The Knee Team Begins

Since I posted about The Knee Team, 

106 or so of you have made comments on that post that you 

would like to be part of it. 

These 106ish are gonna' kind of be The Knee Team's 

first guinea pigs, 

brave souls that you are!!  

The vision for the Knee Team is something I've dreamed of for a couple of years - a group of friends joining together praying for things that cannot be made public.  I have longed to have a group that I could dash a private request to, knowing that they would join together in prayer for something specific.

So here's what I'm thinking.

IF

You are one of the 106ish who commented on that post, and you still want to be part of the Knee Team, please email me at this brand spanking new Knee Team address:

TheKneeTeam@gmail.com

In your email to the address above, please 

tell me what your blogger name is 

on the comment you left on this Knee Team post.

For Instance:

If Susie is one of the 106ish{and still wants to be part of the Knee Team}, here's what Susie would do.  She would send an email to 

TheKneeTeam@gmail.com 

and say:

"Hi I'm Susie, I am one of the 106ish.  I still want to be part! I left my comment on that Knee Team post under my blogger name, which is: SusieLovesOrphans."

I will be comparing the comments to the emails and then will then be sending a confirmation email to each, explaining The Knee Team.   No doubt, it will take me awhile.

Even if you are someone who regularly corresponds with me, and you posted a comment that you would like to be part of the Knee Team, then I will still need you to write to that address if you are interested.  It is the only way I can keep it straight and get your email address on that account.  I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience.  

Since this is kind of a trial thing, I'm sorry that I unable to take any more sign-ups at this moment.   It will take me awhile to get through the emails, once I post this.  And then I will just have to get the kinks out and then we'll see how it goes.  

I admit that I am a tad uneasy about doing this, as I have never done anything like it before.  So we will see how it goes.  It might not go at all, and we will just have to say, "Well that was a nice experiment!" and move on.

  Or it just might turn into something splendid.  

Time will tell. 

I will be using TheKneeTeam@gmail.com only for correspondence with the Knee Team.

 I have to get the kinks out and figure it all out,

 before I can even think about expanding it. 

 Thank you all 106ish who are willing to be guinea pigs!  

And to others who missed 'sign-ups' - thank you for being patient and understanding while we wait and see how it goes 

with the first 106 or so.  

Stand tune for more the opening up of more sign-ups.  I just needed to start SMALL in order to manage it and see how it works.  I would love to have every single one of you part of the team, but for now I just had to figure a way to even do it at all.  

xo

An Answer Already!!

I cannot wait till tomorrow...

S & D posted a picture of themselves and their NEW children on Facebook {no details yet - but clearly they are NOW family!}.

I have asked them if I can share the picture 

with all of you prayer warriors?

Unfortunately in the Ukraine they are sleeping {the nerve!}.

Maybe they will not be allowed to yet, 

but if they say "yes" - whew!

You will love it!

They look soooo beautiful!

Faithful God has moved.

Thank you to all who have prayed for S & D and their two treasures.

They will come home as a family of four!

And thank you for praying for the rest of the prayer requests.

Dw and I have prayed together through many of them, as he is off today.  We both kept starting to cry.  So many needs....isn't it wonderful that God never tires of hearing from us?  

Not ever.

We will continue to pray through them today, but I couldn't wait to share about S & D's victory!

And we will continue to contend for answers to the other needs...

June 29th, 2011 - Ukraine & Australia

I have two special prayer requests today.

UKRAINE

Remember a few weeks ago I asked 

prayer for a couple who are on our worship team?

They are in Ukraine to bring home a sibling group.

The little girl {7 years old} was having a very hard time 

and I asked you guys to pray?

And you did!

Well things have progressed beautifully since so many joined from all over the world together in prayer.  And now, finally{!} they are getting ready to go to court {today!} and lo and behold,  the kids grandmother shows up.  {She had the opportunity to keep the children, but chose not to.} Now she is wailing and crying and begging them not to leave the orphanage.  She says they need to stay in the orphanage so that when she is old they can get out and take care of her.   

How does a 7 year old even process that?  

The grandma has seldom visited 

them in the orphanage.

Can you imagine the pressure on that 7 year old?

Would you pray with us?  

For favor with the kids?  

That God would move so that these two siblings can come home to our town with D & S?

Then there is another situation.

AUSTRALIA

A couple who attend our church came to me Sunday 

and asked for prayer for her sister and her sister's family.

The sister and her husband are Australians, 

but were living as expats in other lands.  

While living in Cambodia they fell in love with a 

little tiny girl at an orphanage that they have named Pisey.   
The Australian Government said that 
expats were allowed to adopt from Cambodia.  

But their situation has brought them back to live in Australia.

Before going to Australia, they went to the Australian Embassy in Cambodia where they were told that their case would be treated with compassion....  


However, now that they are back in Australia they are being told that they cannot bring Pisey home - that there is no "compassion". Can you imagine?  
It would feel like such betrayal!  
They have been in the process of adopting her for three years!  

Now friends, those who gather here with us at our Place Called Simplicity know that God's heart is for the orphan.  HE is filled with compassion for sweet Pisey and her waiting family.  And besides, we also know that He longs for every, 
single orphan to be in a forever family.   

And we really, truly know that Almighty God can and will move 

every single 

obstacle,

bureaucracy,

government,

policy,

diplomat,

law,

official,

ruling,

financial mountain,

and

perceived roadblock

to bring each treasure home.

He is so faithful.

But we must band together and pray!

Please pray for Meagan and her husband to have favor with the Australian government so that Pisey can come home to them forever {she has waited far too long!}. 

And whatever your need, please share your requests in the comments section below, no matter your care, 
cast it on Him for He IS faithful!

The Knee Team and many more will be praying 
{and fasting}
 through each one.  

A Million Miles an Hour

That's the rate that it feels like my thoughts 

are going through my head today.

A million miles an hour.

Do you ever have days like that?

When I do, the best thing I can do is pray and fast.

So I'm doing that.

And I'm asking if you would join me tomorrow too?

As we lift up some very specific needs on the adoption front...

and as we share our requests and pray for each other?

Tomorrow.
Wednesday

June 29th, 2011

Prayer

and

Fasting

{I will do a post, just after midnight tonight, 

where you can share your requests.}

If you have never fasted, tomorrow would be a great time to start.  It is a spiritual discipline that is not really optional.  God's word says,  "When you fast...." Clearly indicating that we are supposed to fast.  I have heard from dozens of bloggy friends who had never fasted before, until they joined in on our days of prayer and fasting and they cannot believe what it has done to their spiritual life!

Fasting is giving up something we all love {food} to get on our knees before Him and ask Him:

 to speak, 

to move that mountain, 

to provide, 

to comfort, 

to bring Mr. Right along, 

 to open a spouses heart to adoption, 

to bring a wayward child home, 

 to draw a loved one's heart to Christ,

to provide the resources for

 bringing home another treasure, 

to provide a job,

to sell a home,

to heal someone you love,

 to give wisdom in a situation,

to reconcile a broken relationship,

to reveal His will,

and in the process

to make us more like Him!

There are many out there in bloggy land 

who desperately need to hear from the Lord!  

So tomorrow we will join together, 

sharing our needs, 

and praying for each other.

And God will move.

Because He loves us oh-so-much!

P.I.N.K.

 God in His graciousness has given me many wonderful friends.

Not long after we moved to Colorado, one of the treasures He brought me, was my sweet friend Carie.

I've mentioned her before lots of times.  When the fire happened, I don't know how I would have made it through the aftermath without her.  Always faithful.  

She's one of the most funnest people I know, not to mention one of the most caring, thoughtful and giving women I have ever met.

She gives unselfishly over and over and over and over.

Well a few years back life got pretty ugly for my sweet friend.

I will never forget a cold winter day driving with her and sitting for hours in a cold desolate parking lot, wiping her tears and praying with her.  Sometimes husbands can make the most horrible choices.

So began a journey of pain, heartache and grief.

Somewhere in there I said to my sweet friend,

"Someday God will bring you a Godly man 

and I will wear PINK in your wedding."  

It became a source of hope.

And when I knew that things were especially painful, 

I would text her one word:

P.I.N.K.

or I'd put it on her Facebook wall:

P.I.N.K.

She would laugh her head off and say, "You're awful!"

One day there was a wonderful man {who also attends our church} whose life took a very ugly unexpected turn.  And while he was going through his divorce, Dw and I thought, 

"Hmmmm....what if??"  

And my sweet friend Carie, had no idea what

 had been going on in this man's life.

One day the timing was finally right....

Carie and Clayton started dating.

The joy in both of their lives has been contagious!  Their kids had become great friends long before they had even started dating.

And time passed and one day Carie came screaming into our home - 

"He proposed!  He proposed! He proposed!"  

We jumped {literally} all around, hugging 

and hugging and crying and crying!!

That day she asked me to be her matron of honor.

I was tickled beyond words.  What a joyous honor!

{But doggone it, pink is not the color on the racks this year.  

At.All.

At least I was able to carry a little P.I.N.K. bouquet. 

And Dw did wear his pink shirt to do the wedding.}  

This past Saturday Clayton and Carie were married on our front porch with family and the closest of friends watching.

Faithful God.

God of Hope.

Healer.

{Even healer of broken dreams.}

Restorer.

Provider.

Behold, He makes all things NEW.

"Weeping may last through the night, 

but joy comes with the morning."

Psalms 30:5

***

Carie and Clayton

forever

Two Little Buddies

Today was such a wonderful day {we had a wedding on our porch!}  I will post pictures soon, once Emmy comes home and can download them for me. 

But since this is a journal to my family of our lives, I had to post some pictures of two little buddies.

Isaiah had his buddy over the other day to play.

They played outside. 

They ran.

They jumped.

They ate.

Then they disappeared.  

Having a nice little boatload of kids and noise I didn't 

think much about it, until some time passed.

Then I thought, "Where are those little buddies?"

I decided to see what they were doing.

I wandered around quietly.

And then I heard two little voices talking.

Quietly.

Where were they?

The sounds led to Isaiah and Elijah's closet.

And when I opened the door.

There they were.

On the very top shelf.

Talking about spy stuff and boy stuff and how to hide really good stuff. 

Two little buddies.

Love them so much.

And soon they were discovered by sisters and a little brother, 

who couldn't climb up...

and two little buddies were really glad about that.   

Ahhhhh

Yes, indeed, they are here.

Now we will drive home today.

Thank you so much for praying the weary travelers home.

It is soooo good to already begin to hear the stories.

God is faithful.   

He has provided so much.

Even bloggy friends who will pray for healing and them home.

Thank you.

Off to Cracker Barrel for breakfast before hitting the road toward Colorado and home.

{Course, gonna' see if I can persuade the husband-man into a quick run through Kohl's first.}

Perpendicular

Thank you to all who have been praying for my sweet hubby.

I have to tell ya'....

I posted yesterday that it would be 18 hours till I would be picking he and Emma up.   Dw was waiting at the airport and opened Our Place Called Simplicity and read that post.   By the way, it absolutely him to pieces to know that the Knee Team was interceding for him.  He even mentioned the Knee Team on Facebook last night.    

After reading the post, he dashed me a message which said, "Is it really only 18 hours till I see you?"  With international travel, it's so hard to figure out how many hours till whatever with all the time zones and such and he was thinking it had to be waaaay more than 18 hours.

Well I confess right here and now that I have never been all that great at Math.   Spelling is just so much more my thing.  So when his message came I re-checked my Math.  

Ooops. 

 Sorry Babe.

I sent a message back:

"Ooops.  It's really 36 hours.  

So sorry honey.  I love you!   

You know I never was too good at Math.  

But - I can spell "perpendicular"."

*sigh*

Dw was able to get ahold of me from Europe for just a bit.  

He said that although he had only slept 45 minutes, he was feeling better.  He said he thought that he was probably so wore out from preaching somewhere around 25 times in 3 weeks.  Now, there's a thought!

They are now heading to the United States and we are leaving here soon to start the drive to the airport.  The kids are so excited to be taking a trip that will end in seeing Emmy and Daddy!!  

Hey Knee Team!!

Could use some personal prayer today...

Dwight and Emma are beginning their journey home from Ghana in just a little bit. 

They fly to Europe where they will have a 5 hour layover.

Then to the United States where they will have a 9 hour layover.

We will finally{!} pick them up Thursday night 

at a not-so-close airport.

BUT 

Dw is not feeling well at all.   

Again, this is one of those times when I would rather spit it all out, 

but because our Place Called Simplicity is so public, I can't.  

Anyway, I am trying not to worry.  

I really am.

But we could really use prayer for his healing - NOW!

They won't land at the airport for me to pick them up for a full 18 hours from now.  That's a long time feeling the way he is feeling.  

Thank you Knee Team. 

You guys are the best!!

PS  Knee Team - I am working on a way to send you guys personal messages.  I think I have it figured out.  So sweet Knee Team friends - be watching.  I hope to do that post a little later today.   

Who Says....

being 56 means you can't get some sweet air?

Jumpin' Rope...

Just an African princess...


and 


A daddy who loves the orphan...

{No doubt, continuing to earn him Father of the Year status in our hearts!}

Both clearly loving the moment...

And did you notice? 

They're holding hands....

*Seriously, one of my most favorite pictures ever.*
{and that is, indeed, some sweet air, dontcha' know?}

The First!!

Oh.My.Gracious.

It's s-t-a-r-t-i-n-g!!!

Kala texted me on Friday - the very first package 

had arrived and Kala picked it up!!

I got all teary.

Kala said she was emotional.

Sarah, who owns an Etsy shop {Sarah's Treasure Box} 

has a huge heart {along with her husband Chris and their kids} 

for the orphan and shared some of her 

treasures {literally} to put on Orphan Wares.

I wrote to Sarah {who sent the wares} and said, 

"You were the first to send something 

and no one can ever take that away.  

The orphans that will eat because of your 

love for them - thank you!"

{beautiful and fun necklaces in adorable little gift bags!}

A few days ago I wrote about artists and craftsmen here - sharing the vision of men, women or families making things to donate to sell on the site.  100% of the sale proceeds {with the exception of the shipping, which must be covered} will go to a feeding program that we are partnering with {A Perfect Injustice}  to feed the orphans of the Kivulu slums in Kampala, Uganda.  As the site grows, and the money grows, we will continue to partner with other feeding programs that we trust. 

Can you really imagine, people crafting things that will be sold to feed an orphan?

Faithful God has His loving 

fingerprints all over this. 

And we get to watch what HE does with it!

PS  Some have written with ideas of other things to sell.  I love your ideas!  I just need to talk to Kala.  I will post about your ideas soon.  

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best daddy I know.

The man {who at 53} called and said, 

"How big are your arms Linny? 

How big are your arms?"

{cause you were bringing me two!}

The daddy {who at 54} couldn't wait to get our Jubilee home.

The man who at 56 is still willingly working to bring more home.

The best Jaja in the world....

The man who models in our home, 

what you preach from the pulpit. 

{and that is not that common these days!}

The daddy who is so crazy - 
if people only knew how you make us laugh and 
laugh and laugh...

{aren't you so relieved I didn't put that other picture in?}

Handsome and treasured husband, 

You, by far, exceed them all.

Your love for others overflows to all...

and I am blessed to call you mine.

 I am so glad KPCL saw {finally!} what we all already knew-

because

You, indeed, are our Father of the Year every year.

I love you Whitey....

and, Lord willing, only five more days till I can be in your arms once again. 

His Greatest Honor

Yesterday was such a wonderfully exciting day for our family.  

The local radio station had chosen Dw to be 

honored as Father of the Year...

unbeknownst to him or us!  

For those who were able to hear the broadcast, they heard my 

tenderhearted husband receive the news.  

It was so precious.  

They heard him chuckle as only he can.  

And they heard him start to cry over and over and over as friends 

from across the world honored him.

And no, he wasn't just surprised, he was SHOCKED! 

 He had wondered why Fareed had to interview him while he 

was in Uganda, and why it would take an hour.  

Little did he know!!

Dw actually said, "Wow, normally all the nice things are said at 

someone's funeral the person who has passed away never 

gets to hear everyone's kind comments and yet here I am able to hear it for myself."  

Some of the people honoring him included:

 Dw's accountability partner and best friend, 

Nick {who pastors in Montana}.  

People who we pastored in our last pastorate including a

 youngish couple {Jeff and Jenny} who now serve on the

 mission field in Nicaragua {thanks to Dw believing in them!}.  

Tom and Dane {who both serve with their wives as elders at the River church}.   

A friend, Stuart, who has known Dw since 1976.  

Nate, a  young man who runs {with his wife Erin} a local ministry on our college campus here.

A "son" of ours, Seth, who along with his wife Maria, moved to Virginia to mentor under us.  They then came with us to Colorado to serve as well.  They now are church planters in San Francisco. 

Staff here at the River church, our kids and I were also all part of the honoring.

I think there was a total of 30+ people who honored Dw.  And the things people said?  Well thought out and heartfelt.  Off and on throughout the show I started to cry as did Dw.  

Such sweet words for such a Godly man.

I was telling a friend last night, "I do hope there was no one who was jealous of this honor bestowed on Dw.  If there was, all they need to do is be a dad to 15 kids {so far!}, having adopted 12 of them {5 big ones in Africa}, serve on the mission field ministering to orphans and pastors as often as possible, be 56 and in the process of bringing more home, be a man of integrity, grace and Godliness - and they will surely get the honor as well!

Anyway, I do have to tell you something comical.  I spoke to  Fareed after it was all over and I told him that I had put it on the blog.  He said, "Well we had so many people sign on from the internet - it almost crashed our server.  Ooopsie!! That would be you guys - and I laughed and laughed!  

Lastly, Fareed did tape it.  So when I get a copy, I am praying that I will be able to have our tech team at church upload it to the church's website and those who missed it can listen as well.  

That man of mine is now in Ghana with Emma and he will be doing a Pastor's Conference there now as well as working in orphanages there.  Please Knee Team, continue to pray for them as they serve.  They will be gone another week {making it a total of 3 weeks}.  

And then that Father of the Year will be hanging around with us for awhile. 

Off to continue preparing my sermon.  

I am speaking tomorrow.

Unbeknownst To Us....

The Christian radio station's board of directors and owner were meeting behind the scenes.

This station broadcasts from Farmington, New Mexico, 

{about an hour from us.}  

So the story goes:

About a month ago the station owner, Fareed, wanted to talk to me.  I don't really know the man, but he is gracious, kind-hearted, and such an encouragement to the body of Christ. 

When our home started burning down one of our staff pastors called into the radio station.  Fareed immediately went on the air and asked people to pray.  He then gave regular updates as our home burned and our story unfolded.   When we heard what he did, it made us sob and sob that people in our Four Corners area {Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah} were praying for us.

So a month ago when I called Fareed to talk, little did I know that he and his board of directors were cooking up a beautiful plan.  I was completely dumbfounded.   They had a wonderful surprise that they were planning for my precious husband - unbeknownst to any of us!   

Today the show airs and Fareed will begin by pretending that he is going to interview Dw about adoption and completely unbeknownst to Dw, Fareed is about to give him a once-in-life-time honor.  And Dw is over in Africa loving on the orphans and doing a pastor's conference as this happens!

The other day I told Dw that Fareed wanted to interview him about adoption {which he kind of does} but he had something else far bigger up his sleeve. 

After telling Dw that we would have to figure this all out cause Fareed wanted to interview him Dw said, "Babe, I'm in Africa."  I said, "Fareed has already been advertising that you are going to be on! You have to make it work!"  It was Fareed's idea to start advertising already so Dw would have to make it work.  The surprise is that good!!

I cannot wait to hear it. 

Since radio stations are now on the web, 

I knew you bloggy friends would want to know.  

Here is the link to the station, 

where you can listen over your computer.  

It should start sometime around 8:30AM Mountain Time.

That's 9:30 AM Central Time.

And 10:30 Eastern Time.

Rebecca in England - that's 3:30pm {I think}

Here's the link:

KPCL.org

Fareed said any one of the links on the bottom of the page will be airing it, I will be tuning in to 107.1.   

I am giddy to hear Dw's reaction to it all.  

PS The show is going to last about an hour!