Proverbs 24:12

Once our eyes are opened we can't pretend we don't know what to do.  God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, Knows what we know and holds us responsible to act.
                                                  Proverbs 24:12

God is so good

                                                        GOD IS SO GOOD!!    
   
Anyone ever hear of a $3300 garage sale?  


I'm am just speechless! (that does not happen very often)


WOW!!       That's the only word that comes to mind!     Saturday was AMAZING!!!   
And yet Wednesday was wonderful in its own special way! )    The sale selection was pretty empty and down to just misc. items.     SO....... the prayers went out that we needed "stuff" and especially home decor and kid items  as clothing wasn't selling so well and Guess what? 


 WHY ....... Am I surprised?     
 (Oh, ME of little faith)   We were abundantly replenished over the last 3 days.  Kind friends passed it on to their friends and even  total strangers were donating to "Baby Chance".   I actually walked out into my driveway to meet a total stranger who had been given my address and was bringing her children's old bicycles.  We had a kind woman who came to the sale to shop on Saturday ,  come back on Wednesday to bring items for us  to sell.  Is that just sweet or what?


We had so many  fabulous friends come work...... Even in the 104 temp. And lot's of YUMMY food was brought for us workers. ( I still can't believe there was zucchini in those brownies)


Ultimately to my surprise or disbelief God really showed me!


When we stepped out and said "YES" this time to adoption we didn't know where the $$$ would come from.  We knew he would have to do something BIG and Provide.   God has really strengthen My FAITH through these last 2 days.  He wants to be glorified in this and we want all the glory to be HIS!
This has been so encouraging and just lifted up our spirits.  We were shown through a Garage Sale that HE cares and so do a lot of others. He definitely provided!


And Yes...... The grand total was $3300


We had to make  a payment due to Holt (our Home study agency)  of $2500


And we need to file our I-800 with Immigration and the filing fees are $720


I'm guessing our lab fees for all our medical test will be around $75




So I close with how I opened.....


GOD IS SO GOOD!!

WOW!  God is so Good!  I'm utterly speechless over yesterdays outcome. 

A friend asked what I was hoping for?  I was kinda skeptical..... (maybe because of past garage sale experiences, maybe lack of faith)

But I didn't really have an expectation....  We do however have a notice on our fridge (next to that beautiful face of chance)  saying ....  URGENT: PRAYER REQUEST pray for $2500 due immediately.  The concept of a garage sale fundraiser   ( for those that don't know) is that you ask others to donate their un -wanted items for you to sell . Some people suggest no price tags, let people just donate what they feel lead to donate....... For those of us with "control issues" this is a reach..... 1. You have no idea what or if anything is coming to sell. 2. When it's coming?  I have great friends, so I knew something Good was gonna come of this event but was cautiously optimistic.

This past week was....... Hmmm............. not sure exactly how to explain other than to say.... Satan had alot of fun with those involved with making this event come together. So if you don't believe in spiritual warfare, CALL ME!    The Longenecker family had 4 of it's 6 vehicles in the shop with very expensive repairs.We had 8 house guest from all over the US this week. Our fridge went out. Had a crisis with an extended family member.Had two extras move in with us, Two root canals, and  Cindy, sweet friend hosting the sales AIR Conditioning went out. and on and on 

All that said..... God covered my lack of faith and proved to me once again to not LIMIT him.

The amount raised yesterday was......... $2506.  ( I wouldn't have thought we had enough items to sell to make that.) We were over flowing out Cindy's garage down the driveway.  Most items were $1  we might have sold 4 things over $20..... 

We were so blessed..... With donations items, from friends, family and total strangers.... We had people sort, price and work the day of the sale. (even in the 108 temp)  My biggest "WORRY" was "would people come?"   Well ...... at one point we had a line of 15 and at least 50 people shopping.

I had the opportunity to share about orphans and orphan ministry with at least 30 people...... Met several adopted children, saw pictures of many more. Saw people come just to SERVE! ( one special woman had lost her mother the night before but knew her mother was having a great time with Jesus in Heaven and just wanted to come help Chance get that chance)  Made several new friends and saw God first hand at work. 

THANK YOU!  May you be blessed because of how you have blessed us.

THANK YOU! For sharing and helping with orphan Ministry.

THANK YOU! That one day sweet Chance will have an amazing testimony that you helped create.

The LONGENECKER family!

garage sale extravaganza

                                          July 7^th & 11^th

                             Garage Sale Extravaganza

                                          AKA Chances Adoption Fundraiser

                                                  We need you help!

1. Look around your home…. If your house is like ours you have plenty of excess!

Would you consider donating any items you aren’t using to us.

Furniture, baby stuff, knick knacks , toys, anything you would donate to goodwill? Whatever doesn’t sell we will donate to local charity.

2. Would you be willing to help sort and price all the donated goods?

3.  Could you be available to help work the yard sale? We need people to work what we hope is a HUGE yard sale, Talk to people, help put things in peoples cars.

4. Most importantly, we need your prayers … We need our friends , family even strangers to pray for us.

Please pray for our boy as he waits for his family?

Please pray the adoption process goes smoothly

Please pray that God will provide the funds so that Chance can be united with his forever family quickly!!

We have been blessed by “Aunt Cindy” volunteering her garage for this event!

Contact:       Jan Longenecker  @ Janlongenecker08@yahoo.com

"I don't think the worst thing that could happen to me is raising a child with special needs... I think the worst thing would be to raise the child who is cruel to those with special needs."
- Anonymous

The only thing "extra" I see here is... Extra Special 

GODS PLAN FOR THE LONGENECKERS


"... Love the Lord
and follow his plan for your life.
Cling to him and serve him enthusiastically."
JOSHUA 22:5


Have you ever heard yourself say "I wish he'd just clue me into the plan"
Or "where's the book or directions for this situation?"
My favorite is " Just give me the burning bush"   (yep, I'm looking for the easy way)


I guess I tend to be pretty obedient (didn't say submissive, said obedient) but I still just want the answer then I'll work at coming to terms with what it is...


My type A personality (did I mention I have some control issues?)  wishes sometimes that I'd hear an audible voice saying...
"JAN,  Do this... NOT that..."  or  "JAN... listen close, memorize, and follow step by step". (lil bit of a pleaser)


Think about it... If we had a minute by minute guide... (OK truth here... I really like how that sounds.) Check off the list, X in the box, whatever it is to you, and move to the next direction. But if we had any clue what he really had for us I'm afraid we would run in the other direction as far and fast as we could run!!! (I know I would )


So how do we know this is Gods plan for us to add to our family?


---- Because my plan would not have had me buying diapers any longer than we already have. (21                        years... so far)


---- My plan would not have us being 68 and 60 when a child graduates from high school.

---- My plan would not include adding 3 more loads of laundry to my already 30.


But when God lays something on your heart, you just know! And when you try to avoid it or down right ignore it, he makes your heart so heavy you can't do anything but acknowledge it and say YES! I even tried to convince God to change the plan... (didn't work real well)


Anyone familiar with JONAH?


All I can say is we finally said YES! "YES, Whatever you have for us we will do".  And immediately we were both over come with a peace that cannot be explained.  When we made the call to Great Wall and said yes, "Yes, We will gladly go and would love to be this precious boys parents." The joy we felt was indescribable!!!


Faced with raising $32,000, and a mountain of paperwork, and mainly the "UNKNOWN," this is not normal... definitely not for a momma of 8, one medically fragile , one on the spectrum, 3 in college and a wedding to pay for. (Our oldest is engaged)


So I can say without a shadow of a doubt God is saying GO, and we have said YES!


Will you commit to praying for us? 
Will you join our team?
Will you be a part of this miracle?
Will you say yes?

Orphan Statistics

Everyday 5,760 children become orphans

UNICEF estimates at a minimum of 143 to as many as 210 million orphans are in the world today, that does not include street and castaway children.

There are approximately 250,000 children adopted annually.  Do the math...

In Ukraine and Russia, fifteen percent of children that "age out" without being adopted commit suicide before the age of 18.  Children that, "age out," are usually released to the streets at age 13 or 14, of those that survive sixty percent of the females turns to prostitution to survive.  Many of those also end up in the slave trade.  The boys, seventy percent, become hardened criminals.

Not all are called to adopt, but EVERYONE can help an orphan by supporting families who are.

SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Pray-    God loves everyone of them!

Give-    $$$$$$$ is the number one reason many never consider adoption!

Share-  Get the word out!

Many just don't know the struggle of the orphan.  These precious children need our help!  It is easy to think to yourself, "WOW that's a big number".  When you get involved and move out of your comfort zone and see the sad little faces with no hope and see their names, you can't help but do something!

Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this... To look after orphans and widows in there distress.
James 1:27