November 18, 2010

Paige Missions Request

Remember how it feels in June as the weather is warming and thoughts are turning from school and routine to the lazy days of summer? That is the feeling we have now in November. Cora has 2 weeks of school left before graduating from kindergarten and another school year is wrapping up at the New Horizon School. Donald’s filigree class will be taking a break for the summer as well.

As Americans, however, we are also looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with our fellow missionaries. On the 25th of this month we will be enjoying traditional Thanksgiving food “picnic” style by a local outdoor pool. We will also be taking the time to thank God for His provision and blessings over this past year.

We thank God for you; our friends and family. Through your prayers and financial support the Kingdom of God is being advanced in Paraguay in many ways. With one more year left before going on furlough, we are excited to see what else God has in store.

In our last newsletter we mentioned that our support account at The Mission Society has been declining. Part of this is due to increased expenses we had applying for our permanent residency (over $1000), but we have also had a noticeable decrease in people giving. Right now if things continue as they are, we will be in the red by January. Our mission will not allow us to go into the red and will ask us to go home.

Our goal is to raise the additional support needed to keep us here another year before going home in December of 2011. On average, we are about $1,000 short per month. That is $12,000 for the entire year.

In the midst of writing this letter we have already been blessed by a donation of $3,000! That means we need to raise about $9,000 more in pledges and one-time gifts to sustain us until next December.

With that said, we are standing on God's promise to provide for us. We know that where He leads, He provides. We feel strongly that He wants us to be in Paraguay for at least another year for several reasons:

  • The ministries He has placed us in will be more established by that time
  • Carol will have a new Paraguayan social worker working with her next school year (February to November) that she will be training to take over the job by the time we go on furlough.
  • Our residency process is still not complete, and leaving the country for a few months could jeopardize that, thus losing the over $1000 we paid.
  • God has led us to register Cora in a new school for next year. Leaving in December would allow her to complete a full year of 1st grade.
  • God has provided us with a miracle pregnancy. Giving birth here will be a lot less expensive than in the States. The baby will also have Paraguayan residency once born, alleviating the need to go through the cost and hassle of getting residency for him if born in the States.

If you are already supporting us, we would love to hear any ideas you might have. We are looking for other sources such as churches, Sunday school groups and new individuals that would be willing to partner with us for at least a year. If you could help advocate for us during this time by being our feet and our voice, it would be a huge blessing.

If you are not already supporting us financially, we ask that you prayerfully consider making a pledge or one-time gift.

Donations can be made by credit card or an electronic funds transfer at The Mission Society website: https://www.themissionsociety.org/go/give

In order for the donation to be directed to us, include our names (Donald and Carol Paige) and account #480 in the box indicated for specific missionaries.

Thank you again for your prayers and support. Our prayer is that God will continue to use us for His will and His glory and will continue to touch the hearts of others to join us in this journey.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Donald, Carol and Cora

November 4, 2010

Adoption is not 2nd Best!

I was just reading a blog written by another adoptive mom and was brought to tears by a statement she made about her 2 adopted and biological sons:

"I love that when looking at our sons I see two miracles, two children I thought my aching arms would never hold, two boys I never knew I could love so much."

The tears came because these words speak the feelings in my heart. As we celebrate the miracle of a new life forming in my womb and the fulfillment of our hearts' desire, I am flooded by the memories of our other miracle that came to us almost 6 years ago. Cora loves to hear the story of how we prayed and prayed for a baby and God brought us her. Her favorite part is when we tell her about the first time we brought her to church. It was communion Sunday and we were sitting on the front row. The church was full of tears of joy as everyone passed by us to see the long awaited answer to our prayers.

About a week ago during my alone time with God, He gave me a revelation on how the stories of our 2 children are so similar, and how both were clearly a part of His plan. Before Cora was born, God had closed all the doors for us to conceive. Before we conceived, God had closed all the doors for adoption. Both times, after recognizing that the doors had been closed and giving our will over to His perfect will, the blessings came.

It is my desire that Cora never sees herself as less or second best because she was adopted; that she will always feel secure and loved. After all, as someone recently told me, only adopted children go to heaven! (think about that one)