Happy Easter!

Our Favourite game to play called "who's the donkey"

 Hey Family all over the World,


Happy Easter!

Sorry for the late blog.. the only excuse I have is pure laziness. I have sat with 2 sentences on my page for 3 days now..

We have a dutch invasion! We have 4 girls from the Netherlands that are with us for 12 weeks. They are working on their final thesis for the bachelor degree in Social Work from Viaa Hogeschool. We have 2 new friends, Debby and Inge and 2 old friends, Maaike and Sarah who are apart of Refilwe Netherlands (refilwe.nl). Refilwe NL raises awareness and money in Holland for us, here in SA.  The Website is all in Dutch but Google Translate is really helpful lol. Refilwe Sa website is also a great place to look up too refilwe.org


We have 2 more volunteers from the states coming for a shorter amount of time to volunteer their talents and gifts. Kaylin is from Colorado and she is using her admin skills in the main office. She is here till May 2.  Vanessa, from California, was only here for 3 short weeks using her passion at the clinic learning about health care here in Lanseria.

Stephannie and I

Surprise!!!!

 We has a local adoption! Our Smallest, Little Lady A went to her new Afrikaans Mommy and Adopted Brother. This is our youngest adoption in the house to date, at 4 months old. The placement was so easy since their was no “stranger danger” or too many questions since she is so little.

****To be honest, I didn't think any of our kids could be adopted younger than 6 months. I now know, that whether a birth mom consents the week her baby is born, or a baby is completely abandoned, legally, a placement can happen as young as 4 months. Hopefully we could have more quick local adoptions like this one in the future.

In the arms of her Forever mommy and borther

No word yet on Toddler L’s adoption. Please keep praying! There is still about a week left of hope that she could be with her family by her 2nd Birthday on 27th April.

My church here in SA, City Life Church, held their annual Easter Outreach in our Local Community. The Saturday before Easter, CLC puts together a large Easter Egg Hunt with bouncy houses, face
painting, cookie decorating and more in the local park. We invite everyone in the community to bring their kids and it is a great way to practically share Jesus and Invite people to church. It is a free event, but, Nicole and I have tables at both entrances to talk about the baby house, people can donate and ask questions too. Also, all proceeds from food and drinks sold, directly benefit El Roi. The Event Raised about R20,000 ($1,300) and more an 3,300 people came! We are so grateful for a church that loves our babies and is so supportive of us.

I cut my hair off! Decided I needed a change and I had been talking about it for at least 18 months and I took the jump! I think its okay.. I really miss my long hair but Im hoping to give it some more time and try to keep it till December for when I got back to California for Christmas. I guess I will have to see if I last that long.. lol. My hair irritation level is a little high at the moment.

My Mentor, Kate, and I have been reading and discussing the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan. We are about half way through and I have really enjoyed it. The book is about the Holy Sprit and ways in our Christian faith we can neglect or misunderstand  the role of the Holy Spirit. Honestly, it has challenged me in more than one way about the Holy Spirit but in my Faith in General. I want to share of short portion from chapter 4 called “Why do you Want Him”

    “Recently, a man dying of cancer asked the church elders to anoint him with oil and pray for his healing. Before we prayed, however, I asked the man a question I don't normally ask: “Who do you want to be healed? Why do you want to stay on this earth?” The man, as well as everyone else around, seemed a bit surprised the I would ask such a blunt question.
    The reason I probed like this is because in the epistle of James we are reminded the we often don’t receive the answers to our prayers, because we ask for the wrong reasons: “You ask and do not receive. because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3) Our desire to live should be for the sake and glory of the God who put us on this earth in the first place." (pg 84)
   
Wow, I was so challenged by this. I had been doing my fair share of complaining before i read this. “God, why is this not happening? God, why wont you give me a direct answer about these situations before me? God, what will the next few years look like? I very quickly has to meditate on my motives behind my questions and desires. Were any of these to praise  God? If God gave me any of these questions would I turn around and say “Its all about Jesus”? 

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

A great (hard) read if you want to learn about a childs developmental growth while in foster care!

Nicole and I went and saw the Theater musical "Singing in the Rain"

Big boy J getting stronger everyday

Auntie Whitney's attempt at Twists! It is now the 2nd hair style I can do!

Ej's first hair cut!

Ps: I dont know why some of the pictures of blurry : ( 

Thank you for the Prayer!

Hey family all over the world,

Thank you so much for the prayers on Monday! From what I have heard, the meeting went fairly well. A quote to sum it up "they took many steps forward but a few steps back". What does that mean? Well, I'm not sure. I am not exactly on the top of the 'know' list. I think there were some compromises and some clearer understanding of certain things. I also know that the adoption process on our side will continue to be longer and longer. The people in authority going all the way up are against adoption and have no problems making it harder for kids to leave the country. Please continue to pray for God to change hearts and mindsets.

Praise Jesus!
The little girl 'caught in the middle', they have decided to push her through to central authority! Hip-hip Hurray! Basically Johannesburg's Children Court has signed off on the match and now central authority has to sign to release her from the country. They say this process can take 2-6 weeks but our experience has been more like 2-12 weeks.

After central authority has approved, her new family will be notified and we will get an adoption date. That date can be anywhere from 2-6 weeks after central authority signs. I  can hardly imagine what it would be like to get a call saying you can go pick your daughter in South Africa, within as short as 2 weeks notice.

This little person's 2nd Birthday is April 27. What an amazing gift it would  be to be with her family.  The weeks are stacked against us but, I know our God is good and able if it his will.

On Monday Morning at 10 am I gathered the toddlers to Pray. We all stood around J (because if he holds hands, he just bites ) and lifted Prayers to our Heavenly Father. I asked if anyone wanted to pray and S (in the red shirt)  chimed in and said "Me"! It was so great to listen to him repeat after me as he talked to Jesus. He got to pray for the government and a forever family for himself but also his  brothers and sisters too. *happy tears*

#prayingforourchildren

Hey Family all Over the World,

Happy February!

These last couple weeks we have been all about the birthdays!


 On the 30th of Jan we celebrated H’s 2nd Birthday. Just like his first birthday, he hates cake. lol

6th of Feb was NK’s 3rd Birthday! He loves his cake and his presents.

and the 19th of Feb was Sweet AB’s 2nd Birthday! She is always so hilarious with all the funny things she says. She very much enjoys her cake and Princess tiara and baby doll.

We love birthdays because we get to eat cupcakes and chips but always a sad reminder that their families have missed one more year.

Our tally is now.
One three year old. four two year olds. two more turning two at the end of April. one ten month old. one nine month old.. One seven month old.  One four month old and a three month old.

That is A LOT of Toddlers in one house! We need some adoptions!!!!!!

Two of the 'Refilwe' boys making a track with dirt for their cars

Speaking of Adoptions we need some Urgent Prayers:

We (baby house staff) have learned that we need some urgent prayers for adoptions in South Africa. New judges have started in January and they are making the process very difficult for our adoption agency. Basically where we stand is: no intercountry adoptions at this current time. There are not enough local families who want to adopt and those who are on the forever family list, all want girls (our house has mostly boys).  We currently have one of our toddlers caught in the middle. She has been matched with a intercountry family but if there are no judges who are signing intercountry adoptions off. Will they try to rematch her with a local family? Is there a local family for her here, in SA? Will the judges start signing adoptions? Will we get our 10 adoptions this year? Only our heavenly father knows!

*********I need all the prayer warriors to be praying on Monday(RSA) and Sunday night (USA) for a very important meeting happening which will determine the future of our children(adoptions) in 2016.***********

Please Pray Specifically for:

• South Africa’s leadership/government to support adoption
• God to soften the Judges hearts and inspire them for adoptions (to sign!)
• ABBA social workers to work diligently to get the right paper work in
• Local families to be excited and pursue adoption 
• Our children to be united with their forever families soon! Praying for 10 adoptions in 2016!

Hopefully we have some more answers and clarity after Monday

This is what my water looks like coming out of the taps :(

Happy Heart Day! Making Valentines : )

Happy Valentines Day!

The Volunteer team went to the Passion Conference with 45,000 people! It was amazing to worship our heavenly father together.

ESV
Psalm 139:1-18

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

We made it through January...!!!

Hey Family all over the World!

So… Every realize you lost your self a bit? not talking about way off the path but just enough where one day you realize you got out of some good habits. Sleeping patterns are non existent, eating terribly, stress level through the roof… ya I would find myself right about there. Kinda had a self actualization moment tonight that I need to get on a better track. And just going to be honest, My Sassy-ness level is kinda ridiculous!!!!

Kate brought me back coffee slips for my Starbucks cup!

Nicole has been home for the last 4 weeks and still have another 2 to go before she comes home. Things are generally pretty stressful when she goes home. Thankfully we have had no hospital visits this go around but we have had a major shift in aunties, the holidays  and some behavior issues while she has been away. The kids really notice when aunties are moving around. Its been (funny?  interesting? I have been Envious? ) to watch everyone come back from their December holiday all bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for the new year. Then you have the baby house staff who have worked through December and January with our sucken eyes and drawn out patients due to being short staffed since the holidays. Thankfully that changes here shortly with a new volunteer.

We Made Goo!

Auntie Whitney is thankful for her pre-school teacher background!

I am sitting in silence listening to the washer machine run and embracing my last moments of quiet before things get really crazy. I am about the welcome 7 girls in my house over the next couple weeks! oh boy! I have been living on my own (for the most part) over the last year and have really enjoyed it. I am an extreme introvert so I cherish my alone time, silence, a clean house, and no drama. Im going to need a lot of prayers over the next 6 months, having others in the house. Don't get me wrong I like people (generally in small doses) but 8 girls in one small house is totally crazy.

J is practicing his crawling and strengthening his left side!

I got a cat!! his name is Mischief! He is actually from another family who moved off site so he has adjusted very nicely.

We have new Volunteers! Stephanie and her Brother Michael are here from Colorado. They arrived on Wednesday and will be here for the next six months volunteering around Refilwe. Stephanie will
be here at the Baby house and Michael will be with the Children apart of the god-parent Program.

These huge colourful grasshoppers are EVERYWHERE!

A rare facetime with my little brother

I have some exciting news that I will hopefully be able to share Next month! Be on the look out for my next blog!

Crazy weather here in January (Hail)

and over 110F weather too with 15% humidity!

Hanging out with EJ

Love this picture of 5 of 7 my Toddlers

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2015!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From all the Aunties and Babies at El Roi!

I pray that everyone had a wonderful time with their families in remembering the birth of our savior.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his Kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7

My House Decorated for Christmas!

I spent Christmas with my twelve children. We have seven toddlers over 20 months so the day was full of excitement. Cindy, Bongiwe and myself were all trying to keep the day full of fun with a bit of structure (if we could manage lol) . I kept praying all day that we would be able to do the fun things I wanted to do, while trying not to have too many meltdowns from the 7 little people. And it was great! The small babies did great with the day  however, they were very much less aware of the day and had fewer interruption to their routine.  At the end of the day we all were like walking dead on our feet from exhaustion but the toddlers did great and we didn't have one time-out all day! Parenting Win!

Was excited for the kids to wake up and see the tree and "group" presents!

They all loved the tree!

Each toddler tried to take the ornaments off

Cute Photo Moment!

Little bit if mas chaos for the day!

We had Special Eggs and Toast for Breakfast! What a treat!

Cindy and I tried to go out that evening so we were not sitting home alone on Christmas evening. Didn't last very long.. we were falling asleep trying to eat dinner and giggling uncontrollably from exhaustion. We were all dressed up for about an hour dinner. I laugh about  how ambitious we were..  

Since my church has a Christmas day service instead of Christmas Eve services I wasn't able to go to church. A dear family from church invited me to have Christmas Eve dinner with their family. It was very nice to be included and be apart of a family during the holidays.

Cindy and I at dinner

S Loves his Truck!

It was hard to keep opening the rest of N's presents after he got his car

Baby A looked so cute in her Christmas outfit!

I have been thinking about all the babies who were able to spend their first Christmas with their families.

Rockstar (Sweden)- I Miss you calling my name all around the house. I miss your Cleverness and your hugs 

Edi (Sweden) - I miss your scrunchy nose Smiles and your screams when you get excited.

S (South Africa)- I miss your silly laugh and your look of naughtiness when your doing something wrong.

K (Finland)- I miss your grunts and your happy birthday song

My Princess C (Sweden)- I miss your smile and your cuddles. I miss your stubbornness and how you greeted me when i walk into the house.

Tiny T (South Africa)- I miss your chubby everything : )  I miss seeing your special relationship with toddler H. Never have I seen two small people take to each other as quickly has you both did.

Even though I miss all of you , It is nothing, compared to the joy I feel knowing that you’re so loved and will be so spoiled this Christmas. I wish we were getting updates and I could see how well your family has come together and  how perfectly you fit into your forever home. I trust that the Lord continues to hold you tightly in his hands and loves you more infinitely than I ever could.

Little Bird Loved her Toys!

AB was so funny opening her gift! definitely most entertaining

This is how H sat down on the Present mat. back to the camera lol

Prayers for 2016:
-10 Adoptions in 2016: I am excited for this next year and all the new forever families it will bring for our house of 12. Looking at all of our childrens’ cases, it looks like a lot of our babies have a good chance to be with their families next year.

L  didnt want me to take the toy away... i just wanted to take it out of the box

 -A Car: I would love to have freedom to get more involved at my church, get groceries on my own, help the other volunteers to get around, and lend my car to the baby house when they need an extra car. South African’s Economy is struggling these last couple months (Shame!) but it has made the Dollar very strong.  This cuts my expenses down quite a bit to only $6,500 for the car and my expenses (insurance, petrol, tags etc)  If you feel led to help me with this need would you email me whitinafrica@gmail.com. I know that God Provides for our needs in his perfect timing!

-Wisdom for the year: As I pray about this new year and ask God what 2016 will look like I hear: Whit its going to be hard. What does that even mean? No idea! I thought this year was difficult on many different aspects (My mom being sick, Mission Discovery, C’s adoption, being in america for 6 weeks, depression). To hear God tell me that 2016 is going to be hard, I feel like I really need to dig my heals in and make sure I have strong armor ( Truth, faith, Righteousness, sword of the spirit Ephesians 6:10-20) I covet prayers from you his next year!

-Baby House: We are going to have a lot of changes in the house in 2016.. between babies coming and going. Aunties leaving and new Aunties being training up. Possible Expanding to more children at the end of the year. New registration as a CYCC. Their are Changes coming to the house and sometimes they are easy and fun and others can be tough and straining on our patience.

M looking at his book!

Should have known better than to give him his ball first.. thats all he wanted

Thank you so much for your support in 2015. I pray that this coming year is full of moments where we all learn to trust God more and great moments to give glory to Him. I pray that we continue to grow into the Men and Women that look a little bit more like Jesus every year.


Cheers to a great 2016!

The kids decorated Christmas cookies!

They got to watch their favourite movie while eating lunch: CARS!