Brother Toru Marshall arives in Malawi

Brother Toru Marshall arrived in Malawi today. He will be teaching along with Brother Mark Logan at the Pastor's Conference. The conference is being held at the bible college on the Good Samaritan Campus (Mponga) as well as at Andrew Dzimbiri's church in Chilimba. Brother Marshall will teach the morning session on one campus while Brother Logan teaches at the other and then they switch for the afternoon session. The conference ends on Friday.


Friday night Brother Mark Logan will head to Zambia Africa for another Pastor's conference. He will be traveling there with the president and vice president of Good Samaritan Bible College (Henry and Andrew) as well as Andrew Dzimbiri. Please be in prayer for these four men while they travel to Zambia. There is a highly deadly form of Malaria that is plaguing the people of Zambia.


Brother Marshall delivered a box of dresses and skirts for Savannah-Hope from the adoptive family. Thandie was so excited to receive them. Savannah-Hope is outgrowing her newborn clothes. Thandie said the girls at the Children's home were so surprised to see a denim skirt for a baby. Thandie's favorite was the red, white and blue dress with the an American Flag. I can't wait to see pictures.


The pastor from Savannah-Hope's village is staying at Good Samaritan in the staff quarters during the Pastor's conference. They told Thandie that after she brought Savannah-Hope to the funeral, the people from the village have been talking about the miracle of Savannah. At first the people didn't believe it was the same baby because her skin was so much lighter. They told Thandie that there have been new many visitors to the church in Savannah-Hope's village ever since the funeral. The people have said that they know if something were to happen to them, Good Samaritan and Brother Gentry would help them with their children. They are lifting Brother Gentry and Good Samaritan up in prayer. The people see Gods blessing on Good Samaritan and our drawn to the work. I am happy to hear that people are touched by Savannah-Hope's testimony. I am also glad to hear that the people see that it is God working through Good Samaritan and not just Good Samaritan. The need in Malawi can be so overwhelming at times....there are so many people who need help. I'm thankful for the opportunity to point them back at Christ and help them to see that God is still in the miracle business.

Christmas gifts from Asheville, NC

The children of Good Samaritan Children's Home received news about a special surprise this week. Brother Mark Logan is in Malawi visiting from Asheville, NC. His home church, Trinity Baptist Church sent $1200 for the children to have a special Christmas celebration. The children will have a Christmas dinner of chicken, french fries, soda and ice cream. The children are so excited! Each child will also receive 500 Kwatcha ($3.66) to spend on their own Christmas present. The majority of these children have never seen that much money, never gone shopping and never have had the opportunity to choose something they would like to have for Christmas. The children are so thankful for this wonderful blessing!

Grace is recovering from Malaria. She contracted Malaria 1 plus earlier this week. She is one of the children attending summer school at the secondary school. All of the secondary school children are enjoying the summer school experience. It is definitely summer time in Malawi. I was talking to Thandie yesterday as I was putting flannel sheets on my bed. She was giving me a bad time because it is so HOT in Malawi. Savannah-Hope was taking a nap wearing just her diaper.

Thandie sent some updated pictures of Savannah-Hope. I love this sweet photo of her with Peace. Seeing her sweet smile was just the encouragement I needed to keep pressing on with this adoption journey.

Can We Get A Meeting?

For the past two months I have been trying to set up a meeting between Savannah-Hope's Malawi social worker, the adoption attorney and Good Samaritan so that we can establish a plan for Savannah-Hope's adoption. Everyday I call Malawi....and everyday there is no meeting. I have prayed, fasted, waited, cried, yelled, begged, pleaded, bribed....still no meeting. I know that God's timing and His plan are perfect....but after 61 days of the same answer.... there are days I have become weary....and other days I have become down right frustrated.

The decision to bring Savannah-Hope to Good Samaritan wasn't one that I took lightly, or a decision I made alone, however I do feel solely responsible. I know it was the right decision and I am 100% sure that it was God's will for Savannah to come to Good Samaritan. But most of this journey has been one of blind faith. There have been so many trials and speed bumps during this adoption journey....I can't even begin to list them all. There have also been many wonderful blessings along the way. And through the trials and the blessings we have been praising the Lord.

Savannah-Hope belongs to the Lord and I know He has a special plan for her life. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.' Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

I woke up this Thanksgiving morning to a phone call from Thandie. Whenever she calls me, I have a mini heart attack because she never calls, unless there is a reason to have a mini heart attack. I called her right back and she said the same thing she has said for the past 61 days....no meeting today. I wasn't surprised by her news, but surprised she called. Thandie called because after 61 days of having complete unwavering faith that this adoption will be granted....she was weary. We have come to a point where if we don't get an adoption plan finalized soon, we will be faced with a very difficult decision. Brother Gentry agreed to allow Savannah-Hope to come to Good Samaritan with the understanding that she would only be there a couple of months. Praise the Lord that God has provided me with the finances thus far to care for her, but Good Samaritan is not set up to be a permanent home for infants. The last we heard from the social worker in Malawi was he could not recommend the adoption unless the American family lived in Malawi with Savannah-Hope for 18 months. This is obviously not an option. The adoption attorney tells us that there is no law requiring an 18-month in country foster care prior to adoption. It is a social welfare policy, but one that was rarely practiced until Madonna brought Malawi adoption under the microscope. I have been asking for a meeting with both the social worker and attorney present so we can discuss a plan and determine if this adoption will be granted.

After I hung up the phone with Thandie, I made my second phone call of the day....for the 61rst straight day in a row, to the adoptive family. Much to my surprise the adoptive mother, Crystal said she talked to the social worker and there was a meeting today! Since Good Samaritan was somehow left out of the meeting, I can't be sure that this meeting actually took place....but I'm hoping it did. The social worker told Crystal that he is willing to write the recommendation for Savannah-Hope's adoption without the 18-month in country foster care, but only if it is approved by the minister of social welfare. The supposed plan is that the attorney will assist the social worker in writing the recommendation that will then be submitted to the capitol of Malawi next week. Our prayer is that the minister of social welfare will approve the adoption. It will likely take weeks for an answer....so please add this to your prayer list.

Please pray with us for God's will to be done and that He will give us wisdom to make the right decisions for Savannah-Hope.

Mark Logan Arrives safely in Malawi

Brother Mark Logan arrived in Malawi today (Wed 11/21/07). Brother Mark lives in Asheville North Carolina and will be visiting Malawi and Zambia for two weeks. Brother Mark's heart is to teach national independent Baptist pastors and young Bible college students in third world countries. If you would like to know more about Brother Mark click here.

Brother Mark was able to bring some clothes and baby items to Malawi for Savannah-Hope. I am so thankful! Our sweet Savannah-Hope has begun eating baby food and is growing out of her clothes. I am sending another set of items with Brother Trou Marshall next week. I know first hand how difficult it is to pack for Malawi and stay under the weight restrictions. I am so grateful that so many of the Good Samaritan visitors have been so willing to bring items for Savannah-Hope with them when they travel.

Update...Pastor Simon, Ida and Savannah-Hope

One of the Good Samartian Pastors went home to be with the Lord tonight (11/13). Pastor Simion from Liwonge died at the hospital. Thandie said he had been sick, but wasn't sure what illness he suffered from. He was the pastor of Liwonge Good Samaritan Baptist Church. His funeral will be Friday.

I spoke to Ida tonight on the phone! It was such a blessing. She is such a special young girl. She was well enough to go to summer school today. Praise the Lord!

Please be in prayer for Savannah-Hope's adoption journey. I am specifically asking for prayer regarding a critical meeting that is to take place between our attorney and the Malawi social welfare department. This meeting was scheduled for 11/13, but didn't happen. Please pray that this meeting will take place this week and will provide us with an understanding as to what the next step will be, the timeline, etc. Please continue to pray for the imigration form called the I-171H.

Ida Update

Ida is at the Children's Home now and is doing so well she didn't need to have the spinal tap. Praise the Lord! Thank you for your prayers.

***********
The 10 year old boy that came to the gate yesterday, had a grandmother that was willing to care for him in Zomba Malawi. We were able to give him transport money so he could get to her village. Thanks for your prayers for him.

update

Today was the first day of summer school for the Secondary School children. The 14 children who just finished 8th grade at the Good Samaritan School were so excited. They haven't been to school off campus before. They were asking Thandie and the other staff so many questions in anticipation. We are still in desperate need of funds for these children to go to summer school . They all started today....by faith. Please click here to see how you can help.

Today was the funeral for Savannah-Hope's birth mother, Chrissie. Good Samaritan purchased the casket and many of the staff attended. Chrissie was a member of a Good Samaritan Baptist Church. Savannah-Hope went to the funeral. Andrew's wife (Andrew is the vice president of Good Samaritan and Principal of the school) tied Savannah to her back when they arrived at the funeral. During the entire funeral no one knew who Savannah was. When the funeral was over Thandie untied Savannah and told her uncle who she was. He immediately started crying and praising God for the miracle He has done for Savannah. He brought the other family members around to see her. They were all rejoicing. Thandie was able to get some pictures of Savannah-Hope with her three biological siblings. There is a family meeting on Tuesday (Nov 14th) to determine the plan for these children. Currently Savannah-Hope's 10 year old brother and one of the two year old twins (Sidala) live in the father's home village with the paternal grandmother. The other twin, Tamandani lived with the mother and maternal grandmother. The maternal grandmother is mentally unstable and now that the mother is gone, we are not sure what the plan will be for Tamandani. The pastor from Savannah-Hope's village will keep us updated on these children as they are full siblings to Savannah.

Ida is back in the hospital and is not doing well. They fear that she has meningitis. She will undergo a spinal tap on Tuesday (11/14) morning. Ida has been battling one illness after another. Her body is very week and she has been enduring so much pain. Please pray that her suffering will end soon.

A 10 year old little boy showed up to the gate at Good Samaritan today looking for a home. Please pray that God will provide him a safe place to live.

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR AN UPDATE ON SAVANNAH'S ADOPTION

Update on Savannah-Hope's adoption

Thank you for your prayers regarding Savannah-Hope's adoption journey. I have had requests for more specific information. Here is the scoop:

Malawi does not have a stable international adoption program like China or Ethiopia. Very few children are adopted out of Malawi because the government frowns on international adoption due to past trouble with child selling. But all along there have been and continue to be children adopted out of Malawi, but they have been "under the radar", done quietly and at a very small scale. Last year when Madonna went to Malawi and decided to adopt an orphan, she being who she is, drew alot of media attention to Malawi's adoption policies or lack there of. Suddenly the government policies were being looked at and Malawi adoption was under the microscope. The social welfare department of Malawi became very leery of adoption due to the media hype.

Good Samaritan decided to not pursue adoptions in Malawi until the "Madonna issue" had blown over. When Savannah-Hope was found many Malawian social workers and attorneys were unwilling to have any part of Savannah's adoption specifically because of the Madonna drama.

What does this have to do with our adoption of Savannah-Hope now?

Good question! Guess who is back in Malawi and has chosen to adopt a child from the exact same village where Savannah is from? hmm..... Madonna! So now we are back under the microscope...not that we were trying to do anything illegally....but because of the attention Madonna drew to herself the Malawian Government required her to do an "interim adoption". An interim adoption is when the adoptive parents become foster parents for the child for 18 months before the adoption can be finalized. We weren't going to have to do this with Savannah-Hope as it is not a Malawian law...but a social welfare policy (but not often practiced). But now that Madonna is in the same village and the government is again being extra careful about adoptions....this maybe the only way we can pursue Savannah's adoption.

Madonna has been granted permission to "foster" her kids outside of Malawi. That will also be our request. This week we feared that Savannah-Hope would have to be fostered in Malawi which would mean we couldn't bring her home until March of 2009! We are now being told that we can foster her here in the states....but the official word wont come until later this week. There is still some chance that she could be adopted without fostering first....but we wont know that until later this week as well.

Please continue to pray for all who are involved in this journey. I have faith that God has a perfect plan for Savannah-Hope. I am asking God to guide us on that path and trusting Him each step of the way. I are still hoping to have her in the U.S. by Christmas. Thank you for your prayers.

Savannah-Hope's birth mother and an earthquake

Chrissie, Savannah-Hope's birth mother went home to be with the Lord late last night, or early this morning. We are praising the Lord that Chrissie trusted Christ as is now in Heaven free from pain and suffering. Her funeral will be tomorrow, November 13th. Brother Gentry told me today that Savannah-Hope will attend the funeral. Please be in prayer for Savannah-Hope's trip to the village. I am praying that she will be a testimony to her village of God's love.


An earthquake shook Blantyre Malawi on Thursday November 8th. Praise the Lord that there wasn't any damage to the Children's Home. Brother Gentry said that the house we helped Wilson (Brother Gentry's security guard) build, was damaged. For more information on the earthquake click here.

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PICTURES FROM THE TIE-DYE PROJECT

Tie Dye Shirts

Savannah-Hope and Mrs. Carrier

Bro and Mrs. Carrier visited Malawi in September and brought kits to tie dye shirts with the Children at Good Samaritan. Here are the pictures! The children enjoyed it so much!

The door slams shut....

A big huge door (Malawi Social Welfare) slammed shut on Savannah-Hope's adoption journey yesterday. Please pray with us as we watch for another door or window and wait on God's perfect timing. Please pray that everything will be done according to God's will.

Email glitch....

For the past 5 weeks, Thandie has been trying multiple times and multiple ways to email me updated photos. For some reason no matter what she tried, I just couldn't get the photos. Then today......I received every photo she has ever tried to send. They came all at once, but were cataloged in my email by the date she originally tried to send them. I have never seen anything like it before. Very exciting! I received 20 different pictures, but I got each picture 6 or 7 times! Below are some very sad and disturbing hospital pictures of our sweet Ida. I may end up taking them off...but here is a quick peek.

Praise the Lord that Ida is out of the hospital now and doing much better. She was officially diagnosed with Malaria 1 plus. Please keep her in prayer! Please continue to pray for the funding for her special diet.

Here is the most updated picture I have of Savannah-Hope. It was taken on October 6th. I can't believe how big she has gotten and how healthy she looks. Praise the Lord! I am so grateful that the she is being cared for with such love and gentleness. Praise the Lord for the hedge of protection the He has placed around this little girl. Please continue to pray for her adoption journey. Still waiting on the immigration form....I171H.

Ida is back in the hospital

Here is Ida holding Savannah-Hope. This picture was taken a few days after we got Savannah. Ida was so sweet and gentle with her. Savannah-Hope had just had a bath and was all bundled up.

Please pray for our Ida. She was hospitalized on Friday (11/2/07) with a high fever, severe headache and body pains. Her chest x-ray came back clear. Her Malaria test came back negative, but they are treating her for Malaria just in case. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors so they can determine the cause of the high fever. Please pray for the finances to pay for her special diet. Ida is such a special girl. Please lift her up in prayer!

Update on the car accident

Evance is having neck pain. He can't turn his head and it seems to be getting worse. Thandie said he is in "much pain".

William and Maladitso are feeling much better and were actually playing soccer when I called!

Job (garden boy-Japhet's brother) has a concussion. He is throwing up, dizzy, hearing ringing in his ears. They did some tests and found a "crack in his head".

Kondwani (garden boy) is feeling better as are the rest of the men (Rodney, Raxson, Alex and Pastor Baeta).

Thank you for your prayers!

****BABY NAME ALERT****

Rodney's baby has a name! There were no Nzungus (white people), also known as "visitors from America" to name the baby, so Rodney's mother named him James. I hope to have a picture of him soon to show you. Please pray for this little one as he was just born into the most dangerous season in Malawi. And the rains look like they may come early again this year....already raining on and off the last couple of days.

Savannah-Hope continues to gain weight. She is up to 11 lbs. 2 oz. That is a gain of 10 oz. in one week! She may need her own seat on the plane at this rate! She's not our tiny peanut anymore. Praise the Lord!