Our Summer in a Flash!

Things have slowed down a little in the Bare household and as a result I have started to miss being connected to our friends and family!  I guess before, I just didn't have the time to think about it! So in attempt to connect, I thought I would show you a glimpse of our summer!

It started with the adoption of 2 furry caterpillars! One was Luke's and one was Hamilton's.  The boys had a lot of fun with them.  They even traveled with us to Ohio for a wedding as one was in a chrysallis and due to come out a moth at anytime!

 

The caterpillar habitat.

On our way to Ohio, it was so much fun to reconnect with an old friend and go to the "Global Mall" where we had some traditional African treats!

 

Here's Luke and Hamilton with our dear friend, Krystan, who got married.  It was so much fun to be a part of the festivities. 

Here's the moth that was Luke's caterpillar!  Unfortunately, Hamilton's caterpillar died a tragic death when it was stepped on by a child who was visiting our house!  I took the squashed caterpillar outside and put it on a plant.  It was gone when we went to check on it.  Hamilton said that perhaps God had taken the caterpillar to His home!

Fun in the water with friends one afternoon!

It was wonderful to have a visit from Papa and Shosho this summer.  Here we are walking at the riverfront.
Hope to connect with you soon!

First Day of School!

H and L on their first day of "real" class!

(We homeschool but one day a week we join with other moms and students for half of a day of school in a classroom setting)

It is such a sweet and fun time for all of us.

H as a pilgrim learning about the Mayflower Compact

H is in a class of all boys! Six boys ages four and five!

Fortunately his tutor is great and has very active participation for learning!

L in his classroom.  He is with 1st and 2nd graders.

Looks like they are having to much fun!

Please Pray!

Hi Friends and Family! I apologize that I have not set up an email list to email this out to everyone. (That is on my list of things to do this evening!) We have been receiving responses back from our letter...Thank you!

If you would please pray for two things today and in the next few days. The first one is to pray that our church would allow us to use them as a "pass through" for monies that people would like to donate to us for our adoption. This would enable people to receive a tax deduction for their gift. This is important as their are several people who are interested in giving but need it to be tax deductible and they need it before the end of the year. Please pray as our church and those in authority there consider our request.

Secondly, we have our phone orientation with Gladney tonight at 8pm. Yeah! This means that we will most likely begin the "paper pregnancy" and start our home study. Please be praying for God's timing in the home study and for a clear mind and energy in the evenings to work on paper work.

Thanks for partnering with us in this. It is wonderful to see God work as a result of prayers!

The Lady on the side of the Road- Incredible encounters with generous people!

I have wanted to blog for 3 weeks to let you know of how incredible people have been to us through this process. Our God continues to blow me away by His generousity and His Spirit living through others to touch us in incredible ways during this process. I have to tell you about one such encounter.

I was putting garage sale signs out several weeks ago on a busy Friday afternoon about 4:30pm. James had listed our garage sale on Craig's List and had mentioned that 100% of our sales were going toward our adoption. So as I was carrying the only sign we were putting out that had our adoption mentioned on it at a very busy intersection. A lady called me from her car. She was turning at the busy intersection I was approaching. She mentioned that she had seen our add on Craig's List and handed me a $20 dollar bill. She said that she had done the same with her son who was sitting beside her in the car. Can you believe it? That I would be carrying that sign at exactly the same time that she was turning and that she saw our add and that God moved her to be so generous to a stranger. It touched my heart in such a big way. My God, you are so good to orchestrate such a meeting! Thank you sweet lady on the corner of North Springs and Clemson! And thank you our God!

Dear friends and family,

Our family and our picture is missing someone! And so, James, Luke, Hamilton and myself would like to humbly ask you to partner with us as we pursue adopting from Ethiopia. Both James and I have for some time felt called to adopt. Over the last year, we have prayed and have asked God to direct our hearts into His will for our family and to give us wisdom as to what adoption would look like for our family. In exploring different options, we feel that God has lead us to pursue adopting from Ethiopia. There are several reasons for this. Ethiopia has one of the greatest needs for adoption, it is one of the more straight forward countries to adopt from, and the least expensive of international adoptions. In addition to these, it has always been a dream of mine to adopt from Ethiopia. Having grown up in Kenya which is just south of Ethiopia, I (Jenny) developed a love for Ethiopia and got to watch several families adopt from Ethiopia. God is so good to give one a spouse who is like-minded. Even though James has not had the same experiences as I, as I have shared my heart with him, God has drawn his heart to Ethiopia as well.
If you know anything about adoption, it is not a simple process. Honestly, we feel that it requires so much more than if we were to choose to have a child of our own. Every step of the way, we are depending on God. It is a tender and emotional process as one considers all of the motherless and fatherless children worldwide that need the tender love of the Father to embrace them. There is a lot of paper work involved in the process as well as the almost forbidding cost. Fortunately, we have an incredibly awesome God whose heart is for the orphan. His word is full of promises for the orphan and those who depend on Him. Proverbs 23:10 says "Don't stealthily move back the boundary lines or cheat orphans out of their property,
For they have a powerful Advocate who will go to bat for them." (The Message).
As a follower of Christ, God calls each one of us to care for orphans and widows. However, not all of us are called to adopt or to work in an orphanage. So as a family, we are asking you if you would care for our orphan? Would you partner with us as we start on this new adventure? So far, this is one of the greatest leaps of faith we have taken. But again, we have an incredible awesome God who specializes in the impossible! How many times in the Bible, has a situation appeared humanly impossible, and yet our God has shown up and provided beyond human expectations? Our desire is for God to receive all the glory as we watch Him move through you and us in this adoption process. It is so exciting to watch God work and we want you to be a part. Our prayer for you as you partner with us, is that your own faith would increase.
There are several ways that you can partner with us. Most importantly you can PRAY. Included is a bookmark with specific prayer requests, we will try and keep you updated throughout the process through email and our blog so you can see how God answers your prayers and new ways in which you can pray. Second, you can HELP US RAISE FUNDS for our adoption. The total cost of the adoption is estimated to be $20,000-25,000. Now, you can see why this seems humanly impossible! Many of you have been impacted by the challenges of our current economy. Our family is experiencing the same and yet we still feel that God is wanting us to continue to pursue adopting. Like Gideon in the Bible, God sometimes reduces our resources so that only God can receive the glory for what is accomplished. In raising the money, we are finding items in our house that we don't need and are selling them on Craig's List and at garage sales. We have had one garage sale and will be having another one in October. Thank you to those who have already donated items for us to sell both on Craig's List and at the garage sales. A friend of ours who does fund raising with local schools has allowed us to work for her stuffing envelopes to help make money for the adoption. Also, I am using my Mary Kay business profits to go toward the adoption as well. James is mowing our neighbors yards for a minimal charge to serve them but also to make some extra money to go toward the adoption. Is there a way that you can contribute? A sweet friend has committed all of her profit from a business that she has to us from August- December. Small things when put together with a powerful God multiplies and creates big things! We are in the beginning stages of the paper work, doctors visits for physicals, etc. Next is the home study which costs $3,500. After the completion of our home study, there are some options for matching tax deductible donations. You can contribute financially. Would you give a financial gift? Would you consider switching to a Mary Kay product instead of the brand that you currently use, knowing that it is backed by a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee, shipped for free and that the profit is going toward adoption? If you currently use Mary Kay items, would you host a party, share a catalog with some friends or point them to my website, www.marykay.com/JennyBare? Would any of you like a custom shade for your home, whose profits go toward our adoption? Go to shadethatlamp.etsy.com to order one. Do you know anyone who would be moved by our cause and want to give toward giving an orphan a home? We are already overwhelmed by your compassionate and generous hearts. Thank you so much! "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you" (James 1:27). Deuteronomy 24:19 says "If you forget to bring in a stack of harvested grain, don't go back in the field to get it. Leave it for the poor, including foreigners, orphans, and widows, and the LORD will make you successful in everything you do".
Thank you for being the wonderful friends and family that you are. Thank you for joining with us on this very exciting journey. We are so blessed by you.

Blessings to you in abundance,
James, Jenny, Luke, Hamilton and our future baby Bare
*Luke keeps on asking when we are going to get his baby sister....we tell him, in God's time. It is wonderful that he is excited as well!

So J and I are picking up momentum with our adoption. Yeah! We just finished publishing a letter to friends and family.....so hopefully you will be receiving one soon! I will also try to put it here for your viewing pleasure!

I had an awesome talk with Scott at the Gladney Center for Adoption this past Friday. In addition to adoptions they invest back into the country which has huge huge huge value in my eyes having grown up in a third world country. Check out this website:

http://www.adoptionsbygladney.com/html/services/human_ethiopia.php

I cannot keep from crying every time I visit the thought of adopting and the orphans out there that need help and love!

At the train museum with Papa O and Shosho

Train Museum with Papa and Shosho