High Resolution Pictures of Rwanda Anyone???

Hi blog friends:) I know this might be a weird request, but for those of you who have been to Rwanda, I was wondering if any of you might have high resolution scenic pictures. I have a large picture over my fireplace that I would love to replace with a scenic picture of Rwanda, but I would need a file that was large enough to be blown up to approximately 3ft by 2ft...let me know if any of you all can help. I would be oh so very grateful! My e-mail address is katiedorband@gmail.com. THANK YOU!!!

Amazima Ministries

I have no news on the adoption front so I thought I would post about Amazima Ministries. The girl who runs this ministry, Katie (good name), is an extraordinary example of what it truly means to be a hero. This 20-year-old might not look like a hero to the world, but filled with the love of Christ, she transforms the lives of children in Uganda every day- that makes her a superhero in my book! Below is an excerpt from her website that describes how the ministry started. Also be sure to visit her blog that details her life in Uganda...you will be challenged and your faith will be strengthened http://amazima.org/blog.html.

In December of 2006, Katie Davis traveled to Uganda for the first time. She was immediately captivated and fell in love with the people and the culture. While in Uganda, Katie met Pastor Isaac Wagaba who implored her to come teach Kindergarten at his orphanage in Buziika, Uganda, called Canaan Children's Transit Center.

In the summer of 2007, Katie returned to Uganda to teach Kindergarten at Canaan. As she walked the children home from class each day, she was shocked to see the sheer number of school-aged children sitting idly on the side of the road or working in the fields. It was then that it came to Katie's attention that there were very few government-run public schools in Uganda, and none in the area where she was working. Most schools in Uganda are privately run and therefore require school fees for attendance. Due to the extreme poverty in this region of Uganda, many children are unable to afford schooling.

God laid it on Katie's heart to start a child sponsorship program, matching orphaned children who are unable to afford schooling with sponsors in the US. Sponsors pay $300.00 per year to send these children to school and provide school supplies, 2 hot meals each day, and all needed minor medical care. Originally planning to have 40 children in the program, Katie had signed up 150 by January 2008. By the grace of God, in December 2008 the sponsorship program had successfully sent all 150 children to school for a full year and provided them will all life's essentials.

Every Saturday morning the children in the program, as well as others from the village, arrive at Katie's home for fellowship, a hot lunch, baths, and Bible study led by an Ugandan employee. The children sing praises to the Lord until late in the afternoon. Before returning home, they are each given a bag of food for their family.

Amazima also strives to provide the children with spiritual growth. While the children are in school, two Ugandan Amazima employees spend time in the six villages where the children in the program live, holding Bible studies and spiritual growth activities with the families and guardians of the children to ensure they are coming home to a safe spiritual environment. Each child in the program is also visited by a social worker once every two weeks for a home visit to ensure that they are getting proper care and thriving in their home environment.

The thought is overwhelming...

As I think more and more about what is going to transpire over the coming weeks, I am completely overwhelmed. I cannot imagine the task that is before the sisters at the orphanage. They will be choosing the future members of my family as well as several other families in the very near future. Please pray for those in the position to make these matches- that they would have wisdom and discernment and that God's perfect will would be done. I'm also praying for comfort for their hearts, because as joyful as it is to match children with forever families, it must be difficult to say goodbye to their beautiful faces. Thanks for walking with us through this journey:)

Biking & Adoption:)

Today Adam and I went on what I consider to be a VERY long bike ride- 32 miles to be exact. Adam used to race mountain bikes in Colorado so he barely broke a sweat, but as for me, I am sore and tired, but it was a wonderful day! As I was trucking along somewhere around mile 25, I started to feel real fatigue set in- my muscles were aching and I was just plain tired of riding. In an effort to take focus my attention on something other than my current plight, I allowed my mind to to wander to what it tends to wander to every spare moment of every day...the future Dorband's and adoption. Right now in the process feels a lot like mile 25 today and I'm sure there are other families who can relate:) We are near-ish to the end, but not close enough to see it just yet. There is so much joy and anticipation in this whole journey, but it can indeed be wearing and tiring. While the pedals of my bike turned round and round, I kept hearing the lyrics to a song that I wrote a while back...the bridge says, "I need you, I need you, I need you- Jesus, I trust you, I trust you, I trust you with my life." I do trust God, but then again, I need Him to help me in my unbelief. Thankfully He is so patient and I know He loves our kids even more than we do!

Psalm 103

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Approval Letter from Rwanda!

Approval Letter!!!

Here is our approval letter:) It specifically approves us for TWO and we should know who they are within two months!!! Our POA is going to take this to the orphanage for the process to begin. Please pray for the people who pick the children to have wisdom as they choose the future members of the DORBAND FAMILY:) AHHHHHHHH WE ARE SO EXCITED- I'm still shaking:)

*OK I can't load the picture of the letter right now because I am somewhere with a bad internet connection, but I will load it SOON:)

Trying to remain optimistic:)

We are still waiting for the approval letter from The Minister's Office that we expected this week. Generally, if I don't hear anything by 10am on Friday, I know that is it for the week...so we look forward to next week and choose to remain optimistic, even though we are so disappointed. I just wanted you all to know. I truly hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The Latest News...sort of:)

This is the e-mail I received from our power of attorney this morning and I am pretty excited...cautious, but excited!

"I did go to the ministry today just as I had said. Talking with Veronique,  she said that she was going to email you to let you know that you will be informed  of your approval letter in few days. As for her, she says that yoour file has no problem and it is only that the officers have been very busy to issue any letter. I think she will explain this in her letter which she was going to send you."

Possible approval letter this week-yay!!!

No News

I don't have any news so I just thought I would post a verse from the Bible that I love:)

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

Happy Anniversary to us:)

Adam and I have been married for 9 years today! We have had such an adventure and we know that there is so much more to come. God is and always will be the great I AM and we know that He has and always will be at work in our lives. Right now we are really struggling with the wait. Our hearts ache and we long to hear some good news. The blessing on the other side is worth the wait!!! We're going to hang on to that for now.

Waiting and praying:)

No news yet...I'm hopeful that I might hear something by the end of this week:) Adam is on a mission trip downtown Detroit this week and I am back to work at school and I am finding some time to cross items off my "honey do" list. I just finished replacing the kitchen sink and it doesn't leak! Next I need to treat the yard for grubs, find someone to fix our leaking roof, and finally get my car repaired from the fender bender that happened 6 months ago. We're just trying to make the most of all this waiting!!! God is good all the time and I am grateful for His love:)