Paraguay or Bust! (And an adoption update)

First, our computer is stinky, stinky, STINKY....so this will be short. It keeps freezing and then I have to click into another window (every several seconds) to get it to unfreeze....and then it does it again--over, and over and OVER!!!! This has been the case for several months, so posting (and checking e-mail and surfing the net and checking friends' blogs) turns into a maddening instead of joyful experience. All that to say this post will probably be short.

Okay, enough complaining. I leave for Paraguay in just about 48 hours. Many of you not in our geographical community may not be aware of this wonderful opportunity, because I'm not sure I blogged about it (?) You see, my sister is a missionary there and has one year of a three year term to go. Our old church (where Karl was a youth pastor for 7 years and my parents still attend) is doing a mission trip there and Mom and Dad were going. Well, about six months ago, they said that if Karl and I were interested, Dad would back out of the trip and I could go in his place....with them covering almost ALL the expenses and Dad and Karl could work together to watch the boys. I KNOW, I KNOW, you can't believe I haven't blogged about it before. So, I leave for 16 days Thursday morning. AHHHH!!! I'm a little crazy. Adam and I are basically in charge of putting together 6 (or 7?) sets of worship. But these are not typical "American" sets. These are like hard-core 8 songs a pop sets. More AHHHH!!!! And then, we've been working so hard on this YWAM drama as a team, that Adam and I have NOT spent enough time putting things together and are working our tails off this week to get things in at least some semblance of order. THEN, I, who am not a dancer by training, am doing an interpretive dance to "How Beautiful" that I did once before at our old church about 3 years ago. I still have a lot of work to do, let's just say. The good news is that God is in control, that I know so much of this will all float away when I get on the plane, and that God's strength is made perfect in my weakness, right? That is what I will cling to! I really am so very, VERY excited about how I have seen God's hand already, it's just these last 36 hours that have me a little hairy (not to mention that I'm trying to spend quality time with my three precious boys because I will miss them so very much!) SO......if you can, please keep our team in your prayers July 3-July 14 (the 19th for Mom and me as we get to stay a little longer to be with my precious sis) and even more for all the SIM missionaries that will be coming together for this retreat that we're helping to lead: that the Holy Spirit would empower them and fill them and be so real to them that they are able to return to their respective fields with a new passion and drive for ministry...and a new understanding of just how much God loves them. (Oh, and please pray for all the "boys" back home in Indiana, too!)

For those of you that check this blog mostly for adoption news, we are officially (I think!) in the top 20 waiting families. I can't believe it! I think more than ever, it's becoming more and more real. AND, it is possible, depending on the requests of the "mystery families" and those families that are asking for an infant either sex, we MAY even be in the top ten of waiting families for an infant girl!!!! We are still thinking around October to "meet" her and travel around February, but it is becoming so much more and more exciting. PRAISE JESUS!!!!

Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and prayers. Keep 'em comin'! :)