Meet Samuel and His family

http://youtu.be/uoWZATRVZog

I stand in amazement!

Part 2 of the Clean Water Well, Why should I be Surprised!

Clean Water Well update.

I think God is trying to get my attention. He must be saying, "Dear Tammy, I have shown you my grace over and over dear child BELIEVE!"
I do certainly believe, but in the everyday grind and watching worlds crumble and injustices of every kind, it is so easy to get caught up in negative. Gloria's whole story has refreshed my soul. WHY then would I be surprised. I got these photo's earlier today. Beth was so kind to drop by and share the stories and pictures with us. I did not really look at the dates before.
Read the first blog post to find out why and how this all came about here:

 http://borninyourheart.blogspot.com/2014/12/an-interesting-twist-to-well-project.html

If you don't need to catch up then you know that we dedicated the well to my Sis and ALL OF THE CHILDREN. LOOK at the date this dedication was written!  YES, 12-25-2014. CHRISTMAS!  Of course right?  How fitting. It was hand written on the side of the well.

This is on the way to,"looking for the one that Beth believed may be where the well was to go.:  Wli Ghana.

She took a leap of faith and followed her spirit. It would seam like a crazy thing to do.

Every day these children must get water....

and I am sure life is hard, real hard.

they walk in this brush down a trail....

 to a mud hole. They lower their empty buckets down in and bring up heavy muddy infected water.

 And that is just life. Every day is the same. Shame on me for my waste I do while they are in lack.

And this is Ama's home in the background. She shares it with 8 children. They have had no electricity for more than 8 years, no water and one bed to share.

If you have been reading, you know that I was blown away by the divine appointment Beth had with this man. Pastor Samuel. He too, "Was born that way!"  It would be the confirming sign that Beth would be looking for. IT certainly works for me. It is almost unbelievable, and very unlikely that she would be led to another person who shares our daughters same arm. Another who understands the challenges and perseveres on. God heard Samuel's prayers and sent help through our daughters profound art work. Oh My....One from China, One from Africa, an obedient mother and father in the USA and Sweet faithful Beth. All very unlikely.  Divine!  and Grace Filled.

Here comes the truck. Can you imagine the excitement.

Maybe even a little unbelief that something miraculous was about to happen?

She takes my breath away. 

And this little cute face.

Someone cares and God saw after her needs.

The Poly Tank,  a sign of a miracle unfolding.

I can feel the excitement of a CHANGE that is taking place.

Something so unexpected and faith building!

Beth had a divine appointment and she and Pearl found their way!

 The hired masonry.

break time for this angel girl.

A short video. So cool!

http://youtu.be/LQHj_Ed40hA

 

WATER IS FOUND!! Beth said it was 69 meters deep. That converts to 742 sq feet. This should serve this entire village for a very long time!

They are ready to get buckets of clean water! The next and final post will show the pump working. It was installed after Beth left on Dec 27th.

Pastor Samuel

This sweet boy lives with Beth at the House of Hope Orphanage. He wants to be a doctor! He is giving Pastor Samuel bibles for his school. It turns out that Samuel, our divine appointment is the village leader. He has opened a school and hired two teachers. he is dedicated to improving the quality of life for His people.

His school could use a little help. I am hopeful that that will happen. New books, supplies, desks, chairs,teaching things and love would go a long way with this man of God. Samuel has been appointed to look after the well and make sure  the electricity is on.

 So why should I be surprised that the well was dedicated on Christmas?

God did not forget these people. I believe the prayers of a righteous man avails much! I am sure God heard the cries of a hard working pastor with one arm, JUST like he heard the cries of a child who was once orphaned with one arm. He joined them in the most unlikely way. BELIEVE!

I will  be back to report the conclusion of this project when I get the final updates,

We still need $1,300.00 more( project cost was $6,000). You can help by purchasing Born in Your Heart  ( http://www.quantumwebstore.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=825247073 ) or by making a tax  deductible donation made out to Hands of Hope ( 100% will go to the well, nothing withheld) PO BOX 55, Mogadore, Ohio 44260   

And that is what happened, "A modern day miracle." I AM SO GLAD I AM A WITNESS! To God be the Glory.

Thank you for stopping by

Tammy

An interesting Twist to the Well Project, Most Unlikely Meeting.....AMAZING!!!!!

I am in Awe of God and His multifaceted ways.  Our story to all three of our children is perfectly and wonderfully made. But, we are focusing on Princess Peach Tree and continuing on in her story as it unfolds.

You probably have already read about the vision I had of her crying and calling me mommy, then finding her, her asking if I had seen her crying in China because she was missing me, her drawing Born in Your Heart as a healing measure of understanding, and of course making it into Jewelry. You also probably have read that 30% of the sales were to go into orphan care, specifically for clean water, plumbing, food and education.

I want to share now what has unfolded since. We agreed to leave the, “who would benefit” up to God and follow what we best believed to be right. Admittedly, “I assumed that our first project would be in China, after all we are very familiar with the needs and the way to get things done there.”  My heart is burdened for China too.

This past year I was in AZ holding my younger sister’s hand. We were told this would most likely be the last time I would hold her hand here on earth. My visit to her had a profound effect on some of our decisions about that well. In her short time and through MUCH grief at the care center she would now call home for this season, she became a servant to the other patience. She offered cold water, coffee, food, advice, counseling and helps to the others who were suffering in the midst of her sufferings. She became a minister. I experienced one patient, caretaker and friend after another coming in and saying, “goodbye to a sweet friend.” I watched her still ministering even from her bed. I was humbled and filled with admiration for my sister. She allowed God to turn her situation around and be used when she certainly would have been justified to use instead.

God has given her more works to do and she is still ministering today. On that long plane ride back home, I pondered all of the dynamics of what I had just experienced. I came back and rallied our Royal Court Team together and we decided that our first project would serve people for a very LONG time, just like my sister. WE would attempt to, “Dig a clean water well and dedicated it to Sister Debbie and the children.” God had reminded me of a meeting I attended concerning a lady who began an orphanage in Ghana Africa. While in Church I was inquiring as to how to connect with her when the person I was talking to said, turn around, her son-in Law is standing behind you. We met, she agreed to help us. Beth, from House of Hope would be returning to her orphanage and would see after this well herself. Beth met our three daughters. She had asked me a question, “May I ask, what happened to Gloria’s arm?” I replied, “She was born that way.”

We had $4,000.00 from our sales collected and ready to give back to God on behalf of Born in Your Heart. That was enough to begin the well, understanding that it would be about a $6,000.00 project. But, we all agreed it was enough to begin the project

Several months went by and I knew that the location of the well had been changed a few times.  I told Beth that I trusted in God to lead her to the place that He wanted that well to be. Beth called me a few weeks ago to share her amazing story. I was completely taken off guard and sat down in awe. She tells it in her words below. IT WAS HUGE to me because I was wrestling with “how does this all fit and why Africa.” I can tell you with 100% that the well was PUT in the right place where God intended for it to be. My faith has been renewed yet again.

I am so thankful for what happened next. Beth and her director drove all over Ghana looking for a specific person. Can you imagine that? A person for who  most people would never give a second though. A very forgotten voiceless lady with 8 children, no electricity or water. AND through a series of unlikely events and GREAT bravery, they found her. Yet Beth, still needed a sign and confirmation. What she shared next sat me straight down in my chair. IT BECAME personally to me. REAL PERSONAL AND PERFECT! A man came over to Beth from the neighboring home. He was carrying a bible. He introduced himself as this woman’s brother and the Pastor of this village. His name is Samuel. Are you ready for this twist, Samuel is missing a part of his arm too. When Beth ask him How that happened, He replied in the same way as I did, “I was Born that way.”  Beth was awestruck and had her confirmation and so did I.

Can you imagine Samuel praying to God for help and provision? I am sure he prayed to not be forgotten. He may have even prayed for a miracle. I wonder how he is processing having a clean water well dug in his backyard to serve his entire village? I wonder what He thinks about a little girl across the globe with a “little perfect arm just like his, being the inspiration and his answer to his earnest prayers.” I wonder most at what his faith looks like now?  AND Gloria is amazed that she has found another with a similar arm, born that way who loves the same God that she does. I can tell you, it has me in complete awe!  A most unlikely heavenly hook-up if not for a wonderful God! I will post the finishing pictures when I get them. If you would like to contribute to the balance of the well, please send your check to Hands of Hope:  PO Box 55 Mogadore, Ohio 44260. All donations are tax deductible, OR buy something from our Born in Your Heart Collection. 30% goes towards the finishing of this well!!!!  borninyourheart.com  :Go to stores on the top to purchase.

Read Beth’s story…you will be blessed.

Meet Pastor Samuel  From Wli Ghana Africa

The well being dug

This is the hole that the village gets water from before the new well. They lower a bucket into  he ground and use the mud water.

From Beth!

The Palmer family has donated money for a village in Ghana to receive good, clean, drinking water.
Three Sundays ago, Pearl, House of Hope, Ghana, W. Africa's director, and I were praying about who would benefit most from this generous gift. It came to Pearl's memory of a woman we met 13 years ago in a certain village, called Wli. We didn't remember the woman's name nor the name of the village. We remembered she had a crippled leg, six children and we knew the direction to the village. I said, "let's go find her."
We hired a taxi. The driver took us to Fodome and we asked people if they knew of a woman who was crippled in one leg and had six children. no one knew of such a woman.
After a long search in this village we left discouraged and took another road back to Hohoe. We passed several villages asking the same question without any success. Then we came to a place and I said, "Pearl! This place looks familiar." Se said, "Yes! and look there is the place where we met those who crack rocks for the roads."
We stopped the taxi and asked a woman at the roadside if she knew of this woman. She asked us if the woman walked like this as she demonstrated her walk. I screamed, "YES! That's her!"
The woman got into our and took us to the woman's house. When we saw her she knew us and we knew her. We found the woman. Her name is Ama. Since we last saw her, she has had two more children, making it eight children and her husband left her three years ago. Her very small room is falling down around her and she hasn't had electricity for three years. Ama is a peasant farmer and supports her family with very meager earnings.
I asked them where they get water. The children joyfully led me through a maze of homes, into the bush and there I saw a large dirt hole. One of the children eagerly lowered her bucket down into that muddy hole and pulled up a bucket of bathing water. I asked them where they get drinking water and they said there is a place about twenty minutes walk where they can purchase drinking water.
On the walk back to their home, I was praying for assurance if this was the place God led us to. Then I saw the confirmation with my eyes. A man, was sitting outside reading his Bible. He joined us at Ama's house. He told me he is Ama's brother, Samuel, and he is a pastor and teaches the village children in a small classroom how to read and understand the Bible. When we were ready to leave I noticed his right arm. Half of his arm was missing. I asked him, "Samuel, would you tell me what happened to your arm?" he said, "I was born this way."
Then I knew this was the exact place God would have us dig the bore-well. To God be the glory. Thank you Palmer family. As of this date, the project will be complete tomorrow, December 20. I will post more pictures then

 More to follow. I can not wait to see cup fulls of CLEAN DRINKING WATER!   To God be the Glory!

Blessings

Tammy

What does the packaging Look like?

Have a look for yourself!  Just a short clip to showcase its beauty.

http://youtu.be/lCPnL0UrHvQ?list=UUWPmdBAxs80dDtHK-lTvxkA

Journey To Princess Rose Petal Part 5: How is life and why did I share?

Journey To Princess Rose Petal Part 5: How is life and why did I share?

Sorry for leaving you hanging, we had a busy trade show kind of two weeks.

You can find parts 1-4 here:

http://borninyourheart.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-4-journey-to-princess-rose-petal.html

http://borninyourheart.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-3-our-journey-to-princess-rose.html

http://borninyourheart.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-twoof-our-journey-down-dirt-road.html

http://borninyourheart.blogspot.com/2014/11/emotions-getting-best-of-me.html

Where was I, Oh Yes…coming home.

The first 3 months were VERY demanding and VERY hard. It is really amazing that I was able to function at all. Between my already hectic schedule and the new demands of a second child, a very needy one, I was honestly beside myself at most times. I remember the best cries I have ever had were in my 2 second shower. Often times with her laying outside of the door.

I had never been exposed to such neglect and the impact it could have. NOT every adoption goes this way. Some are much easier and others are MUCH harder.  Her orphanage survivor  behavior got the best of me most days. In all of this, the thing was, we could see major life changing beautiful advancements too. She was learning how to be loved, disciplined, trained, family skills, and to be a part of a family.

Can you imagine being institutionalized for 5 years and seeing kids come and go, BUT not you?

She LOVED her new life and was so brave to embrace it. I can remember the day she had the mother of all fits. I was sitting with her….in the corner (facing out). We spent a good amount of time there in the first month. She looked at me with the most pitiful look. I could just feel her saying; I don’t know how to be different yet. Can’t I just be the way I am for just a little bit longer? It is so familiar and safe to me.  Without a doubt her bravery was like nothing I had ever experienced. She trusted us in spite of the structure we were putting in place for her.

One day we set out to take a walk around our block. She was on a low riding toy and took off in the street (Like get run over by a car  kind of a worry.) I called for her, but she kept going. When I caught her I explained why this was not good and took the low rider from her. She was so angry she swung her hand at my face and smacked me harder than I have ever been smacked. It was at that moment that every maturity left me. I walked away from her (Dad was there) I went home with the butterfly and her bike in my hand. I had finally had all that I thought I could take. When the two of them got back home, I refused to even look at her. I was so out of sorts. From all of the accidental head butts, fits, rages, behaviors, night terrors, Velcro child non stop, medical needs, I was finally beaten, or so I thought. She was crying. And then I caught that look on her face of absolute sorrow and grief. It was very kind that begs for forgiveness even when it does not know how to ask. I grabbed her up and gave her a hug. That was the last time she ever hit anyone again.

Each day got better as we all learned each other and she could see that we were very consistent with everything. I stayed with her EVERYWHERE for about a year and one half and until she felt secure enough to be in a Sunday School class without me there.

The journey was a lot of work, but fast forward, we have a treasure that is just blossoming. She is filled to over flowing, so funny, loves fiercely, tendered hearted and feels good in the skin she was given. She belongs.

This is National Adoption Month and Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for the family God has created for us.

I could not imagine my life without any one of our children. Would you please join me in praying for all of the children who are voiceless and do not have a family to call their own. Would you do something to help the least of these? You know what you have felt a tug to do.  Yes, we sacrificed MUCH in man’s eyes. And not all of it was “perfect and pretty” Anything we sacrificed in getting them home was all HIS. And if he opens the door to use what we have left to add another child, we will not hesitate. Things rust, get worn out and NEVER give you any love back. Investing into a life of a child will bring the best return you could ever hope to get. Generations are effected for ETERNITY by saying yes to sacrificing and daring to get a little dirty. Adoption is a miracle. Sometimes it takes a small village to get one child home. Would you search yourself?

I got to go; our beautiful once forgotten daughter is singing praise songs. I don’t want to miss that!

Happy Thanksgiving

Tammy

"There is nothing like taking a chance on love. Love is really worth it all. We were made for it."

 Our first Christmas. We were home just about 24 hours :)

 

 This year.....raising her hands in victory

The smiles of the Rose Petal

Part 4: Journey to Princess Rose Petal Back to the Hotel. Some Hard to Read

Part 4:  Journey to Princess Rose Petal Back to the Hotel. Some Hard to Read

You can find parts 1-3 here:  http://borninyourheart.com/

Before we arrived to the hotel, we had lunch.  I had remembered her being given our left overs earlier. The Rose would have her first pick of foods. WOW, did she eat. I think more than her weight. We were told that she was accustom to just two- three small bowls of rice a day.  She stuffed her little mouth so full.

At one point during a meal, Daddy had to reach in and get some of the food out as she was choking. 

Even that did not slow her sown down.

We got back to the Hotel. We played and had a bonding fun time. We noticed that she rattled when she breathed and her chest was vibrating. I was sure she had the pneumonia. We took down her hair and decided to see if she would allow us to give her a bath.  Our precious Butterfly went first to show her it was ok, and how we would bath her. She striped off her clothes, all 4 layers of them faster than Houdini. She wanted a bath. What we would see sent me away to cry in private. She had sores all over her little skeleton of a body. She had scratched them so much she had infected several of them. She was an itchy mess. She also had battle wounds of all kinds. Some of them were from being tethered (tied down to be kept in place) and others unknown.  We already knew from readying and observing that this was a common practice.  This was probably in her early years. The Hotel lobby had a really BIG teddy bear. He was in a pretty red chair. I watched her run up to Him and quickly tie his hands to the chair with the ribbons hanging off of him. That told a heartbreaking story. The smell that came from the sores on her body was very foul. It was a rotten type odor. Her chest rattle was even louder than ever without the cloth to buff it. I was sure her rash was scabies. I had a treatment for that with me. During her bath, she scrubbed and scrubbed herself for more than 1 hr. Just over and over. Three warm tub fills of water.  Each time the color was less and less dark brown. She was delighted with the warm water and her first bath.  Daddy took care of most of this while I was working on a doctor.  My loving husband sat with his knees on a hard floor, while she took her bath. We took her to a clinic. They were not sure about the rash. They gave us some medicine. They also were unsure of the chest rattle. We got some meds for that too. Now that much time has gone by, I know that the rash was food allergies. We would have years of working out her body to accept foods.  But Thanks be to a healing God, we have pretty much made it!  Her breath smelled like ammonia. I was sure she had some kidney thing going on. I could smell her stomach. Something was not right. Our child was in so much pain in her gut, it broke me. It turns out after MUCH testing that she had an

H- pylori infection.

After her bath, she loved being clean, taken care of, and having new PJ’s that matched sissy’s. We needed to be careful about that rash….I was pretty convinced it was scabies and treated her for it.L   She had so much going on; I was on high alert to protect the Butterfly. I had brought bleach wipes with me, so to add to the all of it. I became a cleaning freak.

Guess what we discovered. She has naturally wavy hair. It is so beautiful.  We were so amazed at just how perfect she was to us.  During the first handful of days I would be stretched in ways I never knew I could be. She decided that I would be all hers! AND glued herself to me. She rejected Daddy and would share her things with the Butterfly but NOT ME.  She threw the best tantrum fits I had ever seen and a lot of them. Like 10 or more a day! Kicking, screaming and rolling around.  She would eat any and all food that she could find, even off of the floor. That was really hard to watch. She would stuff her mouth so full that it would ooze from her mouth. I finally had wrapped her in a towel while she ate. She had zero eye and hand coordination and would spill everything. She also could not walk more than a few feet without falling to the ground. Her muscle tone was minimal. Her eyesight was obviously bad.  She was a hitter and her target would be Daddy.  In all of this, she was also sharing, loving, nurturing, and really trying very hard. We could see her embrace our training, disciplines, and love and that encouraged us. I had MANY melt downs. I was so ready to be HOME.

Jim’s maturity was unreal. He took each hit, smack, and issue in complete love. He knew that she was a treasure and that things would be changing. He, like our God, looked for the bigger picture of who she was. I was in freak-out mode.  AND then, I watched her sleep. Honestly…it was a highlight at that point. I was still sick myself. I also can recount how small and immature I really was. It is when you are called to something hard that you see yourself for the first time.

We were all settled in one night and then she sat straight up and began to scream and thrash and moan the most awful heart wrenching sounds I have ever heard. It immediately put me into a fear and trauma mode. I thought it was grief. It was NIGHT terrors. She was totally asleep and had no idea. After we got her settled ½ hour later, she slept peacefully. But we would have this for more than a year and often.  After that first attack, I would spend the next hour trying to pray and settle Jim down. He had become so angry at the thought of what all might be behind her terrors. He wanted to hurt someone. After some time home, I am happy to report that in HIS mercies …He healed her from those night terrors…and they went away. I fell in a deep love with her for all that she had been through after that first night terror. I knew then that I was the one that needed changed and that I would be battle worn and never the same. But, I got a new resolve and I would roll up my sleeves and work this through with Jim at my side.

We also discovered that she could not handle much. Going anywhere was too much for her. Certain fabrics would scare her. She had been pretty much confined to an area most of her life and noise, smell, sounds, and stimulus terrified her. She has DONE amazing works to push past all of this over the last three years. I am so proud of her. She is my hero.

Scary Medical exam

All during our hotel stay she would go to the bathroom and get a towel and begin to scrub the walls down? What was this motivation?  Did she feel she needed to clean to keep us? Or was this her regular job? Sometimes we would help her; other times distract her away with play.

She was so empty emotionally. She could NOT get enough love. She needed held and loved every second of every minute. It would take its toll on us. BUT, He carried us through it. Her love tank was past empty. Funny thing is, she is now so full and overflowing that she freely gives it away.

She could not be more precious or perfect. She never invited life’s harshness to herself. She was voiceless and had no say.

Our time in the hotel was hard. But, each day she gave a little and so did I.   She was learning to trust us. I admired her bravery so much. How could she know we had anything to offer her, if not for God’s work in her?

I remember arriving at the Hong Kong Airport. As the doors swung open the hallelujah Chorus began to play. It was as if it had been waiting for us. I began to feel soft drops of water roll down my cheeks. Thank you God!

She traveled like a champ across the oceans to a home that she had hoped would be hers…and it was waiting for her.

Come back and I will give you a glimpse of our first year home and who she is now.

Then I want to wrap this up to the very important reason I am sharing all of this with you.

Blessings

Tam

Part 3: Our Journey To Princess Rose Petal, She is Our Daughter!

Part 3:  Our Journey To Princess Rose Petal, She is Our Daughter!

Where was I? I think I was sharing about our time in her SWI and how she would be our daughter in just a handful of hours.

If you missed:

Part2  http://borninyourheart.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-twoof-our-journey-down-dirt-road.html

Part 1 http://borninyourheart.blogspot.com/2014/11/emotions-getting-best-of-me.html

We traveled back that same long dusty pothole highway. It took about 5 hours to get back to the city that we would “officially become her parents.”   She would travel in the early morning accompanied by the director of the SWI, and we would finally become a forever family.

Her trip took 7 hours that morning. I wonder what she was thinking while traveling down that harsh road again. Did HE fill her with all that she would need to believe that we would actually show up and be there? Did I have enough faith to believe that she would emotionally say yes to our family and allow our love into her heart? Would I be able to handle the all of her?  

She beat us there by minutes. We walked in and she came running across the room screaming in the highest little pitch, “Mommy.” I dropped to my knees and scooped her up. I remember looking at her precious face and saying, “Jessie is saying YES!!!!”  I had tears running down my face. They tried to hurry me away from her to do paperwork (If you have been down the road you know what I am talking about). Hey, give a girl a moment would you?  And then I surrendered these precious moments to do the legal important paperwork.

She would be our daughter! Our time in this meeting would be very short. She was brought with a bag of things we had sent ahead. Unopened toys, a few outfits, and a very worn and special photo album that she had clearly treasured. She knew who we each were. She had studied us very carefully in her photo album while she waited for us to come. Due to an error, she would have gotten her gifts MONTHS before she should have. I am so thankful that she did not lose hope for us coming! Her binding was torn and tattered and taped back together. My heart was touched. I wonder if she hid it under her covers and looked at it at bedtime.  I clearly remember that at least 2 hours of each day was spent in our hotel room looking at her photo album and going over and over her pictures of her family.  She demanded it!

We said our goodbyes to the director and walked towards the elevator and out into our van. There was nothing but smiles all the way.  What a brave girl! The Rose was with her family and she knew things were changing.

To be continued……The hotel and what we discovered.

Thanks for coming by...Come back for Part 4:The Hotel, Part 5 :Who she is, and part 6: why I am sharing this.

Tam