Get Ready!....We have a name!!!...And need your pictures!!

On the Congo side of things our adoption is finished.  I just received news today from our director that all paperwork I need from them is in and translated.  I can now file the i600 as soon as my fingerprinting is done.  :-) This brings tears to my eyes.  We are getting so close to bringing our son home.

God's blessings having been pouring in.  I can feel the pace changing to "Get ready!"  And we are getting ready.  We almost have the BoyS (that is plural, boys) room done.  Will take pictures when finished.  And finally yesterday (after an agonizing process, we finally decided on name)  We have tried so many and none seemed to fit just right.... So are you ready?  Zalen Moise Fuller.  (pronounce with a long "a" sound) 

We have been blessed beyond measure to receive two of our grants that we applied for.  I give God all the glory.  Though this brings us even closer to traveling, upon finally sitting down and crunching the numbers we are not as close as I thought we were.  This just proves that I should never be trusted with figuring numbers in my head.  I forgot to configure in a Placement fee of $2,000 that we have to pay before we travel.  But I am not discouraged, because God,  unlike me can figure numbers and knows exactly what we need (even before we need it).  I was hoping that the grant that we received from Kinsman Redeemer would make a big dent in travel but now it looks like it will just cover the rest of the fees that I had not calculated.  I am not even calling this a set back just more of an opportunity for me to deepen my faith and let God's Mighty hand work.  God has given me peace about the finances and I know they will be there when we need them.

Breaking it down, so you can pray with us:

• The Lifesong Matching Grant (see post below or click on link if you would like to donate to this - they will match whatever you donate up to $3,000) will cover the rest of what we owe for Foreign Fee.  $5,961.00.

• $5,000 for airfare

• $2,600 for food/hotel
  (est. high on this - prob. won't need that much but figuring in an extra week just in case) 

• Additional fees to agency: Child's US Visa, Child's Vacc., Home Study Review Fee, Placement Fee, and 3 month orphanage fee.  (besides the VISA I had not really figured any of these) -- $3,635

So in the light of my invoice from my agency we are still needing about $6,000.  We still are waiting to hear back from two grants and are hoping to do one last fundraiser before we travel.  We are sooo close!

John 21:6And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

Casting my net on Faith :-)  I mean "c'mon man" (tis Fantasy Football season and I am 3-0) look what God has done already!!

Also we still have several T-shirts we need to sell.  $20 and we have sizes Adult S, Med., Lg, and XL.  We have a few youth sizes ($17) in size med.  So if you haven't got your shirt yet, it is time to get it.  I think it would be great if Zalen Moise Fuller is met in the airport by a sea of blue shirted people!  If you live out of state, I will ship them to you.  $2 shipping fee per shirt this time but if you order 5 or more shipping is free.

Also we are initiating a "Wear your Shirt and Pray" days.  We have some big dates that will be coming up and I thought a great way for you to get involved in praying Zalen Moise home (see it has a ring to it) is to wear your shirt that day.  Our first "Wear your Shirt and Pray" day will be Thursday, Oct. 6th which is the day we go do our biometrics.  Also, we will be having a "Wear your Shirt and Pray" day on November 27th which is the day of the elections.

I also would love to post some pictures of you wearing your shirts.  I am currently working on a photo album to send over there with our director who will be traveling mid October and it would be awesome to include some of the photos of you wearing your shirt.  What I can't fit in the book will go into a scrapbook for him when He gets home.

You can send your pictures to: fullertessy(at)yahoo(dot)com

Lifesong Matching Grant

Dear Family and Friends,

How do I even begin this letter?  Every time I sit down to write it, I am not quite sure what to say….to bear my heart to you, to be transparent to you.  I wish this was easy for me to do.  Yet, it is so deeply personal that I find my words inadequate to tell this story of my heart.  Yet, this story must be told, my barriers put aside, for it has little to do with me.  It is about a little boy.  A little boy that has been etched upon my heart so deeply that he is a part of me.  God has spanned miles and continents and connected us in such a way that it can be only explained as divine.  He divinely appointed me to be his mother, for him to be our son and for our family to be his family.  We have readily accepted this gift God has chosen for us, a son from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa.  On Father's Day of this year we received the first phone call where we heard his name for the first time.  A precious little 3/4 year old boy named Moise.  We officially accepted our referral as soon as our home study was completed which was on July 15th.  We continue on our exciting journey to bring our son home to his family.

Through this journey, a story is being written.  Many of you have already been written in and rallied with us as we prayed through mountains.  We have also cheered together at each different phase so far, when just in time, every time, God provided.  You, as our family and friends are important characters because many of you will be big part in my son's life.  Beyond my expectations has been the twist in the plot, where characters have been written in that I have never even met.  Generosity and encouragement spanned the miles through love, prayers and unexpected financial gifts.  If you haven't joined our journey yet, this is your official invitation to do so.

Our story began with a stirring of our hearts and took us to the country of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a war torn country.  A country with millions of orphans due to war and the AIDS epidemic that has ravished across the land.  The conflict is arguably the world's most deadly crisis since World War II.  It wasn't until our journey to adopt from the Congo that we realized all of this.  Before this point, we were living in ignorant bliss in the comfort of our Americanized boundaries.  It was only when I began to research this country where my son was from that my eyes were opened and it became deeply personal. I vowed I would be a voice for the children in this country.  The word of God in Isaiah 1:17 has been my rally cry "Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow."

You maybe wondering, how you can be a part of our story? 

   •  PRAY - The first thing you can do is pray.  We are hoping to travel by the end of the year to bring our son home.  The country is having elections the end of November and is causing much chaos in the country.  When we travel, how soon we travel is dependent on how these elections go.  We need you to join with us and pray for the country of DRC during these elections.  Our adoption moving forward is dependent on how this election goes.  Pray that God will rise up a leader that will protect the children and bring healing to Congo.

    • GIVE - The biggest challenge we have faced is not opening our hearts and home to another child but it is in finding the finances to make this happen. We know that God has called us to this journey and that He is faithful.  Our adoption all together when said and done will cost approx. $34,000.  We saved $10,000 ourselves before we started on this journey.  God has proved faithful and through fundraising, saving our pennies, and gifts from friends and family we have conquered another $12,000 in the last few months. We still need to raise $12,000.  We have just a few months to finish raising the funds we need to pay.  Will you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us get Moise home?  If we match this grant, that will be $6,000 toward our adoption goal. 

    Lifesong (www.lifesongforoprhans.org) has graciously given a Matching Grant of $3,000 to help get our son home.  They will match your donation dollar for dollar up to $3,000 and all donations are tax-deductible.

  If you would like to be a part of this amazing God-led journey to bring Moise home you can send your gift between now and November 15th to the address below.  Lifesong is a trusted organization administering the funds on Moise's behalf, and will pay adoption expenses out of funds received.

1. 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.)

2. Mail checks to:

         Lifesong for Orphans

         PO Box 40 / 202 N. Ford St

         Gridley, IL  61744

Thank you for investing in the Kingdom through prayer and finances – it will be an investment with an eternal return! (Matt 6:20)  Please pray this entire process will glorify God and fulfill His purposes!

In Christ,

The Fuller Family

Craig, Tessy, Aleigh, Avery and Ryan

EXCITING UPDATE: We just received a letter this week that we were granted a gift from Kinsman Redeemer out of Kirksville, MO in the amount of $4,000.  If we raise the $3,000 and it is matched, then this leaves with only $2,000 more that we need to travel to get our little boy.  God is AWESOME!  I give him all the glory and praise and I thank each of you for being part of our story.

Sometimes...

So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14 

Thankful for how God has provided, each and every step of this way.

Praying that He will provide once again, five exit letters by Friday for waiting families who are yearning for their children to be home.

Speaking of yearning....
I woke up with that deep ache in the pit of my stomach.
I tried to fill it with coffee, God's word, feeble prayer and yet it remains.
The intense knowledge that our family is incomplete.
Until Moise is home, my heart aches with a bellowing loneliness that only God can hear.
That only God can soothe.

Sometimes I feel helpless....
Each time I see his sad forlorn face
Laying in bed sending desperate pleas to God to span the continents and whisper into his little heart that he is loved.  Deeply loved.  Wanted.  Cherished.

Sometimes I feel inpatient... (ok a lot of times) 
Wanting to skip ahead and read the end of the story
Wanting to campaign to God my time table of how I need things to work
(like I am an expert at time management - ha!)
trust.  trust.  trust.
Will you?
trying.  trying.  trying.
Forgive me.

Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder...
What to do with the person I see
I have seen so much and will see even more
How much is enough?
What else can I do?
The igonorance stripped leaving me grieving
Grieving for children - God's precious children
Who need a voice.
What else can I do?
The question plays like a broken record

Sometimes it is lonely...
Even surrounded by friends & family
So many still don't get it
Like a lawyer I defend my own purpose
(chewing the irony chips your teeth)
Should I have to defend LOVE?
Love that binds and intertwines and connects
Spanning time and miles and people
Why Africa?  Why not here in the US?
Who are you to think you could?
Not honest questions, but judging ones.

Can I answer?
Should I answer?
Or shake the dust from my feet and move on.

Do you know he is my son?
He is my son that I love.
How dare you challenge my love.
God chose Him for our family.
Yes God.
How dare you challenge God.
Dust feet.  Move on.
Pray humbly for open eyes.
Open their eyes.

Sometimes it hurts....
But I know I also once was blind, deaf and dumb
Until God opened my own heart
Until God let me see
A plan that was beyond my most wildest dream
A plan that was beyond "me"
A plan that required the deepest of dependance
A plan that required trust beyond my own capablities
A plan with a promise.

trust.  trust. trust.
trying. trying. trying.

Final T-shirt Tally & Update

I know it has been awhile since I have updated.  We have been really busy fund-raising.  We are turning our official order in on Monday for our T-shirts and we were only about 35 shirts short of reaching our goal of 200 shirts.  My mom stepped up and bought the rest of what we needed + a little more and confidently said we will sell them.  :-)  She ordered a few adult smalls, several adult mediums & larges.  So, if when you get your shirt and someone says... I love it - can I get one... then yes if they fit those sizes they sure can. 

Just want to thank my T-shirt sales team.  They did great.  :-)  The winner of the dinner (that rhymes) will be Grandma Theresa.  She will be dining on shrimp kabobs and cherry cheesecake.  She ran into a few critics on her selling journey and it makes tears come to my eyes at how supportive she has been for me and how she had my back no matter what.  I love you mom!  Also, my nephew Trey did a great job (with some help from Aunt Charity) but I loved that he even volunteered to help.  Special thanks to Sheryl, Shauney, Candy, Mindy, Julia H., Russ and Jenny as well.  You all rock!  Thank you to each of you who purchased a T-shirt.  My online adoptive family has been so supportive and I have been blown away by their kindness and support.  I hope these shirts will be a voice for the children and that people will see them and ask questions and you can share your story.

The bake sale went awesome.  Thank you to each of you who donated and bought goodies.   It was a great success.  I am thankful to be part of a great community that was very supportive.  We also got to share with a few different people about our journey to adopt.  One lady in particular really stands out in my mind and I wish I would of got her name as she shared her interest about adopting.  I don't know her name but I am praying for her.

My church family has been so supportive as they have helped us host both of these big fundraisers.  Being part of the body of Christ is such an amazing phenomenon.  My agency, as wonderful as they are, are getting antsy for another payment so I am excited that just in time, once again, the funds will be here.

Exciting news right now is our agency directors are in DRC right now and working on bringing home five children to their forever families.  Please pray for VISA's and exit letters.  Many families have Sept. 3rd set to reunite and it is all dependent on paperwork.  Will you please pray?  It does my heart good to know that J. was over there loving on my Moise.  I got measurements (funny story there, you will have to ask me) and an unexpected new picture.

Where are you at in the process?  I have filed my i600a.  We are waiting to get our fingerprint appointments.  We are hoping to travel by November.  In order to do so I will need some paperwork miracles.  Finances... Still waiting to hear if I received any of the grants I applied for.  Will you please pray?  Getting approved for these grants could make all the difference in the world.  God has given me a serious peace about the financial provision.  I am trusting him with all the unknowns of that.  He hasn't failed me yet.

Will you be  doing anymore fund-raising?  We are still hoping to do a silent auction/dinner at our church and Craig has been thinking about putting together a trivia night.  Other then that, I am not sure.  Hoping to plan the dinner late September or early October.  We are still selling our Just Love Coffee as well and it is really good coffee.  Just click on the link in the left sidebar to go to our store.

Any other questions I can answer?

T-Shirts

The T-shirt fundraiser is on and my All-Star sales team is in place.  A special shout out to them Shauney, Sheryl & Hannah, Tyler & Trey, Mindy, Jenny, Julia, Russ, Trese & Mindy.....  Let's sell these T-shirts and bring Moise home!  So if your local you can buy T-shirts from any of the above on the sales team.

For my online friends..... Please e-mail me at fullertessy (at) yahoo.com your order and I will message you back my address to send the money to.  Money is due upon ordering and we are doing *CASH ONLY*  Shipping is free.  All orders/money need to reach me by August 26th.  Thanks!

With no further adieu, here is our promo video.....(if you haven't seen it on facebook already)

And just a picture of the T-shirt design for your viewing pleasure. A gi-huge-ic thanks goes out to Ray Craighead for such an amazing design.  We can't thank you enough.

 

Youth Sizes: XS (2-4) - S (6-8) - M (10-12) - L (14-16) XL (18-20) - $17.00

Adult Sizes: S - M - L - XL - $20.00 • 2XL-3XL - $22

100% Cotton - Unisex - Only available in Blue

Phase 2 & 3 - Adopting by Faith

"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

Up to this point I have had a "Happy Trust" in the Lord as we went forward on our adoption journey.  But through the past week and as we head into Phase 2&3 I have really felt tested to keep that trust.  I had some self-doubt creep in and some issues that has really pressed on us financially - when we are already sacrificing much financially.  I rolled around in some self pity for awhile and then called a friend and asked for prayer on facebook.  It is never easy to admit your weaknesses but God reminded me through a timely devotion that when you "NAME IT" suddenly it isn't so shadowed anymore.  As I started to "NAME IT" the fear, the doubts, the unknowns.....  God lifted my head up and cleaned the mud and the muck that I had allowed to distort my vision.  And then once again the miracles started rolling in.... BENIAM passed court!  What?  For Real?  I ran and grabbed my journal and wrote beside his picture a very big PRAISE GOD!  Then onto our jump up and down and do the hula adoption dance (we have been doing a lot of those lately!)  Then a phone call later that evening -- another miracle on how God pleaded the case of a guy in our church who we had been praying for.  God worked out every detail.

There is no room to shrink back.  I must trust God in EVERYTHING.  The timing of when we will travel, the elections going on in Congo, and especially the financial end of things.  I don't know how this is all going to play out and if I focus on the unknowns that is when my faith falters.  I must focus on what I do know and that is I can trust God in everything and with everything.  If I am being honest... FAITH is all we have.  We have exhausted our finances/savings in the first phase of this.  It is now up to God how He will provide.  We will be fundraising, and we are filling out grants, and will do our best to do our part, but the blessing will flow from Him.  This is his plan for our family.  Now I just need to patiently keep doing God's will and rely on the truth that not once has He ever let me down.  Not once.

He worked in Phase 1 a miracle -- it was just in time. PRAISE Him- for He is able.  I received about ten documents all in French that are all one step closer to Moise with a note that my paperwork is going through quickly.  PRAISE Him - for He is able.  My home study is done and approved and we sent out our first grant application today.  PRAISE Him - for He is able.


So... many of you have asked "WHAT IS NEXT?"

First and foremost - Will you pray like crazy?  Add our family, the DRC, and Moise to your prayer lists, to your church prayer lists.  I want God to lead the way in our every decision.  The DRC will be having elections in November and things are getting pretty heated.  Pray that God will be in these elections and that the result will keep the adoption program open.  There is issues concerning all of this including safety and a possible earlier travel time then originally expected if paperwork goes through.  Many details that we need to work out.  Pray for our director as well as she is trying to get children/families home, yet also keep them safe.  Also please pray for God's favor as we send out these grants.  We sent out our first one today and are working on several more.


Fundraising....  Our next big fundraiser will be our T-shirts.  We are working on getting these designed and I am hoping to get a design out soon and start getting pre-orders.  I am also planning on doing a bake sale in August as well and in September we are hoping to do a dinner/silent auction.  Many of you have mentioned doing your own fundraisers for us on your own and I thank you so much for this!!

Due to possibly traveling sooner then expected we are combining our Phase 2 and Phase 3.
Phase 2: Raise $9,250 - *$750 (need by mid August) $8500 - remaining foreign fee
Phase 3: Travel Fees -$8,500

Let's not shrink back - and may God take pleasure as we rally to bring one of His precious children home to his forever family.  Moise - we love you and we are exerting our every effort and every prayer to bring you home.

He is more then able....

*****UPDATE - PHASE 1 COMPLETE -- GOD is GOOD.  The Body of Christ is AMAZING.  Lov-EEEE each of you!!!   

 A week of miracles last week followed by a test to be resilient this week and keep trusting.

Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)

Aleigh's joke of a Dr. appointment was very disappointing, but I know I gave all my anxiety to God on Sunday morning at the altar and I will not pick it back up and I will keep praying that God will perform a miracle on my little girl.  He is more then able.

I also SHOUT FOR JOY - because yesterday I received the wonderful e-mail that read "Your Home Study is Approved!"  Yeah - another step forward.  Next week I will be sending out several grants so I am asking for some fervent prayer that God will surround us with favor in this area.  Also pray that my I600A will just whiz right through immigration.  Once we complete Phase 1 - We will have to move into Phase 2 which is raising the rest of our Foreign Fee.  He is more then able.

So where are we at with Phase 1 - Just shy $70.  I counted it all up last night knowing I was really close...... Just $70 away from sending in my check to officially accept my little boy.  We have put in all we can put in out of our budget -- I have a home study review bill and travel costs to pay from my home study.  If 7 people donate $10 we are there. A humble, I wish I could squeeze and hug the bejeezits out of you, your the bestest, thank you to each of you who helped us get to where we are at.  You know who you are. 

I watched Hotel Rwanda last night and what a heart wrenching story.  It really puts America to shame.  Me to shame.  My heart longed for Moise and I prayed earnestly that God would transport some of my mommy love to his little heart because I just wanted with all my might for him to feel wanted.  Not just by me, but by God as well, who has a plan and purpose for his little life.  I have so much...so many have so little.  Still trying to grasp hold of this.  Moise possibly is getting a meal once every other day and sleeps on a slab of concrete.  Every time I eat I think of him.  I feel weird to say I'm hungry, when I have abundance.  I am never really hungry.  Every time I lay on my pillow-top bed I think of him.  He does not even have an ounce of fat on his little body to cushion the hardness of the concrete.  One of the adoptive moms who is also adopting from the same orphanage we are is heading up a project to fund bunk beds for the orphanage.  Check out her blog Beds 4 Cohen's Buddies  I wish I could help with this project but right now our focus is on bringing home Moise.  So my way of helping - is to share it.  Hoping that a church would see raising the funds for a bed as a mission project or a small group would work together and raise the funds for a bed.  This project will benefit the 37 children that are still waiting for forever families.  So even if you can't give, use your voice and share this project.  Be a voice for the children who have none.  And even with this I believe that He is more then able.

Where are we at with our fundraising?  So I still have 16 lollipops left - so if you would like some more let me know.  I am still selling coffee from my Just Love store front.  We are currently working on T-shirts.  Special thanks to my friend Russ who has been helping me with this project.

Rejoicing and ever so thankful that I can give this to God, trust him with all the cares of my heart, also so thankful I can trust you with the cares of our heart knowing you will lift us up and pray for us and rally around us because that is just the kind of people you are.  :-)

*Update: Just read this great blog post by Jen Hatmaker - Fighters - and I loved it.  I think sometimes we struggle to share where we are at, thinking we have to put on happy face and go forward while we are silently suffering inside.  NOT SO.  So I really LOVED this.. "Christian community, let us not fear real emotion attached to struggle, confusing it for a lack of faith. Like I heard recently: It makes sense that the Holy Spirit is called a Comforter, because if you actually follow where he leads you, you're going to need one. It would be easier to lead a safe, comfortable life, void of sorrow, unattached to human suffering and bubble wrapped within the predictable western Church. But alas, I can't find that brand of discipleship in Scripture, and believe me, I've looked." 

Phase 1:

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