HIV Educations...

Taken from www.projecthopeful.com What you need to know: `HIV is considered a chronic but manageable disease with proper treatment.`Children who receive treatment are expected to live a normal lifespan. `HIV has never been transmitted in normal family living conditions. `You NEVER have to fear contracting HIV through casual contact with an HIV+ person. `HIV is spread in three main ways: sexual contact, IV drug use through the sharing of dirty needles, mother to infant (pregnancy, birth or breast feeding.) `All around the world orphans are overlooked for adoption because of their HIV+ status. `Medications called ARVs can mean the difference between life and death. `The combination of three or more ARVs is called HAART. (Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy) `With medications HIV can be effectively managed to the point that the virus is undetectable in laboratory tests. `There is a term for the miraculous transformation HIV+ people undergo when they begin receiving the medications they need. The Lazarus Effect is a term commonly used to describe people who were once on the brink of death who have been restored again to health through medication. Questions?? Ask away!!!!

Dear Family and Friends...

Dear Family and Friends, April 12, 2011 We want to thank everyone for their prayers and support for our ever growing family. We are excited to announce that we have been matched with a lovely little lady in Ethiopia. We will call this smiley energetic nine year old Truth. She has lost both of her parents due to HIV/AIDS and her community is unable to care for her. She is diagnosed with HIV stage three and has an extreme hearing impairment. We are confident that Jesus has asked us to adopt her and care for any needs that she brings. We are sure that a few of you will have concerns for our family and community with the introduction of a child with HIV. We want to educate anyone who may have these feelings, please feel free to ask any questions that you may have. We want to be as transparent as possible to insure that when Truth comes home our friends and family welcome her as you have with our other children. We invite you to visit the following sites to help educate yourself… www.cdc.gov www.projecthopeful.org www.truthpandemic.com www.positivelyorphaned.org www.fasnachtgang.blogspot.com We are sure of only one thing and that is the Love of our God. Without His love, this life is just one cruel act after another. We are confident in God’s timing and feel honored that He has asked us to adopt another one of His children. We are asking that you would partner with us in insuring that Truth is home soon. Please pray for her and our family. Pray boldly and in faith that prayers are heard and will be answered, James 1: 5-8. We ask that if you are able to share your financial resources that you would sponsor our adoption. Any gift, no matter how small, will help bring our daughter home!! Our God is so amazing…only He could have known that Truth was to be born to parents infected with HIV. Only He could know that she would lose those parents and need a family who would claim her as their own. Only God could have knit our family together in such a way that we would be open and willing to consider an older child with HIV. It is only through God’s perfect timing that Truth will become a Fasnacht! If God cares this much about a little girl half way around the world…how much does he care about you? “If our God is with us, then who could ever stop us?” (Chris Tomlin song) Those words are so true. We believe that every child who is longing for a home just breaks Gods heart. Our prayer for you is that your heart would break for what breaks His and that you would be open and willing to do anything that God asks of you, no matter how “crazy” it may seem to everyone around you. We pray that you remember the words of James 1:27 “Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” We pray that in some way you are doing just that! Yours truly, The Fasnacht Family

Only in HIS timing!!!

I continue to be blown away by how perfect Gods timing is. I could not have planned a more perfect adoption journey!!! Friday we receive "the call" Monday 4/4/11 we received our fingerprinting appointments in the mail for April 21 2011, thanks to everyone who will be watching my kids that day!! AND RYAN RECEIVED A RAISE 4/4/11...perfect timing...God added a family member and the income to provide for her!!!! I feel that Gods peace is such a great place to be! I don't need to worry about my family make up because God know who my family in now!! I feel sorry for fellow Christians who refuse to follow Gods leading...or who cannot feel His presence. I pray for all you that you would be open to allowing God to take full control of your life, family, finances, future!! Remember God make everything work for good...I have found that the words of James are really powerful when living this way!!! I also was to make sure that everyone is aware that my daughter has HIV, we are not intimidated by this fact. If you would like further information on what it means to live with HIV please let me know and I would be more then happy to help educate you :) I would like to get the "education" done with my family and friends before Truth comes home so that at no time among my family and friends will she feel bad for having HIV. Truth: We are chugging away doing everything we can to get to home as soon as God would like! We found your intake photos and wept...We are so thankful to the mommies who have been caring for you! They have done as amazing job. We cannot wait to see you, Peka wants to paint your nails :) Love ya, Mommy(2) and Daddy(2)

WE WERE MATCHED!!!!!

April 1 2011 is a day that has left a forever print on my soul! I need to back up two days through to start this amazing news! Wednesday March 29 2011 we had our "introduction" phone call with our WACAP caseworker, Patty, who was great. She told us all the Ethiopia program information and talked some with us about our "request" for a child. Parts of the conversation went like this Patty: "So, I see here that you are open to a child with HIV, what does that look like for you?" Danielle:"Umm, the truth is we will not accept a child with out HIV, God has told us she will have HIV." Ryan:"I agree" Patty:"Well that makes things easier, we will be looking for a HIV pos girl, and age you are open to age 7?" Danielle:"We we don't excatly have a cap on that top age, we are open, and willing to parent any child, we are even open to a boy :)" She went on to tell us that the WACAP orphanages do not have children with HIV (MY HEART SANK)...and then she went on to say that they will need to resource other homes. She finished by saying that she would need to talk with Meghan (the program director) to see what time line look like for a girl with HIV and what the process looks like...She told us that she would be calling sometime in the next week to give us details. I recieved an e-mail 3/30/11 asking if she could call that day or 4/1 and I e-mail back and let her know that Friday afternoon I would be able to chat. April 1, 2011 1:55 pm Patty calls...I am expecting information on adoptioning a child with HIV...She goes into detail that a child with HIV most likly will be over age 5 because younger children usually die. A child with HIV is not allowed into most orphanages until all living family has pass away and then usually the children are found taking care of themselves bearly holding onto life. Patty also said that the wait time looks like 0 days to 16 months...and then Patty:"and now that I have given you all that information, I have a girl I would like you to consider" TEARS ARE STREAMING DOWN MY FACE>>> Patty:"she was found fall 2009 very ill, She has HIV level 3 and a hearing impairment...and she is 9ish (I could hear her holding her breath with the news that she was nine) I responded with excitement and she was thrilled. She let me know that on Wed when she was talking with us she already has this little girl in mind but could not say anything on that phone call!!! I really don't think that I will ever stop being amazed at Gods plan and His perfect timing!! Only God knew that "Truth" would be born in 2000-2001 and that her parent would die from HIV...He knew this and planned a family for her...I feel like He hand picked Ryan and I to marry and then hand picked all 4 of our children because only HE knew that Truth would need us...and need us now! Only God could have made this process move as quickly as it has! I only have God to thank for this amazing life that I have with my busy, wonderful, crazy, joyful, frustrating, family :) Just take a minute to think about this...If God cares this much for one child in Ethiopia then how much does He care for you? To Truth: WE LOVE YOU, You are CRAZY Beautiful!!!! We cannot wait for the very near future when we can tell you that we are you mom and dad and that you have 3 little brothers and a little sister!!!! Jesus has been loving on you!!!