So after all the recent posts about how the process is going, who is ready for a story about how truly amazing our God is? I promised that God was moving in our story and we have already seen Him confirm our faith several times through different avenues, but this one almost made me fall out of my chair...
So our church has a goal of adopting 20 unreached people groups by the year 2020. An unreached people group is a culture of people, small or large, who have less than 2% of Christians. (It is not necessarily an entire country, but a group of people who identify themselves as a culture inside a country- think Cajuns vs. the entire state of Louisiana.) Basically, this means that there aren't enough Christians to spread the Good News through their entire culture. Our church's mission is not only to select a group and pray for them and their leaders, but to also travel there. And not just travel there for a short mission trip but continue to return and develop disciples and spread the love of Jesus.
The youth group decided they wanted to select a people group. They had a list of 8 groups or so that they were praying over, knowing that God would lead them to the group He chose for them. I saw the list and none of the countries specifically stuck out to me. We prayed with them that God would lay on their hearts the group He wanted for our youth. Sunday was the big reveal. Our youth pastor said there were missionaries from the Czech Republic there to speak to all of us, of course that meant that the youth had chosen a country. But out of the corner of my eye, I see a map of Europe and a whole portion (overlapping several countries) of the map is highlighted with the word "Roma" in big, bold letters. Our youth pastor stands up and says that they felt God calling them to the Roma people and that they would begin focusing on those in the Czech Republic. I almost fell out of my chair.
A few weeks ago, during our phone interview, our agency told us that many/ most of the children available for adoption in Eastern Europe are Roma. The Roma People are a group of immigrants who migrated from Northern India/ Pakistan to this particular section of Europe. There is a tendency to sometimes lean towards racism against them, therefore many of their orphans are not adopted in-country.
So here is the complete surprise blessing from the Father. Not only will we likely bring home a Roma child, but he/she will come home to a community of people who have been praying for the Roma people. And not just praying for them, but have actually gone to their part of the world, learned about their culture and accepted and loved them.
Anyone else amazed at how big God's plan is? Only an all-powerful, loving Father could have put so many different pieces together. Even if our child is not Roma, what a powerful testimony to him/ her that our church has accepted, been to and loved his/her part of the world. The youth are planning their first trip in Spring 2014.
I hope that this little story encourages you and grows your faith. God is involved in every aspect of all of our lives. He sees one part and connects it to another. Won't you trust that He sees the big picture and put your faith in Him today?
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Our first Home Study visit is on the calendar!
Our first Home Study visit has been scheduled! June 4! We are excited to begin this phase of the process as it is one giant step closer to our child! Our home study will be 4 visits with a social worker who will evaluate every aspect of our lives, finances, upbringing, parenting, and home. Whew! I'm already a little nervous. :) So the next few weeks will consist of us praying, talking and me obsessively cleaning the house! Please pray for this process to happen smoothly and quickly. Also, God is working quite obviously in the financial aspect. We are so thankful for those who are praying and financially supporting our fundraisers. He gets all the glory! I can't wait to share with you just how awesomely He is moving!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Mother's Day
Mother's Day was Sunday and it was a wonderful day of rest in our house. I think I received the greatest gift the mother of a young toddler can receive- a nap! A long, uninterrupted nap! Mother's Day is a day that I always want to spend wrapped up in the arms of my family and reflecting on how much joy they bring to me. I was a little surprised at how bittersweet it was for me this year. As much as I loved having Baby Girl running around the house, I was surprised at how much more it made my heart ache for our Little One. While I was rocking Baby Girl before her nap, I wondered if anyone would rock Little One to sleep. I wondered if s/he even knew there was a mother longing for him/her to be home. For me, Mother's Day is a day to spend rejoicing in the blessing of family, but ours didn't feel complete. As much as I loved having Baby Girl and the Hubby around, I longed for our Little One to be a part of the day too.
It also made me ache for another mother half-way around the world whose baby was not with her on Mother's Day either. Her arms were empty too and I'm sure the same child was on her mind. Two families are missing a precious baby. Two mothers are longing for the same child. That is the mystery of adoption.
As thrilled as I am that God has called us to adopt, I am sad that adoption ever has to be the solution. In a perfect world, a mother would always have her baby in her arms. I really believe that adoption is always God's Plan B. I think that Plan A was to always have families remain together, but sin made its way into our world, and God's Plan A was marred. Extreme poverty, addiction, infidelity, abandonment, abuse, death and a long list of other difficulties are now reality in our world as a result of the fall. Without these things, families would remain together and adoption wouldn't even be a consideration. If you think about it, even spiritual adoption was sort of a Plan B. Without sin, Jesus would have never had to die and we wouldn't have had to be adopted into God's family. Without sin, we would still live in perfect community with the Father.
Because of sin, I will have to answer when he asks, "Why did my first family leave me?" Or choke back the tears when she questions, "Why didn't anyone come for me?" These questions should never haunt the mind of a child. Of course Jesus knew from the beginning of time that this child would grow up in our home and would call us "Mommy and Daddy" but it still doesn't erase that His perfect plan is to leave families intact.
Despite all of the emotions and the many facets of adoption, I am grateful that the holy Father is still on the throne. He sees and understands it all. As He holds my hand through this journey, He comforts another mother's heart. The same hands that hold me, hold her. I am overwhelmed at His goodness and His unfailing mercy. My heart echos Hagar's words, "Surely You are the God who sees!"
At church on Mother's Day, the band played one of my favorite songs. "Your Great Name" by Natalie Grant. The lines that always grip my heart and reminds me to hold fast through this process are:
All the weak find their strength
At the sound of Your great Name
Hungry souls receive grace
At the sound of Your great Name
The fatherless THEY FIND THEIR REST
At the sound of Your great Name
The sick are healed and the dead are raised
At the sound of Your great Name
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuuLBPOYcI8
What an awesome, all-powerful God!
Here are some prayer requests for our adoption process:
- We are working through our training, readings and marriage surveys. Pray that we can accomplish everything in a timely manner.
- I got an email from the Children's Home this week. She can start our home study at the beginning of June! Pray that it is successful and that God would provide all of the funds in His way.
It also made me ache for another mother half-way around the world whose baby was not with her on Mother's Day either. Her arms were empty too and I'm sure the same child was on her mind. Two families are missing a precious baby. Two mothers are longing for the same child. That is the mystery of adoption.
As thrilled as I am that God has called us to adopt, I am sad that adoption ever has to be the solution. In a perfect world, a mother would always have her baby in her arms. I really believe that adoption is always God's Plan B. I think that Plan A was to always have families remain together, but sin made its way into our world, and God's Plan A was marred. Extreme poverty, addiction, infidelity, abandonment, abuse, death and a long list of other difficulties are now reality in our world as a result of the fall. Without these things, families would remain together and adoption wouldn't even be a consideration. If you think about it, even spiritual adoption was sort of a Plan B. Without sin, Jesus would have never had to die and we wouldn't have had to be adopted into God's family. Without sin, we would still live in perfect community with the Father.
Because of sin, I will have to answer when he asks, "Why did my first family leave me?" Or choke back the tears when she questions, "Why didn't anyone come for me?" These questions should never haunt the mind of a child. Of course Jesus knew from the beginning of time that this child would grow up in our home and would call us "Mommy and Daddy" but it still doesn't erase that His perfect plan is to leave families intact.
Despite all of the emotions and the many facets of adoption, I am grateful that the holy Father is still on the throne. He sees and understands it all. As He holds my hand through this journey, He comforts another mother's heart. The same hands that hold me, hold her. I am overwhelmed at His goodness and His unfailing mercy. My heart echos Hagar's words, "Surely You are the God who sees!"
At church on Mother's Day, the band played one of my favorite songs. "Your Great Name" by Natalie Grant. The lines that always grip my heart and reminds me to hold fast through this process are:
All the weak find their strength
At the sound of Your great Name
Hungry souls receive grace
At the sound of Your great Name
The fatherless THEY FIND THEIR REST
At the sound of Your great Name
The sick are healed and the dead are raised
At the sound of Your great Name
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuuLBPOYcI8
What an awesome, all-powerful God!
Here are some prayer requests for our adoption process:
- We are working through our training, readings and marriage surveys. Pray that we can accomplish everything in a timely manner.
- I got an email from the Children's Home this week. She can start our home study at the beginning of June! Pray that it is successful and that God would provide all of the funds in His way.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Our Phone Interview
We had our phone interview with our case worker this afternoon! It was basically a chance for her to get to know us and thoroughly review the process with us. Whew! It is a lot to grasp but I am more excited than ever! I got to ask her all about her trip to "our country" this past March. She told us about the orphanages, the people who would be taking care of our adoption in-country, the culture and the beautiful kiddos. I have seen the pictures and videos but hearing someone actually describe it to you is a whole new ball game! After hearing her stories, I was ready to get on a plane! I know that we have a very loooooong wait ahead of us but my arms are already aching to hold our sweet kiddo.
I am overwhelmed with a passion to bring home our son or daughter. We learned a little more about why most of these children are released for adoption and came across another difficult-to-swallow statistic: "[This country] has long had more abortions than births and was previously estimated to lose as much as 40 percent of its population." Statistics say that 40% of women here have had an abortion. 40%! I am SO grateful that some of these mothers are choosing LIFE for their babies! Please pray for the hearts of these women facing such difficult decisions. Pray that God would clearly reveal His will that they choose LIFE for themselves and their children and that He would present them with opportunities to parent or to find other mommies and daddies who want to love these precious little ones.
This makes me reflect on our child. It is possible that our child hasn't even been born yet! Please be in prayer for this woman who is carrying such a special gift. Pray for her heart as she is making (or already made) a decision that will alter her future forever. While bringing home a child is a thrilling event for our family, it is breaking apart another. I liken it to a heart transplant. One family gets to celebrate new life, while another has only memories and the hope that they made the right choice. A mother is giving away her heart for me to love. It is a very humbling and difficult concept to grasp, but we are thrilled to open our arms to the child God has picked for our family.
So what's next? We will begin our home study as soon as our social worker can get us scheduled! Thanks for checking in on us. There are many decisions ahead of us. More updates coming soon!
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ~ John 14:18
I am overwhelmed with a passion to bring home our son or daughter. We learned a little more about why most of these children are released for adoption and came across another difficult-to-swallow statistic: "[This country] has long had more abortions than births and was previously estimated to lose as much as 40 percent of its population." Statistics say that 40% of women here have had an abortion. 40%! I am SO grateful that some of these mothers are choosing LIFE for their babies! Please pray for the hearts of these women facing such difficult decisions. Pray that God would clearly reveal His will that they choose LIFE for themselves and their children and that He would present them with opportunities to parent or to find other mommies and daddies who want to love these precious little ones.
This makes me reflect on our child. It is possible that our child hasn't even been born yet! Please be in prayer for this woman who is carrying such a special gift. Pray for her heart as she is making (or already made) a decision that will alter her future forever. While bringing home a child is a thrilling event for our family, it is breaking apart another. I liken it to a heart transplant. One family gets to celebrate new life, while another has only memories and the hope that they made the right choice. A mother is giving away her heart for me to love. It is a very humbling and difficult concept to grasp, but we are thrilled to open our arms to the child God has picked for our family.
So what's next? We will begin our home study as soon as our social worker can get us scheduled! Thanks for checking in on us. There are many decisions ahead of us. More updates coming soon!
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ~ John 14:18
Friday, April 19, 2013
First Stack of Paperwork
We have a quick update!
This week we mailed off our first stack of paperwork and payment to our agency. Our next step is an in-depth phone conversation that will happen with our adoption representative (the woman who is our specific social worker in charge of our case). We will schedule that as soon as our paperwork and fee are processed.
We also mailed off our packet to our home study social worker. She will be getting us into her system and then setting up appointments for us to have several at-home interviews. She will interview us as a couple and individually, ask about our childhoods, and our parenting methods, as well as make sure our home is considered safe and meets their qualifications.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. :) For those who asked about how you can help financially by purchasing a necklace, ordering coffee or contributing a donation, we have set up links on the side of the page. --> Or, you can always leave a message on the blog, facebook, or get in touch with one of us. :) Your support means more to us than you know!
This week we mailed off our first stack of paperwork and payment to our agency. Our next step is an in-depth phone conversation that will happen with our adoption representative (the woman who is our specific social worker in charge of our case). We will schedule that as soon as our paperwork and fee are processed.
We also mailed off our packet to our home study social worker. She will be getting us into her system and then setting up appointments for us to have several at-home interviews. She will interview us as a couple and individually, ask about our childhoods, and our parenting methods, as well as make sure our home is considered safe and meets their qualifications.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. :) For those who asked about how you can help financially by purchasing a necklace, ordering coffee or contributing a donation, we have set up links on the side of the page. --> Or, you can always leave a message on the blog, facebook, or get in touch with one of us. :) Your support means more to us than you know!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
How you can help!
We have been asked "What can we do to help?" So here are some things you can do to become a part of our adoption and help bring our little one home!
1. PRAY
I wholeheartedly believe that prayer is the biggest thing anyone can do. Prayer directly touches the heart of the Father. Here are some things you can specifically pray for: Pray for the hubby and I to have faith, perseverance, and to clearly hear the Lord as He guides our decisions. Pray for Baby Girl- that her heart would be ready to accept a new sibling when the time comes. Pray for our new little one- that he or she is healthy, protected and LOVED while he or she is waiting to become a part of a new family. Pray that the process will flow smoothly and in a timely manner. Pray that God would provide the funds to complete the adoption.
2. ENCOURAGE
While we are still in the beginning phases, it is my understanding that this process is very much an emotional roller coaster. As the days and years pass, encourage us not to lose faith.
3. SUPPORT
There are several ways you can support us. Emotionally, spiritually and in some cases, financially. We will be hosting several fundraisers in the coming months. All of the financial gifts received for those will go directly to the adoption costs.
~ Currently, we are involved in an ongoing fundraiser called Just Love Coffee. It is an online website that sells delicious coffee and a portion of the proceeds will be mailed directly to us to be deposited into our adoption account! So friends and family get to taste some amazing coffee and support an orphan in the process! Win/win!
Here is a video that explains this incredible company:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAcf_V7U3ys Seriously. Watch this!
And here is where you can go to start drinking some of this delicious coffee! https://justlovecoffee.com/about/beneficiary/tobelongandbeloved/
~ We will also be selling handmade necklaces as a reminder to wear around your neck to pray for our child and also a reminder that He has adopted us into His family forever. "In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:4b-6
The necklaces are handmade tile pendants on a 24" antique bronze style chain with a lobster claw clasp.
More designs are in the works as well as some with silver chains!
Thank you for praying about how you can be a part of our adoption! We can't wait to have more updates to share!
1. PRAY
I wholeheartedly believe that prayer is the biggest thing anyone can do. Prayer directly touches the heart of the Father. Here are some things you can specifically pray for: Pray for the hubby and I to have faith, perseverance, and to clearly hear the Lord as He guides our decisions. Pray for Baby Girl- that her heart would be ready to accept a new sibling when the time comes. Pray for our new little one- that he or she is healthy, protected and LOVED while he or she is waiting to become a part of a new family. Pray that the process will flow smoothly and in a timely manner. Pray that God would provide the funds to complete the adoption.
2. ENCOURAGE
While we are still in the beginning phases, it is my understanding that this process is very much an emotional roller coaster. As the days and years pass, encourage us not to lose faith.
3. SUPPORT
There are several ways you can support us. Emotionally, spiritually and in some cases, financially. We will be hosting several fundraisers in the coming months. All of the financial gifts received for those will go directly to the adoption costs.
~ Currently, we are involved in an ongoing fundraiser called Just Love Coffee. It is an online website that sells delicious coffee and a portion of the proceeds will be mailed directly to us to be deposited into our adoption account! So friends and family get to taste some amazing coffee and support an orphan in the process! Win/win!
Here is a video that explains this incredible company:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAcf_V7U3ys Seriously. Watch this!
And here is where you can go to start drinking some of this delicious coffee! https://justlovecoffee.com/about/beneficiary/tobelongandbeloved/
~ We will also be selling handmade necklaces as a reminder to wear around your neck to pray for our child and also a reminder that He has adopted us into His family forever. "In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:4b-6
The necklaces are handmade tile pendants on a 24" antique bronze style chain with a lobster claw clasp.
More designs are in the works as well as some with silver chains!
Thank you for praying about how you can be a part of our adoption! We can't wait to have more updates to share!
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27
Monday, April 8, 2013
The Details
We would just like to say thank you for all the kind words we have received since we announced our adoption yesterday! Your love and support is so very heartwarming! We have been asked a lot of questions about how the adoption will work, so I thought I would fill you in on the details.
~ We are adopting from Eastern Europe. Why there? Due to my young age we were limited in the countries we could choose from. Each country has its own set of rules about who can adopt. "Our country" was one of the 3 countries that we qualified for out of our 2 top agencies. We would have been thrilled with a child from any country, but we felt God calling us here.
~ Our agency states that for healthy child adoption, the process will average between 3-5 years. This time frame could vary greatly depending on the health status of the child, age and gender that we specify in our paperwork. We are still in prayer about what God would choose for our family in all three of these categories.
~ How old will our kiddo be? We would like to bring home a child younger than our sweet girl in order to maintain birth order. Because "our country" releases children for adoption in their country before releasing them for international adoption, the youngest the child would likely be is 2 years old by the time he or she comes home.
~ Why international adoption? We chose international adoption because God told us to pursue this particular country. We think that both domestic and international adoption are wonderful and blessed by the Father, but His call for us was to look here.
~ Where are we in the process? We submitted our application about 2 weeks ago and received word that we had been officially accepted into the program a few days later. This week, we will submit our first stack of paperwork and our first agency fee. After that is processed, we will begin our home study, which is a series of in-depth interviews in our home with a social worker.
~ Why is international adoption so expensive? I have asked this same question! There are many fees involved in the adoption process. These are required to pay for the employees at the agency here in the US, translation costs for the paperwork, employees in country, travel expenses, court costs in the US and there, and supporting the orphanage where our child will live until we arrive to bring him or her home. We do not support or condone the buying or selling of children in any way.
~ How will you pay for this adoption? We only know that God told us to step out in faith and that He has promised that He already has a plan. We do not know where the funds will come from, but trust that our Father, who paid our ransom with the life of His Son, can certainly provide the funds to bring home the child He has selected for our family. We do plan to have several fundraisers, doing odd jobs, working on my in-laws' farm, and saving every penny we can in order to help cover the costs. We know God will provide and strengthen our faith and those following our story. I am anxiously awaiting sharing on the blog the miracles He will perform!
~ Will you travel there? Yes. We will make two trips. When we receive a match to our child, we will travel for a week to meet him or her and begin the bonding process. We will then return home and wait for our child's paperwork to go through the court system. This will likely take several months (I am already dreading having to say goodbye and leave our precious little one on the other side of the world and simply wait!). After our child is cleared, we will travel back and bring him or her home forever!
If you have any other questions, I would love to answer them! Just like a pregnant mama, I love talking about the child we are expecting. We so appreciate your support and prayers as we navigate this process and all of the emotions it brings.
~ We are adopting from Eastern Europe. Why there? Due to my young age we were limited in the countries we could choose from. Each country has its own set of rules about who can adopt. "Our country" was one of the 3 countries that we qualified for out of our 2 top agencies. We would have been thrilled with a child from any country, but we felt God calling us here.
~ Our agency states that for healthy child adoption, the process will average between 3-5 years. This time frame could vary greatly depending on the health status of the child, age and gender that we specify in our paperwork. We are still in prayer about what God would choose for our family in all three of these categories.
~ How old will our kiddo be? We would like to bring home a child younger than our sweet girl in order to maintain birth order. Because "our country" releases children for adoption in their country before releasing them for international adoption, the youngest the child would likely be is 2 years old by the time he or she comes home.
~ Why international adoption? We chose international adoption because God told us to pursue this particular country. We think that both domestic and international adoption are wonderful and blessed by the Father, but His call for us was to look here.
~ Where are we in the process? We submitted our application about 2 weeks ago and received word that we had been officially accepted into the program a few days later. This week, we will submit our first stack of paperwork and our first agency fee. After that is processed, we will begin our home study, which is a series of in-depth interviews in our home with a social worker.
~ Why is international adoption so expensive? I have asked this same question! There are many fees involved in the adoption process. These are required to pay for the employees at the agency here in the US, translation costs for the paperwork, employees in country, travel expenses, court costs in the US and there, and supporting the orphanage where our child will live until we arrive to bring him or her home. We do not support or condone the buying or selling of children in any way.
~ How will you pay for this adoption? We only know that God told us to step out in faith and that He has promised that He already has a plan. We do not know where the funds will come from, but trust that our Father, who paid our ransom with the life of His Son, can certainly provide the funds to bring home the child He has selected for our family. We do plan to have several fundraisers, doing odd jobs, working on my in-laws' farm, and saving every penny we can in order to help cover the costs. We know God will provide and strengthen our faith and those following our story. I am anxiously awaiting sharing on the blog the miracles He will perform!
~ Will you travel there? Yes. We will make two trips. When we receive a match to our child, we will travel for a week to meet him or her and begin the bonding process. We will then return home and wait for our child's paperwork to go through the court system. This will likely take several months (I am already dreading having to say goodbye and leave our precious little one on the other side of the world and simply wait!). After our child is cleared, we will travel back and bring him or her home forever!
If you have any other questions, I would love to answer them! Just like a pregnant mama, I love talking about the child we are expecting. We so appreciate your support and prayers as we navigate this process and all of the emotions it brings.
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