Blessings And Prayers

The last week has been such a blessing! After we posted about our t-shirts, we had two friends whose combined donation provided 100% of what we needed to go ahead with the printing of 300 shirts!

He places an idea/vision on our heart that would help us fund our adoption. The idea was to have a shirt printed with a quote from David Platt. This quote tells our adoption story with Mei...to a T! That is why we love this quote....I thought, "who could design a shirt for us with that quote"...then God brings brother to mind and he uses his God given artsy talent to design an awesome shirt! Then I think..."who could print these so we can use this as a fundraiser?". Then God brings our friend Brad in TX to mind...he owns a t shirt shop and is willing to print for an awesome deal and ship them to us for free...so then we think," if God provided for the funding of these, we wouldn't have to take money from our adoption account and everything from the sell can go straight to adoption expenses and travel". Then...God provides all we need through two families who God has blessed financially. Not only did God provide for our shirts, he provided for our last lifeline payment AND for our China Visas! So God used the talent he gave my brother, the business he provided our friend, and financial blessings from dear friends! Too cool!! Is that not how the body of Christ is supposed to work ??

So here is where the prayers come in...we would love to sell 300 shirts but even more awesome would be if we had to order more than 300 and these shirts could provide the remainder of what we need. We are thinking travel/final expenses to be around $7-10,000. We would love if our friends would help us sell and promote these t shirts!! We should have them in two weeks. Please pray about buying a "Mei" shirt to help us bring Eli and Zoe home. We would be so grateful for any help!! I can't wait to post pictures of our printed shirts! Thanks for reading and following our story and thank you for the prayers and praise God with us for the blessings!

L.I.D. in and L.O.A. needed

We received word yesterday we have our Log In Date. Now we are waiting for our Letter of Approval from the Chinese government. Please join us in praying that the Chinese government officials will be gracious and expedite our L.O.A. so we can get Eli home before he turns 14!!!

Also, just to clarify something for those of you who (out of love) have asked (or wondered to yourself), "Don't you think you and Shannon are getting in to more than you can handle?" Let me just answer your question this way:

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)

Luke 18:27 - "What is impossible for man is possible with God."

Philippians 4:13 - "I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

2 Samuel 22:29-30 - "O Lord, your are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall."

Thank you all so much for your prayers. We need them and will continue to need them until............

The Deavers' Zoo!

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Eli's Heart

We received new pictures of Eli today...we sent him a backpack and some goodies and the pictures show him receiving those items. The director said "Mao Xiao Long jump up when he got the gifts package. He is very anxious for his adoptive family come to China and take him home.".

The pictures spoke so much to who Eli is...it is so obvious that the younger children adore him and are drawn to him. We posted the pictures and have had several people respond back either through private message or on the pictures saying that they met or saw Eli when they adopted their kids and how their child adored him. On one of our correspondences with him he talked about how he wanted to go back to China and help his people some day. God has given this boy the heart of a missionary and he hasn't even heard the name of Jesus yet! If he stayed In China, he could be let out of the orphanage as soon as the age of 14 to fend for himself, and because of his orphan status, he would have no influence in society. But now, God has called him to be our son...an orphan no longer...and he could go back into his country loving on orphans...with influence and the ability to make a difference and prayerfully one day he will proclaim the name of Christ to his people as well.

We have such a short time with him as his mom and dad, he is almost 14 already,but God as his heavenly father has created him and shaped him to be full of love and compassion! He has taught him so much better than we ever could! One picture that really moves me to tears is the one of the children group hugging him and he has his hand wrapped around the face of the boy with the growth on the back of his head. Most 13 year old boys would be grossed out or cringe at the sight of that but to see his hand on that boys face just amazes me. Is it possible to be so proud of this boy we have never met?? These pictures speak volumes...some are pictures other families have sent us...Please continue to pray for him! Pray for mountains to move, paperwork to process, and pray for Eli and his heart as he waits!

He is faithful!

So blessed today...after a disappointing week last week with Show Hope not coming through as we'd hoped, God provided $3000 through sweet friends! We are now only about $7000 shy of having the funds we need while in China...then we can worry about funding the airfare to and from.

We are about to send in our application to participate in a Both Hands project through lifelong for orphans. This is a really awesome idea...life song helps identify a widow who's house or yard are in major need of repair...we find 15-20 folks that would be willing to give up a Saturday to volunteer to work on the widows house...those 20 folks all get sponsors and that sponsor money goes straight to funding our adoption! This project could provide all the funds we need for airfare which we estimate to be anywhere from 6500 to 8000 depending on the cost of tickets at the time....and...a widow gets loved on and much needed repairs are made in the process. Here is what we need..lots of prayers...local folks to agree to be part of our team or out of town folks that want to come hang with us for a weekend...and lots of sponsors for the volunteer folks! I will keep y'all posted on this fundraising event...in the meantime...enjoy our latest pictures of Eli...is he handsome or what??

Struggling...

Bummed, discouraged...not sure which word better describes my frame of mind...maybe a combo of the two. We received word today from Show Hope that we didn't get an adoption grant this time. They provided in a big way for Mei and we were praying that they would provide what we needed to jump the next financial hurdle...but that didn't happen. The grant would have been so easy..5-7000 dollars and we would've been well on the way to our 10000 goal...easy...and we don't have time for hard! Financially, this adoption has
been so much tougher than with Mei. . With him, adoption was new and exciting...his baby pictures were precious and money just poured in. Going to the mailbox was exciting and God was just providing left and right through our church family, friends, and family members. God just hasn't provided that way this time.

Even in our discouragement, we rest in the calling God has placed on us to bring these two children home into our family. We know of His love for orphans and because of that, we know He has a plan to provide exactly what we need.

And all this after we get this message from Eli this am... "Everyday,Mao Xiao Long asked the director the same question,when will be adopted? He is very anxious waiting for his forever family come and take him home. He is very active and happy boy. He is very good at handwork. He can make airplane , car and truck by the paper box or waste tooth paste.". The realization of how bad this boy wants to come home makes it that much harder...we would sell all we own to make that happen at this point...and we aren't beyond that;)

We do have a couple of sweet families that have gone above and beyond to help us financially and we are so blessed and thankful for them! We know too that there are many prayer warriors around the country praying for us and for Eli and Zoe. We are extremely grateful for them as well!


God continues to remind me that His grace is sufficient for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness...when I am weak...He is strong....and we need Him to be strong for us now in a big way as we are definitely feeling weak!