LESS THAN 48 HOURS!

Well in less than 48 hours Rich will be on a plane to Sierra Leone! As you can imagine this is the trip of a lifetime and we have just been busy busy getting ready for him to leave. Please keep him and the rest of the team in your prayers as they travel on Thursday morning and come home next Saturday afternoon.

Lots of things have been going on in the Johnson household. Emma started Kindergarden 2 weeks ago, Jayden started a 2 day a week preschool program this past monday. Both of them are doing great in school and I just love seeing them grow up. Here are some of Emma's first school day pictures

Been a while!

Sorry I haven't been on to post in a couple weeks. Things have just been as busy as ever. Tomorrow is a big day in the Johnson house, Emma starts her first day of Kindergarden and It's Rich and I's 7 year anniversary. Time flies when you are havin fun and servin the Lord.

Adoption update: we traveled to St. Louis last week for our fingerprints. Our I-600A is almost or should be complete soon. Things are movin right along :) Rich leaves in 18 days for Sierra Leone. I am anxious and excited for him. I can't wait for him to meet all 84 kids and love on one special little boy this momma misses very much!! I must admit the kids and Sierra Leone, Kevin is all I can think about lately, my heart misses them so much!! I can't wait to go back, I'm possibly going to go on the January trip, I will let everyone know forsure once we get a little closer.

TRS update: The Raining Season is in a fundraiser blitz for a new building fund to raise $16,000 we have $9800 left to raise before august 1st. If you would like to donate please visit there website at www.therainingseason.org and click on donate.

We still have lots of adoption t-shirts left. Let me know if you would like one!

GOD IS SO GOOD!

Well this week has been an adventure! God is soooo good. Our church has a motto, "If you step out in faith, God will provide." It's so true. We sometime doubt the power of God, how he can change things, provide funds, open doors, heal the sick, and sooooo much more. We have seen some of these miracles this week and in our lives lately!

God has provided miraculously for both Rich and I to travel to Sierra Leone, that is about $4000 each!! And he has provided for every single penny of our adoptions costs. He is so good!

We sat in church at the prayer meeting on Wednesday night and the presence of God was so powerful, Pastor Curt didn't even get to his prepared sermon. We spent the majority of the evening in prayer, "Prayer changes everything." I can't mention on here what happened but it was an absolute answer to prayer. All the hurdels with our adoption haven't been completed yet BUT we are one step closer!!

Monday we will travel to St. Louis to do the final fingerprints for the USCIS approval of our adoption. This is the first step we need completed before we can start the adoption process in Sierra Leone. :)

As I type this I sit listening to What Faith Can Do by Kutless, the lyrics to the song are so true! We have seen this happen this week, here are the lyrics:

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you're stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
http://www.elyricsworld.com/what_faith_can_do_lyrics_kutless.html
You don't have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

T-SHIRT UPDATE!!

The shirts should be ready tomorrow!!! YEA!!! I will email or call you to get you your shirt(s). Also, I ordered some extras if you have anyone that would like to purchase one. Here are the extra sizes I will have tomorrow if anyone wants one:

Womens:
XL and L

Mens:
S, M, L and XL

Thanks to everyone who purchased shirts to help bring our little Kevin home. God Bless!

HELP

As all of you readers probably know by know Rich and I are involved with an Orphanage or Center as we like to call it in Sierra Leone, West africa. The center is ran by The Raining Season, truely a ministry that is changing children's lives!!

We are currently expanding our facilities to provide a home and loving care for more orphaned children. We are so blessed that our son we are adopting lives in the center there until we can bring him home. The Covering is the official name of the center and it truely breaks my heart that I can't be there daily to see all the children and workers I fell in love with this May.

We have stepped out in faith on leasing a new building but we need to raise $16,000 by the end of August. That's only 30 days away! If you feel led to donate please visit www.therainingseason.org If you know a church that would be willing to let us come and speak about The Raining Season please email me at tiff.johnson85@gmail.com

We also have a couple children that still need sponsors. Have you considered sponsoring a child but don't want to give up $20 a month? DO IT!!! It will not only change the life of an orphaned child but It will grow your faith!!!

And last but not least. Sorry for such a long delay in getting the t-shirts. They will be ready this Wednesday and I am going to personally drive to Bolivar and pick them up. I will be calling you when I can deliver them to you. I still have some extras that I ordered if you would like one, please msg me.

MIRACLES

Well this week has had its ups and downs but God has provided some miracles in our lives. I can't even begin to explain how this week has brought us closer as a family, closer to God and closer as husband and wife. We had an unexpected surprise when our only computer died this week, with everything on it and no back up. God provided and we were able to buy a cheap acer at Wal-Mart. I also came home from running a quick errand one day this week to find $30 on my kitchen counter. Rich only has 43 days till he leaves for Africa. GOD has provided for everything we need to start his journey, shots, passports, etc...

On another note, please be in prayer for a set of twins that one our friend's here sponsors from The Covering. The are very sick and despertaly need medical here in the USA. Along with Suwuju who we are still trying to get medical care for here. Also, Erica and Tina are currently in route to Africa for some items that need tending to at the center. We are hopefully leasing a new building soon. But the new building start up cost is about $25,000 which will be due by August 30th. If anyone has any churches, events, etc that we could speak at to raise funds please message me. thank you!!

These past couple of days have been rough emotionally for me. I miss Kevin like crazy and it is so hard not seeing him every day. Wondering if he's walking all over the place now, how many words he's trying to say. All the stuff parents love to experience with there children. It's so hard not having our 3rd child here with us, but God is watching over him. Please be praying for the SL embassy to pass the new adoption law and for everything else to fall into place for us to bring him home.

Okay, that's it for now.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE A SPONSOR

So as a child of The Covering to have a sponsor is an amazing feeling. They so love reading there letters and pictures from there aunties and uncles in america. Here is a little video on Sponsorship

The Covering Home for Children from Tina S on Vimeo.

We have 12 kids that still do not have sponsors. Here are two of the little boys in the center that still need sponsors:


This is Musa. He only has a educational sponsorship available. It is $40 a month and will provide an excellent education. Msg me if you are interested.


This is Shariff. He came to the center as a rock laborer and now has the opportunity to be a child again. His only sponsorship left if his personal which provides for all his personal needs. It's $20 a month. Anyone want to help?