The Adoption Story of Charles Tucker

The last couple of years have been some of the most trying times of my life. But, I have learned more about suffering, becoming like him in his death and so somehow to attain the resurrection from the dead, more than I ever wanted to know. I have learned that you have to die to yourself to experience life.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Phillipians 3:8

I would love to say that this past year having Charles Tucker home has made me want to rescue the rest of the orphans of the world, but I would be lying. But, I can say that having him join our family has been more of a realization of how much I need Jesus to rescue ME from my orphan ways, when I have been adopted by the king of the universe. Adoption is not only about the lonely and destute children finding a home, but about Jesus changing everyone involved with this new child who joins the family. He is more interested in redeeming our hearts, then us saving the world. He is the main character in Charles Tucker's story, not us...believe me.

My flesh and my heart may fail, 

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

I started this slideshow 8 months ago and it is finally finished, thanks to my husband who took care of the kids practically all weekend! I made this mainly for Charles Tucker to remember his story and how God miraculously saved him from the effects of the fall. Not that redeemption is found by him being placed in our family, but how God is using all things, even our family, to draw Charles Tucker to himself. I pray that God will use his story to bless you and draw you closer to the rescuer your heart yearns for.
It is longer than I anticipated, but it is about the last two years of our lives since we started his adoption journey. Enjoy! (remember to pause the music at the bottom of the page)

Jane

My friend Jane and her family will be coming home with their precious baby girl, Martha Jane this Friday. Can't wait to welcome her home!!!! I love this honest and humble post she posted on her blog of her experience in Uganda. She is learning so much about herself and God's love.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Phil. 2:6-8

Go to Compelling Grace to read Jane's post.

Love you Jane!!!!

And their off.....

I am more than excited for my friends, the Gilberts, who are on their way to the airport as I write this post! Where are they going? Well, Uganda, of course!!! They are finally boarding a plane to meet their baby girl, "MJ", short for her real name that I will reveal once she is apart of their family...you have to protect that sort of thing for the sake of the adoption. The Gilberts, have two children ages 6 and 9 who will also be traveling and staying the duration of the time in Uganda, until they are able to bring MJ home. Thankfully, their grandmother is bravely going along to help and just be apart of the amazing African experience.

The Gilberts joined the adoption journey only two weeks after God led us to start our process back in November 2009, but after moving to a new house and a couple other set backs, they are finally going to meet their baby girl! I have so enjoyed being apart of this journey for the last several months since we have been home from Africa...I have loved getting to share what I know of Uganda and help them prepare for the unknown. Being in Uganda feels more familiar to me versus the Gilberts walking blindly into this foreign country. But, hopefully they feel a little bit more prepared by us paving the way for them! I know it has blessed me to have the opportunity to relive it all over again.

So many emotions are  brought to the forefront of my mind as they depart on this amazing adventure to experience the miracle of adoption and meet their daughter for the first time, who was meant to be in their family from the beginning of time! Ohooo...thinking about it gives me chills! God is so good! Three weeks ago when they found out they had a court date, I felt like I was going to Uganda all over again....I am just so excited for their family! I will try to keep you vaughly updated on their adventures while they are there, but once they are home, I will be free to share more!

Please pray the Ugandan Judge will grant them favor to bring "MJ" into their family and they will arrive back in Atlanta in a timely fashion, hopefully not more than a month. And pray for patience as they experience the slow paced life of Ugandan culture which can often drive Americans batty. And pray that their hearts would turn to the Lord even when they are tired physically and emotionally, because jet lag, a foreign country with crazy drivers, strange food, with sinners involved... will cause our hearts to doubt his love for us.

w can't wait to see all that the Lord has instore for this amazing family!!! And who knows maybe one day "MJ" and Charles Tucker will get married...Just say'n..   

Love you Gilberts!!!          

Crazy to Cupcakes

While we were in Uganda we had the privilage of spending a week with Dan and his two newly adopted children, Hannah and Joseph. It was really great for Charles Tucker to have some friends to play with once Henry and Mary Taylor left and Dan was such an encouragement to me along with his buddies Scott and Judd who came to our his rescue while he was in Uganda. They made Uganda more fun!

Once we were all a little adjusted with our new families here in the states...Charles Tucker finally got to see his old Ugandan buddies one morning for a playdate over at the Crazy's house... So sureal to see them in their new home, happy and thriving...God is sooo good!! Love these two kids...they have a special place in my heart. Can't wait to see what the Lord does through their lives...it's gona be good!!!

It was quite challenging for Shelly and I to get seven children to sit in one place for a picture, so lunch time was our next best option! None of us wanted to leave this fun, crazy house...Henry was kicking and screaming..and Charles Tucker loved playing with "JoHannah" and "Jophes" again...

Shelly has been such an encouragement to me since we have both come home with our children from Uganda. Can't wait to do more playdates with our Ugandan babies and learn from a mother of five! Shelly and Dan are also one of the couples that started Sixty Feet almost a year ago after hearing about this horrible prison for orphans in Uganda. You can read about our journey to "M" while I was in Uganda, HERE. Their eldest daughter felt such compassion for these orphans that she decided to sell cupcakes to raise money for "M"...which became known as the Cupcake Kids.

The Cupcake Kids was really the kids’ idea. They had been watching their parents becoming involved with a ministry in Uganda, Africa called Sixty Feet and they wanted to help out in their own way. “Why don’t we sell cupcakes and lemonade on the corner one afternoon and give all the money to the kids in Africa?” they said one day. Okay, why not? So we gathered some friends, designed a sign or two, baked some adorable cupcakes and sat out on the street corner. Some folks showed up. And God showed up…big time!

The first cupcake sale made $260.00, so then two weeks later they made 10,000.00 from several more cupcake sells all over the country. So neat to see God turn water into wine! We actually met Shelly and Dan at the first Cupcake Kids sale last spring....so neat to see what the Lord has done with Sixty Feet, along with the Cupcake Kids in less than a year! Pretty incredible!!!

Mary Taylor enjoying the first Cupcake Kids sale...

Well, on April 16, 2011, children from all over the nation are joining together for the desperate children of Uganda for one big Cupcake Kid's sale. Go HERE to learn how to host your own Cupcake Kids Sale in your neighborhood. Can't wait to do one in our neck of the woods!

 

Here are the Sixty Feet women at the Created for Care retreat at the beginning of the month. Look how yummy those cupcakes look??

So thankful the Lord has led us to these amazing people who have hearts for orphans. I feel blessed to be able to join with others on this journey to love the fatherless...believe me, we need eachother!