2loveorphans.com [Blog]

P. R. A. Y. my friends, P. R. A. Y. !!!!!!

2011-03-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

So, after reading the book, Priceless, I CANNOT get the children who are trafficked each day,

as in EVERY TWO MINUTES kids are being prepared for sexual exploitation,

off of my mind...maybe off of my heart is more like it...well, actually, maybe off of my soul, now that is more like it! The injustice of their lives is being burned into my soul. I cannot imagine what pain is daily being burned into their souls REPEATEDLY! Basically, the burning for them must burn so deeply that not much soul is left. I think I have already said, I cannot imagine.

Thankfully, my Jesus is BIGGER than their pain so I know He can restore the damage and that one day they will be made whole when in Heaven if not here. PLEASE pray for them TODAY! Right this second! Tom Davis, author of Priceless recommends these specific ways to pray:

Pray that the Lord will close the eyes of those seeking vulnerable girls to traffic

Pray that the girls' eyes would be opened to truth and they would flee when approached

Pray that the Lord will comfort the girls in their affliction

Pray that they will feel His arms wrapped around them

Pray for their protection, in body, soul and spirit

Pray that the girls will not lose hope

Pray that the girls will band together to encourage one another

Pray for Satan's voice to be quieted as he tells them there is no hope

Pray for the eyes of the rescue organizations to be opened to see the girls who they can help

Pray that the rescuers will have discernment

Pray for safety during the rescue efforts

Pray for the newly rescued girls will know they are safe

Pray that they will be comforted by the Holy Spirit as they begin to grieve

Pray for healing for their deepest wounds that can only come from Him

Visit, SheisPriceless.com for scriptures that go with these requests and for more information on this topic. Also, Tom recommends watching the movie, Trade. I went to the website for the movie and it listed many organizations that help people who are trafficked. I visited some of those websites to gather information. Tom also recommends visiting Love146.com. That was my favorite new website to visit. Check it out. IJM.org is amazing and I have met with one of their representatives before and she was wonderful so if you are not familiar with their work, check them out too!As you conclude your prayers for these precious victims, please

Pray for God to reveal to you how you (and I) can help.

Because I serve an amazing God who is Sovereign and Just, I trust He will deliver final justice in honor of all of the victims of trafficking and that He will make beauty from their ashes, but until that moment, please take these people to The Throne of The Most High.

Sincerely,

Tracy

PRICELESS, A Novel on the Edge of the World

2011-03-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

I just read Tom Davis's new fiction book, PRICELESS based on the truths and realities of what happens to orphans in Russia (and actually most all other places) once they "age out of the system." It was such a wonderful book. Was it difficult on my heart to read the book? Yes, but it was gripping, I read it in one day! The stories of what happens to young girls without someone to love and care for them FIRE ME UP! At the conclussion of the book, Tom asks,

"Can you imagine what it would be like to believe with certainty that there is no other human being who truly loves you?"

I cannot. CAN YOU? That is how these young girls feel! That very thought is what drives me to help orphans. As Tom also says...

"It's not acceptable to say that issues like sex trafficking are too painful, so I should just avoid them. I can assure you it's much more painful for the girls who are trafficked."

Amen, Tom!

I do not understand how we live in a world that allows such horrors. It is not God's fault, He never intended it. He has strong words against it in His Word. It is the humans in His creation that do it, ignore it, or are apathetic to this plight that allow it. Boy, does this all frustrate me and break my heart! It makes me so sad and angry, especially when I look at my own two little girls! Please pray for these young women across the world. Become active in one or more of the 8.4 million children who are currently in slavery and the 27 million humans that are victims of human trafficking. 300,000 of these children are in the US. And by the way, this is a BILLION dollar industry....excuse me while I throw up.

So help domestically or internationally! Here are some websites that will give you an opportunity to help:

www.HopeChest.org

www.iEmpathize.org

www.NotForSaleCampaign.org

www.IJM.org (International Justice Mission)

www.SCTNow.org (Stop Child Trafficking Now)

www.SheisPriceless.com

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Edmund Burke

"Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hands."

Bodie Thoene

Rise up, God's people, and engage yourselves on behalf of the orphan!

Tracy

Branches...Recovering Hope, Restoring Lives

2011-02-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

Jennifer and I just had the delightful opportunity to meet with Stacey Wessner, Branches Recovery Center's Development Director. Why? Simply because the wonderful God we served stirred Stacey to call us and see how we could partner! I asked Stacey, besides of our love for Christ and our love for people hurting, what do we have to connect us? She smiled and said, well, both of our organizations want to help others "recover hope and restore lives." And you know what, she is right! Oh, how we long to give orphans Hope and Restoration! We know what Hope and Restoration look like...they are embodied in a Someone who allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross. His sacrifice gave hope and restoration to us all. If you would like to talk to someone about this, call Branches (615-904-7170). They are available to offer counseling and help to precious people, couples and families who are hurting...physically, emotionally and spiritually.

If you are in the adoption process, you may run across some moments where counseling might be beneficial...maybe your extended family is struggling with your decision or maybe only one person in the marriage is excited and the other person if fearful...whatever the need, Branches desires to help.

We are in prayer on how we will partner with this faith-based organization in the future. We decided today that we would partner to place a treat in the gift bags that will be given to all of the ladies who attend the Women in Business Luncheon in Murfreesboro this next week. Pray that people who are in need of Branches services will be encouraged to call them when they receive our small token. Pray that the ladies will also visit our website and be inspired to help orphans in some compacity.

I love when God does special things to let you know He cares. That is how I felt when Stacey called www.2loveorphans. I hope you feel His love and care today too. I will be praying that those who are orphaned and without ANYONE feel the same love and care from Him today as well. I pray there is someone who takes a moment to spread kindness and love to the orphaned just like that precious little girl in the picture is doing for her baby sister. GOD BLESS OUR PRECIOUS ORPHANS IN A SPECIAL WAY TODAY!

Thanks!

Tracy

Shortest Blog Entry Ever

2011-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

Read RADICAL!

Tracy

Dressed in Preciousness

2011-02-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Dress Success!

Recently, a precious friend at church was lead to do the COOLEST thing for orphans! She can sew and so she gathered up tons of friends (who could and could not sew) and together they made dresses for orphans in Uganda (at my Divine Grace Primary School!) and the Dominican Republic. Our church has members who travel to these two places and Cheryl wanted to contribute. She had made sweet outfits for us to take to Uganda last fall and let me tell you, I have never seen happier little faces than when we passed out her clothes to the poorest of the poor (did you even know there were "poorest of the poor"?). Anyway, she saw a news story where a woman gathered friends to make dresses out of pillowcases and she decided she could do the same. In one day, from 9am-4pm, Cheryl and her crew made over 116 dresses!!!!!! 116 was the last number I heard but there were even more made! WOW! 116+ little souls are going to be so happy! They will be dressed in preciousness! These little ones have probably only one set of clothing and they are probably hand-me-downs...never will they have been given a brand new dress (tear down my cheek...I have been there and seen the look on their faces, indescribable!) You know, Jesus has a new dress for me. While I have many nice outfits, they are all like filthy rags and I can get pretty stinky in them...but one day, I will wear the loveliest garments for eternity and it will all be because of what my Savior did on the cross for me. I CANNOT WAIT TO BE HIS BRIDE and RESIDE WITH HIM FOR ETERNITY! If you are interested in planning a sewing day for you and your friends, let me know and I will get you some details. Thank you, Cheryl! Your obedience to follow God and plan this day bared much fruit! I am so excited that THIS year, Cheryl will get to go and deliver the clothes herself!

L.O.V.E. I.T.

Tracy

Show Hope...A Movement to Care for Orphans

2011-01-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

Show Hope is the organization founded by Stephen Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman that helps care for orphans in distress! It is such a wonderful organization. If you have never visited the website, it is a must for anyone interested in helping orphans! Stephen Curtis was used as a tool by God to speak to my husband, John, about adoption so he has a special place in my family's hearts. Show Hope will be doing a Spring Celebration by presenting Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella on April 15th at 7pm in Nashville at The Schermerhorn Symphony Center. If you are interested in helping orphans, this is a fun way to help! Tickets are on sale and you can visit their website at www.showhope.org/cinderella if you are interested. Also, if you have not read Mary Beth Chapman's new book, CHOOSING TO SEE, then you have TOTALLY missed out! It is truly one of the best books I have EVER read! I read it on the way home from Africa and the time flew by (no pun intended)! I found Mary Beth's openess and candor refreshing and heart~warming. Their tragedy of losing their precious Maria will have your heart in tears! May God continue to bless this family as they LIVE OUT LOUD for Him! Tracy

Baby Sam

2010-12-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

While not blogging, the best thing that has happened to Jennifer and me was that Jennifer and Russ got their precious Sam! He is the cutest little boy and we were so happy to welcome him HOME into the Connelly Family. He was adopted from Ethiopa and he has melted right into the arms of his family. ADOPTION is the best miracle! If you are not lead to adopt, consider helping others do it. Just look at that sweet baby boy who was temporarily without ANYONE and now has a family. Wow, God just blows me away when He "sets the lonely in families." Just like His Word promises.

Tracy

New Year's Resolutions

2010-12-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

We have not done the best at blogging and updating our website. We apologize!

Some people do not like New Year's Resolutions. Personally, I do! It is a great time for me to reflect with God on what are some ways He would have me grow closer to Him during the upcoming year. Also, life is so stinking busy, I like to stop and say okay, how can I better serve God, my family and others...and you know that includes orphans (there I am, right in the middle of preciousness in the photo to the left)! So, one of my New Year's Resolutions is going to be to do a much better job of taking care of our www.2loveorphan.com website! Remember, Jennifer and I are just two moms with eight kids trying to make a difference for the orphaned. Thanks for your patience!

Tracy

Christmas Cards Reflect Our Heart

2010-12-22T11:07:00.001-08:00

The Jones Family was able to travel to Uganda, Africa over our Fall Break! It truly was the trip of a lifetime! I could blog a kazillion pages of how precious and meaningful the trip was but our Christmas card summed up my favorite moment. All six of us were able to meet the four children we sponsor at Divine Grace Primary School! Our four children are Sylivia, Brian Owen, and Madrine. They are precious! Having a FAMILY picture made with all ten of us was the absolute most amazing gift ever given to me. THANK YOU, John, for taking our entire family and THANK YOU, Father, for giving us four more children. I know they are all the way in Africa but they are MINE and I love them and our entire family now has a personal relationship with the four of them and we consider them a part of The Jones Family! I highly recommend you give sponsoring a child a try! Think Eternally! What truly matters for an eternity? I just know in Heaven, the entire Jones Family will live together!

Thanks,

Tracy Jones

10,000 SOLD!

2010-12-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

Big Thanks!

Thank you to all of my old friends and many new friends! 2loveorphans has raised over $10,000 since we returned from Africa! We will be able to send much needed funds to our friends at Divine Care Ministries! My heart is joyfully screaming just because I am SOOOOOO excited to be able to help the precious ORPHANS in Uganda! We could not do this without you purchasing our products. Most of that money has come from the sales of the magazine beads...so we were able to sale over $10,000 just $20 at a time! It has added up quickly though! God Bless You!

God's DNA for Our Children

2010-02-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

At the left are Pruitt, Liza Jane, and Jack surrounding Mary Margaret in one of her NASA astronaut uniforms. Is being an astronaut in Mary Margaret's DNA? Only One knows. Most days, I think I am that one...not true. The One who knitted Mary Margaret together, He is that One.

I read recently in a letter from Joe White, Director of Kanakuk Kamps, that as parents we should have "eyes that look for the vision in our kids, always dreaming with our kids, and always looking for what God is doing with the DNA of our kids."

How many plans have I secretly made for my children? Well, I have dreamt up a million plans for all four of them. They all involve success as adult believers, perhaps even in some form of "the ministry" and of course, they all involve adoption and a kazillion children of their own so that I can have a kazillion grandchildren of my own! I had better be careful...

{Time out...I always have so many thoughts swirling in my mind and feel the need to say "bottom~line" so that the reader does not have to hear me rattle on and on about my each and every thought so below I will say, "bottom~line"...Time in}

"Bottom~line"...if I am trying to plan out my children's lives, I am not submitting myself nor them to our Great and Gifted Heavenly Father who is the Only One who truly knows what is best for them. While dreaming is fun, I do not ever want to be the person who influenced my children into my own plans for them...

(which, by the way, IF I had dreams ...hahaha...they would be: for all four of them to be happily married and have MANY biological and adopted children;

for Jack to be an attorney for the International Justice Mission ...not an attorney who is a sports agent which is what he thinks would be awesome; for Pruitt to be a director of a Kanakuk Kamp...not a doctor which he has talked about; for Liza Jane to be a stay~at~home mother, not the teacher she dreams of becoming, even though I was a teacher myself; and, for Mary Margaret to be an astronaut who leads all of her fellow Chinese citizens to Christ and adopts numerous babies for me to keep while she is in outer space. Okay, so I AM actually on board with Mary Margaret's own personal dream of being an astronaut but she is NOT on board with my own personal dream of her having a kazillion children and she has never mentioned she wants to lead all of China to Christ. :) )

You know, Joe White said to "dream WITH them" not "FOR them." Who gave them their dreams anyway? I want to encourage them to seek their Dreamgiver and see what dreams He planted in their hearts but that is about where my responsibilities in this area end. After they seek Him and hear from Him, it is simply my job to encourage them and believe in them. I want to be that parent who is a cheerleader, the parent whose kids know, without a shadow of doubt, that their mom is their biggest fan.

I want to be the parent who looks up at her own Father and seeks His guidance on which paths I personally should be traveling down so that as I follow Him, I make a better leader for them. My Jesus knows what is best for all of us. Afterall, He is the One who breathed each one of my babies' extremely unique DNA into existence. His Word tells me He has a plan for them. So, I want to be the parent who is always looking for what God is doing with the DNA of my children. And then, follow His lead on how I can support them as they each write their own God Story.

This has been on my mind a lot lately. Sometimes I feel like our little fellas get the short end of the stick when it comes to school. While my children attend the most precious, wonderful school around, the "bottom~line" is, our American school setting just wasn't designed for little boys or big ones for that matter. If you have read the book, Wild At Heart, you know God designed a boy's DNA to be wild and crazy for many purposes. His purposes. When is the last time you heard a teacher affirm a young boy for being who God created Him to be (as in the "wild at heart" part of the boy)?

I know, I know...we cannot have a bunch of "wild" boys running around a classroom during instructional time but come on people, somewhere, there has to be balance. Somehow, schools must learn how to affirm boys as they prepare to become men. Somehow moms (me) have to provide opportunities for boys to simply live out the DNA The Maker, Himself, placed in them.

Remembering children are gifts from Him and that He loves them more than even we, their own mothers, can love them and that "bottom~line" they truly belong to Him anyway...can sometimes be difficult. Goodness, I just thought about Mary, the mother of Christ...wow...having to watch her Baby Jesus live out His DNA had to shatter her heart into a thousand pieces when she stood at His feet at The Cross. I simply can't imagine the torture in her heart when she looked at Him as not only Savior but as her son.

These thoughts bring me to one place. Oh Gracious Heavenly Father, enable me to submit my will to Yours. Allow me to be respectful of the plans You have for my children. Encourage me to seek You and ask You for wisdom on how to parent each of them. Whisper for me to sit and listen to the thoughts You have about them so that I can joyfully support You as You mold them into the persons you created them to be. You are their Architect and I cannot wait to see each step of the building process of their souls.

As always~ you do not need my help but You lovingly include me and I am forever appreciative, grateful, and thankful. May I always feel Your divine nudges of when to spur them on and when to challenge them to slow down. Make me aware of their individual DNA make~ups. And, for those little guys, help us all to recognize those times when we should be affirming and building up the man~things you have buried inside each of them. I know every child comes with a treasure buried within and may I always be a part of Your plan to reveal the treasure, not help bury it...under the gunk...the kind of gunk the enemy and the world try to dump all over the treasure.

And one more thing, Lord. You know I can't help it. Please tell me that in Your infinite wisdom You know what I am fixing to ask of You and that You are smiling because You designed my DNA as well...

Please let my Jack, Pruitt, Liza Jane and Mary Margaret grow up to have many children both biologically and through adoption. If it is not Your will for my children to adopt then You must let me know pretty quick, otherwise, my children will continue to hear weekly how they must adopt a sweet orphan or two or three when they become adults...and if not, there will be consequences. Even if they are grown, I will always be their mother, and that means if my children are not a part of any "rescues of the lonely", their "bottom~lines" will be in a heap trouble with me, regardless of all of our ages!

Thank you,

Tracy

Pray for Sweet Baby Sam

2010-02-14T20:08:00.001-08:00

Please pray for sweet Baby Sam. Jennifer and Russ are waiting "patiently" well, maybe at some moments, "not so patiently," to go and get their son in Ethiopia. They were told recently that he is very sick right now. Instantly, you mamas know what is going on in Jennifer's heart. Those heartstrings are being tugged in full force from her heart to his heart all the way across that ocean! I am sure Jennifer would say, "tugged?" you mean "yanked!!!!" Emotional breakdowns would be looming over me and pretty much just around every corner if I were her! An update on his health will not be available for a week...in a mother's mind, that is an eternity.

Pray for her. Pray that she hears our Great Physician when He whispers gently into her soul that He will tenderly care for their Sam. Pray that Sam will respond well to his medical treatments. Pray for Sam's caregivers to have extra time and love to devote to this once orphaned baby. Sam is no orphan. He has parents. Two wonderful ones who adore him. He has two sweet sisters who are longing to dote on him. He has a great big brother who cannot wait to teach him how to play baseball. He has a slew of other loving family members and friends who are eagerly awaiting his arrival. We all want Sam well. We all want him to feel the loving arms of Christ around him until Christ places him in the loving arms of The Connellys.

We love you, Sam and we will be praying for a complete healing of your precious little body. Thank you, Lord for placing him where he can receive medical care. Now heal that little boy up, let his court date go well, and bring him home! Until then, take care of my friend, Jennifer, reassure her daily that You love Sam more than she can imagine and that You will tenderly nurse and love him back to good health!

Thanks,

Tracy

Losing Hallee, The Pain is Still Tender

2010-02-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

Hallee Cartwright...what a darling girl and an example of how to live out loud for Christ! She was only twelve when she was taken from her family and friends. You can imagine the sadness. Well, maybe not. If you have never had a young person who is embedded into your heart and engraved into your life as a daughter, friend, niece, sister, grandchild etc. pass from this world and into the arms of Jesus, you probably do not truly know what kind of heartache I am writing about. And, I am thankful your heart has been spared from this form of grief. I think prior to Hallee's death, I knew it absolutely would be difficult for a family to lose a child but when it actually happened to a dear precious child in my world, I am here to tell you, it was rough on the heart (to say the very least). Tortuous to the soul is more like it. I have never heard my precious, big, huge, strong husband, John, cry so hard and so much.

I was in Africa when it happened and I had to trust God to take care of my John, my family, Hallee's family and all of our friends. Hallee was one of my son, Jack's, dearest friends. Jack (pictured above with Hallee at cotillion) spoke at her funeral and was able to share with everyone how darling Hallee was...she truly was a remarkable young person. She was simply herself. In fact, she had a REMARKABLE grasp on "just being yourself." She also had a REMARKABLE grasp on who her Savior was, on how to put others before yourself, and on how to live with a humble, generous spirit. And, just in case you are wondering, she had a REMARKABLE smile and laugh as well!

She had just given Jack a hat for his 13th birthday that said, "Hallee & Jack...BFFS" on it. What a treasure. Quite honestly, we were all devastated by the loss of our Hallee. The only place to find comfort was from The Comforter. The only place to trust our shattered hearts was in the hands of the One who had made them. The same hands that made Hallee and decided to take her home a little earlier than we were prepared for...the same hands that held our hearts together this past Saturday. It was Hallee's birthday.

Not an easy day for a mother who has lost her baby girl. Not an easy day for friends who have lost one of their dearest, funniest, most encouraging friends. Not an easy day for adults to try to wrap their hearts and minds around what Hallee's parents are living through. But, somehow we made it through Saturday and even celebrated the precious life that we were so blessed to know. Hallee's mother, Rhonda, planned a time of coming together and sharing our joys of knowing Hallee and our woes of losing her. Friends and family met at PCA (our children's school) on the football field where Hallee loved to attend games and play soccer. We all brought love notes to Hallee and we tied them onto balloons and then released them into the sky.

Words? I don't know how to describe all of the emotions I felt. I was sad for my family's loss. I was in awe of Rhonda's strength. I was happy that Hallee knows my Jesus and that she gets to walk hand-in-nail-scared-hand with Him every day. I truly long to do that as well. I thought about how Hallee had written a poem about Heaven just weeks before she unexpectedly died. (I can hardly type the word "died.") I was delighted that so many people were there on a cold, early, busy Saturday morning. Bottom line, though, I was grieving again. I know Christ defeated "death" and all else on the cross but it HURTS to grieve. Can you say "EXCRUCIATING PAIN?"

I watched a friend who is living out my personal greatest fear...to be a mother who has lost a child. She does it so well and who wants to do that well?!?!?!?!? I know she hates every minute of it but she was graceful before Hallee left us and she continues to be graceful since Hallee left us. Rhonda glorifies Christ with her words every chance she gets. She does not hesitate to tell others that if they want to see Christ and Hallee, they MUST accept Christ as their Savior. She shares Hallee's favorite scriptures and Rhonda's on~going life testifies of how our BIG God holds together mothers and fathers who have to go through the unspeakable. I love that Rhonda. I loved her girl, Hallee.

I had just told Jack a few weeks prior to Hallee's death that he should think about marrying her one day because they would have such a fun life together. I never recommend future brides to Jack, he is only 13! His response was not the normal, "Oh, mom!" It was, yeah, she is a fun person and she would like sports and she is a good friend. What was a passing thought that rolled into a minute conversation between my son and me has become a treasured memory to be savored for a lifetime.

If you know anyone who has buried a loved one, please take the time to love on them is some kind way. Rhonda is a walking miracle. She and all of the other parents who continue on in the life God planned for them even after they have been requested by The Maker to give their greatest treasures back to Him. Orphans who survive life without their mommies and daddies are walking miracles too. Hallee loved them and Rhonda continues to support any orphan project Jennifer and I do. Rhonda knows Hallee would have required her to support all orphan causes that were brought across Hallee's path. Hallee had a heart the size of Texas. She did more with her twelve years than many will do with much longer times on this earth.

Thank you, Rhonda, for being a part of God's plan to instill within Hallee such admirable and loving qualities that are still filtering through all of the lives of the people Hallee knew. Thank you, too, Rhonda, for always encouraging www.2loveorphans.com with your words and your purchases and your love. We know who Hallee got that loving generous spirit from! Most of all, thank you, Lord, for allowing us all to know and to love Hallee. Would we trade in our pain~scared hearts for pain~free hearts? Absolutely not if it meant never knowing this tenderhearted little girl! To be able to know her was worth every bit of sadness that will always leave a part our hearts wounded.

Let Hallee's life and the memories of her that we hold tightly in our minds and hearts make us smile and lead us to emulate some of amazing things she did...like put others before ourselves. Let us turn our Hallee Memories into joyful inspiration. After all Father, she was one of your most joyful, inspiring, and beautiful creations. Created for a purpose. Let that purpose continue for Your Glory and if we can be a part, we would forever be be grateful.

Thanks,

Tracy

So happy for Sam, Jennifer and The Connelly Family

2010-02-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

Jennifer and Russ received some OH SO WONDERFUL news! They received Sam's Court Date for the adoption process! It will be on February 16th so everyone pray that little Sam is "okayed" for adoption in Ethiopia! Only about 50% of the cases pass first time around...naturally, we desire for Sam to be in that group that passes the first time (as always trust God for His time though). Regardless, this is just one more step closer for Jennifer to hold her sweet Sam. And, for Sam to snuggle with his sweet mom. And, maybe even more importantly, for Sam to meet and fall in love with his sweet Auntie Tracy. :) Sorry, couldn't help it! The Connelly Family is so precious. If you ever have the opportunity to get to know them, jump on it! Congratulations Russ, Jennifer, Brooke, Cole, Caroline, and Sam! This news makes me so happy I will even congratulate their crazy dog Elmo! Love ya'll!

Thanks,

Tracy

What To Do, What To Do! Oh Yeah, whatever HE says. :)

2010-02-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

Jennifer and I (Right Photo: seen at Jennifer's 40th birthday party with our friend Desiree, one of 2love's best customers!) do not know what to do with www.2loveorphans.com. Don't get us wrong, we DEFINITELY want to help orphans. We also DEFINITELY love working on "2love" as we call it. But, we also DEFINITELY have big families! And, they are not just DEFINITELY big, they are DEFINITELY busy!

It seems we spend so much time on our families that we rarely get the time to work on 2love. So, what to do, what to do?!?!? Oh yeah, we'll have to just listen to our God and do what He says. Afterall, He is the Very One Who spoke to us, inspired us and then continues to whisper to us, "Daughters, We can do this." There are days that we worry we are just "poking along." It can get discouraging. Then, we will see one pic of an orphan and Jesus will use it along with other things to rekindle our souls so that we become fiery~passionate over this calling. Our Father is good to remind us though, that we are on His time table when we are fully submitted to Him. So, our job is not to get into a hurry, our job is to fully submit. Our job is not to do this thing perfectly. Our job is to give control to our Perfect Savior.

We do have some exciting news. We have decided we must move ahead with attaining a non~profit status. With all proceeds going to orphans, we lose too much of their money when we pay taxes sooooooooo, we are meeting with a GREAT orphan awareness organization, www.the127call.org, within the next few weeks. They may can help us with our non~profit status. We are looking forward to brainstorming ways to help the little ones together with the great team on The127Call.org.

We know most of the team and we are connected by our passion and our location (Murfreesboro, Tennessee). Now whether we connect our groups, that is up to God. He will have to be the One that weaves us together {Don't ya know He weaves, besides being God, ya gotta think anyone that knits (Ps. 139) knows how to weave! Ha!}. We do LOVE what The127Call.org is doing and we will be supporting their efforts just like we know they will be supporting ours no matter what! Check out their website...they are new but they are full of passion! Pray for us as we all seek God and pray that we will keep 2love submitted to Christ! We know Who knows best!

I WANT TO GO TO HAITI!

2010-02-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

Pray for me, I want to go to Haiti. Watching the news just torments me. Human traffickers, now they REALLY torment me. Pictures from a friend who just left there, torment me.

Visiting Orphans is an organization that takes people on mission trips. As soon as the Haitian disaster happened, a trip was planned and my friend, Amanda Clark Lawrence took her team to help an orphanage. The website for the orphanage where she and her team were volunteering is http://www.danitaschildren.org. There is a YouTube Video entitled, "This is an Emergency" that shows a video of the orphans of Haiti...prior to the earthquake...but there are also updates and pictures of what has been going on since the earthquake on Danita's website.

I keep thinking I am being pulled to go and then I think but what about my children here (pictured above with John) and I worry about how much it would cost and how my own parents will worry and how my heart would handle the burden of this nation. But then, I think about my God. You know, the True Rescuer, He can handle it all for me. He will Rescue me. He will Rescue them. I just need to listen to what He thinks about it. So, pray for me as I lean into Him to see what His thoughts are on me going to Haiti to minister on His behalf to the precious orphans there.

Thanks,

Tracy

Haiti and The Orphan Crisis

2010-02-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

Just keep praying for these precious children! While the media may not continue full coverage, be sure that the people still need full coverage in prayer! America World Adoption sent me information on adopting from Haiti today. I thought I would summarize it for you.

The Haitian government is delaying new adoption cases which means many orphaned children are being held in camps where they are vulnerable to attacks from predators and traffickers. {SCREAM!!! ~ that was my soul screaming over trafficking} Since the earthquake, there are an estimated 10,000 additional orphans to Haiti's 490,000 orphan population.

America World is a part of the leadership committee of the Families For Orphans Coalition which is actively seeking to have the US government respond to the disaster in Haiti with an aim to help create a holistic and comprehensive child welfare system in Haiti. The coalition is urging the US government to work with the Haitian government to ensure that the orphans find a family in Haiti or when that is not possible, in the US. AW is also promoting legislation currently before congress called the Families For Orphans Act which will promote orphan care throughout the world.

The good news? This crisis has brought attention to orphans worldwide and AW has had an influx of people checking into adoption (thanks to our Romans 8:28 God who promises He will make good out of bad). So, bottom line, for today, keep praying for those Haitian orphans!

Thanks,

Tracy

What are YOU thinking about 24/7?

2010-02-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

Everyone who knows me, knows about my crazy passion...it is orphan care! Yes, I think about it 24/7! Sometimes, I worry that I actually get on everyone's nerves when it comes to this issue...but simply stated, the orphan crisis is more than "an issue"...it is a cause that is worthy of every passionate thought and feeling I have! I can get so fired up about the cause that I want to scream to the world, "ARE YOU ALL DOING YOUR PART?!?!?! IF SO, WHY ARE THERE ORPHANS!?!?!?!?!" Boy, can a person get frustrated! This past weekend, John and I went out with friends and they were so sweet to listen as I tried to engage every person we met in the orphan crisis. And poor John, while he too has a heart for orphans, he is well~rounded and likes to talk about a myrid of things...not me, I pretty much stick to the orphan crisis unless I am seriously focusing on making sure I talk about other things. The only other topics that can compete are conversations about my kids and my Savior. Otherwise, I wanna talk ORPHAN. So, if you run into me, be patient. I only think about it 24/7 because there are 147 mill of these precious little babes. I have to think about it a lot because there are a lot of them to think about! I have included a picture of my fellas dressed up as The Wise Men. It was taken at a Happy Birthday Jesus Party we host each Christmas. I think the Wise Man (Jack) on the right, is thinking about ORPHANS! :)

Thanks,

Tracy

Our Timeline to Ethiopia

2010-01-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

Our Timeline to Ethiopia…

In January of 2009 Russ and I first discussed the idea of adoption and my feeling called to adopt
In February, March and April Russ and I both spent time in prayer trying to determine if this is what God had planned for our family. It was also during this time that we became more and more drawn to Africa and specifically Ethiopia.
In May we decided this was what God was calling us to do and we took a leap of faith and began the process.
June and July were spent gathering more paperwork than you can imagine.
On August 20, 2009 our paperwork had been signed off on by the American government (Hilary Clinton specifically), was translated and sent to the Ethiopian government. This date is called your DTE date and becomes “your place in line on the waiting list”.

On November 19th we received an email to let us know that we were “on deck” which basically means getting near the top of the list and to be prepared for a referral in the next 1-3 months.
Our next step will be to receive our Referral. A referral is when a specific child is matched with our family and we find out who he is! We will be given a name, approximate age, medical information and any history that is known. We have requested a boy under the age of 2 and the agencies and Ethiopian government have that information when making a match for our family.
Once we receive a referral………we still have to wait. We will wait to be assigned a court date. The court appointment is in Ethiopia and our agency goes on our behalf. It generally takes 6-8 weeks after referral to receive a court date. If we pass on our court date (about 65% of cases pass on the first time) then we will be given our travel dates. Generally these are 3-4 weeks after passing court.
We will go to Ethiopia to pick up our son and will spend one week in the country. We will travel with a group and will be with people from our adoption agency the whole time.

January 12th was a BIG day. We received our referral for a beautiful 2 month old baby boy. We have 2 pictures of him and love just staring at them indefinitely. Now we must wait for the court date which I mentioned above. I have a blog where I post any updates and will also be able to post pictures when we receive them. If you would like to follow our journey you can visit www.theconnellylovestory.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Jennifer

God Gives Wildly

2009-11-29T14:59:00.001-08:00

Okay, so in a previous post, I told you and myself, that God gives wildly. My heart just lights up thinking about it. I had the privilege of going to Uganda a few months ago. As crazy as this may sound, I cannot wait to go back and daily think about this place in Africa. And how I want my family to go...and how I felt like it was home to me when I was there. Who knows when I will get to go back?!?!?!?! So, God gave me such a precious gift. My sweet husband, John, found out through a series of divine connections, that there was an Ugandan All-American Track star at MTSU.
Can you guess where I am going with this? While Peter and Phoebe Sozi, my most dear Ugandan friends who run Care Ministy (who were my hosts in Uganda) were here visiting in my home, John called the FCA Director, Brian Harrell to inquire about the young Ugandan MTSU student. Brian replied...well, John, you are not going to believe this, she is right here beside me! John spoke to her on the phone, handed the phone to The Sozis, they talked to her on the phone and within fifteen minutes, Sarah the MTSU student was in my home! I could not go back to Uganda, so God gave wildly and just brought Uganda to me!!!!! In my den, were The Sozis, Mary (one of The Sozis "children") and Sarah, the MTSU student...all from Uganda...speaking Lugandan...remeniscing with Sarah about her homeland. They are all from the same place in Uganda and it was so sweet to see them be immediate friends. Today, I was able to spend almost the entire day with Sarah. She is precious. I saw her do so many precious Ugandan things and speak so many precious Ugandan words. They are such respectful people. It was a joy. Thank you , God for giving wildly...Sarah only lives about THREE streets over from me!!!! I look forward to seeing God's plan for her life and I hope it involves my family. That God, He truly does give abouve and beyond, even more than we can imagine! Thanks, Tracy

Spiritually Breath His Atmosphere

2009-11-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

Read this passage slowly, drinking into your soul what it says:

"The Lord's children constantly encounter the pressures of the world. The enemy would love to see us conform to the enthusiasm and public opinion of this present culture (John 14:30). Often we are offered a place of influence worthy of our personal talents. Often this offer is linked with the promise of ability to influence an important sphere for good. On such occassions, it is important that we follow our Lord's example and

go to be alone with God

to ask for His wisdom, lest we be side-tracked by subtle temptation or pressure to obtain material gain and the world's approval. Sadly, those gains result in eternal loss (John 6:15)

Only time spent alone with God, where we

spiritually breath His atmosphere

(Colossians 3:1) can keep us alive to Him, against the pull of the world's gravity and the pressures of our culture. "

Read in Bible Study Fellowship Notes on The Book of John, originally written by A. Wetherell Johnson, revised by BSF International, tweaked for you, by Tracy Jones.

Spend WISELY; Give WILDLY

2009-11-28T12:04:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe what I was reading! I can get so excited over words well spoken! On the cover of a Christmas sales catalog, during our current recession, it said...

"Spend WISELY, Give WILDLY."

Yeah, really truly! Don't believe me?!?!?! I promise! On the cover of a catalog, where the entire purpose of the cover is to draw people in so they will shop and spend, were the words (once again),

"Spend WISELY, Give WILDLY."

I LOVED IT! What a motto! Instead of encouraging the customer to SPEND wildly, in this catalog, the company was encouraging the customer to GIVE wildly. I really had to read it several times to make sure I was reading the words correctly. I am going to have to call my friend, LuLu, and ask her for the catalog. I want to hang that catalog cover on the wall of my office and maybe even make a copy of those words and tape them into my wallet. I love the thought of doing anything wildly...especially the thought of serving God WILDLY. So let us remember during this holiday season, actually, His holiday season, to spend wisely so that we are prepared to give wildly. I know the end result will be us ending up with a much more blessed holiday season! Afterall, He does not need our wild giving, He owns the world for Pete's Sake! He just gives us the opportunity to be a part of what He accomplishes so we can experience Him more and so that we can be on the receiving end of some of

His WILD GIVING!

Wildly in love Christ,

Tracy

Small Possibilities Combined with a Big God

2009-11-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, the orphan crisis, it is an overwhelming one...it seems to never end!!! When your diligence, combined with God's hand provides 900 (yes, I said 900!!!!!) orphans with sponsors, you want to stop... and jumping with joy, have a moment of celebration and gratitude over life being given to 900 children. And you should.

But then, if you momentarily peek over those 900 orphans' precious little heads, you encounter a sea of millions more little orphans' heads. Literally, HUNDREDS of MILLIONS! Recently, God, our most precious High Holy Father who reigns over this world with complete sovereignty taught me this:

The disciples were faced with a weary hungry crowd in John 6 (the story we know as the feeding of the 5,000). Quite honestly, those strong disciples looked at the crowd and feeling weak, weary and hungry themselves, they really just wanted to send the crowd away...letting the people find their own food elsewhere. And you know what, I cannot blame them. Quite honestly, I have found myself in their shoes... weak, weary and spiritually and emotionally hungry. Then in the story we meet Andrew. Jesus inquired of Philip and Andrew... did they have a solution for the problem. Since we have the Bible, we know the Solution. Philip calculated that two-thirds of a whole year's average wage would not be sufficient for a snack let alone a meal for such a crowd. While I am not that quick with math figures, I definately tend to size up the problem and try to solve it. But Andrew, he went to round up what he could find and he came back with five loaves of bread and two fish...a small possibility. Boy, do I get to feeling like "a small possibility"...especially when I see the orphan crisis.

So what is the lesson learned? I have to ask myself this question that I read in my bible study,

"When faced with the need of someone around you (millions of orphans, in my case) and the complete human impossibility of meeting it, do I follow Andrew's positive example by bringing to the Lord whatever is available, recognizing that He can multiply it and use it beyond all my imaginings?"

No, on most days, I probably do not, but I am learning. I am being pruned and He is gently teaching me how GREAT He is and that He truly will use what small possibilities I lay before Him, however tiny they may be in comparison to the magnitude of the orphan crisis. I pray you are taking your small possibilities to Him as well. After all, it is not about us, it is not about orphans, it is about HIM. And He truly will do BIG things with those small possibilities!

Sincerely a small possibility in the hands of a Big God,

Tracy

Sweet Sights

2009-11-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

This pic was taken a while back. It is one of my favorites though. Not because it is artistic. Not because it is a pic full of the kids sweet smiles. Not because there is a panoramic landscape in it. Not because of any reason EXCEPT that those are my two happy little girls sound asleep as close as you can get! Don't you love those moments when you slow down enough to see the precious pictures that God gives you? As John and I went to bed one night, there were the girls...Mary Margaret piled up on Liza Jane all cozy like and sound asleep. I read recently that a parent needs to kiss their children goodnight even if the children are already asleep. Those words stuck with me and so I do. And, I see some of the sweetest sights. What if John and I had gone to our room that night and skipped kissing the girls good night? We would have missed the delight that came with seeing these two sleeping peacefully while all piled up. Or much worse...what if we had not answered the call and gone to get Mary Margaret...where would she be sleeping right now?!?!?!? Oh how my heart can barely stand to go there except to go and feel immense gratitude to Christ for Him choosing John and I as her parents. What really blows my mind is that He chose us for her and her for us before He even created the world! We were always His PLAN A for Mary Margaret, not His Plan B. Within adoption there is love beyond words. You see love flowing in every direction... from the girls to each other, from John and I to our girls, from them to us (and of course from all of to "the brothers" and back) and then, most importantly from us to our Jesus Christ and then from Him to all of us! Thank you, Lord, for giving us this picture of the girls sleeping so we could be reminded of all of this crazy wonderful love flowing around. ~Tracy

Liza Jane Teaches Mommy

2009-11-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

Liza Jane, my nine-year-old was quoting scripture in the car the other day. She was quoting an entire passage in Philippians that her fabulous school has her memorize. As the precious Words rolled across her mind and heart, I heard a verse for orphan awareness that God had not brought to my attention before:

Philippians 2:4, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

This verse is actually on our fridge...almost the entire passage of Philippians 2 is on our fridge...it talks about imitating Christ's humility. It is a written example of how we should live. The crazy thing is that I have read it a million times and seen it two million times on the refrigerator door and I have never thought about the fourth verse applying to my "others"...the orphans. I love finding a new piece of scripture that reminds me and encourages me to look out for the interests of others..we all know that means anyone besides yourself...difficult at times, joyful at times, very Christ-like all the time.

Much Joy,

Tracy

It is God not a Glitch

2009-11-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my friend, Colby the other day. He was talking about how he and his wife, Shanna, want to adopt one day but not yet and actually, probably not until they had their "own" children first ...at least those were his thoughts. This couple is a godly couple and they submit their very lives before God. It is refreshing to watch them "do marriage." Colby said Shanna was ready to adopt. She also mentioned adopting first...before they had children of their own! Wow, I thought! Now that is God leading the family. Most times, we see it done the opposite way...people have their children biologically and then they adopt...many times it appears that they may have even adopted due to what appears to be a "glitch" in having their children biologically. But not Shanna! Since she knows she is being called to adopt, she is thinking, "why not just start out that away?" Afterall, it is God whispering into her ears for she and Colby to adopt, it is not because of a glitch in the biological way...Colby and Shanna haven't even tried that away yet! I told Colby, I think that is AWESOME! For some reason, in my small mind, adoption done just out of obedience to Christ seems to glorify Him more. So, new way of thinking for me...when God calls you to something...do not look to see what the world says is the normal way, go ahead and do it God's way. Where He guides, He provides. And, God's way has no glitches...He is glitch proof! Much Joy, Tracy

Happy Thoughts

2009-10-28T20:10:00.001-07:00

While in Africa, I purchased approximately 50 necklaces for 2loveorphans.com to sell for the cause of the orphan. I sold them so quickly, I didn't know what to do! Yahoo! Now that makes me have Happy Thoughts! It is like affirmation to me that God is saying keep going with this orphan organization child, I will handle everything. You keep your eyes on Me and I will keep My eyes on the organization. After I sold all of my beads, I grabbed twelve more from my friend, Vikki Rogers and sold them all tonight at church! So, I am thinking, WHY DIDN'T I GET MORE BEADS IN AFRICA?!?!?! I have been asking...God, why didn't You nudge me to buy more or more-than-likely, Self, why didn't you listen when God nudged!?!?!? Then I remember, God is in control. He has just told me today through a conversation with my friend, Melissa, that we must stay focused on Christ whether we are in the midst of a crisis or in the midst of good times. We cannot allow the whirlwinds of life to distract us from the Father. He has had to remind me all day that He IS carrying for the orphans. He will get me more necklaces and He will take care of everything, just like always. I just need to chill and trust. While He does not need my help, He still cherishes giving me the opportunity to be a part of His plan in caring for the orphans. He does this so He can be in relationship with me. I have to remember, too, that while I THRIVE ON MY PASSION of serving orphans, I must remember that this passion is actually all about God! I cannot get so wrapped up in helping "the least of these" that I even allow that to become an idol in my life because it ends up coming before Christ. Even my mission trip was not about serving orphans, it was about serving Christ. It was about going away to be with Him. It was about going away to have worship with Him. It was about going away to fall even more head over hills in love with Him. It was about our relationship that we both adore. It was, plain and simple, about HIM. Same with this cause I care so deeply about, it is about HIM. Do you have passions that you have let overtake your life? I know there are many worthy causes but Lord, make sure I keep You before them. You are an amazing God and I am crazy about You! Selling beads may bring happy thoughts but whew, when my brain camps out on Him...now, those are some HAPPY THOUGHTS! Much Joy, Tracy

God Plants The Dream

2009-10-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, for sure by high school, I had a dream of being a missionary. I actually wanted to be a dentist who helped people on the mission field and for some reason, that mission field was Africa. I am not sure why I picked Africa, maybe it sounded the most exciting, maybe it sounded the most exotic, maybe it sounded the most challenging, maybe...it was actually God was planting a dream. A dream that has taken many years to water, tend to, cultivate and grow. I am not a gardener but I have a mother and friend who love their plants and gardens. When the two of them get together they get so engrossed in their conversation about seeds and plants and flowers and growing conditions and that at some point, my mind leaves the conversation. God is that same tender gardener. He, too, gets engrossed in the seeds that He plants. Where does He plant His seeds? I think He plants them into people's hearts and souls. And, no one cares more about the flowers that bloom from the heart and soul more than Him. After all, He is the Creator of the seeds and the Creator of the hearts into which He lovingly and thoughtfully plants the seeds. Talk about watering, tending to, and cultivating! One of the dreams He planted in me was to go to Africa. I must admit, I put it on the back-burner for a while. I guess I thought since I did not go into full time missions that my dreams of Africa were not real. I have even had moments where I translated the fact that I did not go into missions into I was a failure in my faith. I thought maybe I was living my Plan B Life for Him. Not good thoughts. I sincerely believe I am on God's Plan A Life for me. There is too much fruit here for me to believe otherwise. When I laugh with my husband or look into my children's eyes or have a special close moment with God, I know I am in His Plan. But now, what to do with these Africa seeds...well, how about travelling there for a mission trip?!?!?! That is what I had the opportunity to do a couple of weeks ago and while I have been on other mission trips to different locations, NOTHING pricked my soul like this trip. If I had tried to go to any other place in Africa, any other time...it just would not have been the same. I love His plans, always above and beyond my plans. I love the way He cares for His seeds...they bloomed in His perfect timing in the middle of Uganda two weeks ago. I hope I am able to share and encourage you in such a way that you will take a few minutes to go before the Lord and search out with Him what seeds He has planted in your heart...you probably already know...I think many times He whispers them to us all along the way... we just have to be in positions to hear Him. I want to hear what He has next for me and Africa. I am so excited, I am actually dying to see what God has up His sleeve. It will be amazing and I know He has something amazing for you. Let's not let our busy or comfortable lifestyles get in the way of Him directing us down the path that will allow our dreams to bloom! Much Joy, Tracy