Surgery Date & Acacia Village

Can you get fired as a blogger?? If you can...I lost my "job" this month:) Sorry for the sparse posting.

Well we finally got Sarah Mei's 2nd open-heart surgery date....June 27th. Now comes 4 weeks of isolation on the farm (to ensure her good health before surgery), followed by 5-7 days in the hospital (traveling to MUSC in Charleston, SC again) and then ending with another month of isolation!! The good news...all the isolation time will give me lots of opportunities to complete farm projects I have on my "To Do" list....building a portable hen house for laying hens, preparing 2 of our ponies for sale, helping Phil fix the goat fencing for the 3rd time...who knew that AnnaGrace's 2 pygmy goats could be such Houdini's??, and prepping more areas for flower beds.

Please pray with us that God will guide the surgeon's hands, that Sarah Mei's valve tissue will be healthy enough that the surgeon can use it to rebuild her valves again...otherwise a metal heart valve will be used...not a great option for a 2 year old, and pray for her entire medical staff...anesthesiologist, nursing staff, Cardiac PICU staff, etc. that they will provide excellent care. Also pray that our family will be a testimony, during this time, to the love of Jesus Christ and His provision in our lives!!




Our Acacia Village $5 Friday fundraising has slowed markedly. From a human perspective it's disappointing, but then the Lord reminds me that His Holy Spirit is the one that works in hearts and moves individuals to give!! If you've been prompted to give, but have been waylaid by the Tyranny of the Urgent (have you read this booklet??? It's a great reminder of how "urgent" issues get our attention while the truly "important" get overlooked), would you consider giving this week? I've attached an address to a recent CNN news article detailing the current drought situation in Ethiopia and the subsequent effects on the "least of these". The needs in Ethiopia are real and URGENT. Acacia Village will be a safe haven for children who would otherwise face starvation, homelessness and hopelessness.

http://m.cnn.com/cnn/archive/archive/detail/115239/full

After reading this article, I remind myself, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6,7



This is a photo of Stephne, a CWA Ethiopian staff member, with children in one of CWA's orphanage. I love Stephne's smile and obvious love for the children. Phil had the privilege of spending time with Stephne and her family, while in Ethiopia. They are passionate about loving and caring for God's children!! THANKS Stephne for your part in Ethiopia and Acacia Village!

To Celebrate Mother's Day...We made a donation to Acacia Village to honor my mom...Kay Horton...Mom, Thanks for always being willing to listen and for being my coupon shopping co-conspirator!

A 30 second window into Ethiopia...and the urgent needs of the children!

(Click on the arrow at the bottom, left of the video box and the video will begin immediately)

Torie's Senior Ball

I keep asking myself, "How can this be?"...Our oldest daughter is now a senior in high school. I know we're not old enough to have a senior..ha.
SouthLake Christian Academy has an annual junior/senior ball (versus the traditional prom). Torie attended accompanied by her dad. She looked like a princess (o.k. I know I'm a little biased but let the pictures speak for themselves!)


Torie and her best friend, Miranda.


Torie with her daddy!

Chenzhou "Sisters"

Sunday we had the privilege of having Sarah Mei's Chenzhou "sisters" over for a cook-out. Sarah Mei, Lilly, and Lainie grew up together, for the 1st 16 months of their lives, in the Chenzhou Children's Welfare Institute in Hunan, CHINA. Despite several thwarted attempts to meet, we were finally successful! We had a great, albeit, busy day with 6 adults and 13 children running around the farm!! We plan on making this an annual event.


Lainie, Lilly and Sarah Mei grow tired of posing for photos:)


Lilly is acting as pilot as she and Sarah Mei zoom around the house. Lainie, wisely, watches from afar.

$5 Friday - Week 3

Praise God!! We raised $1,685.00 ,this week, for Acacia Village!!! Our two week total is $2,075.

Donation Suggestions
Feel free to make donations via the following methods:
$5 weekly
$20 monthly
$65 quarterly
$130 semi-annually
$260 one time
or sponsor a $5 Friday Week for $1,000

Payment can be made via our ChipIn link on the right of the screen or checks can be made payable to Christian World Foundation (write Acacia Village on the memo line)
and mailed to : Phillip & Elaine Horton
7691 Ivey Meadow Ln.
Stanley, NC 28164

Special Thanks to Week 2's $5 Friday Sponsor ($1,000) - Toby & Lora Higgins

Below is a photo of a little girl Phil met while in Ethiopia. She (along with her twin and her twin 10 year old sisters) are waiting to be placed with a loving family. If you know of anyone interested in adding 4 beautiful daughters to their family, have them contact emilyb@cwa.org . She can give you more details.

New 30 Second Video - Hope for the Children

Creative Ways to Fund $5 Friday

Just curious if anyone has thought of a creative way to save $5 to donate to $5 Friday. Following are ideas that 2 contributors are implementing to give to the fundraiser:

One of our close friends is a Mary Kay Consultant. She decided to donate a portion of her weekly proceeds from her Mary Kay sales to Acacia Village!! We are SO grateful!!

Another good friend decided to pack a lunch, on Fridays, instead of going through the drive-thru. She chooses to forego her McChicken Sandwich and uses this as a reminder to pray for the orphans of Ethiopia.

Hats off to you ladies!! Great ideas.

Here are a few ideas I came up with:
Let your children earn money doing family jobs (hate to call them chores...it sounds so disdainful:) )and then donate their earnings to Acacia Village. This is a great way for children to learn to invest in missions work.

Give up one Starbucks coffee a week. (O.k. I know some of you don't have the unenviable habit of drinking the Venti Mocha like I do. If you just drink a regular coffee you might have to give up 2 for the week.)

Order water, at restaurants, instead of tea or a soft drink. That will save at least $5 (can you believe how expensive beverages are in restaurants??)

Please leave a comment on your creative way to give to Acacia Village:)

And now for a few photos:





Just a note...if you're like me, and after viewing the faces of these beautiful children, you are now begging your husband to adopt one of them (and for the record my very wise husband has learned to say "Yes dear, I'll pray about that:)...Phil met these children in January, and they are already placed and waiting for their adoptive families. However, there are many other beautiful children waiting to be adopted and in adoption terms "listed" with Christian World Adoption. If you are interested in adopting from Ethiopia, CWA has a wonderful Hague Accredited Ethiopia Program that placed over 200 children, in U.S. families, just last year. You can find out more information on their adoption programs by visiting their website at www.cwa.org

Just 24 hours to meet our 1st $1,000 goal!!