Yesterday we were returning from the baby home and we were stopping at the front desk to get our room key. Just as we went to step inside the building a woman was leaving. She did a double take and stepping back said, “Linny?”
I looked at her trying to place her face.
She explained, “I stalk your blog. My name is Diana.”
Made me laugh.
I hugged her and we both giggled –
so unbelievably sweet of the Lord to cross paths unexpectedly
with a bloggy friend in here in Kampala.
We talked for quite a long time.
She is here leading a team of 8 from a ministry in the States.
They were leaving today.
I mentioned that our little treasure resides near.
This morning she came to me.
She had talked to her team and they had rearranged their schedules so they could minister at the baby home where our treasure resides.
How sweet is that?
So today they spent time ministering to 50 little treasures….
Later we met up again….
and I was talking to some of her team {precious people!}
and as they were leaving to go on to another Ugandan city I got teary-eyed.
It was so wonderful to talk to this tenderhearted orphan-lover named Diana, Allison and others on her team.
I hugged some of them good-bye.
Emma is very sick so I went to our room and
moments later I heard a voice quietly calling my name…
I went to the door.
It was Diana.
The team was just about to pull out of here but decided to see if I would come out so they could pray over me.
I told them how hard it has been to be ‘silent’ with my prayer warriors with all that is happening here and how alone we have felt with people not able to know how to specifically pray. Diana acknowledged that it was the enemy of our souls {indeed!} who had orchestrated events to put “the gag order” in place with the frenzy of much a-du about absolutely nothing, no doubt! She suggested that I just share vague bits so our true friends who care could pray specifically.
Then these eight folks were sweet ministering angels to our weary souls as they joined together, laying hands on me and praying with power and conviction very, very specifically about our needs here!
How good of God!
And here I am going to share very vaguely…
ugh
I have typed and re-typed and re-re-typed
some vague prayer requests.
But I just can’t do it. I have erased. Reworded. Erased. Reworded. But for some reason, I just can’t leave them.
It is too risky.
But I am comforted that the God of the Universe can whisper secrets {our prayer needs specifically} to each of you…
{according to Psalm 25:14}
Ask Him what to pray specifically.
He will tell you – I’m sure of it!
Oh, Linny! Our God is great, wonderful and all glory goes to Him! How amazing that he orchestrated that meeting, and those prayer warriors! No matter how much my heart knows that God is at work, it never ceases to amaze me the wonderous works of His hands! My prayer for you and Emma has been that God will send encouragement your way, that He will continue to strengthen you as you walk this path for Him and for His orphans.
As for the other prayers, we are lifting you up, even without the specifics. God knows the needs and prayers. So, we continue to just pray that His name be glorified, that he gives you the strength that is needed, and that He sends ministering angels your way.Hang in there, and we are honored to stand in the gap for you and your family.
Kim
Early this morning (around 2a.m.) as I was finally going to bed, I felt God whispering to me to pray for your Tyler. Praying for him and Sarah, and for you and Emma and the girls in Uganda. May God bring ALL of you home safely soon.
How wonderful you were able to spend time with these loving and caring people. A true gift from God.
I will pray for Emma's sickness to leave. Also praying as God directed me to do awhile ago, for your safety…
Will be asking Him what else to pray for. Don't feel bad about not being able to post here what is going on…trust your heart and know that we all understand. Our thoughts and prayers remain with you there In Africa and your family at home.
Praying for you and Emma. Praying specifically from a release from fear. Praying for a breaking of silence. A friend shared this saying with me–"Worry looks around us, Faith looks Forward." So I am praying for peace as you move forward in this process, that's right–Keep Moving Forward!! Don't worry about the what people will say or think, look ahead in faith to what God can do with your words in their hearts. But even if you can't write the words, the Holy Spirit is whispering them to your prayer warriors around the world.
I LOVE this! AND I have been praying for both you and Diana as you have been there in Uganda, never dreaming your paths would cross! She and I have actually talked in the past about where you guys actually minister there! How God works continues to amaze me, although it shouldn't!
We are back here lifting you all up!
Because of Him!
Praying here in Indiana, Linny. Thinking about you and Emma often and wondering how your time is going.
Love you dear sweet lady,
janet and gang
Linny, it saddens me that you have such a fear of sharing your stories with us any more. You are such an inspiration to me as well as others. It's almost as if the evil person who wrote those derogatory remarks has won. You have ministered to me with your mountain-moving, miracle-working, awe-inspiring discussions. I pray for you and your family everyday. Wish I knew more specifically what to pray for, but I will pray for Emmy to get well fast, that R no longer has a fever (maybe she doesn't?) and that you and your 3 daughters will be reunited with your family soon. I do want to share with you how you taught me to talk to God. As I prayed daily, I wondered. Then just last week, when I asked God why he doesn't speak to me, He said, "I do, you just haven't been listening to me". It is through your guidance that I have reached this awesomeness! Keep well and be safe and take care of your girls as well as yourself.
Praying….
I don't know any of the details and do not need to. God knows them more intimately then any of us here on earth so I pray with great faith that He will hear.
Hugs, blessings and prayers Linny. Especially for your sweet Emma as she struggles physically.
Love you dear friend and yes, we are praying. In ways only the spirit can understand and understand He does!
Praying! (And yes, we miss your specifics!) But God knows…
Hi Linny~
Isaiah 21:3-8
1 Thess. 5
Psalm 53:4-5
Psalm 85:8
Hebrews 6:10
Hab 2:1-4
i sent them in full text to your email. Praying unceasingly for you! God loves you so much! Praying for Emmy to feel better quickly! <3
Praying…praying…praying…Even without the specifics, our God still knows what we are praying for and we can trust Him with that. Waiting to hear Him whisper your exact prayer requests.
Linny – you all are constantly in my prayers. We may not know the specific needs but we do know the Lord provides and will continue to lift all of you up in prayer. God bless! Lori, Iowa
Praise God for sending those 8 sweet angels to you!
…for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8)
…and without you having to ask us.
I've been praying for you guys and longing to hear from you, knowing that God is giving unction from the Holy Ghost to so, so many!
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name! Thy kingdom come to Linny & Emma, Thy will be done, for Linny & Emma, on earth, in Uganda, as it is in heaven. Give them (and their Sarah Jane and Ruby Grace) this day, their daily bread…communion with You…Your body broken for them…healing that is Your children's bread. And Lord, multiply it for others, as they go about doing good to all who sick and oppressed there!
Forgive them as they forgive others…the delays, the oversights, every misunderstanding, hostility, etc.
Lead them and guide them. Bring deliverance to them in every way.
Thank you Father! In Jesus name, Amen.
Praying for Miss Emma!
It breaks my heart too that some very unkind people have made it so you can't share many details this trip.
I have been praying for you and will continue. I know on top of everything it has to be so hard to be away from your family.
Linny,
This is brilliant! Ofcourse God will tell us how to pray when we ask Him! I have been praying just the same. Let it be known to the devil that he can not stop our God!
Joy
Linny, Today I had a God appoint. while waiting to have some copies made I meet a lady who was having brochures made. Do you know of a ministry called Hines Ugandan Ministries out of littleton? they are stationed in Kampoli. Only GOd! Janet
Please know that at 7 every evening Colorado time I will pause and cover you in prayer. I will do this until you come home. Janet
yes, Linny, the God of the Universe can let your needs be known. And even if we don't know specifically what to pray for, He still hears and knows. The underground church around the world frequently has to do that. It's just too risky to make some things public. God bless you and Emma richly right now. Susan
Another opportunity to see God do His thing!! And those nay-sayers will stand in awe of His awesome power to whisper your needs to us. Can't wait!!!
I'm praying, Linny.
As I write this comment, Newsboys' song "In the Hands of God" is playing. Know, know, without a doubt, that is where this mountain lies. And I believe and will be praying that He will move it with His hands that "are mighty to deliver!"
Well it sure seems God is answering Dw's prayer request that you see the loving hand of the Lord in your lives each day – how gracious of the Lord to send those ministering angels. He loves you guys and your treasures so much! It's so amazing to see how the Lord is working and setting his captives free. I love you guys and am praying for you and your whole family while you are away. Praying your treasures are released soon! XOXO, Chels
Praying for you all!
Very cool. When we were in China, we met another family on a heritage tour with their daughter, the night before we met our daughter.
Just as they were leaving the hotel that morning, the babies were being taken into the hotel, and the family got out of their taxi and took pictures of the babies.
A week later, we saw the same family in a different province, and different hotel. They told us that they took our daughter's picture, and gave us their email address.
It was so odd that we met up with them twice, and that they took our daughters' picture, minutes before we met her.
Proof of Divine intervention. And it was one more sign that God was with us during our time in China, and that the adoption was being orchestrated by someone much bigger than us.
I am so sorry that you feel gagged and cannot ask for us to pray specifically for your needs 🙁
And I'm sorry to hear that Emma is very sick.
I will pray for you and Emma, for the things on your heart that you can't share, that He will answer speedily and that you may know and see His favour.
It is so beautiful that Diana and her 8 ministering angels were able to pray for you, so beautiful 🙂 Praising Him for this.
I know specific prayers are important, but there are also times like these when you can rest because the Spirit will intercede for you with the PERFECT prayer. Love and prayers for God's love, protection and healing for your entire family.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-67
I am praying that ALL OBSTACLES – current and future – are REMOVED FROM YOUR PATH and that HEALING takes place wherever necessary!!!!! Keep us vaguely posted!
First, let me confess to being a lurker for too long. I have prayed and fasted along with you many times, particularly in the past year. I have such urgency to pray for you now. You show great wisdom in your restraint regarding what you post, even though that is so hard, and it grieves me that it has become necessary. Second, the Lord guided me to pray specifically for each of your precious children, the ones at home who miss you and are waiting for you, and who don't totally understand why you are gone. I am praying for each of them by name, that the peace that passes all understanding will guard their hearts and their minds in Christ Jesus. And I know that you are torn between the needs of the ones who need to be rescued, and the needs of the ones waiting for you at home, as any mom would be. May the Lord grant you according to the RICHES of His glory, to be strengthened WITH MIGHT through HIS SPIRIT in the inner man. Remember: "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed! For the LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU, WITHERSOEVER THOU GOEST!"
Love and prayers from Pennsylvania-AmyW
Hi Linny. God woke me up at 5am central time on Tuesday the 18th. I didn't get why I couldn't go back to sleep and then the Lord brought you and your family to mind. I prayed for you all…that things would hurry along…that family back home was holding together…that you were doing OK and most of all that you can bring home your two treasures soon. God's moving; hang in there!!
Praying for you Linny, Emma and your family. God know your request and I pray that he would work miracles for you. May God give you the encouragement you need!.
Sandi Hofer
sjhofer@comcast.net
I read this post earlier today and tried to comment but deleted it I think. I have never commented before but am a frequent "lurker" of your blog and have been since the fire, I found your blog from another blog who asked for Prayers for your family at that time and have been reading eversince. I hardly know how to type this cause words dont seem to do it justice. God worked a miracle in my life today and I want to sing and dance and praise. I have been struggling with an addiction for a long time and God used your blog today to bring me to a place of complete brokeness where I could finally see that HE IS THE ONLY WAY and my sin was standing in the way of him working in my life. And in his sweet and loving way he takes care of us, he used a sweet 9 year old neighbor girl ready to know a Savior and gave me the opportuinity to lead her to him.
Sarah is brought to my mind a lot through out the day I don't know why but I am constantly praying for her.
Okay its still the lurker. haha But anyway AS my sweet neighbor asked Jesus to come into her heart God broke mine all over again, reminding me I can have Victory over my sin because of what he did on the cross. All that to say when I read your post earlier God immediately layed the song Savior he can move the mountains on my heart. And I so needed that today. And prayed it for your family as well. I apologize if this makes no sense to you but please know God is using you to teach me in Michigan that I want to love him more and I want to be broken so he can heal and restore cause I know he has Amazing things he wants to show me. And I want to be obedient to him in everything in my life. Praying for you all…And praising God even in the hard…A friend from Michigan
Praying sweet friend! Do not feel alone we are still praying that Gods will be done, and that you can bring your sweet girls home ASAP!! God knows your specifics and he is the main orchestrator in this huge mighty plan!
Thankfully we know the One who knows all the details! We honestly do not need to know more Linny. You have our prayers and with the Holy Spirit's help we may even be praying more specifically than even you would! He knows more than any of us right? 🙂
Praying.
I'm a new follower of your blog so if you've mentioned some of your needs very long ago, I haven't "caught up" with those entries yet. However, I am praying for your baby girl as y'all wait nearby. God knows every need she has. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we can't find the words to express what our hearts long for. Others who know you better will know more specifically what to pray about but I wanted you to know that I'm stopping what I'm doing right now to pray and ask God to place his hands on your family and give you the desires of your heart.
What a blessing for you to cross paths with the missionary team! What an encouragement for y'all!
No need to share specifics. His power won't be thwarted! I will pray. The Lord Knows!
just leave it to the Holy Spirit. The Comforter will pray through us. You are ALWAYS on my mind and your treasures press on my heart and are a constant reminder to pray, pray, PRAY! much love from Montana <3
Im really not crazy lol but this is my 3rd comment on this post, after I got off the computer last night and went to bed God woke me up at 3:30AM with you and emma on my heart. So I prayed. Just wanted you to know:) God is Moving!! Love your sister in Christ from Mi., Kathy
I love you, Sweet Friend. Now I can call you an in-real-life friend. 🙂 I'm SO happy that we were able to pray with you and for you. I am praying that sweet girl home. Praying and praying.
Love you,
Allison
I got both chills and tears reading this… Diana and Allison are both previous teammates of mine and they are both very special with huge hearts! Your story is amazing, I pray that God gives you strength, guidence, and comfort and abundantly blesses you for all of your dedication to taking care of God's beloved children!
Thank you for sharing your story.
http://www.sunnidaegregory.blogspot.com
Linny, I have never prayed that way, but I tried it last night, and God did tell me how to pray for you! He is faithful and I was so blessed. I pray that you were too.
So thankful to meet you in UG. Sorry we didn't get to spend more time together. wondering if you can please love on my baby for me? maybe give me an update on him? sending love and prayers from here to there! <3
Bridgette Boswell
Linny- I am also a blog lurker. 🙂 I work for Visiting Orphans and was so happy to see that you got to meet one of our teams and that they were able to pray with you. Praying for you!
Oh my sweet sister in Christ! Please know that I am still praying for you, Emma and your treasures. It's okay that you can't share specifics with us right now…..God knows what they are and that is what really matters.
((((HUGS))))
Julie
That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times.
-Romans 8:18 (MSG)
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.
-Romans 8:26 (MSG)
After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
-Romans 8:30 (MSG)
We will keep praying, as always! The Lord has been speaking to me about ways to specifically pray for you and I know there are going to be some stinkin' awesome testimonies! Hang in there!
Another lurker just popping in to say I am also praying for each and every one of you.
I, too, am so sad that the unkindness of a few (or one?) has left you unable to share what's going on, as you always have. 🙁 Know that I am praying for your sweet family, for Emma specifically, and praying you and your three girls will be able to come home soon!
It was so fun reading about how God brought Diana and her team to minister to you! And also so fun to read (from Casi) that they were a Visiting Orphans team, as that is who I traveled to Uganda with this past summer! Such a small world with God! 🙂
Much love and prayers to you all.
Like Diana, I have been reading your blog for some time and LOVE seeing what God is doing through you and your dear family. Diana is a friend of mine!!! I can't wait to hear all about her trip upon her return and how God moved! My heart jumped when I was reading Diana's blog as she sent us over to yours and that God put their team in your path. HE IS SOOOOOOOO GOOD!!! I've been praying for you and your family for some time. Bless you sweet sister in Christ! Do not grow weary of doing good…as His Word promises in His time…His time!
Linny,
I'm so thankful to have found your blog a year ago. I follow your family's story and am praying little Ruby home. Last week I read this post about "eight ministering angels" my dear friend just got home from Uganda last night and posted about you and your family asking everyone to pray. My dear friend was one of those eight angels. I LOVE how our Father works! Congratulations on your newest treasure!
Hi Linny,
My name is Lauren and I was one of the people on the Visiting Orphans Team. It was such a blessing to meet you and to stand with you and believe that God would change the circumstances in Ruby's adoption. I have been thanking God allowing our paths to cross. He completely touched my life in going to visit the baby home. So happy to hear that Ruby is finally yours!
God Bless and Keep you and your precious family!
I was standing outside the embassy in Ghana when a woman called my name. She, too, recognized me from my blog … and "happened" to live just 4 hours from me in the same state. Such a small world … and a sweet little gift from the Lord.
So glad that these ladies were able to pray with you and to bring encouragement to you.
🙂 🙂 🙂