Where have we been?!?!

Well.... When taking a look at my last post... it was written October 29. WOW! Time flies by!

So what have we been up to?

At the beginning of November, we found out our family would be making a big move. (I say big as this would be my first move out of the huge state of Mississippi!) As much as I love Mississippi, God was calling us to move way up north to Tennessee. I truly wish I had the time to give you all the intricate details of how amazing God is to orchestrate our lives and lead our paths to bring us here.

Our house in Mississippi sold at record speed for our expectations so the week before Christmas, we loaded up the UHAUL and moved our life to Jackson, TN. We were able to have an awesome holiday with our families- even a short trip with both of our families present before starting this new chapter!

So... what's been going on since we moved to TN?

Where to start? The first 6 weeks we lived in a really neat apartment in the heart of downtown that a sweet family at church allowed us to live in. Matthew's first day of work it was 7 degrees outside and I felt like it didn't warm up much the first several weeks. So... two flights of stairs with 2 babies during the winter was interesting to say the least. But we survived and were blessed to get to meet so many people during our first six weeks while we were still living out of boxes! In the meantime, we found a home that was beyond perfect. So perfect that the sweet family that we bought from has already adopted 1 child and is in the process of adopting 2 more from Africa! Amazing how God works to allow us to get to know this family! And the better news... they only moved a couple of streets over :) We closed on our house February 7, so it has been a huge blessing to be able to have a house to call home!
**Side note: If you want to know how to meet all your neighbors, just call the Fire Department 3 days after you move in a new home at 9:00 at night because you've never used a gas stove before! Word to the wise-- don't ever leave a burner on without a flame for 3 hours while you run errands or you WILL meet all your neighbors in their jammies! 

As he does so well, Satan has been working hard to keep us from being about the Lord's work. Our normally very healthy family has been a little sickly since we moved here... 5 stomach viruses, 4 ear infections, the flu, lots of snotty noses and meeting our insurance deductible within a month and a half later... we are more than excited for spring! As I type this, I have my shorts on, it's 78 degrees, and are about to head outdoors for a 2 on 1 baseball game with my little guys so things are looking up!

I am thankful I have been able to stay home with my sweet babies during this transition. For a long time, my heart has been longing to stay home with our boys and God granted us this opportunity. I will soon start working part time, but I am so thankful for the community of Stay at Home moms here that has been so encouraging while I'm learning the challenges and blessings of staying home with our boys!

Besides the house and sickness business, we have beyond blessed with a church family that has truly taken us under their wings like we have been here forever. I don't know how we could have made it without them! They have been so encouraging and helpful.

Okay now that I've rambled about our life... why most of you read this blog is to keep up with our journey to bring home Matsy Grace. We have had some ups and downs in this process since we found out we were moving including Ethiopia threatening to close down international adoptions. We are blessed that all of that has been worked out and since Friday, I can officially say we are FINALLY moving forward with our adoption. Our homestudy was updated for TN. We were on hold until we moved into our house and could have our social worker come up and update things with our life in TN. That has finally happen and as we speak... my table is covered with paperwork... AGAIN :)

I put that smile there because I am SO THANKFUL to finally be back on the journey to bringing our baby girl home. One of my best friends text me yesterday and told me how much she has been praying for our adoption. Isn't the Holy Spirit just amazing? For the past couple of weeks my heart has been longing to hop on a plane to Africa and hold the next sweet little Powell baby. I know He let her in on my hearts longings and knew Matsy Grace and I both needed her prayers.

I am so thankful for the power of prayer and the praying friends God has placed in my life.

So... Life? It's good. It's full of blessing. Yet, it's still full of longing. Longing for our daughter to have a family and longing for Jesus to make Himself known to the world through us and all of His followers.

For today, my heart is here....

In an orphanage in Ethiopia and enjoying hearing my Noah's voice when I ask him his sister's name... Mat-y Gwace. :)

Big News with the Holidays on the Way!

It's truly amazing how God works. With all of the changes in our adoption lately, I have felt like the only thing that would hold us back would be raising funds... which is heart breaking.

Well...God is good and is using the most amazing people to help us!

Honestly, it is so humbling to be blessed by people that are SO selfless.

In the month of November, I have 5 different fundraisers that will be taking place. And... I only planned one of them. How amazing? God is so so good.

Do you LOVE the holidays as much as I do? The Thanksgiving food, the Christmas spirit, the lights, the smells, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh... I just love it!

Well with the holidays coming up, these fundraisers couldn't come at a better time! AND they are some AWESOME fundraisers!!

Are you ready??? Drumroll please........

1. On November 3rd AND November 4th, I am having TWO different Noonday parties!!! Yay! I just LOVE Noonday! If you can come to one of the parties that would be awesome. If not, you can order by going HERE!!! Enter Powell Adoption as your trunk show name.

2. Laura Beth Lamb, who serves alongside her husband and 2 little boys, as a missionary in the Dominican Republic, will be donating her commission for a THIRTY-ONE party in November! Their personalized bags, duffles, suitcases, makeup bags, etc. are perfect Christmas gifts for anyone! The party will open up on the first!

I just can't tell you how thankful I am to have such God fearing people supporting this journey that truly are models for putting others before themselves to serve God. It's amazing all the ways I have seen God through this journey.

3. WHO WANTS TO BE FIT?!? Ever heard of HipHop Abs, Insanity, P90X, Shakeology, Brazil Butt Lift or Slim in 6?! For the month of November, 50% OF YOUR PURCHASE towards BEACHBODY products goes towards bringing our baby girl home!! I am SO SO excited about this fundraiser!

Get fit during the holidays instead of putting on extra pounds! Have your own BeachBody coach! Clair Jenkins has been beyond gracious to do this fundraiser for us! You can visit HERE FOR BEACHBODY or HERE FOR SHAKEOLOGY!This flyer gives a little bit more information about it:

4. Keep collecting your change at the end of the day in your little houses! We are praying for great things to happen with these little houses!

Can you see the way God is working to bring Matsy Grace home the way I can? It has truly been unbelievable. Every day last week I felt like I was having deja vu because I was calling my husband saying, "You aren't going to believe how blessed we are. Guess who volunteered to help us today?!  or Guess what money we received today?!"

God is good. God is gracious.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. -Psalm 145:8

Whirlwind of Changes

In my last post, I mentioned some changes in our adoption. I know that left some of you hanging, so I wanted to recap what the last month or so has meant for us bringing Matsy Grace home. I'll try to give the best description I can of our life for the past 2 months.

About 2 months ago, my heart began to hurt for the Congo. I have met a few people adopting from the Congo, but never really thought about adopting from their. I began researching the Congo, realizing the hurt and devastation going on in that nation. I began to pray for the Congolese people, those adopting from the Congo, and the kids there. Several weeks later, I came across fell in love with a little girl on the waiting child list from the Congo. I text my husband a picture and asked him to start praying about her. I really thought this could be our daughter. I contacted the agency she was with, got all of her information, and told them I was going to pray about it. Not knowing much about the agency, I started e-mailing anyone I could find that had used the agency. Unfortunately, I didn't hear great things. I kept praying. I'm still praying for that little girl. I couldn't get a peace about using that agency. My heart was broken. It's so hard to look at the face of a child, know their story, and not bring her home.

God had different plans.

Still praying for the Congo, I wasn't sure what we were supposed to do. I contacted a few agencies with programs in the Congo just to gather information. We have been married a little over 4 years, and the Congo program technically says you should be married 5 years to adopt from there. Many times, they will give you permission if you are close to the 5 year mark. However, with the agency we really liked, they said they would only accept couples that had been married 5 years. She asked if I was interested in their Ethiopia program. I said, "Not really, but you can tell me about it if you would like." Well......

In the meantime, the Congo closed exit permits. I feel sure that God knew that there would be people sitting in the Congo that needed my prayers. They are there to bring home their children- but they can't until the government their decides to issue exit permits again- which could be up to a year. Through learning about their conditions, I have learned to hurt with them. Isn't it amazing how we can talk to God and plead with him for help for people literally on the other side of the world!?!

We prayed more...

And we are switching agencies.

We are still adopting from Ethiopia. And that is where our Matsy Grace lives. We have a peace about that and are so thankful that God has made it evident the decisions we should make when we asked for His guidance.

The biggest change is the timeline. This process moves faster with our new agency. They are much smaller than our old agency.

This is the biggest part of the emotional rollercoaster that adoption can often bring.

Our family is about to GROW again! However, we thought we would have about 3 years to raise the necessary funds. Now it's looking like the whole process will take 12-15 months... to be HOME... and several fees are due along the way.

It's so sad to a mommy that money is the biggest obstacle to bringing a child home. I had a blog post in my head called The Fundraising Blues. That's how I feel these days. But, God always gives you comfort when you need it, and my adoption friend McCall couldn't have expressed it any better in her blog post Friday. I know that some people don't agree with adoption, and definitely don't agree with fundraising for adoption. And that is ok. It is hard for me to wrap my head around most days. But as for me and my family, we are going to serve the Lord. And the Lord has planted in us a love for a child that doesn't have parents to show her the love of Jesus. A child that lives in Africa. A child that lives in Ethiopia to be exact.

And we are going to bring her home.

So... please bear with me over the next several months as I drive you crazy with fundraisers on the blog. God is such a great provider, and I can't tell you how blessed we have already been financially in funding this adoption. He has provided every milestone we have needed to fund. It has seriously been nothing short of miraculous.

But there's more coming. BIG milestones. We are excited, humbled, and putting aside our pride.

Please join us. We need your prayers. We need you before we bring Matsy Grace home. We need you after we bring her home.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. -Psalm 32:8

A person's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? -Proverbs 20:24

When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. - John 16:13a

Do YOU Want a HOME?!?

"Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house. God makes HOMES for the homeless..." Psalm 68:5-6 (MSG)

Ok, well I'm not sure where to start. I'll just say there will be posts to follow about some changes/updates in our adoption journey! We are beyond excited about these changes!

We are prayerful and optimistic that at this point, it looks like this journey will move along a good bit faster than we had anticipated! EXCITING, RIGHT?!?

The answer is YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With that brief info... here's where we need YOU!!

We would like to send you a HOME to help bring our baby girl HOME!

Here's how it will work... you give me your e-mail (you can leave a comment, Facebook me, email me at tiffanipowell7 at yahoo dot com, Instagram me, text me, whatever you want to do!). I will then e-mail you a printable of a HOME!

You then get your scissors, glue/tape, and get busy! (We hope you will get your kiddos involved too!!!) Build (aka cut out and piece together) your HOME! Cut a slit in the roof, and for the month of November, fill your HOME with your spare change at the end of the day!

All of the money from this fundraiser to bring Matsy Grace HOME is due DECEMBER 2!!!

If you send me your e-mail, you will get all of the details on how to get the money to us.

Please join us in praying that the Lord continues to bless us on our journey!

***We ask that if you are allowing your children to take part, that you explain to them that there are many children who don't have a HOME. Ask them to pray for those in your cities and across the world who don't have a mommy and daddy!***

Your home will look just like the one Noah just built...

So... start sending those e-mail addresses...... NOW!!

Short Sleeve, LONG Sleeve AND Tanks!!!

Ok... our LAST t-shirt order of the year is coming up!! We are really praying the Lord will bless our adoption financially through this order! We have been so blessed by our t-shirt fundraiser already!! (Mostly because of our awesome designer, Eric Abbott!!) It's been a crazy and exciting year in our house. We may try to squeeze in one more fundraiser before the end of the year, but this will definitely be our last t-shirt order this year!!

And.... This will be THE ONLY ORDER where we will have LONG SLEEVE TEES AND TANKS available!!!

The order deadline is NOVEMBER 1st!!! Don't miss it!

A few specifics:

Sizes:
Tanks: Adult Sizes Small- 2XL (No Kids Sizes)
Short Sleeve: Youth XS-XL and Adult Small-4XL
Long Sleeve: Youth XS-XL and Adult Small- 4XL

Price:
$15 Short Sleeve
$20 Tanks (FYI I had no clue tanks would cost more than short sleeve tees! Doesn't make since in my head either!)
$20 Long Sleeve Tees
***Add $1.50 for 2XL and Larger***

Shipping:
$3/shirt! 

Ordering Information:
1. You can give a check or cash to me
2. You can mail a check to 118 Appleridge Dr., Brandon, MS 39047
3. You can pay online by clicking the Donate button on the right of this blog! Make sure you put size and shipping if needed as a special instruction!

Thank you SO much for blessing our daughter through your donation to our t-shirt fundraiser!!

The Eunuch.

Scripture is so powerful. Seriously. What else can you read that is living and sharper than any 2 edged sword?? 

I'll save you some time.

NOTHING. 

I have jumped around in my reading some lately.. mainly because there are several Scriptures that have been really speaking to me, so I've been trying to read the context around them. I've been spending a lot of time in the Old Testament.

Today, I ended up in Acts. As we have been crazy busy with adoption paperwork lately, I have had Ethiopia on my heart a lot. Well.. today I have a new prayer. This is the Scripture I read today: 

26-28 Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

29-30 The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

31-33 He answered, “How can I without some help?” and invited Philip into the chariot with him. The passage he was reading was this:

As a sheep led to slaughter,

    and quiet as a lamb being sheared,He was silent, saying nothing.    He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial.But who now can count his kin    since he’s been taken from the earth?

34-35 The eunuch said, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?” Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him.

36-39 As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, “Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn’t mind. He had what he’d come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be.

40 Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea.

I have been praying for Matsy Grace to go through as little hurt as possible. I've been praying for her biological family, whether she has been born yet or not. I have been praying that the Lord will make this process as painless as possible for us all. I've been praying that an orphan can be given a family.

Today, my prayer is for myself. I am praying to be like Phillip. I am praying that our single goal is to share Jesus with an Ethiopian child. Not only to our Ethiopian child, but to all of our children. I am not praying today to give this child a roof over her head or food at every meal. I am praying that she meets Jesus through our family. 

Lord, let us have the heart to share you like Phillip. 

Life Lately.

Well.. sometimes blog updating is a fail on my part. Particularly lately.

Kudos to those super moms that are updating their blogs every couple of days of their fun adventures with their perfectly behaved kids. Around here... we're just trying to make it most days keeping everyone fed, free of injuries, and most days... bathed.

We have been so blessed by two happy, healthy boys. They bring SO much JOY to our life! But people would laugh most days if they saw the wreck that our house stays in (p.s. if you have figured out a way to keep a house with 2 little ones clean, I'm taking suggestions!) and the constant chaos!

Along with the blessings of our boys, we have been blessed beyond measure lately with financial donations for our adoption! Matsy Grace is one blessed little girl and our friends are seriously the best. In the form of all types of donations, even some anonymous (thank you whoever you are!!), the funds have been pouring in. As I had been secretly kind of down about having to really beef up on the fundraising to get our dossier off, God has moved so many to help fund our journey. We are so so so blessed. We are not worthy of these blessings.

Side note...We talked about the beatitudes this morning in Sunday school. The comment that stuck out to me most was when someone said that each of those that Jesus said were blessed were uncomfortable.. either mourning, hungering or thirsting, peacemaking (tried making peace in the world we live in today?! HARD WORK!). He didn't say blessed are those who have the best jobs, a secure retirement, the largest house on the street and a white picket fence. In Jesus' eyes, blessings come when we have the heart of humility and meekness.

Ok.. back to the post.. dossier almost ready to send. Boys are great. We are both back to work (yes, it gets harder to leave the boys every day that passes for this mommy.) We are in babysitter limbo, which makes things a little more complicated as we look for someone to keep the boys. On a brighter note, the hubby and I had our first night without any kids in a very very long time Friday night. Even it was just for a night, we had a great time! Our family has been beyond wonderful lately in helping keep our babies!

I know that was brief, but...life is good. we are blessed. and I have officially taken the time to update my blog. :)