The List

Sometimes I blog because I've told some the latest update, but know there are others who would rather read or who are far away.  But sometimes I blog because I can't physically get my mouth to say certain words over and over.  Today is the latter.
We are not going to be on the July 1st list.  We ran into some hiccups (for lack of better words and the avoidance of profanity) that have us delayed.  Our agency and their attorney are continuing to work on our behalf.  But I won't lie, today was a rough day.  I have a million questions that will probably never get answered--why do they wait to tell us things until we're sitting around waiting for good news?  Why do they decide this or that?  Even if I had Peru's ear, it wouldn't matter.  They're not really in control anyway.  And while today still feels like they are frustrating many lives (because more than our disappointment, I hate how long this is taking for the kids)... we know that God is still ultimately in charge.
So you probably won't hear me chatting too much about the details of this.  I'm going to do what I'm told and keep walking.  But I will continue to pray--that God would work hard behind the scenes.  I know He loves these kids more than we do and He knows what is best for them and when.  I will continue to pray that God would hang onto the Peruvian 5 and help them to trust Him and His time.  The waiting has to be hard on them!!  
And I will continue to pray that He is glorified.
In the process.
In the Sterling family's lives.
In me.
We are grateful for all of you that have been praying with us.  We are humbled by the amount of people  involved in our story, cheering for and backing us.

"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."  Hebrews 10:39

You Hold Everything Together

"You hold everything together.  Everything together".  We sang these words at our church this morning and all I could think was, "Yep, you're the only One holding this thing together".  And I'm so grateful that the God who holds the universe together (Colossians 1) is holding our story together too.
This week is the last 5 days of June before the consejo is supposed to come out.  We are still praying super hard that our dossier can get approved this week AND that we can be on that consejo.  It's asking a lot, but I'm asking BIG.

The picture is our kids wrists.  The Guier girls got them bracelets and gave 2 to Scott and I.  We will wear them until they get here.  More hope (like my previous post).  Universal God.

Please pray with us this week!  I found myself praying today, "Dios, necesitamos un milagro! "  We need a miracle.  And we do.  But that's the beauty of relying on God...only He can pull this off!

Hope

For several days, I've been praying something specific for our kids.  Our friends, the Guier's, are in Peru right now getting to pick up their 2 girls and bring them home! Their girls live in the same orphanage as our kids.  A big party was thrown and their going home was celebrated!  But I knew this could potentially be super hard on our kids.  Not to mention the Guier's. :)  So I prayed and prayed (not knowing which day exactly would be goodbye day) that God would supernaturally implant a feeling of HOPE in our kids hearts instead of grief or sadness.  That the Guier's leaving would be a huge sign that they are going to get to come home too.  Hope

A few days after the big goodbye, Lisa e-mailed me a quick email telling me that our oldest had given their oldest his mp3 player.  This is his most prized possession--possibly the only thing he owns of any value.  And he gave it to her to travel with and use "until he gets to the United States".  Hope!  He believes he will make it here to retrieve it from her...or get a new one!  Whichever...he believes.  My prayers are being answered!

In other news, it sounds like our case is being discussed in Peru and going well.  Please keep praying!  I have a friend who is committed to praying for us at 9AM each morning until July 1st--if you'd like to join her and I in the mornings, that would be great!
Enjoy your Sunday!

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead