**WARNING** blog hacked by the truly amazing husband.

So here we are less than a month to go from going to meet our son for the first time, and it is crunch time. I am a big sports fan and as any good sports fan knows, crunch time is all that matters. Miracles can and do happen weekly in every sport in the last 2 minutes, and that is where we are with our journey to adopt Ezra!

The biggest need we have as always is spiritual. If you have been apart of an adoption journey before you know the struggles that kids go through as they get acclimated to a new world. New sounds, languages, people, skin color, food, house, time zone, and climate. These are all giant things and if we got thrown into them as adults we would be off center, grouchy and inconsolable. That doesn't even include the unconscious cloud that hangs over their heads by being abandoned by the people in their lives that should have loved and cherished them. Unless you have been abandoned, you can not understand the anxiety and shame that clouds your entire existence. All of these things are wound and bound up in our beautiful little boy, and he doesn't even understand it. And frankly neither do we. I say all of that to try to convey the idea that we covet your prayers. We need all of you praying for our little boy and our family as he and we grow together. If nothing else, please stop right now and pray for Ezra Barker. I can wait... This is the most important part that you will read in the post so please, do it, just do it.

via GIPHY

Thank you for praying for us.

As you all know we have continually asked all of you to be a part of this journey financially as well and God has provided amazingly and abundantly above what we could ever dream. Every deadline there was a check under our door, or a new friend giving through PayPal, or parents coming along side and blessing, you have no idea how lucky we feel to be surrounded by family, friends and a church that have such a passionate heart for the orphans of the world. And so we have been blessed again financially. We applied for a matching grant through Lifesong for orphans (lifesongfororphans.org) and received news last week that we were given a $3000 matching grant. Now I am sure you have read every word that my wife has put out, but the last number we said we needed was around 8,000$, well as of last week that was down to $6,000 and then we got news about this grant. And so basically instead of needing to find another 6000$ we only need to find $3,000 more! How crazy is that!!!! We have already raised some of the money, but we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to be a part of this and extending your gifts to us by double. You all are smarties, so I don't have to explain this to you, but I will anyway. If you give 50$, we get 100$. If you give 1000$, we get 2,000$! You get to double your money! It's amazing and crazy!

If you would like to take advantage of this matching grant to bless us, here is the info:

-Checks should be payable to “Lifesong for Orphans. In the memo, note “family name” and “family account number” (Barker / #5657) to assure it goes to the correct account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744. Lifesong has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption. 

-To pay online go to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate. Select “Give to an Adoptive Family.” Complete the online form and fill in “Family Account Number” and “Family Name” fields. Note PayPal charges an administrative fee (2.9% + $.30 USD per transaction). Your donation will be decreased by the amount of this fee.

Like I said if you checked out after praying for us, no worries. You did the important part. God has blessed us just to have everyone of you that is reading this in our lives. Thank you again for caring. Thank you for spending 10 minutes reading and praying about and for us. We will continue to update you as time and occasion allows! Until next time, Pray4Ezra.

Tim