The Home Study is on It's Way!

Hello Everyone. This summer has brought fast action, many changes, and good news. India opened up their registration, and we were very quickly registered. We then received information and word about a little girl who needed a family and that set into motion two months of very quick home study visits, document filing, apostilling, notarizing, and running ourselves ragged. We have to get everything in and signed before our A IC expires in September. (Our home study had already expired along with multiple documents).
When India closed their borders to update their policies, we were put on a 16 month hold that we weren't sure would ever end, so much of our initial work was deemed expired.
The Lord helped us get it done though, and hopefully Mary-Susan Nelson will be with us before 2012 comes to an end.  We have two photos, one is of her at 9months, and one is at her second birthday in April. She is absolutely beautiful, and we are all exstatic with excitement.
In the interim Ben and I had started a ministry called "Barnabas Ministry's". We were fufilling the call to help and care for the least of these by caring for and offering assistance to young Christian men who needed help transitioning to adulthood with housing, educational, spiritual, financial, and emotional support. Tito, Billy, and Ryan became a part of our family and home for 3 1/2 very awesome months. We so enjoyed having them with us, and were blessed beyond measure. I have watched the Lord do some amazing work within the minds and hearts of these young men, and watched them grow leaps and bounds. Tito was able to travel to Houston with us for Garricks graduation, and naturally everyone there welcomed him with arms wide open. Ryan and Niki (he stayed with us for a short time in July as well) were able to attend the Foslom reunion, and we were so glad to get to take them to meet some of the extended family.

Sadly, our agency and the Indian athorities would not place Mary-Susan with us as long as the boys were there, so we were forced to rapidly transition them to other places. We are continuing to work with them as much as possible through non-residential support, but we ask all of you reading and following us to please please keep them and that ministry in your prayers. We have every intention of continuing to answer the call to work with at risk young men in our church and community, and would like for these boys and any future boys to be blessed in prayer. They all knew about our adoption, and understood fully why they had to transition out for the time being, but it didn't make it any easier. We miss them terribly and they are struggling a bit so please pray that God will bring some people and situations to help bridge the gap.
We love you all and will keep you updated on our progress and if and when we receive a travel date.
Thank you for helping us this far to bring her home!
Ben, Kasey, Shelby, Landy, Carter, and Mary-Susan Nelson.

We are officially registered with Cara!!!

Hello all! We received word today from our agency that we
Are officially registered with C.A.R.A which is the adoption
Governing body out of India!!!! This is a HUGE milestone as they
Recently changed all of their policies.
Now our agency will send a physical copy of our home study to
India for approval, and then they will request a female referral from
The orphanage or "rippa" we are working with.woot!woot!
Thanks to Illien for their hard work, as registration is the hardest and most
Difficult part of the process, and thanks to all of you who
Continue to hold us up with encouraging words, financial support, and
Prayers.
We will keep u posted. Pray for no snags with mailing the study, pray for
Continued cooperation with the authorities in India, and we also ask you to pray for our
Continued fund raising efforts. Also, Ben is launching a business
And we ask for your prayers that Gods will be done in this area as well.
Thank you and God Bless
Ben,Kasey,Shelby, Landy, and Carter Nelson

TEAM NELSON NEEDS YOU!!!!!!

Dear friends, family, and members of Team Nelson,
We hope all is well with you and yours, and we hope the holidays found you with family and loved ones. We were able to visit with Brian and Mandy and Suzanne and mike over the holidays and was a much needed encouragement visit. After losing the Sho Hope grant, we were very discouraged as we had no idea where and how we were going to fund this adoption. Many amazing family members and friends have given generously, but in this economy fund raising has been very very difficult. The economy is also affecting a families ability to secure a no interest or low interest adoption loan. So, we have had to become creative and dig deep for perseverance and beg our Heavinly Father to help us provide for this journey he has us on. Brian and mandy adopted from India 2 years ago, so being able to pray with them and just talk and vent and share was great.
In November I began making organic fragrance crystals, bath salts, and lotions with a personal and individual message on the jar. They were a huge hit at a craft show and we received many orders for the holidays. The response and encouragement from many friends has led us to launch our own fund raising business to try and raise funds for the adoption.
 "Scent-Immense" is the name of the business and our web site is finally up and running!!!! We have the ability to accept paypal and credit cards, and would love for you to visit our site as well as like us on facebook. Of course we are still selling the Ugandan Magazine beads and t shirts, and if you would like to order those please contact us on facebook or via thisblog. We will ship any order anywhere.
If you don't have the funds to shop right now that's ok, we covet your prayers and your social networking skills :) Please share our web site and link on your blog , with other adopting families, on your facebook, and anywhere else people will see it! We need exposure and word of mouth!
Also, If you have purchased or recieved these bathsalts and lotion, go to our facebook page and like us and leave a product review....that will let people know that it's a good product.
We are having to raise every bit of our estimated $27,000 adoption on our own. We currently can not have our Dossier sent off until we raise $2,500; then we must begin raising funds to have a court documents prepared and to travel if and when the referral comes through.
We know God has us and our daughter in his hands. We know he will provide, and we believe he will be faithful to complete the good work he has begun in this family.
We love you, pray for you, and miss many of you!
Love
Ben, Kasey, Shelby, Landy, Carter Nelson