The Hill Family

Hill Family Adoption Update!

2011-08-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!! It's has been three months since our boys have been home and their progress is outstanding! So today we wanted to share these accomplishments with you...

1. They were scared to take a bath but today they LOVE the bath!
2. They did get car sick, but now no more car sickness.
3. They used to have nightmares, but today few nightmares.
4. They wouldn't sleep unless we were by their bedside, now they sleep without us by their beside.
5. The used to have trouble using their imagination, but now they don't!
6. The had trouble climbing up the stairs, now they don't.
7. They couldn't throw or catch a ball, now they can!
8. They had very week motor skills, but now they are on target for their age.
9. They were severely growth delayed, but now they are catching up!
10. They were malnourished & weak, but today the are nourished, stronger, and gaining weight!
11. They were fearful of noises, but now they are not.
12. The had never seen fireworks, experienced restaurants, or been in public places. But now they have done all that and more!
13. The couldn't speak a word of English or understand it, But today they speak some English and understand some of it as well.
14. They were scared of the dog, but now they are not.
15. They couldn't get themselves dressed, and now they can.
16. Brushing their teeth was a new concept, now its a routine.
17. They couldn't do focus tasks but now they can.
18. They talked very loud, now they know how to use their inside voices.
19. They were scared of their new surroundings & the new culture. Now they are not.
20. They never had sisters, now they have two sisters that they pester..already!
21. They have rarely been tickled & rarely laughed, today they love to be tickled and laugh ALOT!
22. They never had a loving family and now they do!
23. They never had kisses & hugs and now they get them daily.

This list of accomplishments could go on and on!! But what amazes me the most is that with just a little bit of love their entire lives changed in a matter of months... all because of LOVE! Can you image how many people we could affect simply by loving someone? When God said the 'the greatest commandment was love' he meant it. Because with love comes the power to heal someone from the inside out. Love transcends people, it's the universal language of the world. So my question is this, Is there someone God is calling you to love today? Your neighbor, your spouse, your children, or in-laws, a friend? Maybe it's someone who has hurt you or offended you, maybe even your enemy...but whoever it is, everyone needs love. So today, no matter who it is, lets encourage someone with this life giving gift called Love! Trust me it's worth it!

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal... If I give all I possessed to the poor ... but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Cor. 13:1-3

"Let all that you do, be done with Love." 1 Cor. 16:14

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

Will you pray for us?

One thing we would love to ask of you, is for continued prayer for Shane, he is doing much better than before, but we still struggling with some of his eating habits. Other than that, we are still adjusting. So please continue to pray for our family as we get adjusted. We firmly believe in the power of prayer and would Love it if you prayed for us! As James 5:16 puts it, "..the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective!" So thank you in advance for your prayers!

"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save." Psalm 72:13

Always,
The Hill Family

Adoption Update!

2011-06-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!! This past month has been completely amazing!! We got to witness our two sons with one personality upon arrival and today they are utterly different boys... and it's only been 7 weeks since their arrival!!

When we first met Ryan he was fearful of what it meant to be a part of our family. Ryan would throw temper tempers so loud that you could hear him from a mile away...I'm sure of it! He also would distance himself from us out of fear of what life held next. He was unsure, broken, hurt, and felt unloved from being in the orphanage. However today he has dramatically changed! With being in a home full of love, he now no longer feels the need to throw those temper tantrums but instead when he gets in trouble he runs with open arms to his mom and dad and embraces us for a hug! He is glued at my hip and for at least half the day he maintains a smile on his face and believe me when I say, that his smile can change the mood of a crowd! It's contagious and will grab the heart of any onlooker! At least twice a day he asks to be tickled...it's his favorite activity! And I don't believe he has ever laughed that much in his life. He just loves it...as do we!! Every morning when he wakes up he leaps into our bed and gives us 'that' smile! His eyes gloss over with as if to say "this is the happiest day ever!" There is so much love and excitement in him, it's heartwarming!! He is one happy little boy, not as broken, not as hurt, and not as sad as he once was. He is full of love and joy!

When we first met Shane he was crying out for attention with his actions and very lost in thought. He was sad, hurt and broken from his time in the orphanage. However seven weeks later he has reached mile stones!! He no longer cries out for attention with his actions but instead his personality has been shinning through like never before! One of his favorite activities is repeating daddies words. Darryl will say some funny slogan and Shane repeats it. He will giggle and laugh for at least half an hour and repeat the slogan throughout the day. He also loves to ride in the car. As we drive he yells mommy, daddy, and of course we respond, but he just laughs and giggles. One of the most precious things is does is every time he gets a 'bobo' he asks mommy and daddy to pray for him!! It is a beautiful thing! He too is glued at my hip and becomes so heartbroken every time we leave the room. He loves to cuddle with us when it's bedtime and wants us at his side. It just melts my heart! There is much love and excitement in him. He to is not so broken, not so hurt, and not as sad as he once was. He is loved!

Speaking of a life changing moment. This reminds me of what God has done for me. I was once broken, hurt, sad and bound in my sin; but God changed all of that in me! He brought me from darkness into his marvelous light!! Jesus is the true light, sent from the Father, that we might have spiritual enlightenment. He is the morning star, who has come: "To give light to those who sit in darkness... to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79).

As for the girls they are doing very well also!! Tessa loves to push her brothers around in the stroller and to read to the boys. Ayva would sing and dance to her brothers for hours if she could. Both of the girls are bonding well and just enjoying their time together.

As for us... well we are doing good also. At first it was a little hard because of various obstacles, but with time things have gotten so much better. We are still in awe with what the Lord is doing and in Love all over again!! Our boys and girls all bring such joy and happiness into our lives and our family just would not be complete without them in it!! Love is pouring out from both Darryl and I and there is no way to stop the flow!! It's a wonderful thing!!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." Psalms 127:3-5 ESV

Breaking the Language Barrier...

As for the language barrier, the boys are picking up some English already!! Little Ryan has managed to teach himself the alphabet!! Yes I did say that right!! We have a toy that plays the alphabet song and today he can sing the entire song to you!! It's AMAZING! He is very smart and I am convinced he can learn anything through song!! (Which will help a great deal when we homeschool). He not only learned the alphabet, but also the days of the week, and twinkle-twinkle, little star, all because he heard the songs play a few times!! Its great!! As for Shane he also is very smart and has also learned parts of the alphabet as well. His new favorite word is,"pizza, pizza!" (thanks to a friend of ours...wink, wink). He can repeat almost any word we say and loves to make up his own words for things.

Will you Pray for us?

One thing we would love to ask of you, is for prayer for Shane, he is doing so much better than before, but we still struggle with trying to get him to eat. He is not eating enough for his size. He is very underweight and undersize. So please pray that God would intervene. Thank you so much for your prayers.
Other than that, we are still adjusting. So please continue to pray for our family as we get adjusted. We firmly believe in the power of prayer and would Love it if you prayed for us! As James 5:16 puts it, "..the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective!" So thank you in advance for your prayers!

"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save." Psalm 72:13

Thank You,
The Hill Family

2011-05-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today I want to share a few of our struggles with you. So that when other adoptive families make the journey to adopt, they to, know that struggles are a part of the process.

To tell you the truth. These first few weeks have been a bit of a struggle. In the beginning when the boys arrived at the apartment in Bulgaria a series of doubt hit me like a whirlwind. It scared me. I'm sad to say that I began questing myself, "what have I done?" I even began to think that if I shared my love with these boys then I was betraying the love I had for my two daughters. If I am to be completely honest with you this was how I felt. I knew the adoption would be hard, but not like this. Our agency had warned us that sometimes it takes a while for not only the child to bond, but the parents as well. I always thought I was 'above this' and that I would bond with my sons no problem at all. But here I was failing at the one thing I thought I could manage... God had shown me that I cannot manage on my own, but with Him I could manage.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

“O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

On our way back to America from Bulgaria I was almost fearful of how my daughters would react to my sons. But the minute I saw the look on my girls faces I knew it was okay to share my love, because they had already given theirs. Peace hit me like a flood. You see, God had been working on my heart and here He showed me something I will never forget. The light, the love, the joy, the excitement on my girls faces as they meet our sons! They were already in love and here I was hoarding it. It was at this moment that God showed me my heart, and it was at this moment the doubt left. Praise God!! I will admit that things can be hard, but I know I love my boys! Just today I was rocking little Ryan to sleep and I could hear his little heart beat next to mine. It was as if our hearts were being bonded at that moment. I can't even describe it...it was wonderful! And just hearing my little Shane mumble the words "MaMa" just melts my heart! I thank God for putting them in my life! I cannot image, not even for a moment, the two of them sitting in that orphanage with no love, with no tender care, with no mom and dad. Our two sons came home sick, weak, and broken. It is heart breaking knowing what they went through and oh how I wish I could remove them from their hurting past. But you know God has a plan for them and He will use it. For He is faithful and just to complete a good work in us, and I can't wait to see the work he completes in my boys...as well as my girls. :)

If you are thinking about adoption. I want to encourage you. Our sons have only been home a week and yet seem not to even think about the orphanage. Instead, they want to be with us 24/7 and seem happier than ever before. Today there are over 100 million orphans worldwide... and they need homes. IF only, you could only see the difference it makes in their lives! It is a blessing to be used of God in such a way.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

We love you all and I hope we can encourage you on whatever journey God leads you to.

Always,
The Hill Family

2011-05-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

So many things have happened these past few weeks that I almost don't know where to begin. When we first meet the boys it was wonderful! They were sitting in their little chairs having lunch, just as they had done every other day before. Except today was different; today they were about to take a journey of a lifetime!

Our adoption agency had warned us that when some of the children leave the orphanage they panic. This is because they might have fear of the unknown, or fear of the car itself (because many have only been in a car a few times, if ever), and many other various reasons. But this was not the case with our two sons. They came ready and willing! In fact they were excited to leave and since then, they have seem to forgotten about the orphanage.

As we traveled from the orphanage to our apartment. The boys became very car sick. Bless their hearts! But soon after the first car ride was over, little Shane was asking to go in the car again! Since then he has not stopped asking us to ride in the car. Who would have thought?

During our stay in Bulgaria we have a series of 'encounters'. When we arrived at the apartment we had the 'lovely' opportunity of sleeping by black mold along with many 'other things' and the power went out three times. However each time something took place, we thanked the Lord all the more for the blessings He has put in our lives. Sometimes its easy to forget just how good we have it. We also had a lady thank us for giving the boys an opportunity to 'live the dream' by coming to America. Again we were reminded just how blessed we are!

"...For I have learned, in whatever state I am in to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13

So What's Happening Now?

Since we arrived we have had a series of emotions. From one minute to the next our feelings have jumped from nervousness, to excitement, to joy, to fear and back to excitement! Our two little sons have so many new things to take in. Considering they lived a life of seclusion in the orphanage, then immediately being exposed to the outside world; everything is new to them. They have never heard the sound of a washing machine, dryer, blow-dryer, dish washer, and many other things. These are things you and I would not think twice about. It is a unique experience for Darryl & I and it's a blessing to see their little eyes get excited over the smallest things.

As of now, the boys are LOVING the new found attention! Each morning when the boys wake up they pop their little heads up from their beds to see if momma and daddy are still here. To their amazement we are! Then their little eyes light up with excitement and soon they are running over to our bedside yelling, "Ma Ma, Ma Ma! Da Da, Da Da!" It melts our heart! Little Shane is attached to our hips and Ryan has discovered the dinner table! Every time he is hungry he plops himself on the table and asks for food, regardless if anyone else is at the table or not. He is one hungry boy!

As for the girls when they first meet the boys it was love at first sight! I can't even begin to explain the expressions I saw on their faces. It was a new expression that we had never seen before. One full of light, excitement, amazement, and love! I believe it was a moment in time that they will never forget.
Will you Pray for us?

Other than that, we are still adjusting. So please continue to pray for our family as we get adjusted. We firmly believe in the power of prayer and would Love it if you prayed for us! As James 5:16 puts it, "..the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective!" So thank you in advance for your prayers!

Always,
The Hill Family

Hill Family Adoption Update!

2011-05-04T00:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!!! Can you believe it! It's time for our beloved sons to come home! The anticipation is just mind boggling! Tick tock, tick tock! The day is almost here! I mean, it is somewhat surreal, after years of waiting we are now but days away from their arrival! We are going to see them face to face and then bring them to their forever home! Praise God!

The girls themselves can't wait to be united with their brothers. Just seeing the excitement in their faces is such a blessing! Tessa has been trying to learn Bulgarian with me so that she can talk to the brothers...bless her heart! Little Ayva is so excited that she has upped her prayer time for them...they now get prayed for during every meal, school time, and right before bed! They both have colored numerous pictures and written many letters which they have hidden away in the boy's room...(supposedly unbeknownst to us!). They are just as excited as we are and oh what a blessing it is!

Psalm 127:3, " Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.."

So What are We doing Now?
For the next couple of days we will packing, packing, and doing more packing! I have made a list of some of the things that we will need while in Bulgaria. Including clothes, toys, shoes, sippie cups, books, DVD's, diapers, wipes, carriers, and so much more! I have to say that it is such a unique feeling to be packing for our boys when they are not even here yet. It's one of those experiences that I can't even begin to explain! Its unique and its GREAT!!

Will you Pray for us?
Please pray for us as we travel and as we meet with our sons. Please also pray for the changes ahead as well as for the girls while we are in Bulgaria. We firmly believe in the power of prayer and would Love it if you prayed for us! As James 5:16 puts it, "..the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective!" So thank you for in advance for your prayers!

We Love you all and can't wait to share more as we once and for all are united with our sons!

"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save." Psalm 72:13

Thank You,
The Hill Family

Just waiting.

2011-04-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks have seemed so long in passing, but God is good through it all! Will you join us in a Psalm of praise to the King of all Kings...as we wait together for our Gift's from above...

Psalm 146. . .
"Praise the LORD.Praise the LORD, my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth,the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD."

AMEN!!

Love you all,
The Hill Family

Hill Family Adoption Update!

2011-04-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Since our last update there has been a few changes. Originally we were supposed to be traveling sometime in April to pick up our sons. However due to a few delays with "Vesta" (the adoption agency in Bulgaria), this will not happen until the first week of May. BUT the great news is we have our travel dates!! Which means we will be flying out the first of May to bring our boys Home!! This is date is scheduled, ticketed, and ready to go! So if all goes as planned our boys will be home the second week of May! God is good!

Now I have to say that at first, I was a little saddened about another delay, but God is His Grace has perfect timing!! The neatest part about this date is that it is the last day of school for my girls! Meaning, we will not have to deal with homeschooling the girls after the boys arrival. So the blessing of this is that home school will be done for this session and we can simply focus on bonding the family! Maybe God's timing is not 'soon enough' for me...BUT His timing is ALOT better than mine!! God is Good!

Habakkuk 2:3, "But these things I plan wont happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surley, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. It seems slow, wait, patiently, for it will surley take place. It will not be delayed."

On another note, Darryl, Tessa, Ayva and I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our sons! The room is prepared and ready to go! Closets and dressers are filled to the brink! We are ready and are but moments away from making the trip to 'snatch up' our boys from the orphanage. At this moment our two sons are blissfully unaware that in a matter of weeks they will be swooped away from that place and brought to a far, far better place then where they are now! Oh what a thrill!!!

You see, Christ to wants to swoop you away and take you to a far, far, far better place than where we are now! He is preparing a wonderful place for those who love Him. The time is at hand, He is coming and but moments away from snatching up all those who Love Him!

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught-up (RAPTURED) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

As a thief comes in the middle of the night, Christ to will abduct us unexpectedly! And Oh what a thrill! To be abducted, not by a stranger, but by the one who love us so much that he gave his life for us!

Our boys may be blissfully unaware of our arrival, but like our Heavenly Father, we are excited, anxious, and full of love for our boys! Whom we can't wait to 'snatch up' and bring to a place we have prepared for them!! And it's all in the timing of the Most High God!

"... "Surely I am coming soon.".. Come, Lord Jesus, Come!" Revelations 22:20

Are you ready for his arrival??

Thank you all again for continuing to embark on this journey with us. Please remember to keep our family in your prayers. Please pray for safe travels, as well as, our sons, the girls, and us as we become a new family.

"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save." Psalm 72:13

Thank You,
The Hill Family

“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

UPDATE! Travel Dates!!

2011-04-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!! We have great news and not so great news to share!! The Great News is we just received our Travel Dates!! Yes, Yes, Yes!!!!! The not so great news is that the travel dates are a whole month away! We wont be traveling until early May... BUT This we do know, whether good or bad... all of it is in God's Timing! So Praise be to God for His timing which is so much better than ours. .... Habakkuk 2:3, "But these things I plan wont happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surley, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. It seems slow, wait, patiently, for it will surley take place. It will not be delayed." Also... for those of you wondering, our Court date was March 18th, which means the travel date to pick them up was actually a month and a half later. So be prepared to wait. :) I will be posting a more detailed note sometime this week! We Love you all, and please keep us in your prayers during this next month of waiting. Always, The Hill Family

Pictures of Bulgaria

2011-03-24T11:29:00.001-07:00

Just thought we would share a few photos of Bulgaria that we took back in Dec. 2010 on our visit to meet our sons!

The photo's below are of downtown Veliko Tarnovo, the place we stayed while visiting the Orphanage.

We took the picture below from our Hotel Window in Veliko Tarvovo.

Here is a picture of the Bulgaria Castle. The place where the Bulgarian's battled the Turkes.

Thanks for allowing us to share these photos with you!

Hill Family Adoption Update!

2011-03-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

This week we are excited!! This week we have reason to celebrate! This week is a good week and we have some GREAT News to share with you! So here goes....

Our adoption has been finalized, stamped, complete, finished, done!!! No more approvals needed!! These boys are OURS! (Officially ours on paper that is; because they are, by far, already ours!). The Court Hearing this past Friday went wonderfully!! Everything was finalized without delay! What this means is that in a few weeks our sons are coming home!! Oh it excites me just writing the words! After waiting a year and a half for our boys we are but three weeks away from embracing them!! I can't even begin to tell you how that makes me feel, knowing that we will be bringing them home, at last! Just the thought of it brings me to tears!

"Make a joyful shout to the Lord all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God!...Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be THANKFUL to Him, and bless His name! For the Lord God is good..." Psalm 100:1-5

Glory to God in the Highest, God Omni-Potent reigns! Praise be to God!! Thank you Lord for bringing this day to pass! God is good when things are good and God is good when things are hard. We praise Him in the good times as well as the hard times. But today I praise Him with THANKS and thank Him for all the good He has done with this adoption!!

One last bit of news we'd LOVE to share....

God has provided.....We are FULLY FUNDED! YES!!

A friend of mine once wrote in her blog that God funds what He favors! And friends He favors this adoption!!! We are FULLY FUNDED! At this moment I do not have the words to express how I feel, overjoyed, excited, compelled, amazed? Oh it's so much more than that!! We are without words and we are blessed! Friends, this is nothing short of a miracle! So if you have not seen a miracle, you now can witness one! GOD IS GOOD and again I'm compelled to Praise the King, Jehovah Jireh, my Provider!

I can remember when we first began the adoption. We needed to raise $35,000 in order to fund it. This was a HUGE task, that at the time, seemed impossible. But we knew, deep down, that with God all things are possible. So we took the leap of faith and began the process, doubts in all! Had God told us ahead of time that the price of the adoption would go up to $51,000, (with the adoption of our second son) then we probably would have panicked, freaked out, and maybe even given up. But God in His mercy knew He would have to take us step by step. So He lovingly held our hands and guided us in His direction, little by little! The crazy thing is, one reason we didn't go with a Russian our Ukraine adoption was because it cost $45,000 to adopt. We thought it was too high of a price and believed we could never raise that much money. Us in our foolishness thought that the lower amount of money be easier for God to raise, but instead God wanted to show off! He knew he could provide all that and more... so He gave us $51,000 to raise! He must be laughing in heaven! Oh isn't God good! He provided all we needed and more! He was not early nor was he late in his provisions, but right on time!

With that, we would like to say HUGE THANK YOU to all of you!! God has used many of you in HUGE ways! You are all a part of our journey and we are blessed by you. Thank you for your notes of encouragement, financial support, prayers, baby showers, etc., all if it has meant a great deal to our family.

We also want to say a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to our Church Family at Calvary Chapel Surprise. You are a blessing to us! Many of you in the congregation have heeded God's call on your heart and sent financial gifts, had prayerful hearts, aided us in fundraising, and so much more! We are Thankful that God has put you in our lives. We just love you so!

Also, please keep us in your prayers.... as we have MANY changes on our horizon with our expanding family. Please also pray for our trip overseas. Love you all! And Look for our updates!

"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save." Psalm 72:13

Thank You,

The Hill Family

Bulgarian Adoption Update!

2011-02-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I hope you all are doing well! As for us, well we are finally getting settled into our new place here in Prescott Arizona. We are unpacked, a little more organized, and Home Schooling is back on track! Thank you Lord! The only downfall is that we miss all of you back home in Surprise. Our heart is with you and our home is here in Prescott. But God is good! And what an awesome opportunity we have in that we still get to talk with and visit with you all from time to time! You are in our prayers. We just love you so! In fact we love ALL of you on our distribution list: from Arizona to Texas, from Ohio to Indiana...we just LOVE you all!

Update Time!!

We would first like to say that we are waiting with anticipation and are soo excited for the day we will be united with our sons! We are but months away from their arrival and the waiting is just agonizing...but...may it all be in HIS timing! God is good!

At this moment we are waiting on the approval from Bulgaria. What this means is that sometime this week or next week we will be officially approved!!!!! After we get the approval from Bulgaria, then we get our file sent to the court. This can take anywhere between 3‐4 weeks. Once they review our paperwork, then they will give us a travel date. The travel date will be about 2‐5 weeks out. Meaning our sons could arrive any time between the end of April through the end of May....IF there are no delays. Ha Ha! As if those aren't common. But God is good!

Soo...what are we doing with our 'spare time' while we are waiting for our beautiful sons to come home? We are preparing their room! Speaking of... this makes me think of what Christ is doing for his bride! He is preparing a place for us!!

"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:3

AMEN to that!! Christ is preparing a glorious place for us! Can you imagin what it will be like? Come Lord Jesus Come!! We are adopted into the family of Christ and in the same way our sons will be adopted into our family...and we are preparing a place for them!!! We have painted the walls in blue with accents of red throughout. The room is a Sports theme with basketsballs, footballs, soccerballs, and baseballs all around it! It quitely sists there awaiting their arrival. Their closets, dressers, and cabinets are stocked full of clothes, toys, and more!!... I wonder what God has stored in our 'closets'? Can you imagine? Wow! All I can say is Praise be to God our King! Who will one day bring our sons homes and who will also, one day bring us TO HIMSELF!! Praise God!!

How God has provided.....

I'd love to share the full story with you about how God has provided...if only we had endless pages! Because we have been longing to share it with you! For an updated, we have raised about $48,000! With only $3,000 left to raise! Can you believe it! We started with $0 and God has miraculously provided! This, I am convinced, is nothing short of a miracle!! God has provided immensely!!! For starters I'd like you to know that when Darryl & I decided to adopt we told God that we would only continue the process as long as HE provided the funds to do so. We told God that if it was His will for us to adopt, then He would provide everything we needed. And as you know this is exactly what He did and more! He not only provided enough for one son...but for TWO!

God has provided in numerous ways since. Through unexpected checks in the mail, to work bonuses, to tax refunds, to friends and families donations (THANK YOU!), to fundraisers where we would raise $4000 with a single fundraiser, to many other ways! The cool thing is, each time an amount was due God had already provided exactly enough!! He has been faithful all through this adoption! And He is faithful with His promises!

Fundraiser Time!!!

We have a few new beautiful bracelets for sale. Amber Anderson has blessed us in that she has made some exquisite bracelets in order to raise the remainder funds needed for the adoption. (THANK YOU Amber!!!) The great part is 100% of the funds go towards the adoption! If you would like to see additional photos and prices please email me and I will send them your way! We also ship bracelets!! So please let me know if you are interested in any. (More pictures available if needed).

Price: $12.00

Thank you all again for continuing to embark on this journey with us. We love you all! Please keep us in your prayers.... as we have MANY changes on our horizon. Love you all!

"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save." Psalm 72:13

Thank You,

The Hill Family

Christ's Reality

2011-02-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

Today I'd like to open by asking you a question. However before I tell you what that question is, I would like to first warn you that it could haunt you for the rest of your life. Are you ready to hear it? Are you really ready? Because if you are not, please feel free to skip this chapter. Last chance... Well, I guess now that I have intrigued your curiosity, you are probably going to read on regardless, but don't tell me I didn't warn you first! Curiosity kills the cat--doesn't it? So here goes....

"Do you believe what you believe is real?" (question from: Truth Project)

What I mean is, do you believe everything the Bible says is true? Do you believe God is who he says he is? That Jesus, our Lord, walked this earth years ago born of a virgin? That one day we will be judged and stand before our Creator? That there is a heaven and a hell and that we will have to answer for our actions? That we are called to pray without ceasing, spread the Gospel message, love one another with a brotherly love...even our enemies. Be servants, be humble, be kind, be joyful in the midst of trials, have self control, turn from worldly desires, and live a life that glorifies Christ? Does your life reflect that kind of faith? Do you live in such a way that others take note? Do you live like what you believe in is really real?

If we truly believe everything God says, I believe our lives would be different. Heck, the world would be different if Christians lived that way. You see, we live in an a culture that teaches us there is no God. From the television, to music, to media, to our children's schools and colleges; all of which preach a message void of Christ. Rather than teach about who created us, Darwinism is the culturally accept norm which says the world came from nothing and that we evolved for goo! Our society leaves God out altogether. Which in effect is causing a more and more people to doubt the God of the Bible and view Christians as religious fanatics who are mislead and deceived. Not only that, but we have the New age movement telling people that they are our own gods. Or how about the slews of various religions adding more confusion to the mix: Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, Atheism, Paganism, Hinduism, and any other 'isms' all claiming they have the answers to life. There are so many attacks on God's reality that doubts of him are more widespread than ever before. This is not only effecting unbelievers but it is effecting believers as well. Today, there are many believers who question Gods ability. Just like the father in the book of Mark.

" A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech...

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But IF you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:17-24 NIV

Wow what a statement! This father cries out to the Lord to heal his son and in the very same breath he says if you can heal him. This father had doubt. Then he goes on to say, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief." You see, what he is saying is that yes he does believe--and to some extent I believe he does--however, he tells the Lord to help him where he does not believe--help him in those areas where he is lacking faith. He is open, honest and doesn't hide behind a shadow of doubt. This father was willing to stand up and admit he had a doubt. Are you, like the boy's father, willing to admit you might have doubt to?

You see, this was me for a time. I was a doubter and probably one of the biggest skeptics. I questioned God just like the father did. And the cry of that father, became the cry of my heart.

"I believe you Lord...but help me where I do not believe. I know you are out there God, but how can I know for sure that you are who you say you are? What proof do I have?"

In my younger years, I always thought that I believed in God whole heartedly. I mean I was an automatic Christian. I grew up in church, I had been raised in a Christian home, and I knew God. Hey, I met Him every Sunday! But I have since come to realize that just because you attend church and your family is a Christian doesn't make you one. You see, I always relied on the faith of my earthly father. After all, If dad believed in God, well, he’s done his research so it must be real! For years I felt as if I could never get close to God and I always questioned. Why? Why is it that others can talk to you, Lord, and be so close, but no matter what I do, I feel far away? I believe in you...don't I God?

As I grew up I began to note more and more that something was wrong with my walk and one night I found myself in my prayer closet with the Lord in an all out raging battle of ugly words.

"God prove to me you exist! What makes You real compared to everything else that’s out there? I grew up a Christian; it’s the only religion I know, and yet what makes it right? How on earth did all those animals fit on the ark? Are these just stories? What truth is there in You? "

It was an ugly next couple of months as the questions were raised. I had always been told that a little doubt is okay, but to what extent does the doubt affect you? Obviously, I was affected.

At this point I figured I would be as honest with God as I possibly could, since he already knew the truth of my heart. You see, whether we want him to or not, God knows our hearts. He knows our thoughts, our feelings, our motives, and yes, he even knows us better then we know ourselves. The truth is we should always be honest with the Lord, no matter how ugly the words might be. Sometimes the Lord needs to bring those feelings to the surface and expose them for what they are. This is exactly what I needed.

You see, I didn't believe in God. I doubted him. I mean, to some extent, I believed in him, but I wanted more, more proof, more truth, more evidence, more of anything--just like the father in the book of Mark. I had a crisis of belief on my hands and I wanted so much to believe in the Lord whole heartedly, but I couldn't, my doubt kept me from him.

Now, there are three essentials that you will have as a believer. First and most importantly is a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the very basis of our salvation. Because of Jesus I am saved, not because of anything that I have done, but by His grace and His grace alone I am saved!

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

Second you have to have faith. Faith is the very means of our justification. If we don't have faith in Him, then what do we have?

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we havepeace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1 NKJV

Lastly, we need to have a fruit filled life. We must be putting our faith into action. Our good works are a manifestation of what we know and believe and by all means the works do not save you, grace does. However the Scriptures are clear that faith without works, is nothing but dead faith.

"For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." James 2:26 NASB

I lacked faith and I lacked fruit. Two very major ingredients were missing from my life. But God, in his mercy, saved me. After a few months of digging up research, talking with people, doing everything I possibly could to prove to myself that God exists. I finally hit a dead end. I couldn't battle the Lord any longer. I gave up and I cried out..."LORD! I believe, I believe, even if I don't have anything to go off of, even if I don't have all the answers... I believe!" All of a sudden something happened, something good. My eyes were opened and I began to see God clearly for the first time. I physically felt as if this huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders and I knew inside that this crisis was over! Then God spoke in that still small voice and said . . .

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is…” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

God spoke so clearly to me that day. He told me that I needed to believe in Him first and that everything else would follow. Now please know that I am not saying that there is no evidence pointing to the Lord, because that is just not the case, nor will it ever be. In fact, during these next couple of weeks you are going to have the opportunity to see His reality a great deal, and I can't wait to show you! But what I want you to know, is that my relationship with God needed to go beyond the evidence, I needed to believe in God first and to put my trust in Him.

The truth is, we all have the evidence we need to believe in God. We have creation, we have a conscience, we have Gods Word, and lots more. There is absolutely no excuse good enough to say that, God does not exist. Speaking of, I can't think of any better verse then the one below that drives this point home...

Romans 1:20 (NLT), "From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God."

You see, we have no excuse whatsoever for not believing in God. Better yet, the NASB puts it this way, "...they are without excuse." It doesn't say, you can have an excuse sometimes, or its okay because your teacher taught you otherwise, or because God didn't prove himself to you enough. These are not acceptable. No excuse is acceptable for not believing in God. The problem is we are just not trusting in him to the extent that we should.

Since that day my life has radically changed and God has been showing me his reality ever since. Over time, God has revealed so many truths to me. Most of my life, I have been a skeptic but today I can say that I am no longer driven and tossed by the wind, but am an avid believer in the Most High God!

My question to you is, where do you struggle? If you are honest with yourself, have you ever questioned His existence? Do you doubt the Lord in areas of your life? Sometimes it can be hard to admit we have doubt, after all we need to keep up our 'perfect' Christian appearances up. Don't we? We must remember if we say we have no sin, we are only deceiving ourselves (1 John 1:8). All of us are sinners, and no, not one of us is perfect (Romans 3:10). In fact we are all far from it. But whatever your reason for doubting it is important that you admit it, confess it, and give it to God. Then over time, allow God to work. Have a sure, solid, strong, un-breaking foundation on Christ. One in which you do not waiver.

“He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 (So true! Believe me I've been there!)

2011-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Bulgarian Adoption Update - The Hill Family

Hi everyone!!!! We're back and we've got lots to share!!! First things first, I'm a little jetlagged so I'm up at 4:30am because I cannot sleep! Ha Ha! I was just telling someone today how we were not jetlagged....but I guess I spoke to soon! Secondly, I want to thank you all for praying for us. God has brought us safely to and from Bulgaria and for that we are blessed!

Okay, are you ready for the good stuff?! We met our two sons and the meeting was awesome! When we walked into the room for the first time to meet them it was amazing! Words just cannot explain it...they are simply adorable! It took a little bit for them to warm up to us... but, as soon as we brought out the playdoo they came running up to us excited to play!

Seyhan (Shane) was all over the place! He is your typical boy! He loves to run, play, talk, and found everything interesting. He jumped into my arms within a few hours and was so happy to have the attention that we were happy to receive. Then we brought out the camcorder and I flipped over the screen so that Shane could see himself. Having never seen himself before in that way he couldn't stop making faces at the screen! It was so cute!! Every single time we put the recorder on him, he made faces.... and just so you know, he made faces a total of 5 times in segments!! It was the cutest yet funniest thing! What a blessing!

Reyhan (Ryan) was a quiet little guy. He is also your typical boy! He spoke many words and loved to sing and dance! It took him a little bit to warm up to us, but, after about the second day or so, he finally came around. Then the cutest thing happened, Darryl stomped his foot and then Ryan followed. This pattern continued with clapping, shaking of the heads, and stomping. Every motion Darryl did Ryan would follow. They were speaking their own language! It was so heartwarming.

The boys live in a small town in Bulgaria. In their town about 1 of every 4 of the houses were abandoned. The orphanage in which they live was only brought to the town to bring jobs to the small community. The orphanage also exists in the same building as the local kindergarten. (A picture of the Orphanage is below).

Some interesting things we found out about Bulgaria:

1. There no's are our yes's. And yes I mean it's completely backwards for Americans! Every time someone said yes, they would shake their head left to right. And when they said no, they would shake their head up and down! It was so confusing! : )

2. Twenty years ago it was a communist country and attending church was 'forbidden'. That just saddened my heart. And because of its communist past many people in the country today do not care much for the church or God. These people need God!! Also if you do not know already, the guy who started 'Voice of the Martyrs', was tortured in Bulgaria during its communist error. This is where the majority of his book 'Tortured for Christ', took place.

3. Its a poor country with rather beautiful scenery. Most people live in apartments not houses. Most people drive a small car rather than a large one.

4. They love to eat white cheese (not the American white cheese, more like "feta" cheese, but better tasting), they also love to eat yogurt, homemade breads, fruits and salami. (Knowing this will help when the boys come home so we know what they are used to eating.)

News to Share.....

Last thing I'd like to share with you is that we will be moving. This came as a surprise to our family, but I know we serve a great God!! And I know that even though its hard to do, I can see His hand in it and because of that I can rest in His care, knowing that God is in control even when I am not.

Darryl recently finished his apprenticeship and was offered a job in Prescott, Arizona. The good news is we will not be far, so we can still visit all of you! Please know that we plan on bringing the boys to meet you in a few months after they arrive in America. They are still a part of your journey and we will keep you updated even though we are in Prescott. Not only will we keep you updated but we will bring them to Surprise a few Sundays so all of you can meet the boys you have prayed for, sponsored, cared about, and loved as we do! It means alot to us to have our sons meet you! In fact, we can't wait for you to meet them!

The hardest part of moving is that we will be leaving all of of you! We love you all soooo much!!! ...and it's hard to leave a family such as you guys! Words cannot express my feelings. We have been blessed by you all in so many ways!

One good thing about the move is that my parents will be moving to Prescott with us. They currently live in Texas and are taking a leap of faith to move. I'm so excited that we will be reunited with them! Please pray as they prepare for their journey as well. : )

Update of finances.....

Lastly, we have almost met our goal. At this point we are only $5,000 short of what we need to complete the adoption process. God has brought $45,000 already to help fund this adoption and we are simply amazed at how this has happened!! One day I can't wait to share the story of how God has provided for us during this time! As of yet, I do not know where the remainder will come from, but, I know God has brought us this far and will not leave us empty handed.

If adoption is something you are considering I just want to tell you to please not let finances be a reason you are not adopting. God will provide you with what you need....all you have to do is take the leap of faith!!! Remember we serve the richest God in the universe! :)

Thank you all again for continuing to embark on this journey with us. We love you all! Please keep us in your prayers.... as we have MANY changes on our horizon. Love you all!

"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save." Psalm 72:13

Thank You,

The Hill Family

Welcome Seyhan & Reyhan! Adoption Update

2010-09-02T21:18:00.001-07:00

Its update time and boy do we have some GREAT news to share! But first, let's start from the beginning....

Darryl and I started filing paperwork to adopt back in November of last year--about 10 months ago. When we filed for the adoption we had every intent of filling for one child. However, the social worker suggested that we put one to two children on the application... just in case! So we listened and put down one to two male children...just in case...

Ever since that day Darryl and I have felt that God would place two more children into our family. But I thought, na! There is no way they will find two boys together under the age of four! After all, two children are not on my radar...(But God had other plans! His radar and mine were different ). After a few months past we finished our paperwork and were told that it would be another year before we received a referral. So we prepared ourselves for the wait. But there was something inside of me that kept saying, "Its sooner than you think...Its sooner than you think..."

Then GOD happened..... An email came through from our adoption agency stating that there were brothers who needed to be adopted. One of the boys, Reyhan, is age 2 and the other, Seyhan, is age 3. These brothers needed a home and soon! Well the email went out to an entire group of people, including us. But once I saw the picture of the two boys, my heart leaped, and I knew deep down that these boys were ours! We feel in love! And Instantly God whispered... "there yours". But I thought, "Lord there are two!" God whispered, "there yours, I already told you two were coming." We were filled with joy.

So we emailed the agency and told them we wanted to look into the boys file. But sadly the boys had already been adopted out by another family. We were told that if that family canceled we would be next in line. So we waited days and it seemed to take forever...

Then GOD happened again...Something happened... THE FAMILY CANCELED.... and the boys were ours!! They were Ours! We were full of joy, nervous, and scared all at once... BUT--Oh yes there's a BUT--the agency was soon informed that there were now three other families who wanted to adopt the boys and since these families had been waiting longer then us, they got bumped up in line ahead of us and we got pushed back! We had gone from 2nd in line to 1st then to 4th! How does that happen? I was on a roller coaster of emotions! In fact we all were. Lord, "I thought you said they were ours?...Lord?" We were so ready to fight for these boys!! And I can't even begin to tell you what was going through my mind! But none the less it's in God's hands. And we must trust Him for that!

Then when we finally came to grips with ourselves and gave it all over to God. The phone rang....(seriously...within seconds from when we gave it over to God the phone rang!)

And then GOD happened yet again.... Our agency called and told us after reviewing the files of the 4 families. They decided that our family is the best fit for these children. Usually they do not move families ahead of others, but in this case they did! They thought these kids fit our profile perfectly!!!

So please join us in welcoming our TWO SONS/Brothers... Our GIFTS from GOD! Reyhan Age 2 and Seyhan Age 3.

On another note, please believe me when I say there is a lot more to the story, but for sake of space, you got the shorter version. God is so good and we are excited already!

By the way did I happen to mention that Ayva was praying for 'one brother for her, and one for Tessa?' God hears the prayers of the little ones doesn't He!

As for the boys names, we are not sure at the moment what we are going to do. Reyhan and Seyhan are there Bulgarian names, which we plan to keep somewhere in their names.

So What does that Mean Now?

This means that we travel soon to meet our two precious sons! We are required by Bulgaria to first fly down to file paper work, then 4-5 months later we will make a second flight to pick up our sons.

This also means that because there are two children now, instead of one, the price has gone from $33,000 to about $45,000, with only a few months left to raise it in. I am pleased to say that God has already brought us up to the $30,000 mark! God is good! So we are currently short about $15,000 (the cost of the second adoption).

We know God has brought us this far and He will continue to bring us through to completion! Please pray with us that God will continue to provide financially for this adoption, we know we serve a Mighty God!

Upcoming Fundraiser!

**In order to raise funds to bring home our 2 sons we will be having another Fundraiser Garage Sale on October 8th & 9th. We are asking for donations and will except anything: new, old, large, or small. We'll take it all. :) This is a huge way you can help support our adoption.

Please remember to keep our family in your prayers, as well as our sons in Bulgaria. Thank you all for continuing to embark on this journey with us, and please join us in this joyous moment! We will continue to keep you updated as we get information in and your updates will come a little more often now that we are on the 'fast track'.

“Remember the words of the Lord Jess, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

If you would like to donate to the cause, you can make a tax deductable donation to: Kingdom Kids Adoption Agency at 1417 North Lincoln Street Spokane, WA 99201. You can mail it directly to them or contact them at (509) 465-3520. 90% of the proceeds go directly to the adoption fund. Please Do Not write our name on the check. Please Do include a slip of paper stating that you would like to donate the amount to: the Hill Family Fund. You can also do this on their webpage at www.kingdomkidsadoption.org.

What is a Christians Role in Politics?

2010-05-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

This question can bring to mind negative images of government and politics. You see, if the questions is, "should Christians corrupt themselves with the seedy side of politics?" or "should they revert to the un-scriptural practices of modern day 'politicians'?" the answer is....no!

But if the question is about political involvement and participation in general, there is another answer. ChristiansAnswers.net put it this way, "...Christians should seek political participation and representation as they go about their duties of evangelizing the world. Without this participation and representation, there is no assurance that the freedom to evangelize will remain secure. Can we maintain the fundamental freedoms and liberties we enjoy while standing apart from the political process? The political and social trends of the last generation should offer clear warnings that freedom and liberty require diligent care and attention—especially by the Christian community."

So what exactly is the role of a Christians in Politics? This question has been ringing in the ears of Christians all across the country. Recently, I was talking to someone who said that they thought politics were corrupt and that Christians just need to stay out of it all together. Pretty bold, but I thought about it for a moment. Yes politics are corrupt and wicked, but that doesn't give Christians a reason to stay out of it all together. When we choose to do such things, what we are doing is endorsing it with our silence. In other words we offer no opposition or resistance, and agree with the majority whatever it may be, good or bad. This is just not where we should be. I believe Christians should have a vote and a voice.

Lets focus on this question for a moment. Should a Christian hold an office in government? For our answer let's look to the Scriptures. In Proverbs 29:2, says, "when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bears rule, the people mourn." This verse seems to say that righteous people should be in office, and that when they are, it’s a good thing. So according to this verse, God wants godly men in authority. Or how about Exodus 18:21, God tells Moses to “...look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.…”, Basically, put these men in authority over the Israelites. I believe that’s what God would want us to do today in America. In the Bible, there were many godly people in government including: Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Nehemiah, Esther, Mordecai, and many godly leaders of Israel. But how about more recent history? Did you know that many of our founding fathers were Christians? We can find statements from them about God, reference to God on our national monuments, our monies, and on many founding documents. It was Benjamin Rush, one of the Founding Fathers, wrote that it is possible to be both godly and in politics.

So my answer is this, Christians that want to run for offices in government should. You see, if no good Christians ever ran for office, then who would be in office? And if Christians do not support them with their votes/voices, and remain silent, then who will be in office? If Christians are silent, and no Christians run for office, then what kind of people will be leaders of this Nation? If not the Christians, the only other group is those with whom can be influenced by the powers of this world. So use your voice, your vote, your prayers, and stand firm in the Word of God.

One last thing we need to remember is to be obedient, to be submissive to authority, and respect the authority God has put in place (good or bad). 1 Peter 2:13-14 says, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” The NLT reads it this way, "For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right." In other words obey the laws and submit to the authority God has put in place. Now if anything goes against Gods Words, then stand against it. Just like the men in the Scriptures did. For example: Daniel did not stop praying even though the law forbid him to; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bow before the idol even though it was the law. But all the while we still are to submit and respect those God has put in charge of this Nation. We are not to hate them but pray for them.

Now in the same aspect this doesn't mean that we don't have a voice. Think about this for example. Esther petitioned the King to save her people the Jews, Moses petitioned the King to save his people the Israelites, they used their voice for Good, to save nations of people. They stood for the rights of the people.

In our American culture, we are unique, because we the people, are the ones who make decisions, so we, by law, have a right to use our voice. Think about this for a moment, in our American governing system, 'submission' demands our participation. To submit means to participate and whether we like it or not, American citizens are participants in the American governing structure. No one is exempt from this participation. Citizens are assessed taxes; they are counted in the Census; they send their children to government-run schools; they are, in one way or another, participants in the government, so we need to keep that in perspective.

And I want to close with this, 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." This verse applies to us. If we will... 1.) Humble ourselves, 2.) Pray, 3.) Seek Gods Face, 4.) Turn from our wicked ways (Yes this is talking about believers). THEN He will hear us from heaven and heal our land! Always seek God in prayer and pray for our Nation!

Amen!

Adoption Journey - Our Bulgarian Son

2010-05-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Well it has been ages since I have posted anything and well, I believe its about time I post.

As some of you know we are in the process of adopting a little boy from Bulgaria. And might I say we are all so excited! We are currently a family of four, but will soon become a family of five. At this point, we do not know who our little boy is, or how exactly old he will be. All that we know is that God has him handpicked for us, and we are so excited that one day he will be joining our family. Everyone in our family is so excited. Darryl talks about how we are going to need a fifth chair every time we go out to eat-no longer the booths, Tessa talks about teaching him our language, Ayva says she can't wait to have a 'baby' brother, and I picture what the house will be like with a third little boy. All of us are super excited at the thought to one day bring home our son and we can't wait for his arrival!

On another note the wait can be hard. Ever since November 2009, we have been making way to bring our little boy home. We have completed our home study, our dossier, and we have submitted our I800A to USCIS. We are currently waiting on the approval from USCIS, in which we have hit a few road bumps. One of which involved Darryl's time in the Navy. Since he was stationed aboard a ship for the majority of his service, they had a little trouble figuring out just where they wanted all the checks ran.....because who owns the Ocean? Yes this was an issue oddly enough. But luckily they have come to the conclusion that his stations main location would be sufficient. At this point, we are guessing, it will be about another week or two, then we will have the official approval. Our dossier has been translated and is already in Bulgaria, its just waiting for this one last letter. Then after this approval, all we have to do is wait. Currently the waiting time for the referral is about 12 months. So please keep our family in your prayers.

As for now I believe thats it! We will do our best to keep you updated with the adoption process in the future.

Miracles

2009-10-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

Although you may not here about miracles as often as you do in the Bible, many miracles are still happening around us. A lot of the time, we as believers, tend to pawn miracles off as some sort of ‘mere coincidence.’ You see, we have chosen to believe our own eyes and ears instead of focusing on God’s Word. For example, if you have never seen a miracle, (ears growing back, a lame man walking, or the blind seeing, etc.) we often convince ourselves that God no longer performs them. So because we have not ‘physically’ seen them, they must not be real. Do you see the thought process behind that statement? Other times, as I have done, we take what can only be a miracle of God, and pawn it off on science, or just the possibility of mere chance. We have been so brainwashed to believe that God does not exist, that we take miracles for granted when they do happen, and we don’t give God the credit he deserves. I believe Beth Moore said it best when she said, “We believe little, because we see little, we see little, because we believe little.”

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people.” Psalm 77:14

God certainly still does miracles, and they are still going on around us daily. I myself have witnessed many miracles and I have also encountered a miracle in my life. When I was eight years old, the doctors told me that I was going deaf and that as a last resort, they were going to put tubes into my ears, but even that would only partially work, and I would eventually lose my hearing. However, my mother and father knew God had other plans for me, and later that day they decided to bring me to church for prayer. Upon arrival the members of the church laid hands on me, and prayed over me. And that night while I slept my ears were miraculously healed! The doctors themselves could not believe it. God had done a miracle in my life.

Sadly, years later, I pawned this entire event off as a mere coincidence. To be completely honest, there is absolutely no way to suggest, even for a moment, that this was not a supernatural interference from the Lord. God intervened in my life and healed my ears. Weather I wanted to accept the fact that God did intervene was up to me. Oh what a great God we serve, and I thank God for the grace he has given me thus far.

The real problem is the unbelief of this generation, not that God no longer performs miracles. God still reserves the right to respond most readily to faith, and it is this faith that we are lacking. We need to start believing in God, and find that faith that God so longs for us to have. Faith is the foundation of our life, the very source where we get our strength and it requires belief in God. Faith and believing God go hand-in-hand. And you must have faith for God to work in your life. We must walk by faith, not by sight.

“Faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Did you know that people in third world counties often report miracles? I believe this is because they are in far greater need than we are here. Many countries do not have the technology, accessibility, or medical services that we have available, so they are more likely to rely on God for miracles of healing, and put there faith in the Lord. Not to say that technology and accessibility are bad, in fact quite the opposite, God can use these things help us as well. God certainly does miracles, and he can do miracles through any one or anything. But we need to remember that our request for miracles, do not always get answered. Beth Moore put it like this, “Sometimes God prioritizes the faith required to continue trusting Him when we don’t get what we ask over the faith required to receive it.”

We must love God no matter the result. Weather he answered our request for a miracle, or not. God always has greater plans for us. And we need to praise Him in the good times and in the bad. God is pleased when we exercise our faith; and when we ask Him for a miracle. Where we need to be careful is when we allow our desires for signs and wonders to overshadow our desire for Him. Our request can turn into, or become, a conquest for God to prove Himself to us. Do not let your rational thinking tell you that God must prove Himself to you, who are we to request such a thing? It is not our place to demand things of Christ like we have authority. God wants us to believe in Him first and all else will follow, but you must remember that ‘you seek God to find Him, not to see Him perform.’ And your relationship with Jesus must go beyond the evidence; you must put your trust in Him and walk with Him on a daily basis.

So, what is your motivation for seeking Christ? It should be your love for Him. Seek Him for the right reasons, and don’t allow yourself only to seek him for what He can do for you. And don’t let doubt to be a reason that keeps you from having faith in God.

Tea Party in Phoenix- Rally For A Good Cause.

2009-07-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

On the Fourth of July (Independence day) American Patriots all across America came together in protest of the many things that are currently sucking the life out of our freedoms. Socialism, tax hikes, cap & trade, socialised health care, and reckless spending from the government and the list goes on. The focus of the Rally was to encourage people to keep the American Constitution as it was designed and to remind the American citizens that it was and still is the law of the land which happens to be the very thing that has keep our country free for so many years. The Constitution, our Godly principals, and the Declaration of Independence is the basis of our foundation and those very things that made our country great are being ripped from us. They also encouraged everyone to remain faithful to the calling of our American forefathers. That calling is to stay true to God, our country, and the freedoms that are quickly being torn away from the American people. This event was not only an eye opener but a call to be bold in the face of danger. To be proud of our freedom as Americans and to educate the liberals and all others that believe the government is going to take care of us and that we are the people and we ARE the government. Stand up now, rise up, and do your duty as an American citizen. If you can't see what's going on all around this nation; your eyes are closed. What a travesty. Are we actually going to sit around and let this happen to our generation? To our country? If we don't act now then we will lose our freedoms. It's not to late, don't add to the problem by saying that "it's a nice idea but it won't work" shame on us. We need to stand up. The days of relaxing and living off the fruit of our founding fathers is gone. The fruit is gone. The weeds have taken over, the trees are dying and it's getting worse. Today is the call. Now is the time for you to get busy. Write your congressmen. Educate yourself on these issues. Make your vote count. Don't give up, not now, not ever.

People from all 50 states were involved with this event. It was an amazing, amazing event. A very bold (not arrogant)Pastor spoke at this event with fervor. He was not ashamed to call upon the name of the Lord in this time of danger. He did this in front of many people. He was not ashamed to be Christian and Political. Can we say the same about ourselves? This pastor said that we say "God bless America" then he said it's hard to say that anymore because America is in such a mess. We Americans have turned our backs on God (at least most people have).

Below are a few pictures of us with other American patriots. These photo's were taken at the very beginning of the rally so it may seem as though not many were there but believe me many, many more arrived shortly after these photo's were taken. These are a few of the many photos that were taken. There were hundreds of people that read our signs. Many commented some positive, some negative. We were there educating people on the issues that we as Americans face. We could have stayed home but we chose instead to become involved. Our liberty depends on it. It was easier than I thought it was going to be but in all seriousness; Now is the time to Educate, Unite, Pray, Rally, Believe, and be brave. Thanks for reading this blog and we Hope to see you at the next Freedom Rally.

God Bless you and yours from Elissa and Darryl Hill.

A New Direction in America

2009-06-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

For over three centuries America has been officially described as a Christian nation. It was not until about two decades ago that our government began its pursuit to weed out ‘religion’ and anything having to do with God in public places. Recently, our newly elected president, Barack Obama, stated that America was no longer a Christian nation. Regardless of the fact that our founding fathers attempted to keep this nation a Christian and God centered nation, they continued to tear down Ten Commandments on government buildings and remove religious symbols from public places. What, in turn, has happened is that our countries roots of Christianity have now been disbursed and in its place we have developed a broader open forum of no religion at all—a country now based on the state of ‘ideas’ rather than on God.

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” George Washington.

“God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?” Benjamin Franklin

History events that now shape American, in which our founding fathers would not stand for--Keep in mind these are just a few amongst many.

1. Dozens of Ten Commandment displays have been removed. (Including the 5,280 pound granite monument of the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama State Judicial Building.)

2. Our American holidays have turned into ‘fantasy character’ celebrations instead of their original intent being centered on Christ. Christmas day has become “Happy Holidays”, instead of “Merry Christmas”- due to the fact it contains the word “Christ”.

3. Gay Marriage has been legalized in the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa. It will also be legalized by September 2009 in Vermont and Main. New Jersey, California, and New Hampshire have created legal unions that, while not called marriages, are explicitly defined as offering all the rights and responsibilities of marriage under state (though not federal) law to same-sex couples.

4. Attempts have been made to remove “In God we Trust” from our monies. Also to remove “Under God” From the Pledge of Allegiance.

“For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 NLT

Remember even though we live in this world, God still give us His peace...

"My peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

The Harvest

2009-05-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you a story that I heard at the Pathways class Darryl and I recently attended. The speaker that day was telling us a vision that she had, a vision of the lost. In this vision she saw a large group of ladies huddled together making necklaces on a cliff. Then scattered sporadically about the edge of the cliff were a few people spread out every 500 feet or so. All of a sudden large groups of people started running towards the edge of the cliff. And the ones who were spread out were trying to save all the people from falling off the cliff, but there were so many, and they couldn't save them all, and the ladies in the corner just sat happily making necklaces...

Wow... sometimes we, like the ladies making necklaces, forget how important it is to step outside of the box and share the Gospel to those in need. Now don't get me wrong being a part of a Church is a VERY good thing, but what do we do with the knowledge God has given us? Do we share it with others, are we afraid to offend, do we think were not biblically smart enough, or strong enough for the task? God calls all of us to be a witness....

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you..." Matthew 28:20

We are not to hide our beliefs or only keep them only for Sunday's service. But we are to specifically set them on a lampstand, so that all may see the light of Christ in you...

"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.” Luke 8:16

Oh how guilty I am. I don't know about you, but this seems to be one of the things I hear the most in believers, myself included...we all seem to 'struggle' so much in this area? Why is it that this seems to be the place few of us can conquer? What holds us back? Considering the day's we are in shouldn't this push our desire to let others know about the Lord? If the harvest is truly plentiful, as the Scriptures say, shouldn't we believe Him for that?

My encouragement to you this week, is to find someone, anyone, that doesn't know the Lord, and share the Lord with them and I will do the same. Then, once this is done, I'd love to here what God did through you. So when you take the leap of faith and talk to someone please leave me a post in the comment box, and I will comment on what happened in my experience of sharing with someone. And don't worry God will walk us through it all.

"When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:36-38

Thinking back...

2009-05-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

Our world seems to be getting morally worse with each passing day. According to Obama America has now been classified as as a nation of 'ideas' rather than a nation founded on Godly principals. . .

Think back with me a few hundred years, to a time when prayer and bible reading was a part of our everyday school systems, when teachers would lead their students in a word of prayer to our Savior. When the Bible was used as a primary textbook for not only reading, but character and moral training as well. To when the main concerns of parents were talking in class, and gum chewing, instead of teen suicide, drug abuse, or school shootings. Oh how I wish we could go back. Go back to a time before prayer and bible reading were ripped from our schools. Since this event occurred in 1962 violence has been on the rise. Although, other events have impacted our school children, such as the increasing levels of violence, sex on television and the media, the banning of prayer is one of the most significant events affecting Americans. But again don't take my word for it...

According to Wikipedia the top offences in Schools...

Prior to Prayer being removed- Talking, Gum Chewing, Making Noise, Running in the Halls, Cutting in Line, Dress Code Violations, and Littering.

After Prayer was Removed- Rape; Robbery; Assault; Burglary; Arson; Bombings; Murder; Suicide; Absenteeism; Vandalism; Extortion; Drug abuse; Alcohol abuse; Gang warfare; Pregnancies; Abortions; Venereal disease. (None of the previous top seven made the list)

You see, God brought peace, love, joy, happiness, gentleness, goodness, amongst many other good qualities, to our society. Once America had taken God out of the picture, these characteristics slowly faded. Not that they do not exist, just that they are few and far between. Let’s assume you are a bit of a skeptic, possibly an atheist. You could say this, “Well, of course it was better with God in society because people believed they had to answer to someone for there actions. However in reality it just kept them a moral person.” Let’s assume that were true. If so where did the moral come from? We are not naturally good people, as the bible states. That’s a fact we are all well aware of. It’s so much easier to be a bad person because of our sin nature, and anyone who is anyone can not deny that fact. So with that said, God is the only god that brings life, love, and these qualities to us.

“Everything good and perfect is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 NIV

Christ’s reality is written all over the very wallpaper of what made our country great. We can not deny that God is a part of our very foundation. But most importantly we need to remember that regardless of what lies in our past or our future; we need to continually look to God for all our needs, for he is the ultimate comforter. . .

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation.." 2 Cor. 1:3

Fervent Prayer

2009-04-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

I learned a new word today, fervent. It means... "having or showing extreme emotion, or to be intensely sincere and passionate. " With this in mind read the verse below...

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16

Could I say it like this....

"The effective, intensely sincere and passionate prayer of a righteous man avails much."

This really spoke to me. Sometimes we can get so emotionally uninvolved when we pray. And our prayer lives lack the passion it should have sometimes. Check out this quote below by Dr. David Jeremiah's book, "Handwriting on the Wall", it really hit home ....

"Do we have any idea what it means to be fervent in prayer? If we think about the moment of our greatest crisis, whether it was physical, mental, or emotional, how did we pray? Did we say something like, "Lord, I have this need, and it sure would be neat if you could do something about it, but I don't want to take too much of your time. If you can do something, that would be great. Thanks Lord." Or did we call out to God with such intensity that we almost ached?
In the Old Testement culture there were certain things that accompanied fervent prayer. First, in the passage from Daniel, he put on sackcloth, the garments of mourning. In the Book of Job, it says that he prayed fervently while sitting in an ash pile and putting ashes on his head. It also says that praying fervently was accompanied by shaving off the hair of his head. In other places in the Bible we are told that praying was so agonizingly fervent that it was accompanied by crying, tearing clothing, fasting, sighing, groaning, and sweating blood. In our culture today, that sort of fervency would seem fanatical. We might be confronted by men in white coats carrying straightjackets. But I believe we have tilted in the opposite direction, presenting an emotion-less, uninvolved relationship with Him."

Wow! That is soo true! We have tilted in the opposite direction and we do tend to be so passion-less in prayer, we fall asleep when we pray, we rarly get on our knees, our prayers have turned into a time scheduled slot, and sometimes we lack interest, sadly...or at least I'm guilty as charged. Oh where has our fervency gone?

Dubai!

2009-03-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Check out Dubai! It is one of the seven Emirates and the most populated city in the United Arab Emirates. This is one Modern city! The most modern might I add! You should google it if you get a chance. Currently its in some sort of recession, as we are, but its still neat. They are doing lots of construction, and have lots of FUTURE things planned, including the horned buildings which you will see in the photos below. WOW...scarry...and crazy stuff! I have been hearing about this city on the news so I thought I would look it up and post about it.

The Dubai Sky Scraper!

Neat!

Here are Man-Made Islands in the shape of a Palm! They are selling Top Dollar Re-Estate on these Islands!

Now this is the Most unique of them all! This is a 3-d Rendering of one of the buildings planning to be constructed in Dubai. I think they say it represents burning candles?? I think, however it looks like Rams Horns!

Here is a mini-construction of the towers to be! Man wouldn't it be wierd if the Anti-Christ in Revelations resided here, or did work out of here! That would be a cool anology! NOT saying that he will do either, BUT... it would be crazy if he did considering he is described as a horn in the Bible. (Daniel 7:8-21, Daniel 8:5-22) Just a crazy thought to share.

Increase of Knowledge

2009-03-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” Daniel 12:4

Wow! Now if that aint prophecy, I don't know what is! There are many events pointing to the end of this age, however one of the most noticeable signs is the increase of knowledge and travel. What’s interesting about this is that prior to the 19th century men could travel no faster than horse back and carriage, the speed of foot, and boat. That means for the last six-thousand years or so, people have managed to maintain the same source of travel—until now. In a little over a hundred years we have gone from horse back to cars, planes, jets, trains, submarines, and even space travel. Not only have the invention of the computer and the internet enabled us to access information from billions of sources within the matter of seconds, but DNA research, advances in the medical field, nuclear weapons, and unfortunately cloning have become apart of our lifestyles. All of which have transpired in a little over a hundred years!! Since the time man has existed there have been no major advances in technology or travel as we have observed in our days, nothing even comes close. This is astonishing to me! We are witnessing Biblical prophecy right before our eyes, just as predicted. And Ohh what a blessed generation we are to be able to witness these events coming to pass right before our eyes!

Life as we know it is constantly changing. Things need to be updated and revised on a daily basis. We are in the last days as predicted in the bible, not the end of the world—which will not end—just the end of this age. I believe that if you are a true believer, someone who is about God’s business, then you will be raptured off this planet before the seven year tribulation begins. Each time God has poured His wrath out on the people He has delivered the righteous. Two quick examples are Lot (Genesis 19) and Noah (Genesis 6). Nowhere in Scripture —when we find judgment proceeding directly from God—do we find the righteous being judged along with the wicked. Even Abraham challenged God’s fairness.

"Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Genesis 18:25

Notice Abraham premises was that if judgment came from God, it wouldn’t be fair to judge the righteous with the wicked. But either way, weather we are raptured now or during tribulation, the time is at hand weather you are ready for it—or not. If you have ever had the chance to read a book on the end days you know that it is filled with pages, upon pages of factual evidence of predictions already at hand, but the question we need to ask ourselves is, “Am I ready?”

YoungLife Youth Retreat

2009-02-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun at the youth retreat. The youth were blessed on so many diffirent levels and you could just see the hand of God working in their life. So many things took place, and God touched the hearts of each and every Youth there! It was amazing! It was such a blessing to see God work in such a powerful way.

On another note, it was sooooo cold and their was tons and tons of snow! We made snowmen, had snowball fights... and yes we threw lots and lots of snowballs. And must I say I think I had a Huge Target sign written on my back because I got clobbered with so many snowballs...LOL...it was fun! Wanna know the best part...I got to clobber Darryl with quite a few snowballs myself...I know I'm such a nice wife...but what can I say...It was fun! Ha Ha~!
Check out some pictures below.

This Place was so beautiful!

Told you I got Him! LOL!

Ohh the things Youth come up with... and yes it was 100% approved! LOL Build by the Jr. High Girls.

Check out this MASSIVE Snowman! Build by the High School Girls!

WOW WOW WOW! Must have took some time!

We had a picture taken with the snowman....see how big he was!

Crazy Jr. High Girls, we had fun in our cabin~!

The whole Gang!

Time to say Goodbuy! Kristin and I on the bus...the wheels on the bus go round and round! LOL...I'm wierd I know!

Godlessness...Sign of the Times~!

2009-02-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power… always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5,7 NKJV

As if that's not obviously all arond us! OHH I just want to shout from the rooftops! Our societies value systems have began to plummet and are at a rocketed decline. Things like homosexuality, sex, drugs, divorce, family breakdown, and abortion have become embraced by our culture. Gay and lesbian parades take place downtown, homosexuality is being taught to our children, alcohol is sold in almost every food facility (grocery, convenient stores, and restaurants), teen pregnancy is more common, the divorce rate is on the rise, the very air we breathe is polluted with profanity and pornography. Family quarrels have become publicized and popularized sitcoms that we watch for entertainment—Jerry Springer, some reality shows, some talk shows—programs which are watched for ‘fun!’ People are more focused on getting advice from Oprah Winfrey rather then their Creator! Why have we taken God out of our culture? Is He not in the picture anymore? Even we are so used to Him not being a part of our culture that we ourselves readily accept these things instead of following the God given guidelines we find in scripture. Pardon me for being so bold, but Oh how my heart breaks to see the end to all this madneess! And ohh what a beautiful Promise God gives to thoes who love Him....

"...Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh!" Luke 21:28

Disney Land Trip Jan 2009

2009-02-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

My parents, my brother, and our family took a trip to Disneyland just this past January! It was soo much fun! The girls Loved it! And Tessa was finally big enough to ride some of the adult rides. Her favorite ride was the 'tower of terror', and next to that, 'space mountain!' LOL...she was not afraid of any of them! She's a trooper! Here are just a few photos we took while we were there.

Ariel's Grotto at Disney!

Family Photo of the group!

Don't get her made, she has a loaded cannon! !

The Girls were so excited to get a picture with Snow White!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

Ayva is telling us how to take a picture! LOL

My younger brother Seth, pretending to be a pirate!

Yum Yum Dinner Time!

The Gospel Preached!

2009-02-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

Okay for those of you who have been waiting for me to get a Blog, Its here! Yeah! And as we say in Texas..."If you can't beat em' join em'." Therefore I'm jumping on the ban wagon...LOL. I have been so blessed by reading some of the blog entries you guys have left and can't wait to read more!
On another note, I have learned so much these past days. Darryl and I are currently taking the 'Pathways' class, and we absolutely Love it! Its a class that teaches you about missions and Gods ultimate plan to save the Nations. I have learned so much about the needs of others in countries from afar. One of the neatest scriptures I find fascinating is Matthew 24:14 "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come!" Want to know something really neat? According to Wikipedia the Bible continues to be the most translated book in the world. It also states that the Bible is available in whole or in part to some 98 percent of the world's population in a language in which they are fluent! How neat is that! People all over the world are hearing the gospel from television, the Internet, and the radio. Today missionaries travel globally to spread the Word to various countries abroad. Amen to that!