left to starve & die in a forest, but God's mercy, love & grace is everlasting and always enough! 

More updates to come...

A library for Eli

Can't wait to start adding to Eli's book collection. Here are some recommended books for fostering & adopting families. 

A Blessing from Above, Patti Henderson 

A is for Adopted, Eileen Tucker Cosby

A Mother for Choco, Keiko Kasza

Adoption is for Always, Linda Walvoord Girard

Adoption Stories for Young Children, Randall B. Hicks

All Kinds of Children, Norma Simon

Child of Destiny: Matthew Was Adopted, Phoebe Dawson

Come Along Daisy, Jane Simmons

Daisy and the Egg, Jane Simmons 

Family Day: Celebrating Ethan’s Adoption Anniversary, Christine Mitchell

Families are Forever, Craig Shemin

Families Change (A book for children experiencing termination of parental rights) – Julie Nelson

God Found Us You, Lisa Tawn Bergren

I Don’t Have Your Eyes, Carrie A. Kitze

I Wished for You, Marianne Richmond

It’s OK to Be Different, Todd Parr

Little Miss Spider, David Kirk

Love You Forever, Robert Munsch

Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care, Jennifer Wilgocki

Murphy’s Three Homes (A Story for Children in Foster Care), Jan Levinson Gilman

My Adopted Child, There’s No One Like You, Kevin Leman

My Special Family: A Children’s Book About Open Adoption, Kathleen Silber and Debra Marks Parelskin

Over the Moon, Karen Katz

Rosie’s Family, Lori Rosove

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born, Jamie Lee Curtis

The Day We Met You, Phoebe Koehler

The Mulberry Bird (Revised Edition), Anne Brodzinsky

The Skin You Live In, Michael Tyler

The Star (A Story to Help Young Children Understand Foster Care), Cynthia Miller Lovell

The Whole Me, Ellen K. Baron

The Wonderful Ways Babies Are Made, Larry Christenson

Twice Upon A Time, Eleanora Patterson

Shaoey and Dot: Bug Meets Bundle, Mary Beth and Stephen Curtis Chapman

We Wanted You, Liz Rosenberg and Peter Catalanotto

Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Beyond, Christine Mitchell

We’re Different, We’re the Same, Bobbi Jane Kates

When You Were Born in Korea, Brian Boyd

Give Hope. Buy a shirt!

It's hard to imagine my child lying in a forest, crying, hungry and no one there to care for him. But when I heard what Eli's middle name meant, I realized that he was never alone in that forest. Namanya means "God Knows." This was the name that was given to Eli and will also end up being his middle name. 

So often we find ourselves in situations where we feel all alone. Whether it be through trials & tribulations, disasters, tragedies, the loss of a loved one or the pain of a broken relationship... our cries seem to be unheard. While our feelings and emotions seem to keep us discouraged, scripture tells us the exact opposite. 

John 14:18 - "No, I will not abandon you as orphans - I will come to you."

Psalm 18:2 - The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.  

Jeremiah 1:5 - "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." 

Joshua 1:9 - "Be strong & courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." 

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

I've decided to use Jeremiah 29:11 for our shirts because it speaks volumes to me about Eli. When he was lying in the forest, all alone, crying, hungry, and desperate for someone to care for him and love him, not only did God Know but he also had a plan for his life. He sent a lady to rescue him, and another group of ladies to care for him at the orphanage, and yet another group of ladies to nurture him at the foster home, another lady with our agency to interceded and make sure he was placed in the right home (thanks Sharon). He called a family to love & raise him (yay, us :). He has provided an entire community that will embrace and love him right here in Hardee County that will continue to teach him all about God's love.

We've been extremely blessed and at no point during this process have we had to raise any funds for our adoption. However, we have recently met other families that are still in the process of raising funds for their adoption, some which will be adopting from the same orphanage as us. There is also a huge need at the orphanage that Eli came from and we want to be a blessing to them as well. 

SHIRT DETAILS:
The tree represents the forest that Eli was found in. 
Namanya means - God Knows 
Jeremiah 29:11 - Reminds me that God isn't finished with Eli's story yet! 

For each shirt purchased $7 will directly go towards one of the following:

• Another families adoption
• Eli's orphanage (needs that they may have) 
• Eli's foster home

HOW TO ORDER:

I'll be placing the first order of shirts on Tuesday, July 23rd (in 1 week). Email me (mcjad_99@hotmail.com) your request or message me on Facebook. 

Adoption Journey FAQ

With so much excitement we are getting ready for our journey to Uganda to bring Elijah Namanya home to Hardee County.

All adoptions are different, whether it be the process, the time frame, or guidelines and restrictions. So we'd like to share with you all a few FAQ:

How can I see pictures of Eli? 
While some agencies do allow for pictures to be shared once approved, our agency & adoption process does not allow for photos to be shared on social medias or blogs until returning home from Uganda. However, we have started putting together our email distribution list which will include photos. In order to be added to this list, please send an email to mcjad_99@hotmail.com with "Eli" as the subject. If you are not personally know to our family, please be sure to include your interest or connection to our adoption story.

When do you leave? 
We don't know exactly but the estimated time frame is Sept/Oct 2013.

How long will you be gone? 
Our adoption journey will take approximately 6 weeks (possibly a little longer). Please pray that all goes smoothly.

How can I keep up with your journey while you are in Uganda?

We will be posting on the blog as much as possible www.justpilgrimspassingthrough.blogspot.com (the blog will not include any photos of Eli) and we will also have an email distribution list (please see above on how to be added to this list). 

How can I give financially towards your adoption?

We praise God and are so blessed to have our entire adoption fully funded. However, there is a family (The Deckard's) that is currently raising money for the following:

1. Giving to other families who wish to adopt
2. Giving to the baby's home our son is currently in, and/or 
3. Bringing clean water (wells) to the region of Uganda that Eli is from.

For every $10 raised Soapbox Soap will donate a bar of soap to the orphanage Eli is from. 

Check it all out at https://www.purecharity.com/adoptchase

If I want to buy something for Eli, where should I go?

We plan to have a registry at Target, Wal-Mart, and Jellybeans. We hope to have the registries complete by August 1st. 

How can I pray specifically for your family & Eli's adoption?

1. Pray for Eli & the ladies at his foster home 

2. Pray for Eli's health: that he will gain weight & will fully recover from his malnourishment   

3. Pray for Eli's biological mother & father, wherever they may be

4. Pray for our adoption and that the rest of our journey will go smoothly

5. Pray for the other children in the foster home & in the orphanage waiting for their forever families

How can I be involved in Adoption or Foster care? 

If you have ever considered adopting or fostering, we'd like to encourage you to continue to pray about doing so. There are so many children both locally & globally that are in desperate need of a loving, forever family. Although adoption & fostering are not for everyone, we strongly believe that God has called each and every Believer to do something! "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27. 

Here's a list of a few agencies and organizations that are involved in carrying out James 1:27 

• Florida Home Studies & Adoption Inc
• Florida Baptist Children's Homes
• 111 Project
• Heartland for Children 
• Meals FOR More