THE RANDOM FACES OF AMY (and my friend Nicole)

The First 4 pictures are of the Orphans that I talked about in my post below. Aren't they cute?

The last picture is of me and my friend in a fancy Romanian restaurant.

Hello!

Today I think I'll tell you all about Romania and my love for it. I can remember when I was about eight years old and sitting in my prims class (it was a girls bible class) and my teachers were telling us about Romania and the orphans there. They told us all about how poor they were and how we were going to raise money to send to the missionary's there. I remember hearing about the children that had no parents. It broke my heart. Ever since that day I have had a love for the country of Romania.

So before I go on I would like to give you just a little background on the country.
Romania is located in eastern Europe. Like most Eastern European countries Romania was communist. It was a communist country from 1947 to 1996. Now it has a social democratic government. They are a very poor country and are into National debt up to 13.7 billion dollars. Since the economy is so poor many family's are not able to feed all of their children so there are many abandon children, so as you can imagine the orphanages are over flowing. They also have a really big problem with the trafficking of girls and young children. Romania wants to enter the European Union but, before they can they must deal with some of these problems. So they are working and have seen some change.

I have had the opportunity to go to Romania twice. Both times I went with a woman's team to do a woman's conference. Both times were amazing. It was so cool to get to go to a country that I had wanted to go to since I was a little girl.

The first time I didn't get to go to an orphanage. But the second time I went (which was last march) I was able to go to an orphanage. One of my dreams had come true. I went to an orphanage in Romania. It was so heart breaking. All of the kids were just starving for love and attention. They would come up to me and give me hugs and kisses. They would just hang on me. I had a camera with me and all of the kids are very photogenic. So I have tons pictures of all these kids. They all would pose so well (I will post some for all of you to see). They are all such beautiful children. Oh I can't understand how anyone could just abandon them. The orphanage was home to about one hundred and fifty to two hundred kids. When I left I felt like crying. All of those kids broke my heart. It just deepened my love for the children there. Just thinking about it even now makes me want to cry.

I love the country of Romania. I love the People so much. They are all so friendly. God is doing amazing things in Romania. When I was there I was excited to see how much the church that I had gone to last time had grown. I am excited to see what God in the store for the future of this country. I can't wait until the Lord allows me to go again. Well I have told you about my love for the country of Romania. Has God laid a country on your heart? Tell me about it. I love hearing about different countries.

God Bless you all,
Amy Searles

Here are some pics of me and some of my girls. The first is of Me, My cousin Janell, and My sister Natalie. The next is of My cousin Naomi and Me. The last is of My sister Natalie, My sister Lily, and me.

Hebrews 1:12,
Like a cloak You will fold them up and they will be changed.
But You are the same; and Your years will not fail.

God never changes. He is always the same no matter how the world changes. Sometimes when I feel like Luke will never be healed. God gives me a verse like this just to remind me that He never changes. God still is the same God that did miracles in the Bible and He can heal Luke at anytime. I was so encoraged by this verse and I hope it encorages you too.

Here is a picture of my family minus my Mom and Dad.
We are at the beach in Oregon.

"A Woman's Question"


Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing
Ever made by the Hand above?
A woman's heart, and a woman's life-
And a woman's wonderful love.


Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing
As a child might ask for a toy?
Demanding what others have died to win,
With a reckless dash of a boy.


You have written my lesson of duty out,
Manlike, you have questioned me.
Now stand at the bars of my woman's soul
Until I shall question thee.


You require your mutton shall always be hot,
Your socks and your shirt be whole;
I require you heart be true as God's stars
And as pure as His heaven your soul.


You require a cook for your mutton and beef,
I require a far greater thing;
A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts-
I look for a man and a king.


A king for the beautiful realm called Home,
And a man that his Maker, God,
shall look upon as He did on the first
And say: "It is very good."


I am fair and young, but the rose may fade
From this soft young cheek one day;
Will you love me then 'mid the falling leaves,
As you did 'mong the blossoms of May?


Is your heart an ocean so strong and true,
I may launch my all on its tide?
A loving woman finds heaven or hell
On the day she is made a bride.


I require all things that are grand and true,
All things that a man should be;
If you give this all, I would stake my life
To be all you demand of me.


If you cannot be this, a laundress and cook
You can hire and little to pay;
But a woman's heart and a woman's life
Are not to be won that way.


- Lena Lathrop -

Because

I made her. She's different. She's unique. With love I formed her, in her mother's womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember with great pleasure the day I created her. To me she is beautiful - I love her. I love her - I love her smile, I love her ways, I love hearing her laugh and I love the silly things she does. She is herself and no one else - this is how I made her.


I made her pretty but not beautiful because I know her heart, and knew she would be vain. I wanted her to search out her heart and learn that it would be Me in her that would draw friends near.


I made her in such a way that she would need Me. I made her a little more lonesome than she would need to be, only because I want her to turn to Me in her loneliness. I made her a little more dependent than she would like to be, only because I want her to lean and depend on Me.


I know her heart I know if I had not made her like this, she would go her chosen way and forget about Me - her creator. I have given her many good and happy things, because I love her. I have seen her broken heart and the tears she has cried all alone. I have been with her and have had a broken heart, too.

Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone, only because she would not take My hand. So many lessons she has to learn the hard way because she would not listen to My voice. So many times, I have sat back and sadly watched her go her merry way alone, only to watch her return to My arms, sad and broken.


And now, she is Mine again. I made her and then bought her. I paid a price for her - because I love her. I have had to reshape and remold her to renew her to what I had planned for her to be. It had not been easy for her - or for Me. I wanted her to be conformed in My image. This high goal I have set for her because - I love her.

-Author Unknown-

I have been reading the book of Ecclesiastes in my Bible lately. It's interesting I have read the whole Bible but I don't remember much of this book. So it has been like I am reading a new book. I have found many verses that have encouraged me greatly. I want to share with all of you one of these verses and why it encouraged me so. It's found in Ecclesiastes 3:4 and it says:

A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Almost two years ago my little brother Luke drowned in our back yard pool. He was dead for thirty minutes, but God brought him back to life. Now because Luke was dead for so long he had a lot of brain damage. He couldn't walk, talk, or do any of the things a normal eighteen month old should be able to do. He stayed in the hospital for five weeks. He's home now and doing well and for more information about little Luke go to howsluke.blogspot.com

Because of this tragedy, our family went through a lot. We all had a lot of pain and sorrow. Over the last two years God has done a lot in my life. He has healed a lot of the hurt and sorrow.

A couple weeks ago I went to a kids camp. At this camp there was a pool just like the one that Luke had drowned in. It was really hard to see this pool especially since I hadn't been near one since the accident. The first day I was okay. But it was the second day when my girls went swimming in it that all of the memories came back. I was struggling. It was hard not to just brake down and weep for the sorrow in my heart. But that morning the Lord had given me a verse it was in Psalms 18 verses 29-30 and it said:

29 For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to those who trust in Him.

So after my girls had finished swimming I went up to my room and cried, prayed and read this verse again. The Lord is so good. He gave me that verse in the morning because He knew I would need it later that day. On Thrusday I got in that pool and had a blast. God did some major healing in my heart. On the last day of camp I was praying on the floor and was asking to Lord to renew my Joy. I needed a renewed spirit for I was broken and needed God so badly to help me. Well that night the Lord renewed my Joy and a couple of days later He gave me the verse in Ecclesiastes. It was like the Lord was saying to me Amy you were weeping and mourning but now it is your time to laugh and dance.

I would love to know what anyone of you out there in Blogger Land think about the book of Ecclesiastes. Has this book in the Bible impacted your life like it has mine? What are some of your observations? Well comment and let me know.
In Christs Love,
Amy