Update~ Brooklyn, Adoption, Fundraisers, and going private!

Below is an e-mail update I sent out tonight....

Hello to everyone tonight!!
I hope this e-mail finds all of you well and enjoying the first few days of Sept. Wow! Can you believe it's already September?
I have LOTS of stuff to share, so I apologize in advance for this long update/post!!!

First off, an update on Brooklyn... I'd like to thank everyone who has been praying for her/us over the past few weeks... she is doing VERY well for the severity of Rheumatic Fever and we KNOW this is totally due to the Lord answering all the prayers that have been sent up for her... We have felt those prayers and have once again felt so loved and cherished by our family and friends! God is SO good!!!
She has an appointment with the Pediatric Cardiologist tomorrow.. and we KNOW that it will turn out fine as well... just seeing them to establish a baseline and monitor her heart closely.
Please continue to wrap her in prayer hugs.... and give the Lord praise and thanks for healing her little body!! We know it is DONE!!!

I do want to share a small story about the morning I found the HUGE swelling on the posterior right side of her little head... I held it together as best I could while finishing getting her ready (we were already heading to the Dr., due to HUGE swollen knees and not being able to walk at all!)... I made arrangements for Bailey and then got Brook settled as best I could in her car seat in the van... I got her favorite movie in and going and she relaxed some and was watching that... I turned the rear view mirror so she couldn't see me... hunkered down behind my seat (while driving), and lost it!!! I did the normal thing.. "God what is going on here? You know that Phil and I gave these kids to you WAY before you ever gave them to us...God are you forsaking me? God you CAN'T let her be REALLY sick... God I CAN"T lose my BABY!!!! God do you hear me?!!!" I was crying out and you know what... God spoke to my heart in such a profound way....
He said, "HAVE PEACE!!! This is just another chapter in the book, LANETTA, HAVE PEACE!!! It's just another chapter in the book!"
Looking back now I sort of think it's funny that God spoke to me twice.. the 2nd time was MUCH more forceful, as if too say, Lanetta... STRAIGHTEN UP!!!

I have to admit that it was and has been very scary.. even with having the amazing reassurance that God had all things under control and this was just more of "our story" that God was giving us to share... it was still hard to watch your baby in pain and suffering.. Honestly, I have NO idea how anyone would get through such a thing without the reassurance of our Lord.... We have already had numerous opportunities to share about Christ, his love and healing POWER as a result of Brook being sick... God has a plan in all things... and we are just attempting to be willing vessels, living our lives for him!!!

ok.. so now that we're all caught up on Brooklyn... let's talk ADOPTION!!!
Some of you already know due to facebook or reading our blog, but we found out on Sept. 2nd that our dossier had cleared the MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) office in Kazakhstan and is now at the MOE (Ministry of Education)... if you are not aware of the process regarding international adoption and Kazakhstan in particular, I'm sure you have NO idea the significance of this... THIS IS HUGE!! We are one step closer to our boy(s)...
These are the steps we have left: :-)

• Dossier (HUGE packet of adoption paperwork) is currently at MOE.
• Dossier submitted to a region. (Meaning we'll know the exact city our children are in.. and where we will be traveling too! HUGE deal!!!)
  
• Receive LOI (Letter of Invitation) to come to the country and meet available child(ren).
  
• Travel to Kazakhstan (Finally!!) and meet our child(ren)!!!
  

So, as you can see we are WAY closer than we've ever been before.... I think we're still in shock... It's been over 1 year and 10 months since our application was approved with our agency... When it was approved they said completed adoption from that point was 9-12 months! :-) God's timing is different and we've seen his hand in the timing... so we know that this journey will be completed when he says it's time!!!

Speaking of timing and travel... We have taken several weeks off from fundraising due to Brook being sick and a much needed break for us...

Yes, honestly, we are VERY tired of fundraising, but know that God has blessed thus far and we will continue to press through until the very thing he has called us too comes to pass!! (1 Thes 5:14)

My mom, Phil, and I were talking the other day and I shared with them about how that I know God could speak to someone to open their heart to give us the remaining money needed or somehow, someway provide the exact amount needed to complete this adoption, but I don't think it's going to happen that way... (I might be wrong... which is OK!!!!!)... but, it is during the fundraisers where we are truly sharing from our hearts about orphans, and how that God spoke to us in a magnificent way to do this... and when we share how we did not have the means... and he's provided EVERY single step of the way... We were obedient and he's met us there.... it's when we share and people see first hand God moving... that their lives are touched!!! Early on in this adoption, God spoke to us that getting these boy(s) home was the least thing he was doing with this adoption.. :-)

SO, as you can imagine my next paragraph is sharing about fundraisers...

If you are tired of fundraising.. and hearing about our fundraisers... STOP reading here!! and if not, Thanks! :-)

FUNDRAISER UPDATES AND INFO---

• Sept 26th - _________ Harvest Fest. We are going to sell BBQ sandwiches, Chips, and pop.. We are going to also have a bake sale. If you would like to donate baked items, we'd appreciate it SO much... Please contact me and we'll happily take any baked items anyone would like to donate. If you are going to attend Harvest Fest, please find our booth and each lunch with us... I promise the BBQ will be delicious and thanks in advance for all our help, support, and love... :-)
  
  
• Oct 9-10 - YARD SALE @ __________________________ - Accepting donations NOW! If you have donations and would like to get rid of them NOW.. we will take them, however if you can hang on to them until the week of the sale, we'd appreciate that as well!!!! I will send out a reminder in a few weeks!!!
  
  
• We have 200 MORE cookbooks ordered.... If you didn't get one last time, there is another chance... I've had several people tell me they LOVE theirs and wish I had more...so we stepped out in faith once again and ordered 200 more!! What a GREAT and easy Christmas Present!!! A friend was telling me she's going to make a basket with ingredients from one recipe and the cookbook in it... What a Great idea... They are going to be $10.00 each this time... and as always... I am happy to ship books anywhere!! Please help me sell these without much work on my part... please... if you would like some or would like to sell some for us... please let me know.... They are supposed to ship to us on Oct. 16th!!!
  
  
• Premier Jewelry Party - We have a Jewelry party in the works and YES this is also an excellent Christmas IDEA as well... and we can do catalog orders anywhere around the world!!!!! More details coming soon!!!
  
  
• Recycling Fundraiser - ONGOING... We are still gathering ink cartridges, cell phones, digital cameras, and laptops... thanks so much for the response we've received.. please keep em' coming... Every little bit adds up!!

Please know that any and all help with any and all of the above fundraisers is SO appreciated... I'm telling you every time I am exhausted beyond belief, someone steps up and volunteers to help me.. Thanks so much!!!

You are all adding jewels to your crowns and know that everyone of you is loved and prayed for by Phil and I... we pray that God will bless all of you beyond your wildest dreams!!!



One last item I am sad to have to address.... Our agency has advised us that we need to make our blog private... this means you will have to log in to have access to our blog... Them advising this is very wise, due to my OPENNESS about lots of subjects (that's all I will say about this)... but, this means that you will need to contact me if you'd like to continue to read our blog... Blog Address: www.gobblefamilyadoption.blogspot.com

I am going to make our blog private on Oct. 1st... so if you'd like to be invited to the end of this journey and follow us while in country (yes, we're really going!)... then let me know!! I will make our blog public again once we are through the court process and home or on our way home!!!



Thanks again and God bless!!!

Have a great day!

Lanetta Gobble