SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

Greetings Family and Friends!

Wow! I know....I'm FINALLY updating our blog (thanks to my Mom pointing out that it is about time for an update)! Ha ha ha! What can I say but life has been VERY busy for us the past month and haven't really gotten a "window of time" to sit down and gather my thoughts to put them on "paper" ....well computer screen anyway! Ha!

We have been SO blessed this past month with our adoption process! I'm telling you there is absolutely NO doubt that the Lord has ordained this adoption from the get-go! I was at a Women's Conference last month and the guest speaker who is a VERY dear friend and fellow prayer warrior for Kevin and I's infertility journey said something that was so profound but so directly from the Lord. She said, "the Lord saw your family portrait from the beginning and knew that there was a little child in Rwanda who's last name one day would be COKE"! Even now typing this brings tears to my eyes and goose-bumps because I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW that He from the very beginning ordained this for Kevin and I's life. We've had a few recent opportunities come up to perhaps adopt State side and you know I said something to Kevin the other night that he was also thinking but hadn't voiced. I said going through all of this now and knowing that our "baby boy" is in Rwanda right now, perhaps not even born yet, I can't imagine our life with out him. And ya know, he just smiled and said he was feeling the same thing! So we BOTH know that we're going FULL steam ahead!!

We were OFFICIALLY excepted into the Mugisha Ministries family last month and are now making our plans for the journey ahead!!! YIPPEE!!! Pictures to come (as soon as I figure out how to post them through this blog)! Ha ha...any helpers or advice would be appreciative! :-)

Also, we were blessed last week by one of my cleaning customers/friends! She had twins last year and was wanting to get rid of her car seats and swings...so she graciously offered us one of each! They are absolutely beautiful and the color of the car seat is so very close to the nursery colors we've picked out! :-) So now we have that "extra car seat" for our other car....we'll probably use the car seat that will come with the stroller that we're looking at for the car we'll drive mostly! Isn't it SOO neat how the Lord works everything out! It is so much fun to be now planning these things...wondering through the Baby Isles at Target together dreaming and picking things out....something I thought I would never get to do!

We'd also like to announce that we've picked out our little guy's name officially now! His first name will be "MALACHI" which means "Messenger of God"...and his middle name will be whatever his African born name is!! We're Soooo excited...can you tell???!!!

Ha ha..so that is the latest from The Cokes and we'd LOVE to hear from you all!!

More to come....stay tuned....this story is just getting started!!! HA HA

Blessings,

Marissa (and Kevin) ;-)

And We're Off!!

Well Dear Family and Friends,

We are SOOO happy to report that we have "officially" started the process! :-D After years of waiting we took our first "GIANT" step toward parenthood and mailed our application to Mugisha Ministries (www.mugishaministries.com) yesterday! HOORAY! We cannot begin to tell you how very excited we are!!

When we are PRAYERFULLY accepted into their program we will begin to gather ALL of our vital paperwork and seek out a locally licensed Social Services office that has experience with International Adoptions. When we have found a suitable one for us we will go through the process of completing a "home-study". We're a bit nervous with all of this, but then again what do we have to worry about when the Lord is there to walk us the entire way through?!

I must admit I now find myself walking through stores with my head held a bit higher knowing that "finally" I'm well on my way to becoming a "MOMMY"!! Yeah!!!

Please keep checking back with our blog as I have a feeling we'll be having LOTS to post in the coming months!!! HOORAY!!!

Blessings,

Kevin and Marissa :-)

GOD'S AMAZING GRACE!

My dear Family and Friends,

My heart is overflowing with joy and heartfelt gratitude. Allow me to explain!

We had a very unexpected blessing/miracle happen to us last night at church! After we had gotten all of our bus children onto their buses at the end of the night we came back into Kevin's office to "unwind" for a few minutes before journeying home. As Kevin was straightening up his desk he noticed an envelope laying upside down. When he turned it over on the front was written "Baby Coke". We opened it up and there was a check from an anonymous giver. We have NO clue who came and blessed us and our "baby"...but whoever you are...may God richly bless you for not only your sincere kindness but your willingness and obedience to listen to His leading! We humbly THANK YOU! I don't know if we can EVER truly express HOW MUCH this has BLESSED us and MEANS to us! We honestly were speechless (which if you know me at all...that doesn't happen very often)! HA HA HA! Our hearts are SO full of joy! I cannot begin to tell you what it felt like to go to bed and wake up feeling like my heart was going to burst out of my chest with joy and anticipation to know that we are on our way to our BABY in Rwanda!!!

Along the lines of blessings I feel I must share that I received (through a very precious friend) a "word" from the Lord concerning our baby! He said for her to share with us that our little Baby has not even been born yet!! Isn't God SO amazing! He knows our hearts and knows that we want as close to infant as possible and to think that for us He's just as concerned about the details! Wow, God you NEVER cease to amaze and surprise us!!

So it is with JOY that we ask you to continue to pray for us as we continue walking on this journey and draw nearer to our little baby boy!!

Blessings!

Marissa (and Kevin)!

IN LIKE A LION....

Well my friends and family,

March has FINALLY arrived!! The promise that yes indeed, Spring is on it's way! We've made it through the long grueling months of January and February (here in snowy PA) and we're on the uphill swing to SUMMER!! Yeah!! As you can tell this is my most favorite season!

But you know, Spring is probably a close second that. It is during this time of year that things begin to awake from their winter slumber and "rise" to greet the warm weather! Isn't God's handy work amazing? It is during those times when I see things growing and blossoming all around me and think, Wow, how can people say there is No God? I guess for me, growing up in a Christian home and witnessing all of the great things He has done in not only my life but those around me I just can't keep quiet! Isn't that after all exactly what we're NOT to do...keep quiet? The Bible says if we don't cry out the rocks will in our place! And I know for me I'm not letting rocks declare the goodness of God in my life...I am gonna shout it out loud!!!

I said to Kevin the other night as we were driving down the road, that I felt as if we're not doing enough to get toward our goal of adopting our little one from Rwanda. And he said to me, we are, it's just taking a bit longer than either of us would like it to. We're waiting for a few things to fall into place and we know God's timing if "Perfect"...after all, we've been waiting 7 1/2 years to get to this point and we firmly believe that He's going to be faithful and continue to lead us! If you all would like to pray and believe with us the two things we're mainly "praying in" right now are Health Insurance and Financial Support. As you can imagine it is not "free" to go through the adoption process. The Lord has answered a prayer in one way in that Rwanda does NOT charge for their adoptions. Some countries charge an astronomical fee for just the "privilege" of adopting a child from their country, but thankfully Rwanda just wants to see their children go to loving homes! But all of the other expenses come from the "legal stuff" so to speak and travel! In my life I always worried about "money"and just plain "worried" about things...but you know what, I would say within the past year the Lord has taught me so much about allowing "Him" to be the provider for my family! And instead of saying...Oh Lord, we just don't know how you are going to provide for us to be able to adopt, we are saying and believing (with confidence) that the Lord WILL provide! To quote my most favorite scripture from Jeremiah 29:11... "For I KNOW the plans I have for declares the Lord, plans to PROSPER and NOT HARM you, plans to give you a HOPE and a FUTURE!! God is SO amazing and His word NEVER fails!! So if you are with us and going through something right now, I just want to personally say to you...remember what the Lord has promised you! Keep your eye on that PROMISE and His word WILL NOT return VOID!! Thank you Jesus!!

So we say as Kevin and Marissa (and baby "Rwanda Coke")...."By FAITH He's already provided everything we need for this adoption"!!!

We love ALL of you who have been following us and please continue to pray with us as we continue to seek His will for our "future family"!!!

Marissa (and Kevin) ;-)

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Greetings Everyone!

Well, January has come and gone and we are quickly accelerating through February on our way toward Spring! But next stop is Valentine's Day! Boy do I LOVE this holiday, with the exception of Christmas I think Valentine's Day is my 2nd favorite holiday! It is a time where we focus so much more, (more so than we usually do) on our loved ones (or ones we love in our hearts and haven't gotten a chance to meet yet...as in our case)!!

We just wanted to write a little update and let you know that we are still chugging along toward our heart's desire! The Lord is continually laying before us and placing people in our paths to give us information and help us take one more step closer! I have recently been in touch with a dear family from Michigan who just returned from Home Of Hope in Rwanda (the orphanage we'll most likely be going through) with two precious gifts of their own (two of the most adorable little boys)!! She has provided me with a WEALTH of information and guidance as to where to even begin! God is SOOO awesome! In light of the fact that we will be completing this independently we've also been directed to a Christian ministry called Mugisha (means "blessing" in Kinyarwanda) Ministries (www.mugishaministries.com) who helps families that are going about this independently! So know that when I say the Lord is directing us I truly mean ALL steps!!

We are SO anxious to get the ball rolling but there are just a few "minor" (to Him) details that need to be worked out and then we'll be ready to go FULL STEAM AHEAD!!

So please keep praying and standing in agreement with us and we'll keep being led by Him on our way to our "Heart-Born Child"!!!

Blessings,

Kevin and Marissa :-)

Cold Days...Warm Hearts

This is SO much fun, here I sit in Starbucks in State College, Pa updating our blog! Sipping on some DELICIOUS hot chocolate and listening to this really WEIRD music! But fun none-the-less!

I just wanted to again write and say THANK YOU to all of our family and friends who have agreed to stand in the gap and pray with us for our little one! We cannot begin to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for you all! I was talking with a customer/dear friend yesterday and she gave me the greatest idea! I'm going to keep a journal of our journey from beginning to end and perhaps MAYBE...one day it might just turn into a book! Who knows! But be on the look-out! Also, as I was perusing down the isles of Target today I saw the cutest thing and got a "great idea"! I purchased our little one's first piggy bank and have decided it will sit in our kitchen as a reminder of "great things" to come! And so if you come to visit and cannot find a use for that "spare change" feel free to deposit it into our little "piggy"! "All proceeds will go to our future trip to Rwanda"!! Ha ha ha!

I hope I provided you all with a little laugh today...just something to warm your hearts on this VERY COLD Pennsylvania winter day!!!!!

Blessings,

Marissa (and Kevin)!

Looking Ahead

Wow! I cannot believe 2009 is coming to a close in just a short week! How time does fly when you get older! But oh what joy we have to look forward to in 2010!!!!

Thank you all so much for the warm wishes and encouragement on the announcement of our forthcoming adoption from Rwanda! We are overjoyed to say the least! There have been times in the past few weeks that I stop and think to myself, "wow, this time next year we (prayerfully) will have a new little one to celebrate with)"! A dear friend told me that this adoption will be like a pregnancy, except on paper. I will experience all of the same emotions of being pregnant, except I luck out and don't have to deal with the dreaded "morning sickness"! I have to say, I am REALLY looking forward to that part! But there is also the anxious part...which I'm experiencing now. It's hard to have to take the time to get "our ducks in a row" but we wouldn't have it any other way. We know that the Lord in HIS perfect time will open all of the doors and allow us to walk through them! But in the meantime we will just have to be patient and "wait on Him"! Sometimes that is SO much easier said than done, but if there is one thing that I have learned through this whole starting a family ordeal is that it is SO worth the waiting! I honestly cannot imagine our lives w/out this new little one that will be coming to us and we do not even know that little one's identity yet (whether it be boy OR girl)! For all we know that precious little gift may be but a twinkle in God' eye...waiting to be created just for his heart-born Mommy and Daddy here in Central Pennsylvania! Oh I just want to squeal with glee when I think about it! I honestly get tingles when I think of our precious little one! :-D (I'm grinning ear to ear at the moment)!!!

But as we do celebrate this special time of year let us all stop and thank God for sending his One and only Son to die for us that one day we might all live again with Him!

Blessings to you all our dear friends and family! Kevin and Marissa :-)