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.

Wild Trust

Our dossier is translated and in the DRC!!!  We now wait for our court date when the DRC government will determine they are orphans and they will legally become our daughters.  At that time, the US Embassy will do their investigation and make sure they agree that they truly are orphans, then they will prepare their VISA's so they can come home!  Sounds like a pretty easy process however, they still expect it to take at least 6-9 months :(  Such a bummer!  Please pray that it goes faster than expected and that we can bring our little girls home!!!

I just read a book called "Outrageous Courage". It is about a lady named Tracy Evans, a physicians assistant that lived in Mozambique.  She cared for 900 HIV + orphans and even treated the rebel guerillas when they held her captive.

The eighth chapter is so fantastic, I just had to share!  It is entitled Wild Trust and this is what it says:

"One thing that has been true of my relationship with Christ in every season is that He loves to invite me to step out and take some outrageous leap of faith into the unknown with Him.  I have become convinced that risk is God's love language.  Like a father playing with a child, the Lord loves to throw me up in the air just to prove that He will always be there to catch me.  Over the years, the risk taking lifestyle has forged a firm foundation of confidence in my heart.  No matter how impossible or unlikely the circumstances appear, when God asks me to jump, I do not have to wonder, I know His arms are waiting."

Isn't that fantastic?!?!  I want to live my life taking risks for Christ.  I don't want to live my life working towards the "American dream"- whatever that is...a nicer house, car, stuff and things...

I had a friend ask me the other day if I'm worried that the girls will have attachment disorders or other medical issues.  The quote from the book is such a perfect response!  We do NOT know what the girls struggles will be.  We do know that whatever they are, all He is asking us to do today is keep taking one step forward and trusting that HE-the one who loves us ALL more than we can fathom- is in control!  What outrageous leap of faith into the unknown is God asking you to take today??

Bozeman wrestler brings a large cheering section...his family

Even KTVQ in Billings joined the movement to help us bring our four little girls home!  Thanks KTVQ for doing such a great job helping us tell our story!!! Click on the link below to watch the video!

http://www.ktvq.com/news/bozeman-wrestler-brings-a-large-cheering-section-his-family/?fullsite

150 + Prayers from all over the U.S.!

God is good and God answers prayers!!  Since my last post we have received just under $3000 in gifts and have sold another 46 necklaces!!!!  That almost $4000 in just 2 days!!!  It is unbelievable how many people God has nudged to help us bring home our girls!!  We have sold lots of necklaces in Bozeman and Billings but in addition we have sent them to TN, KS, WA, IN, MO, MD, VA, IL. 

More than the money, I am so excited to know that there are over 150 people praying for our girls!!!
I know I have shared in the past that one of my favorite books is Kisses From Katie.  I may end up quoting her entire book on our blog so you may not ever have to read the book :)  Had to share this:

"People are people.  They all need food and water and medicine but mostly they need love and truth and Jesus.  I can do that.  We can do that.  We can give people food, water, medicine, love, truth, and Jesus.  The same God created all of us for a purpose, which is to serve Him and to love and care for His people.  It is universal.  We can't do in in our own strength or out of our own resources, but as we follow God to wherever He is leading us, He makes the impossible happen."

Our situation IS impossible in our strength...all of it!  Coming up with $60K in just a few short months, adding 4 more small children to our current family of 8!  It all seems impossible and it all seems crazy.  However, when you think about life remembering this life is about God and others and the "others" are whoever God leads you to love and show Jesus.  For us, God has made it clear that we are to care for these precious kiddos but it may not look the same for you. 

"Sometimes, the everyday routine of my life feels so normal to me.  At other times the idea of raising all these children seems like quite a daunting task.  I realize that since I have chosen an unusual path it is  easier for outsiders to look at my life and come to the conclusion that it is something extraordinary.  That I am courageous.  That I am strong.  That I am special!  But I am just a plain girl from Tennessee.  Broken in many ways, sinful, and inadequate.  Common and simple with nothing special about me.  Nothing special except I choose to say "yes".  "Yes" to the things God asks of me and "yes" to the people He places in front of me.  You can too.  I am just an ordinary person.  An ordinary person serving an extraordinary God." 

Another quote from Kisses from Katie.  I love her heart and her passion for God and others. 

Thank-you SO much to everyone who has helped us.  Thank-you for saying "yes" to helping us bring these 4 sweet girls into our family.  I cannot wait to tell them everyday for the rest of their lives how much Jesus loves them and how much you and I love them!

What a great week!  We sold just over 100 necklaces and are over $2000 closer to bringing our girls home!  We are so grateful for all your love and generosity!  Thank-you!!!  I have met 2 incredible families via Facebook, both wives were really advocating for our girls!  The first family is Lew and Kati, they have two PRECIOUS kiddos Arthur and Gigi that they brought home from DRC last September.

Aren't they PRECIOUS?!?!?!  Well, they were told by the agency a few weeks ago that Arthur and Gigi's older sister is now available for adoption.  As you can imagine, they are still in "transition" figuring out life as it is.  I can remember after bringing Silas, Josh and Mahlea home, I truly didn't think we would adopt again, for at least a year.  Not because our kids were bad or were doing anything wrong, but because honestly, it IS HARD!  Adjusting and transitioning your family is always hard (whether by birth or adoption) and it takes time.  They are also still recovering from the cost of their first adoption and as you all know, adoption is costly!  Despite their situation, they know in their hearts that this sweet little girl is supposed to be part of their family along with her brother and sister!  SO, they are moving forward and just like us they need to come up with money as quickly as possible!  Please pray for Lew, Kati, Arthur and Gigi and if you feel God is asking you to bless this amazing family here is their blog http://nostretchmarksrequired.com/.  They have a fundraiser and you can donate on their blog.  Brian and I also really wanted to help them so she is hosting an online Silpada party.  If you need/want any Silpada, I am giving them all my earnings from the party (it's 30% of the retail cost)  You can go here http://mysilpada.com/sites/danna.hopkins/public/content/jewelry/index.jsf and click on Find your Hostess and choose her name Kati Ayotte and then just shop online OR you can just contact me danna@pure-wireless.net or 406-690-6258 and tell me what you would like to order and I can place the order for you!

The next family is the Cok family.  They adopting a little girl through the same agency as us and they knew about our four little girls and had been praying they would find a family.  I was unaware until today that they had accepted a referral for a sweet baby girl last Feb. and they legally became her parents in July of last year.  Shortly after, she passed away from a sudden illness.  I tearfully read her blog post this morning, they are asking people to donate to our family or the family I mentioned about in remembrance of their sweet little girl - Thursday is her birthday.  http://i-really-should-be-cleaning.blogspot.kr/2013/01/happy-birthday-rory-grace.html 
They remained with our agency and were referred another little girl who legally became theirs in October.  They are close to bringing her home!  Please pray for them!!! 

 I am just in awe of the incredible people God has filled our lives with, people who are choosing to live their lives doing all they can to "see a need and meet a need".  I don't know how many of you were able to be at Journey when Brian's good friend and college roommate, Shane Claiborne spoke but one of my very favorite quotes and one I refer to often is something he said in the book "What if Jesus Really Meant What He said Red Letter Revolution".
"God is a God of abundance when we trust, and a God of redistribution when we do not. God's people are not to accumulate stuff for tomorrow but to share indiscriminately with the scandalous and holy confidence that God will provide for tomorrow. Then we need not stockpile stuff in barns or a 401(k), especially when there is someone in need." -Shane Claiborne

We are praying and hopefully expecting to submit our entire dossier next week and with it we will need to send another $17K.  We can borrow the money and we will if we need to but it would be so incredible if we didn't have to.  Please pray that God will move mountains and please share our story, if we sell the rest of our necklaces we will meet our goal!!!! 

One Sweet Little Girl

Dylon's sweet friend Clair that is in his 3rd grade class, sent us $20 out of the money that she's earning to go to horse camp this summer.  She said "I can just keep working to earn more money because this is more important for me to give for those girls to get to have a family"  WOW!!!  This is SO much fun, watching all the people that are joining us in getting our girls home.  I CANNOT wait for the girls to see how loved they are!!!!  Unfortunately, we still have a ways to go, it is going to cost us around $60,000 to get our girls home.  Please pray for us, and if you feel God leading you to be a part, you can give a tax-deductible donation by clicking the donate button or purchase a prayer necklace with the PayPal button (if you click on the fundraising tab above you can see examples).  Thanks for your prayers and support!

BLOWN AWAY!

I am COMPLETELY blown away at the sacrificial love our friends have shown us!  Starting last week, Michele spent hours upon hours handcrafting the beautiful pendants for our necklaces.  Then our friend Tara opened up her home for two straight days and provided food for 25+ ladies who gave at least a couple of hours one or both of those days to come and help us finish creating the necklaces.  Then today I got a picture of our friends, The Cloar Family from sunny CA, (who we met on our "court trip" for Kenzie) and their family spent several hours today selling oranges and orange juice from their orange orchard to help us raise money to bring our girls home.  There are a few pictures of their sweet kids on my FB page... you should check them out!!  They raised $111.06 and a little while later their Grandpa decided to match what they sold dollar for dollar and cent for cent....$222.12!  God is INCREDIBLE and He chooses to use us all to be a part of HIS work!!  I am so excited to continue to watch God use His people to bring our sweet girls home!  Thank you ALL for being a part!!! 

Our necklaces are ready to order – click on the Fundraising tab above for more info.  You can purchase them by using the "Add to Cart" Paypal button or email me at danna@pure-wireless.net  I will mail them to anyone who lives out of town.

OUR NEWEST ADDITIONS!!!

So confession time...we STINK at blogging!!  Pretty much the only time we post is when we have big news.  It's okay because it's certainly the most fun to read, right?!!  We will do our best to post more often, because we will have regular updates to share.  This is incredible and as we type the words we cannot even believe what we are saying!!!!  WE ARE ADOPTING FOUR LITTLE GIRLS!!!

For those of you who don't have time to read how the story unfolds, PLEASE PRAY that God will continue to perform miracles. I'm sure you can guess that adopting these four girls is going to be VERY expensive, even with the agency giving significant discounts.  We have to come up with $45,000 right away and then we will still have two round trip and three one-way tickets to buy (the youngest girl is under two, so she will still be free), along with other travel expenses.  We need to have the majority of the money to the agency as quickly as possible, so that we can start the process of getting them home.  The DRC is very poor–much worse than Ethiopia.  The wealthiest of the people and the kids living in orphanages are well off if they get one meal a day. The process only takes about 6-8 months and as soon as we get our money in, we can get this process started!!!  We do not know why God would choose us to parent 12 children, but we do know, with ALL our hearts, that we will not ever say no to Him when He specifically brings these kids into our path.

We weren't thinking we were going to need to come up with money this quickly, yet we know that God has all money in the world.  Please join us in prayer on our behalf and on the behalf of these sweet girls!  Thank you for reading and thank you for praying.  If you feel God calling you to give to, you can send a tax deductible gift to Journey Church, 1794 E Baxter Lane, Bozeman, MT 59718 with a sticky note that says "Hopkins Adoption" or there is a Donate button to the right that also goes directly to Journey so it will also be tax deductible.  Please type "Hopkins Adoption" in the comment line.

If you want to read how the story unfolds, here goes...

Most of you know that we have been waiting on a list for a referral for an infant/toddler girl from the Democratic Republic of Congo since about June.  We were expecting to get a referral sometime early this year and then we would go get her 6-8 months later.

Then, out of the blue a couple weeks ago when we were at Bailey's Christmas program, our friend who leads our orphan ministry was sitting by us. She handed her phone to us with a picture of four girls on it–all sisters from the DRC. The picture was terrible quality and we knew nothing except that the agency they are placed with is looking for a home for them.  Danna looked at their faces–the little she could see anyway–and thought how sweet they were and then didn't think about them again.  That Sunday at church, listening to Brian's message, the girls suddenly popped into Danna's head.  Her mind flooded with all the reasons that we were not the family to adopt these girls.  "We have eight children, our life is crazy, our kids are finally out of the infant/toddler stage, it will be SO expensive, where will we put them, on and on the list goes."  The thought of FOUR Ethiopian children, FOUR biological children and FOUR Congolese children suddenly crossed Danna's mind.  She was instantly filled with peace.  We believe that numbers are significant to God and Danna knows that it was not HER that thought of those girls, but rather God placing them on her heart.  God has also blessed our lives with kids one at a time (Bailey, Jazzy, Kenzie) two at a time (Dyl and Pres), three at at time (Silas, Josh and Mahlea) and now FOUR at a time!!!

Still... it was crazy, so Danna started the process thinking that maybe she was simply supposed to pray for the girls. She asked Brian what he thought and he said that we should at least ask the agency about them.  The first email we got back (Wed of last week) from the agency said that we have too many children to adopt from the DRC.  However, the very next day we got another email saying that they are willing to talk to the DRC government and see if they will make an exception, because the girls have been waiting so long.  The agency has actually been thinking that they may have to separate the girls, so that they can at least find them all a family, even if it's not together (and that REALLY breaks our hearts!).

Last Friday night, Brian did a wedding for the youngest daughter of some of our close friends.  While we sat at the reception listening to their amazing stories of their memories together and how incredible their relationships are, Danna began to cry.  Because these girls were born in America, they got to grow up together.  The possibility that these four precious babies–because they were born in a third world country and have no parents–could be sent to different families and never know that "sister relationship" is not okay!

After many conversations with our social worker, the agency, each other, our kids, and MUCH prayer in the last couple of weeks, we feel like they are our girls and just like in our past two adoptions, God has led us to them.  I'm pretty sure that we always express how crazy we are, but THIS certainly takes the cake!!  One of Danna's all time favorite books is Kisses From Katie.  This is what she says about crazy and impossible and we love it!

"And I realized when have you ever read a story of God's great work that made a lot of sense, a story that didn't seem a little over the top, a little impossible? Radical, extraordinary love just doesn't make sense in a fallen world, that doesn't mean it can't happen.  But it is the very nature of God.  Moses parted the Red Sea, and I bet people thought, 'No way is this happening!'  Noah spent 120 years building an ark and I bet people thought he was crazy.  When Joshua went to Jericho, God told him to march around the city once each day for six days and seven times on the seventh day with seven priests blowing trumpets made of rams' horns.  I bet Joshua didn't think that made much sense.  I bet Abraham didn't think it made a whole lot of sense when God asked him to kill the son through whom He had promised to send nations.  Jesus told his disciples to pass out five loaves of bread and two fishes to over five thousand people and I bet they looked at Him like He was crazy! Later, Jesus told Peter to walk to him on the water through a storm and I know Peter was afraid.  We read these stories and think they are awesome examples of God's power and love and yet sometimes we don't really believe they could still be possible.  We think that maybe Moses, Abraham, Joshua, Noah, or the disciples had something we don't.  But I don't think that is true, God is the same yesterday, today and always.  And we are all created in His image.  This means that all these impossible things could just as easily happen for us too!  Radical, different, extraordinary . . . They still exist!  Here is the thing.  I want big things from God.  We want big things from God and then think it's strange when He asks us to build an ark or feed five thousand or march around a building for seven days with seven priests blowing trumpets made from rams' horns.  I am asking for big things from God.  Big things like a van  can take my whole family to church in and a house with ten showers.  Bigger things like 147 million orphaned children in the world to  each have a mommy who knows what they like for dinner.  So really, I am not surprised at the craziness of my life.  Every morning, as I wake up with some impossible task in front of me, I know that God will meet it with impossible strength and love.  I serve the God who used Moses, a murderer, to part the Red Sea; a God who let Peter, who would deny Him, walk on water.  A God who looks at me, in all my fallen weakness and says, 'You can do the impossible'."


Thank you for your prayers for these girls and our family.  Please feel free to share our story!

Addis!

 So... since I didn't blog about all the boring paper work and waiting, I'm skipping right to the good stuff!!  A couple weeks ago, July 8, here we are, hugging our sweet Addis!!  It was a very tearful reunion!  We got to spend lots of time with her and all the amazing kids at the Transition Home!  We also got to know some other incredible families, a couple fantastic nursing students (from the US) and the amazing America World staff!

We had a great time!!!!

And the best news is July 13, 2012 we legally became a family of 10!!  Kenzie Addis Hopkins is our little girl!!!!!

Isn't she beautiful???  She is as beautiful inside as out, I cannot wait until we get to bring her home! Average length of time between Court and Embassy is 5-8 weeks, it can take longer...we would love your prayers that we can be cleared to go get her soon!

We are planning on bringing Silas, Josh and Mahlea with us when we go, they are SO excited!!! Please pray their passports get back in time and that God provides the $15,000+ it will take to purchase 5 round-trip and 1 one-way ticket!

Adoption #2

My apologies for this is a VERY long overdue post!!  Last August (2011) there were a group of Ethiopian kids here in Bozeman for a hosting program called The Summer of Hope.  Our kids were spending time with them and Mahlea was SO excited there were two girls her age.  Mahlea spent a lot of time with them and the week before they were headed back to Ethiopia, we discovered that one of the girls Mahlea was spending lots of time with was not being "pursued" by a family.  We were at a picnic and I don't ever think I will forget it because I knew the moment I heard the words...

You see, Brian and I are HUGE fans of adoption!!!  Our three Ethiopian kids have blessed all of our lives in unimaginable ways.  Despite what most people say (and some people verbalize) THEY  "rescued" US!  They have shown us love, despite our failures; they have shown us strength and courage-coming to an unknown place where the language, food and people are very different than their own.  The things that these kids have endured in their short lives is more than any human should endure in a lifetime.  Despite the amazing children we have been blessed with, we weren't really "looking" to adopt again.

However, God had other plans for us (as He often does)!!!  Brian and I prayed about it and then sat our older three kids down and talked to them.  It was one of the most humbling conversations of my life.  Brian started by jokingly saying "Mom thinks we should adopt Addis"  Silas immediately piped up "Yah Mom!!! You are GOOD!!!"  Josh and Mahlea both agreed "YES we should!!"  There was silence for a moment and we looked at Silas, he was counting his fingers..."We have 5 seats left in the van, we should adopt 5 more kids!!!!" he said. We all busted up laughing.  Then he said "when I get older and have a wife, we are going to adopt LOTS of kids!" (this is a warning to any girls out there, I think he is serious about this!!!)  Josh said "I want to help kids who live on the streets in Ethiopia"  Mahlea added "I want to help orphans with AIDS".  My eyes welled up with tears.  I cannot believe that these incredible human beings call me "Mom"; that I get to know them and be part of their lives.

We called our younger four kids up and asked them what they thought.  They all jumped up and down and shouted "Yay!!!"

I truly don't know why Jesus chose me to be the mom of 7 these amazing human beings but I am SO incredibly thankful that He did!!!

There it is, the beginning of adoption #2.  We submitted our application to America World Adoption and began the paper chase!!