ONE LITTLE GIRL...

It's absolutely amazing to our whole family just how God is making His provision so abundant for the purpose of bringing our four little girls home from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Man, have we got stories...lots of stories...and, well, we just had to share this one...

Back at the beginning of February, a friend of ours from out-of-state dropped me a late-night text that said, "Our daughter's (Elizabeth) birthday is coming up...wanted to let you know that she decided to ask her guests to make donations to the Hopkins Family Adoption Fund in lieu of gifts...we're hoping to be able to send something to you by the end of February..."

Whoa! 

My friend's text stopped me dead in my tracks.  I ran through the house gathering whoever was awake to excitedly share with them that a girl they barely know was GIVING UP her birthday presents to help us bring our four girls home.  Varying shades of surprise, gratitude, and excitement swelled in our kids as I shared of Elizabeth's generosity.  It's an uncommon generosity, isn't it?!?  A young girl giving up highly anticipated birthday presents to help friends of her parents adopt four little girls...you don't see that everyday, do you? 

Well, the other day, Elizabeth had her birthday party.  Her Dad told me that there were seventeen girls who showed up (that's one big birthday party, by the way!) and Elizabeth's Dad handed me the envelope yesterday with Elizabeth's sacrificial gift inside. 

When I got home late last night, at the conclusion of what had been a whirlwind day, I sat down with Danna, hardly able to contain my anticipation about tearing into that envelope.  Now, hear me...my excitement wasn't about how MUCH money was in that envelope.  It could have had a single dollar bill in it and I would have been just as pumped as I was.  For me, for us, for our family, the worship that was building in us about this gift was all about the heart that had compelled little Elizabeth to give so generously.

Turns out there was more than a single dollar bill in that envelope...399 more, to be exact...that's $400 that Elizabeth and her friends so generously gave our adoption fund to help bring our four daughters home...astounding.  So astounding, as a matter of fact, that when I told Danna that there was $400 in the envelope, she said, "Huh uh"..."Uh Huh!" I replied...$400...

So, thank you, Elizabeth.  Thank you all the seventeen friends of Elizabeth and your families.  Thank you God for Elizabeth's heart and for how You're providing for us in this season through Your kids (literally).  We could not be more grateful.