Our Incredible Journey . . .

The Lamb Project

2011-12-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

You have helped fund 110 Lambs for the Orphans of Gojjo. We believe this LAMB PROJECT will have a HUGE impact on Self Sustainability and now we need to look for land and how we will care for and feed them. I think we did not realize how fast the Lord would provide!

So now THE LAMB CHALLENGE will become THE LAMB PROJECT. Future funds will go towards an ongoing program, including the purchase of lambs and their feed and care.

Thank you so much for being a part of this life changing project!

To donate to The Lamb Project go to www.rivers-of-living-water.org/lamb.htm

Do not wish me "Happy Holidays"

2011-11-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

OK, brace yourself ....

Please do not wish me "Happy Holidays". I will have to restrain myself from hurting you. Although the word "Holiday" does comes from "Holy Day" and that is what these days are. These are the days that we celebrate that lead up to one of the most important days in the history of the world. The day Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah or Chosen One, was born. And yes I know that December 25th is not really his birthday but some pagan day from the Celtics or something.

To me "Happy Holidays" is like a slap in the face of Jesus. They have taken Christ out of Christmas. It is no longer Christmas Vacation, like when I was a kid, it is Winter Break. Some groups fight to keep manger displays out of parks and other public places. Large retail stores tell their employees not to say "Merry Christmas" so that they won't "offend" people.

OK .. let me say this ... if you don't believe in Jesus, then you have no business celebrating Christmas!

How many people will feed the system and go into gross amounts of credit card debt, only to have those things be in the next garage sale or trash can?

"Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth where dust and moth destroy ... "

The phrase has become so cliche' but is still true, that Jesus is the reason for the season. The world wants to distract us from that truth. America has literally bought into the lie that the day we celebrate Jesus' birth, is nothing more than another generic holiday to spend a crazy amount of money on STUFF.

At our house, we don't do Santa ... I gave up the whole commercialized Christmas thing in my late teens/early twenties and decided that Christmas is Jesus' birthday and not mine. So I began giving presents to people about Jesus. This carried over into my marriage and now our family. For Christmas we give presents about Jesus ... like a Bible, a worship CD, a Jesus Tshirt, A Jesus video, or Veggie Tales, etc. and keep all the toys, electronics, gifts and STUFF for a birthday present. It has worked out so far for the first 13 years with our kids and I hope that they carry it into their own families some day. ♥

I have this idea ... lets turn it back around! Why not send a message to America loud and clear, that Christmas is about JESUS. Not Santa Claus, and toys and electronic gadgets, and STUFF and going into debt.

Could I make a suggestion? Keep it simple.

Put Christ back into Christmas. Celebrate it for what it is. And everytime someone says "Happy Holidays" smile and say,

"Merry Christmas ... it's all about Jesus."

Here we are Lord, Send us . . .

2011-11-28T22:02:00.000-08:00

Once our eyes are opened,

we can't pretend we don't know what to do.

God who keeps our hearts and weighs our souls,

knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."

Proverbs 24:12

The Schilling Family

In 2010, along with thousands of other families, we adopted 3 children from Ethiopia.

Little did we know where this journey would lead us to. We now find ourselves being drawn back to Ethiopia but not only to adopt kids ... but to serve.

Our heart's desire has become to help orphans and widows in need, wherever the Lord leads us. Right now, the Lord is leading us back to Ethiopia, Africa. We began seeing little notes He was leaving everywhere. Until finally, it became so obvious we finally got it. The Lord has invited us to come to Ethiopia and join Him in His work there.

My husband and I both knew we were called to missions years before we were ever married, so this has come as no real surprise except for the timing. We are older, we now have 6 children, 3 adopted from Ethiopia and we are in the process of adopting 2 brothers.

But our hearts are bent on following the Lord wherever He leads. This is not an idea we made up inside our heads, it is the God of the universe speaking to His children like the Father that He is.

"For I know the plans I have for you." says the Lord.

"Plans to prosper and not harm you.

Plans to give you a hope and a future."

~ Jeremiah 29:11

So now, here we are. In order to go, we have some major decisions to make ... do we sell our house, do we rent it out. What about finances, my husband's job, insurance, what about our animals. But in all of this, we are laying our lives down into the hands of a loving Father and trusting Him to take care of all the details.

If you feel lead to help us, we would greatly appreciate it. We will need start up money in order to go. Airfare for 8 people, initial living expenses, possibly a vehicle, as we will be living 3 hours from the city. After setting up camp, then we will need monthly support. We know and have faith that God is able to provide all of our needs, but we make them known because we also know that he sometimes uses people. But most of all, really, we need your prayers.

This will be a huge transition for all of us, especially our kids. We homeschool, so we can go anywhere, but it's so much more than that. We are a Christian family going to a place where Jesus loving Christians are not always welcome. There are opposing beliefs, practices and religions. We need your prayers for protection, for us and for our children.

We have a good idea of what we will be doing there although all the details will not be worked out until we arrive, I am sure. We feel called to go to the village of Gojjo. Our friends have an organization there called Living Water Orphan Ministry. There are over 1000 orphans in the village. A Child Sponsorship program has been started there. We feel called to go to Gojjo to help with the administration and hands on work of the organization.

It is also our desire to help the widows in the village by starting up small entrepreneurial businesses, such as jewelry and basket making, making soap and skin care products. Some of this is what I already do here in the states. See my website www.wildprairiefarms.net.

Our hope is also to organize short term mission trips to Addis & Gojjo. We will be there to meet our guests and to invite them to catch the vision for orphan and widow ministry.

It is also our desire to acquire land and raise up a flock of sheep and cows as an ongoing feeding program to help feed the orphan kids of Gojjo.

We are visionaries and have many ideas on how we hope to serve the people of Gojjo, but most of all we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus and show them the love of God.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?

As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
~ Romans 10:14-15

Will you help Send us?

You can donate here towards

The Schilling Family's

Missionary Support Fund

This will enable our family to

accept the invitation to go to Ethiopia

to serve the Lord there.

Thank you.

Gallon Gifts

2011-11-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Rivers of Living Water Supporters and Sponsors ...

On Monday, a dear Christian sister came to our house and delivered a gift from the Lord to us. It was a check paying our way to go on a mission trip to Ethiopia for Ethiopian Christmas, which is January 7th. We will be going to the village of Gojjo, where not only your sponsored kids are, but a total of 1000 orphans! We will have the great honor of serving them Christmas Dinner, with the money that you helped us raise for FEED 1000.

If you would like to participate ...

We will be bringing over as many donations and gifts as we can possibly fit into our 200 pounds of allotted luggage. All child specific donations need to go into a Gallon Ziploc bag, meaning If you want to send your sponsored child a gift, please put it into a Gallon Ziploc bag with their name and ID number on it or in it, so that we know it goes to a specific child. It would be great to also put a photo of yourself or your family in there so they can see their sponsor. It would be great to be able to bring each sponsored child a gift!

Introducing “Gallon Gifts”...

When we were adopting, the director would allow us to send gifts in gallon Ziploc bags. We got this great idea from Ordinary Hero who is doing something similar with their “Blessing Bags”. Each bag has a specific size and gender on it for example, “boy size 3”, or “girl size 6”. Included in the bag is a complete outfit to fit a child of that size. So for example, for a boy, you would put in a new shirt, pants, underwear, socks, perhaps a toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste, a bar of soap, maybe crayons, coloring book, or a pencil with a sharpener and a small toy or gift ..... Anything that can fit into a Gallon Ziploc. (But nothing that needs batteries since they wear out.) For a girl, you could put in the same items, or perhaps a dress with leggings.

If you'd like to participate, please send your Gallon Gifts to:

Rivers of Living Water

PO Box 802

Whitehall, MT 59759

We will need them to arrive no later than Monday, December 26th. Thanks so much!!!

Bonnie Schilling
Rivers of Living Water ~ Helping Orphans and Widows in Need
www.rivers-of-living-water.org

Amazing Grace . . .

2011-11-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

We serve an AMAZING God.

How do I write this ... for once in my life I am speechless. It has taken me a few days just to be able to write this out. I have been walking around like I am stunned.

OK ... let me give you some background information. A few weeks ago, by God's grace, we were able to raise the $2000 to feed all 1000 orphan kids in the village of Gojjo, Ethiopia a special Christmas Dinner. As I talked about the dream of doing this, our partner said, if you are able to raise $2000 for this ... I will be there in the village that day with my family serving dinner.

And I thought "I want to be there in the village that day!!" So I began organizing "Make a Difference for Christmas Mission Trip." About 15 people said they were either going or interested in going. But as the time grew closer, little by little people, were unable to go, for one reason or another.

This last week, we still had 2 ladies who REALLY wanted to go ... and me. I was discouraged to say the least, plus we did not have enough money in our organization's account that I could even go, so I was about to call off the mission trip until next year. After all it was kind of a spur of the moment trip. Not a lot of time to plan and fund raise. I needed about $3000.

Saturday, I found out one of the gals was in my good friend's home fellowship group. She was saying how excited she was. I felt bad, cause it did not look like we could go after all.

Monday this same friend called me and said how the Lord had woken her up at 3:00 AM. So she prayed about me and our trip. Then in the morning, she called and said, is the money the only thing that is stopping you from going? I said yes, and to be honest, some fear of going without my husband! She said that the Lord has woken her up and that she felt lead to make some phone calls to see if she could raise some funds for us to be able to go. I was in awe of how God would speak to her about that.

My husband and I sat and prayed about the whole thing. I told him that this felt like another time, when God made plans for me to go on a mission trip and that I really did not have a choice ... that I was just going. The Lord had put me on the hearts of some missionaries to Czech Republic and they invited me and before I could say no, or actually as I was saying no, $1000 showed up in an account at church for me from 2 anonymous donors. This was starting to feel this same way.

So we left our prayer time and I went out to make food for the family. While we were just about to eat, the kids said a car was driving up our driveway. We live out in the country so not many people ever drive up our road, except for UPS and the occasional person who was lost and asking for directions. I said, joking, if someone drives up here and hands me a check for $3000 I just might faint.

I went out to see who was there, and it was a lady from our own home fellowship group. As soon as I saw, her I knew. She had a troubled look on her face. I said hello and she apologized for not calling first. This lady lives in Butte about 30 minutes from our house. I said .... what are you doing here? She said, the Lord told her to come over to our house and write us a check for $5000.

I just lost it. I started bawling .. loud. I ran and got my husband and told him what was happening. Just so you know ... these ladies do NOT know each other. But they do both know the Lord. And why after all this time and all the ways I have seen the Lord move, why does it surprise me so that he hears our cries and tells other people what ours needs are? She said, I don't know what this is for, but I know I am supposed to give this to your family.

And as we knelt down together and prayed, she said the Lord told her to write us a second check for $500 dollars to buy clothes and shoes for our kids, and maybe a little toy. Wow. I am a very frugal mom. I know how much I have to spend, and many times with 6 kids, there just is not enough to buy new shoes this week or ... I know you need some jeans but lets look at Goodwill first. So we really wear out our stuff and wait until we really NEED something. And here was a check for $500 that we were supposed to go use for clothes and shoes. It was like early Christmas!

He knows our needs. He not only gave us the $3000 but $5000, so now it looks like my husband can go with me! And guess what ... both those other ladies now have decided not to go. So this trip has completely changed. If all goes well we will still go to help feed 1000 orphan kids for Christmas. But we now see this as a vision trip. We get to go and check out Ethiopia and the village without court dates or embassy dates, and pray and ask God if this is indeed Him calling our family to GO.

He is an AMAZING God.

The Invitation . . .

2011-11-14T02:10:00.000-08:00

A lot of time has gone by since last I posted ... a lot has happened. And I can't go back and try to capture it all. So I guess I'll have to just start where we are. We have been watching the Lord opening doors before us. Seems as tho just because we are willing, He is giving us more opportunities to be part of what He is doing. We have become aware that there is a standing invitation.

A few months ago we started up our organization, Rivers of Living Water ~ Helping Orphans and Widows in Need. We thought we'd only be raising funds for water wells, but the Lord had other plans. We partnered with an organization in Ethiopia that plants churches. We then partnered with Living Way Orphan Ministry. Within the first week, sponsors were found for the first 51 orphan kids in the village of Gojjo, Ethiopia by a church in Colorado. So I asked them to get me the names and photos of the next 51 kids. We began a campaign to find sponsors for the next 51 kids.

Through Facebook and church the Lord found all 51 orphan kids sponsors. When that was finished, I thought ... OK what's next? I was thinking about the fact that there are 1000+ orphans in the village of Gojjo. What could we do for them? Then I thought, Christmas is coming, why not raise funds to feed all 1000 kids a Christmas Dinner.

Then I thought .. I want to be in the village to serve the kids. So we also posted and began to plan a mission trip for the end of December so that we could be in the village that week and serve the kids dinner for Ethiopian Christmas, which is January 7th. We've had a few people sign up and we are still working on the details. Praying it can actually happen.

FEED 1000 was a great success and within a short time we were able to raise a little over $2000 so that we can feed all 1000+ kids that day. Now we're working on raising funds to purchase 102 lambs to raise for an ongoing food source for the kids. But somewhere along the line, we realized something else was going on ... there was a deeper call. An invitation ... to go deeper. We felt Him taking us to a different level ... And then we knew .. God's asking us if we would be willing to go to Ethiopia .. as a family. Whoa.

My husband went off on a hunting trip and prayed and God spoke to him and confirmed what I was hearing. Suddenly I was afraid. The very thing my heart longed for was actually happening and I was scared! I found myself bargaining with God telling Him I wasn't ready to sell my house but I'd be willing to go for a year. What about our kids? WE HAVE 6 KIDS and we are in the process of adopting 2 more! I felt scared of what we would encounter there. Then I got this revelation .. He was not asking us to GO ... He was inviting us to COME ... come to where He already was ... to join Him there. Then the peace came ...

So now what? We are waiting. We will need funds to go. He knows that. We have nothing. Our first adoption of 3 kids He paid for completely. I have total faith that He will fund the current adoption, and when He's ready we will get fully funded to be able to leave and live in Ethiopia for our year. My gut feeling is though .. it may not just be for one year.

Here I am Lord ... Send Me!

Ruined for Africa . . .

2011-11-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

I love my country with a patriot love, but I love Africa with a love from God.

You shot an arrow into my heart. It burns deep and it can't be quenched. A groan rises up from deep in my soul. I'm crying out Lord ... Don't put this in me just to make me burn. Set me on fire ... let me DO something.

In my town, my voice falls on deaf ears, blank faces. They think I'm obsessed, and wonder when I'll talk about something different. You've ruined me for Africa.

My REAL Feelings EXACTLY . . .

2011-09-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Months ago ... September 27th, 2010 to be exact, I posted a long time coming, heart felt post, describing what I had been going through the past 6 months, after adopting 3 children from Ethiopia. I was actually doing great, yet upon feeling wonderful, I realized I had been just coping for 6 months. It was like being in a fog or a storm for so long, you just adjusted to the weather and it was normal. Yet when the sun appeared I realized, wow, I guess I've been in a storm, cause this sunshine is wonderful! Kind of like when we lived in Washington for years and it rained for months. You just coped, adjusted, adapted. Then we moved to Montana ... Big Sky Country and ... Oh. My. Gosh. How did I stand it for so many years with the dark and dreary skies? I felt like a mole emerging out of the ground. I could see the light! It was like taking a breath of fresh air!

So, back to my post ... at the time, the Lord had just starting to talk to us about adopting again. I recognized his voice. It was the same as when after 9 months of my first pregnancy, and me wondering "How does ANYONE do this twice!!" I felt the nudging of the Lord to have another baby. Thus my son. But then again .. I had always said I will have 2 children. It was a vow I think I had made as a youth. But never more than 2. One for each parent to deal with, right?

So for a year ... literally, the Lord would talk to me ... urging me, asking me ... "Wouldn't you like to have just one more? Just one more?" "NO, LORD!!!" I can't believe that was where I was at back then, 10 years ago. It took a year of nudging, of pressing me, wooing me. And finally I gave in and said "Yes Lord." And this time, without months of trying and false pregnancy tests .... BOOM . I was instantly pregnant... with Anna, sweet spirited Anna. She was prophesied over and it was said that she would be like Anna in the temple worshipping God day and night, and her spiritual beauty would draw many to God. It is all over her.

OK, so now I was on a roll. God had changed my heart. Years later after much grief and many failed attempts at more pregnancies, we began our adoption journey and brought our 3 children home from Ethiopia. One boy, Gezaw Joshua, and 2 sisters, Bethlehem Hope and Zakeya Joy. We read all the books, did all the research. All about the children and how their lives are affected. But NO ONE told us about the aftermath, what WE might go through! About what happens after you bring them home and all the waiting and hoping and praying was actually over. And real life begins and now you try to find what we called, "The New Normal".

So we muddled through it. For us, really it was not that bad. My new daughter tried to bite me once or twice, but I think that was the extend of the uglies. Thank God for Facebook Friends and online Adoption Groups, because really no one we knew had any good things to say to encourage us. No one had a clue. And if they did, they weren't talking. But Praise God, we made it through with his help and one day I was feeling extra wonderful and I realized ... wow, I just made it thru the dark season and now I'm beginning to see the light of day again! It took about 5 months.

Right about then, when I was just catching my breath, I heard God say, there were two little boys that needed to be added to our family. I could not believe it. No way. Not happy God. But true to form after getting over the shock I jumped and just embraced it and started moving in that direction. We called our homestudy agency and told them the great news, and when they came to do our homestudy update, the gal broke the news to me. We were not ready to adopt yet. We needed to stop pursuing this until one year had passed. Huh? I had a Both Hands Widow Orphan project scheduled for the next month! We knew we had heard God. This was a bitter pill. I found out later she had read my honest blog post from September 27th http://wildprairiefarms.blogspot.com/2010/09/are-you-sure-you-dont-want-just-one.html and decided if I had gone through all that, perhaps I was not ready to adopt yet.

I WAS FURIOUS!!!! I was trying to be transparent about what adoptive parents go through, and I was even sharing it AFTER THE FACT, and I was being judged. People, don't you realize what you do to others when you judge them when they are honest about their wilderness experience. When they get REAL and honest about how it REALLY is and you blast them? I makes people quiet. It's not acceptable to say what's really happening. We have to smile and say things are great and suffer in silence.

Adoption is wonderful. And hard. And glorious. And exhausting. And enriching. And draining. And God is all over it, loving every minute of it as he changes us into the likeness of His Son. It is like a picture of marriage, joining lives together from 2 different worlds, with one common purpose. To be family. Why do we make it NOT OK to talk about it and be REAL????

So, the other night on Facebook, someone posted this AWESOME blogpost from Jen Hatmaker

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/09/06/after-the-airport

When Love Takes You In . . .

2011-05-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Rivers of Living Water ~ a Reality

2011-04-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well that dream I had back on Feb 15th is becoming a reality. http://wildprairiefarms.blogspot.com/2011/02/rivers-of-living-water.html
We are in the process of starting a Non Profit Organization, called Rivers of Living Water - Helping Orphans and Widows in Need.

Our desire is to help place clean water wells in orphanages and villages of adopted children. Our first project is to place a well in The Kamashi Orphanage in Kamashi, Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. This is the orphanage that our daughters came from. For more information, take a look at our new website.

http://www.rivers-of-living-water.org/.

Please pray for us as we begin this new adventure!

Children of God

2011-04-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

A Day of Fasting and Prayer for the Orphans of Ethiopia

2011-03-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Y’all ... and I’m not even from the south ... it just seemed appropriate.

We are declaring a fast. At our house we fast from sundown to sundown, therefore it would be from sundown tonight to sundown Sunday night. If you care to join me, do it whenever you want.

This article was posted on Voice of America yesterday concerning Ethiopian Adoptions. They are about to cut adoptions by 90%. A very sad day for the estimated 5 million orphans of Ethiopia.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/-Ethiopia-to-Cut-Foreign-Adoptions-by-Up-to-90-Percent-117411843.html

Let’s pray for the captives to be released...
For the devil’s hands to be bound ...
For the schemes of the enemy to fail ...
For there to be confusion in the camp ...
That justice will be done for the children who wait now, and the ones who are coming ...
That compassionate leaders will step up and step in and put an end to these plans ...
that children who need a home will have one ...and not wait any longer ...

The Lord is TOTALLY for the Orphan and the Widow. So, none of these wimpy “if this is your will, Lord.”
Justice and compassion for the Orphan are completely in His will. Pray with faith that the walls will come tumbling down and these little captives will be set free.

Will you join me?

Quoting 2 Chronicles 20:6-23

“LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.

14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”

22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

Amen.

The Alaska to Africa Project - March Blitz for Schilling Family and Drawn from Water

2011-03-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

During the month of March, The Alaska to Africa Project is donating all the proceeds from their sales of beautiful hancrafted artwork, their Africas and Crosses, to both The Schiling Family Adoption Fund and Drawn From Water. Please check out their website for samples of their pieces. They are beautiful and would make an awesome gift to anyone who has a heart for Africa or for the cross of Jesus.

Thanks for your support!

http://alaskaafrica.blogspot.com/2011/02/march-blitz-for-schillings.html?spref=fb

Even YOUNG men will dream dreams ...

2011-02-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

Last night my Ethiopian son, Gezaw had a dream ....

"The whole family was walking, taking a LONG walk, trying to go somewhere. And we saw HUGE water coming. And we looked and we saw Noah's boat was coming for us. And then we get on it. And then after that, we get on it and we have animals, too. Our animals get on the boat, too. And then, one day we saw no more water and we saw land and we come out of boat."

I believe this is a dream from the Lord.

Rivers of Living Water . . .

2011-02-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

I had this dream yesterday morning.

We were invited on a vacation with some old church friends of ours, who live in Oregon and have just recently adopted an adorable, baby girl from Ethiopia. When we got there, we were all sharing this HUGE room, that was like, 30 feet long, and had partitions in it. Along the one wall was this 30 foot long picture window, floor to ceiling, that overlooked this huge, wide, white-water rapids, gushing river. We were about 5 stories up overlooking this river, but it still looked violent and ominous.

Both of our families were there. They now have 5 kids, we have 6. I went and looked out this other window on the corner and saw a red suspension bridge, that resembled the Golden Gate Bridge, then on the other side I saw this huge mountain/rock. Masses of people were climbing up the side of the rock and were hanging on by holding on to the rocks jetting out from the wall.

Then suddenly, like someone turned on this huge faucet, water gushed out over the mountain like a mighty, rushing waterfall. The people hung there, reveling in it. Then after about a minute or so, the water turned off again. The people were laughing and thoroughly enjoying the fresh, cold water.  It happened again and again, like someone was turning on and off a huge faucet, a massive waterfall of white-water. There was a huge pool at the bottom and people were swimming and playing in the pool, in the cool, clean, fresh water.

Then I woke up.

I've been waiting to blog about this .. but I feel like I might just burst if I keep it in any longer. We believe the Lord is birthing a ministry through our family. We have this strong desire to place water wells in the orphanages of, not only our adopted children, but in those of other families who have adopted from Ethiopia. In the orphanage where 2 of our kids are from, they take a truck into the river a mile or so away, and hand fill big containers full of the dirty river water. Then they haul it back to the orphanage. The ones who have been adopted are the blessed ones, but still they come to us with parasites and worms, skin disorders and malnutrition.  The ones who remain still continue in this life ....

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

We have been doing a LOT of research in the past few days. Asking LOTS of questions and knocking on LOTS of doors. There are many wonderful Water Organizations out there, even some doing water campaigns to help villages in Ethiopia, but they all have their own partners and work in their own specific areas, and are unable to help us fulfill this vision we believe we have from God: water for the orphans.  I am beginning to get discouraged. But as my friend, JT told me today, "Keep on asking ... all you need is one 'Yes'."

Seems like we will need to start a non-profit organization, or perhaps partner with an existing organization who might want to help us fulfill this vision from the Lord. Please pray for us as we continue to look for that one, open door. If you are an adoptive family and are interested in our project, please let us know!

Thank you and Blessings

Asleep in the Light . . .

2011-02-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

The Lord is birthing something ... deep within me ... there is a crying out for justice for the orphan and the widow, for the oppressed ...

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

I'm feeling like Keith Green when he sang the words of this song ...

WARNING: This song will either convict you or offend you.

Do you see, do you see, All the people sinking down
Don't you care, don't you care, Are you gonna let them drown
How can you be so numb, Not to care if they come
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done.

"Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord", You know it's all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts, No one even sheds one tear ...
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, And He cares for your needs
And you just lay back And keep soaking it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such a sin?

Cause He brings people to your door, And you turn them away
As you smile and say, "God bless you, be at peace"
And all heaven just weeps, Cause Jesus came to your door
You've left him out on the streets

Open up open up, And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries, So how can you delay
God's calling and you're the one, But like Jonah you run
He's told you to speak, But you keep holding it in,
Oh can't you see it's such a sin?

The world is sleeping in the dark, That the church just can't fight
Cause it's asleep in the light
How can you be so dead, When you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave, And you, you can't even get out of bed

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, Come on, get out of your bed
How can you be so numb, Not to care if they come
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done

Don't close your eyes, Don't pretend the jobs done
Come away, come away, come away with Me my love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, my love.

Pretty harsh, right? Or is it?

Relationship Not Behavior

2011-02-07T15:34:00.001-08:00

This post was taken from another source ... 3rd Degree Parenting

I am reposting it here because I think it is an excellent reference for adoptive families. Read on:

By Claudia

October 6, 2009

In retrospect, I have one major regret in my earlier parenting. For the first two placements of older children, I focused on behavior -- attempting to modify it, change it, fix it -- instead of attachment. And the results have been less than satisfactory.

When these particular boys moved into my home my immediate reaction was, "Oh My Goodness!!!! i have so much work to do to prepare them for adulthood." I needed to get busy and fast because their behaviors were completely unacceptable.

Imagine if this was the approach of someone who had begun to get to know a person they thought they wanted to marry. What if on the first date, a woman said, "Welcome to my life. I can see right now that your table manners aren't appropriate, so let's begin working on that right now. Let me show you how to hold a fork." How long would the relationship last? It would die before it began.

Since my first placements I have learned that my first task should be to be the kind of person my child can fall in love with. I need to do and say things that will make them feel good about me. When they do make a mistake, or break a rule, I need to remind them lovingly that this is not how we do things, but that I am still committed to them and love them unconditionally.

This is one of the most important things I have learned as a parent who adopted older children: No child is going to attempt to please or obey an adult to whom they are not attached. When I was growing up, I didn't want to disappoint my mom and dad. I wanted to please them. This was because of our relationship which was healthy, attached, and foundational.

Demanding that children obey us while they are basically still strangers simply because someone has told them that they have a new parent is downright ridiculous. And yet I did it and many parents do. The focus is all on behavior and the child or teen moves in thinking "wow, did I end up with a witch for a mom."
A couple things about behaviors: First, some of them never go away. Mental illness or organic brain damage due to prenatal exposure to alcohol will not go away just because a child is placed in a loving home. And secondly, they'll be around later and you can deal with them then.

When I was a college administrator responsible for discipline I learned the concept, "Get them to respect you first, and later worry about them liking you." I took this principal into adoption and parenting and it ABSOLUTELY DID NOT WORK. Some of the kids never really came to love me as their mom and respect never came either.

Focus that first year on getting the kid to fall in love with you. If you do, you can worry about behavior. I'm not saying to ignore rule violations, but under-react. Keep the focus on the child, on attachment, on learning to understand your child and years down the road you'll be much farther ahead than those who started tackling behavior the day the kids moved it.

The voice of wistful experience, combined with regret, has spoken.

From 3rd Degree Parenting

Time to Worship

2011-02-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

This video is from Woliso, Ethiopia at Emmanuel Orphanage where my son Gezaw was living for over a year until he came home to be with our family. Just thought I'd share. This is church, and they are singing about Yesus. Love it!

Matching Grant Update - Only $216.09 Short

2011-01-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

Thank you to those who recently sent us a donation towards our Adoption!

As you know we are in the fundraising stages of our next Adoption, of 2-3 Orphans from Ethiopia, Africa. A while back we were offered a $3000 matching grant during our Both Hands Project from Lifesong for Orphans. So far, we have raised $2,783.91. Praise God! Again, thank you so much, to all who have already contributed.

We are still $216.09 short of reaching our goal for the full $3000 grant. So close ... yet so far!

If you haven't already, would you please consider making a generous donation, or ANY donation, to our Both Hands/Lifesong for Orphans account? It's tax-deductable and you would be following James 1:27:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress ..."

In order to make a donation, please go to:

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProjComp.html
and scroll down to 11/06/10 - Charles & Bonnie Schilling
and click on DONATE.

Thank you SO much!

Love & Blessings

I'll Follow You

2011-01-27T13:40:00.001-08:00

Another video and song that has touched my heart.

I'll follow you into the homes of the broken ...
Follow You into the world.
I'll meet the needs of the poor and the needy, God.
I'll follow You into the world.

"What Made You Choose Ethiopia?"

2011-01-25T17:14:00.000-08:00

I had someone else ask me today, in a dry, tone of voice ... "What made you choose Ethiopia?" (What she really meant was, why didn't we adopt from the United States.)

There was this long silence as my mind raced through all the thousands of reasons why ... Ethiopia.

The question really should have been "WHO made you choose Ethiopia?" I did not choose Ethiopia. The Lord did.

We were thinking Domestic Adoption, but the Lord said, "What about Ethiopia?"

Then we were thinking, Nicaragua, but the Lord said, "What about Ethiopia?"

Then we thought, anywhere in Latin America, but the Lord said, "What about Ethiopia?"

So finally, as every other door quietly closed, we turned around and saw the doors for Ethiopia opened wide before us. "Then you will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way ... walk in it.'" So we did.

And now, my heart burns for the Orphans in Ethiopia and other countries in Africa. I have been ruined. I saw where they live, what they have and don't have, I feel the burden for them. I carry it in my heart.

So then this same person asked, "When will you know that you have enough children in your family?" I wanted to slap her. I wondered about the motive of this question, in this nation of house, 2 cars, 2.5 children and a dog.

And I said, "I thought with this last adoption that we had enough, but the Lord keeps telling us there are more out there, so after we bring these next ones home ... I guess we will see what the Lord has to say."

I then asked her if she had ever been out of this country. She had not.

We live in such an abundant of blessing. It's all around us. We have SO MUCH STUFF that we have to rent storage units to put it all in. We have 2 or 3 car garages, (well actually we don't) that are bigger than 2 or 3 whole houses in many other countries.

So "Why Ethiopia?" Because we told the Lord a while back, "My life is yours. Do what you will. I will follow You." And we meant it.

We followed Jesus to Ethiopia.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I found this video today from another family who are in the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia. Take a look ... it may help answer the question, "Why Ethiopia?"

$3000 Matching Grant . . . Can you Help?

2011-01-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

As you know we are in the Fundraising stages of our next Adoption, of 2-3 Orphans from Ethiopia, Africa. A while back we were offered a $3000 matching grant during our Both Hands Project. So far, we have raised $2540.44 ! Praise God! Thank you so much, to all who have already contributed!

But, we are still $459.56 short of reaching our goal for the full $3000 grant. So close ... yet so far!

If you haven't already, would you please consider making a generous donation, or ANY donation, to our Both Hands/Lifesong for Orphans account? It's tax-deductable and you would be following James 1:27:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress ..."

In order to make a donation, please go to:

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProjComp.html
and scroll down to 11/06/10 Charles & Bonnie Schilling
and click on Donate.

Thank you SO much!

Love & Blessings

The Least of These . . .

2011-01-21T22:06:00.000-08:00

I am feeling bothered tonight ... there is a burning deep inside my heart. These scriptures, and what they say ... what about the orphans? Why are there so many ... still? Why does there seem to be so few who are "called" to adopt. Isn't it a calling for all of us to care for the least of these? And if not to adopt them ... to do SOMETHING? Check this out from God's Word ....

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

What part of this scripture don't we Christians understand? It says if we call ourselves Christians we should be taking care of orphans and widows ... it's right out there, in black and white, no hidden meanings. But how many of us do?

How about this one ....

Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

This is scarey stuff. But I didn't say it ... God did. Why then, does there seem to be only a few families scattered here and there who have a heart for the orphan? And when we talk to other Christians, most folks, their eyes just glaze over .... like we are speaking a different language .... they don't get it ... They are thinking about where to go out to lunch after church.

My heart is heavy ....

Depraved Indifference - Eric Ludy

2011-01-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

Why Ethiopia?

2011-01-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

This video was posted by a friend on Facebook. I thought they did a great job on answering the question many of us hear, when we say we are adopting from Ethiopia. "Why Ethiopia? Why not from the United States."

At first you see the history of Ethiopia which might not answer your question ... but keep watching ...

Melkam Ganna - It's Christmas in Ethiopia!

2011-01-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

Hi all, a few folks have ask me for the recipes I used for today's Ethiopian feast. They each were very easy, the only thing I did wrong was try to make them all in one day in 3 hours time!!! I found these online so I will just post the links to the websites.

I made fresh Berbere Paste to use in the other recipes:
http://www.whats4eats.com/sauces/berbere-recipe
I did replace the chiles with Paprika as the recipe suggested ...
... tasted great to me and the kids!

Niter Kibbeh - Spiced Clarified Butter for the recipes:
http://www.whats4eats.com/sauces/niter-kibbeh-recipe

Doro Wat - Spicy Chicken Stew
http://www.whats4eats.com/poultry/doro-wat-recipe
I recommend doubling the chicken for a big family.
(We have 8 people so I tripled it.)

Beef Tibs - Sauted Beef & Vegetables
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=466545
I would say this would have been better to put in a slow cooker after sauteing to get the meat really soft.

Quick Injera:
http://www.whats4eats.com/breads/injera-quick-recipe
I would add the 2 1/2 to maybe 3 cups of the club soda, as mine came out very thick like a pancake not a crepe. I added 1 cup white flour, 1/2 cup teff flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. Also I added the lemon juice right to the recipe instead of brushing it on later.

I also made White Beans, which did not want to be ready in time for the meal so we will have them for dinner. Recipe for that is 2 cups small white beans, cover it with about 6 - 8 cups hot water and soak OVERNIGHT. (I forgot to do this) Next day drain of water and recover with 6 - 8 cups hot water. Bring to a boil then simmer until beans are soft. Never add salt to any beans until the end or they will stay crunchy. I added chopped then pureed sweet onions and minced garlic, then salt, pepper and garlic salt and some of the berbere paste. Going to be VERY yummy!

All in all, the kids LOVED it and I did too. I really did not like the injera in ET but this one was OK, cause it was not so sourdoughish.

Enjoy and Melkam Ganna - Merry Ethiopian Christmas!

2010-12-28T21:52:00.000-08:00

I remember the first time I heard this song. I think it was about 6 years ago. I was in my kitchen. And as I heard the chorus, I stopped and broke down and cried. The Lord was breaking my heart for the orphan ... and it was then I knew ... that we were called to adopt.

The Christmas Stroll

2010-12-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

Every year since it's inception, my little business, Wild Prairie Farms, has participated in the Whitehall Christmas Stroll. And every year I average about the same amount in sales. Last year with the economy so poor, it was the worst ever.

Well this year, it took me about 3 solid weeks to get ready, with the last week being 8-10 hour days in the kitchen .... Yikes.

For the past 2 years, sales from our website www.wildprairiefarms.net and Farmer's Markets have gone directly to our Adoption Fundraisers. So this year, I made an extravagent prayer request and asked the Lord for $1000 in sales ... WELL over my usual.

By noon I had made a whopping $120, by 3:00 $379. But by 6:00, closing time, with sales and donations, the Lord gave us $1039. Thank you Jesus!

I tell you this, only to say that the Lord is able to do more than we can imagine or think. He cares for the orphan ... What are you believing Him to do for you and your family today? Ask Him ... He is able!

Pleading the Cause of the Orphan

2010-11-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

How many people know that November is Adoption Awareness Month?
How many people know that last Sunday was Orphan Sunday?
Last Saturday we did our Both Hands Project ~
One Hand for the Widow ~ One Hand for the Orphan

In Psalm 68:5-6 The Lord says he is the ... "Father to the fatherless,
a defender of widows ... God sets the lonely in families... "

We know that not everyone is called to adopt children into their home.
But we are all called to care for the orphan.

James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble ..."

I once asked a pastor, what this really meant. He said basically if you are a Christian, this is what you are supposed to do.

For our family we feel it is a calling from God to open our hearts and our home to orphans. Is it easy? NO. Is it worth it? Absolutely...

Isaiah 1:17 says, "Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the Orphan, Plead for the widow."

So today I am defending the cause of the Orphan.

Let me tell you a little story:

Once there was an old man walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a young man.

As he got closer, he noticed that the young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He called out "May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man looked up, and replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"Why are you doing this?" asked the old man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the old man commented, "But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"

When our son Gezaw first came home, he told us:
At night he would lie down on his face and pray for a family.
For many days he did this.

We believe there are many others out there that are praying.
Today I want to invite you to be the answer to a child’s prayer:
Whether it is through Adoption, Missions or Financially.

They estimate that there are 152 million orphans in the world.
So does it really matter when you rescue 2?
It does to those to those 2.

Check out the NEW Video of our Both Hands Project !

2010-11-09T20:51:00.000-08:00

Schilling Family Adoption - Both Hands Project from Bonnie Schilling on Vimeo.

One Hand for the Widow

2010-11-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

Well, the first half or our Both hands Project was a great success! All week it was 65+ degrees and sunshine. But for Saturday, they were forecasting a cold front and rain. We prayed hard all week and commanded the clouds to BACK OFF!! The day began sunny and beautiful!

We had about 30 adults and 12 kids volunteer to help. In one day we accomplished as much as an army!

The pipes under her house were exposed and froze each year. We added fiberglass insulation and then added a plywood covering over it all.

We added Storm Doors to the front and back of her home.

We added 14 sheets of T1-11 paneling around the base of her home, covering the patchwork of beat up plywood.

We painted the entire worn out Brown house, a beautiful Sky Blue.

Her weathered wooden window frames were wrapped with white aluminum.

Her old wooden window sashes were scraped and painted a fresh white, along with her patio railings.

Two dump truck loads junk and trash were picked up and hauled off.

All her ripped and frayed screens were replaced.

Aluminum flashing replaced the rotting wood base around her home.

The decks were swept clean.

The windows were washed inside and out.

The inside of her home was swept, washed, cleaned, dusted, vacuumed and polished.

We each stopped for a few moments here and there throughout the day to sit and visit with her, to talk, to pray and to encourage her.

At the end of the day I sat with her and SHE prayed for ME! She prayed that all our needs would be met by the Lord. She was totally blessed and overwhelmed by the goodness of God ... how He answers us before we even ask Him for help!

And as the last car left, it began to rain. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

Our Both Hands Project - This Saturday !

2010-11-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

Nov 6th is Orphan Sunday weekend. Our family and a team of friends, will be performing a Home Makover for a local widow, while at the same time, raising funds to adopt 1-2 more orphans from Ethiopia. We need prayers and support. Can you help us spread the word?

So now we've got Good News and Bad News.

The Good News is we have been awarded a Matching Grant for $3000 from Lifesong for Orphans for our upcoming adoption. This means every dollar you give up to $3000, will be DOUBLED. :) $3000 = $6000!

The Bad News is that we don't get that grant money unless our friends support us. :( It's hard for us to ask you, but if you've been thinking about helping us by sponsoring us during our Both Hands Project ~ One Hand for the Widow ~ One Hand for the Orphan, please send in your donation soon! Our project is this Saturday, November 6th and although we can recieve your donations anytime, now is better than later! And by the way, all donations are tax deductible.

Our Both Hands Project is a fundraiser to adopt and give 2 more Institutionalized Orphans a Forever Family. We believe this is a calling on our lives from God, to raise the ransom and rescue these kids from a life of loneliness and despair. We appreciate your help.

To make a donation go to:
http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProj.html
Scroll down to 11/06/10 and to the Schilling Family

Thank you so much!

Bonnie Schilling

Our Both Hands Project - One Hand for the Widow - One Hand for the Orphan

2010-11-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

As you know, this last Easter, we adopted and brought home 3 children from Ethiopia. Now we are a family of eight. You would think our family was complete!

We thought so too, until just recently, when we felt the Lord inviting us once again to open our hearts and home, to at least one little boy, perhaps two.

Last year we witnessed the Lord’s provision in miraculous ways and we firmly believe that what He... calls us to do, He will provide for. So we are taking another huge step of faith and surrendering our lives to the Lord’s purposes for our family and His kingdom. Where He leads us, we want to follow.

We’ve organized a Both Hands Project for this Saturday, November 6th. Both Hands is a Christian organization partnering with Lifesong for Orphans that helps serve widows in local communities in practical ways, while raising funds to help orphans become adopted.

If you have ever sponsored somebody to participate in a walk-athon or a 5K run, this will be an easy concept to understand. Instead of running, a team of about 14 people, including us, will be spending one entire day working on a widow’s home, performing minor repairs and fixing up her house inside and out. Basically all the work that can be completed in just one Saturday. Sort of a home improvement and landscape makeover.

We will be asking people to sponsor us while we work and serve a widow and the money will be used to help bring these orphans home to their forever family.

To check out Both Hands and Lifesong for Orphans online, go to:
www.lifesongfororphans.org/bothHands.html

If you would like to sponsor us:
Online at www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProj.html
Scroll down to find Charlie and Bonnie Schilling
choose the Donate button.

Check made payable to Lifesong for Orphans
Be sure to write Schilling Adoption #1604
in the memo section of your check.

Mail your check to:
Lifesong for Orphans,
PO Box 40,
202 N. Ford St,
Gridley, IL 61744

THANK YOU!!!!

When the devil comes in like a flood ...

2010-10-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, these past few day have been like a flood ... High and low events like you wouldn't believe ....

But our God is faithful ... When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19)

I am like a lamb ... we are the sheep of His pasture ... I KNOW the voice of the Shepherd, My Father. His voice does not bring fear, chaos or stir up anger. That is the voice of the enemy. In the midst of the storm, His voice brings peace.

The morning after receiving awesome confirmation from the Lord that we were on the right path, we were instantly in the middle of a storm. It left us angry, confused, disillusioned, feeling betrayed. But not towards the Lord.

We cried out to the Lord to speak to us, to let us know we heard Him correctly, to speak to us in the midst of the storm.....

And that He did!

As I was walking out of my bedroom, I noticed a piece of folded notebook paper sticking up out of a slightly opened dresser drawer. An unusual sight, since I don't even use that dresser, except for storage. Ordinarily, I would have just shoved it back in and shut the drawer, but somehow it intrigued me. I picked it and opened it. This was a letter that had gone missing shortly after receiving it 5 years ago. The letter was dated 8/11/05. It was from a good friend in Oregon, who had sent us a check for $100, when we were attempting to raise funds five years ago to adopt 2 little boys from Guatemala. We raised a total of $170. A clear indication that the doors were shut. We never cashed the check, and soon the envelope and it's contents went missing. I was so sad about it, I never even thanked her.

So as we were crying out to the Lord to give us direction, to calm the storm, to bring clarity and peace, we read the letter.

"May the Lord MULTIPLY what He sends you in all love offerings, especially in what I am sending today. May He open the heavens and richly bless you and yours with His Love .... Regena. The letter and check were dated 8/11/05. Five years TO THE DAY of the re-adoption of our 3 new Ethiopian children.

For us, this was a huge confirmation that the Lord heard our prayers and that we are on the right path ... the path that He has set before us today. We were both instantly flooded with the peace that comes from the Lord.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Thank you Jesus.

My God Shall Supply ALL of Your Needs ....

2010-10-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

My husband spent a day in Prayer and Fasting a while back. When he was done, I asked him if the Lord had told him anything. He said we need to get a van. To be honest, I thought he was a little off. (This was before I heard the Lord asking us to open up our hearts and home to adopt more kids from Ethiopia.)

We had a Suburban, in fact we have two. Although the older one is for sale. But recently when we decided to adopt we realized, we need a van. We have enough room for the eight people in our family to rise together but not one or two more.

Well this local Catholic Non-Profit organization was selling their used van. Our Pastor's wife, Julie told us about it parked out on a main street in Butte, where we go to church. So we called about it. Turns out they just had a new van donated to them. We test drove it and we liked it. Then I told the very nice man, Leroy, that I was praying that the Lord would have them donate it to us. He smiled. Told me to write a letter to the Board of Directors.

So I put this prayer request out on Facebook, asking my friends to pray that they would donate the van to us.

First they dropped the price down $500. We said thanks. Then we applied for a loan we really could not afford. We got approved. Then we asked them would they consider coming down a little more on the price. He said they would be having a board meeting Tuesday (today) and he would bring it up at the meeting.

Well Leroy called me tonight and said, "How are you Bonnie? Have you been praying? The van is yours. You can pick it up as soon as you'd like to."

THEY DONATED THE VAN TO US!!!! Isn't the Lord AMAZING????

Tickle Me!

2010-10-04T18:50:00.001-07:00

Ever since Zakeya (4 yrs old) came home to live with us, she has not been ticklish. Instead she gets this distant look on her face and hardens herself, will not smile, will not laugh.

We've been praying for her to let down her walls, and for the Lord to immerse her in His love.

She made a decision to be baptized yesterday and today ... SHE IS TICKLISH!!!!

Are you sure, you don't want ... just one more?

2010-09-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

This blog entry has been removed. This makes me very sad .....

I posted it so that other mom's across the nation would have SOMEONE they could relate to. And instead, I have been judged by it ....

As adoptive parents, we have all these books recommended to us on the kids, how to help them adjust, how to help them attach, how to help them connect, but there is no one out there who is honest enough to say what the adults might be going through and that it's OK. I had done just that ... on purpose... to try to help someone else... and now I am being judged by it.

People don't really want you to be honest. Then if you are, they label you and put you in a box.

I feel my trust has been violated. Makes me not want to share here anymore.

My life has always been this: to comfort others with the same comfort I myself have received. That comfort has not come from "the professionals", that comfort has come directly from God Almighty. And I willingly expose myself so that others might find the same comfort and healing I have found. That is who I am and why I was made. I will continue to do this for the rest of my life. But maybe not here and not today.

Can I forgive? Yes I can. But, my trust has been violated.

The New Normal

2010-05-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well here I am. We survived. The first month was incredibly hard ... kind of like having 3 new babies that don't stay in the crib. I was very sick for the first 2 weeks, which made it harder.

I have been WAY TOO busy to sit at the computer. They keep me busy all the time! With spring here, there is much I want to do ... start our vegetable garden, clean out the weeds and plant flowers, build my white picket fence, make soap and get ready for the Farmer's Market, finish taxes (oy vey) .. but I can hardly see the floor in my "used to be cleaner and semi-organized" house. Every day it looks like a tornado came thru! Mess everywhere! Why do kids throw everything on the floor?!!

Someday I just leave it all behind and go outside and prepare the garden. I built some raised beds, started tilling around the soon to be white picket fence for herbs and flowers. But I just can't seem to get on top of anything! When will things become normal again?!!

Actually it took about a month and now we call it the "New Normal". I love my new kids, but being honest I spent some time the first week, greiving over the loss of the old normal, things will never be the same ... we are now a bilingual, multi-racial, blended family ... and it is all good. Somedays are hard, some good. Everyday is FULL. No chance of boredom here!

The kids are learning English and I am learning Orominya. We are communicating very good with what we have to work with. Lately, they are beginning to share some history and included in there are many heartaches. I'm so glad we know the Healer of hearts. They are Christians! So very cool! They sing Christian songs in their language, remind us to zalote (pray) when we forget, before eating. They learned "Jesus Loves Me" very quickly.

They have very tender hearts, but also a very stubborn streak, in each one. Like normal kids! Remember when your mom used to say, "Eat your food, the starving children in Africa would be happy to eat ANYTHING!" It's NOT true. They are as picky as any kid.

We have a huge paradigm shift going on here. They LOVE to work (hoji). If you are doing something and don't give them a job, they are hurt. "Me no hoji?", with a very sad face and tears. Out in the garden, Dibora does a mean hoe. She told me she and Zakeya both worked in Kamashi in the garden. They were probably only 2 & 3 years old. Such a huge difference with our kids in America.

This has been an incredible ride, a white knuckler at times, but I wouldn't give it up for ANYTHING! God is good, all the time.

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hands have provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

I'll be back, the next time I come up for air!

Jet Lag

2010-04-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

Oh My Gosh ... Will I ever function again? I can't believe this jet lag! I am overwhelmed and exhausted and there is so much to tell, but where to start. The kids are great, beautiful and ours.... that's all I can say today. More later when I recover....

Time to Travel !

2010-03-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

Well, at long last we have recieved our approval to travel to pick up ALL THREE of our children!

We will be traveling to Addis Ababa through Dubai. Our whole family needs your prayers for protection. Already this week, days before we are leaving, our oldest daughter Bethanie, broke her arm.
:(

We are SO EXCITED! We will post pictures and more info when we get back and we are able to catch our breath!

Thanks again for all of your support!

Zoo with Sue

2010-03-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

Some of the older kids got to have an outing with the director, Sue while she was in Addis Ababa. What a treat! Here is our Gezaw and Dibora! I LOVE her hair!

The girls meet their new brother!

2010-03-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Girls, this is Gezaw. Here is your new brother. Why don't you come over here and give him a hug?

What ... and get Boy Cooties?

Zakeya's face is priceless!

We Have a New Son!

2010-03-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

This is Joshua Gezaw Matthew.

Joshua means "YAHWEH is Salvation."

Gezaw is Amharic and means "Take Authority over him."

Matthew means "Gift of YAHWEH."

Kutless - What Faith Can Do

2010-02-23T18:08:00.000-08:00

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You do have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!

Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

Wait Upon the Lord

2010-02-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well, we had our long awaited big, huge, Benefit Concert last night. The time of worship was great, Leon was great! The Lord's presence was there with us. But less than 50 people came. Thunk.... VERY depressing.

But God still has a plan, that just wasn't it. We hadn't made any travel plans yet. So we talked with our director this morning, (thanks Sue). And then we prayed.

In my heart, I heard the Lord say, "Wait upon the Lord. You'll renew your strength". So we looked it up in the Bible. This is what it says:

"But, those who wait for the Lord, who expect, look for, and hope in Him, shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up close to God as eagles mount up to the sun; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired." Isaiah 40:31 Amplified

God sees the whole picture, we don't. For some reason, He wants us to wait and not go yet. If we had received all the money we needed at the concert as we had hoped, we would be leaving in 2 weeks. But that door has been closed now. This way, we have to wait for God's perfect timing and trust that He knows what is best. So we have decided to wait until March 4th to see if Gezaw's case passes court.

If he does, we will pick up all three kids together, probably the beginning of April. A month later for the girls than we had hoped ... :(

If he doesn't pass court on March 4th, I will probably fly ALONE (Oh My Gosh...) at the last minute :{ by March 7th and pick up the girls and take them to their original March 11th Embassy Appointment. Talk about stressful. Then Charlie will fly later when Gezaw's case does pass.

We hope it doesn't happen this way, as Charlie admits, he needs me there since I've been doing all the paperwork and I need him there so I'm not scared to death and having panic attacks.

So, we started out stunned and bummed today, but now I'm experiencing His peace. We are trusting that God is in control and He has a plan.

After everything last night, we still received $1300, which is really incredible and we are very greatful. With this new plan, we still need about $8000 to complete all three adoptions and pick them up. So you can be in prayer about that for us.

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

2010-02-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, my husband's birthday, we received a special donor grant for $10,000!! That makes a total of $14,500 in grants in the past week or so! This pays for our 2 girl's country fees. Those needed to be paid in full before we could travel. So now, we can schedule our Embassy appointment. We should be traveling the week of March 11th to go pick up our girls!!!

We still need about $6,800 for travel and visas for the girls and about $8500 for Gezaw's adoption fees, travel and visas before we pick him up late April.

At this point I know that I know, the Lord will provide everything we need. But I am still knocking, asking, and reminding Him that we are still in need.

We are having our Benefit Concert this Friday night. Please pray for 1000 people to come! So far our pre-concert ticket sales have been very slow. But, our God is able to do more than we can imagine or think!

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Received a Grant from Lydia Fund!

2010-02-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Praise God. We had an over the phone interview tonight with the folks from The Lydia Fund and they decided to give us a grant! One more step closer to picking up our girls. But it's not over yet. Keep prayin'! If we get all the money we need soon, we can travel for our embassy date the week of March 11th!

Ready for Travel!

2010-02-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

We got word today, that if we had all the money we needed, right now, we would be ready to make travel arrangements to pick up our girls. All of their paperwork, birth certificates, passports, etc. are ready. Please pray that the Lord would send us the finances we need to bring our girls home!

Grants Pending

2010-02-09T23:02:00.000-08:00

Right now we are being considered for 3 different grants! Please pray that the Lord will release the much needed funds to us.

Good news!

2010-02-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

Gezaw's case has been submitted to Ethiopian court today. If all goes well he could be home in 12 weeks! Pray!

The Lord found us our boy!

2010-02-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

As you may know, we have been in the process of adopting 3 kids. 2 little girls, Zakeya & Dibora who passed court on Jan 21st. and Godeza, who did not pass court, in fact his Dad came and took him home.

We immediately asked Sue to put us on the waiting list for another infant boy. But God has His own plans. All we have to do is listen and when we hear His voice, we need to drop all of our own plans and agendas and embrace what He wants.

"I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

So after much wrestling with the Lord, :) we have laid our own plans down and we have joyfully decided to adopt Gezaw from the Waiting Boys list. He is 7 years old, has a sweet and gentle smile. In fact he is smiling in every picture. Even on his medicals, the Dr. noted that when he was there getting his exam, he was smiling.

Sue says he is paper ready and will be submitted to court next week. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Grant Money Awarded!

2010-02-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

Praise God!
We got a call today from CARI and we have been awarded a grant! This gets us one step closer to bringing our kids home! Thank you Lord! Keep Praying....

Upcoming Benefit Concert

2010-01-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

We are having a Benefit Christian Concert, Friday, February 19th at 7 pm at East Middle School in Butte, Montana.

The concert will feature local Worship Pastor and Contemporary Christian Artist, Leon Young, from Missoula, MT. Leon just recently opened for Sanctus Real and Brandon Heath at the Ravalli County Fair in Hamilton, MT and for Big Daddy Weave in Missoula.

Tickets are a $10 donation in advance and $12 at the door. Tickets can be purchase online at www.wildprairiefarms.net/tickets.htm
All proceeds will go to the Schilling Family Adoption Fund.

Tell your friends!

Joy & Hope

2010-01-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

OK ... Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Praise God! We have 2 more little girls in our family! So happy and excited to bring them home.

Sarah Zakeya Joy
Rachel Dibora Hope

We are still waiting for mega funds to miraculously appear from heaven to pay our remaining fees. We still have not heard from 8 of our grant agencies that we applied for. We will not be able to travel until we pay our account in full. Our embassy date could be as early as February 25th, 4 weeks from now!

Please pray for a miracle! Please, Lord, hear our cries!

Good news and Bittersweet News

2010-01-21T23:36:00.000-08:00

Today we received both, although unfortunately, the latter seems to overshadow the first right now. Today our cases went to court in Ethiopia.

Our girls passed and are now legally ours. Praise God. I will post pictures when I regain my bearings.

Our little guy, Gadeza did not pass. In fact his father came and instead of relinquishing him, he took him home. This is really very good news. He gets to stay with his daddy. So why am I so sad? It feels as though I have had another miscarraige, I guess. I have had to remind myself today, that he did not die.

So, we Praise God who is very much present in our lives. He has a plan. It is not our plan. We want what he wants. So we surrender to His will.

This morning, we got on the waiting list for an infant boy. We are only #3, but I believe we will have to have our money up front, before we can accept a referral this time, since we are still waiting on the rest of our financing for this adoption.

I am tired ... this has been a very lonnnnnng journey. Just when I thought we were at the top of the mountain almost ready to start on the downhill, we are at the bottom of another mountain, looking up. Our family will not be completed until our little boy is home.... whoever and wherever he is... please keep us in your prayers.

Today I grieve. Tomorrow I will rejoice that I have 2 new little girls.

Our girls are on their way!

2009-12-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

We got an email today that our 2 girls have left their orphanage 14 hours away in Kamashi and are on their way to the Transition House in Addis Ababa. This is great news! So now all three of our kids will be there together!

Praise God!

Gifts on December 24th ... Christmas Eve

2009-12-31T15:26:00.000-08:00

We've been waiting for this form called an I-171H from Homeland Security. This is our approval to adopt our 3 kids in Ethiopia. So I called their office in Helena, Montana and left a message, wondering when we might receive it. The Lord knows you can't talk to a person! They called back and said they had already sent it to us! That letter of approval we got, WAS the I-171H. It was just behind the typed letter. So we've had it since Dec 24th!

December 24th, 2002, I stood in my front yard with my little family and buried a little box under the fir trees. We had lost our last baby after 3 months of pregnancy. It was buried on Christmas Eve. As we stood there singing Amazing Grace... it started snowing. I love the snow. The Lord knows I love the snow. It was a gift. It reminded me of the song...

Mercy is falling, is falling, is falling.
Mercy it falls like a sweet spring rain.
Mercy is falling, is falling all over me...

And now 7 years later we recieved 3 gifts on Christmas Eve.
Our court date
Our I-171H
The CD of Gadeza, our Ethiopian son

God is so good.

Faith Like Potatoes

2009-12-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

I sought the Lord and He heard me,
and delivered my from all my fears.
O taste and see that they Lord is good
and blessed is the man who trusts Him.

I've been "on my face" as it were, for the past few days. Really crying out to God regarding our adoption. Was this really you God? Or have I done all this in my own strength? Now that we've gotten this far, will you send the money that we need to complete this adoption? Or will you leave us hanging here? I'm not good at waiting. I'm good at getting the job done. Are you there? Are you listening? Why are you silent? I need to hear from You! It has felt like God has withdrawn Himself, to see what was in my heart.

We watched a great movie last night. "Faith Like Potatoes" A story about a South African farmer. Who had a dramatic conversion to Jesus. Based on a true story. He was used by God because of his faith in God's power and God did incredible miracles. And after hearing from God he planted potatos in the dry drought land of Africa. Then prayed for a harvest. Everyone thought he was crazy. But He believed God and did not doubt.

He explained it that faith is like potatoes that grow under the ground where it is hidden. You can't see what God is doing sometimes, until the time is right and it's ready to harvest.

Today, Christmas Eve, we received not one but THREE really cool things.

1) We have a court date in Ethiopia. January 21st.
    When we pass our kids will be legally ours!
2) We got an approval letter from Homeland Security for our I-600A
3) We got a CD of our son, Gadeza in Ethiopia,
     looking at our photo album. He looked a little scared
     and kept shaking his head, Yes then No. Please, pray for him...

But the Lord is faithful. He hears the cries of our hearts. He is doing things even when we can not see. So .... I will, with all of my will, TRUST my Lord to deliver these children all the way home to us and bring us all the finances we need.

Submitted to Court!

2009-12-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know how she does it, but our director Sue is awesome. I just barely got my dossier off Express Mail, when I got an email from Ethiopia saying our cases have been submitted to the courts in Ethiopa and we should have a court date soon! Probably by the end of January!

This is incredible! Very exciting! Very scarey too, because we still do not have our funds ready to complete the adoption yet. This is definately a Faith journey. There is nothing I can do to make this happen. It is totally in the Father's hands. A hard place to be when you are used to getting things done.

Wait on the Lord ... and He will stregthen your heart.

Updated Adoption Status

2009-12-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

Steps we have completed:
$ Home Study - Tons of paperwork

$ Choose an Adoption Agency - More paperwork

Education Requirements - Reading and paperwork
Choose Children to be Adopted - We chose 3!

$ Gather Documents for Dossier - Mountain of paperwork

$ Passports for Everyone

$ Submit I-600A - Apply for Homeland Security Approval
$ Get Fingerprints Taken
    First Home Study put on on Hold
$ Second Home Study - new agency - Redo Paperwork
    Get an Approved Home Study - Praise the Lord!
$ Apply for Adoption Grants
$  Get State Seals from Sec of State
    Copy of Dossier hand carried to Ethiopia by our Director!

Steps to be completed:
$  Submit Dossier to be Authenticated in Washington DC
$ Original Dossier Sent to Ethiopia
$ Receive Grant money
$  First half of In-Country Fees - This is a HUGE Mountain!
$ Second half In-Country Fees - Same
$ Receive an I-171H Approval from Homeland Security
    Receive a Court Date
    Pass Court - Kids legally ours thru Power of Attorney!
$ Submit I-600 to Adopt 3 kids
$ Submit DS-230 App. for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration
$ Submit I-864 Immigration Affidavit of Support
    Receive an Embassy Date
$ Make Travel Arrangements - another financial mountain
    Travel to Ethiopia
$ Food and Lodging
PICK UP OUR KIDS!
    Show up for Embassy Appointment
$ Pick up Visas for kids
    Travel Home at last!

God is Faithful. He hears our Prayers.

2009-12-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

I had been working really hard the past few weeks getting ready for the big annual "Chirstmas Stroll" event here in Whitehall, MT. Always a big $ maker each year for my little business, www.wildprairiefarms.net. But this year, with the economy the way it is, it has been slow all year. But in faith (and absurd boldness) I prayed that we would make $1000 by the end of the day, (more than we ever had). We need it for our Adoption Fundraiser to bring our 3 little kids home from Ethiopia.

This week with a huge list of things to finish up, on top of everything else, 2 of my kids had birthdays. Ben turned 10, and Anna, the next day, turned 8. Two separate days of birthday parties, 2 cakes, 2 sets of kids, in the midst of everything else.

Thursday, I made 20 Pies, the kids and I made 6 batches of Cookies, and Charlie made 2 batches of Fudge. We made 4 gallons of Hot Chocolate. And 13 loaves of bread. So come yesterday, my birthday, I spent it working my tail off at a craft fair, sitting in the far back, dark corner of the room, (I called it the Tundra), praying for customers.

By 1:00 I was ready to cry, it was so slow. I called our Pastor and told him our dilema, and he began praying and also agreed that we could bring the rest of our baked goods to the church to sell as part of our fundraiser between services. By the end of the day, we had made about $500. Pretty good for a small town of 1400 people in a bad economy. I was grateful.

We packed up and on our way home stopped and had a great charbroiled dinner at the Two Bit Saloon, :) (I love Montana), then we went home. We unpacked my stuff in the now frigid wind, then built a fire and sat down to open presents and cards and have cheesecake, my favorite.

There in a card, was a check for $500. My legs about folded underneath me and I started to cry. God knows our needs. He knows the timing of everything. He works all things together for good for those who love Him. He answered our prayers. $1000 by the end of the day.

Plus, as an added bonus, today at church we made another $228 from the remaining cookies, fudge and pies. God is able to do exceedingly more, above and beyond what we can imagine or think.

God's Promise

2009-11-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth." Isaiah 43:5-6

I Will Follow You

2009-11-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

Let the Waters Rise - Mikeschair

Don’t know where to begin, It's like my worlds caving in
And I try but I can't control my fear, Where do I go from here
Sometimes it's so hard to pray, When You feel so far away
but I am willing to go where You want me to, God I Trust You

There's a raging sea, Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in, Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise, If You want them to
I will follow You, I will follow You

I will swim in the deep, Cuz you’ll be next to me
You’re in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea
Your never out of reach, God You know where I’ve been
And You were there with me then
You were faithful before You’ll be faithful again
I’m holding Your hand

There's a raging sea, Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in, Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise, If You want them to
I will follow You, I will follow You

God Your love is enough, You will pull me through
I’m holding onto You, God Your love is enough
I will follow You, I will follow You

There's a raging sea, Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in, Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise, If You want them to
I will follow You, I will follow You

Visit our Just Love Coffee Store

2009-11-03T22:46:00.000-08:00

We have recently signed up with Just Love Coffee. With every bag of coffee you purchase, we receive $5 towards our Adoption Fundraiser. Another portion goes towards helping children in an Ethiopian orphanage. You can either join the Coffee Club or purchase single bags as desired. They offer Fair Trade Coffees from around the world. Thanks for your support!

www.justlovecoffee/schillingfamily

Loaves & Fishes

2009-11-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

I must be honest. I'm feeling very discouraged as I look up at this new mountain of continued fundraising, and wondering how this little stack of grant applications can equal what we need to complete our adoption journey. So glad that when God is in control it has nothing to do with my feelings, but everything to do with His ability to do whatever He wants.

I am being reminded of what Jesus did with the 2 fish and 5 loaves. He fed over 5000 people and there was 12 baskets full when they were done.

I hope this is the Lord's still small voice reminding me to trust Him.

The Next Mountain

2009-10-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

People are asking us, what's next? When can you go pickup your kids?

International Adoption is a very long involved process. Each step involves $ finances.

Our process is going something like this:

$ Home Study - Tons of paperwork

$ Choose an Adoption Agency - More paperwork

Education Requirements - Reading and paperwork
Choose Children to be Adopted - We chose 3!

$ Gather Documents for Dossier - Mountain of paperwork

$ Passports for Everyone

$ Submit I-600A - Apply for Homeland Security Approval
$ Get Fingerprints Taken
    First Home Study put on on Hold
$ Second Home Study - new agency - Redo Paperwork
    Get an Approved Home Study - Praise the Lord!
$ Apply for Adoption Grants  - This is next
$ Get Immunizations
Receive an I-171H Approval from Homeland Security
$ Pay In-Country Fees - This is a HUGE Mountain!
$ Take Dossier to Helena, Montana to get State Seal
$ Submit Dossier to be Authenticated in Washington DC
$ Send Dossier to Ethiopia
    Receive a Court Date
    Pass Court - Kids legally ours thru Power of Attorney!
$ Submit I-600 to Adopt 3 kids
$ Submit DS-230 App. for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration
$ Submit I-864 Immigration Affidavit of Support
    Receive an Embassy Date
$ Make Travel Arrangements - another financial mountain
   Travel to Ethiopia
$ Food & Lodging
PICK UP OUR KIDS!
    Show up for Embassy Appointment
$ Pick up Visas for kids
    Travel Home at last!

So far we have made it through the really tough stuff, at least it feels that way. The first Home Study had been the biggest spiritual battle and hurdle to get over. We have already had 2 large fundraisers, one in our town of Whitehall, MT and one in our church parking lot in Butte, MT. Everyone has been very generous and helped us make it this far. We were able to pay for 2 Home Studies, our Agency Fees, our I-600A, Fingerprints and Passports for our biological kids.

The next mountain is financing our In-Country Fees. This next mountain is the most expensive one. Now that our Home Study is completed, we can begin applying for Adoption Grants. We are praying that God will continue to provide everything we need. So far, He has. And He always finishes things that He starts!

Even though it looks like we are not even half way through the list, if we had all of our finances today, the next part would go by fairly quickly. So please pray with us as we begin to send out our grant applications this week.

Thanks!

Approved!

2009-10-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe where the time has gone since my last entry!
Well, after a long and uphill climb, we have reached the top of this seemingly never-ending mountain! Our Home Study is finally complete and we have been APPROVED for all three of our 3 kids! Praise God!

Cyndi from Global Adoptions sent us a copy of our Home Study to review. As we read through it page by page I was just overwhelmed. I remember when I was pregnant with Bethanie, our oldest daughter. I had lost our first baby in misscarraige, and my pregnancy with Bethanie came with it's fears and a little trouble here and there. Sometimes I would show signs of another misscarraige coming on, so I would have to stay off my feet. When at last she finally arrived, all I could do was cry with relief! I was so happy and relieved that she was finally born, alive and well! I felt as though I had been holding my breath for 9 months and I could finally breathe!

That's how I felt that day reading the Home Study. I feel like I have been carrying these children in my heart for so long, and many times it looked as though it would never come to pass, but now, I can see them coming. They will be ours. They will arrive, alive and well. Praise God!

Choosing Birthdays

2009-09-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Our agency told us, that most often than not, the birthdays of the children are unknown. Most folks out in the villages don't have a calender. Plus, Ethiopia is on a different calender than we are. They just celebrated New Years and it is now 2002.

So we were told that we could pick out our children's birthdays, for their birth certificates. Wow. What a task. Since everyone just guesses at how old they are now. Although, our litle boy's father did know how many months old he was, when he brought him to the orphanage.

Note: I'm waiting to find out if we are allowed to mention their African names on our blogs. Ethiopia has strict laws about things like that. We are not allowed to post any photos until they are legally our children. We are going to use their African names as part of their American name.

So our oldest girl's name will be Rachel ___ Hope. She is now 5. We figured she was born in 2004.

Our little girl's name will be Sarah ___ Joy. She is now 3. She was probably born in 06.

Our little boy's name will be Samuel ___ Joshua. He just turned 2. He was born in 07.

So Charlie and I sat down and prayed about what their birthdays should be. The Lord is the only one who really knows. And as we prayed the Lord brought scriptures to our minds, and I started writing them down. And as I did, I noticed a pattern. That is how we chose their birthdays.

Praying for Rachel Hope, the Lord gave us:
Genesis 29:17 RACHEL was lovely in form, and beautiful.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future.

Rachel Hope's birthday will be 04/29/04.

Praying for Sarah Joy, the Lord gave us:
Genesis 17:15 ... her name will be SARAH...
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Adoption. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Duet. 16:15 For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your JOY will be complete.

Sarah Joy's birthday will be 06/15/06

Praying for Samuel Joshua, the Lord gave us:
Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Samuel Joshua's birthday will be 08/01/07.

We were going to make it 07/01/07, but Charlie felt like the Lord said take Joshua 1:8 and make it 8:1. So we did. Later, Charlie did some math and found out that there is exactly 40+7 days between Rachel and Sarah's birthday and 40+7 days between Sarah and Samuel's birthday.

I looked up what the numbers 40 and 7 mean in the Bible. I found out that together they the most commonly repeated numbers in the Bible.

"40, whether days, months, or years is ALWAYS a period of testing, trial, probation, or chastisement (but not judgment) and ends with a period of restoration, revival or renewal. Some examples: the Israelites wandered for 40 years; Moses was living on the mount for 40 days; the story of Jonah and Nineveh lasted 40 days; Jesus was tempted for 40 days; and there were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension."

"Various references in the bible point out that the number '7' signifies God’s number and Divine perfection, for He is the only One who is perfect and complete."

Isn't The Lord good?

Labor Pains

2009-09-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

Today I received an encouraging note from Melissa, mother of 12 children:

"Isn't it amazing what it takes to be allowed to do a simple thing like give a child a future and a loving home. I guess they understand in their own way that sacrifice and endurance prove character. It takes a lot to prove you are a trustworthy person. You would have given up a long time ago if you were not.   Keep your eyes on that prize, Bonnie.

You ... are in labor!!!   Maybe transition has come today!!

He's making your kids a testimony that you will all share to encourage many about the faithfulness of God!!! Each one of those documents is another stone in the altar. How big will it become is His to answer.  How many will be touched by your adoption?

You are incredible!!!   Keep breathing!!!"

This was a very encouraging note. I feel like I've been pregnant with these children for over 6 years! We have seen the unltrasound pictures and we are having three! Two girls and a boy! Interestingly enough, the oldest little girl is almost 6. Whew! Talk about stretch marks ...

The Ark of the Covenant

2009-09-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Ethiopians have believed for generation after generation that the Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia?

Ethiopian Christians and Jews, believe that the Ark left Jerusalem in the days of King Solomon. They believe that afer the meeting of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who is from Ethiopia, (see 1 Kings 10) they had a son named Menelik. They believe that Prince Menelik returned and took the Ark to Ethiopia.

Today it is enshrined in a special treasury next to the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia. Only a high priest has seen it and has dedicated his whole life to guard it, and upon his death, a new priest will take up his post.

I thought this was just facinating! I found some cool videos on it as well. If you are interested, follow the links to the right under "Ark of the Covenant - Digging for the Truth". You can also Google "Axum Ark of the Covenant." Very interesting!

More Paperwork ...

2009-09-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today I filled out the first Homeland Security forms, the I-600A and sent them off along with a whopping check for the form and fingerprints. Should get our Federal fingerprint appointment soon.

Finished our Education Requirements and sending off another check to our Adoption Agency.

Next I faxed a bazillion documents to our new Home Study agency to get them caught up. They are working rapidly to get our Home Study completed in record time.

Filled out forms for Child Protective Services that look back at every place and county we have ever lived in since we were 18.

Next week we have an appointment to draw blood .... just kidding.

I am tired ...

In the end, this will all be worth it!

A Double Portion

2009-09-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

Wow! It is starting to sink in. We are going to have 6 kids! When they are all finally home, we will have 4 girls and 2 boys. Ages 11,9,7,5,3,2. We will have finally filled the Suburban. Ben will finally have his little brother.

We are entering the promised land and God is giving us a double portion.

Savior, He Can Move the Mountains ....

2009-09-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

When our original home study agency told us they would only approve us for 2 of our 3 kids, we told them, we would have to pray about what to do next. They were asking us to choose which child to leave behind!

It took about 20 seconds to call my new friend in Dillon, the director of Global Adoptions. She said, "There are two kinds of home study agencies. There are the kind that think THEY know what is best for your family. Then, there is the kind who thinks that YOU know what is best for your family. We are that type of agency."

After all that we have gone through, they have promised us that they will RUSH our home study. We forwarded our paperwork to them and did an interview over the phone. We gave them everything they needed, so they could make an initial decision.

They called and said, "Based on what we know now, we feel confident that we can approve you for all 3 children." We still have to finish the whole homestudy, but this is excellent news!

It reminds me of a song. "Savior, He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save ... !

Mountains

2009-09-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

With Adoption comes paperwork. And lots of it. Forms and more forms. For International Adoption you must create a Dossier. This is a collection of legal and original documents. It looked like a mountain.

And then there is the International Homestudy.  Let's not even go there. Our local agency (who will go unnamed) was taking their own sweet time and kept giving us more and more to do before we could even get our final home visit. They became like a thorn in our side, holding us back.  We needed this home study so that we could begin applying for grants to fund our adoption. And we needed to be approved for all 3 of the children we had since fallen in love with. Another mountain.

Know this ... there is an enemy. And he hates it when Christian families follow God's will. He hates it when fatherless children are adopted into loving families and are raised up in the love of the Lord.

But God has His own plans ... In June, someone told me of a pastor and his wife who lived nearby, in Dillon, MT. who had adopted 2 girls from Ethiopia. They said, "You should call them." As part of our ongoing fundraiser we went to Dillon, MT and had a booth at the fair. While I was there, I tried to found them! I spoke with Cyndi and she explained that her daughter, Becky lived in Dillon and she gave me her phone number. The more we spoke I realized this was a God thing. I began explaining to her the troubles we were having with our home study agency. Then she tells me this: She is the director of an Adoption agency!  No way!   Yeah ... that's what I said! Our God is so awesome. She prayed with me and then said, if they did not approve us for our 3 children, then give her a call.

The next day, her Ethiopian daughter met us at the fair. She is now 23. When she walked through the crowd, my heart started pounding. I felt like I was meeting a member of my family for the very first time. Turns out she speaks Oromigna, the same dialect that our children do. God is so awesome. By the way, our Ethiopian children don't know any English!

Last week on Wednesday, we had our final home study visit. It was the day were all had been waiting for for over 9 months! This very nice lady came to our home. She was very pleasant and kind. But we could tell that she had already made up her mind before she entered the room. As she was leaving she said, "If you were only adopting one, I would not have a problem approving you. But since you want to adopt three, I will have to talk with my supervisor." Mountain.

As soon as she left we raced to church. We arrived very late, but just in time for prayer. Our faithful friends gathered around us and prayed. Our pastor prayed with authority. When we was finished he said, "Don't get discouraged."

Noah Webster describes discouraged as: "the absence of courage." In the book of Joshua, we read over and over, "Be strong and very courageous."  We started an internet prayer chain. We spent the next week fasting and praying for our 3 kids in Ethiopia. By Monday we had had enough! I called the agency and said you need to give us an answer ... today. That evening they called and told us that they would approve us for not 1 but 2 children. Mountain.

Cross Over and Take the Land

2009-09-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of summer, ever since we signed up with Celebrate Children International, and began this part of the journey, we have been doing a Bible Study at church on the book of Joshua. We read repeatedly, "Be strong and very courageous."

In Joshua, the Israelites were told by God to cross over the Jordan and take the land that had been given to them as an inheritance and a promise from the Lord. He told them to trust Him and to start walking ...

They stood up and assembled themselves. They set one foot into the Jordan and the Lord pushed back the waters on all sides. Then they passed through on dry land. The Lord made a way for them when there was no way. The land was theirs, but they still had to fight to conquer it and to receive the Lord's promises for them.

Every week, the Lord spoke to us through the Book of Joshua. Encouraging us to keep walking, to keep praying, to keep trusting, to keep fighting, to be strong and very courageous.

God Opens a Door

2009-09-26T00:34:00.000-07:00

We had always thought we would adopt a baby from Latin America. My mother is from Trinidad and so it just seemed natural to have that desire. Others said, "What about Ethiopia?" I said, "No, we really want to adopt from Latin America." But every country we looked at was a closed door. Then one day, I turned and looked, and said, "OK, what about Ethiopia?"

In June of this year, we contacted Celebrate Children International. They were the same agency we called when we were interested in adopting from Guatemala. The doors swung open so fast it almost made my head spin! I equated the feeling at the time as to being on one of those people movers in the airport. Even when we were standing still, it felt like we were moving fast!

We had talked to other agencies about Ethiopia as well, but in the end decided on Celebrate Children. Sue Hedberg and Angela Vance have been awesome! Above and beyond everything else, it is obvious that the children are their first priority.   In fact, when I first called to sign up in June, Sue was in Ethiopia with the children and has been back several times.

We explained to them that we had been saving all of the money from our little business since last year, and that when our home study was completed, then we would be able to apply for Adoption Grants, in order to fund the rest. Our Social Worker at the time, told us, we only needed to tell them what country we had decided on and give them the country specific information, and then they could complete our homestudy.   Celebrate Childen was more than willing to give us whatever information we needed.

They invited us to look at the Waiting Children list. And of course we looked for a little boy and a little girl, with dark skin and dark hair.

There was this one little boy. The description of him said, "...this sad little boy." He did look sad. All I wanted to do was pick him up and hug him.   He was one year old at the time.

But there was no one little girl. They asked us if we would consider sibling sisters. We looked at the list and fell in love with two little sisters, ages 2 and 4.

God had at last opened a door!

Domestic Adoption - Another Closed Door

2009-09-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

In January 2009, we attended our first 2 day training class on Open Adoption. We had decided to adopt through the State of Montana.

In the United States birthmothers are able to choose who will be the parents for their child from a pool of selected families. We knew that God was calling us to adopt, and we knew that He could find us in a pool. But after months of training, paperwork and a home visit, our social worker and her director sat down with us and told us that because of our age and because we already had 3 children, that they did not want to put us in the pool. They said that the current trend was for birthmothers to choose young parents with no children. They were afraid we would sit in the pool forever. They suggested we adopt internationally. They suggested Ethiopia.

You are kidding me. ANOTHER CLOSED DOOR! It took a week of prayer to decide if we should even go on anymore. But we still felt the Lord leading us forward. I really felt as though He was saying, "Trust me in this. Take a step forward. I will meet you there. One step at a time."

"But the money!!! What about the money? Don't you know how expensive International Adoption is? "

He knows ...

Adoption Dreams

2009-09-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

When we first got married in 1996, we knew we both wanted children. We had talked about adoption. After our frst baby was born, I thought, "Oh my gosh! How can anyone go through this twice?!"

After we had our second child, in 1999, we went to a open house about adoption from China. We had heard about the one child rule imposed by their government and felt called to check into adopting a lttle girl. We soon realized that we were over the age limit to adopt from China.

We moved to Montana in the fall of 2003.  Our son Ben was almost 4. He began praying for a baby brother. I began to have this burning desire to adopt a child. I remembered the last dream I had, about the little boy and the little girl with dark skin and dark hair. I called a local agency and began to seriously look into adoption. But it was very expensive and we were just building a home and it kind of got pushed to the back burner.

In 2005, Charlie went on a mission trip to Guatemala. While he was there, he fell in love with 2 little boys. He talked to the director while he was there about the possibilitiy of adopting them. When he came home, we were on a mission to adopt those 2 little guys.  We started a fundraiser, only to raise $150. We were very discouraged and gave up. The boys were later adopted by another family. Ben kept on praying.

In 2007, Charlie and I became foster parents for the first time. We would foster with hopes of adopting. We fostered a teeny little girl who had many health issues. We had her for only three months. She was recently adopted by a wonderful woman named Connie who was experienced with all of her medical needs. Connie said she had always known that she would adopt another little girl and felt that it was totally God's will.

All the while this burning desire to adopt children kept growing. I would scan the photolistings looking for my 2 children. I would cry over all the pictures of these children who so desperately needed a family. I spent a lot of time on my face before the Lord. Crying out to Him. Telling Him that if I would never have more children, then to take this desire away from me!

Then last summer, 2008, I came to my husband one last time. I told him, we HAVE to look into adoption one more time. He agreed. In July, I was at a county fair with my farmer's market business, Wild Prairie Farms, and the gal in the booth next to me told me about her 2 adopted children. That was it.  I began saving my money that day for our adoption.

Understanding God's Promise in the Midst of Sorrow

2009-09-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

At our wedding shower, our friend Donna Retchless, remembers having a vision of us surrounded by lots of children ....

One Sunday night in 2002, I left everyone home and I went back to visit the Vancouver Vineyard during a worship night. I went up for prayer and my friend Nola Smith, waited on the Lord. Then she prayed over me and said, "God is saying, I won't give you one less or one more schilling than you need." I immediately gasped! She said, "What? What does it mean? Money?" I said, "No! Our last name is Schilling. It means I am going to have more kids!"

Little did she know, 2 weeks later I found out that I was pregnant and had been that night! With a 9 month old baby, a 2 year old and a 4 year old, this was overwhelming news! I was stressed to say the least, but soon embraced this new little one. During this time, I had another dream. I dreamt I was holding both a little boy and a little girl. They had dark skin and dark hair. We immediately thought I was having twins! We bought a used van to be able to hold us all, and got ready.

When I went in for my 10 week visit, the doctor was unable to detect a heart beat, but told me this was normal sometimes. Not to worry. But by the next week I new I was miscarrying. We lost our baby on Christmas Eve night, 2002. The next day, we buried it in a little wooden box under our forest of fir trees. Just then the snow began to fall. It felt like God's love all around me. The song came to mind "Mercy is falling, is falling all over me ..."

God's Plans

2009-09-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

One day after church, friends of ours were praying for me. While I waited and listened for God's voice, I heard God say, "You are going to have a son." This was funny to me, cause Charlie and I weren't even married yet.

Charlie and I both wanted to have kids. He wanted a dozen. At that time, I thought I only wanted 2. We married in our 30's, so we got busy! It took 8 months to get pregnant the first time. Our church was in the middle of a 40 day fast. Every day I prayed to have a baby. At the end of that fast, I was pregnant. My first pregancy ended after 11 days. It was very heartbreaking. But by God's mercy, by the next month I was pregnant again.

During that time, I was having the most bizarre, vivid dreams. One time I dreamed that I had a dark haired little girl. When Bethanie Grace was born, that's exactly what she was!

Later, we tried for 7 months to get pregnant again. During that time, I had another dream, that I had a blonde baby boy! I have dark hair and so does my husband, so I thought that was a funny dream. When Benjamin David was born, he had blonde hair!

I was busy and up to my eyeballs in diapers. I had my 2 kids and I was so happy! But for about a year, I really felt the Lord hounding me. "Would you consider having one more child?" Over and over, I felt the Lord asking me this, "Just one more?" We moved out to the country and started going to a new church. I'm not kidding you, every family had like 5-11 children! I was surrounded!

Finally, I remember saying, "Yes Lord! I'll have one more child." BOOM, the very next month I was pregnant. And yes, you guessed it. I had a dream that I had another dark haired baby girl. And when Anna Faith was born that's exacly what she was!

I thought I had my mind made up, but God had His plan. Anna is such a blessing to our family, she is my most spiritual child. When she was younger, she had dreams about Jesus coming into her room at night. She lead the other children in deciding to get baptized at church when she was only 5.

God know the plans He has for us. Plans to prosper and not harm us. Plans to give us a hope and a future. All we need to do is surrender and follow Him.

A Very Special Present

2009-09-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Charlie and I were both Christians attending the same church, Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Vancouver, Washington. I was the leader of a Worship Dance Team. Charlie started coming to our church. At first he kinda scared me... he was so quiet and I .... am NOT. Dec 12th, 1995 was my birthday and our church was hosting a Vineyard Worship Conference. Our dance team was there, dancing. A friend came up to me and said, "The Lord has a present for you today..." I said, "Great! It's my birthday!" She said, "It's a very special present."

Later that night we split off into groups to practice praying for one another. We were in a large group of our friends. Then the speaker, Wes Campbell said, split off into smaller groups. That left Charlie, me and my friend Lori Stock. As we were praying for Charlie, I felt this HUGE wave of love sweep over me. I felt like I was drunk! I had learned that when you feel things like that when praying, it is usually for the person you are praying for. So I said, "Wow... the Lord REALLY loves you!" Charlie told me later that he was so overcome, because he was praying about me.

A few days later Charlie invited me out to lunch. And a month later we were engaged to be married! God definately gave me a very special present that night!

Enlarging Our Tents

2009-09-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

That scripture has always meant a lot to me. For I was that barren woman. Who married young, only to be rejected. God gave me that promise many years ago. That He was my Husband and he would never leave me or forsake me.

Long after those days, Charlie and I were married in 1996. We were blessed with 3 beautiful children. But we knew it was not enough. The Lord put a desire deep within our hearts to adopt more children. And these days He is reminding me about Isaiah 54. He is telling us to "Enlarge Our Tents."

And these days I can be heard shouting for joy and bursting into song! Unfortunately, I have also been spreading to the right and the left ...
He has given me a new promise:

"All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace."

Praise God!

Isaiah 54 - The Lord's Promise

2009-09-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

1 "Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband," says the LORD.

2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.

3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.

4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

5 For your Maker is your husband —
the LORD Almighty is his name —
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.

6 The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit —
a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God.

7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.

13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.

17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.