Blown Away...

total Latergram/post

February 22, 2013 will go in the history books of the Jones family as one amazing night

Many of you saw posts on Facebook and Instagram of our Coffee House Fundraiser..that looked something like this.. 

and saying we were blown away by our fundraiser is such an understatement. 

Thank you a million times Stephanie, Carolyn, Sarah and Meredith for yalls vision..
It was these gals along with students of UMHB CRU for Life (a pro-life organization on campus that has adopted us to encourage and support us on this journey) did an absolutely beautiful job of organization and servantheartedness. I know that whoever walked into the coffeehouse that night knew that something big was going on and in our hearts we knew that God was going on.

 As Phillip and I try to recount the amazingness of that night we still shake our heads with no words to describe the magical evening it was. 

The music provided by sibling duo Sarah and Caleb Hurst was soulful as well as with cheerfulness and grooviness..Keep your eyes and ears out for Sarah's gifted voice to be captured on CD in the coming months...Yay~Sarah!

For 2 hours we had a steady flow of visitors that ranged from people we had never seen before to family and friends who came from out of town to be with us on this special night. It was so organized that all we had to do is walk around and have our cups filled with love, laughter and joy.

The blessing of the night is the coffee house broke record with their sales in which we prayed for their success. In light of this, we raised enough money to pay for 2 of our first major fees.This is so much more than what we hoped for and our hearts could burst from the overflow of love we received.

I still close my eyes and remember the glow and warmth of such an evening that God reminds our hearts that we are not alone and to keep on in the way he has called us to walk in..

So now we continue..

We are working on a bundle of paperwork..uhm..40 or so pages. It seems this process requires a lot of multi-tasking. Things we are on now are Dossier prep (a packet of information sent to the Chinese govt for review)...I guess you could say it's government work!

Within this paperwork we are working on our next big step which is our Home Study. This is the point in which you open the doors to our lives and let people ask you questions....lots and lots of questions. Sounds like a more intense speed-dating relationship. Really though, it's one of the bigger milestones we'll have, but as we meet with a home study worker, we'll also be preparing other documentation. 

Some of those things are renewing of passports, immigration applications, citizenship info, going to the doctor for wellness check-ups, preparing Jonesy's room, and I'm sure other things we haven't even learned about yet. It seems like a lot to talk about...and it is, but as we journal about these things, it really does put things at ease.

So hang on for the ride. 

We really do value your prayers as the great work of the unseen. Pray for our Jonesy and pray for our strength,and persistent endurance as we plant deeply into the power of the Holy Spirit that is alive and at work in and through us in this process. Oh to praise the One who walks with us and has adopted us through Jesus into His great family. Our God is the Author of this story and in His kindness has invited us to be a part.