A Day of Rest

Hello all!
I am attempting to make good on my promise to update daily! :-) Today was really a restful day. I overslept this morning and didn't make it to the church service that the Austin's told me would be nearby. I was really exhausted last night, and sleep wouldn't come until the wee hours of the morning, so I just let myself sleep! I got up and had some lunch.... then went shopping for a new hairdryer! Mine didn't work to well here, and let' say I looked a little like Medusa this morning when i got up! In fact, I forgot how curly my hair really is! So, I got a new one and hopefully there will be some improvements in the bad hair day! :-) Not much to post for today, I have just been resting and catching up on some e-mails! I am so thankful to be in a place that I feel free to move about and to see things! I will try to post some pictures tomorrow of the area, it is nice!
Blessings to all & thank you for your continued prayers for Tuesday!
Becca

Hola de Peru

Hola Everyone!
I have made it to Peru! I had a little bit of a long flying day yesterday, but God is good and made sure that I got here safely and on the next available flight! While in the airport, I met some sweet Peruvian ladies who were waiting with me for the next flight. Thankfully, we all made it on the flight and had a very smooth time flying here. At 5:00 in the morning, the airport here wasn't busy, it was pretty much people from our flight which made it nice. I was met by my Peruvian Social worker, a very sweet lady, who thankfully got me to my hotel so that I could sleep for a bit.
Then the wonderful Austin family picked me up, brought me to the Guesthouse, which is perfect and showed me around Miraflores. We had a wonderful lunch and then a friend of theirs helped me get to Ben & Tracy to visit with them just before they leave Peru. They are fellow Peru adoptive parents and they were very ready to take their Peruvian Princesses to the US and get settled at home. Although our visit was brief, I am so glad that I got to meet them.
Miraflores is a great city! I was able to navigate myself back to the grocery store and the GuestHouse without any problems and now I am ready for a good night's sleep..... that is after I have a shower! I am so thankful to God for the mountains He has moved and the wonderful people He has placed here for me in Lima. I am truly blessed! And, I know many of you want to know..... I get to meet my sweet little one on Tuesday, the 5th.... and FINALLY you will get to see some pictures of her. PLEASE continue praying that God will prepare our hearts for one another as we meet on Tuesday! Thank you for your prayers that God has so beautifully answered this far!
Blessings!
Becca

Oh My!!!

Wow! I win at LOSER BLOGGER of the year! :-) So sorry, I honestly think about this EVERY day and just don't get here in time! But, I am about to leave and I will be updating almost daily! I PROMISE!

So, I know everyone wants to know the scoop! I apologize for not blogging, but the last couple of weeks have been a little bit of a roller coaster... might get to travel to have meeting with SNA on the 28th, then it was the 4th. And, Praise God it is the 4th! Then we found out that my Mom won't be able to travel with me for the beginning of the trip.... she will get to come, just not until half way through!

This, is a HUGE request that I have! PLEASE pray that God will give me wisdom, strength and courage for this first part of the journey. It is going to be hard! While I am so excited about getting my little girl and holding her in my arms, there will be a lot of HARD stuff that we will have to go through! PLEASE pray that the Lord will have mercy in the HARD stuff! Please also continue praying that God will prepare our hearts for one another and that she will have resiliency in all of these changes. Please pray that we will bond well and that I will know what to do and how best to minister to her during the difficult transition times.

Thank you for your prayers during this journey! I can hardly believe that the time to go get her is actually here! I have been pinching myself for three days, saying to myself, THIS IS REAL!!! FINALLY! What an amazing thought, what an overwhelming thought! Thank you to the many of you who have offered to do whatever to help me get out of here! :-) Please pray for my sweet Mia, the sassy Chihuahua, as I leave her tomorrow. She is being left with some very wonderful people who are so wonderful to care for her, and for them I am eternally grateful! But, you see, my sassy Chihuahua and I have such a sweet bond (don't meet her on the street though, she'll chew your shoes off!) and I will miss her terribly! Please pray that God will prepare my little one and my Chihuahua for each other too, I know that sounds silly, but seriously, Mia is used to having her own way about EVERYTHING! :-)

Thank you for hearing all of my requests, the time is here, and for that I am so overjoyed! I am so incredibly blessed, and God has brought me this far, I know HE is sovreign and in control of all things! Blessings to you all! Next update from Peru!!

Speechless

Oh my! I know, I know... I stink at updating the blog! I promise I will do better when I am finally in Peru! Thanks for loving me anyway!

In the last 3 weeks I have been so blesed, way beyond measure! My sweet work friends threw a shower to help welcome sweet Liliana, and my Mom even got to fly up and surprise me for this shower! I was so incredibly excited, I was speechless! It was such a beautiful party! Then yesterday, my precious church threw me a shower to help welcome Liliana..... again, I was left SPEECHLESS by the love so many showed to her through their gifts and well wishes! Many left me little notes to read to Liliana while I am in Peru.... there was one note for every day that I am there, so neat, so beautiful!! I am so humbled and blessed by God's LOVE shown through the love and generosity of others! Thank you to all of my beautiful friends and family for loving my sweet little girl so much already!

Also in the last 3 weeks, there have been a few challenges! The first came last week with a little paperwork glitch! I WAS NOT SPEECHLESS about that.... but my very wonderful social worker understood this CRAZY MOMMA's fit and got everything turned back around in 24 hours! I am still waiting to hear an update on a provisional approval. So please pray that comes soon! Once there is a provisional approval, and article 5 is assigned and then the US Embassy gives me permission to travel! Hopefully aobut a 2 week process! But today, I was left Speechless again! I was told that the US may have a shutdown if they can't agree on a budget.... many may think this is no big deal, BUT it means that all non-essential employees, this would be EVERY immigration officer, and Hague (Division of Homeland Security) officials AND all employees at US Embassies around the world are furloughed! Well, first of all, this would be terrible for these families.... and secondly, it would put a hault to adoptions in process all around the world! Oh my! Who do you call? How do you stop the MADNESS?!? Speechless! But, God has calmed my anxious heart and reminded me that he has already moved mountains for my sweet little angel, this mountain is no big deal! He is FAITHFUL and He will provide!! SPEECHLESS! PLEASE just pray that the US Government will get their act together and reach a comprimise, there are so many more important things going on in the world.... like children being united with their FOREVER families!

Please continue to pray for my sweet little one! The director and psychologist at her orphanage are working very hard to prepare her for her new Mommy.... please continue to pray that God will prepare our hearts for one another and that bonding will happen solidly and quickly! And, please pray for her to have resiliency in spite of the incredible changes she is going to go through!

Blessings to you all! And, I will update again as soon as I have an idea of when I get to travel! We are getting so close.... PLEASE pray it is SOON!
Love & Blessings!

Faithful

Shame on me! I am so sorry that it has been so long since I last updated the blog! I didn't even realize how fast the time had gone by! I can hardly believe that January is already over! It has been a very busy month and there has been little time to update, but I have been consistently encouarged throughout the month! I want to see my little one so badly, I want to hold her, love on her and give her lots of kisses.... BUT this part of the process takes soooo long! However, she is in a good place and they love her there, so I am doing mostly ok with the wait until I can go get her!

Now, I already know your next question.... "When do you get to go?" Oh, how I hope it is soon! I am pryaing for the middle of March or before! But, as in all things, God has His own perfect timing.... yet, prayers do change things... so please pray that I get to go the middle of March or before!

Now, the next questions.... what is she like, what size does she wear, etc.? I have been so blessed by the director of her home, she has given me lots and lots of info and pictures! Sorry, I still can't post any... but as soon as I can, I most certainly will! She is beautiful, with a smile that will melt your heart! She is active and generally always very happy! She is a bit small for her age (at least by American standards), she wears a size 2T. Thanks to the generosity of so many, she already all the clothes she'll need while we are in Peru. Where she is, it is quite cool year round, so she has plenty of Fall/Winter clothes now! I have been receiving so many wonderful things from so many loving and generous things! Thank you to everyone who has been so generous! She is already a very LOVED little girl! This makes this Momma, very happy because I already LOVE her soooo much!

There are some things to be praying for, and I continue to covet any and all prayers that you might offer up on behalf of my sweet little one and me!
1. Please pray for God to prepare our hearts for one another. Please pray for bonding to go well.
2. Please pray for her to have resiliency in the midst of all the transitions that she will be going through.
3. Please pray for those who are caring for her! These women are so kind and loving and lover her very much! She is going to be very missed by those who care for her! While they are happy for her, it will be difficult to see her go. Please lift them up as the continue to care for so many beautiful children without homes!
4. Please pray for me, that I will be able to get everything done for work and here at home in the next month before I travel.
5. Please pray for all of our paperwork (I won't even try to explain all of that part) is processed in a timely fashion and that there won't be any hold-ups that would prevent me from going to get her as soon as possible!

Thank you for sharing in this journey with me! I have learned so much along the way, but the one thing that just screams at me is that He IS Faithful! REALLY! Faithful! Even when I don't understand and I don't like the wait or the circumstances, HE is Faithful! May I strive to be more like Christ with each and every step of this journey!

Blessings & I promise to update more sooner!

A Beautiful Start

Today was a beautiful start to 2011. Church this morning was great! It was good to be home and back in the choir. I love worship through song! It is a great avenue for me to tell my Jesus just how much I love Him! But, it also challenges me! Sometimes, the words to the songs are so profound that I either have to mean them or shut my mouth! And, sometimes, I have to sing them until I do mean them! This morning, this song was the "Hallmark Card" that just said what I couldn't put to words:

I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk apart, I'll run the race
And I will never be the same again.

I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk apart, I'll run the race
And I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

There are higher heights, there are deeper seas,
Whatever you need to do, Lord do in me.
The Glory of God fills my life,
And I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep aways the darkness, burn away the chaff
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk the path, I will run the race
And I will never be the same again.
And I will never be the same again.
And I will never be the same again.

I am so thankful for the songs God gives us that just speak what it is on our hearts that we are not able to express! This journey that I am on, He has brought me through, and yes, I have closed the door on the "old me", He and I are about to embark on an even greater journey in 2011! You see, 2011 is when my sweet Liliana comes home! I am so excited! But, as with any journey, choices will have to be made to TRUST Him and to SEE what He is doing! I am excited to see what He has for us this year!

Please continue to pray for Liliana and me on our journey! Today is a bittersweet day. My sweet baby girl has a birthday today.... but I would love nothing more than to have delivered her gift to her in person! But, soon, I will get to celebrate all her other birthdays with her! I am so thankful that her caregivers and those in the home love her and take such great care of her! I know that they will cherish this last birthday with her, as they have celebrated all her birthdays with her. I am glad that they get one more with her! Sad for me, but so very glad for these beautiful people who have loved her and cared for her, her entire life! Happy Birthday baby girl! Mommy loves you!

Thank you for continuing to pray! And, may you all have a Beautiful Start to 2011!

Beccas Blessings 10?

Well you know, back last January I decided to create this blog because I thought... "I'm getting close, people are going to want to know what is going on." I chose Becca's Blessings 10 because I thought: "well, surely there will be some blessings in 2010"..... and there were! But, the truth is, 2010 was a challenging year! I thought my dossier was well on its way to approval in January, only to find out they needed one more paper... got it to them within 2-3 days, then it took them another month to approve my dossier: The BLESSING - it was approved on March 3rd. But, that is when the "testing" began.... I found out just a few weeks later that since I had been on antibiotics, which started in January, that I would have to have sinus surgery. So, I had that only to not heal and continued on antibiotics until September when I had to have sinus surgery #2. I looked sinus surgery #3 in the face and said "NO WAY!!" .... The BLESSING -- After starting a vitamin plan, sinus surgery #3 was CANCELED! I was rear-ended 3 times and once in a parking lot. One of the accidents was pretty bad..... The BLESSING -- I was NOT hurt! May-October were very difficult adoption months with lots of emotional "roller coasters" and having to make some of the most difficult decisions of my life..... The BLESSING -- God saw me through and gave me the wisdom that I needed! Then more adoption "toughness" in October & November.... The BLESSING --- God showed up BIG TIME in December! My precious little girl and I will be united in 2011!

So often, I focus on my circumstances instead of the BIG picture! Was this year tough in a lot of ways?...YES!! But, here is the truth, God is FAITHFUL even when we are walking in what appears to be utter darkness! Is everything always "hunky dory"? NO!! But, God knows us, He knows our hearts, our thoughts, our fears, our walls and our joys! Did I have a lot of growing to do this year?.... YES!! But, anytime there is growth, there will be growing pains! What have I learned? GOD IS FAITHFUL, even when we start to wonder if He really is or not. God makes beauty from the ashes, ALWAYS! Here's the thing, there are things so much worse that people go through every day.... there are many who feel that the sunlight will never shine on their face again! Pray for these, (I am challenging myself here too!)those that you know, that are in difficult times.... because God is faithful! Sometimes we just can't see it and we need others to believe it for us, just so that we can hold onto our own little mustard seed of faith! There were so many who believed for me, even when I was struggling to find my "mustard-seed sized" faith. We need those people in our lives! I thank the many who stood in the gap for me and my little one and were prayer warriors for us through the challenging times. Listen to God, you might be one of those people for someone else. It is my prayer that I can be that person for someone, that my experiences and my struggles and my BLESSINGS might glorify God and help someone else who is struggling to believe! The truth is, I know it is an ongoing journey to believe.... but HE is FAITHFUL ALL THE TIME!

May you find the BLESSINGS in your year as you look back on 2010, and may you choose to SEE your blessings in 2011. I am only beginning my journey with my little one! 2011 is going to be a joyous year, but there are still going to be many times that I have to TRUST in His FAITHFULNESS! So, please continue to pray for my little one and me! And, I pray that each and every one of you have a joyous and BLESSED 2011!
¡Próspero Año Nuevo!

"We walk by FAITH, not by sight." -- 2 Corinthians 5:7