LOA!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember when I was expecting Hartley life seemed so busy it was hard to believe we were expecting again. Even though we were beyond thrilled to be expecting a little baby girl and we prepared for her, it wasn't until we were in the OR that it all began to feel real. Another baby was really coming! Yesterday was much like that feeling. I knew Wills was coming home and we've been working hard towards that goal for several months now.. When that email came though it was like the OR all over again. Another baby is coming!! And soon...
 This process has been different, his timeline different, fundraising different. Life is just different. I've come to respect this process as totally different then Molly's process. The first time I watched the calender and counted days,  this time I just haven't. Maybe because I know Wills is in an amazing place and that he's OK or maybe because I know that he really is going to come home, and certainly because I have seen and see that the Lord has him in his hands safely waiting on us.
 Saying Yes to Wills so soon after Molly meant that the Lord was really going to have to show up and show off to make this happen. One thing that was really important to Tommy and I was that the whole family travel this time. Tommy and I have never been on a couples weekend away and up until this past year I had never left my children. This past year we have all been separated a.lot.. Myself and especially my children are not used to that. Especially my oldest. Saying yes to Wills also meant praying like crazy that he  would make a way for us all to go. Will it be easy? No way.. Expensive.. You bet! A little crazy... Oh yea.. BUT we need to be together as a family.. My boys need to see the other side of adoption. They need to see where their siblings have come from and more fully understand the magnitude of their past. Their hearts have already been stirred and they now need to be broken for the fatherless. We truly believe that the Lord is laying the groundwork for life changing , heart changing stuff to happen in China. Our children, just like yours live a life of entitlement and privilege. It's time for it to come full circle for them and we pray that it will be memories that last a lifetime. Praying that he will use this trip to instill in them a love for the fatherless and China! A deep desire that as they grow they will seek out opportunities to serve those around them and tell of the Lord's goodness and provisions to bring their sister and brother home.. Will you join us in praying the Lord shows up big time for the boys especially?
 I can't say where it's come from yet but this week alone, after a long dry spell with many "No's" coming from grants.. We received $17,500.00 in grants yesterday. All.in.one.day... The beginning of the day we didn't know how we'd take everyone or how we'd pay for our in country cost.. We were preparing our hearts to not take the boys and arrange care at home. Just hoping and praying we'd have enough to go ourselves! Taking everyone increases our in country cost but quit a lot. We also need an extra adult to travel with us to keep everyone safe. Flights alone are quoted at $15K!!!! for May...  We pray they aren't that high but we have to shoot high and pray to come in low.. I don't know final numbers for sure yet and won't know for a while,  I am scrambling for passports now for the boys and filling out visa applications. We feel good about this being enough to take everyone and the extra adult but won't know for sure for sometime still. Please join us in praying that we're through fundraising and that  God whiling this would be enough to take everyone along.
 This is a busy season for the Gotbeters.. Saying yes to Wills meant we were really out of space in our home. We've been here a decade and have loved our house. Tommy and I have touched every surface literally in this home and have added on. We have thrown dozens of ahem..largish parties here in our big backyard and every single one of our 5 babies will have come home to this house. This was our first house and we have loved it. Sadly we are just now really out of space. Having gone to China I feel silly saying that because I have seen just how much space we really have! The Lord has been speaking to me though and asking me to make room. Room for guests, room for potential foster children.. It's time to make room! We've been looking for a while and have explored endless possibilities. Adding on, building, new construction and more! We were very close to adding on again until we found a 1 story ranch in a great location that seems perfect for our family! We need to add a master bed/bath on and re do this house but it is a one story ( great for two babies with spinabifda) and has amazing potential. A big back yard still for our pumpkin parties and other things that are important to us in this stage of the game. The house has been owned by a precious older couple and has been extremely well kept up! It reminds me a lot of my aunts houses growing up and I love it! So.... in the midst of preparing for China we are getting ready to list our house! Timing is not ideal and it's a little tricky but we are believing that if this is meant to be the Lord will work out all the details. Here's how we need you to pray. We need a contract on our house very quickly.. and a good one! As soon as ours is listed we are making an offer on the new one. We'd like to close before we leave and here's the kicker.. we need to rent back for a month of so from the new owners. This other house needs work, we don't want to have to file a supplement 3 to change our address and not sure if you rememeber we are leaving the country!!! YIKES! And having a 5th child.. Major transitions and jet lag to come.. So.. please join us in thanking the Lord for his provisions and his plans.. Pray for sweet Williams and all that he is about to endure. He is very loved where he is and loves his nannies very much. This will be very hard for him. Pray for our family that everyone would stay healthy and happy as we prepare and travel and for our house situation. We are fully trusting that if this is meant to be it will work out the way it needs to.
 We can't thank you all enough for your love and support for Molly and now Wills. Our God is more then able my friends...

Happy 3rd Birthday!

We are all gearing up to celebrate Wills' 3rd birthday and his LAST without a family. If you know us you know we love to throw a fun party! Because we can't this year we're hosting a virtual party! Please join us and instead of bringing a gift we are just asking that you donate $10! Everyone that donates $10 will have their name written on a set of blocks that Wills will have waiting on him when he gets home. He'll be able to look at these blocks as he grows and see all of your names that donated and prayed for him to come home! Please join us!

http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/happy-birthday-wills-/286503

Christmas miracle!!!

My friends I come to you with such joy and gratitude in my heart! I keep hearing the song,

                                 “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
                                           Morning by morning new mercies I see;
                                        All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
                                        “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

As you read last night I was in a hard place. All day just struggling. On the spin bike, driving down the road, at a friends house.. Lord where are you? Please help us? I know your there.. I know you've called us! We believe!!! It was a dreary day here, and so was my heart. Crying out to the Lord, but also standing on his promises and clinging to those. We went about our day, and this afternoon was helping a friend who recently suffered a loss. I was literally sucking up a spider with the vacuum when the phone rang. My dear neighbor said it was from Alabama ,and I said oh the agency, I'll take it. On the other end was my sweet social worker Emily. Emily is just about the most dear, soft spoken person you've ever talked to. 

"Hey Brittan, it's Emily. Did you have a good Thanksgiving, I'm so glad to be back in the office. I'm so glad to hear that you had a good Holiday. Listen I have some really good news for your family. ( at this point I'm fully expecting her to just say that we are DTC as we are expecting our paperwork to be back any minute now). Brittan I'm so excited for your family I'm grinning from ear to ear! ( at this point I'm thinking it's a little better then just news of DTC but still had NO idea) Brittan, a family called today and made an anonymous donation to your family. ( wow I thought! Maybe it was for the payment of $2900 that we didn't have! Wow this is awesome!) Brittan, I'm thrilled to tell you that it was for $20,000.00!!!!! Your adoption on the agency side of things outside of travel expenses is likely paid in FULL!"

 Wow, blown away doesn't even to begin to describe what we have been going through this evening. I love so much about this and I'll list the reasons below. 

1.God gets the glory! I was begging him and telling him Lord, YOU, it's you and I want folks to see you through this. 

2. God hears our prayers. 

3. God will never leave us or forsake us..

4. What God calls you to he will fulfil. Folks thought we were crazy for stepping out again and adopting Wills. The beginning of our process was hard and we had some serious bumps in the road. There was a lot of time to ask, "Lord are you sure this is what we are suppose to do?" We prayed and continued to stand on his promises even when it seemed less then hopeful. 

5. Folks watching us receive this amazing gift brings them the HOPE that God can do it for them also. We believe that so many more would step out if cost was not an issue. Friends, the Lord is faithful and he will provide for you to adopt if you feel led. We are proof!

Tonight as I prayed with our 4 children here and finished our advent readings I was so taken by the words used to describe our Lord in Isiah 9:6 " For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Prince of peace.. just what we needed.. 

 This Advent season as we wait for Wills just as we waited for Molly last year we give THANKS for the gift of you all who have donated to us this go around and last. Listening to Molly exclaim "Baby Jesus!! While we were reading her book and Hartley asking if we could call God to ask him who gave us this money and Thomas saying, maybe it was God mommy.. and West pledging his tooth fairy money once again for the fund, makes me realize this adoption stuff is so much more far reaching then just bringing a child home. You ALL are making an eternal investment in the life of not just Wills, but also my family. This has once again been an incredible journey to take with you all and we are so thankful for each of you and especially the extreme generosity of the family who gave today. What a wonderful example you are to us all. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you again.. 

 Where do we go from here. We'll we have a little bit more work to do but not much! One things most grants won't pay for is travel. The matching grant now through Lifesong will pay for our in country money that we'll need but we still need about $10-12k to make up what the flights will be and also there may be a teeny amount still needed to Lifeline depending on what our in country cost will be. With Molly is was $13k and I'm guessing $15K since the whole family is going this time. We have several things going on, soaps, tshirts and donations for the matching grant. We had also planned an event here with a fab silent auction, live music and food in February called "A night of Hope" I hope with all of these things we'll get pretty close to being funded. Maybe we'll throw a garage sale in there or a birthday party for Wills turning 3 in January? One thing I do know though is that we have not one reason to worry. Our God is more then able to do immeasurably more then we could ask or ever imagine!

 Tonight we give THANKS!!!

My tantrum!!

Excuse me I'd like to have a tantrum.. Can mommy have a turn? How about a time out after? Sounds wonderful!
 Much like a rough pregnancy you think mid way through, I'll never do this again!! We said it with Molly and I want to say it again.. I will never do this again!! Before you get too concerned no I'm not having second thoughts or reservations. I feel fully capable and equipped to handle 5 kiddos and Wills' needs. That part doesn't worry me. What does bother me is the fundraising. I know I've said, It's so great to be dependant on the Lord. It's great to wait in his presence for the blessing to come and most of the time it is, but other times it just plain stinks and I want to throw a hissy fit.. It's not even the process that gets me it's the money! Some would say, "Well, why would you say yes to a child and not have the money up front?" Well besides the fact the Lord has called us to adopt, folks say yes to things all the time and then have to pay for them. A car? A house? A college tuition? Let me also say I trust the Lord is 100% faithful. I have seen with my own eyes what he did through Molly's process and even now in her life, we have witnessed modern day miracles! I know God can and will finish this strong, it's just hard. Let me lay it out there. We have several grant applications out there now that I hope will make up the end of the adoption costs that we'll have, Our last agency fee and our in country cost. We'll need to have money for travel, our current matching grant can pay for that and around $11K for the flights. The  is what we need to pay for  this week, $700 dossier fee ( soap money will cover that) and another agency payment which is $2900.00. Guess what? We have not 1 dime towards that...not one penny.. This faith walk just got much more real huh? Couple that with the $2500 we need to raise for the matching grant and your looking at $5400.00, $2900.00 due now and $2500 due by January 13th 2015. Have friends been faithful to give? You bet, and we are so thankful!! We truly are. There is so much more to do though. I know God is faithful. I know God funds what he favors. I know God won't leave Wills now. I know he is able to do immeasurably more then we could ask or imagine. I've seen it!!! But in the waiting.. It's hard and I want to roll on the floor and have a toddler tantrum in an adult body. So if you see me in target on the floor crying please don't be alarmed. I'll get some self control soon and regain composure. In the meantime I'll rest on these promises the Lord has given us and continue to sell, tshirts, soaps and ask for donations. Would you help today? Could you give $10, $50, $100 or more? I'll close with the letter from Lifesong for orphans. They really say it much better then I do..

 November 18, 2014 

Dear church, family, and friends of Tom and Elizabeth Gotbeter, 

God desires orphans of all nations to be adopted into Christ-honoring families so they can hear the Word of God and ultimately be adopted into God’s eternal family through faith in Jesus Christ. While God calls us to fulfill James 1:27 and “visit the fatherless” not all are called to adopt. Some are called to pray, some to give financially, some to go on mission trips, and some to adopt. 

Lifesong for Orphans is a non-profit Christian ministry dedicated to help meet the needs of orphan children around the world, and to obey God’s call to “visit the fatherless…in their affliction” (James 1:27). With over 147 million orphans worldwide, Lifesong seeks to mobilize the Body of Christ to love and care for orphans. Lifesong serves families, churches and orphans through adoption funding. Additionally, Lifesong brings joy and purpose to orphans globally in seven countries and domestically through foster care initiatives. Please visit our website (www.lifesongfororphans.org) for more information. 

Tom and Elizabeth have sensed God’s call to care for the fatherless and have joyfully stepped out in faith and obedience to adopt a little boy from China. As you may already know, adoption can cost $30,000-$35,000, and this financial burden prevents many godly families from adopting. Lifesong believes God has called this family to adoption and has committed an Adoption Matching Grant of $2,500 to help bring this child home. 

Funds donated to Lifesong for Orphans will be given to help cover adoption expenses. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your gift is tax deductible. 100% of all funds raised will go directly to cover adoption costs--nothing will be taken out for Lifesong for Orphans administrative costs. 

Will you invest financially in the life of this child? It will be an investment with eternal return. God bless you. 

MATCHING GRANT, supplement 3 approval, shirts and soaps!

What a day! It's cold here in Charleston but warm in my heart . The Supplement 3 that we worked so hard to take advantage of was approved today! It's being mailed off to our agency today and our documents will be headed to be authenticated and then we'll be DTC! Praying that happens around the beginning of December. Thank you Lord for your favor in this area! We are thankful!

 We also just got a call from Lifesong for Orphans and they have awarded us a $2500.00 matching grant! We raise $2500.00 and they will award us $2500.00. Which means another $5000.00!!!!! Thank you Lord!! God is indeed able and as I was crunching numbers on the spin bike this am I was slightly worried but then heard the Lord speaking to me, "I've got this!" "Don't you remember what I did with Molly and her situation" "Rest in me." Fast forward to coming home, I miss a call and this is the message! You'll remember they also helped us with Molly with a matching grant. We are so thankful for their help. God is indeed able!

 That leads us to my next topic. Our beautiful tshitrs are IN! Some local friends with a company called  Less Apparel  have put this together for us. They are not your typical boxy tshirts but super soft and a great fit! At $18.00 a shirt they make a great Christmas gift or just a shirt for yourself! My mommy uniform these days are workout pants and a fun tshirt. I've really enjoyed supporting others who have done this and I hope you'll support our tshirt as well! http://www.lessapparel.com/shop/god-is-able

 We are also selling soaps again this year! The organic Goat's milk soaps make a wonderful gift for your friends, family, teachers, postal workers, stocking stuffers and more! They are great to keep on hand for hostess gifts and little sercies to give out when you need a treat for someone. Most bars are $6.00 and some $6.50.

 Contact us today for soaps and follow this link for tshirts! Bless you all for your help once again on this amazing journey! God is able!

"He can walk for himself!!"

I just love the translations when they come. I really do. Today I read the words " He can walk for himself!!" Sweet Wills is doing fantastic! Much like Molly's story of obedience, seems like once we stepped out once again and said YES, Yes Lord use us, we're whiling, he's done it again! Precious Wills could not walk late July and is now walking pretty well. He does have spinabifda like Molly but from the video I saw today he is moving about like she does now, much, much better then we adopted Molly. He tires easily but that's to be expected. I'm sure once we get him home his progression will be much like Molly's and he'll gain strength over time. Wills is in an amazing place. Really it is. It's so different from where Molly was. Every day he receives physical therapy and good nutrition. I'm blown away by the differences. We're so thankful that he is doing so well, God is indeed faithful!
 Today I read an article a dear friend of mine sent me. The article talked about the hard, and how when we do the hard we have an opportunity to see God. The article mentioned a birth mom in Ethiopia who did the hardest thing we can imagine as mothers. She gave up her baby and prayed for a family for her. Can you imagine her heart breaking as she left her baby somewhere in hopes that God would answer her prayers? Imagine Wills' birth mom. Can you picture it? You've just given birth to a son and he clearly has spinabifda. You know you'll never be able to care for him so you do the only thing you know, you take him somewhere, and walk away. Can you? I can't.. Meanwhile all the way across the world just like for the baby from Ethiopia, God is knocking on the heart of our family. God is nudging and preparing us to say yes to Wills, just as they did to the baby girl. Yes the process is hard, yes it's long, yes it's costly in more ways then money, but hard? Hard is these precious mothers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. What a joy and an honor to say yes to these beloved ones. What a joy to experience hard as we fly them all over the country to Dr's and specialist. God is always there, and through the hard is when I've seen him most. Tonight I am thankful for the hard..
  We expect our 800a approval any day and Lifeline has all they need to send our 3 documents to be authicated and then we'll be DTC. Our prayer is around the beginning of December. We def have some payments coming up and although there is work to be done to make that happen I have so much more peace this time that God is able. I know he's working behind the scenes continually to prepare grants and folks hearts to give. We have launched the sell of Goats milk soaps again. At $6.00 a bar for most soaps these make wonderful stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, mail lady gifts and MORE! Message me today to place your order. You'll love them, I promise! Also tomorrow evening our TSHIRT will go on sale! These as well would make wonderful Christmas gifts! If you've been around for a while you know we would say and still say, "God is able" a lot. God gave us that word when we said yes to Molly and also with Wills. Please get excited because the shirt has turned out really well! I hope you'll like it.
 Wills is doing well, he can now walk for himself and is talking. They say he is strong and happy. I was able to see his little crib, where he plays and eats and see a picture of his precious nanny. Please be praying that he would stay healthy and that the heat would come soon for them. It's very cold there and they have no heat. Pretty common for C**** as Molly had never been in a heated or cooled room until we adopted her. Still though the heat will be very much welcomed for them.
 Bless  you all for joining us on this journey again. God is indeed more then able my friends..

Approved homestudy!

We are so thankful we once again have an approved home study and it's on it's way to the USCIS to meet our Supplement 3 for the extension to avoid the 800a process again. We should have an an approval there by the end of  next week and our documents will then go to be authenticated. This time we only have 3 instead of a whole bunch. After that we'll officially be DTC again. Most families travel  ( with a 60 day LOA wait) to China in about 6 months or so. If we are DTC by the beginning of December we should be traveling around the beginning of the summer? Good timing with the kids getting out of school! We rest in God's perfect timing and rejoice that Wills is in a good place. Each day we are working towards more things here at home, everyone responding with more fruits of the spirit. Being as independent as we can all be, as helpful as we can be to each other and sleeping in our own beds, all.night.long. Bless it- I haven't met a college kiddo yet who sleeps with his momma so I know it's coming and when it does I know we'll miss it!! But knowing we have another big transition coming we are trying to get everyone as situated as we can. We do have some costs coming up with the DTC and we humbly ask for your help with those. Please donate if you can here through our youcaring page. We're so thankful you all are walking this journey with us again! God is able-

$140 due now for PA
$700 for the Dossier submission
$9.00 Shelby county courthouse
$15.00 Alabama Secretary of State
$75.00 My China Docs
$60.00 Courier Fee
$2900 another agency fee due at DTC

$720 when we receive our 800 approval after LOA
Another agency fee of $2900 due at LOA