We would like to encourage you to take a few moments to Step Into Africa and experience the life of Stephen, a child from the area of Uganda in which we live. Your heart and mind are sure to be touched in an incredible way through this powerful interactive online exhibit put together by World Vision.
System Requirements: Broadband connection
Use Viewer Discretion: Some content is not suitable for children under 12 years of age
Recommendations: Use earphones or ensure your speaker volume is turned to a comfortable level
Take the time to thoroughly interact with each page and fully engage your heart
Today we grieve and rejoice that our precious babies are in their Heavenly Home.
Throughout this past week, God clearly spoke to my heart through songs and prepared us for this news.It was a week of great sorrow, confusion and even anger.It was also a beautiful week of feeling the Lord’s presence and peace.God has specifically used Brian Doerksen’s song “Lead Us Lord (Dream Again)” to minister to my heart…
Here we stand at a crossroads again
Like you said, in time the seasons change
Looking back we recall the blessings and the pain
But now we turn our hearts toward what is still to come
We want to dream again…Prepare our hearts to risk again
As we trust, taking simple steps of obedience, that you will lead us Lord
We are confident that this story is not over.In obedience we have followed God into embryo adoption and he will see us through.
One thing is certain; our precious babies are in Jesus’ arms.God used us to help get them home.And for that we praise God.
Please continue to pray for us as we make decisions about how to walk forward.We adopted 4 embryos, but sadly 2 are missing and so this complicates how we move ahead.We are planning to be re-matched with another family, but this takes time.We want to try again…to dream again, to risk again…because God is faithful and he is leading.
Again, thank you for walking this journey with us.We have been so blessed by your prayers, love and concern.
Thank you for your prayers! The 2 embryo babies survived the thawing process and have been implanted in Angie. (also, we found out that Avalien has mono, in addition to the infection).
Please continue to pray for both embryo babies – to live and grow, for Angie to become pregnant with both of them, that God would give them both the gift of birth and full life. We will not find out if they survived and Angie is pregnant until late next week.
Grand Rapids’ first ever Ride for Refugees, on Saturday, October 3, turned out to be a wonderful success (see pictures… more to come). 387 people on 24 Ride Teams rode just for the traumatized and unreached in Uganda at the GR Ride Location alone!! (40 people on 3 other Ride Teams rode for Uganda in Fort Erie, Hamilton and Waterloo; so far 3 people on 1 Ride Team are riding for Uganda in Markham on Oct 17). In total there were around 100 volunteers and 500 riders (the most the Ride for Refugees has ever seen at a first Ride). Many ended up riding cold and wet through downpours; however, when the majority of the people rode, the sky unexpectedly cleared up, the sun came out and a rainbow appeared!
Not only were a ton of awareness and funds raised, an unbelievable multitude of prayers were brought before the Lord that day. All around the host school, Byron Center Christian School, dozens of prayers were written by all of BCCS’ children (click to see). Before each group of Riders headed out, they prayed together. What’s more, each Rider had a photo of a traumatized and/or unreached Ugandan(s) put on their handle-bars to pray for and keep them motivated while they biked, particularly up the hills and when it rained. All in all, everyone we talked to found it to be a challenging, humbling, thought & prayer-provoking, fun day. Many are already thinking about how much farther they are going to ride, how much more awareness and funds they are going to raise, and what more they are going to do in 2010’s Ride for Refugees.
We thank God for those who sacrificed so much time, energy and money in preparing for and organizing Grand Rapid’s first ever Ride for Refugees, making it a huge, unprecedented success. We also thank God for all who led teams and got others to ride and all who rode and raised awareness and funds for the traumatized and unreached in Uganda – not just those of the Grand Rapids Ride Location, but those of the Fort Erie, Hamilton and Waterloo Ride Locations as well (and those yet to ride in the Markham Ride Location on Oct 17).
Based on the success of the Ride in Grand Rapids and the movement of the Ride for Refugees from 1 Rider 6 years ago to 9 Ride Locations last year to 19 this year, we are excited to see what new Ride Locations rise up within and beyond West Michigan, the USA, Canada and Australia to where many of you are, all for those that are so close to God’s heart – the “least of these”; the refugees (let us know if you are interested in making that happen by heading up or helping organize another Ride Location).
In the meantime, if you still wish to give and sponsor any or all who rode for the traumatized and unreached in Uganda, it is not too late. Email us and we’ll let you know how.
We will be sure to let you know exactly how much was raised, in total and specifically for the traumatized and unreached in Uganda.
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