A couple of weeks ago, Donna Kelley from KZBK Bozeman (our local CBS Affiliate) called us and asked if they could do a TV news story about our family...sort of a "day in the life of" kind of feel with a "twist" of, "And they're adopting four more kids...".  Our first question was, "Does anyone care about a day in the life of our family?", but she assured us that it would make a good story, so we said, "Sure..."

SO, last week, Donna and Matt (Cameraman from KZBK) came over and spent an evening with us...and, well, here it is:

http://t.co/EDTWZDfegd

Our kids sure are great, and as for me and Danna, well, suffice it to say that we both strongly dislike seeing ourselves on-screen...I (Brian) am a geek...but at least Danna is hot...;-)

Brian

4 More Hopkins!!!

We are SO excited to share that our precious girls are legally Hopkins!!!!  It is fantastic news... although there is a bit of bad news as well.  The increase in adoptions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the new investigation process has caused a MAJOR slow down in the process.  The US Embassy in the DR Congo is understaffed and we are told there are at least 300 families ahead of us.  So, although our girls are legally ours, we will not be able to go pick them up and bring them back to the US until the US investigation is completed and their VISA's are created.  We are told that this could still be 8 months away.  As I am sure you can imagine, this is gut wrenching.  Every day that passes is another day that our sweet girls are without a mommy and daddy and their brothers and sisters.  Living conditions in the DRC are not good.  They are currently eating 2 meals a day and more than likely have parasites and scabies.  It breaks my heart that they could potentially continue living in these conditions for another 8 months.   God has performed HUGE miracles in our adoption so far and I know He will continue to answer prayers.  So PLEASE continue praying our girls home!!!  We are SO excited to hold them, love them and get to know them!  And if any of you have connections with US leaders who may have influence in getting our girls know, please let us know!!!
We are now allowed to share pictures of them and we have some great ones!  We have decided because of some recent issues that we are only going to post them in a secret FB group.  If you are interested in being added, please message me on FB!  Thank you for being a HUGE part in bringing our sweet babies home!!!

GOD FINISHES WHAT HE STARTS!

Thursday, we got the invoice from our agency for the remaining balance to be paid to them ASAP.  I looked at the total...$12,050  I knew we had money in our adoption account but I also knew it wasn't this much.  I am embarrassed to confess after the AMAZING, MIRACULOUS, ways God has provided, I began to get anxious!  Brian was out of town so I didn't talk to him about it, I just forwarded the invoice to him.  Yesterday, Brian sent me an email.  It said there was a mix up in some funds and our account actually has $12,456!!!  WOW!  I am BLOWN away!  God is so incredibly faithful!  

That's not all our incredible news either!!!  A little over a week ago we got an amazing email from a precious 10 year old boy.  He gave us $100 of his own money and then proceeded to write an email to his friends and family requesting that they match his gift.  His dad sent us this email: 

"It's sure been a pleasure to watch this unfold - both the adventure of this most recent adoption for you and the adventure of our boys taking it on as something of their own. I just wanted to send a quick note to say that we've shared the story and Bridger's response has been completely of his own making. What a cool thing to watch a 10 year old do. Caid has had a very emotive response all his own. He can't believe that any force in the world would be horrible enough to try to separate siblings and vowed at one meal he would NEVER let that happen. It's been a really cool deal. We're praying for you and your whole clan - the new ones too. If there's anything else we can do, let us know."
 

 How humbling it is to be part of the body of Christ and to be loved on and supported by SO many incredible people.  Today I read this "Daily Hope" by Rick Warren and it was so perfect for our week, I thought I would share!  Thank you for your love, prayers and support!!  PRAISE JESUS!

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (NIV). What God starts, he finishes. Where God guides, he provides. And where God leads, he meets our needs. But he’s going to test you first, because there is no testimony without a test. God tells us to remember to remember. Often in the Bible, God had people create a memorial so they’d never forget what he taught them. The idea of creating a stone of remembrance comes from the book of Joshua. Right after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and were going into the Promised Land, God had them create a memorial to remember what he had done for them. Each person picked a stoned and used it to build a memorial. In the future, when their children asked what the stones meant, the Israelites could explain that they were a reminder of God’s faithfulness to the children of Israel.
If you were to build a memorial, what would you want to remember? What would it stand for? What do you want to make sure you don’t forget? It’s not the things that matter — your job, your house, your salary, or your accomplishments. You are God’s legacy, and your legacy is made up of the moments that made a difference for God’s Kingdom, the relationships that had eternal significance, and the ways you worshipped the Savior.  I invite you to pray a prayer of remembrance right now. Say these words back to God in your heart: “Father, I remember right now the love of Jesus. Thank you for the miracles you’ve worked in my life. God, help me to remember your grace and to be gracious. I remember your generosity toward me. I ask you for the strength to be generous toward others. I trust that you will be with me, and I trust that you will finish what you have started in me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Yesterday was a sad day... it was our little M’s 3rd birthday and all I could think about all day was... she doesn’t get a cake, she doesn’t even get a present!  Will anyone even tell her happy birthday or how much they love her or how happy they are that she was born three years ago today?  My heart is aching because I want to do ALL those things for her.  I want to make a cake and give her presents, but more than anything I want to hold her in my arms and tell her that I am so grateful that God brought her into this world and that He allowed me to be her mommy.

We also got news yesterday that there are enormous issues on the U.S. Embassy side of things.  Right now, they are saying there is more than a two month back log before the 3-6 month period they are saying it is taking.  Notice I said it is the UNITED STATES EMBASSY in the DRC.  Not the DRC Embassy.  I am sick at the thought of our girls (and all the other kids) waiting, because the U.S. doesn’t have enough workers to get these adoptions processed and get the kiddos home with their families!

We DO know that God is much bigger than all of this and He has shown us over and over in the last couple of months that He has it ALL under control!  Please join us in praying for miracles!!  That things will get straightened out and that we would be approved to get our girls in record time!  We are ready to go get our girls!!!  On a happy note, I found some party dresses that they definitely NEEDED – Brian agrees 100% :).  Thank you for praying that we will be holding them in our arms SOON!!

Luke 18:27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Our son Dylon came home from school and handed this envelope to us.  His little buddy in his 3rd grade class brought it, filled with his hard earned money to help us bring our girls home.  We are utterly blown away by these precious kiddos and their hearts for others.  That they would care so deeply about our sweet little girls half way across the world is simply amazing.  Thank you all for your love and support!  It has me in tears daily!!

God just keeps continuing to show us that He has a plan and that He is going to accomplish it, even using these precious kiddos.  We are humbled and SO encouraged that so many of you have chosen to join us in our adventure!

How do believers develop this kind of childlike faith? Risk! Hear the word, obey the word and trust Him for the outcome. Pastor Cho, leader of the largest church in the world in Sol Korea, shares his church growth methodology by saying, “I pray and I obey, Ha, Ha, Ha” Western analytical thinking wants to understand first, then act. In the Kingdom, the reverse is true. When it comes to spiritual growth, hear His voice, act; then understanding will come. Faith comes by hearing the word--the last word spoken and the current word.
- See more at: http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/christian-principles/approaching-jesus-as-little-children/approaching-jesus-as-little-children-childlike-faith.html#sthash.pS2696vm.dpuf

ONE LITTLE GIRL...

It's absolutely amazing to our whole family just how God is making His provision so abundant for the purpose of bringing our four little girls home from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Man, have we got stories...lots of stories...and, well, we just had to share this one...

Back at the beginning of February, a friend of ours from out-of-state dropped me a late-night text that said, "Our daughter's (Elizabeth) birthday is coming up...wanted to let you know that she decided to ask her guests to make donations to the Hopkins Family Adoption Fund in lieu of gifts...we're hoping to be able to send something to you by the end of February..."

Whoa! 

My friend's text stopped me dead in my tracks.  I ran through the house gathering whoever was awake to excitedly share with them that a girl they barely know was GIVING UP her birthday presents to help us bring our four girls home.  Varying shades of surprise, gratitude, and excitement swelled in our kids as I shared of Elizabeth's generosity.  It's an uncommon generosity, isn't it?!?  A young girl giving up highly anticipated birthday presents to help friends of her parents adopt four little girls...you don't see that everyday, do you? 

Well, the other day, Elizabeth had her birthday party.  Her Dad told me that there were seventeen girls who showed up (that's one big birthday party, by the way!) and Elizabeth's Dad handed me the envelope yesterday with Elizabeth's sacrificial gift inside. 

When I got home late last night, at the conclusion of what had been a whirlwind day, I sat down with Danna, hardly able to contain my anticipation about tearing into that envelope.  Now, hear me...my excitement wasn't about how MUCH money was in that envelope.  It could have had a single dollar bill in it and I would have been just as pumped as I was.  For me, for us, for our family, the worship that was building in us about this gift was all about the heart that had compelled little Elizabeth to give so generously.

Turns out there was more than a single dollar bill in that envelope...399 more, to be exact...that's $400 that Elizabeth and her friends so generously gave our adoption fund to help bring our four daughters home...astounding.  So astounding, as a matter of fact, that when I told Danna that there was $400 in the envelope, she said, "Huh uh"..."Uh Huh!" I replied...$400...

So, thank you, Elizabeth.  Thank you all the seventeen friends of Elizabeth and your families.  Thank you God for Elizabeth's heart and for how You're providing for us in this season through Your kids (literally).  We could not be more grateful.

Wild Trust

Our dossier is translated and in the DRC!!!  We now wait for our court date when the DRC government will determine they are orphans and they will legally become our daughters.  At that time, the US Embassy will do their investigation and make sure they agree that they truly are orphans, then they will prepare their VISA's so they can come home!  Sounds like a pretty easy process however, they still expect it to take at least 6-9 months :(  Such a bummer!  Please pray that it goes faster than expected and that we can bring our little girls home!!!

I just read a book called "Outrageous Courage". It is about a lady named Tracy Evans, a physicians assistant that lived in Mozambique.  She cared for 900 HIV + orphans and even treated the rebel guerillas when they held her captive.

The eighth chapter is so fantastic, I just had to share!  It is entitled Wild Trust and this is what it says:

"One thing that has been true of my relationship with Christ in every season is that He loves to invite me to step out and take some outrageous leap of faith into the unknown with Him.  I have become convinced that risk is God's love language.  Like a father playing with a child, the Lord loves to throw me up in the air just to prove that He will always be there to catch me.  Over the years, the risk taking lifestyle has forged a firm foundation of confidence in my heart.  No matter how impossible or unlikely the circumstances appear, when God asks me to jump, I do not have to wonder, I know His arms are waiting."

Isn't that fantastic?!?!  I want to live my life taking risks for Christ.  I don't want to live my life working towards the "American dream"- whatever that is...a nicer house, car, stuff and things...

I had a friend ask me the other day if I'm worried that the girls will have attachment disorders or other medical issues.  The quote from the book is such a perfect response!  We do NOT know what the girls struggles will be.  We do know that whatever they are, all He is asking us to do today is keep taking one step forward and trusting that HE-the one who loves us ALL more than we can fathom- is in control!  What outrageous leap of faith into the unknown is God asking you to take today??

Bozeman wrestler brings a large cheering section...his family

Even KTVQ in Billings joined the movement to help us bring our four little girls home!  Thanks KTVQ for doing such a great job helping us tell our story!!! Click on the link below to watch the video!

http://www.ktvq.com/news/bozeman-wrestler-brings-a-large-cheering-section-his-family/?fullsite

150 + Prayers from all over the U.S.!

God is good and God answers prayers!!  Since my last post we have received just under $3000 in gifts and have sold another 46 necklaces!!!!  That almost $4000 in just 2 days!!!  It is unbelievable how many people God has nudged to help us bring home our girls!!  We have sold lots of necklaces in Bozeman and Billings but in addition we have sent them to TN, KS, WA, IN, MO, MD, VA, IL. 

More than the money, I am so excited to know that there are over 150 people praying for our girls!!!
I know I have shared in the past that one of my favorite books is Kisses From Katie.  I may end up quoting her entire book on our blog so you may not ever have to read the book :)  Had to share this:

"People are people.  They all need food and water and medicine but mostly they need love and truth and Jesus.  I can do that.  We can do that.  We can give people food, water, medicine, love, truth, and Jesus.  The same God created all of us for a purpose, which is to serve Him and to love and care for His people.  It is universal.  We can't do in in our own strength or out of our own resources, but as we follow God to wherever He is leading us, He makes the impossible happen."

Our situation IS impossible in our strength...all of it!  Coming up with $60K in just a few short months, adding 4 more small children to our current family of 8!  It all seems impossible and it all seems crazy.  However, when you think about life remembering this life is about God and others and the "others" are whoever God leads you to love and show Jesus.  For us, God has made it clear that we are to care for these precious kiddos but it may not look the same for you. 

"Sometimes, the everyday routine of my life feels so normal to me.  At other times the idea of raising all these children seems like quite a daunting task.  I realize that since I have chosen an unusual path it is  easier for outsiders to look at my life and come to the conclusion that it is something extraordinary.  That I am courageous.  That I am strong.  That I am special!  But I am just a plain girl from Tennessee.  Broken in many ways, sinful, and inadequate.  Common and simple with nothing special about me.  Nothing special except I choose to say "yes".  "Yes" to the things God asks of me and "yes" to the people He places in front of me.  You can too.  I am just an ordinary person.  An ordinary person serving an extraordinary God." 

Another quote from Kisses from Katie.  I love her heart and her passion for God and others. 

Thank-you SO much to everyone who has helped us.  Thank-you for saying "yes" to helping us bring these 4 sweet girls into our family.  I cannot wait to tell them everyday for the rest of their lives how much Jesus loves them and how much you and I love them!

What a great week!  We sold just over 100 necklaces and are over $2000 closer to bringing our girls home!  We are so grateful for all your love and generosity!  Thank-you!!!  I have met 2 incredible families via Facebook, both wives were really advocating for our girls!  The first family is Lew and Kati, they have two PRECIOUS kiddos Arthur and Gigi that they brought home from DRC last September.

Aren't they PRECIOUS?!?!?!  Well, they were told by the agency a few weeks ago that Arthur and Gigi's older sister is now available for adoption.  As you can imagine, they are still in "transition" figuring out life as it is.  I can remember after bringing Silas, Josh and Mahlea home, I truly didn't think we would adopt again, for at least a year.  Not because our kids were bad or were doing anything wrong, but because honestly, it IS HARD!  Adjusting and transitioning your family is always hard (whether by birth or adoption) and it takes time.  They are also still recovering from the cost of their first adoption and as you all know, adoption is costly!  Despite their situation, they know in their hearts that this sweet little girl is supposed to be part of their family along with her brother and sister!  SO, they are moving forward and just like us they need to come up with money as quickly as possible!  Please pray for Lew, Kati, Arthur and Gigi and if you feel God is asking you to bless this amazing family here is their blog http://nostretchmarksrequired.com/.  They have a fundraiser and you can donate on their blog.  Brian and I also really wanted to help them so she is hosting an online Silpada party.  If you need/want any Silpada, I am giving them all my earnings from the party (it's 30% of the retail cost)  You can go here http://mysilpada.com/sites/danna.hopkins/public/content/jewelry/index.jsf and click on Find your Hostess and choose her name Kati Ayotte and then just shop online OR you can just contact me danna@pure-wireless.net or 406-690-6258 and tell me what you would like to order and I can place the order for you!

The next family is the Cok family.  They adopting a little girl through the same agency as us and they knew about our four little girls and had been praying they would find a family.  I was unaware until today that they had accepted a referral for a sweet baby girl last Feb. and they legally became her parents in July of last year.  Shortly after, she passed away from a sudden illness.  I tearfully read her blog post this morning, they are asking people to donate to our family or the family I mentioned about in remembrance of their sweet little girl - Thursday is her birthday.  http://i-really-should-be-cleaning.blogspot.kr/2013/01/happy-birthday-rory-grace.html 
They remained with our agency and were referred another little girl who legally became theirs in October.  They are close to bringing her home!  Please pray for them!!! 

 I am just in awe of the incredible people God has filled our lives with, people who are choosing to live their lives doing all they can to "see a need and meet a need".  I don't know how many of you were able to be at Journey when Brian's good friend and college roommate, Shane Claiborne spoke but one of my very favorite quotes and one I refer to often is something he said in the book "What if Jesus Really Meant What He said Red Letter Revolution".
"God is a God of abundance when we trust, and a God of redistribution when we do not. God's people are not to accumulate stuff for tomorrow but to share indiscriminately with the scandalous and holy confidence that God will provide for tomorrow. Then we need not stockpile stuff in barns or a 401(k), especially when there is someone in need." -Shane Claiborne

We are praying and hopefully expecting to submit our entire dossier next week and with it we will need to send another $17K.  We can borrow the money and we will if we need to but it would be so incredible if we didn't have to.  Please pray that God will move mountains and please share our story, if we sell the rest of our necklaces we will meet our goal!!!!