I stepped out on the porch this morning to take my boys to school and saw a package sitting by the front door. A gift was inside for Nana, a very special gift. My friend, Sarah, had mailed a quilt she made over the weekend. She lives in Washington and is adopting a little boy from Liberia that is about the same age as Nana. I have absolutely no crafty/creative abilities, so I get really excited when someone gives us something handmade for one of our kids. The quilt is BEAUTIFUL, all pink, purple, and girly!

I'm ready to start working on her room, but something keeps holding me back. My head says it just a lack of time right now, my heart wonders if that is the real reason I haven't started. I think I've been guarding my heart a bit. This gift might be just the motivation I need! Hopefully it will motivate my husband too, because the room needs a lot of heavy duty construction work and I can't do that by myself. Thank you so much, friend. It really is a beautiful gift!

I sure do wish I had more to share with you all today about progress in Liberia. I don't. God has blessed us with His peace during this part of the wait, although some days are harder than others. Of course, we always welcome your prayers. We always need them. If you could pray especially today for Nana to remain in good health while wait for her to come home, we would really appreciate it.

The two year old said from the back seat of the minivan yesterday...

"Mommy, is God and Jesus with sister bear in Liberia."

I almost had to pull the van over to the side of the road.

The latest news from Liberia...

The Liberia House has passed the new Children's Bill. This is very good news and protects the children of Liberia in so many ways. However, the adoption guidelines that we have all been waiting for patiently have been removed from the bill. At first, this sounds like a set back. However, I really think this is a step in the right direction. The President has decided that she wants a separate Adoption Bill to come before the House. She has ordered that a Central Adoption Authority be established that will have the responsibility of ensuring that adoptions in Liberia are ethical and legal. So, we have no time line and the suspension has not been lifted yet. But, we are encouraged to hear that the President is giving so much time and attention to the adoption situation and are hopeful that special needs adoptions will be considered in the near future. Keep in mind, we are not really sure what "the near future" means in Africa...certainly not what it means in the United States.

Thank you for your prayers, please keep praying.