Clean Up on Aisle 2010

I know, I know, we have some unfinished business!  The year 2010 came to an end without a peep.  I will try to "clean up" December 2010.  From December 11th we were closely monitoring the Winkle's adoption.  They were adopting two sweet little boys, Yuri & Bohdan from the same orphanage as Nikita & Dusty.  A few days before Christmas we got word from Autumn, that they had seen Dusty!  Autumn was even able to take pictures of Dusty and a few other orphans. She posted them for me in an album on her facebook profile. I looked through the pictures thinking that somehow Dusty's pictures were missing.  Then I figured out which pictures were of him.  He doesn't have the same chubby cheeks as in his Reece's Rainbow picture.

The pictures just left me with tears streaming down my face.  I wanted to jump through the pictures and take him home!

   It looked as though Dusty was saying, "Me?!  You want me?!?"  YES, Dusty!  We want YOU!

  "I'm praying you come quick Momma!"  We love you sweetie!  We are hurrying as fast as we can!

Autumn was unable to see Nikita because he was in the hospital - again - with a fever.  Nikita did return to the orphanage, unfortunately he got the FLU after he got back from the hospital.  How I wished that I could hold Nikita and take care of him as he recovered!  So to say the least my thoughts were far away during Christmas!

December 30th we received a call from our Thrivent Representative that we were close to meeting our matching funds goal.  We only needed a donation of $233.00 by the deadline of the 31st to meet the goal.  Well, the next day we not only met but past the goal with donations of $477.00.  Praise the Lord!  Thank you, Thrivent and thank you to all of you that helped to make that happen with such short notice!

We spent Christmas through January 2nd at my parents house in Pennsylvania.  On New Year's Eve my extended family took the cue from 5 year old Jacob, Dusty's Christmas Warrior, and we chose a child from Reece's Rainbow to pray for each day!
My 13 year old niece, Abby is praying for Warner.
My 16 year old niece, Emily is praying for Cliff.  Cliff's forever family found him!
My 18 year old niece, Hannah is praying for Jayson.
My brother, Andy is praying for Henry.
My sister-in-law, Donna is praying for Dariya.
My sister-in-law, Diane is praying for Brent.
Diane's mother, Connie is praying for Victoria.
My mother, Marilyn is praying for  Shawna.
My father, Peter is praying for Sonya.
My husband, John is praying for Myron.  Myron's forever family found him!
I am praying for Lindsay.
Johnny and Carolyn are praying for their brothers Nikita and Dusty.

 On New Years Eve our family worshiped together at our parish where we grew up, Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Beaver Falls, PA.  My brother, Rev. Andrew Currao, was a guest preacher that evening.  It was a very special way to end 2010.  Then on Sunday, January 2nd, my brother preached again.  The bulletin cover that first Sunday of 2011 read, "He predestined us for adoption as sons." Ephesians 1: 5. It was a wonderful and moving sermon.  It was great to hear my brother preach about how we are ALL adopted sons of God!  Jesus rescued us from our sins.  He paid the ultimate price by laying down His life for us. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" Ephesians 1: 7.  We are looking forward to 2011 when we will rescue our little boys and tell them the "Good News" of Jesus' love!