VISA!!! + Q&A

Can I get a WOOT! WOOT!
The long waited for words were said this morning - "Moises's VISA should be printed Monday!!"
Oh those precious words.
This means I can travel - like SOON!
Up to this point I have been doing relatively well at containing my excitement, so I would not set myself up with false expectations.. but now with those words.....
Well, I've lost it!!

This also calls for a "WEAR your SHIRT and PRAY day" for Monday, Jan. 9th.  We need some prayer for safe travel, decisions, preparing to leave our kiddos, VISA's for the other families traveling from our agency. (Still have a few shirts left - size adults - med. or large-- bargain price of $15)  If you want one let me know.  Got a few more pictures that came in... but if you haven't got me one - puhleaze do!!  I would love it for Moise's book.  (e-mail to fullertessy@yahoo.com)

I jumped on the bed after I got off the phone with Julia and shouted - "We are going to Africa!! We get to go get our boy!"  and uh, well Craig was still in bed.  And you know what.. he groaned at me.  GROANED and mumbled something about how it was too early to go to Africa and he would be excited when he was on the plane.

So after slightly losing my composure and dancing to "FINALLY" by CeCe Peniston (Tami and I's song :-D) my kids think I've lost it.

Still not for sure, for sure yet when we will travel but soon - like the next two weeks soon!!  Holy Cow monkeys!!!  So even though I've had in my mind we would be traveling around now, I've learned you just don't count your chickens before they hatch when it comes to adoption.

Q&A?


Why are you blogging and not packing? (Do you even know me?)  You know I have to write/vent it all out.

What happens when you get there?  We sleep/recover for a day and then we go get Moise at the orphanage.  He then comes back with us to the hotel and we wait for a exit letter to be issued so we can bring him HOME!  (So please pray whatever week we travel for a timely exit letter & safe travels)  I have heard the flight home can be a challenge so please pray for Moise.  All this will be so new and scary for him.

Will we be able to get updates while you are in country?  We hope to be able to update our blog, but internet connection is hit and miss.  We will also be bonding with our new son.  I am going to do my best to get at least text messages to Shauney -- and she can keep you updated.  She will be our PR person while we are away.  :-)

Will Moise speak English? No, he will not.  He will primarily speak Lingala and maybe a little bit of french.  He will catch on to English quickly and we will communicate a lot through pantomiming at first.  I have learned a few basic Lingala phrases so hopefully that will get me through.

When will I get to meet him?  I have already talked to many of you about this and watched you pout about it, but for the first month or so we will be keeping it very low key and focus on adjusting to our new family.  In adoption terms we call this cocooning.  We have not really established a set time to cocoon - we will play it by ear and see how things go.  I will do my best (within reason of time) to update when I can a few pictures and updates during this time so your not like totally dying and doing drive-by's.  This is very important for the attachment process.  For the first two weeks home we will be exclusively cocooning with just our lil family of six.  He will be getting to know his brothers and sisters *tears*  Depending on how that two weeks go we will start introducing him slowly in small gatherings to various family members.  Like you just stop by all causal :-)  No big parties and everyone staring at him wanting to squeeze the bejeezits out of him - sorry!!  You will have to contain yourself.  We will see how all this goes and then decide when his first church service will be.  (typing this is making me want to leave like right NOW)  I can't wait for that!!  I can just see him walking into a sea of blue shirts who have prayed and loved him home!!!  I don't know how you all are going to be normal on this day, but do your best to act as normally as possible (this will be harder for some-ha ha), not speak loudly or in a french accent, or pet him.  :-)  However, I encourage you to raise your hands, sing as loudly as you can, and praise God for His amazing goodness and blessing of having Moise there, with us, with his church family.  You all have been a vital part of bringing him home.  I am thankful that their is no language barrier with the Holy Spirit.  He will know you are his family by your love.  :-D Our tentative plan right now is to cocoon for a month with limited contact with the outside world.

Is there anything else I can do?  Pray!  Pray for safe travel & exit letters. We will need your prayers to fill in the gap, while we are recovering from jet lag and adjusting to all this newness.  Pray for Moise, for his little heart, for continued healing and that the spirit will lead us on parenting as we get to know him.  Jenn Hatmaker, an adoptive mom & amazing writer, wrote a great article about just these type of things called "How to be a Village"  I think it gives a good inside look for how to be supportive in these next stages we will be in, so give it a read.  Also, with much of our attention centered on Moise, it would be great if you want to spoil Avery, Aleigh, or Ryan for a day.  :-)  They would appreciate the extra attention... and affirm the they are still important too!!

I think I have covered it.... back to losing my mind with unbridled excitement.

Embassy Update --Donations--Buy a Shirt :-)

Our embassy appointment was scheduled for yesterday and all went well.  Very thankful for that.  Now what?  We wait to hear the words - "Moise's VISA has been issued" and then we travel.  It will take at least three weeks for a VISA to be issued... so now just pray that the VISA will be issued without any delays.  3 weeks puts us traveling the second week of January.  It could very well take longer then three weeks but that is not how I am praying.  :-)  I am praying for no delays -- the sooner the better to get my boy.

So for the next few weeks we will be trying to get everything in order for being gone and traveling.  A good friend also reminded me to cherish this time with my family as it is now - for soon it will be forever changed.

We will have limited space in our suitcases but are planning to take some donations.  We are trying to collect some children's vitamins, gently used long skirts and T-shirts for women - sizes medium & large (for the nannies) and soccer balls & large size packages of twizzlers to hand out at the orphanage.  I am also trying to find out how much a TV would cost to purchase over there as the last one got struck by lightning. If you would like to help with any of these items please let me know - we only can take so much.  Thanks!!

Also I would LOVE to finish selling the extra shirts we still have from our T-shirt fundraiser.  They are awesome shirts that give a voice to orphans -- but also subtly highlight the DRC with a yellow star emerging from the outline of the country. The colors are also representative of something I read online about what the colors mean on the Congo flag.  "Red stands for the "the blood of the countries martyrs, yellow the country's wealth; and the star a radiant future for the country.  The blue stands for peace"  We are having an end of the year special -- Shirts are now $15 ($2 per shirt s/h - buy 3 or more and shipping is free)  We have adult mediums and adult larges left.  These are one of a kind shirts!! We made these T-shirts to be a voice for adoption in general but they also highlight the Congo subtly with a yellow star emerging from the outline of the country.  

Also, if you and your crew bought shirts when we did the fundraiser the first time around -- I would love to have a picture to include in Moise's photo book.  Please e-mail me a higher resolution photo to fullertessy@yahoo.com.  I am trying to finish it up.

Thank you to each of you who have joined us on this journey.. we couldn't of done it without you!!  

DRC Elections & Keep Praying...Important dates ahead

Sipping my coffee on a Saturday morning and listening to the kids play. Life is good, but I miss him. A little more of my heart tends to slip away each day, leaving a void only God can fill with his amazing presence. I don't pretend to understand it, but I am thankful for this peace. If my emotions niggle in and try to convince me to worry, then the promises in His word stand strong.  So do the many prayers you are praying for us, for Moise, and for the DRC.

It was a strung out week, but finally on Friday the election results were announced that Kabila had won. Of course, this is being contested. You can read more here... Court reviews DRC vote amid fears of Kabila bias.  The official naming of the president will happen Dec. 17th.  My embassy appointment Dec. 19th.  I am really going to need some rev'ed up, serious praying going on.  Let God hear the cries of his people...may His mighty hand go before us and make the way.

Yesterday I was just going about my normal business when I heard a bird cheeping like crazy.  It made such a sound that I sauntered over to the kitchen window to peer out, rubbing the condensation off I spotted a bird on the patio table.  I looked around for a companion that he was maybe chattering endlessly at, but saw none.  Soon, the commotion gained the kid's attention and they wanted to see the bird making such a ruckus.  He was just cheeping away flitting to the right and left like he was there to give me some important message.  I had hoisted Avery up to see and she whispered, "Mom, what is that bird saying?" When she asked, suddenly my weighted heart collided with His word....

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Is  (insert personalization) Zalen Moise more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26 NIV)  Oh, how my heart smiled.  God speaks in mysterious ways. Then today I read this about prayer.....

"He is not a deaf god like the god of deism, but a caring and active God. He transcends His creation, but is immanent—or active—in it. No prayer is too small for God to hear. Neither is any prayer too large for God to handle. 

As Christ said, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26 NIV) The answer to the question asked by Jesus is that we are indeed "more valuable than they," for we are created in God's image (Genesis 1:26), "we are God's workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10), and He loves us. An important step in receiving the blessings of prayer is to humbly and sincerely offer our prayers to God. Fortunately, we can do this anywhere and anytime, because prayer is always available to us. But we must take the initiative. If we do so, God is eager to hear us, comfort us, strengthen us, help us, and uphold us with His "righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10)."

from "The Availability of Prayer" - Focus on the Family 

"WEAR YOUR SHIRT & PRAY" days continue...

Thanks girls for wearing your shirts and praying!!  It was about a year ago I was praying the little one on the right home from China to her forever family :-)

Still would love your photos of you and your crew wearing your shirts... Zalen's photo book is not complete... I need more pictures.  E-mail them to me at fullertessy@yahoo.com - Still want a shirt??  We still have some for sell.  Christmas special starts this weekend -- $15 a piece -- We have adult med. and lg. left and I would like to sell all the extras we have.  They do not only support us, they are a message of awareness to "Hear the Cry" of the orphan.  Could be a great Christmas present.  

• Thursday, December 15th - paper drop off
   Please pray that all our paperwork will be order and this process goes smoothly.  Pray for the safety our lawyer and others that work for our agency that will be traveling - that God will protect them.

• Monday, December 19th - embassy appt.
  Please just pray once again that everything will go smoothly.  Please pray for traveling mercies/protection so that the business that needs to be done can be accomplished.  Pray for the country of Congo that peace will be chosen over violence.  Also, please pray that Zalen Moise's visa will be issued in a timely fashion and that God will direct our steps as we plan when to travel... which will highly depend on when the visa is issued and if it is safe for us to travel.

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!

Your prayers have surrounded us and we have felt the power of them.  I know that the peace I felt this past week was because of your prayers.  It can't be explained any other way.  I had so many text, leave me messages, and simply ask - How are you?  What a great family of God we have..... I am so glad that I am part of it.

Also, I am currently collecting children's vitamins for the orphanage.  If you are interested in helping with this, let me know.  We will only have so much room in our suitcases, but we want to do what we can to help.

Indescribable

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

I am humbled.  I am blessed beyond measure.
God's presence has astounded and awed me over and over again.
I praise Him today.
My friend gave his life to Jesus last Sunday evening - my heart pours out PRAISE!
Many others surrendered junk they were carrying to make room for His JOY to once again bloom in their lives - I sat awestruck as each one testified to His power to heal a heart.
Revival was never really canceled it was just delayed according to God's purpose. 

You are truly amazing God!

I had my own heart issues to deal with....and I surrendered a lot to God at the foot of my bed.  "Remove the Fear" so your glory will be made known.  The unknowns are something I have to continually surrender.  They so easily try to entangle the heart.

It was a Tuesday.... a gloomy, rainy kind of day.  I walked out to meet Miss Mae when she got off the school bus.  As is my normal routine, I checked the mail.  I shuffled through junk mail and then saw the envelope return address: SHOW HOPE - the last grant that we have been praying to receive.  I resolved no matter the news that waited inside I would trust.  I prayed.  I opened it up and my heart was thumping heavily and as I read... I skipped ahead... and then tears overwhelmed me and I hardly knew how to respond to such a blessing.  It was enough to cover our travel expenses.  PRAISE GOD!  PRAISE GOD!  PRAISE GOD!  -- And the week of Thanksgiving... ohhh my heart....And knowing we only had a month left to get everything together.....  How often you must scoff at my mustard seed of faith?  But yet delight in blessing me anyway?

God has provided one miracle after another..... Indescribable!!

Every prayer you have prayed... God has answered....He has heard the cry of His people.

And you, my family and friends.... where do words even begin to tell you how thankful I am for you.  You've stood by me time and time again, through every step, every phase.  And will continue to do so....

Every need He has supplied....
Just in time...
EVERYTIME

He is uncontainable.

It just makes me want to weep from delirious JOY - the blessing, the love, the kindness just poured out on us.  Time and Time again....  Right down to two friends donating clothing in just the size I estimate needing.

WOW!

Thank you!  Each of you for being a blessing in my life.

And to you my Jesus... this Psalms of David I relate to so....

¹ I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity.

 ² I'll bless you every day,
      and keep it up from now to eternity.
 ³ God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
      There are no boundaries to his greatness.
 ⁴ Generation after generation stands in awe of your work;
      each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
 ⁵ Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
      I compose songs on your wonders.
 ⁶ Your marvelous doings are headline news;
      I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.
 ⁷ The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;
      your righteousness is on everyone's lips.
Psalms 145 - The Message

Here we are....

Here we are writing the last pages of our journey to bring Zalen Moise home.  The blank pages before me can be overwhelming at times, but I know God will write it just the way it should be.

I have been blessed in the past weeks with pictures and even a couple videos of Zalen.  His smile is etched so deeply in my heart and soul.  I wish I could find words adequate to describe how I love this little boy.  I am thankful for God leading me to this verse....1 Peter 1: 3-9. "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

My Jesus. My Zalen Moise. I GET it. It has been so hard to explain how I can love a little boy I have not seen...that I don't know...yet I know. The inexpressible, glorious joy of that love.... It so mimics my relationship with Jesus. I have not seen him, yet I LOVE Him!!! I have never "met" him yet I know Him. That is why this adoption journey has turned me upside down, inside out...b/c it does so mirror exactly how God adopted me. How God chose me. How God loves me.  I understand that now in a way I never have before.

The ache in my heart is their for a purpose...."These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." The other day I prayed for God to take away the ache. Lately I have prayed that God would make me ache - for that means I am being refined...close to the end result of my faith... that I am "LIVING" and out of my comfortable box... As I ache I will PRAISE HIM, knowing that in ALL of it - Christ will be revealed, even if I don't understand it.


I have tried to keep my hands open and trust. trust. trust. with the timing of how everything will happen but my heart was holding much more expectation then I realized.  This past week I had to fight through emotions that I may not be traveling before the end of the year and that we probably will not be getting that refundable tax credit we were hoping for.  I have talked to three different lawyers/tax people and still have no clue what is means to finalize our adoption.  The fine print is all greek to me.

Here is what you need to know....

• PRAISE - We have our i600 approval.  On the US side we are ready and approved to bring home our  son.  We received this approval 3 weeks before I expected and I know that was because of the prayers that each of you lifted for our family.
• We do have an embassy appointment, but it is not until Dec. 19th.  Here is where my heart had to deal with the expectations I had hidden in my heart.  But we did get some of the last appointments of the year, so I am thankful for that.  The embassy appointment is the first step for Zalen Moise to get his VISA to come to the US.  
• Once the VISA is issued we will travel.  At this time it is very unlikely we will travel before the end of the year.  If we did it would be over Christmas. 

Where are you at with your fundraising?

• We are almost there.  We are currently hoping to raise the rest of the $1500 we need to pay off our agency.  Our agency has given us a November 25th deadline to pay the rest of our balance.  Our originally goal was to have this money raised by November 15th.  I have not been able to inquire of our Lifesong account due to people being out of the office, so hoping to find out where we stand on Monday.  If you still would like to donate through Lifesong (which we prefer) you can.  They will take donations up to the time that our adoption is final.  (details in past entries below)
• Our last fundraiser is planned for this Monday, November 14th.  We are having a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser. We are hoping to raise the rest of what we need for travel which is around $2,500.

Every Monday in November is "WEAR YOUR SHIRT & PRAY" day.  We have a lot to pray through & for.  The elections are quickly approaching and so is deadlines to have our finances in order.  Our prayer requests for this Monday, November 14th are as follows:

• That our Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser will be a great success.  A special thanks to my friend Shauney who has headed up this fundraiser for me and went the extra mile.  She is one in a million and been the most amazing support to me through this adoption journey.  
• Pray that our Paperwork will all be in order when it reaches Congo for embassy appointment.  This is so important.  So many times their is complications with paperwork so if we could just pray that the paperwork all makes it together and timely, that would be appreciated.  
• Please continue to pray for the upcoming elections - that they would be peaceful and the leader elected will bring healing and restoration to the country.
• Pray for our immediate need of $1500 to be raised so we can pay off our agency.

Still would love pictures of you or your crew wearing your shirts!!  E-mail them to fullertessy(at)yahoo(dot)com.  Check out this great and very unique picture of my friend Tricia's son.  She is also adopting for the DRC.

I wish I could let each of you know how much your love, support, prayers, and gifts have met to me.  I am constantly overwhelmed by the amazing people God has surrounded us with.  Near and far...  Ones I've known a lifetime, ones I have just met, and others I have not met at all.  Thank you for being a blessing to us.

But most of all thank you for being a blessing to this little boy "Zalen Moise" and helping him to have a forever family.

Update & Wear Your Shirt Monday!!

Our next "Wear Your T-shirt & Pray Day" will be 

Monday, November 7th

Even if you don't have shirt, please join in praying anyhoo!

(Need a shirt?  Still have T-shirts size Adult Med. - Lg - XL - $20)

And I still need your pictures of you and your group wearing your shirts for my photo book.

We are also planning to wear our shirts on November 14th during our fundraiser, so join in then as well and pray that we are able to raise the funds needed for travel -- the final step!!

I am asking for serious prayer on this day.  There is so much that has to come together in order for us to travel by the end of the year.

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU! for your prayers.  I know God has moved due to the power of your combined prayers.  God is so good.

• Please pray for a miracle in our paperwork -- Please pray that our i600 approval will be issued not just timely but ahead of the normal.  We are really needing to get our embassy appointment scheduled but need our approval to do this.  Please pray for wisdom for our director J. as she will be estimating the unknowns of the paperwork trail and needs guidance on when to do so. 

• Please pray specifically that we will meet our financial goals as described below.  We only have one month left.  We are still waiting to hear back from one grant, which could aid us significantly in our travel costs.  We won't hear from them until the end of November.

• Please pray for the DRC as a country and the upcoming elections.  Pray for peaceful demonstrations and that God will intervene and put a leader in place that will bring healing to this war torn nation.  We will also be having another "Wear Your Shirts & Pray" Day on November 28th which is the day of the elections. 

We are moving a bit closer to our $1500 goal by November 15th.  I am thankful to be babysitting again and for the limited photo shoots I was able to squeeze in to my schedule that is helping meet this goal.  Every bit helps. 

Fundraising
Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

Some of you have asked if you should still send donations through Lifesong.  Yes, we would prefer you to send them through Lifesong so they can directly pay our agency due to tax reasons.  I inquiry every Tuesday if we have received any donations.  I need to have my agency paid in full by November 15th.  Lifesong will accept donations until my adoption is finalized, but we are working toward our November 15th goal.

You can also donate online through Pay-Pal.  If you would like to donate online click the link below and make a one time donation with the memo Fuller#2233  so that it goes to us.  When you click the link below  it will take you to a page that looks like this:

One-Time Gift
On the PayPal screen, please indicate where you'd like your donation to go. Please note that PayPal does charge an administrative fee (1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 USD per transaction). The donation will be decreased by the amount of this fee.

Click donate and then memo your donation with Fuller#2233 on the purpose.  (if you don't memo it, it will not get into our account so make sure you memo it)

Click the link to below to make an online donation through Lifesong:
http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/donation.html 

Or you can donate by sending a check.....

Please make checks payable to: Lifesong for Orphans. **Please preference how the donation may be used by writing “preference Fuller #2233 adoption” in the memo section of your check.    (*Note: In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong which retains full discretion and control over its use.)

         Mail checks to:

         Lifesong for Orphans

         PO Box 40 / 202 N. Ford St

         Gridley, IL  61744

Hope you can make it to our Spaghetti Fundraiser on Monday, November 14th.  All proceeds from this dinner will help us with the traveling expenses to bring our boy home. This is it, the last lap of the race....if all works out we hope to travel before the end of the year.

We will be serving lunch from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the church, dine in. We will also be delivering to various local businesses through the lunch hours of 11-2. Flyers will be handed out soon but you can also e-mail orders and needed delivery time to bring_moise_home@yahoo.com

Supper will be served at the church from 5-8 p.m. and will be dine in only.

Meal will consist of Spaghetti, Salad w Ranch dressing (on the side), Breadstick and Dessert
Suggested donation $7

15 days & Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser

15 days to raise the rest of the $1,500 we need to pay off our agency.  That is our current goal through our support letters/emails that were sent out through Lifesong.  trust. trust.  trust.  Keep running the race, don't lose faith.

$100 arrived in my mailbox today.  $1,400 to go.  Thankful.  So Thankful.  Each day seems to get a bit longer.  Each day my heart hurts a bit more.  I want to go get my boy.  Will you keep praying?  Going back to one of the verses God has given me to cling to "Do not let this happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens. Remember your reward! You need to keep on patiently doing God's will if you want Him to do for you all that He has promised. His coming will not be delayed much longer. And those whose faith has made them good in God's sight must live by faith, trusting Him in everything. Otherwise, if they shrink back, God will have no pleasure in them."  Hebrews 10:35-38

Fundraising
Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

Do you know what else November 15th is?  I didn't pick this date... Lifesong did as the deadline to get in funds through them.  It marks the one year anniversary that God called us in a small group setting to adopt.  I still remember the night, clear as day.
 
We are also squeezing in one last fundraiser.  Monday, November, 14th we will be doing a Spaghetti Lunch/Dinner.  Not sure of all the details but mark it on your calendar.  We are hoping to raise the rest of what we need for travel.  Plan to eat lunch/supper with us.  We are going to try to get orders through local businesses for the lunch meal so if you can help deliver meals, let me know, because we will need drivers.

Our next "Wear Your T-shirt & Pray Day" will be 

Monday, November 7th 

  Read Current Prayer Requests.. Click Here