The End of Another Summer!

I honestly can NOT believe it's the first day of September! How is this even possible?! We had a fabulous summer, full of different surprises in so many different ways. We started out our summer with the Taste of Durango; we painted faces with the First Baptist Church here in Durango. From about 12pm-3pm on that Sunday afternoon, my mom and I didn't MOVE out of our face paintin' chairs! Our booties were glued to the seats! It was a ton of work but seeing those sweet kiddos leave with fun creations on their cheeks was so worth every minute!

We spent some time in June in the Grand Junciton area, participating in the River Run for Orphans. There are now many differtent races all over the country and we were really blessed by our time in Grand Junction. Talking about this project gives us such joy and excitement! We really are 'people people,' and love meeting and hearing the stories of others that have similar hearts to ours.

June was also very exciting as I had decided through lots of prayer and conversations with my hubby that I really want to go back to school to persue my Masters in clincial social work, in order to prepare for many similar situations we will see in Mozambique. I found a very affordable program through New Mexico Highlands University, with a branch right in good ol' Farmington! I also found out the end of June that I had been selected for a scholarship through the CYFD (Children, Youth, and Family Department) office of San Juan County! They pay for school, books, transportation, daycare and many other things. We are so inredibly grateful that God showed us why we are in Farmington, especially for me. It made me realize how many resources I have at my fingertips, and that I can really prepare for what Mozambique will have in store for us. I've also learned that God's promise is to direct our paths. If we ask where He wants us to go, He will figure out the 'how' and the 'when' logistics.

We spent most of July trying to beat the heat and enjoying some AMAZING peaches from our tree in  the back yard. Philemon worked an average of 70 hours per week and managed to keep up with his school work! He's currently working on his safety management degree so we can transfer with his company to Africa. I'm so thankful for the opportunities we both have received this year! We really 
are exactly where we need to be and our doubts about what our purpose is in Farmington have slowly subsided.

August was a very busy month and it seemed to fly right passed us. We both started our classes and  also have an internship 2 days a week. My job wasn't able to accommodate such a busy schedule so I'm no longer working. At first I was worried about our financial stability, but after only one week of being at home part time with Jadon, God clearly knew that I would worry. He showed me this scripture:

 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3: 5 - 6.

I have always loved Proverbs. It's an amazing book of life advice! I almost feel like I'm having a conversation with Jesus when I study Proverbs. This verse has popped up several times over the last few days and each time, I was thinking about things that were slowly turning into worries. But God knows exactly what our family needs! He knows the path and the plans he has for us so I have to rest in His peace and love.
There is a lot stirring within us right now. We are so anxious to start making physical improvements on this project but we also know God has a way - He has a plan! Philemon is going to Mozambique in October to pave the way, so to speak. There are many specific things he must put in place and he only has a limited amount of time to do them. Please pray with us as we begin to ask God to reveal the best way to get paperwork rushed so that we can begin building.

Of course, as always, traveling half way around the world is costly but we don't worry about the cost because we know God has ALWAYS provided. We have spent too much time on this Earth worrying and not enough time doing. It is a lesson we have learned and now it is time to trust!
We will be praying and fasting every Friday before Philemon's trip to Mozambique. We are praying that God will reveal Himself and His will in this project. We would love any support, so feel free to join in the prayers or fasting or both as we seek God.

Blessings!

Phil & Laura

Blessings Blessings and More Blessings

What an AMAZING Easter we had!! I hope you all did as well. We had a great day, starting with an amazing message from an awesome friend and pastor at The River Church in Durango, CO. That powerful message was followed by beautiful weather, delicious food (If any of you even kind of know my mom, you understand!) and a relaxed afternoon with wonderful family.

Even though Easter has passed by and yet another year is almost half over, I am humbled and amazed by God's blessings and provisions. To be completely honest, this is the first time in a long time that our family as a whole is celebrating God's provisions and being obedient in tithing. Tithing could be a whole blog post in itself, however, that's not really the point! The point is that God spoke to both Philemon's heart and mine last year about being obedient. Just like we are being obedient in moving to Mozambique to open a children's home, we must first be obedient here, right where we are. Part of that obedience is listening to God's word and what asks of us. And honestly, my new scripture that I have memorized is Malachi 3:10 -

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.'"

This verse has taught our family so much. It has taught us most of all to TRUST GOD in all situations, in all problems, and to rejoice in Him with all of our joy and blessings. In times that we don't know what direction to take with Project Little Feet, or we start to feel discouraged, God always has a way of putting someone in our lives and providing scriptures that comfort us and lead us in the right direction.

I'm sure many of you know as well that "financial mountains" stand in our way of getting this project really going. We first must get our personal finances in order because we don't want to get to Mozambique and become destitute as well. We want to help, and by helping, we must be prepared physically, spiritually and financially. We must make sacrifices in order to get where we want to go. But these sacrficies are NOTHING compared to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.

We know that God can do anything in our lives. He has already brought us through so much. And over the last few months, we have been praying as a family for many needs that we've had. For instance, we've needed a logo, to update our website, to get printed materials put together, etc. The list could go on and on and on. But each time something new comes up, God takes care of it in a matter of days! How amazing is that! The GOD of the UNIVERSE cares about this project!!

God put this project on our hearts and has instructed us to go. The God of the UNIVERSE cares about those children that don't eat every day. God - the Creator of Life - cares about those children that have nothing and no one to call home. God - the Alpha and Omega - cares for those children that have been abused and tormented and hated EVERY day of their lives. The GOD of the UNIVERSE cares!! He CARES!!

God also humbles us in this process as well. I have the most wonderful, hard working husband around - a garage with 2 cars in it - money in my purse - food in my fridge - a beautiful, healthy, happy little boy - a job waiting for me tomorrow morning - wonderful parents that love my family - siblings that would lay down their own lives for me - friends that would give me the shirt of their own back. I could go on for days and days and days with all the blessings that we have!

By the standards of the world, we may not be anything but a middle class family that fights to move forward in their dreams, but to those children we long to love and care for, we are wealthy. We are BLESSED beyond what we could ever deserve. Most importantly, we are wealthy in the eyes of God. We are the children of THE KING!

Often times, we have been asked that if life is so wonderful here and we are so blessed, why would we 'give it all up' to move to Mozambique? The only answer I can ever muster, with a lump in the back of my throat - trying not to cry, is 'if we don't go, who will?'

God clearly knows what he is doing. We are so energized by telling people about what God is doing with us in Mozambique that I often times feel my face get bright red with excitement! What we must realize is that God's timing is perfect - we will do as God has asked us to do, but we will only do it His way. God has instructed us every step, and we must be obedient. And, really, if we don't go, who will? Quite honestly, I don't want to find out the answer to that question, ever.

His name is "Provider - Duh!"

So I had a great God moment the other day that I just can't get out of my head! I posted a quick note on Facebook that we needed some help with creating a logo and not 20 minutes later I jumped on the computer to get some info on taxes I had been working on.

I easily get distracted by other "stuff" on the computer - for example, I will read someone's blog or I will get back on Facebook or check my email or get on Ebay...the list could honestly go on and on. And for some reason, I felt like I needed to get back on Facebook AGAIN. I was thinking about a good friend that lives a long ways away - in Kenya! - and I wanted to drop her a quick message. As I finished up the message to her, I noticed that I had a message in my inbox.

I had sent a few notes out that day so I didn't really think anything of it. I clicked on the message and it was from an awesome friend I went to high school with. She explained to me that she was still living in Durango, and she is weeks away from opening her own graphic design studio in our very own Durango! I couldn't even begin to image what that meant.

This lovely lady is Lindsay Ellis and she has offered her services free of charge. I tried to bribe my Facebook friends with a gift card but she wasn't even close to interested! She wants to help and donate her time and talents! I was in awe of God;not 20 minutes before I was stressing about website design, our printed materials and our logos that need to be done before the end of April! Yikes!! And, for those of you that know me, computers and artistic design are certainly not some of my strong suits!! So needless to say this was an AMAZING blessing from God. How good is HE?!!

This is only one small example of the billions of little things that God has done for me in my life. He has moved many, many other mountains and has provided for me and my family in ways I never could understand or even begin to imagine! I am so grateful that God is the ultimate provider.

What about all of you? What is a great story about how God has provided for you in your life? Please share:)

What makes us different?

Our board of directors has been doing a phenomenal job over the last 2 - 3 months. I am continually blessed by how much effort each one of our board members puts into our meetings and retreats. We had our first official Heart for the Needy retreat in January. And let me tell you - it was awesome!!

The retreat especially reminded me that God has orchestrated this whole thing for us. We are always being "provided" for in every way, not just monetarily. God has given us some of the most amazing people I know on our board. He knew that we needed someone very organized, just as much as he knew that we needed someone with experience being board members for nonprofits. Honestly! One of these days I will introduce each of them to you and tell you how amazing they are! Without each of them we would have no board and definitely no orphanage.

The retreat also brought something else to light that I had never really thought of. One of our board members (I told you they are brilliant!!) was able to explain to anyone why we are doing what we are doing, and how we are going to make a real difference in Mozambique, and Africa. He said, "What makes us different is that we leave kids in their communities."

Now, that phrase will need a lot of explaining!! Because both Philemon and I are not natives to Mozambique, it will be very difficult for us to ever allow adoption from any orphanage we help in Mozambique. Locals will see it as us "selling" their kids so we can get rich. I KNOW how amazing adoption is, and trust me, there is nothing more God-spoken in the Bible than to care for orphans. But, because of our situation, this may never become a reality. I DO believe God can move mountains, and maybe after we have established ourselves in Mozambique the communities will see that we are only trying to give these children a better chance at life.

In the mean time, I think this factor actually really sets us apart. While a child needs ALL of the love and encouragement that he or she can get, we can use this set back to grow the communities that we will be working in. How amazing would it be to help kids learn life skills AND book knowledge AND God's word! They could change their countries! They could literally change the world!!! This "set back" is certainly NOT what I first thought. Just like many times before in my life, Romans 8:28 reminds me of who God is: "All things work together for good for those who love God."

I can't wait to get back to Mozambique! Both Philemon and I have been praying that God will give us the knowledge, wisdom and courage to follow through with this dream that He has put in our hearts. I know God will provide if we are willing to be obedient!

Speaking of missing Mozambique - I thought I would throw this out there! Philemon and I will be heading to Mozambique October 17th - 30th. If you would like to know more about this trip and what we'll be working on, stay tuned!! We will also let you know about our upcoming appearances in both the Farmington, NM, and Durango, CO, communities!! We can not wait to share with our communities what God had planned for us!

AND...well, I will save that for next time! Well, ok, I'll give you a little teaser...or maybe not:)

Be Blessed!

River Run...and then some

Yesterday was the River Run for orphans. Phil and my sister, Ellie, and I ran most of the 5k
(only 3 miles, but felt like more!). And after we crossed that finish line, I wanted to cry. It wasn't because I was in pain, it wasn't because I was sad...I really honestly don't know why!! But then it seemed like things changed this morning after I got some sleep...

My heart aches sometimes and I don't really know why. Then my mind wanders to Mozambique and all the amazing memories both Phil and I had there. I believe when I visited Mozambique the very first time in November of 2005 that God placed a new sense of home and longing in my heart for Mozambique. Now that we haven't been back for 2 years, I feel like I'm going crazy. I find myself unable to focus at random times because I think of a fundraising idea. Or, as things have been lately, I am beginning to think about how many obstacles are in the way.

Financially speaking, we have debt that we must pay off before we can go to Mozambique. We have a car and student loans to pay off before our God - given dream can take flight. The planning stages have been amazing and frustrating and overwhelming - all at the same time! We are taking steps to make this happen by becoming more goal oriented and working backwards from our goals. Also, we certainly have also become more willing to accept God's timing in everything!

Now, I know that those nagging thoughts in the back of my head certainly don't come from the Creator because He placed this dream in our hearts. Satan sincerely can't stand what our dreams will mean for children in Mozambique and I do understand this. However, I am still human and I have MANY faults (just ask my husband:) and one of them is frustration. I easily get frustrated when I think about how far we have to go. I am discouraged!!

With that being said, I knew that I was getting my Eeyore face on when I realized how much God has done for me! I sat down for a few minutes when I got home tonight, and I wrote out all the ways God has cared for me and worked on my behalf over the last 5 years. And let me tell you all, my heart is different now. God has moved mountain after mountain in my life and in our married life. there is no reason that God would stop moving now!

So I come asking for prayers. We have to get Phil back to Mozambique as soon as possible!! We need to get his DIRE (the Mozambican Green Card) renewed, and apparently, the process has gotten quite expensive and lengthy. However, one of us must hold a DIRE before we can register our land. If we DON'T register our land and we build, the government can take it at any time. We HAVE to register our land in order to ensure Project Little Feet has a future!!

We have a little money from previous funds through many church members (such amazing people at the River Church!) and now we are hoping and praying that God will help us raise enough money to get Phil to Mozambique, renew his DIRE and register our land. Once we get these details out of the way, we can begin building!!

So I am offering up myself as a vessel to raise money. While the River Run was quite a challenge, as it always is, I was inspired by all the amazing runners. I have always enjoyed running, even now. (It's a great stress reliever!) I also have wanted to really push myself into getting more physically active. I have a wonderful friend who has encouraged me to do a half marathon! That's 4 - 5k runs, just in case you needed an idea of how HUGE this is going to be for me. I only have 12 weeks before I run, but I want to put myself out there for all to see. I am determined to succeed for myself AND for the orphanage.

Here's my proposal - I will go to Las Vegas, NV, on December 4th, and run my little heart out for Project Little Feet. I will mail out sponsor forms if you'd like to donate. For every mile I run, give me a pledge amount and I will GUARANTEE you a finishing time in return AND Phil & I will gladly give away a 3 night stay in our Timeshare - you pick the vacation - to the HIGHEST contributor! And, in the end, all the money raised will go towards Phil traveling back to Mozambique to sort out all our paperwork so we can start building.

This half marathon will be a great physical and mental challenge for me, but it will also be a great challenge to all of you, too. (Message us your email or mailing address and we'd be happy to send you a pledge form for the half marathon in December.)

I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the next 3 years...I can only imagine!! But I DO know that God will move many mountains between now and January of 2014. This half marathon is a small obstacle for God, but it will be a great lesson of strength, courage, focus and spirit for me. And in the end, lives will be transformed, saved and moved in ways we can only imagine. What do you have to lose? (Possibly, a vacation!) For me, I have a few inches to lose, and a few miles to gain!

Blessings for now,

Laura

P.S. If anyone else would like to join me for the half marathon in Las Vegas and to help raise money for Project Little Feet, let me know! I'd love to have the company:)

Workin on it

This is Laura writing - I guess I should always clarify that! I have had quite an amazing week. In just 10 days we have gone from not knowing when we'd become a nonprofit to being a nonprofit, and then being a nonprofit with a website! Honestly, my own personal attitude has gotten in the way of our progress as an organization. If I'm tired or too busy or I have too many other things on my plate I end up shifting the orphanage to the back of my mind.

It was never like that in the beginning. I was so beyond excited and motivated that I couldn't WAIT to get home and get working on something for this project. And really, the only thing that as changed since then is having a baby! That sounds so easy, to just blame being busy on Jadon, but it really has altered our lives in ways that I never understood until I had a child of my own. We both have also changed jobs. I have gone from a regular 8-5 job, Monday through Friday, to an irregular schedule; I rarely have 2 days off in a row. Now while this is not a pity party, it has been an adjustment. Instead of having 2 days with my husband and my family, I have a day off during the week and then we both have Sundays off. The same goes for Phil.

I think the biggest issue here is that I let my business take me over instead of grabbing my to do list by the horns and getting down to business. I am learning. It's not easy to be a working mom or even a stay at home mom; I've tried both! But I think I enjoy working and I feel that my family benefits more right now from me working. Also, when we move to Mozambique I will be a "stay at home mom" with about 20 kids! How awesome will that be?! I look forward to that time.

I think right now, I need to focus on the prize. That prize is allowing God to work miracles among our community so that we can raise this $100,000 we need to get everything in order. We know that our hearts are so willing to go that if someone wrote us a check today for everything we would need, we would be on a red eye flight tonight! The willingness is there, but our feet have to reflect how our hearts feel.

I am personally working on my attitude. I also know that I don't have as much energy as I used to but I'm also not taking care of myself like I used to! I need to eat healthier, work out regularly, and get plenty of uninterrupted rest!

Please pray for me to do some personal work on myself. I'd ask for prayers of motivation and good discipleship/mentors now that we are in Farmington. As always, thanks for reading!

Approved...

It feels like forever ago that we started on this journey to make Heart for the Needy a nonprofit organization. It has been about a year and a half of work, but we definitely didn't do it on our own! The amount of paperwork wasn't as much as I had first thought, but all the "additional information" that went along with every question was seriously tedious and frustrating most of the time.

The birth of this organization happened about the time I found out that I was pregnant with Jadon. About this time, we were going through so many changes as a family, like Phil getting a new job, me finishing school, and just being pregnant was a huge change! I was extremely tired and trying to finish school and Phil was learning so much at work that we weren't very motivated to really work on the nonprofit paperwork. Then Jadon was born and more life changes occurred and yet again, we put it on the back burner.

Thankfully, our board of directors has been amazing and so encouraging. Sandy Goodell really pushed me to get going on it. She was so helpful and so knowledgable that I couldn't help but get motivated. Finally, in April of this year, I sent in the first copy of our nonprofit application. From prior experience with the U.S. government and Phil's residencey paperwork, I assumed right off the bat that we would hear something about the status in about 4-5 months. Only 3 weeks later we received a phone call from the IRS. They needed one more piece of information in order to push our application through to the next level. After this was done, on May 31st, we received a letter from the IRS stating that we are now a 501 (c) (3) - in other words, we are now a NONPROFIT!!!!! YEAH!!

It was the best news I could have asked to hear. We were so blessed to have such wonderful people here and at the IRS who were fighting on our behalf. I truly believe that God's hand was on every piece of this process. How amazing!!

Now the only thing that is holding us back from fullfilling our God-given dream and mission is money - hey, if God can take care of the IRS in 8 weeks, I'm pretty sure he can help us raise the necessary funds. We really need to revisit our budget for the orphanage because we are using figures from 2 years ago and things all over the world have changed. I think if we could raise about $125,000 we could head back to Mozambique for good! Now that we are completely tax deductable, we are praying for donors to help us realize this dream. The great thing about Mozambique is that we need about 10% of what an organization in the U.S. would need to do what we want to do in that country. Thankfully, God has given us a heart for a place that so desperately needs an orphanage and we can't wait to get started!!

Our board will be meeting soon to get ideas solidified for some fundraisers coming up late this summer and in the fall. Feel free to send ideas this way! Or, if you'd like to get involved, stay tuned...we are working on getting our website up and running. More info on events to come!